text:
CHAM Deliverance Ministry
The Heartbeat on the Streets of San Jose
CHAM Missions
Mercy-Mobile
Body Builder-Turned-Pastor Targets Silicon Valley's Unwanted
August 14, 2016 August 14, 2016 by admin
Tucked behind a light industrial area of self-storage warehouses and auto-parts stores is a small encampment of homeless people who live in tents along the banks of a creek.
Few people know or care about this encampment, or an estimated 150 others scattered all over this Silicon Valley capital of 1 million people. But every so often, a beat-up 1985 RV called the Mercy Mobile pulls up along a dead-end curb and a motley crew of homeless advocates bearing water, food, or clothes and shoes hops out.
Leading the pack is Pastor Scott Wagers, a former body builder and trainer who has dedicated the last 25 years of his life ministering to the homeless.
"Hey man, you doin' OK?" he asks a homeless man waiting to see what the Mercy Mobile might distribute one Saturday in late June. Wagers gives him a bottle of water, some energy bars and his card and encourages him to get in touch.
"Text me and let me know if you're getting swept up or something's going down," he says.
Among the homeless at the encampment that day are James "Tripper" Turner, a Canadian native who has been homeless for years and makes a living collecting aluminum cans for cash, and Ajanae, a transgender woman from Somalia whose family has disowned her.
Unlike most brick-and-mortar ministries that require the homeless to come to them, Wagers meets the homeless on their turf. He doesn't urge them to seek shelter or get counseling or even come to Jesus. He simply inquires about their well-being and lets them know he's there to help.
His larger goal is to get his community—one of the country's wealthiest—to face up to a gnawing problem: more than 4,000 people in San Jose with no place to call home.
Every chance he gets, the 50-year-old Disciples of Christ minister brings people with him on his rounds, whether it's fellow clergy, interested scholars, students or business executives.
"What's driving me is the human crisis," says Wagers. "People are living under overpasses and going to the bathroom outside in one of the richest nations of the world. The church has to be a witness."
Like a prophet crying out in the wilderness, Wagers is dogged in his pursuit of justice for the homeless.
California has the highest percentage of homeless people living in unsheltered locations, according to a 2015 homeless study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
San Jose tops the list of the state's cities with homeless people living outdoors, about 70 percent.
"We don't have winter, so people are able stay outside," acknowledges Ray Bramson, division manager for the San Jose housing department.
Santa Clara County, where San Jose is located, also has the nation's highest median household income; nearly half its residents earn more than $100,000 a year, mostly at high-tech companies such as Adobe, Cisco and eBay, which are headquartered in the city. (Google is nearby in Mountain View and Facebook is in Menlo Park.)
San Jose's median home price was $980,000 last year. And 16 percent of its residents are among the nation's top earners.
The disparity created by the tech industry has created an acute housing crisis for people on the lower end of the income spectrum who cannot find affordable housing in a city where renting a single room in an apartment might cost between $800 and $1,500 a month.
For years, homeless people took refuge in the Jungle, a 68-acre homeless camp along Coyote Creek that had the dubious distinction of being the nation's largest homeless encampment.
Wagers used to visit the Jungle's 300 homeless residents until the city evicted them and barricaded the area two years ago.
After that, he bought the RV for $5,500 and together with homeless advocate Robert Aguirre, a former resident of the Jungle and a onetime engineer, began driving it from one encampment to the next.
They avoid downtown, where services to the homeless are more plentiful, and instead drive to remote areas where 20 people typically live along a creek bed below street level, obscured by cottonwood trees, shrubs and other vegetation.
Wagers and Aguirre rail against the sweeps—the city refers to them as "abatement activities"—that have come to define homeless living in the San Jose area.
The drill is all too familiar: As soon as too many homeless people congregate in one area, the city will drive them out—forcing people to trek to a new location, in the process losing many of their possessions. (The city maintains the abatements are needed to avoid environmental hazards or public safety concerns.)
"The homeless are like refugees, moving from spot to spot," Wagers says. "Nobody wants them anywhere."
The roving ministry takes in donations from churches, nonprofits and individuals.
Those, say Wagers and Aguirre, are easy to come by.
"I can fill the RV three or four times a day if I wanted," says Aguirre. "People will donate food, water, hygiene kits. We need to get people to understand there's a financial need."
That financial need is steep. The longer people live outside, the more likely they are to show up in emergency rooms, in the county jail or in need of acute psychiatric treatment.
A recent study showed that persistently homeless people cost the county $13,661 per person per year. But frequent users of medical and other public services can average $100,000 a year.
The city's government recognizes the problem. In November it will ask residents to approve a $950 million bond to pay for the construction of housing, the vast majority for the homeless.
Meanwhile, various church ministries are pitching in.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph allows homeless people to use its address as a way to receive mail.
Grace Baptist Church allows homeless people to shower, do laundry and lounge indoors in its downtown sanctuary. Last winter, it got a permit to house 15 homeless people overnight for 35 days. This year, the congregation won permission from the city to house 30 people for 90 of the winter's coldest nights.
"What we're doing, honestly, is putting a Band-Aid on things," says the Rev. Liliana Da Valle, pastor of Grace Baptist Church. "We're feeding people today but saying, 'Sorry. Tomorrow we may not be able to.'"
Wagers is more blunt in pinning the blame. He has few kind words for tech executives such as Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook or Tim Cook of Apple.
"Their policies create an environment of survival of the fittest," says Wagers. "The people who built the valley can't afford to live here anymore."
In Silicon Valley, the theory that tax incentives for powerful tech companies will "trickle down" into middle-class wealth has not played out.
Companies such as Apple are not averse to charitable giving. They, and other tech giants, are often willing to match employee donations to an ever-expanding group of nonprofits, for example.
But they have yet to fully realize the problems they've created for middle- and lower-middle-class families.
"Companies need to open their eyes and take responsibility for pushing people into homelessness," says Da Valle. "Asking for their charity is not enough."
The behemoths may be slowly awakening to the reality. Last month, Facebook agreed to construct 1,500 new housing units, of which 15 percent will be reserved for low- and middle-income residents, regardless of whether they work at Facebook.
That's just a drop in the bucket. But it's a start.
Meanwhile, Wagers will continue his Mercy Mobile rounds.
He's committed to giving the most politically powerless class of people in America a voice.
"I'm not a socialist or a capitalist," Wagers says. "I'm a Christian. And this is shocking to me. What's our role as Christians? 'What you did to the least of these you did to me.'"
© 2016 Religion News Service. All rights reserved.
http://www.charismanews.com/us/59200-body-builder-turned-pastor-targets-silicon-valley-s-unwanted
Share and it will be shared unto you...
Stories & ReportingTagged Body builder, Charisma News, Help the poor, homeless, Ministry, Pastor, Silicon Valley
A Pastor's Mobile Ministry To Silicon Valley's Underbelly
MERCY MOBILE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Newsletter 8-12-2016
The Mercy Mobile Is Going Stronger Than Ever; But Needs Your Support To Keep Rolling Along The Mercy Mobile continues ...
Copyright (c) CHAM Deliverance Ministry 2019 | All Rights Reserved


The dawn is breaking. I am in a black-hearted place. I am standing in my darkened kitchen drinking a mug of peppermint tea. In the background that weapon of mass distraction otherwise known as the television mutters on.
I have not slept for several nights. I have not had a lengthy conversation with another human being in several weeks. I have shrunk from the world. I isolate myself, I wall myself in. Life breaks hearts and so I avoid it.
Nobby is dead. Correction: Nobby has been dead for a little oner a year now. 'I promise I will be with you 'till the end.' I told him. It was a reckless promise and I never should have made it. But I cannot go back. I cannot go back. I cannot unpick the knots. On the cusp of death I abandoned him.
Come back, Nobby. Come back. I cannot accept that he is dead. I make tea and I find myself thinking, 'I must make a cup for Nobby too.' Or when I am out shopping: 'I must pick up a treat for Nobby whilst I am here.' Muscle memory carries me to the door of Nobby's flat. Halfway across the lawn I freeze. He is not there anymore. I am left with a hollowed-out inside.
He visits me in my dreams. So often that I greet the dawn with disappointment. I don't remember details. Just elusive images, like shards of broken glass. I try desperately to retrieve them.
I did not fully appreciate what I had until it was taken from me. I feel him like an amputated limb. I depended on him. Sometimes I felt as if he were my only friend, my only refuge in a perennially hostile world. And I know that he would have defended me to the death if the need had ever arisen.
Many spend their lives searching for heroes, for people to look up to, to explain. It must be said that there are those who look in vain and I am fortunate that, thanks to Nobby, I am not one of them. I have been blessed.
Which is why all this feels so terribly self indulgent.
Cherish what you have, while you still have it.
Addendum: They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Does this also apply to brazen plagiarism?


