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Media Studies

FATTITUDE

By Lindsey Averill, Viridiana Lieberman

An eye-opening look at how popular media perpetuates fat hatred that results in cultural bias and discrimination.

FATTITUDE is an eye-opening look at how popular media perpetuates fat hatred that results in a cultural bias and a civil rights issue for people living in fat bodies.

Fat people are paid $1.25 less an hour than their thin counterparts and can still legally lose jobs just because they're fat. Additionally, 1 in 3 doctors associates fat bodies with hostility, dishonesty and poor hygiene. FATTITUDE looks at how this systemic cultural prejudice results in fat discrimination. Informed by a post-modern, post-colonial, feminist perspective, FATTITUDE also examines how fat-shaming crosses the lines of race, class, sexuality and gender. It features a diverse variety of voices such as academic scholars, activists, filmmakers, actors and psychologists, including Lindy West, Sonya Renee Taylor, Virgie Tovar, Ricki Lake, and more.

A body positive documentary intent on inspiring change, FATTITUDE offers alternative ideas that embrace body acceptance at all sizes, explores examples of fat positive representations being produced today by activists and the media, and focuses on real life solutions for moving forward and changing the national conversation about body image.

DVD (Color, Closed Captioned) / 2019 / 88 minutes

TVTV: VIDEO REVOLUTIONARIES

Director: Paul Goldsmith

Featuring Bill Murray, Hunter Thompson, Steven Spielberg, Lynn Swan, Goldie Hawn, Abbie Hoffman, Lily Tomlin and more, "TVTV: Video Revolutionaries" is a documentary about Top Value Television (TVTV), a band of merry video makers who, from 1972 to 1977, took the then brand-new portable video camera and went out to document the world. In those days, there were only three TV networks, using giant studio cameras, and no one had ever seen a portable camera stuck in their face, let alone one held by what Newsweek called "braless, blue-jeaned video freaks." Because the technology was so new, there were no rules about how to use it or what to make. So the "freaks" used it to make format-bending satirical shows about whatever interested them - from the 1972 Republican Convention to an award-winning expose of a 15-year-old jet-set guru named Guru Maharaj Ji, called "Lord of the Universe" to capturing the Steelers and Cowboys partying hard the night before Super Bowl X.

Directed by TVTV alum Paul Goldsmith, the film is like opening a treasure chest into the 1970s, filled with cultural and political events hosted by now-famous characters who were then just beginning their climb to iconic.

DVD / 2018 / 82 minutes

ACORN AND THE FIRESTORM

Director: Reuben Atlas, Sam Pollard

If you were impoverished and politically voiceless, ACORN hoped to change your mind. For 40 years, the community-organizing group sought to empower marginalized communities. Its critics, though, believed ACORN exemplified everything wrong with liberal ideals.

Fueled by a YouTube video made by two young conservatives who posed as pimp and prostitute in a sting, ACORN's very existence would be challenged. ACORN and the Firestorm goes beyond the 24-hour news cycle and cuts to the heart of the great political divide.

DVD / 2017 / 84 minutes

GRAY STATE, A

Director: Erik Nelson

In 2010 David Crowley, an Iraq veteran, aspiring filmmaker and charismatic up-and-coming voice in fringe politics, began production on his film Gray State. Set in a dystopian near-future where civil liberties are trampled by an unrestrained federal government, the film's crowd-funded trailer was enthusiastically received by the burgeoning online community of libertarians, Tea Party activists and members of the nascent alt-right.

In January 2015, Crowley was found dead with his family in their suburban Minnesota home. Their shocking deaths quickly become a cause celebre for conspiracy theorists who speculate that Crowley was assassinated by a shadowy government concerned about a film and filmmaker that was getting too close to the truth about their aims.

A Gray State combs through Crowley's archive of 13,000 photographs, hundreds of hours of home video, and exhaustive behind-the-scenes footage of Crowley's work in progress to reveal what happens when a paranoid view of the government turns inward - blurring the lines of what is real and what people want to believe.

DVD / 2017 / 93 minutes

OBIT.

Directed by Vanessa Gould

At a time when the free press is under threat, OBIT. takes a rare look inside one of the United States' foremost journalistic institutions, The New York Times. The steadfast writers of the paper's Obituaries section approach their work with journalistic rigor and narrative flair, each day depositing the details of a handful of extraordinary lives into the cultural memory. Going beyond the byline and into the minds of those chronicling the recently deceased, OBIT. is ultimately a celebration of life that conveys the central role journalism plays in capturing and reporting vital pieces of our history.

DVD (Region 1, Color, Closed Captioned) / 2017 / 95 minutes

TRUMP: THE ART OF THE INSULT

By Joel Gilbert

Donald Trump used his special brand of the Art of the Insult to attack opponents and bash the media all the way to the White House in 2016. He continues to master the art with ongoing fine-tuning from the podium, his office and of course on Twitter.

While critics insisted "The Donald" was merely a chaotic sideshow, Trump continues to dominate the 24-hour news cycle with a master plan of political incorrectness. Hurling insults like Low-Energy Jeb, Lyin' Ted, Crooked Hillary, Little Marco, Pocahontas, and Fake News, Trump has emerged as an unstoppable political phenomenon who has transformed the Presidential voice into the greatest show on earth.

Trump: The Art of the Insult tells the story of Donald Trump's improbable journey from Trump Tower to rallies across America to the debate stage, where he reveled in mocking and taunting rivals with targeted insults and nicknames, leaving them gasping for air. As President of the US, he continues the trend.

In Trump: The Art of the Insult, the President is often sophomoric and sometimes brutal, yet America seems to always find him entertaining. Love or hate Donald Trump, you'll find yourself laughing along with the leader of the free world, and marveling at Trump.

Is "the Real Donald Trump" a marketing genius and accomplished performance artist or....?

DVD / 2017 / 95 minutes

ALL GOVERNMENTS LIE: TRUTH, DECEPTION, AND THE SPIRIT OF I.F. STONE

Director: Fred Peabody

Independent journalists like Amy Goodman, Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill, and Matt Taibbi are changing the face of journalism, providing investigative, adversarial alternatives to mainstream, corporate news outlets. Our cameras follow as they expose government and corporate deception - just as the ground-breaking independent journalist I.F. Stone did decades ago.

DVD / 2016 / 91 minutes

DEMOCRACY ROAD

By Turid Rogne

After more than 20 years in exile in Norway, the Burmese journalists of DVB are returning to their homeland to establish their independent news station there. Editor-in-chief Aye Chan Naing and reporter Than Win Htut have dreamt about this for years, but their struggle for freedom and democracy is not over yet.

DEMOCRACY ROAD is a road movie documentary following the journalists of DVB in Myanmar in a critical phase of the establishment of the newborn democracy. With their existence as an independent news channel and Myanmar's future as a democracy at stake, senior reporter Than Win Htut and his colleagues hit the road with their groundbreaking show "Our Nation, Our Land." Their goal is to investigate the living conditions of ordinary people off the beaten path in Myanmar, but the machinery of the old dictatorship is still running. Simultaneously, editor-in-chief, Aye Chan Naing, has to negotiate with DVB's former enemies in the infamous Ministry of Information. The road towards democracy has only just begun...

Director Turid Rogne has followed the journalists of DVB for more than 10 years. With both boldness and sensitivity, she tells the story of life in a former dictatorship through the people who try to influence history.

DVD (Color) / 2016 / 60 minutes

KINGS OF THE PAGES: THE GOLDEN AGE OF COMIC STRIPS

Directed by Robert Lemieux

At the turn of the 20th century, two of the most powerful men in America were newspaper magnates William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. Noted mostly for their contentious rivalry and sensationalist news coverage, they were also responsible for cultivating some of the era's most recognizable celebrities-Nemo, Krazy, Happy Hooligan, George McManus, Ignatz, Mutt, Buster Brown, Hans and Fritz, and Offissa Pup, to name a few.

In their ongoing battle to attract newspaper readers, both Hearst and Pulitzer had discovered that comic strips were a strategic addition. Often raiding each other's staffs to acquire the best talent, both men recognized the potential. It wasn't until Hearst unveiled the first full color, 8-page comic supplement in 1896, that the potential was fully realized, prompting Hearst's now famous quote motto... "Eight Pages of Iridescent Polychromous Effulgence That Makes The Rainbow Look Like A Lead Pipe!"

Over the next fifty years, that polychromatic effulgence would usher in the Golden Age of the American comic strip. During that time span, more than 150 different strips made their way into America's living rooms. Every week the characters and their creators provided humorous entertainment and tickled many a funny bone. Reading the comics became a cultural phenomenon.

Only available in North America.

DVD / 2016 / 24 minutes

WHAT HAPPENED TO HER

By Kristy Guevara-Flanagan

WHAT HAPPENED TO HER is a forensic exploration of our cultural obsession with images of the dead woman on screen. Interspersing found footage from films and police procedural television shows and one actor's experience of playing the part of a corpse, the film offers a meditative critique on the trope of the dead female body.

The visual narrative of the genre, one reinforced through its intense and pervasive repetition, is revealed as a highly structured pageant. The experience of physical invasion and exploitation voiced by the actor pierce the fabric of the screened fantasy. The result is recurring and magnetic film cliche laid bare. Essential viewing for Pop Culture, Women's and Cinema Studies classes.

DVD (Color) / 2016 / 15 minutes

1971

Director: Johanna Hamilton

On March 8, 1971, a group of citizens broke into an FBI office in Media, PA, took every file, and shared them with the public. Their actions exposed the FBI's illegal surveillance program of law-abiding Americans. Now, these previously anonymous Americans publicly share their story for the first time.

The FBI, established in 1908, was for 60 years held unaccountable and untouchable until 1971, when The Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI, as they called themselves, sent the stolen files to journalists at the Washington Post, which published them and shed light on the FBI's widespread abuse of power. These actions exposed COINTELPRO, the FBI's illegal surveillance program that involved the intimidation of law-abiding Americans, and helped lead to the country's first congressional investigation of U.S. intelligence agencies.

The activist-burglars then disappeared into anonymity for forty years. Until now. Never caught, these previously anonymous Americans parents, teachers and citizens publicly reveal themselves for the first time and share their story in the documentary 1971. Using a mix of dramatic re-enactments and candid interviews with all involved, the film vividly brings to life one of the more important, yet relatively unexplored, chapters in modern American history.

DVD / 2015 / 79 minutes

BAPTISM OF FIRE, A

By Jerome Clement-Wilz

"As it gets harder to sell pictures, we take greater and greater risks," explains Corentin Fohlen. A war correspondent still in his twenties, Fohlen is part of a new generation of freelance journalists who fly to war zones from Libya to Afghanistan on their own dime in the hope of selling images to news media outlets.

But the carefree attitude of youth can change when confronted with the harsh reality of life in wartime. When a colleague is killed in Syria, Fohlen's thirst for adventure turns into a deeper reflection on the meaning of work and life. Director Clement-Wilz followed Fohlen through shells and bullets for four years in order to create this riveting portrait of the life of a contemporary war correspondent.

DVD (Color, Closed Captioned) / 2015 / 52 minutes

DREAMS REWIRED

Narrated by Tilda Swinton By Manu Luksch, Martin Reinhart & Thomas Tode

Tilda Swinton's hypnotic voiceover and a treasure trove of rare archival footage culled from hundreds of films from the 1880s through the 1930s—much of it previously unseen—combine to trace the anxieties of today's hyper-connected world back a hundred years. Then, too, electric media sparked idealism in the public imagination—hailed as the beginning of an era of total communication, annihilation of distance and the end of war. But then, too, fears over the erosion of privacy, security, morality proved to be well-founded.

