So in the end, a day that began looking like a total disaster for the Democratic National Convention led to an evening that was not disastrous in the least — an evening, in fact, that might have saved not just the week but also the election.

Okay, it’s way too soon to be sure about all of that. But earlier in the day, Bernie Sanders supporters were in the streets chanting the GOP convention’s slogan — “Lock her up!” — about the woman Democrats were about to nominate, Hillary Clinton. The outgoing chair of the party got roundly booed at a breakfast given by her home-state delegation, and Sanders himself was booed when he exhorted followers to work and vote for Clinton. Early speakers in the Wells Fargo Center faced a cacophony of catcalls.

There was no way to go but up, and the ascent was launched not by a politician but by comedian Sarah Silverman. She told the assembled delegates that she was a Sanders supporter who would now vote for Clinton “with gusto.” And in an apparent ad lib — when she and Sen. Al Franken (Minn.) were asked to fill time before a performance by Paul Simon — Silverman addressed the “Bernie or bust” crowd directly: “You’re being ridiculous.”

Earlier speakers had been patronizing toward the Sanders crowd. Clinton surrogates did interviews explaining that many 0f his supporters were new to the political process and perhaps, I don’t know, had not fully grasped the whole winning vs. losing concept. Silverman was having none of that. I got over it, she effectively said, and you should too.

As if to gild the lily, Simon chose to sing “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” It’s hard to think of many other songs more likely, in just about any setting, to increase the peace.

Then came a lineup of powerhouse speakers. Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) gave a good speech. First lady Michelle Obama gave a better speech, focusing not on Trump’s failings but on Clinton’s virtues. Next came what was billed as the night’s keynote speech, a stem-winder by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) that pushed Democratic voters’ every button.

There was some heckling during the first part of Warren’s speech, but nothing like the rancorous racket heard earlier in the day. The temperature had cooled.

Finally, Sanders himself emerged to a hero’s welcome. He delivered what, for Democrats, was the money line: “Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States.” He cited Clinton’s many priorities and policies that agree with his and said “the election must be about bringing our people together and not dividing us up.”

It is no secret that he and Clinton disagree on some issues, he said, but there was a “coming together” in drafting the party platform. Translation: You won a lot, Sanders people. Take yes for an answer.

By the end of the night, it seemed they just might.

Been to the Botanic Gardens Lately? It’s more than just a nice spot to
catch up with a gathering, there’s a variety of activities on offer for young and old. Here’s a sampling of what’s available or for more information head to their website https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au

Botanical illustration beginners workshop with Mali Moir 

This intensive four-day course provides an introduction to botanical art via pencil and watercolour. Students will begin to develop skills in outline drawing, foreshortening, tonal work, rendering of surfaces, basic colour work and paint application.
The cost of the course includes equipment to be used during the workshop – drawing materials, paint, watercolour paper and brushes.

Suitable for adults and teenagers. Presented by the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
Monday 11 to Thursday 14 July
10am to 4pm each day

Whirling Room Studio, GMT Building
Melbourne Gardens
Getting Here

$399 adult
$342 Friends’ members
Bookings / Enquiries

T 03 9650 6398
E botanicart@frbgmelb.org.au

Bookings required, cancellation and refund policy applies.
Book online at rbgfriendsmelbourne.org or by telephoning the Friends’ office.

Plant Craft Cottage Demonstration Days

Watch and ask questions as members of the working groups demonstrate their plant craft skills.

Presented by the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne at the Plant Craft Cottage.

Natural Dye – Wednesday 6 July
Pot Pourri – Friday 8 July
Fibre – Tuesday 12 July
Basketry – Wednesday 20 July
Plant Card – Thursday 21 July
Natural Dye – Wednesday 3 August
Fibre – Tuesday 9 August
Pot Pourri – Friday 12 August
Basketry – Wednesday 17 August
Plant Card – Thursday 18 August

When: 10.30am to 2pm
Where: Plant Craft Cottage near H gate Melbourne Gardens
Cost: FREE

Children’s Garden

The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden is the perfect place for kids who love getting their hands dirty in the garden. There’s lots of fun places to explore including the Ruin Garden, the Meeting Place (which has a water feature that sprays up out of the ground in summer!), a Wetland Area, Bamboo Forest, The Gorge, Plant Tunnel, Kitchen Garden (full of yummy vegetables!) and The Rill (a gentle waterway that runs through the Garden).

The Children’s Garden is an interactive educational environment in which children of all ages, backgrounds, physical abilities and cultures can play, explore and discover the natural world. It features plants, water, structures and pathways that reflect Melbourne’s changing seasons. The garden has been designed to intrigue, teach and excite children from a very young age about the importance of conservation and the environment. It is scaled specifically for children to create a sense of ownership, care and responsibility for the environment.

Plenty to explore in and around the Children’s Garden with our ’50 things for kids to do’ checklist (PDF – 1.82 kB) or pick up a free copy at the Visitor Centre. The Children’s Garden is accessible to anybody including wheelchair users, visitors with walking frames and parents with prams.