My name is Shiva Chauhan . I come from a Middle Class, Nuclear Family with Moderate Values. I have completed my M.Tech. and currently work in the Private Sector as a Professor / Lecturer.
My name is MONIKA CHAUHAN and I am working as a Teaching / Academician in the Private sector. I have completed my BCA. I grew up in a Middle Class class, Joint family with Moderate values.
I am making this profile to find a suitable boy for my daughter. She has completed her master's degree and is now pursuing further studies. We belong to an upper middle class, joint family with traditional values, currently settled in Mainpuri. People describe her as diligent. Her hobbies and interests is nature.


text:
If you stop a moment to think about it, you'll probably agree that life can be difficult.
Most of us want to live our lives the best we know how. The problem is that our best efforts don't always turn out how we'd hope. As a result, we all make mistakes in life. We might disappoint someone we care about, fail to meet one of our obligations, or take an unwise action with possible legal consequences. Some mistakes are small and easily fixed; others can get us into serious trouble.
Everyone deserves a second chance, but not all second chances are created equal. When a mistake ends with involvement in the criminal justice system, for example, there are debts that must be paid and obligations that must be met before the mistake can be forgiven. A person who violates the law, even unintentionally, is responsible for dealing with the consequences. However, this doesn't mean they don't deserve a little help.
With this in mind, Cummins Behavioral Health will soon begin offering free transportation services for our clients who are involved in, or have been involved in, the criminal justice system. These individuals may have a variety of appointments they must attend as they work to rebuild their lives, and lack of reliable transportation can be a significant obstacle. By providing free transportation to important medical and legal appointments, we hope to remove some of the barriers these individuals face on their journeys toward recovery.
In this blog post, we'll explain how these transportation services will work and why we believe they'll make a difference for our clients and our community. We'll also include explanations and insights from Tracy Waible and Jessica Hynson, who have been instrumental in bringing these services to Cummins.
Tracy Waible, LCSW, LCAC, Cummins' Director of Recovery (left) and Jessica Hynson, LMHC, CSAYC, Cummins' Director of County Operations for Marion County (right)
How the Services Originated
Our transportation services for justice-involved individuals are a collaboration between Cummins Behavioral Health and Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration. More specifically, they are funded by a year-long grant from the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA).
The process started when the DMHA indicated its desire to fund programs of this type. Tracy explains, "We receive emails periodically for various grant opportunities, and when this one came through, we knew that we had to apply. We have an obligation to look at whether our consumers have the ability and resources to do what we are asking. If not, we need to help them problem solve those barriers—one of them being transportation."
As part of the grant application process, Tracy and Jessica coordinated outreach to community partners who would also benefit from having these services in place. "The Director of County Operations in each county reached out to partners, like local court systems and the Department of Child Services, and asked for letters of support," Jessica says. "I know Putnam County even got one from the 911 dispatch center because they have a good partnership."
"We received letters from almost every county, and multiple letters from some of our counties. So I think those stakeholders were all really excited about this opportunity, and definitely willing to send us referrals and to help this to be successful," Tracy adds.
Ultimately, Cummins was awarded a grant to pay for five vehicles—one for each of our counties of operation—and reimbursement for time spent transporting consumers. Since public transportation options are sparse in Indiana, and services like Lyft and Uber are not consistently available in rural areas or have extremely long wait times, we anticipate our transportation services to be a significant benefit for our consumers.
How the Services Will Work for Consumers
Once our transportation services are up and running, any Cummins consumer who is involved in the justice system will be eligible to use them. "They're for anybody justice-involved," Tracy says. "That could be DCS, probation, drug court, veterans court—any kind of legal involvement."
Individuals will be able to submit an online form to request a ride to an appointment. This could be an appointment for Cummins services, a physical health appointment, a court-related meeting, or other legal appointments, to name a few possibilities. Once a request is submitted, the appropriate staff in that county will review their availability and make arrangements to provide transportation if at all possible.
Due to the specific details of the grant, the services will only be available to existing Cummins consumers or those who are beginning services with Cummins. Tracy explains by way of an example: "There's a large correlation between justice-involved and substance use disorder. We worry about that gap between leaving incarceration and entering treatment, because maybe a person has 30 days of sobriety now, and they're at risk of overdose if they leave and start using again. If we could transport them straight from jail to an intake or to some kind of support, we're hoping to reduce drug overdose and recidivism."
Piggybacking off of Tracy's example, Jessica gets to the core of why we're so excited to provide these transportation services. "This justice-involved population is one of the populations that struggle to get back on their feet, because there are just so many barriers constantly in their way," she says. "I think some people sit in jail and think, 'OK, I'm going to turn my life around.' They're motivated, but then they come out to the same environment, the same challenges, maybe more challenges, because now they have a record. So I'm very excited to have the opportunity to break through some of those barriers, just by saying, 'Well, we can do that. We can take them there.' "
"If I think about our mission, vision and values," Tracy adds, "and if we know that there's always hope, and recovery as possible, I don't want transportation to be the barrier to making that a reality for the people we serve. Because if I don't have a way to access the care, then I'm more than likely going to become more hopeless, and not be able to do the things that I'm hoping to do with my recovery journey. So I think that's why I'm excited about this. It's going to give people an opportunity to tap into that hope and to see what recovery is about."
At Cummins, our mission is to inspire the hope of recovery, to achieve excellence in all aspects of care, and to make the goals and aspirations of those we serve our highest priority. We are thrilled to improve our services for justice-involved individuals by adding these transportation services!
We will update this page with information about requesting transportation once the service is live.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to help spread our message of hope and recovery, we encourage you to share it with others!
Previous PostWhat You Should Know and What You Can Do About Indiana's Youth Mental Health CrisisNext PostRaising a Child with ADHD: Symptoms, Treatment, and Hope for the Future

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Sunny skies. Hot and humid. High 99F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph..
Matthew Mulnix runs the Lawrence Songwriter Showcase. Ten amateur songwriters perform for a chance to win free one-song production packages.
Maggie Gould/KANSAN
Matthew Mulnix runs the Lawrence Songwriter Showcase. Ten amateur songwriters will perform for a chance to win free one-song production packages.
Contributed photo
The winner of the first Lawrence Songwriter Showcase, Victoria Gunderson, strums her guitar. The second showcase will be tonight, March 5. Artists will perform in hopes of getting their own work professionally produced.
Contributed photo, Joe Blocker
The winner of the first Lawrence Songwriter Showcase, Victoria Gunderson, sings and plays guitar. The second showcase will be tonight, March 5. Artists will perform in hopes of getting their own work professionally produced.
Songwriter Showcase looks to expand local music beyond Lawrence
Wyatt Hall | @thewyatthall15
Local music is a big part of the Lawrence arts community, but Matthew Mulnix wants to bring that music past city limits to listeners everywhere with the Lawrence Songwriter Showcase.
The quarterly event features 10 local artists who perform original music to a live audience that will judge who deserves the top prize: a song produced for free by Mulnix to be published on Spotify, as well as other streaming services.
"The artists can be brought to the next level by having a professionally made song rather than a demo or YouTube video," Mulnix said. "With this, the artists can be taken seriously past the city limits."
Mulnix is a local producer who is using this project as an opportunity to learn, as well as help local artists share their music.
"There's no hierarchy. I try to make it a comfortable environment," Mulnix said. "If they want to achieve something sonically, I'm going to try my hardest to do that. It's a great learning process for me. I'm learning alongside the artists."
Mulnix said he enjoys watching the artists grow in the studio.
"All the artists are humble, never thinking they'll be a recording artist," Mulnix said. "But when they get into the studio and have that ownership over their song, it builds their confidence and they start to believe in themselves that they can turn nothing into something."
One artist who stood out from the first showcase is Victoria Gunderson, who Mulnix compared to Adele in the way her voice carries.
"She was the clear winner," Mulnix said. "She brought the entire audience to silence during her song 'Morning Waffles.'"
Gunderson originally found out about the showcase while she was performing at an open mic night at Shaun & Sons Artisan Pub & Coffeehouse, where the event is held. She eventually decided to sign up and give it a try.
"It was really full, that was the most full I've ever seen the S&S," Gunderson said. "It was a little nerve-wracking, but it was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed it. Everyone was really good so it was a cool experience."
As the winner, Gunderson was offered a full production package for her song, which she said was a new experience for her.
"I've always thought about recording and producing my music, but I always felt overwhelmed and didn't know where to start," Gunderson said. "This will be my first song on Spotify, I'm looking forward to it."
As for the future of the event, Mulnix said he is focused on gaining some sponsorship and would like to eventually expand to other cities.
"I think Lawrence is the best harbor for it with the arts community and support here, but we'd love to try a Kansas City or Topeka showcase," Mulnix said. "I would love to also continue to learn more about music production so that I can be on the same level as national artists and continue to help local artists grow their careers."
The second showcase will take place at S&S Artisan Pub & Coffeehouse from 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, March 5. CDs featuring the winners of the first showcase will also be sold at the event.
S&s Coffee House
Lawrence Music
Matthew Mulnix
Victoria Gunderson
Music Competition
Waters: Eating locally better supports Lawrence economy
Jayhawks fall short in ITA Summer Circuit finals
Kansas Audio-Reader receives six awards, international recognition
'Tell My Family I Love Them'
Bewitching Wiccans of Lawrence
'Come As You Are': The 90 minutes Kurt Cobain spent in Lawrence
Tweets by KansanNews


The Nashville, TN natives have the unique ability to combine almost every genre, so I would not even single out their music as country rock. Ryan Jennings (Bass, vox), (Jack Quiggins – Guitar, vox), Luke Schneider (Pedal Steel), and Nick Swafford (Drums), have something special going on with Teddy and The Rough Riders and we are seeing that with their debut EP.
With any combination of country, rock, Americana/folk, psychedelic pop, and many others, Teddy and The Rough Riders debut is a 6 song EP containing a myriad of sounds. From the slow melody of "Martini", to the swinging alternative country rock sounding "Buckle Bunny", this EP is an endless musical kaleidoscope.
Teddy and The Rough Riders may get their name from Theodore Roosevelt, and they might be reminiscent of Grateful Dead, but they are making a name for themselves with this EP and their awesome hodgepodge of sounds and influences.


