#Corey Ratliff

[shellyscribbles]

Okay so, my sister in law (husband's sister), was my best friend years ago. It's how I met and got to know my husband. I stopped talking to her for years because she got on drugs and I was extremely codependent (her enabler).

She's got a miraculous recovery story and is clean and sober now for something like five years.

Fast forward to now and she comes over when my in laws watch the kids and then we hang out till dinner time.

She doesn't read. She just can't focus. She's read maybe three chapters collectively her whole life with the exception of the bible. So since I have been reading like a maniac, I have started imparting the most interesting stories to her one of them being the Elmerian Chronicles by Corey Ratliff and the stories from the Oh, Sleeper albums, especially the Titan EP.

So today I have been listening to Bloodied/Unbowed by Oh, Sleeper and it's got major Elmerian Chronicles vibes. It's got two characters that used to fight together and are kinda conflicting going down opposing paths.

It's so fun exploring stories through the different mediums.

And I forgot how brutal Micah's stories are. (Micah Kinard being the screamer/ lyricist for Oh, Sleeper.)

[7loveneverfails]

Figuring out what I love about different stories and writers and what makes me dislike certain writers and stories.

I love Ryan Cahill's writing style (immersive, emotive, beautiful) and characters (super believable and consistent while also growing and changing in a realistic fasion) first and his story structure behind that, but not far. There are no plot lines I am disinterested in.

I love Charlie N Holmberg's relationships and characters and her magic systems just behind and I note that her writing style is simple and clear.

I like Christopher Mitchell almost exclusively for the plot and some of the characters have grown on me. Writing style is simple and easy to read.

Corey Ratliff is a master story builder with a clear and emotive writing style. His characters are believable (maybe just a step behind Ryan's) and he gets you to really love or hate characters. Big feels.

Brandon Sanderson has clear easy to read writing style, deep, fleshed out characters and worlds, interesting magic systems and big feels. I prefer Ryan because I think his prose adds so much to the other features.

I really enjoyed David Estes for the characters and plot. It was big feels with clear, often moving writing. There was a lot of mystery to Kingfall that kept me thinking about it while I wasn't reading.

I really did not like Terry Brooks cause the setting was overly detailed and kept me from getting lost in the story. I also felt nothing for the characters.

I also didn't like Jim Butcher. Despite having a really interesting concept, magic and even characters, there was just such weird moments of describing people's clothes in this almost detached, sexualized way that I couldn't really enjoy the rest of it. I finished the book, but won't read another.

I can't figure out why I keep reading Steven Erikson. I love the characters and prose, but the plot takes forever to sort out and the setting and characters all bleed together to me till like hallway through the book. But after I finish I start craving the next book. Malazan has like story Crack in it and I don't know why or what it is lol

If the prose isn't soft enough, I get distracted. If I notice the prose, it better be pretty or whimsical.

I can get through weird prose or weak prose if the characters and plot are engaging enough.

If I don't care about enough of the characters, I will stop reading.

I love getting villan backstories that make them more human.

[junker-town]

How quickly can UNC bounce back after a mulligan year?

Larry Fedora’s Tar Heels shouldn’t have to wait long to rebound after a 2017 debacle, but 13 suspensions won’t help.

[Note: Since the publication of this preview, 13 UNC players have been suspended, mostly across the season’s first four games, for selling team-issued Jordans. They include potential starting QB Chazz Surratt and top returning tackler Malik Carney, a defensive end. While nobody got suspended for more than four games and the NCAA let UNC stagger suspensions at the same position, the Heels have a lot to overcome as the season begins.]

If you’re going to get wrecked by injuries and bad bounces, you might as well do it the same year you’re undergoing a rebuild anyway. That’s just sound planning.

Larry Fedora killed two birds with one stone; he had to play a jarring amount of youth, and he unloaded a bunch of bad injury karma. The damage:

Freshman quarterback Chazz Surratt led the team in passing with 1,342 yards, a little bit ahead of sophomore Nathan Elliott (926).

Sophomore running back Jordon Brown and freshman Michael Carter combined for 1,171 rushing yards and 337 receiving yards.

With senior Austin Proehl missing half the season, sophomore receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams led with 630 receiving yards. Three freshman wideouts (Dazz Newsome, Beau Corrales, Roscoe Johnson) combined for 460 more yards.

Not a single offensive lineman started all 12 games. Three sophomores and a freshman combined for 17 of the team’s 60 starts.

Linebacker Andre Smith (84.5 tackles in 2016) missed 10 games, cornerback Corey Bell Jr. missed nine, tackle Jordon Riley missed seven, safety Donnie Miles missed six, etc. No linebacker made it all 12 games.

Nine linemen, seven linebackers, and 10 defensive backs made at least six tackles each.

The offense was already looking at a total retooling after losing quarterback Mitch Trubisky, its top two running backs, five of the top six receiving targets, and a pair of all-conference linemen. Fedora brought in a few transfers to stem the tide and set an experienced defense up to succeed. But those experienced pieces couldn’t stay on the field.

