text:
Tag Archives: Monterey Media
Posted on January 22, 2016 by carlosdev
A noir setup.
(2010) Thriller (Monterey Media) Tygh Runyan, Shannyn Sossamon, Dominique Swain, John Diehl, Cliff De Young, Waylon Payne, Robert Kolar, Nic Paul, Fabio Testi, Fabio Tricamo, Moxie, Peter Bart, Pete Manos, Mallory Culbert, Beck Latimore, Thomas Nelson, Bonnie Pointer, Jim Galan, Jim Rowell, Gregory Rentis, Larry Lerner, Lathan McKay, Michael Bigham, Araceli Lemos, Sarah Dorsey. Directed by Monte Hellman
I have heard it said that movies are a reflection of real life, and as time has gone by, real life has become a reflection of the movies. There is an awful lot of truth in that, sometimes more than we know.
Mitchell Haven (Runyan) is a moviemaker working on a film in North Carolina about a crime scandal. He has hired virtual unknown actress Lauren Graham (Sossamon) to play the role of Velma Duran (Sossamon), daughter of a Cuban national involved in an embezzling scheme with politician Rafe Taschen, played by actor Cary Stewart (De Young).
But art may well be imitating art as the director begins to fall for his leading lady, who may know more about the original crime than she lets on. And as flashbacks of the original crime tell us, the lines between movie and life are starting to blur significantly.
There is a definite noir feel here almost to the point of parody. Hellman is well-known for more anti-establishment sorts of films that tend to break rules and take chances. This is as mainstream a film as he's directed (at least that I've seen), Silent Night Deadly Night 3 notwithstanding – it was subversive for its time as I recall (I haven't seen it in almost 20 years).
I have to admit that most of my impression of Sossamon has been fairly rote, but she really shines here and proves that she is well-suited to a mysterious femme fatale role. She tends to get more sexpot roles and while she does well with those, the added air of mystery and potential mayhem really suits her. Not that Shannyn Sossamon is planning to murder anyone, mind you. She just plays someone like that on TV….or, in this movie.
One of the big problems here is that Hellman jumps back and forth from the movie to the crime (using the same actors playing the actors who committed the crime) and very often you are confused as to what you are watching which I suspect is deliberate on Hellman's part. Fiction and reality collide and merge until it is impossible to tell which is which and perhaps that's the whole point. It didn't work for me however, possibly because I was being overly analytical about it. Sometimes it's best just to let things kind of happen and allow them to wash over you without overthinking them.
This is a bit intellectual as noir films go, and a bit noir as intellectual films go. It's really neither six of one nor half a dozen of the other and curiously unsatisfying when all is said and done. This isn't the movie I would have expected Hellman to mount a comeback on. Not that I want to see him rehash his old style but I would have hoped for something a little less pedantic than this.
WHY RENT THIS: Sossamon is at her very best.
WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: Often confusing, particularly as to timeline.
FAMILY VALUES: Foul language (though not a ton) and a brief scene of violence.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: This was Hellman's first feature film in 21 years.
NOTABLE HOME VIDEO EXTRAS: A Q&A from the Nashville Film Festival and on the Blu-Ray edition, an interview with Sossamon.
BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE: $161,619 on a $5M production budget.
SITES TO SEE: Netflix (DVD Rental only), Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, M-Go
COMPARISON SHOPPING: The Shameless
NEXT: The Bank Job
Posted in DVD Review	| Tagged based on a novel, Bonnie Pointer, cinema, Cinema365, Cliff De Young, corruption, Dominique Swain, DVD Reviews, film noir, film within a film, Films, John Diehl, love triangle, Monte Hellman, Monterey Media, movies, murder, North Carolina, Peter Bart, reality blurs, Road to Nowhere, Shannyn Sossamon, suicide, thriller	| Leave a reply
The Red Baron (Der rote Baron)
Posted on November 28, 2014 by carlosdev
The bloody Red Baron on the prowl for Snoopy.
(2008) Biographical Drama (Monterey Media) Matthias Schweighofer, Til Schweiger, Lena Headey, Joseph Fiennes, Maxim Mehmet, Hanno Kofler, Volker Bruch, Richard Krajko, Steffan Schroeder, Lukas Prizkazky, Iveta Jirickova, Vlastina Svatkova, Axel Prahl, Gitta Schweighofer, Brano Holicek, Julie Engelbrecht, Jan Vlasak, Luise Bahr, Irena Machova. Directed by Nikolai Muellerschoen
During the First World War, it wasn't just a collision of nations. It was the 19th century being pulled forward, violently, into the 20th. The concepts of nobility and civility were turned around by the nose by the realities of brutal, modern warfare.
Baron Manfred von Richtofen (Schweighofer) came from the German nobility, but nonetheless had a fascination with flying. While most of his class would be joining the cavalry – a gentleman's pursuit – von Richtofen was firm that when World War I started, he would join the Imperial German Air Service, the predecessor of the Luftwaffe. That was where, he felt, he belonged and his success showed him to be correct. With his brother Lothar (Bruch) and friends Werner Voss (Schweiger) and Friedrich Sternberg (Mehmet) at his side, he had formed the Flying Circus, a brigade second to none in shooting down enemy planes during the war.
One such victim was Captain Roy Brown (Fiennes) of Canada. Von Richtofen pulled the wounded flyer from the wreckage of his plane and with the assistance of passing nurse Kate Otersdorf (Headey) helps apply a tourniquet to his leg before leaving the Canadian in the care of the nurse.
Von Richtofen is appalled when his Lothar strafes and kills an enemy pilot who had already been forced down. Later he gets into a dogfight with Brown who had escaped the German POW camp that he'd been taken to after being nursed to health by Kate. Once again von Richtofen shoots down the Canadian and lands to see if he's all right, damaging his own plane in the process. In No-Man's land, the two share a friendly drink at which time the Red Baron, as he has come to be called by the Allies, discovers that the nurse who'd tended to Brown was in love with the dashing German air fighter
Upon his return, von Richtofen receives the news that his friend Sternberg has been shot down and killed, which sends the Baron into an emotional tailspin, much to Lothar's disgust. During an ensuing dogfight, von Richtofen is wounded in the skull and sent to be cared for – but you can guess who now can't you?
As Kate and Manfred begin to grow closer, Kate is disturbed by von Richtofen's cavalier attitude towards the war. She takes him on a tour of the hospital and gives him a tongue lashing for treating the war like a game. As his friends and protégés continue to be shot down like flies, the Red Baron discovers that he is being used by the German high command to sell a war they can't win. When he speaks out to his commanding officers about it, he is sent back to active combat after having been offered a position in the Rear Echelon. So back to the skies he takes for a final date with destiny.
This is a gorgeously shot film that makes the most of its aerial footage. Some of those sequences are really well-shot (the ones with practical aircraft), although the CGI dogfights are unconvincing for the most part. This was one of the most expensive movies made in Germany to this date (and also one of the biggest flops) but it doesn't appear much of the budget went to computer effects.
The dialogue is also cringe-inducing and florid. For example, at one point a melancholy Manfred tells Kate "You are my greatest triumph" as he prepares to march off to his doom. Cue weepy violins. Of course, it might have been more meaningful had there been an actual romance between the two. All that is really known is that there was a nurse named Kate Otersdorf and von Richtofen knew her. How romantic the relationship was is subject to conjecture; there are no records and no correspondence confirming it. Certainly there could have been but the very class-conscious von Richtofen might not have been amenable to a relationship with someone of a lower social class.
And about the real von Richtofen. Yes, there's no doubt that he was a gentleman of his time but the chivalry that he espoused was a lot different than what we think of the term today. Not only did he not get angry about strafing enemy pilots, he encouraged it. He often targeted pilots once the gunner had been taken out; that was a way of ensuring that the pilot wouldn't live to fight another day. While he felt camaraderie with enemy pilots and often saluted them as antagonists, he had a war to win and knew that in order to win it Germany must have control of the skies.
Still, it is pleasant to see combatants portrayed in such a manner and there is no doubt that enemies treated each other with greater respect back then than they do now. In some ways, The Red Baron is a bit of an anachronism in its own way as having Captain Brown exclaim to Manfred "She has the hots for you!" The filmmakers try hard to make an inspiring, thrilling war epic but sadly end up making the movie look like just another bloated, failed war picture that has enough going for it to be worth a look but not enough to look all that hard for it.
WHY RENT THIS: Some nice aerial footage. Heroic portrayal of a bygone age.
WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: Stilted dialogue. A few too many historical liberties.
FAMILY VALUES: Plenty of wartime violence and some sensuality.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Although the movie was a German production shot in Eastern Europe, the dialogue was shot in English in hopes of attracting an international audience.
NOTABLE HOME VIDEO EXTRAS: There's a featurette on the real Red Baron.
BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE: $40,239 on a $22.4M production budget.
SITES TO SEE: Netflix (Rent DVD/Rent Blu-Ray/Stream), Amazon (not available), Vudu (rent/buy), iTunes (rent/buy), Flixster (not available), Target Ticket (not available)
COMPARISON SHOPPING: The Blue Max
NEXT: Interstellar
Posted in DVD Review	| Tagged aerial warfare, Baron Manfred von Richtofen, Captain Roy Brown, chivalry, cinema, Der rote Baron, dogfights, DVD Reviews, Films, First World War, German cinema, Imperial German Air Service, Joseph Fiennes, Lena Headey, Lothar von Richtofen, Monterey Media, movies, propaganda, The Red Barron, Til Schweiger, Werner Voss, World War I	| Leave a reply
Small Town Murder Songs
Peter Stormare considers a rare non-villain role.
(2011) Crime Thriller (Monterey Media) Peter Stormare, Jill Hennessy, Amy Rutherford, Martha Plimpton, Eric McIntyre, Vladamir Bondarenko, Aaron Poole, Ari Cohen, Trent McMullen, Erin Brandenburg, Kat Germain, Jessica Clement, Andrew Penner, Alan Penner, John Penner, Herm Dick, Alexandria Benoit, Mark Snowdon, Timm Zemanek, Jackie Burroughs. Directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly
Who we are now is as much a product of who we used to be as it is the events that shape us. Growth is a linear progression although it might not always seem that way to the casual observer. There's always a point B and there's always a point A.
Walter (Stormare) is a sheriff's deputy in a small Ontario town in Mennonite country. He is not well-liked in the community. Not long ago, he had a violent encounter with Steve (McIntyre) who his ex-girlfriend Rita (Hennessy) was now canoodling with. That was years ago though but nobody in town has forgotten or forgiven, although Sam (Plimpton) seems okay with it, in as much as she's his girlfriend and everything.
It's a pretty quiet town anyway, until a body is discovered, that of a stripper from the city. Steve becomes the prime suspect and Rita, who it is discovered placed the original emergency call, is hiding something. This is a case that is very, very personal for Walter and nobody trusts him one way or the other. Whatever happens, he's pretty much screwed.
This Canadian movie might have been a gem – there's a very Gothic feel to the action and the puzzle of the mystery has some real oomph to it. Walter is an engaging lead which is a big change of pace for Stormare who is best known for playing the bad guys, the heavier the better. Stormare gives Walter a patina of sadness, as if he had lived his life in a perpetual state of disappointment. It's a fine performance and makes me wonder why he doesn't get more leading roles like this but of course the answer is he's so damn good at playing villains.
The cast behind him has some fairly capable performers in it but Plimpton stands out. Many will remember her from 80s movies like The Mosquito Coast and The Goonies but few will remember that she was an exceptional actress for her age and her portrayal of the bubbly, loquacious Sam is a reminder of how charming she can be.
Gass-Donnelly has a good pedigree but he shows a little bit of immaturity with his somewhat distracting overuse of slow motion. It seems that regularly someone is doing the slow walk through the lovely scenery of the bucolic small towns in Ontario where the movie was filmed. It happens often enough to be annoying the further you go through the movie. Also, some of the character motivations seem to defy rationality. We get that Walter has a short fuse but why he snaps into violence with him – particularly as they've established him as a good, decent soul – doesn't really jive with the character.
Faith also plays a big role in the movie. Walter after his issues with Steve and Rita finds Christianity and gets baptized (which happens on-camera). Sam is a pretty religious sort and of course they are in a Mennonite community so their faith is definitely part of the overall background of the film. Those who are uncomfortable with such things should be warned.
This has some very nice Gothic overtones and while some of the movie's deficiencies are a little too much to overlook, Gass-Donnelly is definitely a talent to keep an eye on as one of a group of strong Canadian directors with an interesting point of view. I look forward to seeing where he goes from here well, actually he went to The Last Exorcist 2 but that's beside the point.
WHY RENT THIS: Fine Gothic feel. Compelling story. Stormare does some fine work in a rare good-guy turn.
WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: Seems to be missing some pieces. Overuse of slow-mo.
FAMILY VALUES: There is violence present, as well as some graphic images, sexuality and nudity, and a fair amount of foul language.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: This was the final film for the veteran actress Jackie Burroughs.
NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: The DVD when inserted into your computer will allow you to download one of the songs from the soundtrack.
BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE: $31,133 on an unknown production budget.
SITES TO SEE: Netflix (DVD rental only), Amazon (unavailable), Vudu (rent/buy), iTunes (rent/buy), Flixster (unavailable), Target Ticket (unavailable)
COMPARISON SHOPPING: Witness
NEXT: Big Hero 6
Posted in DVD Review	| Tagged Ari Cohen, bad temper, born-again Christian, Canadian cinema, cinema, crime thriller, deputy, DVD Reviews, Films, Jackie Burroughs, Jessica Clement, Jill Hennessy, Martha Plimpton, Mennonite community, Monterey Media, movies, murder, Ontario, Peter Stormare, short fuse, Small Town Murder Songs, stripper	| Leave a reply
Looking for Palladin
Looking for Palladin? Try looking for your car in this mess!
(2008) Drama (Monterey Media/Wildcat) Ben Gazzara, David Moscow, Talia Shire, Pedro Armendariz Jr., Angelica Aragon, Roberto Diaz Gomar, Jimmy Morales, Sammy Morales, Vincent Pastore, Joe Manuella, Robert Youngs, Dick Smith, Sofia Comparini. Directed by Andrzej Krakowski
They say you can run but you can't hide. That's doubly true if you're a movie star. You may find a remote village somewhere in the middle of nowhere where few (if anybody) will know who you are but if you have box office pull, Hollywood will find you.
Jack Palladin (Gazzara) has plenty of pull. One of Hollywood's most respected actors back in the day, he has disappeared from view as of late with rumors that he is hiding out in a Central American village. High octane agent Josh Ross (Moscow) is sent to fetch him, bearing an offer for the two-time Oscar winner of a million dollars for a cameo in a remake of one of his signature films.
The trouble is, Palladin doesn't necessarily want to be found, and the locals whose lives he has become a part of are willing to aid him in his privacy. Josh' disdain for them is matched by their snickers that his Gucci loafers are obvious fakes which I'm sure a lot of Guatemalan villagers are experts at sussing out.
When they do finally meet, Palladin is not inclined to take the offer; he is far too content to be the cook in the restaurant owned by Arnie (Pastore), surrounded by his pals – fellow ex-pats and locals, like the bemused police chief (Armendariz). However, it turns out that Josh and Palladin have an unexpected connection – which changes the game in a profound way.
While the name of the village is Antigua, this is actually set (I think) in Guatemala where it was also filmed. Cinematographers Giovanni Fabietti and Alberto Chaktoura make good use of the breathtaking Central American scenery and the colorful environment of a rural Guatemalan village to make a visually pleasing film.