Ok so this next one is one of my specialties. I call it the "Taco Pizza" only because I use a taco shell as my crust, there is nothing else "taco" about it. I have told you all before that I am really bad when it comes to eating lunch. I usually skip it, because it is too hard for me to come up with something easy to make. The one day I was in the mood for pizza, but the kid was napping, and I had no cash for pizza delivery. I brainstormed, and came up the the perfect solution! Let me introduce to you to… the Taco Pizza! Easy, healthy, and delicious, especially if you are a pizza lover like me.
I have been becoming more and more adventurous with my recipes, and I stumbled upon this Skinnytaste recipe and it looked so good and so easy. Spoiler alert… it was both of those things! The flavors really complimented each other, and the pecans added a crunchy texture, which was to die for! The only thing I couldn't do myself was make the eggs. No matter how hard I try, I cannot make sunny-side-up eggs to save my life! I had to call in the big guns, aka my husband to do that part. Thanks, babe! Enjoy!
On a large sheet pan, toss broccoli, squash and onions with olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste.
Spread veggies out in an even layer and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until crisp tender.
Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat and lightly spray with oil.
Add eggs, one at a time, leaving space between them. Season each with a pinch of salt and pepper, cover and cook until whites are just set and yolk is still runny.
Divide rice and roasted veggies evenly among 4 bowls.
Top each with 1 ounce avocado and 1 egg and 1 tablespoon pecans.
I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner and he said "something Mexican flavored," so here goes my first attempt at enchiladas! The were relatively easy to make, and I had most of the ingredients at home already, which is always a win! Give them a try! Enjoy!
I really thought rolling them would be hard, but they stayed together perfectly!
Oooooo cheese!! More and more cheese!
Grease a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Stir in garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds.
Add the ground turkey; season with cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
Continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until browned, stirring frequently.
Stir in tomato paste until well incorporated.
Stir in beans, chicken broth, and lime juice, and bring to a boil; cook for 1 more minute, stirring frequently.
Place 1 tortilla on your working surface and spoon about 3 tablespoons of the turkey mixture onto one end of the tortilla.
Roll up the tortilla and set aside.
Repeat with remaining tortillas and ground turkey mixture.
Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of previously prepared baking sheet.
Arrange rolled up tortillas seam side down over the enchilada sauce.
Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with cheeses.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Remove from oven and let stand few minutes.
Garnish with sour cream and green onions.
I was in the mood for pasta, but I didn't want just regular pasta with red sauce. I stumbled upon this Skinnytaste recipe and I had to give it a shot! I wouldn't say it was difficult to make, but it did have quite a few steps. However, it was worth it! The creaminess of the butternut squash, paired with the spicy sausage was delicious! Give it a shot and let us know what you think!
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft.
Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.
Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, sauté sausage over medium heat until browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, set aside on a plate.
Reduce heat to medium-low and melt the butter, sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and golden, about 5 – 6 minutes.
Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water (I used about 1 cup) to thin out the sauce to your liking.
Add baby spinach and stir in parmesan cheese and sage. Toss in cooked pasta and sausage and mix until well coated.
Serve with additional parmesan cheese on the side if desired.
You all know how much I love my slow cooker meals… maybe it's because they are easy, maybe it's because I am lazy, but in any case, this one is fantastic! There are minimal steps for this recipe, and not much to prep before sticking it in the crock pot. I even made more than I needed so I could take it for lunch a few days this week. Check it out and let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Just before serving, add tortillas and cilantro, and stir.
Add to bowls, top with cheese avocado and more tortillas if desired.
I feel like I have been living under a rock for my whole life because I JUST discovered tostadas recently (see BBQ Tostadas Recipe ), and I am now obsessed! I found this Seven Layer Tostadas recipe and had to give it a shot. I'm grateful my husband is not a picky eater, and is dealing with my new obsession of tostadas. The real recipe is vegetarian, but my husband's one request is that our meals have some sort of meat, so I added ground turkey. I guess maybe I should call this eight layer tostadas?? In any case, they were so easy to make, you know how I love that, and so good! I would add these to my weekly meal rotation! Give them a shot.
olive oil for greasing baking sheet, about 1 tsp.
Cook ground turkey until brown and add ½ tsp of taco seasoning mix.
Put flour tortillas on the baking sheet with a touch of olive oil and toast tortillas in the oven until they're crisp and barely starting to brown, turning several times. This will take less than 5 minutes so watch them carefully.
While tortillas are crisping, put the refried beans in a bowl, stir to break them apart, and microwave 2-3 minutes, or until they're hot.
Stir the remaining taco seasoning mix into the sour cream.
Chop the onions, slice green onions, and slice the olives.
Serve right away, with salsa or hot sauce if desired.
Usually once a week we have a pasta night. It is mainly due to being easy to make, and to be honest, we love pasta! Our normal pasta night consists of penne/ziti/whatever is in our cabinet, marinara sauce, and frozen turkey meatballs. I thought to myself, how hard is it to make meatballs? Well, the answer is… not hard at all! There are so few ingredients, and even fewer steps to make them. My husband doubted my ability to make meatballs because I never had done so before, but he couldn't stop raving about them! Give them a try. Enjoy!
In a bowl, combine spinach, egg, bread crumbs, onion and seasoned salt. Add turkey and mix well.
Place meatballs in a greased baking pan/sheet.
Bake, uncovered, at 400°F for 20 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.
I was in the mood for Mexican food, but I didn't want tacos since we had made them a few nights prior. I was doing a little recipe grazing, and stumbled upon this one. I am so happy I did too. It was so easy and really fulfilled my want for Mexican food. It also sent my husband for seconds and thirds! I am not sure if I didn't fill the peppers to their fullest, or if the peppers I bought were small, but I had enough leftover for another meal! This was a win! In the freezer they go!
Rinse black beans and thaw corn. Combine it together with cooked rice, cheese and salsa.
Cook ground turkey in a skillet until brown and add taco seasoning.
Combine meat with the rice mixture.
Cut bell peppers in halves and remove seeds from the bell peppers.


Medical Marijuana is now available for ANY CONDITION to Washington DC residents.
The decision to use medical marijuana is between a patient and physician, like any other medication.
Step 1: Do you live in D.C.?
In order to get your medical marijuana card, you'll need to prove that you have current residency in the District. This is because medical marijuana is legal in Washington D.C., but not in surrounding areas.
Driver's license (if it has your current address) District I.D.
The decision to use medical marijuana is between a patient and healthcare provider, like any other medication.
Your next step is to obtain a healthcare provider's recommendation (any DC licensed physician, nurse practitioner, physician's assistant, naturopath or dentist can write a recommendation for medical marijuana).
Make your appointment today, so you can get the ball rolling! If your healthcare provider hasn't issued a medical marijuana recommendation before, he/she can sign up for the program by clicking here. (If your healthcare provider will not write a recommendation, or you don't feel comfortable asking your healthcare provider contact Takoma Wellness Center and we will give you a list of a healthcare provider who has written recommendations in the past and are willing to see new patients).
Takoma Wellness Center offers a free Concierge Service to assist you in obtaining your medical marijuana card. Drop in anytime during our hours of operation, bring your two proofs of DC residency and the Department of Health application fee ($100 or $25 in cash depending upon your level of income) and we will assist you with the application, copy your documents, take the two required pictures, obtain the required money order, and hand-deliver your completed application to the Department of Health.
You may choose to submit either paper or online form. You'll also want to review the application instructions. Please take your time to make sure everything is filled out properly and double check before submitting it, otherwise, it could delay the process.
Once your application is approved, the Department of Health will mail your medical marijuana card to your home address. Please bring your new card with a government issued ID to visit the dispensary and gain access to medication.
Obtain another recommendation from a healthcare provider.
We will copy your documents, obtain the required money order and ensure that your application is delivered to the Department of Health.
No appointment is needed….drop in whenever we are open!


THE GREY COBBLESTONES gleam silver after a recent rainfall. The dark, unlit street gives out an uneasy feel. Something's not right. A cat sidles round a corner and disappears into a doorway. A man leans on a nearby bridge and shouts and as he does so a woman opens an upstairs window to remonstrate, the light from the window illuminating the cat rubbing against the trouserleg of . . . No, stop! That's the spoiler because yes, I'm in Vienna on a guided tour which takes us on the trail of you know who. Okay, the zither tune is a clue: we're looking for Harry Lime.
The film The Third Man, made in 1948, only three years after WWll ended, shows the underbelly of this elegant city almost totally destroyed by Allied bombs, divided like Berlin and patrolled by the same Allied Forces, its postwar shortages making it a haven for black marketeers. Harry Lime, played by Orson Welles, is an American racketeer living in the Russian quarter where, our guide tells us, most of the criminals lived. Why? Because the Russians were easily bribed. Harry's friend Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) turns up to look for him and finally locates him, Harry's hiding place betrayed by his loving cat.
The two-hour tour takes us to all the hotspots of the film — the street where the balloon man wanders, the building where Harry's girlfriend lived, the sewer kiosk down which Harry disappeared. And here we learn a bit of insider knowledge. There are two kinds of kiosks – round and octagonal – but only the latter leads to the sewers. The round ones are for sticking posters on. We gather round the octagonal kiosk but it's locked. No sewer tours till May, partly because the rivers and canals can rise at an alarming rate creating a flash flood. Instead, we peer through the mesh and see the metal steps descending and the walls covered in graffiti.
When the film crew were down in the sewers, they wanted authenticity, with rats playing their part. But the rats, like the human population of Vienna were so starved that they ran towards, not away from, the cameramen, hoping for food. Instead, the crew had to commandeer laboratory rats who did the business.
Our guide feeds us a few jokes about rats: with people starving, the butchers of Vienna used to go into the sewers to kill rats and serve them as river trout. Had enough? No? Well, cooked cats were known as roof rats. Okay, that's definitely enough.
What's great about this tour is that you get so much information, some of it will surely come in handy later in a pub quiz. For instance, why were the streets always gleaming wet? Because Carol Reed, the director, got the local firemen to hose them each day.
And the cat? In fact, three were used, encouraged to stick close to Harry Lime's shoes by having them smeared with fish paste. And look out for the popular Austrian actor Paul Hörfbiger, who didn't know a word of English but delivered his lines as the professional he was – apart from pointing downwards for heaven then upwards for hell, to where we assume Harry has gone.
The city of Vienna, its glory restored, is a monument to the wealth of the Hapsburg family. At the time though, it was a city in ruins and in the film you can see men clearing huge piles of war damage with their bare hands. It wasn't until the Americans brought in their bulldozers that the real clear-up began. It was 10 years before the magnificent medieval cathedral, Stephansdom, was cleared.
We're taken to look at the majestic Bristol Hotel where the US top brass was based and then on to the sumptuous Sacher Hotel which was the HQ for MI6. It was in the Sacher that Graham Greene, among friends since he himself had worked for MI6, learned about the lucrative black market in fuel, cigarettes, nylon stockings and, Harry Lime's speciality, diluted penicillin. A few years previously, Greene had met fellow MI6-agent-turned-spy, Kim Philby, who recounted how he had used the sewers to guide Austrian civil war socialist sympathisers to safety.
Putting it all together, Greene got his story but spent many nights walking the streets of Vienna, dropping into its bars and strip-clubs, chatting to the city's lowlife to get the details right. It's generally accepted that he portrays Harry Lime as the perfidious Philby while seeing himself as the morally challenged Holly Martins.
At the end of the tour, drop into the 200-year-old Mozart Cafe in nearby Albertinaplatz and try one of their wicked chocolate sachertorte. Oh and by the way, the Mozart is where Graham Greene used to go to write.
But while Harry Lime met his death down a sewer, this is not the end of the story. The Third Man has taken on a life of its own: next day I visited Gerhard Strassgschwandtner's marvellous Third Man Museum, the Dritte Mann Museum. The museum is his passion and that of his wife, Karen Höfler, who is also a translator from Japanese.
Items on display include the original zither on which Anton Karas composed the famous theme tune, the cap worn by little Hansel who unwittingly endangers Holly Martins and the enormous projector used to show Nazi propaganda films. One room is devoted to life in Vienna at the time, with the contents of the food parcels sent to Vienna by the US and letters from Jewish citizens sent to concentration camps never to return.
Then it's back to the film. One whole wall is covered with translations of Greene's book, while another shows 400 cover versions of the zither theme, ranging from the Beatles to Glenn Miller. And how about this: in Tokyo, there's a train station where a blast of the Harry Lime tune is played every time a train arrives.
Of the sewer tour, we were told the smell resembles beer or chocolate. I'm not taken in by that, but I'm still going back and down that octagonal kiosk. If you're thinking of doing the same thing, be warned: despite being paid $100,000 for his two weeks' work, Orson Welles refused to enter a sewer.
Aer Lingus has daily flights to Vienna, from £154.98. When you arrive at the airport or station, invest in a Vienna card (€18.50 for 72 hours) which allows you free travel on buses, trams and the metro. It also guarantees a discount on many purchases and activities. Remember to validate it the first time you use it. Air bus fare return from the airport to Westbanhof is €12 with the Vienna card, €14 without.
Hotel Aldstadt, near the Museum Quarter, charges €195.00 per double per night. See altstadt.at, or call +43-1-5226666. Another good choice is Motel One, near Westbahnhof, which has doubles for €85pp. See motel-one.com. A cheaper option, and central, is Wombats City Hostel, at the Naschmarkt. Dormitory accommodation costs from €20pp; private rooms, from €35. See wombats-hostels.com, or call +43-1-8972336.
The Third Man Museum is in Pressgasse, near the excellent outdoor naschmarkt. There are guided tours on Saturdays, 2pm-6pm; groups by arrangement. See 3mpc.net, or call +43-1-5864872. The Third Man walking tour is on Mondays and Fridays at 4pm and costs €17. For more information, see viennawalks.com.