DREAMS REWIRED traces contemporary appetites and anxieties back to the birth of the telephone, television and cinema. At the time, early electric media were as revolutionary as social media are now. The technologies were expected to serve everyone, not just the elite classes. Human relationships would become stronger, efficiency would increase and the society would be revolutionized... But these initial promises were very different from what new media eventually brought to daily life.

Using excerpts from early dramatic films, slapstick comedies, political newsreels, advertisements and recordings of scientific experiments culled during years of research in film archives around the world, co-directors Manu Luksch, Martin Reinhart and Thomas Tode unearth material that is by turns hilarious, revelatory, beautiful and prescient. The archival footage, combined with poetic narration and a virtuosic score by Siegfried Friedrich forges a cross-generational connection between contemporary viewers and their idealistic forbearers of a century ago.

DVD (Color, Closed Captioned) / 2015 / 85 minutes

HOT TYPE: 150 YEARS OF THE NATION

Director: Barbara Kopple

Hot Type: 150 Years of The Nation is a vivid, inside look at America's oldest continuously published weekly magazine. Shot over three years in intimate, cinema verite style, the film captures the day-to-day pressures and challenges of publishing the progressive magazine as it follows reporters out into the field, the editors who shape their work, and the editor-in chief who tries to keep all of the plates spinning.

Writers are the heart and soul of the magazine, and the film follows them extensively. Sasha Abramsky travels to West Texas to report on the years-long drought that has gripped the region and the devastating economic impact on farmers and residents. John Nichols unpacks what's going on behind the effort to recall Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. Amy Wilentz visits the "temporary" tent camps of Haiti, three years after the earthquake, to shed light on the dire conditions and lackluster international response. And Dani McClain reports on the Moral Monday movement in North Carolina, and its dynamic leader Rev. William Barber, as they push back against an extreme right-wing takeover of the state legislature.

In all of the current-day reported stories, The Nation's incredible trove of archival articles - and roster of writers - acts as an historical touchstone and illuminates how the past continuously ripples through and shapes current events.

At a fascinating moment in American history - politically, socially and culturally - the media landscape is changing at breathtaking speed. The film charts the journey of The Nation - and the nation - evolving into the future, as it is guided by its remarkable past.

DVD / 2015 / 92 minutes

HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Director: Jerry Rothwell

How to Change the World chronicles the adventures of an eclectic group of young pioneers - Canadian hippie journalists, photographers, musicians, scientists, and American draft dodgers - who set out to stop Richard Nixon's atomic bomb tests in Amchitka, Alaska, and end up creating the worldwide green movement.

Greenpeace was founded on tight knit, passionate friendships forged in Vancouver in the early 1970s. Together they pioneered a template for environmental activism which mixed daring iconic feats and worldwide media: placing small rubber inflatables between harpooners and whales, blocking ice-breaking sealing ships with their bodies, spraying the pelts of baby seals with dye to make them valueless in the fur market. The group had a prescient understanding of the power of media, knowing that the advent of global mass communications meant that the image had become a more effective tool for change than the strike or the demonstration.

DVD (Region 1, Color) / 2015 / 109 minutes

SEX, LIES AND TABLOIDS!

By Jean-Baptiste Peretie

They're lurid, obnoxious, disdainful and explicit. And we love them - and love to hate them.

SEX, LIES AND TABLOIDS! charts the rise and fall of tabloid papers in the UK and US, including the New York Post, The Sun, and notorious supermarket tabloids like the National Enquirer and The Star.

In the beginning, they were upstarts. Papers that shamelessly pandered with stories about sex scandals, and celebrities - often skirting ethical lines, and sometimes outright making things up ("Run it through the typewriter again," was one editor's mantra.) But by the 1980s and '90s they had become the media heavyweights. Left behind by the tabloids' coverage of Bill Clinton's sex life, Princess Diana and the OJ Simpson trial, the mainstream media started to adopt their techniques.

SEX, LIES AND TABLOIDS! Features extensive interviews with key tabloid players such as notorious editor Kelvin MacKenzie ("If you have no news... you get a picture of Diana and make it as big as possible"), journalist Paul McMullan ("People need to understand that privacy is an evil, bad concept"), and the late Vincent Musetto (famed for the headline "Headless body in topless bar"). The film provides an insider's account of the no-holds-barred mentality driving tabloid journalism while also using fun and campy footage mimicking the style of the tabloids themselves.

Eventually, the tabs would go too far. Briefly chastened by the death of Diana and shunned after the British phone hacking scandal, the papers would go into a downward spiral, with The News of the World even shutting down. But culture they spawned is stronger than ever. Sites like TMZ and The Smoking Gun and an omni-present gotcha culture have brought the spirit of the tabloids to the Internet. At the same time, the ubiquity of sharing means photos that would once have been prized by paparazzi (hello Kim Kardashian in a bikini) are posted by celebrities and would-be-celebs themselves. The tabloids may be gone, but the tabloid spirit is everywhere.

DVD (Closed Captioned) / 2015 / 52 minutes

WORLD ACCORDING TO RUSSIA TODAY, THE

By Misja Pekel

In 2014, Malaysian Airlines passenger flight 17 was shot down with a rocket intended for the private plane of Russian president Vladimir Putin... If, that is, a viewer is relying on the satellite TV network Russia Today as their source for news.

These claims were not the first time Russia Today drew attention for counter-factual reporting: during the 2008 war in Georgia, the network reported that South Ossetians were the victims of genocide at the hands of Georgians. In 2014, the channel was warned by the British TV agency for its biased and inaccurate reporting on the uprising on Maidan Square in Kiev. The list goes on and on.

Russia Today (now renamed just RT) was launched in 2005 to bring a Russian-centric perspective on current political events to a global audience. After a decade of generous Kremlin funding, 2015 found the 24-hour news channel the biggest media organization on YouTube with 2 billion viewers: more than CNN and the BBC combined.

The network claims only to offer an alternative perspective to the monolithic view presented by mainstream Western media. But what kind of "reporting" is Russia Today actually doing? What is it like to work for the channel? How much influence does the Kremlin really have there? Is it possible to differentiate between fact and opinion on a Russian channel when the Russian interests are at stake?

In Misja Pekel's disturbing documentary THE WORLD ACCORDING TO RUSSIA TODAY, former and current news anchors, editors and correspondents for the network-including William Dunbar, Sara Firth, Marc de Jersey, Afshin Rattansi and Liz Wahl-join journalists and media professionals Alexander Nekrassov, Peter Pomerantsev, Richard Sambrook, Daniel Sandford, Derk Sauer and more in a detailed dissection of the channel's modus operandi and the challenges and dangers of reporting and consuming news in a globalized world.

DVD (Color, Closed Captioned) / 2015 / 40 minutes

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING IN THE DIGITAL ERA

In the new world of tweets, blogs, and citizen journalism, what is the outlook for true investigative reporting? This program highlights the ways investigative journalism is changing, particularly in the context of digital and online media. Social media and globalization have changed the ways reporters connect with their readers. What are the advantages and disadvantages of nearly instantaneous access to news as it unfolds? A panel of heavy hitters from the world of journalism weighs in on these and other issues, such as emerging financial models for (costly) investigative reporting as traditional news budgets shrink. Young reporters entering the field will be particularly encouraged by many of the exciting technologies and resources available for developing stories that are more in-depth, media-rich, and engaging. Investigative journalism is a fast-evolving field, and this program helps entry-level reporters as well as veterans to bear witness more effectively in the Internet era.

DVD / 2014 / 17 minutes

ADJUST YOUR TRACKING: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE VHS COLLECTOR

It revolutionized the film business. The birth and life of VHS as a format brought films into the homes of millions around the world. And, it brought genre films to the forefront. Now, if you think VHS is dead, you're wrong!

Over 100 collectors, filmmakers, producers, and video store owners express how VHS changed their lives. Some see VHS as worthless plastic, but Adjust Your Tracking shows a vibrant world of collectors and movie fans who are keeping the format, and the movies, alive. Travel back to the days of video rental stores with those who still buy, sell, rent and trade the format that will not die-VHS.

DVD / 2013 / 84 minutes

CAPTIVATED: FINDING FREEDOM IN A MEDIA CAPTIVE CULTURE

This feature-length documentary is not anti-media or anti-technology, but it raises critical concerns about our culture's seemingly unchecked enthusiasm for media consumption. It highlights the overwhelming evidence of growing problems on multiple fronts, including the potential physical, psychological, moral, and spiritual impacts of media technology when used or consumed without discretion.

Features outstanding interviews with Ray Comfort, Bob Waliszewsi, Dr. Ted Baehr, Dr. Jeff Myers, Kerby Anderson, Kevin Swanson, Dr. David Walsh, Al Menconi, Dr. Dimitri Christakis, Dick Rolfe, Phil Chalmers, Professor Mark Bauerlein, Maggie Jackson, and more. .

DVD / 2013 / 107 minutes

INREALLIFE

Director: Beeban Kidron InRealLife asks what exactly is the internet and what is it doing to our children? Taking us on a journey from the bedrooms of teenagers to Silicon Valley, filmmaker Beeban Kidron suggests that rather than the promise of free and open connectivity, young people are increasingly ensnared in a commercial world. Beguiling and glittering on the outside, it can be alienating and addictive. Quietly building its case, Kidron's film asks if we can afford to stand by while our children, trapped in their 24/7 connectivity, are being outsourced to the net?

While newspapers alternately praise and panic about the glittering world of the Internet, there is a generation of children who have grown up with a smart phone in their hand, connected to the world 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Public discourse seems to revolve around privacy, an issue that embodies the fears and concerns of adults. What is less discussed is what it really means to always be online, never alone and increasingly bombarded by a world that has something to sell you and appears to know you better than yourself. A world that is so ubiquitous that it is the first thing you see as you wake up in the morning and the last thing you see before you go to sleep at night.

For adults there was a 'before' the net. But for the current generation, at the time of their most rapid development they have no other experience and few tools with which to negotiate the overwhelming parade of opportunity and cost that the internet delivers directly into their hands.

From the bedrooms of five disparate teenagers and then into the companies that profit from the internet, InRealLifetakes a closer look at some of the behavioral outcomes that come from living in a commercially driven, 'interruption' culture.

Following the physical journey of the internet, from fiber optic cables through sewers and under oceans, from London to NYC and finally to Silicon Valley, the film reveals that what is often thought of as an 'open, democratic and free' world is in fact dominated by a small group of powerful players. Meanwhile our kids - merely pawns in the game - are adapting to this new world - along with their expectation of friendship, their cognition and their sexuality.

DVD / 2013 / 90 minutes

SMILING THROUGH THE APOCALYPSE

Director: Tom Hayes

Esquire magazine was a galvanizing force in American culture from the early 1960s through the early '70s. Forging its pop-cultural capital on the basis of provocative cover art, intellectual audacity and riveting articles by the preeminent and cutting edge writers of the time, the magazine captured the zeitgeist of America in the crucible of the '60s.

The chief architect of this print revolution was Harold Hayes, a brilliant and tenacious editor who granted Esquire's contributors unprecedented journalistic freedom. Hayes' fearless instincts provided a haven for writers like Gore Vidal, Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, Nora Ephron, William F. Buckley and Norman Mailer, and nurtured the iconoclastic talents of art director George Lois. By making it possible for writers and artists to bring novelistic techniques into reportage Hayes fostered what became known as "New Journalism".