The late Ben Gazzara takes what could easily be a fairly cliché role (well, when all is said and done it is exactly that) and gives it far more dimension than it probably deserves. I always thought he was underrated as an actor and this is the kind of performance that gives me that impression. Palladin is a gruff old codger who sometimes plays at being a kind of Central American Yoda with a SAG card but deep down is running more from his own demons than from the price of fame. None of that is in the script but Gazzara conveys it nonetheless.
The problem here is that the story is kind of rote, with Josh being a kind of goyim Ari Gold. Jeremy Piven kind of owns this role and while Moscow does the best he can ends up leaving us thinking how much better the movie might have been as an episode of "Entourage" which really isn't his fault; there's just nothing to distinguish his character from the HBO version.
There is a twist near the end of the movie which throws everything off-kilter and for good reason – it's so nonsensical that when I saw it on DVD I had to rewind and watch it again just to make sure I hadn't misinterpreted what I saw. I hadn't. I won't mention what that twist is but suffice to say if something like it happened to you no doubt you'd want to get your head examined afterwards.
There are a couple of things to recommend the movie – Ben Gazzara and the Guatemalan location chief among them – but only just. If the script had been tweaked a little bit and that twist pulled out altogether (there are other reasons to make Palladin consider the cameo other than the one the writers came up with) this might have been a seriously good little film. As it is it may have just enough to make you not regret choosing to watch it one night when you're looking for something you haven't seen before.
WHY RENT THIS: Gazzara is at his grouchy best. Nice cinematography.
WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: Nothing really stands out in terms of story or plot except that which is preposterous.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: While filming The Bridge at Remagen the Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia where the production was filming and Gazzara and co-star Robert Vaughn were briefly detained. After being released, they helped a Czech woman escape by smuggling her out in the trunk of her car.
NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: None listed.
BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE: $11,268 on an unreported production budget; even though this probably had any budget a'tall, I can't see it being profitable on those kinds of receipts.
COMPARISON SHOPPING: Searching for Bobby Fisher
NEXT: Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
Posted in DVD Review	| Tagged bar, Ben Gazzara, cameo role, cinema, cook, Drama, DVD Reviews, ex-pats, Films, Guatemala, Hollywood agent, Looking for Palladin, million dollar payday, Monterey Media, movies, Oscar winner, Pedro Armendariz Jr., privacy, recluse, remake, remote village, Talia Shire, Vincent Pastore, Wildcat Releasing	| Leave a reply
All love is young love.
(2008) Romance (Monterey Media) Martin Landau, Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Banks, Adam Scott, Sean Tillmann, Kali Cook, Christopher Why, M. Michele Phillips, Christine Dixon, Mary Douglass, Scott Beehner, Todd Fink, Leo Fitzpatrick, Jules Blight, Candice Rose. Directed by Nicholas Fackler
Old age can sometimes mean loneliness. Husbands or wives pass away. Relationships, for whatever reason, end. We find ourselves with a whole lot of time and nobody to share it with. This is particularly difficult during the holidays.
Robert Malone (Landau) is in that kind of spot. He works in a grocery store, as much to fill his time as to support himself. He is a lonely man who as Christmas approaches wraps up Christmas gifts for himself. His boss Mike (Scott) may well be his only friend.
One day he comes home to find his new neighbor Mary (Burstyn) in his living room – apparently he'd left his door open when he left for work. Far from being angry or upset, he is intrigued by the woman and feels doors opening in his heart that have been shut for a very long time.
Despite the misgivings of Mary's daughter Alex (Banks) Robert and Mary begin dating and it is almost fairy-tale sweet. Robert is happier than he's been since he can remember. As Christmas approaches he is eager to spend it with someone for the first time.
But it isn't all holly and ivy. Robert is having odd dreams that are maddeningly indistinct but seem to have some sort of intense meaning to him. But what do they mean? And what do they have to do with Mary?
This is Fackler's first feature film and all alliteration aside, it's a pretty good one for a first go. He gets the benefit of two Oscar winners who give him a good performance in roles that are pretty decently written and allow the actors to let their natural charisma and charm show through. Burstyn is particularly charming but Landau inhabits his role nicely.
This is the kind of movie that can easily cross the line from charm to schmaltz and it does so several times, but not often enough to really be a problem. However, the problem here is that it takes a nice twist ending and telegraphs it a bit too broadly so that anybody can see it coming and does it in a way that's really unnecessary. By resisting temptation to hit you over the head with clues about what's coming they might have had a really excellent film.
As it is it's decent enough, mainly due to the performances of all four of the leads. This is one of those sad cases where the filmmakers underestimated the ability of their audience to follow along and be intuitive to the direction of the plot. It's necessary to respect your audience to go where you're headed rather than lead them by the nose to where you want them to be. The former makes for a satisfied, grateful audience. The other just pisses 'em off.
WHY RENT THIS: Sweet and touching performances by Landau and Burstyn. Nice twist.
WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: A bit predictable in places and the twist, which is a good one, is telegraphed a bit too much.
FAMILY VALUES: While there are a few mildly bad words here and there, mostly it is the adult themes of aging and romance that might be too much for younger kids to handle.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: The movie was mostly filmed in Nebraska and the score written by members of the acclaimed Omaha indie rock group Bright Eyes.
NOTABLE HOME VIDEO EXTRAS: There are interviews with the four main cast members.
BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE: $233,083 on an unreported production budget; it is unlikely the movie made much if any profit.
COMPARISON SHOPPING: Away From Her
NEXT: Notting Hill
Posted in DVD Review	| Tagged Adam Scott, Christmas, cinema, dating, DVD Reviews, elderly, elderly romance, Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Burstyn, Films, grocery store bagger, loneliness, Lovely Still, Martin Landau, Monterey Media, movies, panic attack, romance	| Leave a reply
Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger
Posted on October 22, 2011 by carlosdev
The world has a sunnier outlook when seen from under a straw boater.
(2008) Dramedy (Monterey Media) Danielle Catanzariti, Toni Collette, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Leticia Monaghan, Christian Byers, Essie Davis, Russell Dykstra, Jonny Pasvolsky, Caitlin McDougall, Edwin Hodgeman, Cassandra Jinman. Directed by Cathy Randall
Growing up is hard enough as it is. Growing up different and longing to be normal – well, that's pretty much how all of us perceive our adolescence. We all aim to be accepted and to fit in, but what is normal really? And how many of us fit the description?
Esther Blueburger (Catanzariti) is a 13-year-old girl in an exclusive Australian private school who yearns for that normalcy. Her twin brother Jacob (Byers) is a complete nerd and a social horror show but at least the two get along. Esther, with her glasses and her pet duckling (a foundling she calls Normal, after what she longs to be) is a bit of an odd duck herself, awkward with her classmates. Oh and did I mention that Esther's Jewish?
Her bat mitzvah is approaching and with reluctant pluck Esther invites her classmates to the event. Of course, none of them show and Esther is mortified. Surrounded with well-meaning but overbearing aunties and relatives, she finds refuge in a nearby alley where she finds Sunni (Castle-Hughes) having a smoke. Sunni attends a public school that has caught Esther's eye – the students there seem far more accepting.
Esther drags Sunni to her party where she passes her off as a classmate, which reassures her emotionally distant self-centered parents (Davis, Dykstra) who haven't a clue about the hell their daughter is going through. Sunni, however, gets it much better than they do and the girls hatch a plan. Sunni forges the signature of Esther's parents on paperwork excusing Esther from the school for a year on an exchange program to Sweden. She then enrolls Esther in the public school, passing her off as an exchange student from Sweden. This makes Esther instantly popular.
The plan works a little too well. Soon Sunni's friends begin to flock to Esther and ignore Sunni. Esther develops a deeper and closer relationship with Sunni's exotic dancer mum (Collette). The relationship becomes extremely strained – and a tragedy threatens to dissolve it completely.
This coming-of-age tale arrives to us courtesy of Randall, a soap opera veteran making her feature film writing and directing debut. There are quite a few things to admire about her first movie – among them, Esther herself who has an offbeat appeal. Part of that has to do with her never-say-die attitude; part of it has to do with Catanzariti who has a natural charisma that is readily apparent. If she chooses to pursue the acting thing, she has a bright future.
Castle-Hughes who was so impressive in Whale Rider has a nice role here which is very different. She's a bit of a tough gal with a heart of gold who at the core is much more fragile than anybody realizes. In many ways I thought her part was a bit more realistic than that of Esther; Castle-Hughes does a fine job bringing it to life.
Teen coming of age movies tend to have an overabundance of quirkiness to them, but this one tones it down to levels where it is actually a bit more realistic. Female leads in these types of movies are exceedingly rare and often have a bimbo aspect to them; this movie is refreshingly sex-free but that doesn't mean Esther and Sunni don't have an interest in boys. Okay, more like an obsession. Just like almost every other 13-year-old girl.
WHY RENT THIS: The movie has a goofy charm that gets under your skin.
WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: The tragic element seems a little forced and at odds with the movie's otherwise sunny tone.
FAMILY VALUES: There are a few thematic elements that might be inappropriate for youngsters, a few foul words here and there, some teen smoking and a teensy bit of sexual content.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Castle-Hughes was pregnant during the filming of the movie.
NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: There's a music video and a more interesting than usual featurette about the casting of Danielle Catanzariti as Esther and how she transformed into the role.
BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE: Not available.
TOMORROW: The Joneses
Posted in DVD Review	| Tagged Australian Cinema, bat mitzvah, cinema, cliques, coming of age, Danielle Catanariti, dramedy, DVD Reviews, exotic dancer, Films, Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger, Jewish, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Monterey Media, movies, private school, public school, single mom, Swedish exchange student, Toni Collette	| Leave a reply
Posted on August 24, 2010 by carlosdev
Michelle Monaghan discovers the joys of motherhood.
(Monterey Media) Michelle Monaghan, Nathan Fillion, Benjamin Bratt, Joey Lauren Adams, Jimmy Bennett, Bryce Johnson, Brandon Hanson, Maya McLaughlin. Directed by James Mottern
For everything in life there is a cost. Even freedom to do what you like doesn't come without a price. That price can be more than you might be willing to bear, but it's nearly always too late by the time you figure that out.
For Diane Ford (Monaghan), she has lived by her own rules her entire life. As a big rig driver, she competes as a woman in what is very much a man's world. She has to be twice as tough as any man to survive and she knows it; what's more, she's okay with it. She drinks to excess, uses caffeine and cigarettes far too much and sleeps around.
One of the few guys she won't sleep with is her neighbor Runner (Fillion), who is married. The two are best friends and drinking buddies and Runner has surely got a thing for Diane. Most men do, as a matter of fact, but she wants or needs no man. She had a kid eleven years earlier during the one tryst that lasted more than a night, but that relationship couldn't stand up to the call of the open road.
One afternoon there's a knock on the door of her small southern California home. It's Jenny (Adams), the girlfriend of Len (Bratt) who was the man she had her son with. It turns out that Len is very ill, colon cancer. Jenny is no longer able to care for his son – Diane's son – and care for Len. She needs Diane to care for Peter (Bennett) – that's her son's name – for a short while.
Diane takes to this like a cat takes to platform diving. It would be bad enough to take on a roommate after years of taking care of herself, but a kid? The thing is, Peter is a pretty sharp tack. He understands that his mom really doesn't want anything to do with him, and he can see pretty clearly just how messed up the situation is, but rather than whine about it he just deals with it. It's a pretty mature performance, and also very nice to see a kid who's not precocious in a sickly sweet way.
Diane is forced to take Peter along with her on the road, something which crimps her style more than she'd like but as it turns out, the company is kind of a welcome thing in a twisted way. The two are like a couple of caged bantam roosters warily circling one another. Bonding is certainly not going to be very easy. Is it even possible?
First-time director Mottern should be applauded for delivering a slice-of-life type of movie that pulls no punches and isn't afraid to show the warts. The characters aren't heroic; these are real people just trying to make their way through day by day, just like the rest of us. They aren't especially brave, nor smart nor particularly talented; they just do what they do.
Monaghan is impressive here, giving the kind of performance that can only come from deep down inside of a very talented actress. Although she didn't get nominated for an Oscar for her work, she surely could have been – and maybe should have been. Unfortunately, this was distributed by a small company rather than one of the major studio affiliates; I'm pretty sure the performance didn't get the kind of publicizing that other actresses got.
Bennett is also worthy of mention; most twelve-year-old actors come off as stiff and mannered; you see it all the time on the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon or ABC Family. Bennett instead is natural and raw; he doesn't hold anything back. It's one of the better juvenile performances I've seen in a very long time.
Fillion, Bratt and Adams deliver solid backing performances in roles that have more depth to them than most supporting roles, and the three of them known what to do with characters who have some meat on their bones.
There are times that the movie gets overly raw; some of the emotions that come to the surface are painful, even. However, there is a sexual assault that occurs nearly two thirds of the movie that just left me going "huh?" with a bit of a slack jaw. It didn't really need to be in there, other than to highlight the vulnerability of a single woman and that's kind of a given.
Short of that one misstep, this is solid work elevated by a scintillating performance by Monaghan. I have never had an ambition to drive a rig, but I do understand the siren song of the open road. I also understand the pain of living exactly the way you want to. Sometimes it's getting what we want that causes us the most pain.
WHY RENT THIS: Michelle Monaghan gives the performance of her career. Her supporting cast gets kudos for fleshing out roles that for the most part are layered and deep. A great example of a "slice of life" film.
WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: The movie can be a little too raw in places. The sexual assault scene comes out like it's almost part of a completely different movie.
FAMILY VALUES: There's a good deal of swearing (hey, it's about truckers) and some sexuality, including a scene depicting a sexual assault. There's also significant amounts of drinking and a little drug use, some of it involving minors.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Michelle Monaghan learned to drive a big rig for the film.
TOMORROW: The Education of Charlie Banks
Posted in DVD Review	| Tagged Benjamin Bratt, cinema, colon cancer, drinking, drunk, DVD Reviews, Films, Indie Drama, Joey Lauren Adams, Los Angeles, married men, Michelle Monaghan, Monterey Media, mother-son bonding, movies, Nathan Fillion, open road, promiscuity, sexual assault, single mom, single woman, softball, Trucker	| 1 Reply