So UNC fell from 21st to 94th in S&P+ — from 26th to 83rd on offense and from 44th to 92nd on defense — and saw their win total drop from eight to three.

If there was a silver lining, it’s that the team improved at the end.

Surratt got hurt midway through, and LSU grad transfer Brandon Harris bombed, leading to a dreadful midseason funk that saw the Heels lose to Duke and Virginia at home and fall to Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech by a combined 125-24. But starting with the Miami game, Elliott took over. He torched Pitt and Western Carolina and ran well enough with Brown to scare Miami. You could see a pretty interesting team again.

It’s hard to glean anything useful from UNC’s 2017. The lineup changed weekly, the level of quality changed almost drive to drive ... the whole thing played out like a training camp for 2018.

In theory, the Heels now have a lot to work with. Fedora and coordinator Chris Kapilovic have to decide on a quarterback (neither Surratt nor Elliott separated themselves in spring ball), but they’ll have a pair of solid backs and a high-ceiling receiving corps. And the defense loses only a couple of pieces on the line and in the secondary.

UNC went 19-8 with an ACC Coastal title and back-to-back S&P+ top-30 finishes in 2015-16. Fedora was just beginning to prove this program’s upside. I can’t imagine this is a top-30 team this time around, but top-50? I could maybe talk myself into that.

Offense

From Bryn Renner to Marquise Williams to Trubisky, UNC was pretty solid at QB under Fedora until last season. But Trubisky’s early departure for the NFL and a transfer (Caleb Henderson left for Maryland) knocked the Heels off course.

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Chazz Surratt

Surratt beat out Harris and Elliott and flashed massive potential. He completed 12 of 14 for 168 yards in a near-upset of Louisville in week two (he left early with injury), then took apart a bad Old Dominion defense. But from the moment Proehl left the Duke game with a broken collar bone, the offense disappeared. The Heels scored just 17 against Duke, then failed to top 14 in any game for a full month. Surratt’s completion rate was 70 percent after three games, then 52 percent thereafter.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Nathan Elliott

Elliott’s late-season audition went pretty well, but that made things awkward for 2018, as there is no clear-cut starter.

Elliott had the slightest of efficiency advantages, but Surratt was more explosive and less INT-prone. Surratt also had a bit more of a sample to work with and more time for opponents to adjust to him; plus, he beat out Elliott last fall, which suggests he was better in practice.

Whoever wins is going to be reasonably talented and exciting. And there’s major potential in the supporting cast.

Ratliff-Williams struggled at first in Proehl’s absence, catching just eight balls in the four games after the senior got hurt. But he caught fire with Elliott, catching 15 passes for 294 yards in his last three games. He had five for 131 against NC State.

Dazz Newsome and Beau Corrales emerged as decent options late in their freshman seasons; they combined for seven catches for 96 yards in the first seven games, then 20 for 274 in the last five. Another freshman, Rontavius Groves, wasn’t around for a breakout — the former high-three-star prospect was lost for the season in September.

Tight end Carl Tucker was on his way to a big year, catching six passes for 100 yards in the first three games, before he, too, was lost with injury. Brandon Fritts finished with 25 catches, though his didn’t really go anywhere (7.1 yards per catch).

The skill corps could be fun, but the line is facing a rebuild, as four players with 22-plus career starts each are gone. But because so many players saw action last year, the cupboard isn’t bare. Juniors Charlie Heck, William Sweet, and Nick Polino and sophomore Jay-Jay McCargo have starting experience, and all were high-three-star recruits at minimum.

The Fedora system is a pretty high-tempo, pass-first attack. That worked well when Trubisky was running the show, and Fedora and Kapilovic didn’t change too much with last year’s new QBs — UNC went from running 51.5 percent of the time on standard downs (106th in FBS) and 25.3 percent on passing downs (110th) to 54.8 percent (88th) and 29.4 percent (97th), respectively. So some combination of Surratt/Elliott, Ratliff-Williams, Newsome, Corrales, and Tucker/Fritts will drive in 2018.

The Heels will still get the backs involved, too, though, and UNC’s are pretty good. Brown proved himself to be a lovely check-down option — he averaged only 8.2 yards per catch but had a plus-12 percent marginal efficiency, which means he was great at keeping drives on schedule.

Carter averaged 1.3 more yards per carry than Brown (both of them plumped up their averages against ODU and Western Carolina), and he had breakout performances against Cal (11 carries for 84 yards) and Virginia (13 for 157). It’s easy to see this pair working, with Carter being the first- and second-down guy and Brown doing work on third.

But we haven’t yet talked about Auburn transfer Stanton Truitt or big redshirt freshman Antwuan Branch. This backfield is impressive, and I’m curious if or how they get a larger number of guys involved.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Carter

Defense

2017 was a semi-unexpected transition year. First, the Heels lost coordinator Gene Chizik in February, replacing him with former Nebraska DC John Papuchis. Then came the injuries.