The indelible cultural contributions captured in this enthralling documentary by his son, Tom Hayes, provide a vivid context for nothing less than the rebirth of American aesthetics. Featuring interviews with Robert Benton, Candice Bergen, Peter Bogdanovich, Brock Brower, Graydon Carter, Lee Eisenberg, Harlan Ellison, Nora Ephron, Robert Frank, Hugh Hefner, Tom Meehan, Frank Rich, Bob Rifkind, Gay Talese, Gore Vidal, Ed Wilson, Tom Wolfe and many others.

DVD / 2013 / 99 minutes

BATTLE FOR THE ARAB VIEWER, THE

By Nordin Lasfar

In early 2011, people around the world tuned into Al Jazeera to watch the Egyptian revolution in real time. Meanwhile, rival broadcaster Al Arabiya was also offering near continuous coverage, with cameras on a balcony overlooking the 6th October Bridge, where protesters and police clashed.

How was the content of those broadcasts - and the networks' subsequent coverage - influenced by their political allegiances?

Featuring interviews with current and former journalists from both networks, and analysis from independent pundits, The Battle for the Arab Viewer highlights the philosophical differences between the two pan-Arab networks.

Al Jazeera was created by the Emir of Qatar after he deposed his father in a coup. The station typically champions the poor and social movements - such as the Muslim Brotherhood - that are hostile to the Saudi regime. The station has grown highly influential. In the film, a passerby stops Al Jazeera's chief Cairo correspondent on the street to thank him and the government of Qatar for supporting the anti-Mubarak forces, saying the network is "90%" responsible for the revolution.

With Al Jazeera supporting elements hostile to Saudi Arabia, the Saudis set up their own network as a counterpoint: the more conservative Al Arabiya, owned by a close friend of the royal family.

While The Battle for the Arab Viewer offers insight and analysis, it also shows how the battle between the two networks plays out on the ground in Cairo. We go behind the scenes with Al Arabiya journalist Randa Abul Azm and Al Jazeera's Abdelfattah Fayed as they follow stories, break news, and cover events such as Hosni Mubarak's trial. (Azm is allowed into the courtroom, but Fayed is not.)

Azm and Fayed each mirror their networks' respective demographics. Al Arabiya appeals to well-off, middle-class viewers who value security and stability. Enter Amz, who lives in a building built by her engineer father, on a street named for her grandfather. Fayed, representing the network that purports to stand for the downtrodden, shows us a photo of his father, who worked in agriculture.

Both deny that their work is influenced by the political agendas of their networks' owners. But former employees of both networks tell a different story. Particularly striking is the case of Hafez al Mirazi, who was taken off Al Arabiya's airwaves after promising to put Saudi Arabia under the microscope on his show.

Media bias is nothing new - as Mirazi says, viewers of Fox News and MSNBC each know what they are going to get. What is different in the Arab world is that the networks are directly owned by states. He says, "They keep shifting according to the countries they are sponsored by, and that affects the stories their citizens get on a daily basis."

Ultimately, the problem may resolve itself. As democracy spreads through the region, will truly independent media follow?

DVD (Color) / 2011 / 48 minutes

WAR PHOTOGRAPHER

Director: Christian Frei

"If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough." - Robert Capa

War photographer James Nachtwey has been close enough for twenty years. Over this time he hasn't missed a single war. And he probably has seen more suffering and dying than anyone else alive. For War Photographer, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Christian Frei followed Nachtwey for two years into the wars in Indonesia, Kosovo, and Palestine, as well as to other troubled areas around the world.

If we believe Hollywood pictures, war photographers are all hard-boiled and cynical old troopers. How can they think about 'exposure time' at the very moment of dread? But James Nachtwey is no rumbling swaggerer. He is an unobtrusive man, with grey hair and the deliberation of a professor of philosophy. A thoughtful, rather shy person - who many think of as the bravest and best war photographer ever.

Christiane Amanpour of CNN, Hans-Hermann Klare of Stern Magazine and many other friends and colleagues of Nachtwey talk about his photos, his relationship to his work, and the impact it has on his personal life. And many of his most powerful images are shown in the film.

Finally, and most amazingly, in War Photographer special video micro-cameras are attached to Nachtwey's still camera. We hear every breath of the photographer. We participate in the act of shooting war photos. And for the first time in the history of movies about photographers, this technique allows us the most intimate insight into the work of a concerned photojournalist.

DVD (English and German) / 2001 / 96 minutes

http://www.learningemall.com/News/Media_1911.html

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insidewarp · 5 years

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New York governor Andrew Cuomo is urging the exemption of mugshot photos and arrest booking information from public disclosure under New York’s freedom of information laws. This is understandable, given the impressive montage that might be made from mugshots of one-time Cuomo aides, advisors, and associates now on their way to prison, but it nevertheless raises serious civil-liberties issues around press freedom and public information—and it seems like yet another gubernatorial pander toward the Democratic Party’s crime-coddling Left.

Bob McManus

https://www.city-journal.org/cuomo-mugshot-ban

#quote #bob mcmanus

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secherseerup57 · 2 years

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Rankings Of Texas Hold'em Poker Hands: The Difference Between Winning And Falling

It is important to remember that every game will use the same strategy. That strategy is to have the highest poker hand possible. Therefore, players are going to try to get cards that are alike and work with different patterns. It can be a challenge to get a royal flush but getting a full house will work very well in most cases. winning judi bola piala dunia 2022 deposit pulsa above your limit: Don't let greed step into your mind, even when the competition is tough just take it calm.Stick to a regular limit. Once you have achieved that limit, then you can move to a higher game limit. Poker odds calculator is a useful and helpful tool and when used in the right manner, it increases the chances of winning the game. A poker calculator is not a tool to help you understand the game. It will also reduce the chance of losing. You can earn money by using a poker calculator. First and foremost, get acquainted with the game and usage of a poker odds calculator. With a solid understanding of the game, you can easily play the game flawlessly. Well, you can if you're James McManus. The journalist went to the Series 2000 to write a piece. But he was soon caught up in the trappings of Las Vegas and lost his chance to qualify for the Main Event. He was allowed in and ended up final tabling. The whole story has been immortalized on 'Positively 5th Street'. It is well worth an hour of your time. Poker has the amazing ability to tie us up when our sessions are bad or we make mistakes. The best way to work out the negative energy that gets built up in times like this is to write a sentence 50-100 times. This helps me to get rid of negative emotions and refocus my efforts. Randomly, I opened my journal to find a few pages of "I will adhere 100% to my rules when I play." This is what I found after a few sessions of playing stupidly and breaking my own rules. When you have completed the evaluation, you will discover the leaks in your game. These leaks can be fixed to prevent your opponents from taking advantage of your mistakes. You will also know what your strengths and weaknesses are so you can keep making the same plays. The goal is to defeat the two other dealing hands with a single 52-card deck. You begin to deal the first set pocket cards. You are at liberty to either hold or fold. You have additional options to choose the set of cards you prefer. You can score the maximum with right kind of card combination and get the reward. You are allowed to reduce your stake as you play this type of casino game. It is best to start with the highest amount of bet on your side and then slowly reduce it as the hand unfolds. This is a great tip to help you make a dent. Before all the hoopla about the Year of the Pro' last season, there was another one in which the pro showed the pros what they are made of. 2005 saw bracelets being awarded to Allen Cunningham. Josh Arieh. Erik Seidel. TJ Cloutier. Barry Greenstein. Todd Brunson. Doyle Brunson. Johnny Chan. Phil Ivey. Mark Seif. Jennifer Tilly.

#judi bola piala dunia 2022 deposit pulsa

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heavyweightnation · 2 years

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NCAA Division 2 Wrestling Rankings

125 Pounds- Cole Laya (West Liberty)Nick Daggett (UNC Pembroke)Joe Arroyo (UW- Parkside)Christian Wellman (Ashland)Paxton Rosen (Central Oklahoma)Christian Meijia (McKendree)Isaiah Delacerda (Adams State)Trenton McManus (MSU Mankato)Jacob Dunlop (Gannon)Josh Portillo (Nebraska-Kearney) 133 Pounds- Tyler Warner (West Liberty)Garrett Vos (St. Cloud State)Tanner Cole (Central Oklahoma)Wesley…

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patriotsnet · 3 years

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Why Do Republicans Support The Death Penalty

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/why-do-republicans-support-the-death-penalty/

Why Do Republicans Support The Death Penalty

A Change In Philosophy

Do You Support The Death Penalty? Public Opinion POLL Released

Conservatives have been slowly turning away from the death penalty for years, as high-profile innocence cases have helped frame capital punishment as a problem of out-of-control big government.

In January 2000, after a series of exonerations of people who had been sentenced to death, the Republican governor of Illinois, George Ryan, declared a moratorium on executions. At the time, Texas Gov. George W. Bush was running for president, and the national press questioned whether an innocent person had faced execution under his watch; soon after, his fellow Republicans in the state legislature voted to make DNA testing more available for prisoners.

From 2014 to 2019, Republican support for the death penalty, as opposed to life sentences, dropped from 68% to 58%, according to Gallup Polls. Republican legislators in Nebraska voted to repeal the punishment in 2015, although the states residents then voted to bring the punishment back.

Some lawmakers have been motivated by anti-abortion arguments about the sanctity of human life and stories of Christian redemption on death row. Others talk about the cost to taxpayers. South Dakota state Sen. Arthur Rusch previously served as a judge in a capital case.

When I look at a bill, I dont see color at all. I look at an individual and say, If an individual commits a crime of this nature, should they be put on death row or not? he said.

Abortion Deliberately Ends A Human Life

To treat abortion-minded mothers and abortionist as murderers is not a wild stretch. In Ohio, many believe this is appropriate, and that the woman and abortionist who knowingly violate natural and written law should be punished for ending a human life. Setting that punishment is not easy.

It is plain that abortion ends the life of an innocent human person, who has committed no wrong, has no right to a defender, and is afforded no due process or given the benefit of appeals. She can be destroyed by the whim of a pregnant woman and abortionist. By contrast, the death penalty ends the life of a guilty person, who has willfully committed a known wrong, and was afforded all the due process possible before being put to death.

To see these versions of ending a life as categorically different, and to abhor the first and support the second is not hypocrisy. To some, it is common sense.

Executions Are Mostly A Red

Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected on Wednesday to issue a moratorium on the death penalty in California, granting reprieves to the hundreds of people on death row. By signing his executive order, Newsom will lower the countrys death row population by a quarter.

The move isnt particularly surprising considering the Democrats record as an elected official he was an early proponent of same-sex marriage as mayor of San Francisco and considering Californias politics. Nor should it be surprising that President Trump weighed in Wednesday morning to oppose Newsoms move.

Defying voters, the Governor of California will halt all death penalty executions of 737 stone cold killers, Trump said. Friends and families of the always forgotten VICTIMS are not thrilled, and neither am I!

The death penalty is not a new entrant to the political culture wars, but in recent years, the partisan split on the issue has widened. A Pew Research Center poll completed last year found that a small majority of Americans support the death penalty but that those views were split by party. More than three-quarters of Republicans support executions while only about a third of Democrats agree.

Among the groups most supportive of the issue are white evangelical Protestants; more than 7 in 10 support the use of the death penalty.

In 2014, support for the death penalty among Democrats dropped under 50 percent in Pews polling, the first year in which that happened.