Hey everyone, Issue with inside lights. When I crank my '01 CL, the small lights come on. But, when I turn on my headlights, the instrument panel does not light up and the smaller indicator lights go out as well as the clock light and temp control lights. Everything goes out except the headlights. What the heck is going on? When I drive in the dark, I just have to guess how fast I'm going!
small lights fuse has blown.
Dash lights up for a few seconds then goes off!
Starter was bad and then its perfect then bad again and good then bad?????
Prequalify then offer, or offer and then prequalify?
Watch the whole video ...then vote..then ..


text:
Q: Get Sitecore "Site" data from web.config in WCF I understand the issues with WCF and Sitecore because Sitecore.Context would not be available to the WCF request.
But all I'm really looking to do is pass in a site name, and have WCF return some of the attributes of that "site" node from the "sites" section in the web.config.
For example, in the code below I have a site name of "mysitename" for the website "www.mysite.com". How could I programmically get the site's hostname from the web.config?
<sites>
   <site name="mysitename" hostName="www.mysite.com" virtualFolder="/" physicalFolder="/" rootPath="/sitecore/content" startItem="/home" database="web" domain="extranet" allowDebug="true" cacheHtml="true" htmlCacheSize="100MB" registryCacheSize="0" viewStateCacheSize="0" xslCacheSize="5MB" filteredItemsCacheSize="2MB" enablePreview="true" enableWebEdit="true" enableDebugger="true" disableClientData="false" />
</sites>

I don't care if it uses prebuilt sitecore functions, or just .net code that is able to read this section of the web.config. Any feedback would help, thanks.