The Children’s Garden is closed for its annual rest from Monday 11 July and will reopen on Saturday 3 September. Each year the Children’s Garden takes a break in winter for regular maintenance and restoration for eight weeks following the end of July school holidays.

Open 10am–sunset Wednesday–Sunday and public holidays; 10am–sunset seven days a week during Victorian State School holidays. Closed to the public Monday–Tuesday during Victorian State School terms for booked school groups only
Rill (stream): 10am–4pm daily
Spiral fountains: 10am–4pm on days when the temperature is forecast to exceed 25 degrees. The fountains do not operate when the forecast is less than 25 degrees.

My reason for sending ‘my story’ to talkhealth (rather than to only the Aspergillosis website) was in an attempt to reach those unfortunates who have yet to be diagnosed and, of course GPs, as personally I have suffered these symptoms for twenty to twenty-five years (if not all my life!). I also know of others in the Group who have had similar experiences. So, I’m really pleased to have this further opportunity. This condition is referred to as ‘rare’ and I don’t dispute that per se, but based on my own experience and that of others, I consider it may be less rare and rather – under-diagnosed. When I described the symptoms as being ‘flu-like, with constant coughing, etc., on reflection, it was a somewhat under-estimated account, particularly in later years, as the fungal ball continued to grow in my lung. Having experienced influenza, bronchitis, pleurisy and pneumonia (the condition left me ‘open’ to every possible virus), in my experience, the effects are far worse than any/all of these.

I’ll be Watching You …

On my diagnosis being confirmed, and as there is no cure for ABPA, I was advised that I would be continually monitored by Royal Derby Hospital for the rest of my life – the plan being for six-weekly consultations. I was very fortunate to respond really well to the six months of steroid treatment as, had this not been the case, then I would have had to take other anti-fungal medications which, apparently, have even more serious side effects. I was again very fortunate in that I was able to ‘taper off’ the medications without any adverse effects, and now take steroids by inhaler twice daily. The consultants were equally pleased and my monitoring was reduced to three-monthly visits. As one appointment was made for 9.00 am (impossible for me on account of the distance involved), my follow-up appointment was delayed until six months.

At my last consultation in May, again they were very pleased with progress, as I had by now been off steroid tablets for six months – so much so, that it was suggested that I could either be discharged, or have annual check-ups. Obviously, I was delighted that I’d done so well that discharge could be considered, but the delight very quickly turned to total panic, as the Royal Derby has been/ is my ‘life-line’ and I have complete confidence in the team – so, annual check-ups it is – providing I continue to do well. From life-long monitoring to suggestion of discharge in one year? Should my condition deteriorate, the only option is to go through my surgery and for them to contact the hospital. The GP who sought investigation works just a few half-days per week, so should I fall ill outside of her contracted hours, I feel I shall be in a very vulnerable position.

As I understand it, it appears that the medication has ‘dumbed down’ my allergic overreaction to spores and that the inhaled steroids are keeping open my airways. So, I’m hoping that I’ll have two to three years in remission, failing contracting any viruses. Of course, there’s no guarantees and we are all different.

Every Step You Take ….

Following previous ‘bouts’, I had always ‘bounced back’ (perhaps not ‘bounced’, but eventually returned to ‘my normal’) – this time I haven’t. I’ve reported several times on my tiredness / fatigue symptoms (particularly following the least exertion) and difficulty walking any distance (legs feeling like dead weights), but I’m advised that it is doubtful that this is related to ABPA, and it’s suggested I see a GP. I have also had three incidents of falling down (not tripping or fainting) just so weak that I fall. Probably because of my experiences, I fear I’ll be told there’s a name for it but again no cure, so meanwhile, in the interest of expediency, I’ve named it myself – Falling Down Syndrome (FDS)! As with all my strange symptoms, it can strike at any time, so I’m finding it difficult to plan things, as it’s not just some good days, some bad – it changes within minutes!

Every Move You Make …

My most recent fall was in the bedroom, when I started to fall and, in a misguided attempt at a soft landing on the bed, did a sterling pirouette (unfortunately with only upper half of body) crashed into the television table, the television almost went through the window and – I crash landed on the floor! Had it ‘gone viral’ I may have made a fortune! So – massive bruises to my upper right arm and the following day, I realised that the half-pirouette had caused back injury, exacerbating walking difficulties. So I now take a fold-up walking stick when out, in case I feel weak and there’s nowhere to sit or lean, and have actually used it twice recently. It had such a positive effect on people (standing immediately to let me sit down, etc.) that we’ve decided it’s not a walking stick, but a magic wand!!

Oh Can’t You See – I Belong To Me ….

Members of the support group all appear to have very differing levels of symptoms and, therefore, treatments. However, some are very generous in sharing experiences and knowledge, and I acted on the very helpful information regarding house mites not being partial to wool, investing in a new bed (mattress half wool), wool duvet and ‘anti-allergy’ pillows – not sure how they can be termed ‘anti-allergy’, as the manufacturers may not know about us! All good – my sleeping is much better and I have another reason to be glad I’m single, as some who have partners have mentioned that they sleep separately because of the nocturnal disturbances this condition causes!