text:
Home Sport Why Are Professional Sports Bettors Good at Fantasy Football?
Why Are Professional Sports Bettors Good at Fantasy Football?
Maria Farnham
It is common for many bookkeepers to include odds for Fantasy Premier League. This game is very popular in recent years, and there are over 7 million active players in 2023. The main reason why it is so exciting is that you have a limited budget to combine favorite players, and there is a rule that you can include only up to three players from the same team.
Moreover, you can make one free transfer each week, while every additProfessional ional transfer costs minus four points. There is a global ranking, but you can create private groups and compete with your friends. A lot of sportsbooks introduce a new feature where you can join either in a paid or free group at the beginning of the season, and those on the top will win various prizes.
When it comes to betting on Fantasy players, the sportsbook will present a margin for selected players, and you have to guess whether the player will make points or not. Some teams are very difficult for this type of betting, especially when it comes to Manchester City and Chelsea because they are known for frequent rotations. If you want to check some of the best deals for the following game week for both standard betting and Fantasy Players, check out Top Kladionica.
If you are playing this game, then you know how challenging it can be to get a lot of points every week. There are many factors to follow all the time, like injuries, current form, formations, the importance of the game, head-to-head score, and more. As you can see, many of these factors are also important for standard sports betting as well, which is the main reason why sports bettors are so good in FPL.
Sports Bettors Have More Experience
The most important thing about FPL is proper research of the following games. You will have to consider previous performances and some other aspects that could increase or decrease the chance for a particular player to hit points. As we already mentioned, sports bettors already have a lot of experience in researching these factors. Therefore, it is easier for them to implement an even more advanced model of analysis to try to predict which player could have the most points, and set it as captain, and determine the squad with a higher probability of hitting a better score.
Moreover, choosing the defense and the goalkeeper can be quite frustrating. Premier League is known as a league where surprises are always possible, and even those teams on the bottom have some outstanding players. For example, the following match between Newcastle United and Chelsea where the guest is an absolute favorite. However, with the recovered Callum Wilson and excellent Saint-Maximin, Newcastle has a good chance to score in this game. Another challenge is choosing the Chelsea defense players, especially when it comes to full-backs where Tuchel is frequently rotating Chilwell vs Alonso, and with Reece James being recovered, we can expect the same with him and Azpilicueta.
Following all these news and stats all the time can be difficult for many people. However, those with a lot of experience in sports betting find that part very interesting. Also, that is the point where they can make a difference and increase the lead on the table. Some other games are even more challenging, such as the match between Manchester United and Tottenham. The issue is that both teams are not in their best forms this season and are playing without consistency. Therefore, we are not sure what to expect for this game since it can be a win for any of these teams, while an even result without any goals is also quite possible.
How To Become Better in Fantasy?
As you can see, the proper research is the first step that will help you to select the team with better chances to win more points. Also, you can use a strategy where you will buy new players during the ongoing gameweek. The reason for that is that the players who scored more points in one week will most likely be bought by a lot of people. That will lead to an increase in the price of that players. Using this tactic is excellent since it will provide you with additional funds over time that will help you to manage your transfers much better.
Another great solution is to pay attention to cheap players from lower-ranked teams, especially when it comes to defense and goalkeepers. The reason is that these players are much cheaper, but could bring a lot of points when they are playing against similar opponents. According to previous performances and fixtures, some of the best cheap options in defense are Livramento from Southampton and Pinnock from Brentford.
Moreover, it is important to follow the news that will help you to make a more precise prediction. For example, if you have several top players in the team, it can be challenging to select the right captain. That was the case in the previous game week when people decided to go for Havertz instead of Salah. It can be frustrating when the captain doesn't have any extra points, while some other players in your selection had a lot of goals and assists
The strategy that you can use to improve your performances in FPL is the same as sports bettors are using. The key is to go for the most probable outcomes. That way, even if you have fewer points, you can expect that most other people will have a similar score. This is important for positioning, especially in the beginning.
After you gain some experience and collect more points, you will find more space to experiment and risk more with some players that are not selected by many people. A perfect fantasy team should have a couple of top players, decent defense, and add one or two differentials that could help you to improve your position.
How Are Small Betting Sites Competing With Bigger Bookmakers
Strategies and Sports Betting Systems to Consider in 2023
Top 3 Proven Sports Betting Strategies & Systems in 2023
Different Types of Bets in Dota 2 - How to Figure It Out?
5 Tips for Betting on Champions League Final
Ranking of the Most Popular Sports in the World
Bettors
Previous articleHow to Know if Your Skin Needs Hydration
Next articleBenefits of Using Xero Accounting Software
7 Stars for Whom Qatar Will Probably Be Their Last World Cup
What is the Most Popular Online Betting Game in Korea 2023?
How Do You Know If You Have A Small Leak –...
How Do You Know if Your Protein Powder Is Good Quality


text:
Today, In The Spotlight
5 Best Known Tips of Winning on MMA Gambling
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a combat sport that allows punches, knees, elbows, and grappling, inviting several different fighting styles and strategies. MMA gambling...
Eagerly awaited rematch tops the bill at UFC 257 Seven years after their first meeting, old foes McGregor and Poirier are set for a...
4 Incredible Reasons to Engage in MMA Now
Have you been looking for an all-around sport to no avail? It'd time to try out MMA training and competition now. It not only...
Tagged: Halo
Halo: Spartan Strike Trailer Debuts!
Along with the release of the mobile game itself today, a trailer for Halo: Spartan Strike has also debuted, which you can watch in...
Microsoft Reveals Xbox One Master Chief Collection Bundle
Although, Halo: The Master Chief Collection was plagued with numerous bugs at launch last year, they've all been fixed now, and any fans wishing...
Microsoft Confirms Master Chief Will Be A Playable Character In Halo 5
Master Chief was the main protagonist and main playable character for years in the Halo trilogy, including Halo 4, but fans of the top-selling...
A Halo Flood Is Coming – Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Are you ready for a Halo flood in the next couple of years? Details are vague, but sources close to Engadget are reporting that...
Halo 5: Guardians Confirmed For 2015
Good news and bad news from the Halo world and 343 Industries. First the bad: Despite an elaborate CG teaser shown at last year's...
[Pic] Yell This! Sparth Concept Art For Halo 5
Earlier today at Halo Waypoint, 343 Industries' Josh Holmes talked about the departure of art director Kenneth Scott and his replacement, Nicolas "Sparth" Bouvier....
E3 2013: Best Of The Best – Day 2 (Trailers And Gameplay Footage)
Today marks the second day for E3 2013, and the annual event proves once again to be just as fulfilling as the last one....
Crysis 3 Will Abolish "Gears of War" And "Halo" Franchise Technically
Cevat Yerli, the founder, CEO, and President of Crytek had a brief chat with Videogamer.com about the look of Crysis 3 at a recent...