A: You should be able to use something like:
var site = Sitecore.Configuration.Factory.GetSite(sitename);

The returned object is supposed to contain the site attributes from the config definition. Don't have Sitecore at my machine right now, so can't check exactly, but you can give it a quick try.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Guyanese Attorney And Former Political Candidate Charged In Real Estate Fraud
CaribWorldNews, QUEENS, NY, Fri. May 14, 2010: A Guyanese-born, Richmond-Hill, Queens-based attorney and one time challenger for a New York City Council seat was among 17 others charged Thursday in a multi-million dollar real estate fraud case.
The Queens District Attorney`s Office yesterday named Trevor Rupnarain, a one-time candidate for the 28th Councilmatic seat in the New York City Council race, as one of 16 others who allegedly worked as part of a scheme that targeted distressed homeowners in mortgage rescue scams.
DA Richard Brown said Rupnarain, 48, of 114-28 149th Avenue, South Ozone Park, who maintains a law office at 131-02 Liberty Avenue and previously at 117-15 101st Avenue, both in Richmond Hill, Queens, was one of two attorneys who worked to allegedly defraud legitimate homeowners and various lending institutions out of more than $3 million in equity that had been stripped from 26 refinanced residential properties valued at $13 million.
Many of the loans subsequently went into default, leaving lending institutions with insufficient collateral and substantial losses, or into foreclosure, leaving homeowners, in some cases, homeless.
Rupnarain is also a registered real estate broker and owner of Remax Xcel Realty located at 131-02 Liberty Avenue.
Twelve of the defendants are in custody and five are presently being sought. Among them are the two accused ringleaders – Roger Huggins and Inderpaul Sookraj, who owned and operated a Richmond Hill, Queens, company that went by various names including Home Solutions Management, Home Solutions Enterprises and Home Solutions Limited and held itself out to be a home foreclosure rescue company.
It is further alleged that both Huggins and Sookraj also owned shell corporations which were created, in part, to launder the ill-gotten gains from the foreclosure rescue scam. Huggins was also allegedly employed as a loan officer with the defendant DMV Mortgage, a licensed mortgage brokerage firm owned by defendant Mangal Singh, who allegedly received a share of the profits of the alleged scheme from Huggins and Sookraj.
It is additionally charged that Huggins and Sookraj stole the property deeds of at least two homes outright by fraudulently creating documents – complete with such identifying information of the homeowners as their social security numbers, dates of birth and driver`s licenses – which
purported that the homeowner had sold their homes to Huggins and Sookraj, who then turned around and sold the properties to straw buyers. The homeowners neither had any knowledge of the fraudulent transactions, nor did they realize that their home had been stolen. In both instances, the original homeowners allegedly had met Huggins when he offered to assist them with the `short sale` of their properties.
In one case, the homeowner had gone to Huggins because he had lost his job and his wife was stricken with cancer.
In furtherance of the scheme, Huggins and Sookraj allegedly had two attorneys – Rupnarain and Shawn Chand – representing lending institutions, buyers or sellers at various Home Solution property closings. The two attorneys are alleged to have concealed the true nature of the transactions from their clients and distributed fraudulently obtained loan proceeds to themselves, as well as to other defendants and entities on behalf of Huggins and Sookraj.
They are also charged with fraudulently preparing various financial and real estate documents.
Others charged include Anand Bharat, 54, of 94-38 216th Street, Queens Village; Prahalad Mahadeo, 32, of 89-15 205th Street, South Richmond Hill; Mangal Singh, 57, whose last known address was 774 Regent Drive, Westbury, Ariel Huggins, 36, of 92-06 Springfield Boulevard, Queens Village, Mohammad Abdallah,37, of 106-19 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Jamaica, Michael Abdul, 44, whose last known address was 107-12 129th Street, South Richmond Hill, Faiz Ali, 46, of 101-67 121st Street, South Richmond Hill, Queens; Jagdesh Kuldip, 31, of 245-28 147th Road, Rosedale, Purnima Mahammed; 29, of 102-12 135th Street, South Richmond Hill, Aneesa Mohammed, 30, is believed to be in Florida; Krishna Ramroop, 56, of 102-12 135th Street, South Richmond Hill, Vadianuth Sanichar, 44, of 97-14 129th Street, Richmond Hill and David Sookdeo, 29, of 144-07 168th Street, Jamaica.
Anessa Mohammed and Abdul are being sought.
The 17 defendants are variously charged with first- and second-degree grand larceny, first degree criminal possession of stolen property, first-degree money laundering, first-degree identity theft, second-degree forgery, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, first-degree falsifying business records, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, first-degree scheme to defraud and fourth-degree criminal facilitation.
If convicted, the defendants face as much as 25 years in prison.
`In trying to hide their elaborate scheme from law enforcement and regulatory scrutiny, the two main defendants are alleged to have used unscrupulous attorneys and straw buyers and the fragmented structure of the real estate settlement process to funnel millions of dollars through various shell corporations that they either owned or which were controlled by other defendants,` said DA Brown.
`Money loss aside, the defendants are accused of creating a human tragedy of immense proportions for the homeowners who had turned to them in a desperate hope of saving their homes from foreclosure.`
Barbados PM To Travel To New York For Medical Tests
Mon May 17 , 2010
CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. May 17, 2010: Barbados Prime Minister, David Thompson, is set to travel to New York for this week for medical tests. The PM reportedly will fly to New York for tests at the New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan in the middle of end of […]
Valuing Workers Guarantees Caribbean Tourism's Long-Term Future
Latin American Tennis Star Moves On To Quarter Finals At U.S. Open
Staffer At Jamaica Consulate In New York Tests Positive For COVID-19
Six Famous Black Caribbean Immigrants Who Were Deported By U.S. Authorities
Caribbean Entertainment – Reggae Stars Sends Love To Toots Hibbert
CARIBBEAN TRAVEL PHOTO OF THE DAY

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


241543903 is a number showing photos of head in freezer. This is basically a a number taken from the serial number of Horvitz Refrigerators and bar codes from UDON NOODLES and EDAMEME .
Horvitz sent some fliers to Brazil with another friend and then Meme blow up on Orkut and Facebook.
This Meme is very popular on google these days and its graph is very high in google trends .This has a breakout competition and Top as well as rising keyword on google in 2013.


text:
Zombie Catchers Mod Apk
Juli 2022Size
1.30.25Requirements
Games that invite players to catch balls, ducks, or coins may have often been encountered. So, what would happen if the ones to be caught were hordes of zombies? This experience is what you will get when playing Zombie Catchers Mod Apk.
If most games depict zombies as scary figures, in this game zombie figures are depicted very funny so we are not afraid to catch them. Moreover, in this Mod version there will be many features that can be used.
Here is a full review of the latest Zombie Catchers apk mod 2022 on this one.
Zombie Catchers is an Android adventure game developed by a company called Deca Games. Even though it has a zombie theme, this game is far from scary because the zombies that we will see in this game have a funny shape and way of walking.
Later, players will be asked to explore from one place to another to hunt zombies. This is all done to grow a zombie-based food business owned by two intergalactic entrepreneurs named AJ and Bud.
When hunting, you will be equipped with a wide selection of weapons and traps that have unique abilities. Well, in this Mod version you can use all existing weapons or traps. In addition, you can also access superior features for free.
Zombie Catcher Mod Apk Features
In addition to the exciting gameplay, this game also has several excellent features that distinguish it from the original version of Zombie Catcher. With this feature, of course you will have the opportunity to get more zombies. Immediately, here is the list of features in the Mod version of the Zombie Catchers game:
How to install Zombie Catchers Mod Apk APK?
1. Tap the downloaded Zombie Catchers Mod Apk APK file.


text:
Newfoundland & Labrador > Business
Incoming theatre owners consider expansion
Daniel MacEachern | Posted: July 4, 2013, midnight | Updated: Sept. 30, 2017, 6:42 a.m. | 2 Min Read
Three Empire Theatres cinemas, including this one at the Avalon Mall in St. John's, have been sold to Cineplex. — Photo by Joe Gibbons/The Telegram
The incoming owners of several movie theatres in Newfoundland say expansion in the province is possible.
Last week, Cineplex announced it had bought most of Empire Theatres' 24 movie theatres in Atlantic Canada, including all three in Newfoundland — in St. John's, Mount Pearl and Corner Brook. The deal also includes the Empire Theatres location currently under construction on Torbay Road.
While the deal is pending, the theatres remain under Empire operation. Pat Marshall, vice-president of communications and investor relations, told the Telegram on Wednesday that The deal is expected to close within 60 days.
"The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals, obviously, and review by the Competition Bureau. We are submitting an advanced-ruling certificate with the commissioner of competition," she said.
Employees to be kept on
Marshall said all of the theatres' 825 employees in Atlantic Canada will be kept on, but once the purchase is complete, there will be changes to the day-to-day operations.
"In the short term, until closing, nothing will change, because we're not operating them until the transaction closes," she said. "Once the transaction closes, we will add a number of new initiatives to the community, which I think people will enjoy."
Cineplex will bring its Scene loyalty program to the province — the sixth-largest consumer loyalty program in the country, noted Marshall — and discounted movies on Tuesdays. Concession offerings will also probably expand, he said.
"Based on our experience and review in the past, we tend to offer more of a food court kind of offering in our theatres, as opposed to more concession core items, so I think you might see some expansion there," she said.
"And then we'll look to add a number of our other premium offerings, such as Ultra AVX, which is our large-format system, which is that screens extend wall-to-wall, and we offer reserved seating."
Cineplex may look at expanding into other areas, she said.
"It certainly is a potential. We really need to get into the area and see how the theatres operate and what is available to us and what might make sense and then go from there. Over the years we've continued to grow by an average of two to three new theatres a year, so it wouldn't be surprising if there was something there."
Empire Theatres spokesman Andrew Walker said the company — which owns Sobeys grocery stores as well — wanted to focus on its food operations.
"It's in keeping with the strategic direction of Empire to focus its resources on food retailing through Sobeys and related real estate with Crombie REIT," said Walker.
Twitter: @TelegramDaniel
Updated just now |2 min read
Biden says it's appropriate for Fed to recalibrate support for U.S. economy