Read Also: Who’s Right Democrats Or Republicans

Republican States Have Most Prisoner Executions

Thirty-two states have the death penalty on their legal code. Republican-dominated states have performed an enormous majority of U.S. prisoner executions since 1976. Of the 1,359 executions since that date — the number reported by the Death Penalty Information Center as of Dec. 18, 2013 — 1,110 occurred in Republican-dominated Southern states. About one-third of those sentences were in Texas, where 508 death row inmates have been put to death in the past 37 years. Twelve people who were eventually proved innocent were released from the state’s death row during that period.

references

Conservatives And The Death Penalty

Some conservatives including Michelle Malkin, Jay Sekulow, and me oppose capital punishment. But most conservatives and Republicans support it, and their support hasnt really softened over the years, as Charles Fain Lehman demonstrates at the Free Beacon. In 2000, 70 percent of Republicans supported it. In 2009, 70 percent of Republicans did. And in 2018, again, it had 70 percent support. The drop in crime rates, changes in the composition of the party, the publicity about people taken off death row after years on it: None of it seems to have caused Republicans to budge.

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George Bush On The Death Penalty

Former President Bush is a supporter of the death penalty, though he does believe that DNA testing should be implemented before the death penalty is used. He stated, In America, we must make doubly sure no person is held to account for a crime he or she did not commit, so we are dramatically expanding the use of DNA evidence to prevent wrongful conviction. He also supported funding the use of DNA testing for use in death penalty cases. During Bushs time as governor of Texas, the state had the most executions in the nation. When asked about this number, Bush responded, I do believe that if the death penalty is administered swiftly, justly and fairly, it saves lives. My job is to ask two questions. Is the person guilty of the crime? And did the person have full access to the courts of law? And I can tell you, in all cases those answers were affirmative. Unlike some other Republicans, who support the death penalty for the sake of victims and their families, Bush supports it as a means to prevent future crimes. He has stated, I dont think you should support the death penalty to seek revenge. I dont think thats right. I think the reason to support the death penalty is because it saves other peoples lives.

The Latest From Washington

When Congress returns from its Memorial Day recess, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer says the chamber will take up measures to set national standards for elections, which, at least for federal elections, would override state laws that limit voting. Republicans are expected to filibuster the proposals.

The bills the Democrats support aim, in part, to overturn several Supreme Court rulings that, as David Savage wrote, have tilted election law in favor of the Republicans.

Biden and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito continued on Wednesday to try to chip away at the impasse on infrastructure spending. The gap between the two sides remains very wide, however, as Eli Stokols reported, and patience has begun to wear thin at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Doyle McManus looked at the rewards for getting COVID-19 vaccinations that some states are offering. They may help get the U.S. to its vaccination goals, but lotteries alone probably wont do the trick, he wrote.

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Barack Obama On The Death Penalty

President Obama is a supporter of the death penalty in certain cases, stating, I believe that the death penalty is appropriate in certain circumstances. There are extraordinarily heinous crimes, terrorism, the harm of children, in which it may be appropriate. However, he voted against expanding the death penalty in cases of less severe crimes during his time as a state legislator. He does not believe that the death penalty prevents crime, but rather believes that these crimes simply deserve such a punishment. Obama states, While the evidence tells me that the death penalty does little to deter crime, I believe there are some crimesmass murder, the rape and murder of a childso heinous, so beyond the pale, that the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage by meting out the ultimate punishment.

Obama called the incident in Oklahoma deeply disturbing, and has asked for a review of execution policies across the country. A Justice Department spokesperson has stated that the department will expand this review to include a survey of state-level protocols and related policy issues.

Republican Views On Death Penalty

New Coalition supports death penalty repeal

About 81 percent of Republicans favor the death penalty, making up a majority of Americans who support the practice. Republican supporters often argue that capital punishment deters murder because no one wants to face the consequence of death, an assertion the American Civil Liberties Union reports is not based on fact. Although some question the morality of sentencing a human to death, those in favor of the death penalty argue the punishment is morally acceptable for certain crimes, such as rape or murder.

Recommended Reading: Republican Wear Red Or Blue

Why Does The Republican Party Support The Death Penalty And Oppose Abortion The Reason Is Economics Not Ethics

The recent experience with the novel coronavirus and the economic effects of the shutdown gives us all an opportunity to calculate how much the pro-life party values life. Approximately 30 million Americans lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic. The shutdown if continued through the phased reopening without being rushed will save perhaps 1 million American lives. It follows that to the politicians who wished to end the shutdown in the early summer, one life to them is worth not more than about 30 jobs. It also explains the Republican fascination with the death penalty. If the average death penalty case costs about $100,000 to try, which we can evaluate as equal to roughly 2 jobs for a year, but if only one out of every 40 people convicted of a death penalty crime is actually executed, then each execution produces roughly 80 jobs, a very decent return on investment from this coldly capitalist point of view.

Arguments Against The Death Penalty Haven’t Changed

Antonio has urged an end to the death penalty in Ohio since taking office in 2011, without much support from Republican lawmakers, though her bill last session had two Republican co-sponsors.;

Its time for the state of Ohio to take the compassionate, pragmatic and prudent step to abolish the death penalty, which has been found to be expensive, impractical, unjust, inhumane and even erroneous, Antonio said.

Backers of the bill noted the legal process in death penalty cases takes decades, and the resulting costs are more expensive than the cost to keep inmates in prison for life. Huffman noted that a life sentence without parole or early release offers “no easy way out” for a killer.

Life in prison is a terminal sentence,” Huffman said. “It gives families the assurance that the person who murdered their loved ones will spend the rest of their natural life behind bars.”

They pointed to disparities in the administration of capital punishment for people of color and the possibility of putting those innocent of crimes to death.

Wrongful convictions happen at every level of the criminal legal system, but when there is a life on the line, the system has to work, said Hannah Kubbins, executive director of Ohioans to Stop Executions. The 170-plus exonerees are living proof that it doesnt.

Granted, the arguments against the death penalty havent changed. But, Antonio said, there’s been a shift in Ohio and nationally.

Reporter Anna Staver contributed.

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Differing Views Of Death Penalty By Race And Ethnicity Education Ideology

There are wide ideological differences within both parties on this issue. Among Democrats, a 55% majority of conservatives and moderates favor the death penalty, a position held by just 36% of liberal Democrats . A third of liberal Democrats strongly oppose the death penalty, compared with just 14% of conservatives and moderates.

While conservative Republicans are more likely to express support for the death penalty than moderate and liberal Republicans, clear majorities of both groups favor the death penalty .

As in the past, support for the death penalty differs across racial and ethnic groups. Majorities of White , Asian and Hispanic adults favor the death penalty for persons convicted of murder. Black adults are evenly divided: 49% favor the death penalty, while an identical share oppose it.

Support for the death penalty also varies across age groups. About half of those ages 18 to 29 favor the death penalty, compared with about six-in-ten adults ages 30 to 49 and those 65 and older . Adults ages 50 to 64 are most supportive of the death penalty, with 69% in favor.

There are differences in attitudes by education, as well. Nearly seven-in-ten adults who have not attended college favor the death penalty, as do 63% of those who have some college experience but no degree.

The Latest From California

COVID-19 restrictions protected Californias economy, and its now poised for a euphoric rebound, according to the UCLA Anderson quarterly forecast. As Margot Roosevelt reported, Californias economy shrank less than the U.S. average during the pandemic year, and the UCLA forecasters expect the state to add jobs faster than the country as a whole.

California, however, also had huge problems delivering unemployment benefits to those who lost their jobs. As Sarah Wire and Patrick McGreevy wrote, a new report by the U.S. Department of Labors inspector general chronicles missteps by a dozen state unemployment agencies around the country, including California, which left millions in the lurch.

Meantime, state lawmakers considered requiring $7 billion in COVID-19 bonuses for healthcare workers. As Melody Gutierrez reported, hospitals, which estimate they would have to pay about $4 billion, strongly opposed the plan. On Thursday, the state Assembly .

Lawmakers to pay for programs to prevent gun violence, McGreevy reported. The measure fell short of the two-thirds vote it needed.

San Luis Obispo County delivered a sizable block of signatures on petitions to recall Newsom. Faith Pinho looked at how COVID restrictions helped fuel the recall drive in a decidedly purple region.

Stay in touch

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Can The Death Penalty Be Fixed These Republicans Think So

A growing number of conservative lawmakers want to overhaul capital punishment, or end it.

Two years ago, a group of Republican lawmakers toured the death chamber in Oklahoma, which has been responsible for more executions per capita than any other state in the last half-century. They took in the jet-black gurney straps, the phone connected to the governors office and the microphone used for last words.

The hair rises on the back of your neck, said state Rep. Kevin McDugle. A few legislators couldnt be in the room very long.

They continued on to death row to see Richard Glossip, who has spent more than two decades in solitary confinement, facing execution for a 1997 murder. Glossip says he had nothing to do with the crime, and a growing number of conservative lawmakers believe him.

I just remember putting my hand up on the glass, McDugle recalled, and he put his hand up, and I said, You’ve got people fighting for you. Keep your head up, brother.

As Oklahoma officials seek to resume putting prisoners to death later this year, McDugle has pursued bills in the state legislature to help those on death row prove their innocence, knowing Glossip could be among the first facing execution.

My fear is some people will be executed before we pass a bill, McDugle said.

Kansas House Members Conservative To Liberal Support Abolishing The Death Penalty

C.J. Janovy

Wilma Loganbills son David was murdered in 1989 in Wichita. Afterwards, I wanted to hurt the person who murdered my son in the same way that he hurt me. But I never wanted him dead. My son wouldnt have wanted that, she said in a pamphlet called Voices of Kansas: Murder Victims Families Speak Out Against the Death Penalty.

If you were looking for a group of 34 members of the Kansas House who represented the best hope of bipartisanship that mythical yet evasive unity some people say they want right now you could would find it in the list of sponsors for a bill thats most likely going nowhere this year.

Rui Xu

In one sense, this does not appear to be a pressing issue for Kansas. Nobodys been executed in the state since 1965. The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty in 40 states in 1972, but the Legislature re-instated it in 1994. Ten men are now awaiting this punishment.

In another sense, though, its a situation maybe the only one where lawmakers whose political views are widely divergent have found common cause based on principle.

Some of them are bringing strong voices against abortion and they dont see much difference in the abortion issue and this death penalty issue, Schreiber said of his co-sponsors. Some see it as social justice issue like I do, where, is this the right thing to be involved with deliberately executing people?

We make a mistake and theres no redress on that, he said.

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Read Also: Who Gives More Democrats Or Republicans

Stanley: A Conservative Viewpoint On Ending The Death Penalty

Bill Stanley

This is a Virginia Department of Corrections undated photo of the gurney used for executions at the Greensville Corrections Center in Jarratt.

I am a conservative Republican, and I am against the death penalty.

During the ten years I have been privileged to represent the 20th District in the Virginia Senate, I have consistently opposed efforts to expand it. That may seem counter-intuitive for those who assume conservatives must support the death penalty as a key component of Republicans tough on crime stance. In my view, you can be tough on crime, be a conservative Republican, and be against the death penalty for both moral and legal reasons.

Opposition to capital punishment is not just a personal belief of mine, but is consistent with my conservative principles. This reasoning is based upon three basic principles: my strong faith in God and the gift of life; my appreciation that our judicial system is not infallible; and my firm belief that capital punishment empowers the government with an awesome authority to which it is not entitled.

In theory, the death penalty makes sense: people who commit heinous acts forfeit their right to live. And as human beings, vengeance has become a part of our emotional lexicon in seeking justice for the unconscionable murder of another human being. However, the death penalty in practice is not that simple.

