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Vishakhapatnam Gas Tragedy: Are gas leaks making human rights bleak?
"Damage to the environment can impair and undermine all the human rights spoken of in the Universal Declaration and other human rights instruments."
– Judge Weeramantry, the International Court of Justice.
On 7th May 2020, a major gas leak tragedy took place in LG Polymers Chemical Plant in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The incident evoked the unpleasant memories of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy. The National Human Rights Commission took suo moto cognizance of the matter and issued a notice to the Central and Andhra Pradesh government. It also acknowledged that the disaster was a "serious violation of Human Rights." Eleven people, including a child, have passed away, 25 are in a critical condition, and as many as 1000 are affected by the gas leak. The disaster that took place in Vishakhapatnam is not only an environmental tragedy but also a human right disaster.
VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
A group of UN experts have said that the Visakhapatnam gas leak has drawn attention to what they asserted were "human rights infringements" due to the proliferation of plastics. Right to Life is a fundamental human right guaranteed in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. In the case of Virendra Gaur vs. the State of Haryana, the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India held that the Right to Life of a person to live with dignity, guaranteed in Article 21, also encompasses the right to a healthy and safe environment. Any environmental, ecological, air or water pollution is considered to be a violation of Article 21.
The right to life also forms a part of Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Furthermore, Part III Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which India ratified in 1979 also, states that "no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life." In the case of EHP vs. Canada, the UNHRC established that the large scale dumping of nuclear waste that threatened the lives of residents amounted to a clear violation of the right to life.
The right to health of workers, too, is part of the right to a healthy environment protected under Article 21. In Consumer Education & Research Centre vs. Union of India, the Supreme Court enunciated that workers' right to a healthy environment consists of working in a hygienic working condition in the workplace, and leisure to workers which comprised a better standard of life, connoting the traditional and cultural heritage of a person. At the time of styrene gas leak in the Chemical plant, at least 15 factory workers were present in the factory for maintenance. Additionally, a few more workers had arrived to restart the operations after lockdown. Baskut Tuncak of Turkey, The Special Rapporteur on hazardous substances and wastes said that styrene is a substance used to make plastics that can cause cancer, neurologic damage, and harm reproduction. Furthermore, there are many effects which may not be apparent for years after the exposure. This statement issued from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.
Another right that was blatantly encroached by the Vishakhapatnam Gas Tragedy is the right to highest attainable standard of health. This right is incorporated in Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which India also acceded to in 1979. Article 12 (2) (b) of ICESCR requires all its member parties to prevent and reduce the population's exposure to harmful substances and other toxic chemicals. Article 47 of the Indian Constitution also runs along the same lines and expounds that the improvement of public health and standard of living is the primary duty of the state.
The Special Rapporteur of UN also said in a statement that the gas leak from the multinational LG Polymers Plant at a village near Visakhapatnam is similar to the Bhopal Gas Leak Tragedy.
This disaster further transgressed the victims' Right to a Safe Environment. Destruction of Environment at any scale violates every fundamental human right. 'Caring for the Earth 1991′ and the 'Earth Summit' of 1992 had also promulgated that human beings are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.
WHY THE PRINCIPLE OF ABSOLUTE LIABILITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN APPLIED INSTEAD OF STRICT LIABILITY
In its order, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the application of a strict liability principle for the damage caused to the people and environment due to the gas leak. The rule of strict liability evolved from the case of Rylands v. Fletcher in 1868. In this case, Justice Blackburn defined strict liability which states that "a person who, for his purpose, brings on his land and collects and keeps anything likely to cause mischief if it escapes, must keep it in at his peril; and if he does not do so he is prima facie answerable for all the damage which is a consequence of the escape." The problem with the application of strict liability is that it provides certain exceptions such as an act of stranger, act of god, when it happens with the consent of the person injured or statutory authority. These exceptions may help the LG Polymers Plant escape liability.
The principle of Absolute Liability evolved in the case of MC Mehta v. Union of India. In the city of Delhi, there was a severe leakage of Oleum gas. This leak took place in Shriram Foods Industry belonging to Delhi Cloth Mill Ltd. Due to the gas leak, several people got injured, and many even died. The Supreme Court laid down a new rule in this case- the Absolute Liability rule, which was not subject to any exception under the rule of Strict Liability laid down in Rylands v. Fletcher.
Styrene gas is a 'hazardous chemical' under Rule 2(e) plus Entry 583 of Schedule I of the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989. Still the tribunal has chosen to invoke the principle of strict liability when it should have invoked the principle of absolute liability. The present case demands the application of absolute liability because employees working in the factory area should be compensated for their loss. It is the company's duty to ensure its employees have a safe working environment, primarily when the company deals with a hazardous substance. Strict liability loosens this agreement.
At a time when human lives are already at stake due to COVID 19, news of such disasters drops like a bombshell. Although the authorities claim that the situation is under control, the main question arising from this accident is that how many more such accidents would take place before any strict action is taken against these MNC's? After Bhopal Gas Tragedy and Oleum Gas Leak, the Vishakhapatnam Gas Leak shows India's path to industrialization, is fraught with human, environmental and economic perils.
Prajakta Pradhan
Prajakta Pradhan is a first-year BA LLB (Hons) student at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow. She is also a student member of the Internship and Placement Committee of RMLNLU. Her interest lies in Human Rights Law and International Criminal Law.
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text:
Why are more women being jailed in West Yorkshire?
Analysis has also revealed immediate prison sentences for women in West Yorkshire has risen 28 per cent since 2012.
Lucy Leeson.
Published: 10:21 Wednesday 01 May 2019
The number of women being sent to prison in West Yorkshire has risen, latest figures show.
A report by the Prison Reform Trust has revealed 334 women were sentenced to immediate custody in West Yorkshire in 2017.
West Yorkshire also saw a 44 per cent increase in the number of women sentenced to less than 12 months in prison.
West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson said: "There is clear evidence that suggests the use of short-term sentences, particularly of six months or less, is having little bearing on re-offending rates and this is an experience borne out here in West Yorkshire, having visited many prisons and spoken to governors.
"I have recently launched a reducing re-offending strategy which has a key focus on women in prison.
"Finding alternative solutions for less serious offending is vital for our communities, the women involved and their families particularly to prevent inter-generational crime.
"I would very much support realistic solutions that keep women close to home, maintaining family relationships and engaging women with services to treat dependencies, mental health and manage domestic violence issues.
Mr Burns-Williamson said alternatives to prison for low-risk woman are needed to "help reduce the burden on our prisons and social services".
The national report has identified that women living in parts of the North of England are four times more likely to be jailed than female offenders in the Home Counties
A report by the Prison Reform Trust found the imprisonment rate in Cleveland was the highest across England and Wales - with 67 women per 100,000 in the police force area being handed an immediate custodial sentence.
South Wales follows with 65 prison terms per 100,000 women, while Cumbria's figure of 50 was the third highest across the two countries.
By contrast, Sussex with 15 and Surrey with 16 per 100,000 have the lowest rates.
Arrests after 'bollards thrown' from top of Ridings Shopping Centre car park
Pontefract clubbers ejected after smuggling vodka and coke onto premises

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:50 — 40.2MB) | EmbedSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS | MoreThe World Series, La Gringa, and life 100 years ago.
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text:
Q: How to print prime numbers in a tabular format my goal is to print prime numbers in a tabular format, instead of printing one value each line. so far all my attempts have ended in either lines, or misprinted tables.
start = int(input("Start number: "))
end = int(input("End number: "))

if start < 0 or end < 0:
    print("Start and End must be positive.")
    start = int(input("Start number: "))
    end = int(input("End number: "))
if end < start:
    print("End must be greater than Start number: ")
    start = int(input("Start number: "))
    end = int(input("End number: "))

prime = True
for num in range(start,end+1):
    if num > 1:
        for i in range(2,num):
            if num % i == 0:
                break
        else:
            num = print(num)

the one i have here can only print it line by line
#start number: 1
#end number: 100
 # 2  3  5  7 11 13 17 19 23 29
 #31 37 41 43 47 53 59 61 67 71
 #73 79 83 89 97

A: This can be done with str.rjust or its friends
>>> "2".rjust(3)
'  2'
>>>

first we gather the numbers we want to print and calculate how many characters it take the biggest of them and add one to that value, that result is the one we will use for the rjust
>>> nums=[2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 97]
>>> j = len(str(max(nums))) + 1
>>>

now we pick how many we want to print per line
>>> linesize = 10
>>>

and finally we make use of print keyword-only arguments end to control when to print in the same line or not and enumerate to control how many we have already printed
>>> for i,p in enumerate(nums,1):
        print( str(p).rjust(j), end="" )
        if i%linesize==0:
            print() #to go to the next line

  2  3  5  7 11 13 17 19 23 29
 31 37 41 43 47 53 59 61 67 71
 73 79 83 89 97
>>>

A: You could use str.format and implement a reusable solution using a generator:
from math import floor

def tabular(records, line_width=42, sep_space=3):

    width = len(str(max(records))) + sep_space
    columns = floor(line_width/width)

    for i in range(0, len(records), columns):

        row_records = records[i:i+columns]
        row_format = ("{:>" + str(width) + "}") * len(row_records)

        yield row_format.format(*row_records)

# test data / prime numbers
numbers = [
    2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37,
    41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83,
    89, 97
]

for row in tabular(numbers):
    print(row)

#    2    3    5    7   11   13   17   19
#   23   29   31   37   41   43   47   53
#   59   61   67   71   73   79   83   89
#   97