text:
27 years later: Search for missing woman continues
Bernadette Caruso disappeared in 1986; Family wants prosecution
Bernadette Caruso with her daughter
The family of a Baltimore County woman who disappeared 27 years ago wants prosecutors to take another look at the evidence surrounding her disappearance.Bernadette Stevenson Caruso was last seen in 1986, but for her family, the sense of urgency when it comes to solving her case is greater than ever.Her nephew, Ryan Bowerman, said the family is raising money to buy sonar equipment so they can search for her remains and her car in waterways near where she disappeared, and they said there's enough circumstantial evidence to bring the case to a grand jury."There are people who are key factors in the case, and if they die, we're going to lose that testimonial evidence. So, it's critical that we get this information before the grand jury sooner than later," Bowerman said.The Dundalk mother disappeared on Sept. 27, 1986. She was last seen at work at a jewelry store at Eastpoint Mall. At the time, her co-workers said she was going to meet her estranged husband.Family members said the pair was in the midst of a bitter custody battle over their 3-year-old daughter, and Caruso had filed a domestic violence charge against the husband."He had been kicked off the local police department for brutality, and that was the last time she was seen," Bowerman said.He said the family believes there's enough evidence to prosecute. His father, Sam Bowerman, was one of the lead investigators in the case and married Caruso's sister years later."We've really been beating at the door of the state's attorney's office for years now and just feel like we're getting nowhere," Bowerman said.Three years ago, the family asked Baltimore County state's attorney Scott Shellenberger to take another look at the evidence. Shellenberger did and decided there wasn't enough, in part because Caruso's body was never found.The family is still trying, using new methods to crack the cold case. Caruso has a Facebook page and a website, as well as about 400 online signatures petitioning to get the evidence in front of a grand jury."We're really pulling out all the stops at this point. It's been 27 years," Bowerman said. "At this point, we just want to do everything and anything to have justice."Shellenberger said he sympathizes with the family but still believes there isn't enough evidence. He said if something new surfaces, he would be willing to reconsider.
BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. —
The family of a Baltimore County woman who disappeared 27 years ago wants prosecutors to take another look at the evidence surrounding her disappearance.
Bernadette Stevenson Caruso was last seen in 1986, but for her family, the sense of urgency when it comes to solving her case is greater than ever.
Family, retired detectives plea for break in missing mother's case
Her nephew, Ryan Bowerman, said the family is raising money to buy sonar equipment so they can search for her remains and her car in waterways near where she disappeared, and they said there's enough circumstantial evidence to bring the case to a grand jury.
"There are people who are key factors in the case, and if they die, we're going to lose that testimonial evidence. So, it's critical that we get this information before the grand jury sooner than later," Bowerman said.
The Dundalk mother disappeared on Sept. 27, 1986. She was last seen at work at a jewelry store at Eastpoint Mall. At the time, her co-workers said she was going to meet her estranged husband.
Family members said the pair was in the midst of a bitter custody battle over their 3-year-old daughter, and Caruso had filed a domestic violence charge against the husband.
"He had been kicked off the local police department for brutality, and that was the last time she was seen," Bowerman said.
He said the family believes there's enough evidence to prosecute. His father, Sam Bowerman, was one of the lead investigators in the case and married Caruso's sister years later.
"We've really been beating at the door of the state's attorney's office for years now and just feel like we're getting nowhere," Bowerman said.
Three years ago, the family asked Baltimore County state's attorney Scott Shellenberger to take another look at the evidence. Shellenberger did and decided there wasn't enough, in part because Caruso's body was never found.
The family is still trying, using new methods to crack the cold case. Caruso has a Facebook page and a website, as well as about 400 online signatures petitioning to get the evidence in front of a grand jury.
"We're really pulling out all the stops at this point. It's been 27 years," Bowerman said. "At this point, we just want to do everything and anything to have justice."
Shellenberger said he sympathizes with the family but still believes there isn't enough evidence. He said if something new surfaces, he would be willing to reconsider.


text:
New Data Reveals How Prepared Americans Are for an Emergency at Home and on the Road
INSURANCE - CAR INSURANCE
Knowing what to keep handy can be difficult when preparing for an emergency situation, so FinanceBuzz surveyed Americans about the items they keep at home and in the car.
Last updated Aug. 25, 2022 | By Maya Siman | Edited By Becca Borawski Jenkins
According to the United Nations, severe weather events are becoming more frequent. Between 2000 and 2019, there were 7,348 major weather events recorded. Compared to the 4,212 events recorded from 1980 to 1999, this is a staggering change. Major floods have more than doubled, the number of severe storms has risen 40%, and there have been significant increases in droughts, wildfires, and heatwaves.
The likelihood of getting caught in an emergency weather event is growing. However, bad weather doesn't call ahead to make sure you're home before striking. As anyone who was recently stranded on I-95 for 24 hours can attest, having emergency supplies in your car is as important as home-based prep in the event of extreme weather.
FinanceBuzz surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults to find out how prepared they are in the face of an emergency both at home and in their vehicles as well as to see which items people consider essential for emergency kits.
58% of people have some emergency supplies in their cars, but only 30% are confident that what they have is sufficient should bad weather strike.
More than two-thirds of men (67%) have emergency supplies in their car, but less than half of women (49%) said the same.
The five items respondents said are the most important to have in the car in an emergency: bottled water, a blanket, nonperishable food, warm clothing, and a first-aid kit.
50% of people have emergency "to-go" kits in their homes, but 23% of people feel their kit might not be sufficient.
61% of men and 40% of women are prepared for an emergency with "to-go" kits at home.
Are drivers prepared if bad weather strikes on the road?
Sometimes it's impossible to avoid bad weather when you're on the road. Forecasts aren't always correct and Mother Nature can be unpredictable. One way you can prepare for the unexpected is to keep "just in case" emergency supplies in your car.
Survey results reveal that nearly 60% of Americans keep some kind of emergency supplies in their cars — 31% of people are fully prepared, and 27% have some emergency items but are worried their supplies are insufficient. Only 10% of people feel it's unnecessary to keep supplies in their car.
For those who feel it's unnecessary to keep supplies in their car, Atlanta's Snowpacolypse shows that extreme weather emergencies can strike at the most unexpected times. Mother Nature will not wait for you to finish your commute.
Men are more likely than women to have emergency supplies in their car — 38% of men and 23% of women consider themselves fully prepared for being stranded in bad weather.
Over 40% of women do not have emergency supplies in their car but think they should. This was the top response among women.
Nearly equal numbers of men and women believe having emergency supplies in the car is unnecessary.
Most essential emergency supplies to have in the car
For those who do keep an emergency kit in their cars, it's important for it to be stocked with the right items. Survey respondents said that bottled water is one of the top items to keep in the car in case of an emergency. Bottled water also tends to be one of the first items to get cleared off store shelves when an upcoming storm is announced, so being proactive about stocking any kit could be smart.
A blanket and food tied with bottled water for the most important items in your emergency kit. With these top three items in your car, you're increasing your chances of staying warm, fed, and hydrated if you get stranded in bad weather.
While the top ten essentials are the same for both men and women, the order of importance differs slightly in the top five. Men's top three items are bottled water, warm clothing, and a blanket. The top three items for women are food, a blanket, and bottled water. Food was significantly more important for women than men — men ranked food fifth on their list.
How many people are prepared if disaster strikes at home?
The car isn't the only place you need to be prepared for emergencies. Having a "to-go" kit at home is essential if you need to quickly evacuate or hunker down because of a natural disaster such as a hurricane, earthquake, or wildfire.
Keeping essential supplies at the ready is a smart first step. To really solidify your emergency prep, take note of the typical high seasons. While bad weather doesn't have an explicit schedule, there are typically seasons where you are more likely to encounter certain weather events. When approaching a high season, make sure your emergency supplies are stocked.
Likewise, make sure you have a way to receive important updates in real time through local news and weather. Lastly, be aware of available evacuation routes. You'll want to be efficient with your time and know exactly where to go in the event of an evacuation.
Thankfully, 50% of people already have some sort of "to-go" kit ready at home in the event of an emergency. However, only 28% think the kit they've prepared is sufficient. Men are more likely than women to report they've got a fully stocked kit — 37% of men report they are ready for anything versus 19% of women who said the same.
If you're one of the 38% who doesn't have a "to-go" kit yet but think you should, there are simple solutions. You can purchase a pre-made kit that contains all the essentials. Prices on these kits generally start around $100 and vary depending on the size of your family and the contents of the kit.
If you'd rather put the kit together yourself, here are some of the items the American Red Cross recommends you gather:
Water (one gallon per person per day)
Nonperishable food
Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
Well stocked first-aid kit
Copies of personal documents such as insurance cards, personal identification cards, and financial statements
In addition, you'll want to think about the specific needs of everyone in your family (including pets) and include items such as medications, pet food, and diapers.
How to prepare for an emergency
Extreme weather can come out of nowhere and turn lives and homes upside down. Recovering can become a financial emergency in a hurry. Here are a few tips for how to protect your family and your finances from extreme weather:
Be prepared. The best way to avoid total disaster is to plan for it. From emergency kits to insurance coverage to emergency funds, there are plenty of ways to approach natural disaster prep to protect yourself and your money.
Make sure you have the right insurance. While most people have insurance coverage on their homes, they might not know exactly what home insurance does and does not cover. Check your policy and look into additional coverage to make sure you have adequate coverage on all your valuables.
Have an emergency fund ready. Even for people with all the insurance coverage they need, there may be costs that can't wait for an insurance check. Building an emergency fund is a smart way to ensure you have much-needed money should a disaster strike.
FinanceBuzz surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 or older, who comprise a nationally representative sample, on January 12, 2022.
Maya Siman Maya Siman is a digital PR professional with a passion for story telling. Her own personal finance journey has inspired her to create engaging content with the rest of the FinanceBuzz team to help others build their own money knowledge. When she's away from her desk, you can catch her at one of Atlanta's many live music venues.
More posts from Maya Siman >
Best Car Insurance Comparison Sites
How Much Does Jeep Wrangler Insurance Cost?
How Much Does Dodge Challenger Insurance Cost?
Adding a Driver to Your Insurance in 4 Simple Steps


text:
<?php

namespace PhpGitHooks\Module\Configuration\Service;

use Composer\IO\IOInterface;
use PhpGitHooks\Module\Configuration\Domain\Enabled;
use PhpGitHooks\Module\Configuration\Domain\Message;
use PhpGitHooks\Module\Configuration\Domain\Messages;
use PhpGitHooks\Module\Configuration\Domain\PrePush;

class PrePushConfigurator
{
    public static function configure(IOInterface $input, PrePush $prePush)
    {
        $answer = $input->ask(HookQuestions::PRE_PUSH_HOOK_QUESTION, HookQuestions::DEFAULT_TOOL_ANSWER);