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100yearoldcomics · 2 years

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January 29, 1922 Bringing Up Father by George McManus

TOP PANEL: [ID: Maggie, Nora and Jiggs stand on the railing of a departing cruise ship waving goodbye to Europe. Maggie weeps into a handkerchief, Jiggs looks overjoyed and tips his top hat. /end] Maggie: Good-bye, dear old France and England. Jiggs: If youse come over to America, look me up at Dinty Moore's.

MAIN COMIC: [ID: Jiggs and Dinty walk down the street. Dinty has his arm around Jiggs. /end] Dinty Moore: So you're sailin' for New York! Gee! If I had the money, I'd go with you! Jiggs: I'll tell ye what I'll do, Dinty. I'll take ye in a trunk an' nobody will know it.

[ID: Jiggs and a deckhand carry the trunk with Dinty inside up the gangplank onto the ship. /end] Deckhand: My word, what ever is in this trunk? Must be solid. Jiggs: It's a good thing the trunk is locked, fer if Dinty heard that remark, he'd be out an' fightin'!

[ID: Up in their cabin, Maggie eyes the trunk suspiciously as Jiggs happily leans back on it. Their dog barks at it. /end] Maggie: Mercy, where did that trunk come from? Jiggs: It's a new one I bought. I got cigars in it. Fifi: Wuf! Wuf!!

[ID: Maggie calls a cabin boy in. Jiggs is unpleasantly shocked. /end] Cabin Boy: Did you ring, Mum? Maggie: I did!! Take that trunk down in the hold. It makes Fifi nervous. Bring me the check for it. I'll be out on deck. Jiggs: Oh! Maggie!!

[ID: Jiggs literally kicks Fifi out of the cabin. /end] Jiggs: Git out of my sight. If it hadn't been fer you an' your barkin', everything would have been all right.

[ID: Jiggs meets up with the ship's captain at the bow. /end] Jiggs: Say, Captain, I've got a trunk down in the cellar of your boat. I wanna git it. It's got a friend of mine inside. Captain: We've been putting trunks in the hold all day. I'm afraid you'll have a hard time finding it, but we'll try!!!

[ID: In the ship's hold, Jiggs is confronted with the sight of stacks upon stacks of trunks. /end] Jiggs: HELLO, DINTY. SPEAK UP. WHERE ARE YOU? Captain: I hear him, but I can't locate him.

[ID: Jiggs walks up to Maggie, reading a book under a blanket in a deck chair. /end] Jiggs: Maggie, darlin', I'm gonna walk around the deck. Kin I take Fifi with me? Maggie: That's the first intelligent thing you've said today!

[ID: Jiggs directs Fifi down into the hold. /end] Jiggs: Now, git down in the hold an' find Dinty, or you'll never see the Statue of Liberty.

[ID: The captain looks on as Jiggs climbs over trunks to get to his trunk - Fifi stands beside it, barking. /end] Captain: Any luck!! Jiggs: I think so. Unless this soup-hound is kiddin' me. Fifi: WUF!!

[ID: Jiggs drags a weary Dinty out of the trunk to meet the Captain. /end] Captain: Can you pay his fare? Jiggs: I haven't a penny. Me wife has all me money. She won't give me a cent. I'm sorry I found him. Dinty: I'm nearly starved. I ate all the camphor balls in the trunk.

[ID: Jiggs sits on a pile of coal while Dinty shovels it into the ship's furnace. /end] Jiggs: Really, Dinty, I thought the Captain wuz a friend of mine. Dinty: Huh! Look what I got to do fer six days on account of your thinkin'.

#newspaper comics #vintage #history #1922 #bringing up father #transcript available #1920s #haha dysfunctional relationship #the gift

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myuntoldstory · 6 years

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Harry Potter | Samhuinn

AO3 | FF.net

A little thing for my favourite couple for Halloween. This one was interesting for me to write because I learned about some culture and traditions and that’s always a fun thing. Also learned some things about my writing habits. Also have additional author’s notes tacked on this story that’s too long for the post so if you’re interested then just click on the links!

Now, on to the thing!

Enjoy.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Sirius Black/Mary Macdonald

Warning: N/A

Word Count: 3, 275

Samhuinn

The Forbidden Forest was peaceful tonight. Overhead, the nearly full moon casted its silver spotlight over the grounds while the stars shined brightly in clusters for anyone who cared to look. Deep within the woods was a lazy melody of noises, adding to its magical ambience. There was no sense of the eerie or the horrifying, as was the forest’s reputation. It was just the sky, the sounds, and the trees. Perfect in its own way.

Sirius pocketed his hands and smiled. The scenic route was a good decision. A shame his mates couldn’t be with him. Their duties called them back to the castle and so, being the only free man, Sirius took the liberty to explore the fringes of the forest before returning. After where he had just been, some fresh air and a renewed appreciation for the living world were a sought after change.

Suddenly, a flash of light caught the corner of his eye. Turning to the source, he saw a faint veil of orange light touching upon some of the trees ahead. He frowned. In a place where students were forbidden to explore and the teachers rarely visited, it was a curious sight.

Tilting his head to one side, he planted his hands on his hips. Should he look? He glanced at the direction of the castle, pursing his lips as he actually considered being good and returning. But then a grin stretched his lips wide. Not today. He already broke the rules anyway. Without hesitation he made his way towards the light. Quietly. Carefully. With every metre he crossed the glow grew brighter. Soon he caught the buzzing of muffled conversation and laughter. There seemed to be a clearing ahead. He moved faster. What would he see? Centaurs? Sirius smirked to himself. Perhaps he’d get lucky and discover of group of Veelas native to the forest.

He was close. Now, he heard snippets of conversation underneath rambunctious laughter. The line of trees thinned; through them he glimpsed embers dancing upwards and dissipating before reaching the sky. Silhouettes blocked the sight of the embers every so often, but he couldn’t discern to whom they belonged to. He found a tree closest to the perimeter of the clearing. He hid behind it, keeping most of his body behind the trunk as he peeked.

In the centre was a tall bonfire. Surrounding it were alternating rings of cushions and food. There were eighty or so people dressed in cloaks; they sat on the cushions, ate the food, and mingled with the others. However, strangely, the first two rows closest to the fire were undisturbed.

Sirius frowned. What’s happening? What were they? Hogsmeade villagers? Strange… forest people of the forest? Death Eaters? He shuddered at the last thought. Voldemort’s most lethal worshippers sneaking into Hogwarts grounds just to gather around some bonfire? Stupid. These people didn’t feel like Death Eaters anyway. In spite of that, though, more than half of the gathering had their hoods down, but he couldn’t recognise any of the exposed faces.

Hang on.

Sirius squinted. Four rows away from the bonfire, laughing with a group, was Benjy Fenwick. It was definitely him. He couldn’t mistake that face nor could he miss the golden boy grin that was Fenwick’s signature. Then just behind Benjy was another student Sirius recognised: Melanie Macmillan. She was staring intensely inside a tea cup in front of Nancy Abbott, another student. All tension now left Sirius. Well, definitely not anything dangerous. Not Veelas either, sadly.

He crossed his arms, watching, trying to understand. Now just begged the question of what in the bloody hell they’re all doing. It seemed like an ordinary gathering… just with unordinary details—like the cloaks and the set up. It resembled a cult. Sirius stewed in his own questions and theories, frustrated that the urgent need to satisfy his curiosity was quelled by the fact that if he barged in and started demanding answers he’d be in trouble… or inducted.

A few minutes passed and nothing interesting happened. Sirius yawned, eyes following Macmillan and contemplating on returning to the castle when he recognised someone else. He straightened, attention captured and heart quickening in excitement. Unbeknownst to him, the corners of his lips were stretched wide in a grin.

It was Mary.

She walked past Macmillan. His gaze followed her now as she said a brief greeting before approaching a group containing two more people he recognised: Professor Ophius, the Astronomy teacher, and Professor McManus, the Muggle Studies teacher. Well, then… it may not be a cult with teachers involved—perhaps just a very strange excursion? As Mary entered the group she was welcomed by exuberant greetings and hugs by the others, the teachers incredibly friendly in talking to her.

A sense of novelty settled over Sirius. In the darkness the fabric of her cloak looked black, but he had a feeling it was actually blue. She had her hood down, hair gathered on either side of her shoulders. She looked the same… but somehow different. Unreachable. This Mary was different to the one he knew. After knowing her for years there were still parts of her he didn’t know. It was disconcerting—for reasons that eluded him. He watched her, discomfort spreading throughout his body as she talked and laughed, especially whenever Ophius said something. He pressed his arms harder against himself.

She stayed with the group for a while. After, she moved on. Every move was with grace, ethereal in the dark of the woods. Was it because of the cloak or has she always moved that way? With every group or person she passed she was greeted with genuine happiness. To Sirius’ detriment, however, she stopped by Fenwick’s group. Sirius scowled when they embraced, Fenwick looking a little too happy to hold her. He took her hand when they separated, facing her palm towards him. He said something and Mary laughed.

He looked away. He tried to watch the rest of the gathering, but every so often his eyes returned to her and each time he found her still talking to Fenwick his mood soured more. Finally, to his relief, McManus gathered the crowd to her. Silence fell as she and Ophius addressed them. After the speech, the professors waved their wands. Jars gathered before them and floated in front of each person in the crowd. Mary and a few others got more than two. With a flick, the professors then took out smaller flames from the bonfire and placed them within the jars. While the crowd closed the lids, the professors portioned the leftover food and handed them out too. After some final words the group dispersed as McManus led out of the clearing while Ophius remained behind.

People were going his way. Sirius hid behind the trunk, the darkness covering him as people started to walk past his tree, their jars of fire illuminating them. He waited for Mary, but didn’t find her. He finally saw her when he dared peek again, walking towards his tree too.

Perfect.

He intercepted her. She yelped at his sudden appearance. He lunged and cut her off by pressing the tips of his fingers against her mouth. Her lips were soft against his skin… but he didn’t get the chance to appreciate that as teeth chomped on a good portion of his palm. Hard. “Ow!” he hissed, yanking back his hand. “What the fuck—”

“Who the bloody hell are you!?” Mary demanded.

“Shhh—Merlin. Macdonald, it’s me.” Sirius held onto her shoulders. “It’s me.”

“Sirius?” she grabbed one of the jars and held it between them. He grinned at her and she gasped. “God, Sirius!” she released the jar. It bobbed in the air as she took his hands and rubbed his recently bitten palm. “Bugger. I am so sorry.”

“You’ve got some jaws on you,” he chuckled. Her hands were warm. Gentle.

“Can’t say you didn’t deserve it,” she said, raising a brow at him. “What are you even doing—”

Suddenly, she leaned towards him and sniffed. He leaned back. “What?”

“Godric.” She recoiled. “You smell like rotten food and dung.”

“Do I?” Sirius took a whiff of his collar and frowned.

She’d stopped rubbing, but still held onto his hands. “What have you been doing?”

“Ah. Just been to Nick’s death day—”

“Mary!”

Fenwick appeared before them with his own floating jar of fire. Sirius looked at him, smirking as Fenwick’s golden boy grin seemed to freeze on his face. He looked at Sirius, then at Mary, and then at their hands. Her fingers twitched in his, but before she could disengage, he held on tight.

“All right, Fenwick?” Sirius asked, smiling innocently at the boy.

“Black,” Fenwick said. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“Yep,” he agreed.

“Right…” Fenwick drawled hesitantly. Then, slowly he turned to Mary. “I thought I’d walk you back.”