text:
a Mondo Digital subsite
Looking for the Upcoming Releases List? Here it is!
Cinema Arcana presents The VHS Archives!
Looking for Something Else? Check our Table of Contents!
Swing by our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Pages for more news and updates!
Follow our movie reviews at Letterboxd!
Chief Offender
bruce holecheck
Adictos de la Arcana
Ten (or so) Most Recent Watches
* The Mangler (1995)
* Cheap Killers (1998)
* My Nights with Susan, Sandra, Olga & Julie (1975)
* Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy Fulfilled (2002)
* Bordello of Blood (1996)
* Law with Two Phases (1984)
* Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)
* Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell (2001)
* A Terra-Cotta Warrior (1989)
* The Golden Glove (2019)
Stuff People Like This Week (for some reason)
Upcoming DVD & Blu-Ray Releases of Note
The VHS Archives: Carlos Puerto's DON'T PANIC (1978)
Coney Island Carnage -- Unseen Sex & Gore from Leonard Kirtman's CARNIVAL OF BLOOD (1970)!
The VHS Archives: Ferdinando Baldi's SICILIAN CONNECTION (1972)
The VHS Archives: Robert Slatzer's BIGFOOT (1970)
The VHS Archives: Ling Pang's BRUTAL SORCERY (1983)
The VHS Archives: William Girdler's THREE ON A MEATHOOK (1972)
The VHS Archives: Michael Stanley's ATTACK OF THE BEAST CREATURES (1985)
The VHS Archives: Jim O'Connolly's TOWER OF EVIL (1972)
The VHS Archives: Tony Malanowski's CURSE OF THE SCREAMING DEAD (1982)
Partners in Grime
The Stand by Stephen King (1978/1990): Dancing on the Grave of the World
Backyard Asia
THE TATTOOIST (Michael Wong, China/Malaysia, 2018) Full short-film
DARK AUGUST 1976
Bloody Pit of Rod
What I Watched in December
Rupert Pupkin Speaks
Film Discoveries of 2019 - Andy Ross
Depraved: Larry Fessenden Returns To the Frankenstein Legend
I'M IN A JESS FRANCO STATE OF MIND
CRIES OF PLEASURE/GEMIDOS DE PLACER (Jess Franco, 1982)
Too Much TV: DRACULA (2020)
In Theaters: 1917 (2019)
Cherry 2000 (1987), Blu-Ray review
The Hungover Gourmet
(Almost) All ALDI Fish Tacos
Video Junkie Strikes Back from Beyond the Grave
December to Dismember (2012-2019)
raculfright_13's blogo trasho
The Top 10 Blogo Trasho Movies of 2019, Chido Chido Chido, Trampa Infernal in Austin, Fruto Robado, Last Post of the Year. See Ya Next Year.
Unpopped Cinema
UNPOPPED CINEMA'S TOP 25 BEST DISCS OF 2019
Die, Danger, Die, Die, Kill!
Get in the holiday spirit with Podcast On Fire
The Projector has been Drinking
Pass Me the Product Nineteen
KRIMI IN THE POCKET GIALLO ON THE BRAIN
[INDEX] Krimi & Giallo Site Archive
CiNEZiLLA - Falling asleep to movies since 1970
Disney Star Wars and the Kiss of Life Trope... (Spoilers!)
Phantom of Pulp
Watch Purgatory Road for free
TOMB IT MAY CONCERN - David Zuzelo Scribbles on Mangled Media!
BOTTOMFEEDER - EIBON PRESS slams the sequential slime!
Hammer and Beyond
The Ugly Duckling (1959)
A Ryan Callaway Halloween Double Feature : "One Winter Night"
Exploitation Retrospect
Exhumed Films Horrorthon XIII: The Final (?!) Cut Recap
Johnny LaRue's Crane Shot
Robert Forster: An Interview
The Bleeding Tree
Mondo Macabro DVD
RIP Jay Douglas
Fascination: The Jean Rollin Experience
DRACULA'S FIANCEE and LOST IN NEW YORK on Blu-ray
The Amateurs (Usama Alshaibi, 2003)
SOLEDAD (Volume One) Now Available
The Good, the Bad, and Godzilla
"ULTRAMAN: NEW GENERATION CHRONICLES" STARTS ON TV TOKYO JANUARY 5TH!
The Paperback Film Projector
Paperback Procession: 72 Novelizations by Screenwriters
TEMPLE OF SCHLOCK
Mystery Movies Solved! The Kung Fu Edition
EUROPEAN TRASH CINEMA
Hi-Tech Terror #6
The Groovy Age of Horror
Zordon N. 38: Terzo Millennio (Third Millennium), published in October, 1976
That's All Vokes!
Fist of B-List
Force Four (1975)
The Giallo Files
Eyes of Crystal
Kentai's Films
No More Room In The Case: DAWN OF THE DEAD 4K Remastered Blu-ray Review
Antibacterial Pope
Bedroom Decorating Ideas For First Night Room Decorating
Blood Money - A History of of the First Teen Slasher Film Cycle
Basement of Ghoulish Decadence
Phantasm Ravager Deleted Scenes(?) End Credits Rundown
Films from the Far Reaches
The Grrrl Can't Help It
THE TRIAL OF MARY DUGAN (1929 & 1941)
Japanese VHS Hell
HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH(1992) ヘルレイザー3
The Dead Next Door: A Field Guide to Regional Horror Films
Manos Returns?
A Hero Never Dies
Claudio Simonetti's Goblin : Profondo Rosso Live @ Celluloid Screams
VHS Cover Scans
Cathy's Curse (1977)
euro fever
La morte scende leggera
ecco film and video - Home
"Bootsie"
Ninja Dixon
Schmollywood Babylon: What to find at Amazon in Germany 2!
http://ift.tt/1aLreDJ
Super Xuxa versus Satan (1988): or, Brazilian Wacks
By John Charles
2014: THE YEAR IN MOVIES
Scenes from the Morgue: Retro-Pulp Movie Ads
Is This the End of Scenes from the Morgue? Hardly...
Hallo, hier spricht......
Ady Berber (14 Feb 1913 – 03 Jan 1966)
Quasi-Interesting Paraphernalia, Inc.
Where is he now?
BAMBOO GODS AND BIONIC BOYS
SEARCH FOR WENG WENG: Week #2 update!
Vampiros and Monstruos
We are back! EL VAMPIRO trailer
Outcast Cinema
Nobuhiko Obayashi in NYC 12/5-12/10
Cult VHS
Horror on Snape Island aka Tower of evil
L.A. After Midnight
Eric Sherman: 2 Weeks With Orson Welles
Unknown Kino
Dracula Aema (드라큐라 애마) (1994)
WORLDWEIRD CINEMA
THE END OF WORLDWEIRD CINEMA?!? And the latest from Mondo Macabro!!
TORBOVISION
Slashers, Starlets and Sleaze: An Exploration of Horror and Exploitation Cinema
Seven Doors Hotel
Damaged 2.0
Scandy Factory, The
Rama Lama
Five Films (3)
Grab Bag (25)
In Search Of (2)
Odds and Ends (4)
Teasers (29)
Top Ten DVD Lists (2)
Upcoming Releases List (1)
VHS Archives (113)
Arcane Archive
Five Films: Leif Jonker
Welcome to Five Films, a self-descriptive feature here at Cinema Arcana where I invite guests to contribute lists of movies they feel are underrated. No rules, no limits -- just a quintet of motion pictures they'd love more people to know about. Hopefully in doing so we can turn you, the fearless reader, onto a gem you've previously skipped or remind you to rewatch a past favorite you've forgotten about.
Tonight's selections come from director Leif Jonker, a Viking-by-way-of-Kansas whose Super8 splattacular Darkness (1993) has long been one of my fave raves. Highlighted in an influential Fangoria article centering around D.I.Y. filmmakers, I tracked down its VHS release in the mid-'90s and was not disappointed; I eventually described the film in Deep Red magazine as "...a splatterrific good time, filled to bursting with 10-foot arterial sprays, chainsawed limbs, and a climactic meltdown orgy of explodin' noggins that'll have any worthwhile film-fan cheerin' themselves hoarse." Eleven years later, I still stand by those words. While he hasn't yet directed another feature (at least any that he'll own up to), Leif's been staying busy with shorts and commercials. As for Darkness, it received an amazing, essential, packed-to-the-rafters double-disc DVD release years back from Barrel Entertainment. Trust me, you need it. Additionally, to celebrate the film's 20th Anniversary, the guys at Vultra Video are releasing a Limited Edition Big Box VHS titled Darkness: The Metal Cut, a new, exclusive edit that restores the '90s headbanging anthems along with some more goodies. There's only 113 available, so if you're into that sort of thing, don't delay! But back here at Cinema Arcana, it's nostalgia time, as Leif takes us through his formative years. Without further ado...
When asked to contribute my list of Five Overlooked Flicks, a potential line-up instantly started to take form. It included titles I thought might be too obvious, a few that would hit the mark perfectly, and some that would appear to not fit the criteria at all -- though I'll happily argue that certain elements of the more widely known films are being overlooked. Romero's Knightriders, Friedkin's Bug and Cruising, Zulawski's Possession, The Changeling, Jack's Back, Local Hero, Howard S. Berger's Original Sins, Ronnie Sortor's Ravage, Guy Benoit's Crosley Fiver short, Real Men, Risky Business, Hair and Rocky were the first to come to mind, but the five I settled on are:
Going in Style (Martin Brest, 1979)
The Chuck Norris flick The Octagon was the first R-Rated movie I ever saw in a theater without an adult; I was accompanied by my buddy Scott Ford. The Black Hole was the first movie I ever saw on the big screen by myself; no adults, no friends. When The Black Hole was over I sneaked into the theater next door and caught the last two-thirds of Going in Style, a comedy starring George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg. Though I doubt I was the target audience, as I was only nine or ten years old at the time, I thought the flick was hilarious, touching and flat-out entertaining. I actually went back and bought a ticket so I could see it from the beginning and eventually ended up sneaking into the theater again and watching it a few more times before it was gone. Today, the movie is still fresh, funny and eminently watchable with a genuinely great script and wonderful performances. Screenwriter/director Martin Brest went on to make the big hit Midnight Run, the smash Beverly Hills Cop and the super-bomb Gigli, but in my opinion this is the one he should be known for at the end of the day. It's just a damn great flick. Most people I've spoken to have never heard of Going in Style, let alone seen it, so I don't want to spoil things by describing it to death, just check it out if you get a chance.