        $prePush = $prePush->setEnabled(new Enabled(HookQuestions::DEFAULT_TOOL_ANSWER === strtoupper($answer)));

        if (true === $prePush->isEnabled()) {
            $rightMessageAnswer = $input
                ->ask(HookQuestions::PRE_PUSH_RIGHT_MESSAGE, HookQuestions::PRE_PUSH_RIGHT_MESSAGE_DEFAULT);
            $errorMessageAnswer = $input
                ->ask(HookQuestions::PRE_PUSH_ERROR_MESSAGE, HookQuestions::PRE_PUSH_ERROR_MESSAGE_DEFAULT);

            $prePush = $prePush->setMessages(
                new Messages(
                    new Message($rightMessageAnswer),
                    new Message($errorMessageAnswer)
                )
            );
        }

        return $prePush;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Published on East Asia & Pacific on the Rise
Immigrant labor: Can it help Malaysia's economic development?
Rafael Munoz Moreno
Malaysia has been able to reach remarkable achievements over the past decades, including extreme poverty eradication and promotion of inclusive growth. It aims to reach a high-income nation status by 2020, which goes beyond merely reaching a per capita GDP threshold. As the 11th Malaysia Plan points out, the goal is to achieve a growth path that is sustainable over time, reflects greater productivity, and is inclusive. High-income status can be achieved if we ensure that future generations have access to all the resources, such as education and productive opportunities, necessary to realize their ambitions and if Malaysia's economy is globally competitive and resource-sustainable.
Over the years, immigrants have played a crucial role in the economic development of Malaysia, with around 2.1 million immigrants registered and over 1 million undocumented as of 2013. Education levels among the Malaysian population have increased remarkably over the last two decades, and immigrant workers have become one of the primary sources of labor for low-skilled occupations, most commonly in labor-intensive sectors such as construction, agriculture and manufacturing. Economic studies show that a 10% net increase in low-skilled foreign workers could raise Malaysia's GDP by 1.1% and create employment and increase wages for most Malaysians.
Immigration into Malaysia is the result of structural factors such as differences in income per capita and demographic patterns as well as relative porous borders between Malaysia and its neighboring countries. For instance, Malaysia's gross national income per capita is $10,570 compared to $3,440 in Indonesia, and well above other countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal. Countries that send the largest numbers of immigrants to Malaysia tend to have a younger population, which fills gaps in the tight Malaysian labor market. These disparities are likely to still be present in the future and to keep motivating migration.
Understanding its significant economic impact, the 11th Malaysia Plan stresses the importance of effective migration management to achieve high-income country status by 2020. To fully take advantage of its potential benefits, the 11th Malaysia Plan states that migration management system should be aligned to the human resource development strategy of the country. International experience from Australia and the UK shows that well-functioning migration systems are informed by an evidence-based approach. In particular, these countries have developed systems that monitor shortages in different occupations based on labor market data. Such systems are critical in ensuring that foreign workers can fill labor gaps rather than substitute for local workers.
Currently, Malaysia uses a mix of quantity and price restrictions (quotas by sector and levies) to control the influx of foreign workers in the country. Quotas are generally static and do not respond quickly to labor market needs, while levies are a more flexible instrument. However, for the levy system to be effective, it is extremely important to adjust the levels based on labor market signals. A dynamic levy system that enables the government to appropriately price labor market needs is a desirable instrument to align immigration to the objectives of the country. Such instrument is also necessary to ensure that firms are not limited from filling their labor shortages with immigrant labor when there is a real need.
As discussed in the December 2015 issue of the World Bank Malaysia Economic Monitor, legal immigration can certainly help Malaysia meet its 2020 vision of becoming a high income economy. Countries such as the UK and Australia are examples of economies that have established tools and systems that align immigration to their labor market needs. In light of this, what can Malaysia learn from the more and less successful experience of other countries? Which reforms would optimize immigration management and better link it to Malaysia's development? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
More Blogs By Rafael


text:
by Christopher Fulbright April 9, 2017 March 15, 2020
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American poet, journalist, editor, and author. Lovecraft certainly needs no introduction to horror fans; virtually every big name in the genre cites his work as an influence. Numerous film adaptations have been made from his stories, and countless filmmakers, authors, comic creators, and songwriters have borrowed his concepts for their own works. He is one of America's literary giants, with many volumes and editions of his work in print over the decades, from early collections published by Arkham House to his canonization in the Library of America.
Despite his fame and stature in the modern pantheon of horror authors, Lovecraft met with little success during his career. Compared to his contemporaries — particularly the other authors in what has come to be known as the Lovecraft Circle — he was not very prolific as an author of fiction, and the sales of his stories never netted enough money to make ends meet. He had approximately 60 works of fiction published during his lifetime or shortly after his death. Of those, six were novellas or novelettes, and only one was a full-length novel. He also collaborated with other writers, which yielded another 30 or so short stories. Some of his collaborators (not including posthumous collaborations) included C.L. Moore, Robert E. Howard, Frank Belknap Long, R.H. Barlow, E. Hoffman Price, Robert Bloch, and Harry Houdini. Lovecraft frequently wrote and received letters from long-distance colleagues. He was a poet, as well, with many interests that informed his work. As a journalist, he had many scientific and philosophical articles to his credit.
Lovecraft's life was beset with difficulty from the beginning. He was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. His father became "acutely psychotic" and was admitted to a mental hospital when Lovecraft three years old. He was reportedly a sickly child. His Wikipedia article says he may have been afflicted with some form of parasomnia, possibly night terrors or sleep paralysis. He was raised by his mother and his two aunts. Despite seldom attending school due to his illnesses, he was by all accounts an exceptionally brilliant child interested in science, particularly astronomy. Lovecraft's maternal grandfather was a successful businessman, and it seems much of the money off which he and his mother lived came from what was left over from his estate after his death in 1904. Lovecraft's mother was committed to a mental hospital in 1919 for "hysteria and depression." She died in 1921.
In 1924, Lovecraft traveled to Boston for a convention to meet with a group of amateur journalists. There he met his soon-to-be wife Sonia Greene. They were married the same year and moved to Brooklyn, New York. The marriage lasted several years, but it seems they were separated most of the time, as Greene had moved to Cincinnati for a job opportunity, and Lovecraft eventually returned to Providence. He remained in Providence, living off increasingly meager funds until his death. He died from cancer of the small intestine in 1937.
Lovecraft's friend and fellow author Frank Belknap Long wrote a book-length memorial, Howard Phillips Lovecraft: Dreamer on the Night Side, which was published by Arkham House in 1975. A great deal of other biographical material exists, of course. The Wikipedia article on Lovecraft seems solid and well-informed.
My personal introduction to Lovecraft's work came in 1985 at the tender age of 14, when my uncle introduced me to some old pulps that he'd found kicking around St. Louis bookstores. I was already an avid reader of Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, and lots of stuff in between. In 1986, I saw the Stewart Gordon/Brian Yuzna adaptation of From Beyond. I suspect Lovecraft would have regarded the film with disdain (probably a kind assessment) for its sexual themes and overt slimy-monsterishness. I loved it. In fact, From Beyond remains one of my favorite films. While it was clear to me that Lovecraft had a style and tone distinctly different from horror fiction being published in the 1980s, I enjoyed the film for the way it used Lovecraft's ideas in a modern way that appealed to me as a teen. It was a perfect union, and I have to believe it did a great deal for the popularity of Lovecraft's work at the time. Nevertheless, while his fiction was a stark contrast to the films, I still loved his stories for their creeping fear, hinted-at eldritch horrors, shadowy treatment of arcane subjects, and general comic menace. The descriptions and images hung with me. His work and ideas were an inspiration. Lovecraft quickly took a place next to Stephen King on my bookshelf.
As a collector, my first set of Lovecraft books were paperbacks published by Ballantine, with the black covers and a different strange head on every title. Over the years, I collected the earlier Ballantine Adult Fantasy editions, and finally, as a grown up with a real job, purchased the definitive Arkham House hardcovers. Presented here in the gallery scans is the wonderful paperback artwork of Gervasio Gallardo, published in the Adult Fantasy line around 1970. John Holmes did the "strange heads" series of art around 1973. Later paperback editions feature art by Murray Tinkelman, including pen and ink drawings on the inside covers, published around 1976. The Arkham dust jackets shown here feature art by Tony Patrick, and the edition of Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos included below was published during the time when J. K. Potter did most of the cover art for Arkham House.
For a list of H. P. Lovecraft books currently available in all formats, click here.
The following scans are from the library of Christopher Fulbright.
Taggedballantine adult fantasycall of cthulhucthulhu mythosdunwich horrorfrom beyondh. p. lovecrafthoward phillips lovecraft
Jack Cady
Doc Savage, The Man of Bronze
September 12, 2015 September 6, 2015
John Tigges
One thought on "H. P. Lovecraft"
Pingback: Gallery Updates – Realms of Night