Perhaps not surprisingly, they weren’t good at much. Papuchis wants to be aggressive, and UNC did allow only a 55 percent completion rate for the season (53 percent after the first two weeks) with average disruption up front (69th in Adj. Sack Rate, 67th in stuff rate). But the run defense was a sieve, and the secondary gave up quite a few big plays to go with the plays it was making.

Plus, the Heels were unlucky from a turnovers standpoint — they defensed 59 passes, and national averages would suggest that about 13 of those should be interceptions, but they reeled in only seven picks. You think an extra six takeaways might have helped a team that went 1-3 in one-possession games?

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Malik Carney (53)

There are plenty of intriguing returnees, and outside of the line, few are seniors. The line is pretty seasoned, though. Senior end Malik Carney led the team in tackles for loss (12) and sacks (5.5), and a quartet of upperclassman tackles — seniors Jeremiah Clarke and Jalen Dalton and juniors Jason Strowbridge and Aaron Crawford — returns after combining for 23 TFLs. Dalton led the way with eight TFLs despite missing three games.

Throw in a couple of exciting sophomore ends (Tomon Fox and Tyrone Hopper combined for five sacks among their 24.5 tackles), and it seems like the line is set. I expect an increase in disruption, though that only matters so much unless they get better at standing up to run blocking. Strowbridge (235 pounds), Fox (245), Hooper (235), and Strowbridge (270) are all undersized for their positions.

Having a stable linebacking corps can make up for some run issues, but somehow, despite so many guys seeing the field, only two particularly experienced LBs return: senior and former walk-on Cole Holcomb and junior Jonathan Smith. Youngsters like sophomore Malik Robinson and redshirt freshman Jeremiah Gemmel will have to play roles sooner than later.

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

K.J. Sails

It’s easy to talk yourself into the secondary, at least. The Heels do have to replace corner M.J. Stewart (five TFLs and 12 passes defensed) and safety Donnie Miles, but safeties Myles Dorn and J.K. Britt (combined: 96 tackles, four TFLs, nine PDs) return, as do four corners who all saw a lot of the field as youngsters: juniors K.J. Sails and Patrick Rene and sophomores Myles Woolfolk and Tre Shaw. Sails got picked on quite a bit but broke up 13 passes along the way. The depth is strong, and considering the number of plays the Heels made last year with a mostly young unit, experience could look really good on this secondary.

Now it’s up to the front to force opponents to pass.

Special Teams

UNC’s special teams unit wasn’t quite as good as the 2016 iteration, which ranked ninth in Special Teams S&P+. But 33rd ain’t bad. Punters Tom Sheldon and Hunter Lent were both pretty awesome (UNC ranked 21st in punt efficiency), and big-legged Freeman Jones was efficient in the kickoffs department.

If Jones can make a few more of his longer kicks (he was 3-for-7 on FGs over 40 yards), this should be a top-25 unit again, especially considering Ratliff-Williams’ explosiveness in kick returns (26.3 average, two scores).

2018 outlook

2018 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 1-Sep at California 65 -0.1 50% 8-Sep at East Carolina 125 16.4 83% 15-Sep UCF 17 -7.6 33% 22-Sep Pittsburgh 45 1.7 54% 27-Sep at Miami 13 -16.1 18% 13-Oct Virginia Tech 21 -5.2 38% 20-Oct at Syracuse 71 1.9 54% 27-Oct at Virginia 73 2.1 55% 3-Nov Georgia Tech 53 2.8 56% 10-Nov at Duke 40 -4.4 40% 17-Nov Western Carolina NR 25.9 93% 24-Nov N.C. State 37 -0.9 48%

Projected S&P+ Rk 51 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 43 / 58 Projected wins 6.2 Five-Year S&P+ Rk 5.8 (40) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 25 / 26 2017 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* -6 / 2.1 2017 TO Luck/Game -3.4 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 73% (77%, 70%) 2017 Second-order wins (difference) 3.7 (-0.7)

S&P+ is not designed to take injuries into account, so when you see that it’s projecting the Tar Heels 51st overall this year, after they fell to 94th last year, realize that might be a bit artificially low. With this amount of returning production and solid recent recruiting, odds are good that UNC will be decent.

The magnitude of the bounce back, though, will depend on how well they operate in close games. Because my goodness, are there a lot on the schedule. UNC is projected to dispose of ECU and WCU and is projected to lose by 16 at Miami. Every other game is projected within a touchdown. With iffy execution and some bad breaks, you could be looking at 4-8 or so. Strong execution, plus a little bit of improvement beyond the projection, could mean 8-4 or better.

If you’re a superstitious UNC fan, though, you have to feel pretty good about the karma. The Heels got a ton of bad breaks and bad bounces out of the way last year.

Team preview stats

All power conference preview data to date.

[movie-magic]

Sophie Turner Joins ‘The Staircase’ Series at HBO Max

Sophie Turner has joined the cast of the HBO Max series “The Staircase.”