Fear No Evil (Frank LaLoggia, 1981)
My dad and I caught a number of drive-in triple-features back in the late '70s and early '80s. I remember watching several specific movies very clearly but the actual line-ups are a bit foggy now. I know we saw Fear No Evil on the tail-end of a triple-bill that included either The Hills Have Eyes, Friday the 13th, Prophecy, An Eye for an Eye, Vice Squad, ...or something else I can't remember. I feel like I recall saying The Hills Have Eyes was the most suspenseful of the three, Friday the 13th was the most scary, and Fear No Evil was easily the weirdest of the bunch, so it seems that was the lineup, but for years I assumed FNE played with An Eye for an Eye since they were both Avco/Embassy releases. Regardless, I thought the trailer was compelling, with the shot of the kid hurtling against the wall in gym class, and had almost caught FNE previously on a program with Phantasm and Maniac, but Philadelphia Inquirer critic Desmond Ryan had just written a huge article eviscerating Maniac as worthless, misogynistic gore-porn, so my dad refused to check it out. I'd have to wait a few years to finally see Maniac and Phantasm on video and HBO, respectively. Anywho, I first viewed FNE at the drive-in and it made an indelible impression. I was ten or eleven and didn't fully grasp the plot, nor the overt homoerotic themes, nor did I always understand what exactly was happening onscreen, but man, it was just such a bizarre, energetic movie made by a filmmaker with an undeniably unique vision and, in my estimation, clearly talent to burn. Sure, the film was all over the place, just wildly uneven, often seeming largely out-of-control, but I couldn't help digging the hell out of it. It features some damn good cast members who give excellent, compelling performances, and then there are some folks who I still wonder how they got onto the set. Its soundtrack is a bizarre mix of beautiful, driving, often furious original orchestral music (co-composed by the director LaLoggia) and a selection of punk and new wave songs from The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, Talking Heads, Boomtown Rats, B-52's and others. There's carefully composed camerawork with exciting, atmospheric cinematography throughout (the time lapse on the house being a personal favorite moment), along with bright, garish, unconvincing optical effects that my friend Steve Turner appropriately called, "Disney-esque." Of all the flicks on my list, Fear No Evil is the one that will leave most scratching their heads wondering what I was thinking, but there'll be a few who get it. And if you get it, you'll get it good.
Get Crazy (Allan Arkush, 1983)
This one actually had a brief theatrical run when I was a kid, even playing at the Westmont Theater in nearby Haddonfield, NJ, but I didn't see Get Crazy until I stumbled upon it late one night a year or two later on cable. This was long before I eventually saw The Decline of Western Civilization or Streets of Fire, so this was my first exposure to the majesty that is Lee Ving -- who delivers a high-voltage supporting performance as a crazed rock star. (This guy could've and should've had a bigger film career.) It also features one of my three all-time favorite performances from Malcolm McDowell (the other two being A Clockwork Orange and Time After Time) and Daniel Stern (the other two being Breaking Away and C.H.U.D.). According to the IMDB, Linnea Quigley even has an uncredited role as a groupie. This was a flick that I, like most folks, would dismiss at first glance as a forgettable, goofball comedy, but like Real Men, there's something else at work here -- a fast-flowing, comedic energy coming from a fresh, imaginative film-making perspective. High-art? No, but in a world where Adam Sandler is remaking Summer School and factory-produced titles like Epic Movie and its ilk are cleaning up at the box office, I'll happily Get Crazy instead any day. (Just now looking at IMDB, I had forgotten it was directed by the great Allan Arkush who also gave us the immortal Rock 'n' Roll High School.)
When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? (Milton Katselas, 1979)
When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? popped up on HBO one night to surprise my unsuspecting family with a dropkick to the gut. I was eleven or twelve and thought it was a pretty damn tough, rough, riveting experience, particularly when Marjoe Gortner pulled Lee Grant's sweater up over her head and then beat the hell out of her husband, played by Hal Linden. At this point my dad suddenly got pissed off, angrily growling something about, "...watching this vile fucking bullshit on my TV..." and turned the channel. I finally caught the movie in its entirety a couple weeks later when it showed in the middle of the night and it continued to deliver on the promise of what I had seen earlier. Red Ryder did have a limited VHS release but I don't think it ever hit laserdisc or DVD. A couple of years ago I tracked down a bootleg copy and found that, though the overall film and writing was more raggedy around the edges than I had remembered, it still retained a lot of its brute power. Worth a watch if you can track it down.
Sorcerer (William Friedkin, 1977)
Ten or so years ago I was out in L.A. during some last-ditch financing efforts for my proposed Demon Machine project. I was talking to a development executive at a fairly big studio who told me William Friedkin was her favorite director. I agreed that he was also among my favorites, saying, "I'm one of the few people I'm aware of who really loves Sorcerer." This development exec, with quite a bit of power to pass movies up the line of consideration, had never heard of it. I asked her, "So, you're a big fan of The French Connection?" She had never seen it. Nope, though she had never heard of Sorcerer nor seen French Connection, Friedkin was her "favorite director" because The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen had just received tons of press and promotion during its recent $50-million grossing theatrical re-release. These are the folks deciding what movies you get to see, people. Anyway, I absolutely love Sorcerer and have since I was 14 or 15. I pretty much read anything about this flick that I can find. I just devoured William Friedkin's autobiography, 'The Friedkin Connection,' and had previously read the bio 'Hurricane Billy,' along with Stephen King's comments in his 'Danse Macabre.' Over the years I've heard many theories/reasons why it bombed upon its release in 1977, the most common being that Star Wars killed it, but I still don't get why it didn't find an audience. I was only eight years old when I first saw the promos on television, and the shots of the truck crossing that perilously-swinging, decaying bridge absolutely mesmerized me. I was eight and even then I realized this was a special shot, that something was happening here beyond what other movies offered. I had seen Star Wars and Jaws but I still wanted to see this movie Sorcerer, too, but I'd have to wait a few years. When I did finally check it out I found it on RCA Videodisc. We rented The Wild Bunch, Cruising, Phantasm and Sorcerer that night, plus an RCA player, and taped the movies off onto our Betamax. It was a hell of a line-up that evening. I had seen Phantasm a few times by then but none of the other movies and they all lived up to their reputations and/or my expectations. Sorcerer will potentially be discovered by a larger audience soon as it's currently being remastered in 4k and will be screening at various film festival and theatrical dates before hitting Blu-Ray. Hopefully it will finally get its due as a superior piece of dramatic, action / adventure filmmaking. I'm often asked what my favorite movie of all time is and I honestly can't say with absolute certainty, but this is always one of the main contenders. I can only hope someday making-of production footage surfaces to provide the basis for a Hearts of Darkness-type documentary.
Thanks for the list, Leif!
For a look at our other Five Films rosters, click here!
© 2013 -- Bruce Holecheck / Leif Jonker. All Rights Reserved.
Posted by bruce holecheck at 10:14 PM 3 comments:
Labels: Allan Arkush, Fear No Evil, Five Films, Frank LaLoggia, Get Crazy, Going in Style, Leif Jonker, Martin Brest, Milton Katselas, Sorcerer, When You Comin' Back Red Ryder, William Friedkin