text:
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › District Courts › Missouri › Eastern District of Missouri › 2014 › Emerson Electric Co. v. Suzhou Cleva Electric Applicance Co., Ltd. et al › Filing 152
Emerson Electric Co. v. Suzhou Cleva Electric Applicance Co., Ltd. et al, No. 4:2013cv01043 - Document 152 (E.D. Mo. 2014)
Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER: IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff Emerson Electric Co.s Motion to Dismiss Defendants Cleva North America, Inc.s and Sears, Roebuck & Co.s (Defendants) Inequitable Conduct Counterclaims and to Strike Defendants Inequit able Conduct Affirmative Defenses (Doc. No. 123 ) is GRANTED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant Cleva North America, Inc.s and Defendant Sears, Roebuck & Co.s Inequitable Conduct Counterclaims are DISMISSED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant Cleva North America, Inc.s and Defendant Sears, Roebuck & Co.s Inequitable Conduct Affirmative Defenses are STRICKEN. Signed by Magistrate Judge Shirley P. Mensah on 7/22/14. (ARL)
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI EASTERN DIVISION EMERSON ELECTRIC CO., Plaintiff, vs. SUZHOU CLEVA ELECTRIC APPLIANCE CO., LTD., CLEVA HONG KONG LIMITED, CLEVA NORTH AMERICA, INC., and SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO., Defendants. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Case No. 4:13-CV-01043 SPM MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff Emerson Electric Co. s ( Emerson s ) Motion to Dismiss Defendants Cleva North America, Inc. and Sears, Roebuck & Co. s ( Defendants ) Inequitable Conduct Counterclaims and Motion to Strike Defendants Inequitable Conduct Affirmative Defenses. (Doc. No. 123). For the reasons set forth below, the Court will grant Emerson s motions. I. BACKGROUND Emerson is the inventor of U.S. Patent No. 7,237,300 ( the 300 Patent ), titled Multistepped Appliance Accessory Holder. In its Amended Complaint, Emerson alleges a claim that Defendants have infringed the 300 Patent. Each Defendant, in its Amended Answer and Counterclaims to Plaintiff s Amended Complaint, asserts counterclaims seeking a declaratory judgment of inequitable conduct and an 1 affirmative defense that alleges inequitable conduct by Emerson in prosecuting the patent application that resulted in the 300 Patent. (Doc. Nos. 111 & 112). In both their counterclaims and their affirmative defenses, Defendants allege that the 300 Patent is invalid and/or unenforceable due to the failure of each individual associated with the filing and prosecution of the patent to disclose to the Patent Office all information known to be material to patentability. (Doc. 111, ¶¶ 83, 99; Doc. 112, ¶¶ 85, 98). In support of their counterclaims, Defendants further allege that Emerson publicly disclosed the subject matter claimed in [the 300 Patent] more than one year before the earliest claimed priority date for [the 300 Patent] ; that Emerson sold and/or offered for sale products that included the subject matter claimed in the 300 Patent more than one year before that earliest claimed priority date for the 300 Patent; that [t]he applicants and/or attorney who prosecuted the application for the 300 Patent were aware of such public use, sales, and/or offers for sale; that such public use, sales, and/or offers for sale were material to the patentability of the subject matter claimed in the 300 Patent under 35 U.S.C. § 102; and that the applicants and attorney who prosecuted the application for the 300 Patent failed to disclose the public use, sales, and/or offers for sale with the intention of misleading or deceiving the patent examiner. (Doc. 111, ¶¶ 94-99; Doc. 112, ¶¶ 93-98). In the instant motion, Emerson asks the Court to dismiss Defendants counterclaims and strike Defendants affirmative defenses, arguing that Defendants have failed to plead inequitable conduct with the particularity required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 9(b) and Federal Circuit law. (Doc. No. 123). Defendants oppose Emerson s motion and contend that they have adequately pleaded their counterclaims and affirmative defenses. (Doc. No. 129). 2 II. DISCUSSION A. Emerson s Motion to Dismiss Defendants Inequitable Conduct Counterclaims 1. Legal Standard A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure tests the legal sufficiency of the complaint. To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face. Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). A claim is facially plausible when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Id. (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556). While a complaint attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss does not need detailed factual allegations, a plaintiff's obligation to provide the grounds of his entitle[ment] to relief requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do. Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555 (internal citations omitted). Indeed, [a]lthough for the purposes of a motion to dismiss [courts] must take all of the factual allegations in the complaint as true, [courts] are not bound to accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678. Thus, [t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice. Id. (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). These requirements apply both to pleadings governed by the general pleading standard of Rule 8 and those governed by the heightened pleading standards of Rule 9. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 686. In addressing a motion under Rule 12(b)(6), documents attached to or incorporated within a complaint are considered part of the pleadings, and courts may look at such documents for all purposes, including to determine whether a plaintiff has stated a plausible claim. Retro 3 Television Network, Inc. v. Luken Commc ns, LLC, 696 F.3d 766, 769 (8th Cir. 2012) (quoting Brown v. Medtronic, Inc., 628 F.3d 451, 459-60 (8th Cir. 2010)). Under Federal Circuit law, inequitable conduct counterclaims must be pled with particularity under Rule 9(b). Exergen Corp. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 575 F.3d 1312, 1326 (Fed. Cir. 2009) (quoting Ferguson Beauregard/Logic Controls, Div. of Dover Res., Inc. v. Mega Sys., LLC, 350 F.3d 1327, 1344 (Fed. Cir. 2003)); see also Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(b) ( In alleging fraud or mistake, a party must state with particularity the circumstances constituting fraud or mistake. ).1 In addition, as discussed below, the Federal Circuit has articulated substantive pleading requirements for inequitable conduct counterclaims. 2. Discussion Inequitable conduct is an equitable defense to patent infringement that, if proved, bars enforcement of a patent. Therasense, Inc. v. Becton Dickinson & Co., 649 F.3d 1276, 1285 (Fed. Cir. 2011) (en banc). The substantive elements of an inequitable conduct claim require a claimant to show that (1) an individual associated with the filing and prosecution of a patent application made an affirmative misrepresentation of a material fact, failed to disclose material information, or submitted false material information; and (2) the individual did so with a specific intent to deceive the [United States Patent and Trademark Office ( PTO )]. Exergen Corp. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 575 F.3d 1312, 1327 n. 3 (Fed. Cir. 2009). At the pleadings stage, Rule 9(b) requires that the party asserting an inequitable conduct claim identify the specific who, what, when, where, and how of the material misrepresentation or omission committed before the PTO. Id. at 1328. Moreover, [a]lthough knowledge and 1 Because inequitable conduct pertains to or is unique to patent law, whether it has been adequately pleaded is a question of Federal Circuit law. Id. at 1326 (quoting Cent. Admixture Pharmacy Servs., Inc. v. Advanced Cardiac Solutions, P.C., 482 F.3d 1347, 1356 (Fed. Cir. 2007)). 4 intent may be averred generally, a pleading of inequitable conduct under Rule 9(b) must include sufficient allegations of underlying facts from which a court may reasonably infer that a specific individual (1) knew of the withheld material information or the falsity of the material misrepresentation, and (2) withheld or misrepresented this information with a specific intent to deceive the PTO. Id. at 1328-29. Emerson argues that Defendants fail to meet several of the Exergen pleading requirements. The Court will address each in turn. a. Who Under Exergen, a pleading alleging inequitable conduct must specifically identify who is guilty of the alleged misconduct. 575 F.3d at 1328-29. More particularly, the pleading must name the specific individual associated with the filing or prosecution of the application . . . who both knew of the material information and deliberately withheld or misrepresented it. Id. at 1329. In their pleadings, Defendants identify the individuals allegedly involved in inequitable conduct as [t]he applicants and/or attorney who prosecuted the application that resulted in [the 300 Patent]. (Doc. No. 111 ¶ 96 & Doc. No. 112 ¶ 95). Defendants argue that this satisfies the Exergen pleading standard because [t]he applicants and the attorneys who prosecuted the 300 patent are readily identifiable from the face and prosecution history of the patent. (Doc. No. 129 at 4). Defendants have failed to satisfy Exergen s who standard. First, notwithstanding Defendants arguments to the contrary, the names of the applicants and attorneys who prosecuted the 300 Patent are not identifiable from the pleadings or the attachments thereto. The pleadings themselves do not mention the names of the applicants and attorneys. The 300 Patent itself (which is attached to the complaint) states only that the Attorney is Locke Liddell & Sapp 5 LLP ; it does not name any specific individual attorneys. The failure to specify the name or names of the specific individuals who committed the alleged misconduct renders Defendants pleadings insufficient. See Oracle Corp. v. DrugLogic, Inc., 807 F.Supp.2d 885, 898 (N.D. Cal. 2011) (holding that an allegation referring to [e]ach attorney or agent who prepared or prosecuted the application was insufficient under Exergen and stating that defendant must name specific, identified individuals in any amended complaint). Second, Defendants suggestion that the names of the attorneys are identifiable from the prosecution history for the 300 Patent is unpersuasive. The prosecution history is not part of the pleadings and thus is not properly considered in evaluating Emerson s motion to dismiss. Moreover, even when the prosecution history documents are considered, it is not immediately apparent to the Court which of the individuals named therein are the attorneys who prosecuted the 300 patent. Third, even assuming that the names of the applicants and attorneys could be identified from the pleadings and attachments thereto, Defendants have still failed to satisfy Exergen s who standard. Several courts, including the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, have held that the and/or style of pleading does not satisfy Rule 9(b) s requirements in the inequitable conduct context. See Exergen Corp., 575 F.3d at 1329 (pleading referring to Exergen, its agents and/or attorneys was insufficient to satisfy the who requirement); Drew Techs., Inc. v. Bosch, L.L.C., No. 12-15622, 2014 WL 562458, at *3 (E.D. Mich. Feb. 13, 2014) (allegations referring to specific named individuals and/or their representatives were insufficient); XpertUniverse, Inc. v. Cisco Sys., Inc., 868 F.Supp.2d 376, 381 (D. Del. 2012) (allegations referring to a specific named individual or one or more of the other individuals listed as an inventor were insufficient); Mitsubishi Heavy Indus., Ltd. v. Gen. Elec. Co., No. 6 6:10-cv-812-Orl-28KRS, 2012 WL 831525, at *2 (M.D. Fla. March 12, 2012); Server Tech., Inc. v. Am. Power Conversion Corp., No. 3:06-CV-698-LRH-VPC, 2011 WL 1743872, at *2 (D. Nev. May 6, 2011). As one court explained, such allegations do not allege[] that any one of those individuals necessarily committed the particular act, nor do they plead any joint concert of action, and they are thus insufficient to identify the person or persons who committed the acts. Drew Techs., 2014 WL 562458, at *3. In sum, Defendants have failed to allege who committed the alleged misconduct. On this ground alone, Defendants inequitable conduct counterclaims must be dismissed. b. What and Where In addition to identifying who is guilty of the alleged misconduct, Exergen requires that a pleading of inequitable conduct identify the what and where of the material omission. Exergen Corp., 575 F.3d at 1329. To satisfy these requirements, a pleading must identify which claims, and which limitations in those claims, the withheld references are relevant to, and where in those references the material information is found. Exergen Corp., 575 F.3d. at 1329. Again, Defendants conclusory allegations fail to meet this threshold. In describing the what and where of the alleged material omission, Defendants allege only that Emerson Electric sold and/or offered for sale products that included the subject matter claimed in U.S. Patent No. 7,237,300 and failed to disclose those sales. (Doc. 111, at ¶¶ 95, 98; Doc. 112, at ¶¶ 94, 97). Defendants fail to identify which claims and limitations in the 300 Patent relate to Emerson s alleged earlier product sales. Such generalized statements are insufficient to satisfy the what and where requirements of Exergen and Rule 9(b). See Exergen Corp., 575 F.3d at 1329; Oracle Corp., 807 F.Supp.2d at 898. This insufficiency constitutes a second basis on which to dismiss Defendants inequitable conduct counterclaims. 7 c. When and How Exergen further requires that allegations of inequitable conduct state the when and how of the alleged misconduct. Exergen Corp., 575 F.3d at 1328-30. Defendants offer no specific dates for when the alleged product sales occurred, instead simply stating that they occurred more than one year before the earliest claimed priority date for [the 300 Patent]. (Doc. No. 111 ¶ 95; Doc. No. 112 ¶ 94). Moreover, Defendants offer no information about what products Emerson allegedly sold or offered for sale. By not alleging any specific products sold or any dates or approximate dates when they were sold, Defendants have failed to plead with particularity the how and when aspects of the alleged inequitable conduct. See Mycone Dental Supply Co. v. Creative Nail Design, Inc., No. 1:11-CV-4380, 2013 WL 3216145, at *7 (D.N.J. June 24, 2013) (dismissing inequitable conduct counterclaims and striking affirmative defenses in part because the pleadings did not specify the commercial sales information that [the patentee] should have disclosed ). Because Defendants have failed to satisfy several of Exergen s pleading requirements, Defendants inequitable counterclaims must be dismissed.2 B. Emerson s Motion to Strike Defendants Inequitable Conduct Affirmative Defenses Under Rule 12(f), [t]he court may strike from a pleading an insufficient defense . . . . Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(f). The Federal Circuit and other courts have applied Exergen s pleading requirements to the affirmative defense of inequitable conduct. See Exergen Corp., 575 F.3d at 1325-31 (affirming denial of leave to amend to add inequitable conduct affirmative defense using the same standards applicable to an inequitable conduct counterclaim); St. Jude Med., Cardiology Div., Inc. v. Volcano Corp., No. 12-441-RGA, 2014 WL 2622240, at *1 n. 1 (D. Del. 2 The Court need not address Emerson s argument that Defendants also failed to allege intent to deceive. 8 June 11, 2014) ( Because both an affirmative defense and a counterclaim asserting inequitable conduct must meet the particularity requirements dictated by Rule 9(b), [the defendant s] counterclaim and affirmative defense for inequitable conduct rise or fall together. ) (internal quotation marks omitted); Radiancy, Inc. v. Viatek Consumer Prods. Group, Inc., No. 13-cv3767 (NSR), 2014 WL 1318374, at *6 (S.D.N.Y. April 1, 2014) (applying Exergen standards in evaluating and granting a motion to strike an inequitable conduct affirmative defense). Defendants make no argument that the Exergen standards do not apply to affirmative defenses of inequitable conduct. As previously discussed, Defendants have failed to plead inequitable conduct with the particularity required by the Federal Circuit under Exergen Corp. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 575 F.3d 1312 (Fed. Cir. 2009). Thus, Defendants inequitable conduct affirmative defenses are legally insufficient, and Emerson s motion to strike them will be granted. III. CONCLUSION For the reasons stated above, Defendants pleadings fail to satisfy the Federal Circuit s standards for pleading inequitable conduct counterclaims and affirmative defenses. Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff Emerson Electric Co. s Motion to Dismiss Defendants Cleva North America, Inc. s and Sears, Roebuck & Co. s ( Defendants ) Inequitable Conduct Counterclaims and to Strike Defendants Inequitable Conduct Affirmative Defenses (Doc. No. 123) is GRANTED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant Cleva North America, Inc. s and Defendant Sears, Roebuck & Co. s Inequitable Conduct Counterclaims are DISMISSED. 9 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant Cleva North America, Inc. s and Defendant Sears, Roebuck & Co. s Inequitable Conduct Affirmative Defenses are STRICKEN. Dated this 22nd day of July, 2014. /s/ Shirley Padmore Mensah SHIRLEY PADMORE MENSAH UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE 10


text:
Bronagh Waugh: Lessons in humanity
by Kathryn Wheeler on 25 September 2018 Read in
On screen, actor Bronagh Waugh doesn't shy away from complex characters. As Sally-Ann Spector, wife of a serial killer in The Fall, and Jessica Reid, whose twin sister had gone missing in Unforgotten, Bronagh celebrates the unique opportunity that these dramas give us to examine the shared experience of grief, pain and anger. Off-screen and onto the streets, she is a fierce campaigner for LGBT+ and human rights. Here we talk about the catharsis found in gritty dramas, and how each and every one of us can help bang the drum for equality
You've worked on several gritty crime dramas, including ITV's 'Unforgotten'. What attracts you to these kinds of roles?
I watched Unforgotten as an audience member before I heard about the job, and when I read the script I just loved the character of Jessica – it really resonated with me. With these kinds of stories, you often forget that this family have to live with whatever has happened, with all these unanswered questions, and life kind of stands still for them. I find that incredibly moving.
Do you think storylines like these can help a viewer who has been through a similar experience?
That's the beauty of drama; you can tell stories of people who often don't feel represented. We want people to be connected and we want it to be cathartic. I think around particular topics like mental health and grief, it's so important to make stories about it so we have some mirrors to hold up, to feel like we've got representation.
Photography | David Reiss
How do you offload from an emotional role at the end of the day?
It's a difficult one. Physically it's very demanding to cry every day. It really exhausts your body, and I would come home and want to go straight to sleep because I'd spent the whole day crying!
I've started to do a lot more meditation and mindfulness, and I practise pilates and yoga. I think having those self-care things in your routine can really help anyone.
In your personal life, you're very politically active. When did you first get into activism?
I think it's one of those things that has always been there, and ever since I was a teenager I felt very engaged in politics. Politics is about community and it's about your community and taking an active role in making sure there is fairness and justice, and that people are being taken care of. That's where the change comes from. Stand up for the small injustices. It's all part of the bigger picture.
Your mum came out as gay when you were young – did that shape your activism?
I had two strong women, and my grandmother, raise me – I'm incredibly lucky! The things that I lend my voice to and get involved in are the things that directly affect my family because there's not enough time to try and get involved with everything! That's why I campaign for equal marriage.
Listening is so important, and that goes for any group in our community which is being marginalised
How can people be effective LGBT+ allies?
Listening is so important, and that goes for any group in our community which is being marginalised. Money talks, and if businesses say that they are in support of something, that makes a huge difference in terms of visibility because when we see brands that we know and trust supporting Pride, it breaks down the stigma and the barriers.
What can the rest of the UK do to support the equal marriage campaign in Northern Ireland?
Many people in the rest of the UK don't even realise that it's still illegal to marry if you are gay in Northern Ireland! But one of the physical things you can do is write a quick letter to your local MP – loveequalityni.org has templates – and ask them to put the pressure on the government.
You're currently engaged, but have decided not to get married until everyone can. What fuelled that decision?
My husband-to-be and I had a conversation and, with all the campaigning we do for equal marriage, it felt very hypocritical for us to go ahead and get married. Because what you're doing is using your privilege to go: "Oh well, I can do it but you can't – sorry guys."
But I think we can often have lessons in humanity and humility when we learn empathy, when we learn what our friends and community are going through. We're having a celebration of love soon, but there's no piece of paper at the end of it.
Has that been hard?
Tears have been shed. I've been upset that, yes we get to have this big party in front of our friends and family, and yes we're going to say some vows, but there's no legal piece of paper at the end of it and we're not protected in that same way.
But what that does is make me want to campaign even stronger. And when the legislation does come through there will be this amazing feeling and it will be great to go back to Northern Ireland and celebrate. I think that when you have principles it's important to stick to them, so that's what I'm doing.
For more from Bronagh, follow her on Twitter and Instagram @bronaghwaugh
NextUK Patient First To Receive New and Pioneering Form of Radiotherapy25 September 2018
PreviousMore Than One in Three UK Employees Consider Quitting Their Job Regularly25 September 2018


If you've been burned by scent control before, you're not alone. You've tried sprays, clothes, and a dozen other techniques only to get busted by your target before you even raised your bow. Not anymore. The patented scent elimination technology of Ozonics is scientifically proven to maximize your existing opportunities and create new ones you thought were unattainable. You'll get closer to more animals and bigger game, including the elusive ones that seem like the stuff of legend. Ozonics gives you a better way to hunt, and it's the only scent management tool you'll ever need.
No matter how much you've prepared for the hunt, your body is always producing scent. That's why you need an active scent management tool that can reduce, alter, and eliminate your odor in the field. By creating a constant stream of ozone, your Ozonics device destroys your human scent so deer and other animals can't tell you're there.
Unlike most scent control products, Ozonics is backed by undeniable science. As it electronically changes ordinary oxygen into ozone, it chemically alters your human odors to leave you undetectable. Given the right concentration of ozone and the right amount of time, your scent will always be destroyed. Ozonics uses scientifically proven technology to deliver the right oxidant concentration to bond to your scent molecules and reduce, alter and eliminate your odor. It's the science of purification brought to your hunt.
Ozonics is a sophisticated device in a small and simple-to-use package. As the world's first and only in-the-field ozone generator, it's been proven time after time to create more opportunities during your hunt. With a quiet design and innovative air flow technology, Ozonics balances time and oxidant concentration to ensure the proper amount of ozone is deployed to destroy your scent. Backed by patented technology and years of scientific testing, Ozonics is your formula for success in the field. Add in the power of the Kinetic Backpack and the Driwash Bag, and you have a foolproof pre-, mid-, and post-hunt scent management solution.
Ozonics is designed to do much more than temporarily mask or block your scent. It's built to destroy your odor and render it unrecognizable to deer and other animals.
The animals you hunt have incredibly sophisticated senses of smell and expansive scent libraries. They can pick out a human from a mile away, and no amount of scent control spray can keep you hidden for long. When you hunt with Ozonics, your human scent is either eliminated completely or altered in such a way that the new odor doesn't pose a threat to animals. Ozonics doesn't prevent animals from smelling. It cleanses the air between you and the animal, thus eliminating any perceived threat and allowing you to get closer to your dream target.
You've been trained to put the wind in your face and stay downwind of your target. But mature animals also use the elements to their advantage, so merely playing the wind often isn't enough. Ozonics rewrites the rules of hunting so you don't have to hunt at the mercy of the wind anymore. You can confidently put yourself in places you know bucks will travel regardless of the wind conditions. And unlike all the scent control methods you've tried in the past, Ozonics is easy to apply and doesn't take weeks of exhaustive—and often futile—preparation.
Your Ozonics device is easy to mount to your treestand or ground blind and allows you to hunt purely based on the animal's location, not the direction of the wind. Simply layer the scent elimination power of Ozonics over the current wind direction and watch as the science of scent-destroying ozone brings more opportunities and more success.
At Ozonics, we believe in an ethical approach to hunting. While Ozonics technology creates more opportunities for you, it does not create an unfair advantage or guarantee you'll get your target. You still have to get up early, pick the right treestand or blind, and take the perfect shot. As passionate hunters, we've designed Ozonics to enhance the hunting experience, not replace it.