The nerve of this prick. Sirius could just imagine a golden retriever’s tail wagging between Fenwick’s legs. He turned to Mary, raising his brows, suppressing a grin when she squeezed his hands too tightly. She smiled apologetically at Fenwick. “Very kind of you, Benjy, but, uhm, I need to have a chat with Sirius so…”

“I see.” The disappointment was so clear in his voice it was laughable.

“But I’ll catch you tomorrow, yeah?”

Oh, that tail wagged that much faster. “Of course!”

She beamed. “Good. Be careful on your way back.”

“You too.”

Sirius looked at Fenwick at his warning tone and received a steady gaze from him. He winked. “Bye, Benjy.”

“See you.” Fenwick moved on. Sirius scowled as he watched Fenwick’s back disappearing into the darkness. He then turned to Mary, smiling more genuinely.

“Are you completely mad?” Mary said, dropping his hands.

“Not completely,” he quipped.

She sighed and shook her head, moving on. “What are you even doing here?” The fire jars floated around her like some sort of portable lights. She was not the only one; the rest of the crowd were ahead, only identifiable by their gently bobbing fire jars that occasionally illuminated the nearby trees.

“Witnessing a bizarre ritual.” He grinned unapologetically when Mary gave him an unamused glare. “What about you?”

“Taking part in a bizarre ritual, I suppose,” she sighed.

“Seriously,” he said, tapping one of the jars gently. “What was that?”

Mary breathed deeply. “Samhuinn celebrations.”

“Saw—what?”

“Samhuinn.”

“Sah-heen?”

“Merlin—Samhuinn!”

“Sow-ween?”

Mary snorted. “Close enough.”

Sirius beamed. “So… what’s Samhuinn?”

“Seriously?” Mary looked at him in surprise and he nodded. He wasn’t joking; now that there was someone to answer all his questions he was wasting no time. “Well,” she huffed, “it’s a magical holiday. Celtic. We celebrate the dead, the spirits, and the coming winter. There’s a bonfire, as you saw, and… let’s see… divination, food, games, human sacrifices—”

“Human sacrifices!?”

“Yeah,” Mary said, face frighteningly straight. “Hogsmeade provides them, see—criminals, though. We don’t want to set any innocent lives on fire.”

Sirius stared at her, jaw slack and eyes wide. “Please tell me you’re joking.” Mary looked at him and held his gaze. For a few, tense minutes neither of them said anything. Sirius was so close to believing her when her passive mask cracked and a smile shined through. He sighed and pushed her. “Come on, Macdonald, I’m serious.”

“Hello, Sirius, I’m Mary.”

He pushed her again. “Stop.”

She laughed. “All right—sorry.”

“What is it, really?”

“It’s what I said—minus the human sacrifices, of course.”

“Okay.” It sounded… normal. “I’ve never heard of it before, though.”

“No?” Mary smiled. “We learned about it in History of Magic.”

“Really?” Sirius thought back to all the lessons he bothered to attend... none of them ring a bell about Samhuinn. Then again, when he did attend all he ever did was sleep and copy off Remus’ notes after.

“Mhm.”

“I…” why was he feeling embarrassed? “Honestly, though, whoever paid attention to Binns?”

“True,” she laughed. “Generally, not many in the Wizarding World know about it. Same with the Muggles. If you’re Celtic, you’d probably know. If you’re related or know someone who is then you have a good chance.”

“Are you Celtic?”

“Sure—on my father’s side.” She shrugged. “If my nan was to be believed.”

“Huh.” He knew about the Celts and the Druids from Remus’ notes. But he barely remembered what he learned. It’d make sense for some members of the magical community to have other magical blood in them—similar to how some families in France have Veela blood. Pureblood families were never proud to make such claims unless it referred to powerful figures. Godric knew his mother was adamant of their relation to Slytherin or Morgana. He glanced at Mary and the fire jars bobbing around her. “What’s with the fire?”

She caught his gaze. “These?”

He tapped one of the jars. “Yeah. The bonfire too.”

“Sacred fire,” she answered. “Back in the old days the Druids light great bonfires in villages during Samhuinn. Hearths in every home are doused and relit with the embers of the sacred fire. The Druids imbued it with magical protection, see, and it bonded the villagers together.”

“So why bring it back with you?”

“For my mates.” she chuckled. “Protection spells are now easier to cast so this is just normal fire, but bringing it back to my mates and the Gryffindor fireplace is a nice gesture so why not, you know?”

“I see.”

Silence fell between them. They were finally out of the forest. The castle loomed close ahead of them. Sirius looked around and saw the rest of the gathering more clearly. Behind them, the bonfire was no longer visible, save for the faint glow of orange on the tree tops. He looked at Mary and saw that she was nibbling on the leftovers: apples, nuts, cheese, cold meat and pastries. She caught his eyes and smiled, presenting him the food. He smiled back and took a slice of apple. Up ahead, he could already see the doors.

“You mentioned being at Headless Nick’s party?”

“Hmmm?” Sirius saw her looking at him still. “Yeah.”

“Where was it this time?”

He snorted. “One of the empty greenhouses.”

“Ah,” she giggled. “Just you?”

“Nah. I was with James and the others.”

“Why are you alone, then?”

He grinned at her. “Decided to take the scenic route.”

She nudged him. “Stumbled into quite a scene, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” he laughed, “an interesting one.”

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely.” Sirius wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed her tightly against his side. “Never saw anything like this before. Honestly, I thought I was witnessing a cult at first.”

“Oh…” she looked down at herself and chuckled. “Yeah. It’s all part of tradition, though.”

They reached the entrance. Before them the rest of the crowd had gathered, waiting. The double doors were opened to get as much of the people in as possible. Professor McManus and some others were on either side of the doors, ushering the crowd in. Sirius managed to blend in as he joined the people trickling inside. He waited for Mary to come through and together they set off to Gryffindor Tower.

“You know, it’s too bad,” Mary said.

“What is?”

“That not many people know about traditions like these anymore.”

Sirius looked at her and saw her smiling wistfully. “Why’s that?”

“Oh, just… you know, the opportunity to learn and celebrate our roots.” She shrugged. “Magic is, after all, nuanced in any place.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You know Ilvermorny, yeah?”

“The American school? Of course.”

“Professor Ophius taught there for a year.” She smiled. “Did you know that though they’ve incorporated Native American magic that their roots were actually Irish?”

“That… I didn’t know,” Sirius admitted.

“Yeah,” she replied excitedly. “He visited the Australian school once too—can’t remember the name. They had their roots from here too. But he says there’s a difference between the innate origins of magic and transferred magic.”

He listened to Mary gush—there was no other word for it—about Ophius’ great knowledge of the magical world. He noticed her eyes sparkling, hands moving animatedly, and the hint of pink on her cheeks. His chest constricted and the words that came out of his mouth were sarcastic. “Ophius sure does go around.”

“He does. He is amazing—his stories, I mean. His stories are amazing.”

“Huh.” He intoned. “Why was he there? Is he Celtic too?”

“Oh, no,” Mary chuckled. “No, he’s supervising. Professor McManus, though, is.”

“I see.”

“But it’s good to see someone non-Celtic joining. Magic is to be shared, after all.” Her expression softened. “He’s appreciative of our differences so it’s nice.”

“Do you fancy him or something?” That… was not something he meant to say. His mind was trying to come to terms with what was happening, but the words escaped him instead. Without his permission. He nearly cringed when she flinched and looked at him in panic. In his own panic, he couldn’t give her anything except a passive expression.

“W-why do you ask?” she squeaked.

Might as well see it through. “The way you talk about him.”

“Well, no, Sirius, I don’t…” she trailed off as he stared at her. He’d never seen anyone’s face go that red before. It was bloody brighter than the flames. “Erm…. Okay. Maybe. A tiny bit. But that’s because for a professor he’s… you know… amazing.”

He smirked. “You called him amazing. Twice.”

“What about it?” She shot back.

“I… am amazing,” he replied. Casually. They finally reached the hallway leading to the portrait. Sirius didn’t even realise they had arrived. It was a little fun poking Macdonald with the proverbial stick and seeing her reactions—though they were at his expense.

“Not really,” she said.

“Not really!?” Sirius gasped, placing a hand over his heart. “My, Macdonald, I am hurt.”

She snorted. “Stop being a prick and you’ll definitely be amazing.”

“When have I ever been a prick?”

“A while ago. With Benjy.”

Sirius nodded, though he did smirk at the memory. “Right.”

They arrived. Mary said the password and the Fat Lady let them through. With a bow, Sirius let her go first. The fire jars trailed behind her as she took his offer. He followed after her, finding her waiting for him as he emerged. As usual, the common room was bustling with people. Sirius wondered if his friends were here and itched to go, but at the same time he didn’t want to leave Mary. He wanted to keep talking to her. “So…”

“I’m sure you want to find your friends,” she said, smiling at him.

He smiled back, sheepishly. “Yeah…”

“Right, hang on.” She reached for one of the fire jars and handed it to him. “Here.”

He held onto the jar. “I thought this was for your friends?”

She winked. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

That caught him off guard. He blinked, words failing him for a second. “Y-yeah…”

“Then I wish this winter is kind to you.” She held his hand and squeezed.

He stared at her, a little shell shocked at her kindness. “Oh, t-thank you—for the fire and… and everything.”

She beamed. “Have a good night.” With that, she turned and made her way to the fireplace.

“Night…” he mumbled, watching her. A strange warm feeling settled in his chest as he glanced down at the fire she had given to him. Unbeknownst to him, the corners of his lips stretched in a smile; he pulled the jar close to his chest as he turned to make his way to the seventh boys’ dorm.

#Blackdonald #Sirius Black #Mary Macdonald #Fanfiction #Harry Potter Fanfiction #fanfiction: harry potter #hpfanfic: oneshot #hpfanfic: supernova #hpfanfic: mary macdonald #hpfanfic: sirius black

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dtadventures · 7 years

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The truth about justice.

“We are so concerned with our freedom of speech that we forget that our speech should bring freedom” Pastor Joe Smith.

The truth is, we as American Christians spend so much of our time fighting for our freedom to practice our faith rather than resting in our freedom in Christ to love others. In my opinion that is a dangerous place to be. What would it look like if we fought for our liberty as much as we fought for justice of others. We as American Christians have assumed the role as “freedom fighters” when it comes to prayer,leaving the “Christ” in “Christmas” or gun control. We hold our crosses high when faced with what we perceive to be an attack on Christianity, while ignoring one of the biggest calling God has for the church.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

What are we gonna do with that word, JUSTICE? How are we going to fight for it? Is there a wrong or right way to fight for justice?

The truth is, the world doesn't need more sermons or cool music or even at one week missions trip. What world needs is real people who are sold out for Christ really reaching out and fighting for others. Hashtags won't solve anything. Tweets and blogs (like this one) are just a stepping stone to making awareness.

I believe the reason that injustices and tragedies hit us hard is because we know deep inside that, that isn't the way the world is suppose to function. We all know that when something is unfair or wrong that, that isn't purest condition that world is suppose to be in. Whether you believe in God or not, God is the author of justice. It is very close to His heart. Being completely just is a part of God’s character. And since He is the author and the ultimate source of justice shouldn't those who carry the banner of His name also carry the responsibility of providing that justice.

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17

If you are Christian you have a RESPONSIBILITY to fight for justice. You honestly can't be a loving person and not desire justice for all people. After reading the book of Amos and I began to understand how serious God takes this. Amos 2:6-7 states

“This is what the Lord says:“For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent.They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed...”