Turner joins previously announced cast members Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Juliette Binoche, and Rosemarie DeWitt.

The eight-episode series is based on the docuseries of the same name as well as various books and reports about the case of Michael Peterson (Firth), who was accused of murdering his wife, Kathleen (Collette), in 2001. He claimed she died after falling down the stairs at their home, but police suspected he bludgeoned her to death and staged the scene to look like an accident.

Turner will play Margaret Ratliff, one of Michael Peterson’s adopted daughters. Turner is best known for her role as Sansa Stark in the megahit HBO series “Game of Thrones.” Her time on the show earned her an Emmy nomination for best supporting actress in a drama. She is also know for playing Jean Grey in the latest entries in the “X-Men” film franchise, “X-Men: Apocalypse” and “X-Men: Dark Phoenix.” Most recently, Turner starred opposite Corey Hawkins in the Quibi series “Survive,” which debuted last year.

“The Staircase” was picked up to series at HBO Max in March. It is written and executive produced by showrunners Antonio Campos and Maggie Cohn. Campos will also direct six of the eight episodes. The series is a co-production between HBO Max and Annapurna Television.

The docuseries was originally released in 2004, with creator Jean-Xavier de Lestrade updating with new information years later. Netflix released it as a 13-episode series in 2018.

- Variety

[knoxvillecomedy]

Where We Laughed: Knoxville’s Comedy Scene in 2018

It’s time to draw the curtain on another year of the Knoxville comedy scene. 2018, like all years, had its ups and downs, but we hope they were measured mostly in “ups” and that there were plenty of laughs to share with your friends in 2018. If you didn’t laugh in 2018, it wasn’t our fault. We tried everything we could think of. So, in the spirit of all the other year-end countdowns and recaps out there on the internet, let’s take a look at some Knoxville Comedy trivia and news from 2018. Modern Life IS Awesome - Award Winners, Super Moments, Accolades Jeff Blank was voted by readers of Blank Newspaper as Knoxville’s favorite local comedian. Trae Crowder was named runner-up, but he had a pretty good year otherwise. He returned as a guest on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” in March. In November, ABC announced it was buying a pilot episode of a comedy series executive produced by Trae, starring Trae and his local comedy buddies Corey Forrester and Drew Morgan. We’ll see if the WellRed boys make it to our TV screens in 2019. In June 2018, Tyler Sonnichsen recorded his second comedy album - Modern Life is Awesome - in front of two sold out shows at the Pilot Light. The album arrived in December and Tyler has been touring the Midwest and Northeast this month in support of the record. (You can find out how to get a copy by visiting his website at tylersonic.com) In December 2018, Kris Bell also hosted a recording show at the historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge. We look for his project to be released in 2019. Former members of Knoxville improv troupe Full Disclosure, Mallorie Cunningham and Kristen Ballard, earned high praise this year from publications such as Film Daily for their video series Southern Comfort, filmed in and around Knoxville.  All the World’s a Stage There was no shortage of places to find comedy being performed in the Knoxville area in 2018. A rough count of this year’s calendars shows 76 different venues hosting comedy shows, ranging from churches, library auditoriums, house shows, bars, massive arenas, and - once, memorably - at an unsuspecting Shoney’s on North Broadway.

The Top Five venues hosting the most comedy performances (by our unofficial count) in 2018 were: 1. Scruffy City Hall 2. Pilot Light 3. Casual Pint-Downtown 4. LiterBoard 5. Sassy Ann’s Honored Guests Last Days of Autumn Brewing had the distinction of hosting the first and last locally-produced headliner shows of 2018. Columbia, South Carolina’s Jenn Snyder kicked off the new year headlining the Cheers and Beers show on the 1st Friday of January at Last Days. The show changed names, producers, and frequency late in 2018, when Scott Wilding of Detroit was welcomed to the stage as the headliner for the newly-christened High Grav Comedy Showcase at Last Days on the third Friday of the December. By our count, Knoxville’s independent local comedy producers brought in more than 70 regional and national touring stand-up and improv performers, running the gamut from A (Mat Alano-Martin) to Z (Brian Zeolla). And that doesn’t count an amazing year of nationally touring shows that made their way to Knoxville this year for shows at venues including the Tennessee Theatre, Thompson-Boling Arena, the Bijou Theater, and the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. Audiences at this larger venues laughed along to performances from Maria Bamford, David Cross, Kevin Hart, Eddie Izzard, Steve Martin & Martin Short, and Tig Notaro, to name a few.

Changes On the Horizon Change is the theme every year and 2018 was no different. Knoxville comedian Aaron Chasteen left us for the Atlanta comedy scene and has been winning fans and friends there with the creation of his popular “Comedy Island” comedy show with co-producer Greg Behrens. Josh Lampley and Alyssa Miller took to the road as well, heading to New York City for their next steps in improv, stand-up, and acting. Carson Barnes, another local favorite in the stand-up scene announced in December that he’s relocating for new opportunities in Boston. Jeff Blank debuted a new open mic in downtown on Tuesdays at the Casual Pint-Downtown. Laughs on Tap has quickly become a popular stage for locals to try our their new material. As mentioned earlier, the monthly comedy show at Last Days of Autumn also underwent a makeover. Cheers and Beers was held on the first Friday of each month under the guidance of producer Gail Grantham. She has handed over the reins to Beth Tomkins and her True Grit Comedy production team. The show is now known as High Grav Comedy Showcase and is held on the first and third Friday of each month.