Example with some other numbers:
for row in tabular(list(range(0, 1600, 50)), 79, 2):
    print(row)

#     0    50   100   150   200   250   300   350   400   450   500   550   600
#   650   700   750   800   850   900   950  1000  1050  1100  1150  1200  1250
#  1300  1350  1400  1450  1500  1550

Example with str.format but without using a generator:
# test data / prime numbers
numbers = [
    2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37,
    41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83,
    89, 97
]

width = len(str(max(numbers))) + 3

for i in range(0, len(numbers), 10):

    row_records = numbers[i:i+10]
    row_format = ("{:>" + width + "}") * len(row_records)
    print(row_format.format(*row_records))

#    2    3    5    7   11   13   17   19   23   29
#   31   37   41   43   47   53   59   61   67   71
#   73   79   83   89   97

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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All of our Ciders Are Naturally Gluten Free. Hooray!
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what the hell is wrong. could any one try compiling this file and in the case of success tell me how to do it or send me the file (mail me and i'll give you a fast ftp to upload)? i beg you, help me, otherwise i can't start X Server!
Why are you using that old driver version?
I would just get the new installer from the Nvidia site and use it. It installs easily.
or some thing like that. Sorry it's been a long time since I used a rpm based distro. You may have to look around in there a bit or do a find.
Next edit your /etc/XF86Config. Now if all the correct info is in there you should be able to start X without having to reboot.
If X won't start post you XF86Config and if you get any errors post them also.


text:
Rep. Carolyn Maloney speaks during New York's 12th Congressional District Democratic primary debate hosted by Spectrum News NY1 and WNYC at the CUNY Graduate Center on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)
Maloney attempts to clean up comments about Biden's future
By Kevin Frey New York City
UPDATED 10:41 AM ET Aug. 04, 2022 PUBLISHED 7:45 PM ET Aug. 03, 2022 PUBLISHED 7:45 PM EDT Aug. 03, 2022
Manhattan Rep. Carolyn Maloney is in clean-up mode after declining to say that President Joe Biden should seek re-election in 2024.
Her comment came at Tuesday night's 12th Congressional District Democratic primary debate hosted by NY1 and WNYC, grabbing national headlines while giving Republicans an opportunity to attack the president.
The question posed at the debate was this: Should President Biden run again in 2024?
In response, Maloney said, "I don't believe he's running for re-election."
When asked at Tuesday's debate if Biden should run again in 2024, Rep. Carolyn Maloney said, "I don't believe he's running for reelection." Rep. Jerry Nadler also declined to say Biden should run
The RNC picked up on the debate exchange, blasting it out on social media with the caption: "Far-left Democrats REFUSE to back Biden in 2024."
Suraj Patel, the upstart challenger in the race, accused Maloney and Nadler of "making an ageist argument against your own president" and giving Republicans ammo
Other New York congressional lawmakers provided varying answers to the question of Biden 2024. Some said definitively that yes, he should run. Others sidestepped the question.
Her colleague and competitor in the race, Rep. Jerry Nadler, also declined to say Biden should run, calling it "too early to say" and arguing "it doesn't serve the purpose of the Democratic Party to deal with that until after the midterms."
Both Maloney and Nadler are veteran Democrats and chair powerful House committees.
Upstart candidate Suraj Patel, who's run twice against Maloney, said Biden should run again, and by Wednesday morning was lobbing attacks at his competitors.
"What in the heck are you thinking, giving Republican talking points and ammo? And frankly, making an ageist argument against your own president?" Patel said during an appearance on MSNBC.
The RNC picked up on the exchange, as well. They blasted it out on social media with the caption, "Far-left Democrats REFUSE to back Biden in 2024."
"Should President Biden run again in 2024?"
Democrat Rep. Jerry Nadler: "Too early to say."
Democrat Rep. Carolyn Maloney: "I don't believe he's running for re-election."
🤔 pic.twitter.com/HzrUCVVYPF
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 3, 2022
Maloney eventually backtracked, declaring on Twitter she will "absolutely support President Biden, if he decides to run for re-election."
The exchange comes as Biden — the country's oldest president ever —is dogged by low approval ratings.
A recent CNN poll even shows most Democratic voters want the party to nominate someone else in 2024. But Biden has repeatedly said he plans to run again.
Other New Yorkers weigh in on Biden's future
Spectrum News reached out to other New York congressional Democrats, asking if they think Biden should seek re-election.
Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Sean Patrick Maloney — both members of House Democratic leadership — offered the same one-word answer: "Yes."
Others sidestepped the question, like progressive freshman Bronx Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who said in a statement, "I'm focused on my primary and helping us to maintain the House and win a couple additional seats in the Senate this November."
In a statement, Queens Rep. Grace Meng said, "I support President Biden who has been a strong ally in the White House and has a strong record of accomplishments. I remain focused on this November's midterm elections."
Brooklyn Rep. Yvette Clarke's office said she does not have a comment on this question at this time.
Last week, Sen. Charles Schumer told reporters, "If he runs, I'll support him." Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, meanwhile, said Wednesday, "I support President Biden. Go Biden."