The first time I read this I was surprised. I have always been told that the God of the old testament really focused on rules and the law. However, He is loving as He is just. I do agree that these things are true, however, the verses in Amos, some in Proverbs, and other parts of the entire Bible actually holds serving the poor at a high value. The value the God has placed on the least of these is so high that He punished those who refuse to do it.

I believe that church should be a place of safety and refuge. My hope is for your church to be dedicated to healing hearts and discussing issues. If not, that is a problem. Going on with business as usual is damaging to both the congregation and the gospel. I kept reading comments about people not wanting to discuss politics or social justice issues in church. Jesus understood the political climate affected his people's everyday lives. He didn't ignore politics and just focused on the gospel but he matched his words with actions of love. He understood that the political climate affected how people interacted with each other. He spoke up when necessary. He dove into the uncomfortable situations and sometimes illegally loved people. Jesus broke the law a bunch of times in the name of love. Jesus’ actions not only were a vibrant sign of love but they were also political statements (not intentionally ). However, issues concerning race, inequality, etc aren't merely political, there are people are actually dying because of our refusal to speak up. Let that sink in. Yes, people make awful choices, however, we as a church aren't called to be silent while others are being oppressed.

If the American church fails to show up at the table and step up in our country, then God won't be apart of the conversation or solution. I hear time and time again, “Jesus is the answer,” and it is getting to the point where people are no longer believing it because they never see Jesus through our actions. That to me scares me. Hashtags only do so much. Reposting other people’s words provide no sympathy. Changing your profile picture isn't going to provide food or shelter for victims of domestic violence or end world hunger or even provide for your friends and family in need.The fact that so many people who aren't believers are disgusted with the events that are took place in Charlottesville means that God's fingerprints and heart is in all of us. We all inherently know that our world isn't suppose be a place a of violence, hate, hunger, and death.

It breaks my heart that the church is claiming that we need to come together and seek unity when in the same breath criticize others for risking their lives for the sake of others. It also frustrates me to read people insult people who are asking and are trying to answer the question, “what should we do?”, and are looking for solutions. Even if you don't agree with how they do it, I recommend just supporting those people because they are brave warriors that are reflecting God's heart. If you are not a protesting type, that's fine, then call your senator. If you hate politics, support and volunteer at non-profits.You don't have to be a person who goes to rallies and protests but you have to be a person who stands for what's right.

God is the deliverer and restorer. God is in the business of delivering His people from awful situations. Throughout the Old Testament He worked tirelessly to restore the Israelites back to the promise land even when then go astray. Even more so, He is in the business of restoring the entire world back to order. God also used people like Jonah (when he finally got over his hatred) to deliver the Ninevites out of sin. With that in mind the question is, are you going going to join Him?

“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state,” [Martin Luther] King wrote in Strength to Love, a sermon collection. “It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.” -Pastor Erwin McManus.

#Charlottesville #Racism #freedom #justice #love

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the-record-obituaries · 5 years

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June 5, 2019: Obituaries

Christine Felts

Christine Davis Felts, the matriarch of the Felts Family went home to be with the Lord, June 1, 2019 at Westwood Hills Nursing Facility. She was born March 19, 1936 to Luster and Beulah Davis in Lenoir, N.C.

She went to work at an early age to help her husband make a living. They soon bought a grocery store in Thomasville N.C. and built that business from ground up. Then 52 years ago they moved to Wilkes County with their two daughters and purchased a grocery store in McGrady, N.C. She then helped build that business into a thriving grocery, snack bar and gas business. While they were building this business she managed to keep her family on the road spreading the Gospel in song, while faithfully serving the church and community. She always enjoyed visiting the sick. She never failed to make herself available to help with any needs whether it was food, prayers, visiting or just going in and cleaning a house. Mrs. Felts was preceded in death by her parents.

Mrs. Felts is survived by her husband of 66 years, J.C. Felts; daughters Cathy Felts Bumgarner and spouse Garey, Vicki Felts Carty and spouse Tim all of North Wilkesboro; six grandchildren; twelve great grandchildren; two sisters; and a brother.

Funeral services were June 4, at Mountain Valley Baptist Church in McGrady with Rev. Ronnie McManus, Rev. Curtis Herring and Rev. Jason Bumgarner officiating. Burial followed in Cane Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. Flowers will be accepted. Memorials may be made to Cane Creek Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, Cane Creek Church Road, McGrady, NC 28649 or to Mountain Valley Baptist Church, Cane Creek Church Road, McGrady, NC 28649. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.

The family would like to express our gratitude to all the family and friends who have visited our wife and mother in the last 4 ½ years at Westwood Hills Nursing Facility. We would also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the entire staff of Westwood Hills for their kind, gentle, loving care of our wife and mother during this difficult time. A special thank you goes out to Sandra Monney for making it possible for us to leave in her loving hands.

Pallbearers were Tim Carty, Junior Greene, Anthony Minton, Tim Benson, Sterlin Church and Bobby Lovette. Honorary pallbearers will be Garey Bumgarner, Seth Lovette.

Daniel Wingler, 70

Daniel Richard Wingler, age 70, of North Wilkesboro, passed away Saturday, June 1, 2019 at Carolina Caring Hospice in Newton. He was born April 22, 1949 in Wilkes County to Richard Filmore and Dorothy Coltrane Wingler. Mr. Wingler was a member of Liberty Grove Baptist Church. He loved antique cars and enjoyed fishing, traveling and motoring. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Surviving are his wife, Sylvia Adams Wingler; brother, Douglas Wingler and spouse Kathy of North Wilkesboro; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, David and Linda Adams of Austin/Traphill.

Funeral service was June 4, at Miller Funeral Chapel with Rev. Jimmy Gilreath officiating. Entombment followed in Mountlawn Memorial Park Mausoleum. The family has requested no flowers. Memorials may be made to Mt. Zion Baptist Church, PO Box 1603, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659.

Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.

Dorothy Shealy, 73

Dorothy Louise Anderton Shealy May 28, 1946- June 1, 2019

Heaven gained a saint as Dottie Shealy, age 73, passed away peacefully in her home in Mulberry, North Carolina on June 1, 2019 surrounded by family. For the past three years she lived with advanced cancer and was a model of dignity, strength and grace during a challenging time.

Dottie was born in Lewisburg, Tennessee and grew up in Decatur, Alabama, the eldest of four daughters to Margaret Schoonmaker Anderton and Clebie Arnel Anderton. Faith and family were the cornerstones of her life.

She attended the University of Alabama prior to her marriage to Frank in 1965 and moved to Mulberry, North Carolina in 1976. She attended Salem College, earning a Master's Degree in Sociology in 1983. Throughout her adult life she served her community by directing the daycare center at Wilkes Community College as well as working for Smart Start and the school district. Dottie volunteered many hours at the Crisis Pregnancy Center and was an active member of Baptist Home Baptist Church.

Dottie enjoyed an active retirement with many family vacations on adventures like hiking through the Grand Canyon, national parks, beach trips and many Kenyan Safaris. Dottie and Frank served as missionaries in Honduras, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brazil, Russia, Peru, and several extended trips to Kenya, where she touched many hearts and formed lifelong friendships.

Dottie is survived by Frank Shealy, her loving husband of 54 years; daughter Stacy Shealy Cantrell of Huntsville, AL (Chris), daughter Sandy Shealy Edwards of Birmingham, AL (Alan); son Jeff Shealy of Greensboro, NC (Juliana); daughter Susan Shealy Utting of San Diego, CA (Paul); sister Ginger Shelton of Decatur, AL (Kyle), sister Jeannie Bryan of Fairhope, AL (Ed); sister Faye Willingham of Decatur, AL; sisters-in-law, Carolyn Tolbert and Sherry Snoddy; nieces and nephews, Kyle Shelton Jr., Michael Shelton, Brent Shelton, Craig Bryan, Leslie Bryan, Kenny Willingham, Kerry Willingham, and Kurtis Willingham, Robin Davidson Caine, Lori Pullen, Tracy Snoddy, Danny Snoddy, Kelley Snoddy Ward.

Dottie had a special relationship with her 9 grandchildren and will live on in the hearts and memories of Jacob Tillman, Justin Tillman, Kayleigh Cantrell, Steven Edwards, Andrew Edwards, Camila Shealy, Marina Shealy, Sophia Utting and Alexandra Utting.

A home-going celebration was held at Baptist Home Baptist Church on June 2nd. There will be a private graveside ceremony at Roselawn Cemetery in Decatur, Alabama.

In lieu of flowers please donate to any of the following organizations, which held a special place in Dottie's heart:

Wilkes Pregnancy Care Center, 301 8th Street, North Wilkesboro NC 28659;

Seeking a Reason for Hope Ministries, c/o Jeff Pinkerton, 223 Azalea Lane, Wilkesboro, NC 29697; and Heshima.org, Providing Dignity for Children with Disabilities in Nairobi, Kenya.

Special thanks to the medical staff at Wake Forest Baptist Health - Wilkes Medical Center, Forsyth Medical Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Wake Forest Baptist Hospice Care at Home.

Everette Lyall, 72

Mr. Everette Lyall, "Jr." better known as Junior, age 72 of Millers Creek, passed away Tuesday, May 28, 2019.

Funeral services were June 2, at Arbor Grove United Methodist Church with Rev. Dr. Susan Pillsbury-Taylor and Rev. Dr. Ed McKinney officiating. Mr. Lyall was born July 18, 1946 in Wilkes County to Everette Lyall, Sr. and Lola Hazel Bauguess Lyall. He was retired as owner of Lyall Harley Davidson and Carolina Cycle Supply and was the former oldest dealer member of the Harley Davidson Dealers Association in N.C. For several years, Junior and his wife Betty owned and operated Cookies n Cream in the Wilkes Mall. Junior gave greatly to his community working with the American Children's Home and serving as secretary of the Junior Order. He was a member of Arbor Grove United Methodist Church where he was a charter member and officer of the Arbor Grove United Methodist Men, Superintendent of Church School, Church School Teacher and served as the church Finance Committee Chairman, and served on the Building Committee for the new Fellowship Building. Junior spent some time in the classroom teaching at Fairplains Elementary School.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Mr. Lyall is survived by his wife; Betty Sue Shepherd Lyall of the home, two sons; Dr. Gregory Lyall and wife Mandy of Clemmons and Kevin Lyall of Winston-Salem, a grandchild; Pierce Lyall, a sister; Betty Lou Lyall Miner of Hickory, a brother; Marsh Lyall and wife Pat of North Wilkesboro and several nieces and nephews.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the Arbor Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund, 480 Shepherd River Road, Millers Creek, NC 28651 or American Children's Home 3844 NC Hwy 8, Lexington NC 27292.

Daniel Clonch, 46

Mr. Daniel "Shane" Clonch, 46, of Wilkesboro, passed away on Sunday May 27, 2019.

Shane was born on Tuesday October 5, 1972 in Caldwell to Roger Lane Laws and Barbara Cecilia Clonch.

Shane loved his children and enjoyed spending time with his best friend Mark Bare. Shane was also a member of the bands Life Long Hate and Armed for the Fall.

Shane is preceded in death by his father and step father Roy Bare.

Shane is survived by his mother, Barabara C. Clonch of Millers Creek, daughters, Sierra Nicole Clonch, Skylah Shay Clonch, Telsa Kay Clonch all of Wilkes County; sons, Zerek Sage Clonch, Danek Shadd Clonch also of Wilkes County; sisters, Leatrice Ann Clonch of Millers Creek; brother Cecil Gordon Bare and wife, Amanda of Purlear.