Beth also moved her bi-weekly Monday open mic to a new day and venue in September. The former Fort Sanders Yacht Club open mic is now a weekly show on Sundays at the Bearden Brickyard. The biggest news of venue changes took place over the summer when the legendary Sassy Ann’s closed its Victorian doors. The Historic 4th and Gill Neighborhood bar had been the home to a Friday weekly open mic for nearly five years. The mic most recently was produced by Tre Pack as Fourth and Gill Fridays. Previous producers had included the show’s founder Nahkt Ricks, as well as Sam Donnelly, Chase Dyer, Jay Kendrick, and Jake James. Sassy Ann’s was also the setting for the live recording of two comedy albums-- JC Ratliff and Jay Kendrick both recorded albums there in the past few years. Also in 2018, two other Knoxville comedy venues closed their doors. Sugar Mama’s (home to True Grit Comedy) and Modern Studio (home to Full Disclosure Comedy and Off Center Comedy). And, we bid goodbye to some regular showcases in 2018, including the Hex Yeah Comedy Showcase at Hexagon Brewing. Regular comedy performances on the famed Cumberland Avenue Strip next to the UT campus also came to an end in 2018. The Fort Sanders Yacht Club mic was, as mentioned earlier, moved to a new location in west Knoxville at the Bearden Brickyard. And, the Literboard ended its run of comedy in late 2018. For the past couple of years, the venue had hosted open mics produced by John Miller and Aaron Chasteen (under the venue’s original identity as Longbranch Saloon), then hosted a weekly rotation of open mics and other fun including a comedy game show, storytelling night, and sketch night under the banners of Tic Tac Toe Comedy Show, Type O Comedy, and finally, Broken Branch Comedy open mic. We’ll see if live comedy returns to the campus area in 2019. In Memoriam At the end of 2018, we offer tribute to two people who made us laugh while they were here, but left us much too soon. Ty Berry had been exploring the Knoxville Comedy scene after moving to East Tennessee from Maryland around 2015. He had frequently attended shows and was beginning to perform at open mics himself. He tragically drowned in May at the age of 33.

Also in May, we learned the sad news of the passing of Spanky Brown at the age of 56. Spanky was not originally from Knoxville, but he was well-known in the area as a performer and as a mentor to many local comedians. Spanky, whose real name was Byron Yeldell, was a favorite of many of the regular audience members (and performers) at the now-defunct Sidesplitters Comedy Club. He had performed most recently in the area in February of this year at John Upton’s comedy show at Tennessee Brewsky’s in New Tazewell. Spanky was scheduled to return to Knoxville for a show in June. To the future... And just like that 2018 is almost done. 2019 promises to have just as many- if not more- opportunities to laugh along with local favorites and touring heroes. The new year is already set to start with an album recording, the new First Friday edition of Comedy at the Grove, and promises of new open mics, showcases, and adventures yet to come.

Thank you, Knoxville, for supporting live comedy. Make it your resolution for the new year to get out there even more to discover new talent traveling through for local showcases and to watch new voices take shape on local open mics. Follow us here on Tumblr, find us on Facebook (Knox Comedy), and invite your friends to join you at a show or two in 2019. They just might thank you for the laughs.

[the-record-obituaries]

October 3, 2018: Obituaries

 Jeanette Harmon,  80

Mrs Jeanette Irene Jolly Harmon, age 80 of Wilkesboro entered her Heavenly home and into the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on September 29, 2018 at Kate B Reynolds Hospice Home in Winston-Salem. She was surrounded by her loving husband of 62 years and her family.

               A Celebration of Life service was held  October 1, at Wilkesboro United Methodist Church with Rev. Karen Roberts officiating and Chris Lakey assisting.   A private burial will be in Mountlawn Memorial Park.

               Mrs. Harmon was born August 16,1938 in Iredell County to Harold D. and Lacie Bowman Jolly. Upon graduating high school, Mrs Harmon, married her "childhood crush", Troy Harmon Jr. or as known to friends (T.G.) They lived in several cities before his company moved them to Wilkesboro in the early 70s. It was here that Mrs Harmon settled in and was able to make a wonderful life for her family. She worked in banking for a number of years and retired in 1992. She loved meeting and talking with her customers and they became family and friends to her. Mrs. Harmon was a member of Wilkesboro United Methodist Church for 46 years. She sang in the choir, was a member of the Ecclesia Sunday School Class and served on various committees throughout the years. She was also a volunteer in her community. Mrs. Harmon loved her family and always enjoyed time spent with all of the grandchildren. She loved every occasion that brought an opportunity to "celebrate" the beautiful things in life! She was a wonderful baker and shared her many delicious confections with others, especially her Chocolate Cake. You never left her home without either eating a piece of cake or taking a piece with you for later. She was a beautiful caring person and always looked for the best in every situation and every person. Heaven gained a beautiful soul!