text:
Dr. Larry T. Gell
World famous International Executive Business Consultant, Lecturer, and
Advisor to Ambassadors, Heads of Governments and Business Leaders since 1960.
Some people are "known by the company they keep" . . .
Dr. Gell is the Director-General of the International Agency for Economic Development (IAED) where he has held high ECOSOC consultative status to the United Nations from 1990 to 1999. IAED's mandate is to assist with economic development first in all the developing countries, but also in the developed countries which are creating huge and growing "Gaps" in economic separation of the rich and poor. IAED uses the technologies, sciences and businesses of the developed countries through charitable economic and social development projects. IAED is a facilitator of all kinds of economic development in the developing countries, by working closely with corporations and countries on various charitable business projects. Dr. Gell has been associated with the United Nations from 1990 to 1999 with Consultative II status to ECOSOC and/or DPI Status. He was the main representative to the UN in NYC for the International Agency for Economic Development (IAED). He also consults to the United Nations and assisted in UN staff work. He sat on the Board of the "Executive NGO Committee of the Department of Public Information." He was the only person to be given "official approval" to videotape inside the United Nations (1994-1999) in the history of the UN from Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and the Head of the UN Department of Public Information. Note: It was stopped in August 1999 by Secretary-General Kofi Annan with an "accusing letter" ("cc"d to Dr. Gell, but never given to Dr. Gell) so that he could not defend the "lies" in the letter. SG Boutros-Ghali was for an "open and transparent" UN to solve the global problems; SG Annan is for a "closed, controlled and opaque" UN with solution goals pushed out beyond his administration term of office. See (UN "Millennium Goals"). The UN likes to harass NGOs inside and outside the UN system: See the UN Legal Department Letters of "Cease and Desist." A blatant attempt to stop IAED's weekly UN TV show for the Ambassadors; proving the UN (some country?) would like to prevent the UN Ambassadors to have an "uncensored" worldwide TV/Web broadcast to talk about their countries. Dr. Gell built the first UN video tape library for the UN NGO's at their "UN NGO Resource Center" at the UN Dag Hammarskjold Library. At that time the UN would not give the official UN videotapes to the NGO's. They could only buy them. Dr. Gell has the only massive library of UN meetings in the world. Dr. Gell started the world's first weekly one-hour UN TV Broadcast/Webcast. This is an exclusive weekly one-hour United Nations television and worldwide web broadcast of interviews of Ambassadors, Heads of UN Departments/Organizations, Heads of Governments, Heads of State, and Foreign Ministers. "INSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS: The Global Issues" Now in its twelth year!
Dr. Gell has over fifty years of international business experience consulting and working closely with governments, and the worlds largest corporations and their foreign business investments. He has traveled all over the globe and has the experience of observing the developing counties at various stages of their development. Many in Asia have gone from "developing" to "developed" countries in this time span. Dr. Gell has strong opinions of just what works and what doesn't in economic development of developing countries. He is considered to be one of the worlds experts on the real "sustainable economic development."
An internationally recognized Top Executive Management Consultant/Lecturer, Dr. Larry T. Gell is a world expert in solving problems for Governments and Businesses: Chairmen, CEO's, Presidents and General Managers. He specializes in helping to identify and solve organization, management, marketing, sales and trading problems. Headquartered in Hong Kong since 1970, his clients include such international and prestigious firms as: ITT Corp., RCA/GE, IBM World Trade Corp., Lear Siegler, GTE/Sylvania Ltd., 3M Far East Limited, The Chase Manhattan Bank Int'l, Grumman Corp., Dow Chemical Pacific, Ltd., AIG, AIU, AIA, Catapiller International, AT&T (and all of its subsidiaries), Dean Foods, CIGNA, RE/MAX International, Century 21 Realtors, Applied Materials, Continental Telephone, Graybar Electric, Xerox, Atlas Van Lines, Allied Van Lines, Dyrotech/Crane, Unidynamics/Crane, UN, Ferguson Machinery/Crane, Martin-Marietta, Belzona Molecular, Ltd., Bryan Foods, Harley Davidson Motor Company, Ciba-Geigy, TRW, Pharmacia Inc., NobelPharma, The Potash Corp. (PCS-Sales) of Saskatchewan, the AMAs (American Management Associations), CMC (Canadian Management Center), Frost & Sullivan, Kroger Co., Ethyl Corp., and many, many more!
Dr. Gell is well-known and respected as a problem solver to Board Chairmen, Presidents, CEOs and senior level Vice Presidents of corporations around the world. Dr. Gell has conducted management audits of hundreds of corporations from a total operational auditing approach (i.e., financial, marketing, sales, manufacturing, distribution, international operations, etc.). These include sole-owner companies to major international, multinationals and transnational conglomerates. In addition, he has trained and developed tens of thousands of executives, marketing and salespeople in virtually every type of industry. He also enjoys an international reputation with government officials and ambassadors, NGOs, management associations, top-ranking executives of major domestic and international corporations including entrepreneurs big and small. Dr. Gell speaks in many countries, corporations, associations and institutions, conducts a variety of seminars internationally, performs corporate consultations and turnarounds; presents motivational talks, and appears on the professional lecture circuit, speaking on current, leading-edge, business topics: (Global Strategy/Thinking; International Strategic Alliances; Global Marketing Strategies; Building a Better World!; Realizing Sustainable Development; The New World Order (and what it means); Forming the "Global States of the World"; Insight into: Islam and Terroism, "What If - Strategic Options..." and many more...).
Dr. Gell's abilities are as diverse as his knowledge and experience. Consulting experiences have sent him around the globe on assignments for almost every type of business and their various challenges. He started his career in 1958, with the US Air Forces Strategic Air Command/War Room, Omaha, Nebraska working for the top 14 Generals, and with the Rand Corporation in the War Room Command Center. Dr. Gell only works with senior executive management (not below Vice Presidents). He sits on numerous Boards and Management Teams.
Dr. Gell's reputation of international achievement and success as a business expert spans: manufacturing, products, service companies, military, aerospace, government, consumer goods, industrial goods; hospitals, pharmaceutical, real estate, community development, insurance, banking, oil, stock brokerages, even churches and more. The products and services he has consulted with span nearly every industry and in every country of the world. In addition, Dr. Gell is a Computer/Systems/Network expert, and stays up-to-date on the latest technology (virtualization) (state-of-the-art) as it relates to international business efficiency and effectiveness. Gell International Group (Global International Executive Management Consulting) has been in Hong Kong since 1970.
Dr. Gell also helps entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and to continue to operate them profitably. His financial operations auditing experience gives him a total understanding of how to keep their businesses paying their bills and expanding. An accomplished entrepreneur in his own right, he has owned a number of separate businesses in different parts of the world.
Dr. Gell prefers teaching experienced senior level executives, which he has been doing for nearly fifty years and continues to do so through Universities, International Management Associations and Corporations. For fifteen years, Dr. Gell was a distinguished member of the faculty of the American Management Associations (AMA) and the Canadian Management Centre (CMC). He established himself with the distinction of having conducted more Executive Management, Marketing and Sales seminars than any other speaker for the AMA and holds the "highest ratings" as evaluated not only by its attendees (the majority of whom are the senior executive management and chief executive of officers of Fortune 1000 companies, international and domestic) but also including the evaluation conducted by the AMA's own executive management board. He was consistently their "most requested speaker." He designed and conducted, for 13 years, Americas top-rated 2-week "Executive Marketing Course." Resigning from the AMA in 1984, he chose to dedicate more time to his growing businesses and consulting interests, internationally.
Dr. Gell is an innovator and a global thinker (Futurist) ahead of his time in worldwide economic development and World Trade. Dr. Gell was the first (1977) to approach the subject of trading with China and Vietnam in America, and the development of the expanding Pacific Rim. He was the first (1984) to approach the subject of international marketing and strategic business planning within the European Community EEC/EC towards a united Europe. He conducted the first (1990) seminars on the new Russia and NIS. He consulted to international businessmen and government ministers, addressing the 1992 changes within the EC, assisting them in their strategic planning and marketing/sales strategies for successful and profitable global competition, developing global strategies for development of the N.America-S.America Economic Bloc vs Asia vs Europe EC, in addition to his international seminars and lecture circuit appearances throughout the world. He has substituted for many celebrities like former Vice President George H. Bush at the annual Petroleum Landmans Association meeting run by the president of the PLA Mr. George W. Bush, Mr. Kissenger, plus many others.
Dr. Gell is interested in, and very active in, the development of Africa since 1990. He conducted "Africa's First Global Forum on Science & Technology; To Speed-Up the Development of a Least Developed Country" in 1994, and many other successful projects in Africa.
Dr. Gell's hobby in flying, and he has flow nearly every type of aircraft (land-engine, glider, seaplane).
Dr. Larry T. Gell, President & CEO
GELL INTERNATIONAL GROUP
PO Box 979-GCS
Dr. Larry T. Gell, Director-General
IAED
International Agency for Economic Development
PO Box 2260-GCS
Tel: 1-212-687- 1775
Fax: 1-212-687- 1775
E-mail: lgell@ ;iaed.o rg
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| back to the Director-General | Gell International Group | Gell Associates & Co., Inc. | Dr. Gell's Clients |


It's safe to sayDance Moms star Abby Lee Miller isn't backing down when it comes to her court case against her former co-star Kelly Hyland.
ET was the only outlet to capture Miller on camera before her court appearance in New York City on Tuesday, Jan. 13, where she faced Hyland regarding the ugly Nov. 2013 incident that was actually captured by Dance Mom cameras. Miller and Hyland -- the mother of Brooke, 16, and Paige, 13, both students of Miller's -- were involved in a physical scuffle at a dance event in New York, which escalated into Hyland slapping and pulling Miller's hair.
Hyland is now on trial for attempted assault.
"I think the judge will handle it, let's hope," Miller told our cameras outside the courthouse. "And I think that the video tape speaks for itself."
But Hyland's lawyer Steven Goldstein tells a different story.
"It's quite clear what happened," he said. "That the alleged victim is the aggressor. My client is defending herself."
The pending court case didn't stop Miller from plugging her Lifetime show.
"We had 29% higher ratings, the first episode back without any promos, without any publicity," she said proudly. "And we have a great show planned for you tonight, and I'm opening a dance studio in Los Angeles. That's the big deal."
She's also very proud of her student Maddie Ziegler who starred in Sia's controversial "Elastic Heart" music video and will perform alongside Shia Labeouf on Saturday Night Live this weekend. "I've had three girls on it so far. She's the third," Miller bragged.
This isn't the end of legal trouble for the Dance Moms star, either. In October, Miller was hit with another lawsuit from Hyland's 13-year-old daughter Paige accusing her of assault and seeking more than $25,000 in damages.
"The whole incident is very unfortunate," Miller told ET in July about the public spat, while promoting her book Everything I Learned About Life, I Learned in Dance Class. "There's a criminal case in New York City, and it's the state versus her, and I'm out of it now, and that's all I'm at liberty to say."


Any long-term REO-to-rental strategy will need to adopt extensive refurbishment plans in order to resell the assets. Further, much of the foreclosed property that financial institutions would look to bulk-sell is currently in need of repair.
Morgan Stanley (MG) analysts say that nearly 95% of distressed homes are in no shape to rent out, in some key markets. Only a tiny fraction of these properties are less than a decade old, they add.
"The importance of getting construction — or specifically, re-construction or rehabilitation — right cannot be overstated," according to a report from lead author Oliver Chang, sent to Morgan Stanley clients. "The quality and cost of rehabilitation can continue to benefit or haunt the asset far past the initial completion of work. For example, shoddy plumbing or other infrastructure work can result in significantly higher maintenance costs over time, and can also affect eventual exit pricing."
Chang and his team point out that these complexities predicate that REO-to-rental investors should not look for a quick buck and place bets that housing prices will recover so that the property can be sold for a much higher price.
"Therefore, we believe it is critical that the rehabilitation work be done such that the workers are incentivized to minimize long-term costs, not just short-term expenses," the report states.
Chris Clothier, a partner in Memphis Invest, said his turn-key real estate investment firm follows a renovate strategy.
The firm acquires, renovates, sells and manages REO rental properties for private investors in the Memphis and Dallas markets. It spends an average of $78,000 to acquire each REO and puts an average of $16,300 into renovations.
The company works with about 400 investors, generally smaller investors with portfolios of several homes, not hundreds.
Clothier declined to seek bid approval on the Federal Housing Finance Agency's upcoming pilot bulk REO-to-rental program because he prefers to keep a tight control on the location and condition of the REOs he buys, investing only in well-known established neighborhoods. Buying properties one-off allows that control, he said, whereas the FHFA pilot likely will require bulk investors to accept some undesirable properties.
Chang and his team sent the report just as sources said the FHFA pushed the vetting process back to May for prospective bidders on Fannie Mae REO. For Morgan Stanley, bidders will not be qualified unless they can prove scalability of their operations.
"Our premise is simple: if an operator can handle the acquisition of 20 homes per week (about 1,000 per year) right now, what would happen if they were delivered 400 empty, distressed homes in one week?" they ask.
Moody's Investors Service believes rental markets are generally balanced. Further, market fundamental may tend toward working out on their own.
"It is unclear how many additional purchases the federal program can generate," said Celia Chen, a senior director at Moody's Analytics. "On their own, investors are already purchasing foreclosed and distressed properties in large and growing numbers. Tax incentives may be a more effective way of driving additional investor purchases."
Kerry Curry contributed to this report.


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Nats are first team to shut out Dodgers in '22
WASHINGTON — Aug. 29, 2021. Since that date, no team in baseball had found the formula to shut out the Dodgers. Until the Nationals, who entered Wednesday holding the second-highest ERA (5.15) in the Majors, held Los Angeles scoreless for a 1-0 victory in the series finale at Nationals Park.
"I've said it before: If we get some starting pitching — deep to me is somewhere in that sixth inning or so — and we get the lead, our bullpen could hold people down," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "Today was an example of that with a really good team and a really good lineup."
Starter Erick Fedde and relievers Carl Edwards Jr., Kyle Finnegan and Tanner Rainey combined to keep the MLB run leaders off the scoreboard for the first time since the Rockies did so last season in L.A. The Nats avoided a series sweep to gain momentum ahead of Thursday's opener against Colorado.
"I think first off, you have to give [Fedde] credit, he threw the baseball well," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "He was certainly up for this game and this matchup against us, and you have to tip your hat to him. I thought we had some opportunities at different points in the game but couldn't get that big hit."
Let's take a look at how the Nationals' pitchers rendered the Dodgers scoreless.
Fedde: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO, 22 batters faced
Fedde improved to 3-3 while dropping his ERA to 3.55 with a strong 90-pitch performance. He concluded his ninth start of the season by tossing consecutive 1-2-3 innings, and he is only the fifth pitcher this season to hold the Dodgers scoreless in six-plus frames. Fedde has been a highlight of the Nationals' shorthanded starting rotation, improving his ERA to 1.95 in five starts this month.
What Martinez saw: "We talked … about how much he's maturing and how much his routine has changed. You see the results from that. He's been working with [pitching coach Jim] Hickey due diligently in his bullpens, working on pitches, the shape of his pitches, his changeup, his cutter, all that stuff. He goes out there and he competes. I think now he's got a little bit of confidence behind him, which is really nice."
Edwards: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4 batters faced
Since giving up three runs in his first relief outing with the Nationals on May 10, Edwards has made seven straight scoreless appearances. His work in the seventh inning set the tone for the bullpen to carry Fedde's momentum. Martinez previously worked with Edwards in the Cubs organization, and he is seeing the kind of pitcher he knew Edwards could be when throwing in the zone and staying healthy.
What Martinez saw: "He developed a changeup, so now he's got a cutter and a changeup that's more like a sinker. It's worked out really well for him, and he's got a nice curveball. But the biggest thing for him is strikes, strikes — strike one, getting ahead of hitters. He's really good when he does that."
Finnegan: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 5 batters faced
There was nothing easy about Finnegan's eighth-inning assignment when the Dodgers subbed in Mookie Betts ahead of the top of the order. Finnegan fanned the hot-hitting Betts and, after allowing a single to Trea Turner and intentionally walking Freddie Freeman, retired Justin Turner and Edwin Ríos to set up a save situation for Rainey.
What Martinez saw: "He was pumping fastballs. He was electric today. He threw a couple sliders — one slider he threw to Trea, I was hoping he didn't [laughs], but he did. Trea's pretty smart when it comes to that stuff. But other than that, he was really good."
Rainey: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 5 batters faced
In his first save opportunity since two blown saves this month, Rainey closed out the game in spite of pressure from the Dodgers. Rainey had two runners on and two outs before Will Smith worked a full count in the final at-bat. The Dodgers' catcher then smoked a ball to the wall in right-center, but Juan Soto tracked it down to seal Rainey's fourth save of the season.
What Martinez saw: "It was good. I wanted Hickey to go out there and settle him down a little bit, and he did that. He came out pumping 98 [mph] and was good."
Previous Game Story: Bats quiet in loss to White Sox ▶
Next Back in rotation, Ashby deals in front of All-Star uncle


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There has been much online discussion regarding the FOI's management style and content; such involvement and energy is to be welcomed even if it has at times been uncomfortable at the receiving end.
I would like to address one or two particular issues; relating to my role and that of the Circle of Brigid which I hope will clarify some of the issues.
Olivia entrusted me, together with her closest confidants and companions in Ireland to take the FOI forward after she died; knowing there were many loving hands holding the FOI, the same hands that had held hers in the final days and weeks allowed her an easier passing. She also, of course had many close and valued friends and colleagues worldwide. The issues that concerned her greatly, in her final months, were the FOI's standing and integrity and support for the 'seers' in our community, enabling the ultimate goal: that of service so divine purpose could be achieved. Her faith in the latter was always her prime focus, as it is mine.
In creating a new role it took a while to find the right word to best describe my position and function in relationship to the FOI; until the analogy of an aeroplane's 'chief steward' came to me. This felt appropriate and right as it allowed space to consult with the FOI's collective wisdom and higher spiritual powers to decide our ultimate direction of travel. My initial task, together with the flight crew of the Circle of Brigid has been to oversee the review of our safety procedures (code of ethics) and using the plane analogy further, make sure all who enter are getting comparable service (basic training guidelines are consistent and appropriate). Once on board this safe craft and all passengers agree to follow the manifesto's ethos (e.g. be respectful to other passengers, one example amongst others) you are autonomous in your Iseum, Lyceum or sole practice...and have the opportunity to enjoy the journey of support, fellowship and inspiration which is what being on the plane is all about. Occasionally we hit a turbulent patch and the safety belt sign comes on; a reminder of our ultimate fragility as we travel around this beautiful earth and emphasises our need for prayer and good safety procedures.
The Divine Feminine was always chief pilot in Olivia's time, and still is (personal contemplation, reflection and prayer to make inner spiritual connection was an important part of Olivia's guidance, as it is mine) My aunt was co-pilot and had invited many others, during her long and eventful life into the cockpit...it got very crowded, the chief pilot indicated it was getting unmanageable and potentially a distraction to the real task in hand and I was asked to create more space there for our safe onward flight. Those invited into the cockpit as her close colleagues can, of course, keep the titles she bestowed as these have personal resonance and importance to them. The other groupings have not been affected at all, so the Noble Order of Tara and the others are still important and as active as they ever were.
My style is consultative...the FOI, in terms of central issues, cannot be fully democratic in the full sense of the word as the mechanism of voting would be logistically difficult with over twenty thousand members. You are the fellowship and your Iseums, Lyceums, hearths and groves are autonomous within the 'creed' of the manifesto. The 'central FOI' has a limited but important function and is manifested through the Circle of Brigid as envisioned by Olivia at Foundation Centre in Clonegal. The whole Clonegal FOI Temple; the well and high altar especially are held in the highest respect by all members of the resident family. They are devout people and know the importance of revering sacred spaces. The FOI respects all faiths and holds a position of love and tolerance. I hope this provides some helpful clarity.


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Government Funding Bill, Containing SECURE 2.0, Released
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has released HR 2617, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, a $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations bill, whose provisions will fund government operations for the fiscal year. Included in this legislation, as has been anticipated by many, is the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022.
The Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022 was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year. The Senate HELP committee approved the RISE & SHINE Act and the Senate Finance committee likewise approved the EARN Act. The House and Senate worked together to combine these bills into the SECURE 2.0 Act that has now been included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act.
Inclusion in the Consolidated Appropriations Act was considered the last opportunity for passage of this retirement legislation in the current Congress. The Consolidated Appropriations Act must now be approved by the House and Senate and signed by the President, for it—and the SECURE 2.0 Act—to become law.
Among the 90 provisions in the SECURE 2.0 Act, some of the significant items include the following.
Allowing workers to participate in employer plans after 2 consecutive 12-month periods of 500 hours of service, beginning in 2025
Increasing the catch-up contribution limit for select age groups
Requiring catch-up contributions to be made on a Roth basis for those earning more than $145,000, except for SIMPLE plans
Permitting employer contributions to be made on a pre-tax or Roth basis
Increasing the RMD age to 73 in 2023, and age 75 in 2033
Expanding automatic enrollment in retirement plans
Creating a Retirement Savings Lost and Found
Creating new emergency savings accounts linked to individual account plans
Allowing student loan payments to be treated as elective deferrals for purposes of matching contributions
Modifying the existing saver's credit to provide for a matching contribution to the individual's retirement savings vehicle
Creating a "starter 401(k) plan" with reduced contribution limits and nondiscrimination safe harbors
Increasing the small employer startup credit to 100% for certain employers
Increasing the age of disability onset for qualified ABLE programs to age 46
Allowing certain rollovers to Roth IRAs from 529 college savings accounts
Additional details on the SECURE 2.0 Act will continue to be provided. Visit ascensus.com for the latest information.
529 account ABLE Account Defined contribution plan IRA Legislative updates SECURE 2.0


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Editor's Note: Greatness by Acknowledgement
By Noelle Skodzinksi
There is an old saying that goes something like: "If you wish your merit to be known, acknowledge that of other people." If that's true, then by the time you're done reading this issue, I should be one of the most esteemed people in the industry—almost this entire issue is devoted to acknowledging the greatness of others. It's jam-packed with success stories, and it's one of the most enjoyable issues we do all year.
For starters, this issue's "Wagoners of Change," feature showcases this year's Publishing Executive Hall of Fame inductees (page 18), who are being honored for their career achievements and contributions to the industry.
Calling the inductees and telling them of their award is one of my favorite tasks. Almost exclusively, the inductees are humbled by the award and usually quite surprised by it. One year, however, when I called a Hall of Fame inductee to tell him he would be given this high honor, I was met with an ever-so-slightly annoyed response: "Well, it's about time!" I laughed then, and it still makes me laugh now.
The truth is that, for many of our inductees, it really is about time—they've toiled for decades, often unthanked and underappreciated (like many in this business), and they've long deserved industry-wide recognition.
This year's inductees are truly exemplary of not only the personal career achievements the Hall of Fame celebrates, but the level of camaraderie they have with their peers. They share their knowledge with others for the betterment of the industry, and their induction into the Hall of Fame is the industry's show of appreciation and respect for all they have done.
The other acknowledgement of merit that you'll find in this issue is the annual Gold Ink Awards winners (page 34). This year—the 19th for the awards—was marked by especially high competition. Judges seemed to have a particularly grueling time volleying over the most redeeming qualities of each of the very best entries, settling on Gold, Silver, Bronze and Pewter winners in each category. The companies who took home a Gold Ink Award this year have achieved something truly commendable. They have perfected the combination of teamwork, craftsmanship, technology and materials that results in printed excellence—no small feat indeed.
Publishing Executive
Noelle Skodzinksi Author's page
Meredith CDO Discusses 'SwearBy' Acquisition
Jammed Printers, Data Hiccups & More Predictions
LSC Communications to Close Three Printing Plants
Branded Content: Possibilities and Pitfalls


Alison farms on land overlooking the Howgills above Sedbergh. She left Sedbergh after her teens and went travelling, but came back, determined to do what she loved most, and found a farm to take on. Undeterred by others' doubts, she gathered a mixed flock and learnt on the job, building from her early experiences with her grandfather who used to farm in these hills. She is now a confident shepherdess of a flock of Rough Fells, and is looking to build up a flock of Herdwicks.
Alison is a strong advocate for using local produce. In collaboration with Cumbrian weavers, spinners and dyers she produces Herdwick Tweed suits and bags. She also leads walks in the Lake District and in the Hebrides, and has helped to create Kendal Wool Gathering.


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Casting Ready Player One: Female Geeks and the Sexy Sidekick Stereotype
By madavis4 February 2, 2016 casting Ernest Cline film film adaptation film studies gender Ready Player One Steven Spielberg video game culture video game movies video games videogames
Do you love games? Have you always wanted to be in a Hollywood movie? You can apply to be in Steven Spielberg's upcoming adaptation of Ready Player One! If, that is, you are a dude.
WADE WATTS: 18-19 yrs old, male, clean cut with a sense of humor, overweight or underweight. A sincere and passionate player in the Oasis. Not the most confident guy outside the Oasis, but Wade gains boldness & nerve as his worlds collide. He uses his skills & the support of his friends to rise above each challenge.
SHOTO: 10-13 yrs old, male, to play Chinese, hip & knowing for his age. He speaks MANDARIN AND English FLUENTLY. Wade's friend in the Oasis who joins with him to complete the competition. Please note: Actor should be bilingual: Mandarin and English (Applications must be submitted by parent or legal guardian if applicant is under 18 years of age).
DAITO: 20 yrs old, male, to play Japanese. Speaks JAPANESE AND English FLUENTLY. One of Wade's friends in the Oasis who joins with him to complete the competition. Please note: Actor should be bilingual: Japanese and English.
So why is it that the casting of Wade, Shoto, and Daito is open to the general public but that of Samantha/Art3mis, Wade's love interest, is not?
The answer lies in a gendered double-standard that runs throughout gamer culture.
Wade Watts is meant to be an "every man" type of character, someone who isn't particularly special according to the standards by which mainstream traditional masculinity is judged, but whose special nerdy skill set enables him to save the day and get the girl in the end. This allows the imagined straight male audience of the film to easily put themselves into his shoes as a kind of geeky wish-fulfillment. Casting an unknown actor (who, note, is either "overweight or underweight") in the role will help facilitate this process.
If the filmmakers expected geeky women to be in their audience, they might have used the same strategy to cast Art3mis, encouraging female fans to fantasize about finding love and achieving success online.
Instead, however, Spielberg went the other direction, casting the gorgeous and well-established actress Olivia Cooke in the role. This indicates to me that Art3mis isn't intended to be an "every girl" character. Rather, she will be a sexy sidekick fantasy, a fantastic, to-good-to-be-true prize for Wade to win (not unlike the virtual princesses that video game characters regularly rescue). As such, she needs to be beautiful by conventional Hollywood standards. This includes having a quite thin body shape, despite the fact that she is described in Ernest Cline's novel (page 35) as "Rubenesque."
However, it will be interesting to see if, in the course of producing and marketing the film, Cooke runs into the opposite side of the sexy sidekick coin: accusations that she is too perfect to be a "real" gamer and therefore must be a fake geek girl.
2 thoughts on "Casting Ready Player One: Female Geeks and the Sexy Sidekick Stereotype"
S. Hunter Nisbet
I think it's likely she'll be demonized as a "fake geek girl" no matter what; I think that's the fate of a lot of good-looking women who are interested in such things. It's disappointing to hear that casting is being approached in this manner. As you mentioned, it'll have the effect of continuing a harmful double standard. Not a shock, but wouldn't it be nice to be surprised for once? Nice summing-up.
Pingback: Ready Player One Movie Wants Your 3D Models | Megan Condis


As 4/20 approaches, stoners worldwide are getting themselves organized. While waxing your bong is important, you need to put equal effort into preparing for the appetite aftermath. Curating the perfect collection of snacks is just as important as acquiring the best kush. You know you'll inevitably get the munchies, so your snack options need to be on point.
Whether you want to enjoy a bag of salty chips, cheese-stuffed pizza rolls, cavity-creating sweet treats, or a combination of them all at the same damn time, make sure you include the absolute best. If you don't have your kitchen stocked with any of The 25 Greatest Stoner Snack Foods of All Time, you've lost 4/20. Try again next year.


The UK's Salford Business School, as part of a consortium of European universities, will launch a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) focused on digital and social media marketing.
The new MOOC is called "Digital and Social Media Marketing," and will take six weeks to complete. The course will help participants analyse, plan, execute and evaluate digital marketing activities. It's designed for organizations who want to establish (or improve) their digital and social media strategies, as well as simply anybody who is interested in digital and social media marketing.
The course will cover a range of important topics in the space, including search engine optimization (SEO), social media optimization, and affiliate marketing, among others.
"Digital and Social Media Marketing" will begin on the learning platform Iversity beginning on September 28. Participants should budget around four to six hours per week to work on the course.
For more information, please see the Salford Business School news release announcing the launch of the new MOOC.


Abstract: Hate Crime legislation creates protected class of citizens, where crimes against some people are punished more severely than others. Therefore, assault against a homosexual is punished more severely than the same assault against a person who is not a member of that protected class.
I hate crime. You hate crime. We all hate crime, which is why we use the power of the state to prosecute and lock up criminals.
Given this consensus, why is the Indiana General Assembly again debating so-called "hate-crimes" legislation?
On Thursday, Bob, a young man wearing a rainbow T-shirt and a button saying he is gay and proud, is assaulted by a bigoted bully on the sidewalk. Bob files a police report, and the bully is arrested.
On Friday, Barb, an elderly woman wearing a Trump T-shirt and a button saying Make America Great Again, is attacked by the same bigoted bully on the same sidewalk. She, too, files a police report, and the bully is arrested.
Good news—the aggressive bully is convicted on both charges.
Why, you wisely ask, is Bob deserving of more justice than Barb after both suffered the same harm? The answer from the LGBTQ community is that such an attack, because it is motivated by animus or hate toward the person's sexual identity, is a worse crime. The elderly lady? Well, politics is rough these days and she knew the risks when she donned the Trump gear. And the bully was convicted of harming her, too, right?
This is the LGBTQ community's position even though three years of Indiana hate-crime reporting show such bias crimes are rare. Among the approximately 200,000 crimes reported in Indiana in 2016, only 13 sexual-orientation hate crimes were reported. These, of course, could include gays attacking straights or gays attacking gays. In 2015, the number was seven; in 2014, it was five.
We believe it is best to keep the "aggravating" enhancements to criminal sentences to the bare minimum they are today and continue to vest each Indiana judge with the discretion and latitude to make the sentence fit the crime. If successful, this hate-crimes effort would actually reduce a judge's ability to "throw the book" at an offender in a particularly egregious crime, whatever the motivation.
I hope such arguments will prevail when the Legislature takes this matter up. We have prevailed for several years by educating legislators about the true goals and reminding them judges have the discretion needed to mete out fitting justice.
But I am not so simple-minded as to think this debate will be waged on reason and rational discourse. After all, the other side's primary argument is that Indiana is one of only five states without hate-crime "enhancements" protecting the LGBTQ community. Of course, Indiana is in rarified air in several other respects. We have the best business climate in the Midwest, some of the lowest taxes in the nation, and a tolerant and welcoming citizenry aptly described by the slogan Hoosier Hospitality.
Let's agree we need to prosecute all crimes, vigorously and promptly, whatever the motivation (economic victimization, sexual gratification, political violation or lifestyle abnegation). And let's agree we need our judges and prosecutors, already invested with broad discretion and latitude, to know we all hate all crime.
That's the right way to hate crime.


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Ed Hemsler spends his life preparing for a disaster that may never come. Ronnie Meisner spends her life shopping for things she may never use. In a small town somewhere in America, these two people will try to find love while trying not to get lost in each other's stuff.
Director: Noble Jones
Actors: Anthony Lafornara, Blythe Danner, Derek Cecil, Eve Harlow, Isabelle Boni, Jeff Moon, John Lithgow, Katie Aselton, Shawn M. Essler, Sophie Thatcher, Wendy Makkena
Keywords:The Tomorrow Man
A recently orphaned millionairess, Olivia, really hates her scheming step-father. Olivia finds love with a young yacht racing captain, Tim, who isn't completely truthful with her. When the two run…
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
On September, 11th 2001, after the terrorist attack to the World Trade Center, the building collapses over the rescue team from the Port Authority Police Department. Will Jimeno and his…
The Grifters
A young short-con grifter suffers both injury and the displeasure of reuniting with his criminal mother, all the while dating an unpredictable young lady.
An American-born Chinese economics professor accompanies her boyfriend to Singapore for his best friend's wedding, only to get thrust into the lives of Asia's rich and famous.
17-year-old Cyril is funny, smart and an all-round good guy. Just his somewhat overlarge nose spoils the picture. On a school trip to Berlin with Roxy, a stunning new classmate,…
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance
Diamonds to Dust
Movie version of Frank Ferruccio's book, Diamonds to Dust: The Life and Death of Jayne Mansfield. This film focuses on the exciting 1960's turbulent life of Legend Jayne Mansfield.
The Red Siren
Nearly 13, Alice rebels, telling the Paris police that her mother is a murderer. Alice has no evidence; her mother, Eva, rich and powerful, avoids charges. Alice promptly runs away,…
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Walt Before Mickey
Based on the book "Walt Before Mickey" covers the early years of Walt Disney's career. The legendary Walt Disney had a tumultuous childhood, yet he was determined to overcome obstacles…
U.S. Marshall John Kruger erases the identities of people enrolled in the Witness Protection Program. His current assignment is to protect Lee Cullen, who's uncovered evidence that the weapons manufacturer…
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A thrilling love story between the young boxer Vincent and the German Eva, who soon has to marry with the middle-aged Dirk to save her family. While the war starts…
Genre: Drama, Romance, War
Dangerous Beauty
Veronica is brilliant, gifted and beautiful, but the handsome aristocrat she loves, Marco Venier, cannot marry her because she is penniless and of questionable family. So Veronica's mother, Paola, teaches…
When a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Trailer: The Tomorrow Man
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One of our Realtors asked us about a house in Oakland with 1,800 square feet and 4 bedrooms and 2 baths (per MLS). The problem is that the county records indicate that the house has 1,100 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath.
The house's lower unit (1 bedroom and 1 bath) was built without permits.
We can finance this house as long as the lower unit was built in a "workmanlike manner" with no health and safety issues.
We cannot, however, give significant value to the un-permitted space; the appraiser will have to use 1,100 square foot comps, making the appraisal very difficult if the purchase price is indicative of an 1,800 square foot house.


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Scholarly magazines
Marlow, Susan K. 1953–
Born October 3, 1953, in Tacoma, WA; daughter of Alan (a math teacher) and Beverly (a homemaker) Martin; married Roger Marlow (a school administrator), August 18, 1973; children: Kristel, Chad, Andrew, Ryan. Education: Washington State University, B.A. (education), 1975. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Camping, hiking, reading, farming, travel.
Home—Enumclaw, WA. E-mail—[email protected]
Educator, writer, and editor. Christian school educator, 1983-86; Home-school educator, beginning 1986; Buckley, WA, Public School system, substitute teacher, 2001—. Freelance editor; writing mentor. Presenter at conferences and writing workshops.
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Christian Authors Network, Writers Information Network, Northwest Christian Writers Association.
"CIRCLE C ADVENTURES" SERIES; MIDDLE-GRADE NOVELS
Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home, Kregel Publications, 2005.
Andrea Carter and the Dangerous Decision, Kregel Publications, 2007.
Andrea Carter and the Family Secret, Kregel Publications, 2008.
"From the time I could hold a pencil, words flowed onto paper," Susan K. Marlow told SATA. "My first 'highly acclaimed' work was a poem I wrote in the third grade, which was 'published' by hanging in the teacher's lounge of my elementary school. My fourth-grade teacher introduced me to the wonders of outer space, and I scribbled space adventures about unknown worlds and faraway galaxies. As a young teenager, au- thors like Robert Heinlein and television shows like Star Trek further ignited my imagination.
"When my grandfather brought me a blank, hardbound book he found at the dump, my dream of holding my own 'published' book began to take root. Painstakingly copied by hand, it was 107 pages of space adventure for kids.
"I grew up and came down to earth long enough to discover a new interest: people in the Old West had adventures every bit as exciting and imaginative as a voyage to the stars. I grew fascinated with the era. One day while riding my bike around our 'horsey' rural community, a story tickled my mind of a spunky tomboy on a ranch, her horse, and what kind of problems and adventures a child in the Wild West could have had. The writer's favorite question, 'What if …?,' begged to be answered. I was off on another—but very different—writing adventure.
"But I had lost the desire to hold my own published book in my hand, and was content to write only for myself, my children, and the kids in my classroom.
[Image not available for copyright reasons]
Frankly, I was afraid to expose myself and my work to other eyes. Years later, my writing mentor, Colleen Reece, pushed and prodded me into making my childhood dream a reality. She encouraged me to take a risk, step out in faith, and never give up. Courage is being scared to death—but saddling up anyway. That's how I've come to view this entire publishing and marketing process.
"I hope my 'Circle C Adventures' series will capture the imagination of children, delight them with wholesome, exciting escapades that teach character lessons—like courage and determination—and encourage them to become avid readers and writers.
"And that's how you make a dream come true."
Biographical and Critical Sources
Kliatt, September, 2005, Heidi Hauser, Green, review of Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home, p. 21.
Midwest Book Review Bookwatch Online,http://www.midwestbookreview.com/ (September, 2005), Shirley Johnson, review of Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home.
Romantic Times Online,http://www.romantictimes.com/ (April 20, 2007), Jill Elizabeth Nelson, review of Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home.
Susan K. Marlow Home Page,http://www.susankmarlow.com (April 25, 2007).
Something About the Author
"Marlow, Susan K. 1953– ." Something About the Author . . Encyclopedia.com. 29 Jan. 2020 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"Marlow, Susan K. 1953– ." Something About the Author . . Encyclopedia.com. (January 29, 2020). https://www.encyclopedia.com/children/scholarly-magazines/marlow-susan-k-1953
"Marlow, Susan K. 1953– ." Something About the Author . . Retrieved January 29, 2020 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/children/scholarly-magazines/marlow-susan-k-1953
Ralph Fletcher , Fletcher, Ralph 1953- INTRODUCTION PRINCIPAL WORKS AUTHOR COMMENTARY TITLE COMMENTARY FURTHER READING American young adult poet, nonfiction writer, y… Christopher Paolini , Paolini, Christopher 1984 Author Author Christopher Paolini not only writes about fantasy, he lives it. When he was a mere fifteen years old, he penn… adventure , adventure •Asher, clasher, Falasha, flasher, lasher, masher, Natasha, pasha, rasher, Sasha, slasher, smasher, thrasher •haberdasher • gatecrasher • M… Deborah Hopkinson , Hopkinson, Deborah 1952- Hopkinson, Deborah 1952- PERSONAL: Born February 4, 1952, in Lowell, MA; daughter of Russell W. (a machinist) and Gloria D.… Philip Pullman , Pullman, Philip 1946- PULLMAN, Philip 1946- Personal Born October 19, 1946, in Norwich, England; son of Alfred Outram (an airman) and Audrey (homemak… Adventurer , Skip to main content adventurer adventurer •Altamira, chimera, clearer, Elvira, era, hearer, Hera, hetaera, interferer, lempira, lira, lire, Madeira,…
Nishimura, Kae
Mull, Brandon 1974–
Morris, Holly 1965–
Dreyer, Ellen
Gill, Shelley
Liparulo, Robert
Jenkins, Mark 1958-


Mapelson System: Mapelson systems are classified based on the location of the fresh gas flow inflow and overflow valves relative to the patient connection. They all share the benefit of decreased resistance due to the absence of unidirectional valves and canisters. Unfortunately rebreathing and the resulting hypercarbia and respiratory acidosis become a problem (although rebreathing conserves humidity, heat, and anesthetic gas). The degree of rebreathing depends on the fresh-gas flow.
Mapelson A systems result in no rebreathing during spontaneous ventilation if fresh gas inflow is > 75% of minute ventilation. It requires very high flows during controlled ventilation to eliminate rebreathing.
Mapelson D systems requires slightly higher flows during spontaneous ventilation than the Mapelson A system, but requires very little flow to prevent rebreathing during controlled ventilation. It is the most commonly used system for pediatric patients. The Bain system is a modification of the Mapelson D system where the fresh gas inflow is placed coaxially within the expiratory limb.
Mapelson F The most commonly used T-piece system is the Jackson-Rees' modification of the Ayre's T-piece (sometimes known as the Mapleson F system). This system connects a two-ended bag to the expiratory limb of the circuit; gas escapes via the `tail' of the bag.


How I love the Mount Washington Valley! Growing up here and attending local schools prior to going off to college, I feel lucky to find myself back at home in this wonderful community, raising my family. Where as we have a natural playground that surrounds us everyday, living and working in MWV can present challenges to young families with regard to quality, affordable housing, and well-paying jobs.
If we wish to grow our local economy, we must undertake some common-sense actions to make New Hampshire more attractive to young workers and their families. The Mount Washington Valley and the rest of the state now face a real housing affordability crisis. Vacancy rates statewide are lower than 2%, and locally, closer to 1%.
Housing costs have climbed to a point that it's driving our workforce away. Consider this - NH's housing wage (the hourly rate required for a worker to afford housing), is now over $21 an hour, ($21.71 to be exact), but the average renter in NH earn $14 an hour, and that wage is lower in MWV. To state the obvious, the math doesn't work out. A large percentage of our workforce cannot afford to live in the MWV. For those who finding housing elsewhere, the average wage doesn't provide much money to be spent in the MWV.
If we wish to have a strong, healthy economy, workers need to have access to housing that they can afford. We will continue to lose our young families and workforce to neighboring states if we do not take the opportunity to act now.
Homes serve as the hub of a very important wheel in our economy. In my conversations with many valley employers, they share that they are struggling to find and retain workers. Why? One of the top reasons recognized by most employers, is lack of available affordable housing. Our workforce is our community. Firefighters, law enforcement, teachers, hospitality workers, healthcare workers…..our community, unable to live close to their jobs because of the lack of an affordable place to live. We need housing that doesn't take more that 30% of someone's monthly income.
Since 2010 the MWV has seen a 17.9% increase in rental rates for 2 bedroom apartments, while employment wages have increased by only 5 ½%. The vacancy rate for MWV 2 bedroom apartments is essentially 0% and the vacancy rate for other rentals hovers at about 1%. We do not have the available housing stock to bring young families and young workers to the valley. And with the tight rental market, rentals that are available are not affordable to our workforce. Many long term rentals have turned to Air B&B.
Young families, who want to lay down their roots and become part of our community, are having difficulty finding homes or rentals that they can afford. By 2030 almost half of our community, our current workforce, will be over the age of 65. With lack of available housing, who is going to move here and fill those jobs? Our situation is not unique and many communities across the state are in the same situation. This problem cannot be fixed overnight.
MWVHC works very hard to advocate at the local and state levels to promote housing legislation that is part of the solution. We work with planning boards to look at their zoning and land use regulations to help make communities more housing friendly. We need your help. Learn more about us. Engage your local and state officials. Discuss, educate, advocate and support.


Rotary Club of Blythe Bridge & District - welcome! Please scroll/swipe down through this page to find out more about us, in addition to the pages linked in the menu, top-left.
President Elect Jan presenting a cheque for £200 to Newcastle 435 squadron in recognition of their support with our Christmas collection.
On Thursday 7th February 2019 President Enid Hayes and the members of Blythe Bridge and District Rotary attended The Donna Louise Hospice to officially hand over the music equipment funded by the club.
Joining the world's largest service organisation.
Blythe Bridge Rotary Club was established on the 20th November, 1987. We are a group of liked minded ladies and gentlemen who believe in 'Having fun whilst doing serious business'.


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Soundtrack.Net - Movie Soundtracks and Film Scores
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by Dan Goldwasser
Alan Silvestri might be known from his collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Cast Away), but he is also one of the more versatile composers working in Hollywood today. From action (Predator, The Abyss, The Mummy Returns), to comedy (Soapdish, Grumpy Old Men, Stuart Little), he has proven himself to be capable with any type of film. SoundtrackNet had a chance to talk with Alan just as The Mummy Returns squashed Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace for the record for best non-holiday opening weekend ever.
Let's first talk about The Mummy Returns, which had a phenomenal opening weekend...
It's all good! I think one of the things that was fun about working on that film was that no one was ever trying to do anything but create a fun movie. You read some of the critical comments on it, and it's like, "Hey guys, lighten up!" It's a fun movie! I know that was Stephen Sommers' intention. The first movie was a bag of popcorn, and he wanted a whole tub of popcorn for this second go around.
You had to write over 110 minutes of music?
That's right - I think it clocked out somewhere in excess of 113. I'm not sure how accurate it was, but someone mentioned that there are only seven minutes of the film that does not have music. It was quite an undertaking. Just from the physical standpoint it's a lot of stuff to have to do. It's one of the more breathless movies I've ever seen in terms of never letting anyone sit for just a moment. Steve wanted that aspect in the music as well. He didn't want any hanging about - it was pedal to the metal from front to back. So physically it was a lot of material to do.
...and this was shortly out of Cast Away, which had only about 20 minutes of music...
Certainly, it was 180 degrees away from the demands of that film. The Mummy Returns was so over the top that you could allow yourself to go over the top musically. Undoubtedly there's this action component to the film that's completely obvious, then you have these huge desert scenes with 4-million people on camera, then you have these fun characters to deal with. You have this husband and wife who are like the Nick and Nora of Egypt; they are very sexy and very much in love, and it's kind of a sweet lustful relationship, which is fun. Then you have Imhotep, who is the bad guy everyone loves to love, and in the end Rick and Imhotep are doing it all for love. Rick's doing it because his wife has to go and do all this because it's her destiny and Imhotep is doing it for his lady. So you have this timeless love component that's going on, and Steve has taken it to such a grand scale that it's almost operatic in its proportions. So we figured we'd pull out all the stops, and just go along. That's what I was hoping to do! It probably doesn't give the critics a lot to write about, it's exactly what they wanted it to be. Obviously folks have to justify the ink, but the few things I've read, the people who didn't like the second one didn't like the first one.
Did you feel like you had to fill Goldsmith's shoes?
We didn't use any of his material, but Jerry has been one of my idols and icons forever, and it was a rather unusual set of circumstances. The first film was very successful, and Jerry's score was fantastic. It was just unusual to not have that combination revisited, and to be asked to come in and carry it on. When you look at sequels to successful films, it's very rare. Look, I don't even try to fill Jerry's shoes - he's bulging over on his own...
Well, you have some pretty big shoes too...
Yes, they're different shoes and they're my shoes, but in a sense I don't look at it like that - but certainly that's an area of questioning that was bound to crop up when I was asked to do this project. I didn't try from the point of view of filling his shoes, but I certainly felt that I was being asked to come in behind someone who had done a spectacular job and I have to give it my all and do the best I can.
Let's jump back a bit to another effects-heavy film, Stuart Little. Are you involved in the sequel?
Yes, I am going to be doing that one. Rob Minkoff was a fantastic director to work for, and I'm looking forward to going back into the room with him and working on the film.
The big thing everyone talks about, of course, is your work on "CHiPs".
<laughs> Right!
It was one of your earlier projects - did that help get your career going?
Oh, absolutely. It's like anything else. You can only learn so much.... In those days there weren't any film music departments in schools, so there weren't many places to learn the craft except by working on the job. I did about 120 hours of that show, and it was my taste of dealing with horrendous schedules and having to deliver something day after day. I think that any time a composer can write something and see it against a piece of film, there's a tremendous opportunity to learn. So it was a tremendous learning experience for me - dealing with producers, directors, dealing with film, and schedules, and the mechanics of film scoring. It was invaluable, and it kept me alive for three or four years, and allowed me to spend my down time studying and working and not have to go to another means to make my living, which was another component. You have to have the time to do this if you're going to do it. So that was all positive.
So how did you meet Robert Zemeckis for Romancing The Stone?
I met Bob Zemeckis about 17 years ago, we were just talking about it since I was with him this weekend. It's a good segue from your previous question. He was working on Romancing The Stone and had had a great deal of music submitted to him - none of which he sparked to. The music editor on that film happened to have been the music editor on "CHiPs". So one fateful night he called me up and explained the situation: "I'm working on this movie and this director has just not sparked to anyone's music - do you think you'd like to take a shot at this?" At that point I had been out of work for over a year, and I was ready to take a shot at anything. The next thing I knew, he was introducing me to Robert Zemeckis over the phone, and I put a demo together for him. The next morning I went in to meet him, and at the close of that day I had already been on the phone a couple of times with Michael Douglas - and I was doing Romancing The Stone! The part that a lot of people don't know is that when I went in for that meeting, I was wearing a Calvin Klein sweater and I walked in and Bob had on the exact same sweater - so that was the sign! You have to make sure you're wearing the right sweater when you go to a meeting! <laughs>
A lot of what you've done with Zemeckis is considered some of your best work. You recently visited the realm of Hitchcock (and Bernard Herrmann) with your work on What Lies Beneath...
Oh, the whole thing was a tribute to Hitchcock. There was never any secret about it - what was fun for all of us in doing this was that it was an opportunity to work in that genre, and dress up in that garb and explore what the genre is, what it was, and what allowed it to work - and continues to make it work. I think we all entered into that sprit. The Hitchcock films are among the greatest films - and the most favorite of all of us involved and so this was just an amazing opportunity to go and visit that genre. Of course you have a modern technological environment that is surrounding the project, but not in terms of the choreography and the emotional side of it - so it was just amazing to have fun with it like that, which we all did.
So we had a real blast doing that, and if it weren't for Bob, we wouldn't have had the opportunity to work on a film like that. It's something he's always wanted to do - he always wanted to look at that type of material and figure out how would he scare the folks, and what worked and didn't work in the old films, and how could he take that knowledge base and filter it through his own creativity, which was the experiment for him.
Cast Away was split up into two segments, around What Lies Beneath. So you must have had early discussions with Bob about the music...
Bob includes me very early on in what he's doing, so it's interesting. We theorize about all sorts of things until the movie's finished. For instance on Forrest Gump, Bob called up and said, "Al, I don't think there will be any score in this movie". Then another time he said, "I think there's going to be a lot of music in this movie". I think we enjoy stopping in the train stations along the way. But in the end it comes down to the film. Traditionally he's done such a clear job of telling his story that we just have to take our leave of the film and never try to inflict any theory on it once it's finished. It's like sitting there and theorizing about what's already right in front of you. You're better off just listening to what the movie wants than sit there and try to figure it out. There's nothing to figure out; it's already done, now just listen to it! Cast Away was a really glaring example of that.
We watched it and everyone was on board about the use of music in the film, and what it didn't need to be. We knew it didn't need to be some kind of traditional... Look, after The Mummy Returns you know I have no problem with being "Hollywood", but for this particular film it somehow demanded an approach that was just not the conventional musical treatment for a film of this scope. So we felt something very similar to what we felt with Gump. We were going to be walking a very fine line with everything - whether you're the effects person, the cinematographer, or the composer. If you lose your perspective you could really destroy something that was very fragile. Cast Away was a very extreme example of that. You go through the film, and after all of this time you still haven't heard the music. Then he breaks through that wave and you think, "Here we go - now they're going to do it!" but nope, can't do that yet! We would destroy the movie if we played the thing like that. So it was really interesting to look at it that way. Then it came down to instrumentation - there needed to be a purity of material for this movie, and that's where the choice ultimately came from to use a medium sized string orchestra and an oboe and an English horn supporting it. The oboe is known as being an amazingly pure sound sonically. Not that we approached it through theory, but through the process of elimination - I couldn't hear anything else in the movie. So it's an interesting exercise in trying to listen to the needs of the film and find something that's appropriate.
Another recent film you worked on, The Mexican, allowed you to revisit the Ennio Morricone-stylings that you used in The Quick and The Dead...
I think Gore Verbinski has a lot of eclectic musical tastes. I worked on Mouse Hunt with him, and he like to keep a very loose reign musically, and in a lot of other aspects, about how he tells the story, and goes to a lot of diverse influences. Yeah, Ennio has created an idiom, in a sense. It is part of cinematic language, the way he wrote and the way he treated those films that he did. So as the body of knowledge builds over time, this language becomes part of the overall cinematic language. And the fun part is that it has tremendous associative value. The way Hitchcock plays the shower scene - you've seen a lot of filmmakers shoot that scene on film. These become part of the vocabulary. So of course, homage. When Ennio did this stuff, it wasn't funny, because he was creating the language. Now you can use it and have it be ironic, or poignant, or all sorts of things all because of the associative value that it has in the language of cinema. And that's a lot of fun, then! So that is something I think we all have to be thankful to him for, just as we have to be thankful to Hitchcock and so many other filmmakers for creating these language tools that now have a tremendous range and possibility because they are so well known and associatively valuable.
I'm working on a Disney film called Lilo and Stitch, which is a really wonderful animation project. It's not my first Disney film, having done Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but it is my first full-animated Disney film.
What would your dream project be?
Well, let's talk about what makes for a dream, as opposed to a nightmare. We can certainly start there! I've now done ten movies with Bob Zemeckis. One of the things involved in a dream project for me is having a tremendous level of love, support, and trust from the director. I always view the composer as an actor in the film - they need to be directed, they need an environment created around them that allows them to do their creative work. They also need the support. They need all of that in order to go hang it out there. Because like any other performer, if it is threatening, if it is tenuous, they will do what everyone does in that situation, which is play it safe. I think that is a component of the dream project - having that kind of tremendous communication and support from the director. I think another aspect is to have a director of the capability as someone like Bob who through their artistry can go ahead and create a standard that one feels a calling to measure up to.
I always liken working with Bob to being on a relay race, where you're the last guy to go. Here it is - here's Cast Away. Here's Gump. Bob Zemeckis runs his lap, breaks the world record. Tom Hanks runs his lap, breaks the world record. And then they hand you the baton. It's like, "We're done, pal, you gotta take the stick around the course now." You absolutely feel some kind of moral imperative to dig and search for the best you can possibly do. So that is part of the dream project. I think having the financial resources in the film so that when you do allow yourself to go to wherever you can go to come up with the best response to the film that you have the ability to actually get it done. And lastly, everybody has their own kind of slant and thoughts on what it is to be a film composer and how they come to it and how music fits into their life and all that.
I've thought about it, and I see myself as a filmmaker first, who happens to write music. So what I really love about this is I love working with a story and using music as an instrument to tell the story. A lot of folks over the years have made comments about the diversity of the music I write, stylistically and in every other way. For me it's not a mystery because I write music in response to a film and a story. I don't sit and write it in a vacuum. I always try to look for what the film needs, and then I do the storytelling aspect that has a musical component through the music. The better the story, the better it is told, the more of a dream project it is for me on that level. It's like being with an incredibly boring person at a cocktail party or an incredibly interesting one. I'm going to have a dialogue with somebody here now, and if they're fascinating, I'm going to be fascinating if I can stand up and measure up to the dialogue.
Silvestri's scores to The Mummy Returns (now in theaters) and The Mexican are available on Decca Records. Cast Away will be released later this month as a special edition DVD; some of the score (with themes from other Zemeckis films) is available on Varese Sarabande Records. Stuart Little 2 and Lilo and Stitch will be in theaters in 2002. Special thanks to David Bifano and Sandra Silvestri for making this interview possible. Images © Universal Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox
Related Composers:
Alan Silvestri
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On Sunday, August 8th 1999, officers from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) spotted a known armed and dangerous parolee at large in a parking lot of a bank in the Orangevale area of Sacramento County. The suspect was in a full size motor home. As the CHP officers readied their approach on the suspect the suspect started to drive off in the motor home. The suspect collided with one of the CHP vehicles as he maneuvered the large vehicle through the small parking lot. The violent suspect had no regard for the safety of the officers or citizens in the area. As the suspect drove across planters to exit the parking lot he fired shots at the CHP officers. A high-speed chase ensued.
Deputies from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department quickly came to assist the CHP officers. During the pursuit the suspect fired numerous shots from the motor home towards pursuing officers. The suspect drove recklessly at high speeds against oncoming traffic. He fired shots at officers as they attempted to set tack strips to disable the motor home tires. The chase entered the city of Folsom. In historic old town Folsom the suspect purposely swerved the motor home off the roadway and careened down an embankment. The motor home rolled over several times. The fragile vehicle disintegrated into several pieces the body was torn away from the frame. The motor home burst into flames as it came to rest at the bottom of the embankment. Even with the devastating damage the suspect was still able to exit the nearly fully engulfed vehicle and fire shots at officers that were standing near the top of the embankment on the roadway. The suspect disappeared into the heavily wooded thick brush area along the American River.
A perimeter was established around the scene. The grass and brush around the motor home began to burn and a large vegetation fire was soon burning out of control. The fire threatened historic landmarks such as a "hydro mine" that was near by. Due to the dangerous threat of the suspect in the area fire officials were not able to combat the fire.
The Sheriff's S.E.D. (Special Enforcement Detail) teams and canines were called to the scene to organize a search for the suspect. Intelligence on the suspect revealed that he was most likely armed with an AR-15 assault rifle and that he would not be taken alive. Part of the S.E.D team was deployed to cover firemen as they attempted to douse the flames and to protect the landmarks.
The remaining S.E.D. officers were deployed in three separate groups. Group one was deployed and started down river from the scene and worked up river. Canine handler Earl Johnson and his K9 Frenchy was assigned to this team. The search was to be done in total darkness with the use of night vision goggles. All communication had to be done by hand signals. A second team was assigned to start at the top of the embankment and work towards the edge of the water. A third team was assigned to flank team one and two on the up riverside. Canine handler Rick Kemp and his K9 Bruno were assigned to team three. The canines were deployed in a S.K.I.D.D.'s (Swat and K9 Interaction During Deployment) search. This type of search is done on a long line usually 15 to 30 feet in length. The canine detail and S.E.D. train together just for high-risk situations like this one. The S.E.D. officers feel comfortable being around the canines and trust their abilities.
One of the Sheriff's Departments helicopters was over the scene and was searching the area with a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared). Due to the risk of the suspect shooting at the helicopter the crew had to fly in total darkness with all flight warning lights turned off. This was an increased danger to the crew without the flight warning lights it was nearly impossible for other aircraft to see the helicopter. To make it even more demanding for the crew the pilot had to hold the helicopter in a stationary hover while the observer concentrated on the FLIR. The helicopter crew reported that they had spotted a "hot spot", possible human figure in the water near an inlet. Team two was given the orders to move towards the top of the inlet while team one moved along the edge of the water as the canine was being directed out in front of the team. The movements were very slow and at times in waist deep water. The teams moved slowly towards the direction of the inlet all the time knowing that the suspect may fire a shot at them at any given moment. Team three was positioned across from the narrow inlet in case the suspect swam across. The areas where all the teams were deployed was still on fire, however, the flames were dying out. It was extremely smoky which made it difficult to breath.
Team two moved towards the location of the "hot spot" the helicopter saw in the FLIR. The spot was approximately the size of a human head. The crew was unsure if it was an animal or the suspect. The order was given to deploy two flash bang grenades in the area of the "hot spot". This was done to stir movement. Once the flash bang grenades were deployed it was evident to the flight crew that they had in fact had spotted the suspect who was in the water up to his neck in thick foliage. The suspect began to move out of the inlet along the waters edge down river towards team one and K9 Frenchy. The team spotted the suspect in the water. Frenchy was sent to apprehend the suspect with a bite. Frenchy engaged the suspect on one of his arms. The suspect, who was in waist deep water, turned his back on the officers. Frenchy was biting the suspect and treading water. The suspect held Frenchy's head underwater trying to drown him. Frenchy fought to stay above water and continued to bite the suspect. Fearing that the suspect was going to drown Frenchy and possibly further escape the team one leader gave the direction to use deadly force on the suspect. The suspect was shot once in the upper right shoulder and once in the back of the right jaw. The bullet exited out the front of the suspects face. The suspect released his grip on Frenchy and was taken into custody. The officers on scene tended to the suspects injuries while they waited for emergency personnel to arrive via boat. The suspect survived his injuries and was convicted of his crimes and is now serving out many years in a California State Prison.
The officer's and the canines involved in this incident performed in an exemplary manner displaying courage and bravery above and beyond the call of duty.
For outstanding performance and bravery in the line of duty, reflecting credit upon the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, the Bronze Star was awarded to Deputy Earl Johnson & K9 Frenchy and Deputy Rick Kemp & K9 Bruno.