The family conducedt a memorial service on May 30, at The Church of God of Union Assembly in Wilkesboro.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to Adams Funeral Home of Wilkes P.O. Box 396 Morvain Falls, NC 2865 to help with final expenses.

Adams Funeral Home of Wilkes has the honor of serving the Clonch Family.

Gladys Handy

Gladys Grace Shumate Handy of Roaring River, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Sunday, May 26, 2019. She passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family while they serenaded her with many of her favorite gospel songs and reading of scripture. She was lovingly cared for by her sons and daughters as her health declined. She was visited daily by friends and extended family members. Psalm 116:15 says "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints".

Funeral services were May 29, at Middle Cross Baptist Church with Pastor Jason Whitley, Pastor Donnie Shumate and Pastor Joe Sturgill officiating. Burial was at Middle Cross Baptist church cemetery.

Gladys was born to the late Charles "Charlie" and Mamie Lowe Shumate on May 10, 1928.

Gladys was the widow of Lonnie Caldwell Handy with whom she was married for 63 years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, two daughters; 11 month old Clara Belle Handy and Peggy (Steven) Knox, a great grandson; Caleb Benfield, two sisters; Mable (Elder Fred) Shumate Dillard and Irene (Rayford) Shumate Handy Crouch and her brothers; Tracy (Faye) Shumate, Paul (Hazel) Shumate, Clay Shumate, Jimmy Shumate and Conard (Louie) Shumate.

She is survived by her children; Joyce (Bobby) Handy Faw of Hays, Marie (Milton) Handy Jolly of North Wilkesboro, Carl (Tammy) Handy of Roaring River, Mary (James) Handy Minton of Hays, Ray (Deborah) Handy of North Wilkesboro.

Gladys has fourteen grandchildren; Shelly (Bob) Faw Benfield, Alisa (Chris) Faw, Dawson, Kristina (Monroe) Faw Hawkins, Jeff (Christy) Jolly, Michael (Amanda) Jolly; Wendy McKeenan, Tim (Tara) Handy, Matt (Angel) Handy, Amy (James) Williams; Kurtis (AnnaLisa) Parker, Logan Parker, Robbie (Melissa) Martin, Stacee (Adam) Whitley, and Stephanee Lee, forty-two great-grandchildren and seven great-great grandchildren making five generations, also several special nieces and nephews.

Gladys worked in the cafeteria of Roaring River Elementary School and was a homemaker. She had a strong love of family and her faith was extremely important to her. Her life verse was………"As for me and my house we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15, which was also her testimony throughout her life. Going to church was her greatest joy. She was a charter member of Middle Cross Baptist Church in the Rock Creek community and was also their oldest member. She was faithful to her church as long as her health allowed and would cry on Sundays when she was not able to attend. She especially loved her Pastor Bro. Jason Whitley and wife Elaine, and her Senior Adult Sunday Class that was taught, for years, by Bro. Earl Alexander and which is now taught by her son Ray Handy. Gladys grew up in the depression years and learned to be frugal at an early age. She lived a simple and humble life. She liked to use things until they were worn out or rusted out and only then would they be thrown away. She was a skilled seamstress who made items of clothing for all of her children while they were young. She quilted blankets and sewed handmade items for all of her grandchildren. She was an avid gardener especially loved helping her son Carl with his garden which they were both blessed by sharing with others. She particularly loved roses and hens and diddles. She enjoyed collecting antique glassware, hens on nest and thimbles from around the world. One of her favorite pastimes was chatting on the phone with family and friends and she always did what she could to help others.

She will be missed by all who knew and loved her, she left a legacy that will last for generations to come; you can say hers was a life well lived.

Special thanks to Wake Forest Care at Home Hospice; Pauline Watts, Megan Cheek, Ashley White, Kimberly Bush, Ben Lankford and retired Hospice Nurse, Judy Kirk.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may to Gideon's International North Camp, PO Box 1791, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 or Middle Cross Baptist Church Building Fund, 2305 Rock Creek Road, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com.

Geraldine (Gerry) Haynes Elledge, 87

Geraldine (Gerry) Haynes Elledge, 87, passed away after a long illness on Sunday, May 26, with her loving family by her side.

She was born to Alma Macy Haynes and Hayes Haynes in Jonesville, NC on March 5, 1932. She graduated from Jonesville High School and then Grace Hospital in Morganton, NC, as a registered nurse. She began her forty-one year nursing career at the old Wilkes Hospital and then at the current Wilkes Regional Hospital. She specialized in Labor and Delivery, assisting with the birth and care of thousands of newborns. She often gave the on air "Stork Report," a feature on WKBC radio.

Throughout her life, children of all ages were drawn to her, and she had a unique talent for calming their fears and tears. Many friends, neighbors, and members of her Mountain View Baptist Church family affectionately refer to her as a second mother because of her influence on them as children and adults. She was known for her kindness and for always serving others before herself.

She met her husband, John Sherman Elledge (Jack) on a blind date. The couple married in 1956, lived in North Wilkesboro, and then built a house on Haymeadow Road in Hays where they have lived since. She was "the best mother in the world" to four children: John (Johnny) Sherman Elledge Jr., Martha Carol Elledge, Elizabeth (Beth) Haynes Elledge Gossett, and Amy Maria Elledge. She was the beloved grandmother of eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Gerry loved to read and passed this love of reading onto her children. She often would read late into the night, when she wasn't staying up late to cook, sew, or prepare for holiday celebrations. She loved to garden and created bouquets from her roses and zinnias. She established and landscaped a memorial garden for her daughter Amy. She was a talented homemaker, known for her love of cooking and baking. Her cookies, cakes, salsa, homemade strawberry jam, ice cream, and spaghetti sauce were favorites of her family, and she baked bread almost every week for decades. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren have fond memories of what they called G-bread. She collected dolls and displayed them in her home. Her nursing class held a reunion every year for over seventy years that she attended and was a highlight of her year. She enjoyed picnics and camping trips on the Blue Ridge Parkway, trips to The Great Smoky Mountains area, and enjoyed traveling extensively throughout the United States and to Mexico, especially after her retirement. Over the past twenty years she created scrapbooks for all her children and grandchildren and for special occasions such as her husband Jack's fishing trips. In her final years she was accompanied by her loving and loyal protector, her dog Ace.

She was an active church worker at Mountain View Baptist Church, and she established a church library and served as the librarian for many years. She quietly gave monthly donations for many years to over ten charities and organizations that helped the poor, and she had a special place in her heart for the homeless and the efforts of Habitat for Humanity. She was a role model of Christian virtue to her children, and her whole life was a lesson in service to others and humble kindness.

Geraldine Haynes Elledge was preceded in death by her parents, Hayes and Alma; a brother, Vess Haynes; and daughter, Amy Maria Elledge.

She is survived by her loving husband, John (Jack) Sherman Elledge Sr.; son, John Sherman Elledge Jr. and daughter-in-law Ellen (Ellie) Koch Elledge; daughters, Martha Carol Elledge, and Elizabeth (Beth) Haynes Elledge Gossett and son-in-law Jason Gossett; sister, Sue Haynes Tharpe; grandchildren, Jacob Gabel, Cody Gabel, Candace Gabel Nelson, Jessie Gabel, Caleb Gossett, Connor Elledge, Tristan Elledge, and Aden Gossett; six great-grandchildren, and numerous beloved nieces and nephews.

The family thanks all the nurses, doctors, and other caregivers over the past year; the employees and volunteers of Hospice; friends, neighbors, church members, and all the thoughts and prayers from churches and co-workers of the family.

A private burial ceremony will be on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at Mountlawn Memorial Park. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 2, 2:00 pm, at Mountain View Baptist Church in Hays with Rev. Julius Blevins and Rev. Brian Blankenship officiating. A visitation will follow after the service in the church fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, Gerry requested donations be made to Habitat for Humanity in her name. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

Lucy Christine Church Gambill

Ms. Lucy Christine Church Gambill went home to be with Jesus and her two beloved sons, Christopher and Hobert "Craig" Gambill, on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at Wilkes Senior Village.

Lucy was born Friday, October 14, 1932 in Wilkes County to the late Doctor Loran Church and Nora Ellen Brown Church.

Lucy was a beautician and retired as a seamstress from Tom Thumb Glove. She was of the Baptist faith. She enjoyed crossword puzzles, playing rummy, and cooking. She loved spending time with family and friends. Lucy was also the first Miss North Wilkesboro High School when she was a teenager.

Including her parents, she was preceded in death by: two sons, Christopher Daniel Gambill and Hobert "Craig" Gambill; an infant sister, Inez Church; sister, Elsie Church Adams and her husband, William Grant Adams.

Those left to cherish her memory include: her daughter, Tina Gambill Blankenship and husband, Paul Travis Blankenship of Mt. Pleasant; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great grandchild.

The family would like to give special thanks to our Wilkes Senior Village family and dear friends, Grace Cooper and Linda Hamby for all of your love, support, and care.

The graveside service will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at Mountlawn Memorial Park, North Wilkesboro. Pastor Paul Siceloff will officiate.

Condolences may be sent to: www.adamsfunerals.com.

Adams Funeral Home of Wilkes and cremation services is honored to be serving the Gambill Family.

Leo Prevette, age 73

Leo Prevette, age 73, of Roaring River, passed away Friday, May 24, 2019 at his home. He was born June 10, 1945 in Wilkes County to Oakery Marcus and Sallie Durham Prevette. Mr. Prevette was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Patty Harris Prevette; son, Marcus Prevette; five brothers; and three sisters.

Surviving are his son, Gary Scott Prevette and companion Diane Terry of Yadkinville; daughters, Jeannie Lynn Moore and spouse Tommy of Salisbury, Tina Annette Baker of Winston Salem; sisters, Geraldine Whitaker of Moravian Falls, Jalie Billings of Roaring River; grandchildren, Dustin Taylor Holcomb, Paige Noelle Maltba and spouse Josh, Austin Cody Cahill and spouse Amber all of Roaring River; great grandson, Brantley Ryan-Dean Chastain of Roaring River; numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be held 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at Miller Funeral Chapel with Rev. Tony McCann officiating. Burial will follow in New Light Baptist Church # 1 Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Miller Funeral Service from 12:00 until 1:00 on Tuesday, prior to the service. Flowers will be accepted. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

Tommy "Tom" J. Coffey, age 74

Tommy "Tom" J. Coffey, age 74, of Purlear, passed away Friday, May 24, 2019 at his home. Tom was born October 22, 1944 in Wilkes County to Joshua "Nick" and Mabel Parsons Coffey. He was a retired truck driver for L&L Machinery and Bassett Walker, driving most of his adult life. He attended Davis Memorial Baptist Church and enjoyed watching NASCAR, bee and squirrel hunting. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Mary Ruth Coffey; three sisters, Josephine Porter, Hallie Crenshaw, and Grace Coffey; and a brother, Wade Coffey.

Surviving are his wife, Mary Soots Coffey of the home; son, Tommy Junior Coffey and spouse Mary Doris of Millers Creek; two daughters, Susie Adams and spouse Bo of Millers Creek, Brenda Stanley and spouse Barry of North Wilkesboro; two grandchildren; and one great grandson;

Funeral service will be held 1:00 p.m. Monday, May 27, 2019 at Davis Memorial Baptist Church with the Rev. Hadley Triplett officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at Davis Memorial Baptist Church from 12:00 until 1:00 on Monday, prior to the service. Flowers will be accepted. Memorials may be made to Davis Memorial Baptist Church, 311 Red Top Road, Wilkesboro, NC 28697. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

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