She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother; Richard Jolly and a son-in-law; Kirk Shelton

In addition to her husband; Troy G. Harmon Jr. of the home, she is survived by three daughters Pam Millsaps and husband, Neal of Lewisville, Lori Morris and husband, Scott of Greenville, SC and Julie Harmon of Winston-Salem, a son; Kevin Grant Harmon of Winston-Salem. Eight grandchildren: Kristin Shelton (Bryan Whittenton ) of Wilmington, NC, Brittany Estes (Scott) of Huntersville, NC, Allison Eckley (Brad) of Charlotte, NC, Elizabeth Millsaps of Charlotte NC, Jon Millsaps of Columbia SC, Grant Morris and Chandler Morris of Greenville, SC and Austin Harmon of Winston-Salem, NC, two great grandchildren; Davis and Haynes Eckley of Charlotte NC and two sisters; Lona Jolly of Statesville and Teresa Primm of Winston-Salem NC.

               She also has several nieces and nephews.

               The family would like to extend their deep gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Grote's Oncology Team of North Wilkesboro, the 8th Floor Forsyth Palliative Care Unit in Winston-Salem and the Kate B Reynolds Hospice Home in Winston-Salem for the kind and loving care shown to their wife and mom during such a difficult time.

               Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Kate B Reynolds Hospice Home, 101  Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem, NC. 27103.

Carol Denny, 68

Mrs. Carol Jean Beshears Denny, 68, of Purlear, passed away on Tuesday. September 25, 2018.

Carol was born on January 8, 1950 in Wilkes County to Ellis Alvin Beshears and Helen Faye Church.

               Carol is preceded in death by her parents.

               Carol is survived by sons, Brandon Denny and wife Erica, Wyatt Denny all of Purlear; two grandchildren, Elijah Denny and Trevor Wagoner both of Purlear.

               A celebration of life will be held at Adams Funeral Home of Wilkes Chapel Saturday October 6, 2018 at 3 p.m. Pastor Charles Ratliff will be officiating.

               In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to Pruitt Home Hospice: 924 Main  Street Suite 100 N. Wilkesboro, NC 28659.

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

 Kenneth Lytton,  68

Mr. Kenneth Reece Lytton, age 68 of Roaring River passed away Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at his home.

               A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date to be announced.

               Mr. Lytton was born October 7, 1949 in Wilkes County to Wilton and Mable Lytton, who proceeded him in death. He was an auto mechanic and a member of Roaring River Baptist Church.

               He is survived by his wife; Sandra Nichols Lytton of the home, Aunts; Faye Sparks and Betty Jo Lytton of Roaring River. He was also survived by several cousins.

               The family wishes that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Parkinson's Foundation 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032 or Saint Jude's Children's Hospital c/o Window World Cares 118 Shaver Street North Wilkesboro, NC 28659.

 Taft Greer, 68

Taft Junior "Sonny" Greer, age 68, of Boomer, passed away Monday, September 24, 2018 at his home. He was born February 20, 1950 in Grayson  County, Virginia to William Howard Taft and Essie Victoria Watson Greer. Sonny was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Ferguson. He enjoyed working on small engines; loved collecting tools and playing with his grandchildren. Mr. Greer was preceded in death by his parents; and his siblings, Harold Greer, Clayborn Greer, Shirlie Greer, Vivian Greer and Gaither Greer.

               Surviving are his wife, Gayle Myers Greer; daughters, Shelia Greer of Ferguson, Shelley Greer of North Wilkesboro, Sharon Hamby and husband Tom of Patrick, South Carolina; grandchildren, Deven Greer, Ashley Greer, Jacob Marley and a step grandchild, Jaymie Marley, Taylor Greer, Caleb Greer, Kara Greer, Thomas John Hamby, Nikki Hamby, Jakob Hamby; siblings, Shelby Waters and Caroll Greer both of North Wilkesboro, Gerald Greer of Lenoir, Viola Triplett of Ferguson; other daughters, Paula Cowick of Apex, N.C., Annie Anderson of Lenoir; many other grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

               Funeral service was held  September 27,   at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Ferguson with Rev. Leonard Younce and Rev. Brian Keith Blankenship officiating. Burial   followed in the church cemetery.  

               Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9956.

               Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.  The family would like to thank Wake Forest Baptist Health and Hospice and special thank you to Pauline Watts of Hospice.

  Charles   Hicks

Mr. Charles "Len" Hicks of Roaring River passed away September 24, 2018 at SECU Hospice in Yadkinvillle.