French Baby Boy Names and Baby Girl Names including Meanings of Names.
Lucien French A form of Lucius, meaning "light." Art..
Lyle French "island." Football defensive lineman Lyl..
Madeleine French Signifies "woman of Magdala." Famous Mad..


text:
U.S. v. Pompa
U.S. v. Santacruz
This court reviews a district court's decision to admit Rule 404(b) evidence for abuse of discretion, with…
U.S. v. Diaz
We review a district court's decision to admit Rule 404(b) evidence for abuse of discretion, with heightened…
Full title:UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Miguel Angel POMPA, Jos…
Court:United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
434 F.3d 800 (5th Cir. 2005)
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
stating that evidentiary rulings are reviewed for abuse of discretion, though that review is heightened in criminal cases
Summary of this case from U.S. v. Fuller
See 1 Summary
No. 04-40660.
Vijay Shanker, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Crim. Div., Washington, DC, James Lee Turner, Asst. U.S. Atty., Houston, TX, for U.S.
Jose Luis Ramos, Sr., Rio Grande City, TX, for Miguel and José Pompa.
Mike J. DeGeurin, Foreman, DeGeurin, Nugent Gerger, Houston, TX, for Bazan.
Appeals from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Before REAVLEY, HIGGINBOTHAM and GARZA, Circuit Judges.
EMILIO M. GARZA, Circuit Judge:
This appeal arises from the conviction of the three appellants, Miguel Angel Pompa, José Feliciano Pompa (collectively, "the Pompas"), and Baltazar Bazan ("Bazan") on charges of conspiring to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(B), and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 18 U.S.C. § 2. Appellants challenge the denial of their motions to suppress physical evidence, certain evidentiary rulings, and the sufficiency of the evidence supporting their convictions.
Officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety ("DPS") began observing a white tractor-trailer parked at a truck stop restaurant, the Silver Spur, near Pharr, Texas. The tractor-trailer had remained at the restaurant long enough to attract the attention of an informant, who told the DPS of its lengthy stay. The informant explained at trial that tractor-trailer drivers typically are paid only for how much and how far they haul and that therefore the extended stay of an obviously empty truck attracted his suspicion. The white tractor-trailer, driven by Jorge Hughes, eventually left the restaurant and drove west to a small ranch near Mission, Texas. A blue Chevrolet pickup also arrived at the ranch, and DPS officers saw Hughes speaking with the unknown occupants of the blue pickup. Several weeks later, the DPS officers were informed that the white tractor-trailer was again at the Silver Spur and this time had been joined by a red tractor-trailer from the same Florida trucking company. A few days later, DPS officers saw the occupants of the red tractor-trailer meet with the occupants of a maroon and grey Dodge pickup truck.
The following week, DPS troopers followed the red tractor-trailer as it traveled north along the border. En route, they stopped the tractor-trailer for inspection. The troopers determined that the driver of the red tractor-trailer was Juan Sanchez and the passenger was Hughes. Sanchez and Hughes stated that they were traveling to Laredo to pick up produce. The tractor-trailer was empty at that time, and the officers permitted them to continue on to Laredo.
As commercial vehicle inspection officers, state troopers are permitted to stop and inspect commercial vehicles, such as the tractor-trailer. See 37 TEX. ADMIN. CODE § 4.13, et seq. (2005) (Dept. of Public Safety, Commercial Vehicle Regulations and Enforcement Procedures).
Juan Sanchez was a co-defendant with the appellants, but does not appeal his conviction or sentence.
The next day, at a Laredo cold storage unit, Hughes and Sanchez loaded broccoli into the tractor-trailer. The tractor-trailer left Laredo and traveled south towards McAllen, Texas. As the officers followed the truck, they determined that the back doors of the tractor-trailer were locked and sealed. As they testified at trial, seals are put on the rear doors of the trailer at loading and cannot be removed without being broken or cut. Their purpose is to prevent tampering with the load prior to its arrival at the destination specified on the Bill of Lading. DPS officers followed the tractor-trailer to a small convenience store near La Blanca, Texas (a town near the border) and watched as Hughes and Sanchez met with the occupants of the same maroon and grey pickup that had been observed earlier at the Silver Spur. The two vehicles left simultaneously, and the tractor-trailer followed the maroon and grey pickup to a ranch property a few miles to the northwest. Soon after the trucks' arrival, all the lights on the ranch and the vehicles were turned off. The officers heard the trailer door open, heard voices, and saw lights from flashlights inside the trailer, held by persons who appeared to be on top of the load.
The tractor-trailer departed the ranch after about an hour. DPS officers followed, observing that now the seal on the back of the truck was broken. After being stopped for a traffic violation, the driver, Sanchez, gave written consent for a search of the tractor-trailer. He specifically denied coming from the ranch and instead asserted that he had gotten lost coming from Laredo. These statements were reported immediately to the other DPS officers. The officers ultimately found approximately 214 kilograms of marijuana secreted in the middle of the tractor-trailer and placed the driver under arrest.
After the tractor-trailer had left the ranch, the blue pickup that had been observed earlier at the Silver Spur also departed, driving at speeds of up to 90 mph. The driver, Bazan, was stopped and gave conflicting answers to officers' questions. After the marijuana was discovered in the tractor-trailer, he also was placed under arrest by DPS officers.
Soon after Bazan left the ranch, so did the maroon and grey pickup. DPS agents stopped the pickup and questioned the occupants, who included the Pompas. José Pompa said that he had been at the ranch for a barbeque with a friend, but could not name the friend, and denied that he had seen any tractor-trailer. The Pompas and the driver were handcuffed and taken back to the ranch. Later, at the county jail, the booking officers found "broccoli beads" and green stains consistent with broccoli on Bazan's and the Pompas' clothing.
II A
The appellants contend that the district court erred in denying their motion to suppress the broccoli beads and stains that were gathered from their clothing, arguing that the evidence was gathered incident to an unlawful arrest. Based on its findings of fact, the district court held that probable cause to arrest existed when the trucks departed the ranch and denied the motion to suppress. When reviewing a district court's denial of a motion to suppress evidence as obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, we review the factual determinations for clear error and the legal conclusions de novo. United States v. Gonzalez, 328 F.3d 755, 758 (5th Cir. 2003). A determination of probable cause involves the assessment of the "events which occurred leading up to the stop or search, and then the decision whether these historical facts, viewed from the standpoint of an objectively reasonable police officer, amount to . . . probable cause." Ornelas v. United States, 517 U.S. 690, 696, 116 S.Ct. 1657, 134 L.Ed.2d 911 (1996). Thus, while we review the legal conclusions de novo, the "inferences drawn from those facts by resident judges and local law enforcement officers" will be given due weight. See id. at 699, 116 S.Ct. 1657.
On appeal, each appellant argues that officers lacked reasonable suspicion to stop their pickups and perform an investigatory detention. Specifically, they argue that no illegal activity was observed by DPS officers prior to their stopping of the vehicles. Bazan concedes that because of his traffic violation, the initial stop was constitutional, while the Pompas argue that even their initial stop was not based on reasonable suspicion. All three further argue that their detention, even if justifiable as an investigatory stop under Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968), continued on so long as to develop into a full-blown arrest. Appellants assert that because they were stopped and held while other DPS officers searched the tractor-trailer in another location, their detention went on too long and therefore developed into an arrest prior to the discovery of the marijuana. See United States v. Dortch, 199 F.3d 193, 200 (5th Cir. 1999) (restating the well-established rule that investigatory detentions cannot last longer than necessary to fulfill the purpose of the initial stop). They conclude that their arrests were unsupported by probable cause and therefore that all evidence gathered after the arrest should be suppressed. See United States v. Wadley, 59 F.3d 510, 512 (5th Cir. 1995) (stating that evidence gathered subsequent to an invalid arrest is subject to suppression under the Fourth Amendment).
All appellants argue that no illegal activity had been observed by the DPS officers at the time they stopped the appellants. However, such lack of directly observable illegality does not preclude a finding of probable cause. Hart v. O'Brien, 127 F.3d 424, 444 (5th Cir. 1997) (citing United States v. Pentado, 463 F.2d 355, 361 (5th Cir. 1972)). In United States v. Garcia, 179 F.3d 265 (5th Cir. 1999), we held that the Border Police had probable cause to arrest the defendants for drug smuggling without direct observation of the illegal activities. Id. at 268. In that case, the Border Police knew the defendants were traveling at night along a known drug trail, their footprints indicated they were carrying a heavy weight, they appeared evasive and nervous, and they gave conflicting answers to police questions. Id. at 269. While each of these facts, standing alone, might not be incriminating, taken together, they allowed a reasonable Border Police officer to assume that there was a fair probability of drug smuggling. Id. at 269-70.
Similarly, at the time DPS officers stopped each of the appellants, the officers were aware of a series of events which, when taken together, constituted probable cause to arrest. See United States v. Muniz-Melchor, 894 F.2d 1430, 1438 (5th Cir. 1990) ("A succession of otherwise `innocent' circumstances or events . . . may constitute probable cause when viewed as a whole."). The officers had noted the unusually lengthy stay of each tractor-trailer at the Silver Spur, as well as interactions between the various occupants of the vehicles. After the produce was loaded in Laredo, the tractor-trailer traveled along the border and was ultimately stopped to the southeast of Laredo, not on the route to the northeastern city of New York, the ostensible destination for the broccoli according to the Bill of Lading. DPS had observed the suspicious behavior at the ranch: the lights were doused, individuals appeared to have entered the back of the trailer and were walking on top of the load, carrying flashlights. Once the tractor-trailer had departed the ranch, the DPS officers could see that the seal on the back of the tractor-trailer had been broken and replaced with a simple padlock. Upon being questioned, the driver of the tractor-trailer gave false and conflicting stories to the DPS officers, information that was immediately conveyed to the other officers involved. Accepting the facts as found by the district court, we hold that, at the time the appellants left the ranch, probable cause to believe that they were involved in drug activity existed. Therefore, the district court did not err when it admitted broccoli beads and broccoli-stained clothing gathered incident to the arrest.
Because we find probable cause to arrest existed when the appellants left the ranch, we need not consider appellants' arguments that the DPS officers' actions constituted an investigatory stop that developed into an unlawful arrest. See Garcia, 179 F.3d at 268 (observing that even if the extended detention of individuals constituted a " de facto arrest," if probable cause to arrest existed, then the arrest was not unlawful).
Bazan contends that the district court erred in admitting evidence of his prior conviction for conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute. See Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) (permitting the admission of evidence of other crimes for purposes other than action in conformity therewith, "such as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence or mistake or accident"). Evidence of prior offenses is admissible if "it is (1) relevant to an issue other than the defendant's character, and (2) the incremental probative value of the evidence is not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice to the defendant." United States v. Thomas, 348 F.3d 78, 86 (5th Cir. 2003) (quoting United States v. Peters, 283 F.3d 300, 312 (5th Cir. 2002)). Bazan argues that the government had not established the relevancy of the prior conviction, asserting that the prior conviction is not sufficiently similar to the instant charges to warrant admission for the limited purposes allowed by 404(b). We review a district court's decision to admit Rule 404(b) evidence for abuse of discretion, though this review is "necessarily heightened" in criminal cases. United States v. Gonzalez, 76 F.3d 1339, 1347 (5th Cir. 1996).
The relevancy argument is frivolous. The prior charge and the instant charge are identical. Both involved conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, the only difference being in the amount of marijuana involved. Necessarily, the mens rea for the offense is identical. See United States v. Gordon, 780 F.2d 1165, 1174 (5th Cir. 1986). In a drug-trafficking case, the issue of intent is always material. Id. at 86. Since Bazan plead not guilty the issue of intent was sufficiently raised to permit the admission of Rule 404(b) evidence. See Gonzalez, 76 F.3d at 1347 (holding that a not guilty plea to "raises the issue of intent sufficiently to justify the admission of Rule 404(b) evidence"). Therefore, the district court did not abuse its discretion by admitting the extrinsic evidence of a prior conviction for conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute.
Bazan argues further that the jury instruction given by the district court on the proper use of prior conviction evidence was overly broad, as it permitted the jury to consider the extrinsic evidence for issues other than knowledge of the controlled substance. We review a properly-objected-to jury instruction by assessing whether the court's charge is "a correct statement of the law and whether it clearly instructs jurors as to the principles of law applicable to the factual issues confronting them." United States v. Mendoza-Medina, 346 F.3d 121, 132 (5th Cir. 2003) (quoting United States v. Lara-Velasquez, 919 F.2d 946, 950 (5th Cir. 1990)). A broad instruction, without more, is not reversible error. United States v. Hernandez-Guevara, 162 F.3d 863, 873-74 (5th Cir. 1998). The district court's instructions tracked almost verbatim the language of Rule 404(b) and were drawn from the pattern jury instructions. See Fifth Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions: Criminal § 1.30 (2001). The district court explained that the extrinsic evidence could not be used to determine whether the defendants committed the acts charged in the indictment, but could only be used for the articulated, permissible purposes if the jurors found, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendants did commit the acts at issue. See United States v. Brugman, 364 F.3d 613, 621, n. 3 (5th Cir. 2004) (noting with approval a limiting instruction in the district court's jury charge that limited the jury's use of the extrinsic evidence). Therefore, the district court properly instructed the jury on the permissible uses of the extrinsic evidence.
Bazan also challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his conviction. During trial, Bazan moved for a judgment of acquittal and we therefore review the evidence to determine whether a "rational jury could have found the essential elements of the offenses beyond a reasonable doubt." United States v. Dean, 59 F.3d 1479, 1484 (5th Cir. 1995) (quoting United States v. Pruneda-Gonzalez, 953 F.2d 190, 193 (5th Cir. 1992)). Evidence, both direct and circumstantial, and "all reasonable inferences and credibility choices," will be viewed in the light most favorable to the government. United States v. Galvan, 949 F.2d 777, 783 (5th Cir. 1991) (quoting United States v. Ruiz, 860 F.2d 615, 617 (5th Cir. 1988)).
Neither of the Pompas addressed the sufficiency-of-the-evidence argument in their opening briefs, instead filing supplemental briefs on the subject. Any issue not raised in an appellant's opening brief is deemed waived. FED. R. App. P. 28(a)(9)(A); United Paperworkers Int'l Union AFL-CIO v. Champion Int'l Corp., 908 F.2d 1252, 1255 (5th Cir. 1990).
In order to prove conspiracy to possess and distribute a controlled substance, the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt: "(1) the existence of an agreement between two or more persons [to violate narcotics laws]; (2) the defendant's knowledge of the agreement; and (3) the defendant's voluntary participation in the conspiracy." United States v. Sacerio, 952 F.2d 860, 863 (5th Cir. 1992). In order to prove possession with intent to distribute drugs, the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt: (1) knowledge; (2) possession; and (3) intent to distribute the controlled substance. United States v. Solis, 299 F.3d 420, 446 (5th Cir. 2002). Even in the absence of direct personal involvement, a defendant can be convicted of those substantive offenses based on his participation in the conspiracy. Pinkerton v. United States, 328 U.S. 640, 646-47, 66 S.Ct. 1180, 90 L.Ed. 1489 (1946).
Bazan argues that the government did not prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, all the elements of the charges at issue. While it is true that this is predominantly a circumstantial evidence case as there are no eyewitnesses to the actual handling of the marijuana nonetheless, the circumstantial evidence in this case is very strong and permitted the jury to infer Bazan's knowing participation in the conspiracy. While presence and association alone cannot establish a defendant's participation in a conspiracy, the jury is permitted to "consider presence and association, along with other evidence, in finding conspiratorial activity by the defendant." United States v. Chavez, 947 F.2d 742, 745 (5th Cir. 1991). The jury heard evidence of Bazan's interactions with the others on trial, in particular Hughes, prior to the tractor-trailer arriving at the ranch. They heard testimony that Bazan was in phone contact with the other defendants, the ranch where the marijuana was loaded, and unknown individuals in New York (the ultimate destination of the tractor-trailer and marijuana), contact which increased in frequency just before the drugs were loaded on the tractor-trailer. Bazan was present at the ranch the night the marijuana was loaded and ultimately traveled away from the ranch at high speeds in a pickup registered in the same name as the maroon and grey pickup containing the Pompas. The facts constitute sufficient evidence for a rational jury to conclude that Bazan had engaged in a conspiracy with his co-defendants.
Regarding the possession charge, a rational jury could infer that Bazan helped load the marijuana onto the tractor-trailer from Bazan's presence at the ranch, the evidence that individuals entered the back of the truck, and the broccoli residue found on his clothing. See United States v. Martinez, 190 F.3d 673, 676 (5th Cir. 1999). This evidence alone supports a finding of both the substantive and conspiracy charges. His conviction may also be supported under Pinkerton, which allows for conviction of the underlying substantive offence based on the defendant's participation in the conspiracy. See Pinkerton, 328 U.S. at 640, 66 S.Ct. 1180. The evidence is sufficient to support Bazan's conviction because a rational jury could conclude that the government proved each element of the crime of possession of a controlled substance beyond a reasonable doubt. See United States v. Gonzales, 121 F.3d 928, 935 (5th Cir. 1997).
Accordingly, the appellants' convictions for conspiracy and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute are AFFIRMED.