Another item of discussion that I related to was mention of how we are perceived, which has been a bit of a concern to me also – I think having ‘my story’ circulated has possibly been of (un-looked for) help. Of course, I don’t expect everyone to understand my strange condition, as I have some difficulty myself!

I’m still steering clear of gardening as much as I can – and am often told by friends that I mustn’t garden (for sure, disturbed soil, rotten leaves, composts, and places with mould or dust, for example, London underground, building sites, etc. are definitely to be avoided) – but I think what they’re not quite getting is the fact that spores are airborne, so there’s no avoiding them completely – it’s every breath I take!

gavel

I’ve always been known as a tough-on-crime, pro-law enforcement individual, and I still am. During my years as a North Carolina State Senator, I vigorously advocated for the death penalty. As a superior court judge, I presided over trials where the death penalty seemed like the only suitable punishment for the heinous crimes that had been committed. Finally, as a Justice, and then as Chief Justice, on the Supreme Court of North Carolina, I cast my vote at appropriate times to uphold that harsh and most final sentence.

After decades of experience with the law, I have seen too much, and what I have seen has impacted my perspective. First, my faith in the criminal justice system, which had always been so steady, was shaken by the revelation that in some cases innocent men and women were being convicted of serious crimes. The increased availability of DNA testing in the early 2000s highlighted this problem so clearly to me. I spent the next decade working with others to devise systems and develop task forces dedicated to the prevention of wrongful convictions in North Carolina. I take, I believe, justifiable pride in the fact that North Carolina established the first state Innocence Inquiry Commission in the country. Numerous legal experts publicly acknowledge that the safeguards that have been implemented in North Carolina are wildly successful. However, one thing we did not adequately address is that individuals with intellectual disabilities, mental illness, and other impairments are more likely to be wrongfully convicted. The case of Henry McCollum and Leon Brown makes that point vividly clear. McCollum was 19 and Brown was 15 when they confessed to the rape and murder of 11-year-old Sabrina Buie. Both men are intellectually disabled, which greatly increased their susceptibility to false confession. As a result, they spent 31 years in prison, including time on death row, for a crime they didn’t commit.

The death penalty is not and should not be available as a punishment for all homicides. In Kennedy v. Louisiana, the Court found that under the Eighth Amendment, capital punishment “must be limited to those offenders … whose extreme culpability makes them the most deserving of execution.” Both the crime itself, and the offender, must be deemed the so-called “worst of the worst.” The Court has categorically barred persons with intellectual disability and juveniles from execution because they have diminished culpability, and defendants are also allowed to introduce mitigating evidence to demonstrate impairments. However, I’ve seen how these safeguards can fail to adequately protect individuals with significant impairments.

Last year in America, over half of the individuals that were executed had severe mental impairments. Too much reliance is put on jurors to identify those who are the “worst of the worst.” As Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, I was responsible for assessing the personal culpability of defendants in capital cases to ensure that the punishment would be applied appropriately, so I understand just how difficult this task can be.

In order for mitigation evidence to be considered it must be collected and introduced at trial. In states where indigent defense systems are woefully underfunded, as it is in North Carolina, or where standards of representation are inadequate, this evidence regularly goes undiscovered.

Additionally, a number of impairments are difficult to measure. For intellectual disability, we can use an IQ score to approximate impairment, but no similar numeric scale exists to determine just how mentally ill someone is, or how brain trauma may have impacted their culpability. Finally, even when evidence of diminished culpability exists, some jurors have trouble emotionally separating the characteristic of the offender from the details of the crime.

The categorical exclusions for juveniles under the age of 18 and those with intellectual disability are simply drawn too narrowly to encompass everyone who has diminished culpability. These categorical exclusions are particularly inadequate when multiple impairments exist. Take for instance the case of Lamondre Tucker, whose case will be conferenced by the Supreme Court this week. Tucker was convicted of murdering his pregnant girlfriend in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. He was just 18 years old at the time of the offense, and was repeating his senior year of high school. He has an IQ score of 74. Taken together, these factors indicate that he is most likely just as impaired as those individuals that the Court has determined it is unconstitutional to execute. Yet, because of a variety of systemic factors, including ineffective legal representation, Tucker sits on death row. Ten former State Supreme Court justices signed an Amicus brief last month questioning the constitutionality of Tucker’s death sentence due to his impairments. Today I join my colleague’s call.

After spending years trying to instill confidence in the criminal justice system, I’ve come to realize that there are certain adverse economic conditions that have made the system fundamentally unfair for some defendants. These systemic problems continue to lead to the conviction of the innocent, as well as those individuals for whom the death penalty would be constitutionally inappropriate, regardless of the crime. Our inability to determine who possesses sufficient culpability to warrant a death sentence draws into question whether the death penalty can ever be constitutional under the Eighth Amendment. I have come to believe that it probably cannot.