               Mr. Hicks was born July 3, 1939 in Boone, NC to Lonnie Ward and Eller Hicks. He worked with Southern Agriculture Insecticides of Boone and was a member of Fishing Creek Arbor Baptist Church. Mr. Hicks was an avid hunter and fisherman, loved animals, farming and gardening. Most of all he loved his family.

               A memorial service was held September 29,  at Reins-Sturdivant Chapel with Mr. John Joye officiating.  

               He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Dean Hicks

               He is survived by: his wife; Linda Hicks of the home; two daughters and sons-in-law, Mary and Johnny Propst of Charlotte, Judy and John Joye of Wilmington; four sons and daughters-in-law, Charles and Elizabeth Hicks of Wilkesboro, John Habermann and Danielle McDowell of Hawaii, Allen and Catherine Hicks of Valdese, Billy Habermann of Elizabethton, TN; eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

               Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 910 E. Street, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659.

Billie   Minton 79

Mrs. Billie Pardue Minton, age 79 of North Wilkesboro passed away after a brief illness Monday, September 24, 2018 at Forsyth Medical Center.

               Funeral services were held  September 27,   at Calvary Baptist Church with Clayton Anderson, Danny Byers, Rev. Mark Hall and Ken Welborn officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.

               Mrs. Minton was born September 9, 1939 in Wilkes County to Woodrow and Clyde Billings Pardue. She was a member of Calvary Baptist Church.

               In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband; Vencil Kenneth "Turkey" Minton.

               She is survived by three daughters; Caprice Minton Cheek of the home, Marti Minton Warner and husband Richard, Tamarius Minton Smithey and husband Bobby all of North Wilkesboro, one son; Jerry Montoya and wife Rebecca of Wilkesboro, two grandchildren; Stephen Burnette Cheek and Brandon Montoya and five great grandchildren; Macie Kaye Cheek, Mason Lee Blankenship, Tynleigh Reece Cheek, Colton Anderson and Sophie Smithey.

Flowers will be accepted.

Joey Canaday 68

Mr. Joey Dale "Joe" Canaday of Roaring River, NC, passed away at the age of 68, Monday, September 24, 2018 at his home.

Funeral services were held  September 26,   at Reins Sturdivant Chapel with Rev. Mike Bowers and Lou Creamer officiating. Burial was in Scenic Memorial Gardens.  

               Joe was born November 29, 1949 in Missouri to Ben Harrison Canaday and Sadie V. Cisco Canaday. He was a truck driver with ECMD for 19 years and a member of Harvest Time Fellowship.

               In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister; Virgina Walker and three brothers; Bill Canaday, Eldo Canaday and George Canaday.

               He is survived by his wife; Teresa Carol Royal Canaday of the home, two daughters; Tamie Nocera and husband Ken of Elkin and Tiffany Creamer and husband Lou of Farmington, MO, a son; Joeie Canaday and wife Sarah of Bend OR, step-son Todd Johnson and wife Sammy-Jo of Roaring River, four grandchildren; Amy Pacheco and husband Michael, Corey Canaday, Manny Nocera and Maxx Creamer, two step grandsons and two great grandchildren; Hudson Pacheco and Corie-Myla Pacheco and several nieces and nephews.

               We would like to give a Special Thanks to the Staff of Dr. Grote's office and Mtn. Valley Hospice. Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the Donor's Choice.

Blum Johnson, 92

Mr. Blum Vestal Johnson, age 92 of North Wilkesboro passed away Monday, September 24, 2018 at his home.

               Funeral services were held  September 28,   at Mountain View Baptist Church in the Windy Gap Community with Rev. Mark Rupard officiating. Burial with military honors by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1142 was in the church cemetery.

               Mr. Johnson was born September 17, 1926 in Wilkes County to William Monroe and Sarah Ila Gregory Johnson. He was a member of Mountain View Baptist Church and retired from Holly Farms. His favorite pastime was buying and selling used cars.

               In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one son; B.V. Johnson, Jr. two sisters; Cordie Gregory and Flossie Mathis and five brothers; Carl, Claude, Gordon, Fonse and Richard Johnson.

               He is survived by his wife; Sallie Ann Mathis Johnson of the home, three daughters; Linda M Johnson, Jackie Dougherty, Janet Sink and husband Charles all of North Wilkesboro, two sons; William Terry Johnson and wife Debbie of North Wilkesboro, Tony R. Johnson and wife Crystal of Wilkesboro, eight grandchildren; Tracy Johnson, Monty Johnson, Cary Johnson and wife Robin, Tyler Sink and wife Tiffany, William Johnson and wife Audriana, Jennifer Laraia and husband Kris, Sarah Johnson, John R. Johnson and wife Grace, ten great grandchildren; Codi Johnson, Weston Johnson, Peyton Johnson, Brody Johnson, Gavin Johnson, Ava Johnson, Cameron Johnson, Ty Sink, Brooklyn Sink, Blakley Sink and one great great grandchild; Case Johnson, one sister; Electa Johnson of North Wilkesboro.

Flowers will be accepted.

John Wellington, 55

Mr. John Lewis Wellington, 55, of Wilkesboro, passed away on Saturday, September 22, 2018.

John was born on May 22, 1963 in Wilkes County to Johnny Grinton and Josephine Wellington.

               John is preceded in death his father, Johnny Grinton and sister, Beverly Moxley.

               John is survived by his mother, Josephine Wellington; daughters, Jameka Caul of Wilkesboro, Alicia Mae Wellington of West Jefferson, Kalea La'Shea Wellington of Statesville; son, Jeremy Caul of Wilkesboro; sisters, Jessie Wellinton of Moravian Falls, Wanda Navarro and husband, Richard of Wilkesboro, Kimberly Brown and husband, Eldridge of Winston Salem; brother, Larry Wellington of Wilkesboro, 7 grandchildren, Jaylen, Makeja, Za'Maya Caul , Jazlenn Amya Caul, A'Kerion Ray, A'mina Howell, Jaylah Morrison, many nieces and nephews and special friend Kimberly Johnson of Wilkesboro.

               A private celebration of life will be held by the family at a later date.

               Memorial donations may be given to The American Cancer Society P.O. Box 22478 Oklahoma City, OK 73123.

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

 Sarah  Church, 78

Mrs. Sarah Jane Edmunds Church, age 78 of Las Vegas, NV formally of Norman, OK, passed September 16, 2018 in Las Vegas.

               Funeral services were held  September 29,   at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Charles Ratliff and Rev. Lee Church officiating. Burial was in Yellow Hill Baptist Church Cemetery.  

               Mrs. Church was born May 25, 1940 in Norman OK to Terrel Issac Edmunds and Eunice Hughes Edmunds. She was a homemaker. Mrs. Church was a lover of reading and classical music, world traveler and was always looking forward to her next adventure. A true southern bell that taught her grandchildren that they were never "done" but "finished".

               In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Edwin Church, two sisters; Louise Kee and Christine Heath and two brothers; John Richard Edmunds and Terrel Isaac Edmunds.

               She is survived by two sons; Richard T. Church of Norman OK and Stephen C. Church and wife Linda of Las Vegas, NV, six grandchildren; Rachel Crews and husband Larry, Ashley Church, Richard Church, Michelle Church Rollings and husband Craig, Michael Church and Roger Church and five great grandchildren; Jadyn Crews, Madelyn Crews, Morgan Rollings, Jason Rollings and Annalyn Rollings.

[roleplaytipsandadvice]

Alright so I'm extremely terrible at finding face claims and I want to make an RP account that is a personified version of life but as a male because I'm tired of all the life accounts being female and I was wondering if you could suggest anyone in the age range of like 20s-30s

Check out these guys:

Jake Edwards - Transgender

Elliot Fletcher - Transgender

Keiynan Lonsdale

Hwang Chansung

Siva Kaneswaran

Humberto Carrão

Chord Overstreet

Alden Ehrenreich

Ellington Ratliff

Taron Egerton

Keegan Allen

Nate Maloley

David Castro

Alfred Enoch

Chris Colfer

Tyler Posey

Jesse Rath

Evan Ross

Corey Cott

Cory Hong

Park Jeup

Kim Bum

[shellyscribbles]

I finished Bloods of a Withering Kingdom yesterday.

That was a ride. It is going to be almost physically painful to wait for the next book after each is released. The next wont be out for a year.

I don't know how I am supposed to live with that ending for a year lol

I have a desire to inflict this series on everyone. It's really good. Fantastic story building. I was glued from the first page and felt every twist. It's intense for sure. Very well done. Corey Ratliff is a great story teller.

[shellyscribbles]

I think my favorite thing about the Elmerian Chronicles right now is the characters' frustration. It's very human to feel that frustrated as the ground they stand on is perpetually shifting.

Especially for Aric.

There are so many times when they just stop and scream Fuck and I'm like, Yeah, that's an appropriate reaction to that little tidbit. That's what that word was made for.

My first versions of The Shadow of Vale lacked that frustration completely and it made Zuriel (or Niko as he was named at the time) feel inhuman 'cause who gets their whole life flipped upside down and is just, fine with it?

[shellyscribbles]

*Reads back the last line I wrote for a rough scribble of one of the climax scenes*

Ugh, girl that's brutal.

If I hadn't read some grim dark this year I would feel bad about writing and trying to share something like this.

But I see how it can be done and edifying.

Plus, unlike grim dark, it isn't going to stay this horrible.

[sffinsiders]

Review: Shadows of a Lost Hollow by Corey Ratliff — SFF Insiders

[shellyscribbles]

I am kind of reading...6 books at the moment.

The one I am actually reading is Whispers of a World Breaker by Corey Ratliff and I am quite liking it.

It kinda feels like modern Lord of the Rings mixed with The Bound and The Broken (I don't have expansive fantasy references lol) and I just really enjoy it.

I didn't know how much I needed baby dragons until I started these last two series with baby dragons. They are precious.