For seven years now, Blue Heart partner Center for Environment and the entire Coalition for Sana are gathering at the sources of Sana River in order to fight the construction of hydropower plant Medna, which is being constructed by the Austrian-German Kelag company. The Sana is one of the last remaining rivers that provides habitat for the Huchen - an endangered fish species particularly vulnerable to dams. The Medna construction is an environmental crime against the river Sana.
Many thanks to Matic Oblak for the video.


Citation details: Year: 1910; Census Place: Union, Vernon, Wisconsin; Roll: T624_1740; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0150; Image: 1049; FHL microfilm: 1375753.
Citation details: Year: 1920; Census Place: Forest, Vernon, Wisconsin; Roll: T625_2019; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 188; Image: 151.
Citation details: Number: ; Issue State: Wisconsin; Issue Date: 1962.
Citation details: Newspaper: Wisconsin State Journal; Publication Date: 6 Jun 2007; Publication Place: Madison , WI , US.
Citation details: Number: 392-22-3279; Issue State: Wisconsin; Issue Date: Before 1951.


text:
Q: Tengo dos action para una sola ruta pero no se como armar la URL Tengo un problema que no he podido solucionar, tengo una ruta con hijo, como esto:
'apps' => array(
    'type'          => 'Segment',
    'options'       => array(
        'route'       => '/apps[/[:action[/:id]]]',
        'constraints' => array(
            'action' => '[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_-]*',
        ),
        'defaults'    => array(
            'controller' => 'Apps\Controller\Index',
            'action'     => 'index'
        ),
    ),
    'may_terminate' => true,
    'child_routes'  => array(
        'ximages' => array(
            'type'    => 'Segment',
            'options' => array(
                'route'       => '/ximages[/[:action[/:id_ximage]]]',
                'constraints' => array(
                    'controller' => '[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_-]*',
                    'action'     => '[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_-]*',
                ),
                'defaults'    => array(
                    'controller' => 'Apps\Controller\xImages',
                    'action'     => 'index'
                )
            ),
        ),
    ),
),

Ahora en el archivo .phtml quiero acceder a la ruta http://miserver/apps/view/1/ximages/images/1 y lo que hago es lo siguiente:
echo $this->url('apps/ximages', array(
        'action'    => 'view',
        'id'        => 1,
        'id_ximage' => 2
    ));

Pero ese código solo me imprime a la ruta http://miserver/apps/view/1/ximages/index/1 y no se como se le puede pasar el nombre del action de la ruta hija.

A: En teoría, el array que vas pasar a $this->url(...) no debería tener dos key iguales, creo que podría causar errores al montar la url, y aún más tratándose de la parte que resuelve controller y action, que no debería producir ambigüedades.
La ruta que estás montando debería tener todos estos parámetros:
echo $this->url('apps/ximages', array(
    'action'    => 'view', // <-- parent
    'id'        => 1,
    'action'    => 'images', // <-- child
    'id_ximage' => 2
));

Cosa que no debe ser posible por lo antes comentado. Al no poder resolver el segundo action, toma el que tiene por defecto el route que es el index.
Algo que se me ocurre sería pasar los parámetros de la ruta padre a la ruta hija mediante la modificación del route.
'child_routes' => array(
    'ximages' => array(
        'type'    => 'Segment',
        'options' => array(
            'route'       => '/:parent_action/:parent_id/ximages[/[:action[/:id_ximage]]]',
            'constraints' => array(
                'parent_action' => '[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_-]+',
                'parent_id'     => '[0-9]+',
                'action'        => '[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_-]*',
                'id_ximage'     => '[0-9]*',
            ),
            'defaults'    => array(
                'controller' => 'Apps\Controller\xImages',
                'action'     => 'index'
            )
        ),
    ),
)

Llamándolo así:
echo $this->url('apps/ximages', array(
    'parent_action' => 'view',
    'parent_id'     => 1,
    'action'        => 'images',
    'id_ximage'     => 2
));

De nuevo, en teoría, al tener los parámetros action e id del route padre configurado como que puede o no estar presente en la url, debería resolver con la ruta que estás buscando.
No lo he probado, pero a raíz de como resuelve las rutas zf2 debería ser una alternativa a tu pregunta.
De no ser así, y al montar la url te solicita que faltan los parámetros de la ruta padre, se debería cambiar el planteamiento de la construcción de las rutas y montar la clásica 'route' => ':controller/:action/:id1/:id2/...'
Depende de como se planteen las rutas pueden ser un elemento más con el que trabajar, o generarte verdaderos dolores de cabeza.

EDITO

He montado un módulo de prueba y el problema es lo que venía diciendo desde el inicio. Dos key iguales en el route genera problemas, ya que resuelve primero el action del route apps y deja por defecto el action del route apps/ximages.
Con el planteamiento que realizo, a pesar de ser parámetros opcionales, hay que pasar forzosamente los parámetros action e id si son variables y no se pasa un valor por defecto.
Así que de querer mantener esta estrategia de routes, con parámetros variables, (sobre todo el action), tendrías que buscar la forma de inyectar los parámetros del route apps y después montar el ViewHelper $this->url(...). Solución que va a resultar más tediosa de construir y mantener, y desconozco si funcionaría correctamente.
Particularmente lo solucionaría poniendo el route paralelo a apps en vez de como un hijo.
'apps'    => array(
    'type'    => 'Zend\Mvc\Router\Http\Segment',
    'options' => array(
        'route'       => '/apps[/[:action[/:id[/]]]]',
        'constraints' => array(
            'action' => '[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_-]*',
            'id'     => '[0-9]*',
        ),
        'defaults'    => array(
            'controller' => 'Application\Controller\Index',
            'action'     => 'index',
        ),
    ),
),

'ximages' => array(
    'type'    => 'Zend\Mvc\Router\Http\Segment',
    'options' => array(
        'route'       => '/apps/:parent_action/:parent_id/ximages[/[:action[/:id_ximage[/]]]]',
        'constraints' => array(
            'parent_action' => '[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_-]+',
            'parent_id'     => '[0-9]+',
            'action'        => '[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_-]*',
            'id_ximage'     => '[0-9]*',
        ),
        'defaults'    => array(
            'controller' => 'Application\Controller\Other',
            'action'     => 'index'
        )
    ),
),

Y montar el ViewHelper
$this->url('ximages', array(
    'parent_action' => 'view',
    'parent_id'     => 2,
    'action'        => 'images',
    'id_ximage'     => 9,
));

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange