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1. Introduction
The large-scale application of nanomaterials in the field of remediation has been limited by different factors ranging from economic to difficulties in implementation and scaling. One of these factors - in the context of using and reusing management - is the separation of the nanomaterials from the aqueous medium after performing their function, since conventional techniques such as precipitation, centrifugation or filtration are in some cases inefficient or costly [1-3].
For this reason, the implementation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) has been seen as one of the most promising alternatives, since apart from its potential as a remediation agent is added the fact that their separation of the aqueous medium is simpler and more efficient [4-6].
The process of separating MNPs from the aqueous solution is based on cooperative phenomena of magnetophoresis, is a reorientation of the magnetic moment that holds particles under the action of non-uniform external magnetic fields towards the highest field gradient. The magnetic force involved can be expressed as [7]:
where μ 0 is the permeability constant in vacuum, 𝑉 𝑝 is the particle volume, 𝑀 𝑝 is the magnetization of the particle and ΔH is the gradient of the magnetic field strength at the particle position. Also, the magnetization of the particle is given as a function of the volumetric magnetic susceptibility (𝜒) and the field strength applied [8]:
Also, it is important consider the gravitational force 𝐹 𝑔 and the hydrodynamic drag force 𝐹 𝑑 [7,9,10]. For the gravitational force is fulfilled:
And for the drag force:
where 𝜌 𝑝 is the density of the particle, b is a constant that depends on the properties of the fluid and the dimensions of the particle, 𝜌 𝑔 the density of the fluid, 𝑔 the gravity, 𝜂 the viscosity of the fluid and 𝑣 𝑓 and 𝑣 𝑝 are the velocities of the fluid and the particle respectively.
As seen in the equations 3 and 4, the volume - and hence the size - of particles plays a fundamental role in the recovery process. However, the increase in particle size leads to a decrease in the reactivity and removal capacity of the contaminant as it reduces the surface area/volume ratio [11,12]. For this reason, the study of the dynamics of aggregation of particles in water takes relevance.
Nanoparticles with a high free surface energy tend to aggregate, in trend toward stability. The smaller particles have a greater aggregation tendency due to lower energy barriers [13,14]. Aggregate formation decreases the surface area of magnetic nanoparticles. This reduces the reactivity, thus limiting the performance in catching pollutants. Aggregation also reduces the effectiveness of magnetic nanoparticles during remediation due to loss of Brownian mobility [15].
The most appropriate way to study this phenomenon is the DVLO model. The traditional DLVO (Fig. 1) theory describes colloidal stability by considering the total energy of the interaction in a particle with another particle. The main interaction energy can be estimated and calculated as the sum of Van der Waals and the double layer of electrical interactions [2,16,17].
2. Methodology
2.1 Materials
Iron (III) chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3∙6H2O) and Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) were purchased from Merck Colombia. Reduced L-Glutathione (C10H17N3O6S) was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. All reactive were analytically pure and used as received without further purification, and all solutions were prepared with double-distilled water.
2.2 Samples preparation
The Fe3O4 NPs obtained through the green method (Glutathione@MNPs) were synthesized using an improved method described by [19] . Briefly, we added 10 mL of a FeCl3 (0,1 mol/L) solution to a 100-mL beaker under mechanical stirring (140 rpm) at 75°C. On reaching this temperature, 20 mL of an aqueous solution of L-Glutathione (0,214mol/L) were added dropwise into the beaker with the pH value of the mixed solution adjusted to 10. The mixture was brought to a temperature of 85°C and this solution was stirred (120 rpm) for another hour. At the end of this period, the nanoparticles were separated by magnetic field application and then washed several times with deionized water and alcohol, and then vacuum dried at 40°C for 12 hours.
2.3 Characterization
The particle size and morphology of all the synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (CARL ZEISS MODEL EVO HD MA 15). The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were studied through vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM Lakeshore, Model 665) measurements. The particle size was measured through the SEM and dynamic light scattering (DLS) methods, the size distribution of the particles and Zeta Potential were determined using a Malvern Zetasizer Nano (ZS90).
2.4 Agglomeration kinetics studies
In order to establish the aggregation rates of Glutathione@MNPs, suspensions of this material were prepared in deionized water at a concentration of 20 mg / L and sonicated for 10 minutes at 250 W. Thereafter, temporal changes in hydrodynamic radius as a function of ionic strength were measured by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) using a Zetasizer Nano ZS instrument (Malvern Instruments, UK). It has a 633nm laser as the light source and the intensity of the light scattered by the particles is measured as the photon count rate by a detector at 173°. Particle size is determined by the analysis of the fluctuation of light intensity diffused by particles subjected to Brownian motion.
With the measurement of these changes in the hydrodynamic radius from an initial value R_h0 to 1,25Rh0, the initial rate of aggregation of the nanoparticles (k) is determined [20,21]:
where N is the concentration of the particles. With this value, it was possible to determine the fixation efficiency and easily obtained from the relation of the initial aggregation rate to a given chemical condition of the solution with the aggregation rate constant measured under conditions bound by diffusion (rapid) [20-22]:
In order to establish the concentration that decreases the potential barrier causing the flocculation of the nanoparticles and which ions normally found in surface water like rivers (Na1+, Zn1+, Ca2+), concentration is tabulated 5 to 30 mg/L) of electrolyte at the intersection of the reaction-limited stability curve (extrapolated from the linear section of the real stability curve) and the diffusion-limited stability curve (constant α value) and Thus finding the critical concentration of CCC coagulation [22-24].
2.5 Studies of magnetic sedimentation
Looking forward to studying the feasibility of the separation of the nanoparticles after being implemented in a treatment process, the study of the sedimentation of the nanomaterial was carried out as a function of time and the applied magnetic field. The magnetic system that was implemented produced a magnetic field gradient from a neodymium magnet cylinder with a diameter of 40mm and a height of 5mm that produced a field of 0,2 T. The suspension of nanoparticles in water was carried out in a volume of 250 ml where the influence of the magnetic field was measured in absence and presence of it by measuring the turbidity of the solution with a turbidimeter at different pH values (4, 7 and 9). Similarly, the influence of ionic strength (Na1+, Zn1+, Ca2+) at different concentrations (10, 20 and 30 mg/L) as a function of time. On the other hand, the sedimentation of the magnetic nanoparticles after the adsorption of heavy metals (Hg and Cr) was also evaluated as a function of time.
With this, the percentage separation of the magnetic nanoparticles from the aqueous phase over a period was calculated as follows:
3. Results and discussion
Characterization of Magnetic nanoparticles synthesized by the green methodology using glutathione with reducing agent and stabilizer can be observed in Fig. 2. TEM image (Fig. 2a) shows an average size of 60 nm. Saturation magnetization curve of the nanomaterial at room temperature (Fig. 2b.) was 85.4 emu/g, which is a close to theoretical value and a little larger to conventional synthesis which are 90 and 82.4 emu/g respectively. The surface charge of the material was determined by measuring the zeta potential (Fig. 2c.). A surface charge of -35.5 mV was obtained. This value represents the repulsion force of groups on the structure of glutathione (carbonyl and the very weak acid behavior of 1° and 2° amines), in order to stabilize the colloidal solution [25].
3.1 Kinetic aggregation studies
The evolution of the hydrodynamic radio profile of the magnetic nanoparticles modified with Glutathione over time in relation to the concentration of the ions in solution can be observed in Figs. 3 to 5. The Z-average can be expressed as the intensity based harmonic mean and is shown by the equation below [26]:
Here, S i is the scattered intensity from particle i and D i is the diameter of particle i. Note that the result is in the form of a harmonic mean.
Taking into account the behavior of the nanoparticles in these media it can be observed that the increase in the ionic strength in the solutions decreases the steric repulsion force between the particles given by the charges of the amino, carboxyl and thiol groups on the surface of the material. This is because interactions between the charges of the ions and the loads of these functional groups are presented [27-31]. The conditions under which the rapid initial aggregation occurs in a specific system may be related to its CCC, which is discussed below. Likewise, the agglomeration phenomenon in the solution that does not have ions in solution also takes place although they are low or despicable, processes of oxidation of the particle and electrostatic interactions between the positive and negative charges of the different functional groups occur [14,32-35].
This decrease in charges could be evaluated in the Zeta potential analysis, where the relationship between the surface charge of the particle and the concentration of the electrolytes in the aqueous solution can be seen in Fig. 6. Since the pH of the solutions after the addition of the nanoparticles was approximately 7, we can establish the decrease in the stability of the material since the long absolute value was higher under conditions of absence of electrolytes regarding to the addition of these.
The efficiency of binding or agglomeration of Glutathione@MNPs as a function of the concentration of the medium and the concentration of the electrolytes can be seen in Fig. 7.
The binding efficiency profile shows typical DLVO behavior with two distinct regions. The former is known as limited reaction agglomeration (RLA), where binding efficiency gradually increases with increased concentrations of media and electrolytes due to the decreased surface charge of the nanoparticles. The second is known as diffusion-limited agglomeration (DLA), where the binding efficiency reaches a constant value in certain media and known electrolyte concentrations (CCC). The CCC values found are presented in Table 1.
Other reported values of critical coagulation concentrations have been reported for materials of similar chemical structure. In [36,37] a CCC value for Hematite nanoparticles of about 65Mm (1495 mg Na/L) was reported at near neutral pH when NaCl was used as the sodium precursor salt. Compared with the obtained value of 30 mg/L, the required amount of the salt would be lower to promote the precipitation and separation of the magnetic material from the aqueous solution.
3.2 Studies of magnetic sedimentation
Fig. 8 shows the sedimentation dynamics of Glutathione@MNPs in aqueous solution in the absence and presence of a magnetic field at different pH values. Suspensions of particles in the absence of magnetic field and affected only by the gravitational one remains stable for several weeks (approximately 8) which shows greater stability regarding to unmodified MNPs which normally show agglomeration and precipitation after 2 weeks. This could have important implications for the transport behavior of pollutants in the natural environment because, due to the high reactivity of the nanoparticles, the contaminants could be incorporated into the nanoparticles through adsorption, co-precipitation and other geochemical processes [37,38]. Therefore, stable suspended MNPs could improve transport of contaminants.
In contrast, the particles in the presence of the applied field suffer an acceleration in sedimentation velocity since in a period of 2 hours more than 80% of these are attracted by the magnetic field. The remaining 20% of the particles in that period have not yet undergone processes of agglomeration and/or attraction due to their size or the strength of the steric forces of the functional groups belonging to Glutathione, in addition, a steric interaction due to the formation of a layer of water around the material could also be important, however so far there is no adequate model to quantitatively estimate such contribution [39].
Aqueous suspensions of Glutathione@MNPs with small additions of salts in the absence of a magnetic field remain stable for a long time (2 weeks) but less time than in the absence of the salts. The difference in stability based on the nature of salt was expressed in greater stability with Zn > Na > Ca. Despite this difference, when the nanoparticle suspensions are exposed to the magnetic field, the separation of the aqueous phase is almost complete (> 90%) for solutions with Zn, Na and Ca (Fig. 9).
The increase of sedimentation velocity in the presence of salts with charge 1+ and 2+ in the presence of magnetic field, especially in the initial period, is evidently related to the strengthening of aggregate formation processes. The dependence of the sedimentation rate on the concentration of salts in the suspensions gives evidence of the change in the electrostatic surface charge of the particles, which is confirmed by the change in the zeta potential of the particles in the presence of the salt additives. The fact that calcium ions promote a greater increase in sedimentation rate is due to its higher ionic charge (2+ compared to Zn and Na which is 1+), as well as the possibility of creating additional bonds (since it is of the bridge group type) between the particles of Glutathione@MNPs, accelerating the aggregation process [34].
With this result, there is the possibility that triply charged cations further strengthen the aggregation of particles in the suspension, which would be an open study area for future work.
These results are quite encouraging given that, for an implementation of the magnetic material in water treatment operations, some of these salts can be added to obtain a more efficient separation and to remove the nanoparticles from the effluent and thus not have a release to the environment that can Affect ecosystems or human health.
The separation rates of Glutathione@MNPs after performing the heavy metal (Hg and Cr) adsorption processes for 120 min was evaluated. It can be seen from Fig. 10 that the separation of the heavy Nanomaterial-Metal assembly is effective since more than 90% is withdrawn from the aqueous phase. This is because the active adsorption sites such as thiols, amines and carboxyl groups react with the metal ions of Hg and Cr reducing the effective surface charge and consequently the steric forces that provide the stability leading to an increase in the ease of separation by means of the magnetic field [40- 42].
The above results provide the possibility of creating water treatment systems for heavy metal remediation with MNPs, as it gives control of non-release of nanomaterial or heavy metal into the body of water.
4. Conclusions
Glutathione@MNPs show a stability in aqueous medium with no presence of ion metals over 8 weeks. This stability is due to the steric repulsions of the carboxyl, amine and thiol groups on the surface of the material.
This stability was reduced by the presence of valves in calcium, zinc and sodium, where an increase of more than 500% in the average hydrodynamic radius of the nanoparticles was found.
If the critical concentrations of coagulation come from the application of the DLVO theory, where calcium sales consume the lowest concentration to promote the agglomeration of the particles and that the charge of these emulsions is mayor in comparison of air of zinc and sodium.
The application of magnetic field for the separation of the particles of the aqueous medium is effective, since with the fields of 0.2T a separation greater than 90% of the material was reached. Also, for nanoparticles bound to heavy metals such as the Hg and Cr son, they do not inhibit the separation of material from the aquatic medium, which gives indications for the use of this material for environmental remediation.
The above results provide the possibility of creating water treatment systems for heavy metal remediation with MNPs, as it gives control of non-release of nanomaterial or heavy metal into the body of water.


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Vehicle Applications
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Christine Burton
Christine Burton
It was a pleasure working with Christine on our sale and purchase. She was always available when we had questions and provided expert advice throughout the whole process. Our kids love our new home, and so do we. Thanks, Christine!- Scott - Keswick, ON
Christine has lived in Keswick since 1994. Her love of Keswick and the Greater Georgina area has been the driving force behind her tireless involvement in the community. She has proudly volunteered with the Roches Point Scout Troop, numerous League Hockey Teams, served on Parent Council Committees and since 2012, has served as a Director for the Georgina Chamber of Commerce. Along with being an active supporter of Sandgate Women's Shelter she has recently joined the events committee for the Shine Through the Rain Foundation. As a graduate of Ryerson's Hospitality Management program, Christine understands what customer service means and has made it the foundation of her business. Christine's strong work ethic, honesty, sincerity and a great sense of humour, combined with her empathy and genuine love of helping others make her a natural addition to Team Peroff.


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OSI Layer 5: Session
As its name implies, the session layer establishes, manages and terminates sessions between two communicating hosts. The session layer provides its services to the presentation layer. It also synchronizes dialogue between the two hosts' presentation layers and manages their data exchange. In addition to handling session regulation, the session layer offers provisions for efficient data transfer, class of service, and exception reporting of session layer, presentation layer and application layer problems.


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Daniel Jacob Mason, 15
Daniel Jacob Mason, a 15-year-old Latino, was fatally shot on Monday, Feb. 25, in the 1300 block of West 3rd Street in Pomona, according to Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner's records.
Daniel was standing outside his new home with other family members around 7 p.m. when a car drove by and someone inside began shooting, said Pomona Police Sgt. Jon Edson.
"He'd only been living in Pomona for three weeks or so," Edson said. "His family had moved from Ontario and was temporarily staying with relatives."
Daniel was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:39 p.m., according to coroner's records. The cause of death was listed as gunshot wounds to the torso.
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"He'd just moved here," Edson said, adding there is no evidence that Daniel was involved in gangs in Pomona or his former home in Ontario.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Pomona Police Department at (909) 620-2085. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @latimeshomicide on Twitter.
Do you have information to share about the life of Daniel Jacob Mason ? The Homicide Report needs your help. Please fill out this form or e-mail us at email@example.com.


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New Galleries
TDS Racing was in China this week for the 6 Hours of Shanghai, 5th event of the 2018/2019 WEC Super Season. The Shanghai International Speedway offers a 5.451 km race track, with 16 turns including two straights were drivers can pass depending on weather conditions, and a hairpin. It's a hard track on drivers and tyres.
18.11.2018 / MaP
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Aaron Avila Acker ( Male ) was 42 years old at the time of the arrest. Aaron Avila Acker was arrested on 2016-10-01 08:58:00. The arrest was made by DAVENPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT (DAPD) .
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Create stop motion animations with your smartphone or tablet.
Available on iOS
Get started now by downloading the Anim8 app from the Apple App store. Checkout the next section to see how easy it is to get started.
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Setup the scene
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Add some character
Next you need some thing (or things) to animate. Grab a toy, draw something on paper or whitley it from wood it really doesn't matter!
Capture the first frame
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Make the first move
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Now it's time to take another picture. Gram your device and try to take a picture form approximately the same spot as the last one.
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The unisex approach applied by most manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE) means it is unsuitable and uncomfortable for many female workers, according to a report published on 28 April 2017 by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
More than half (57%) of the women that took part in the study said their PPE sometimes or significantly hampered their work.
The UK's national trade union centre has called on employers to avoid PPE suppliers that do not provide a range of sizes for both sexes, after only three in ten women (29%) told a 2016 survey that the PPE they wear at work has been specifically designed for them.
The report says that most PPE is designed to fit the sizes and characteristics of male populations from Europe and the US. As a result most women - and also many men - who do not fit this profile, struggle to find suitable PPE.
For example, the use of a "standard" US male face shape in the production of respiratory protective equipment means it does not fit most women, as well as men from black and minority ethnic groups or with facial hair, TUC said.
It also highlighted other items of PPE that can increase risk from injury if it is ill-fitting. The wrong shoes or overalls can cause trips, for instance, while unsuitable gloves can lead to problems gripping, and safety harnesses, belts and body armour can rub against the skin if they do not accommodate breasts and female hips.
The findings in the report are based on 2,655 responses to a TUC survey and 3,086 responses to a joint survey carried out by trade union Prospect and the Women's Engineering Society. Those who responded worked in various sectors, including emergency services, retail and manufacturing, engineering and scientific research. Source: www.ioshmagazine.com
Further reading:
TUC,Personal Protective Equipment and Women: guidance for workplace representatives, 28 April 2017


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Welcome home to 610 Hillcrest Ave Pacific Grove. This lovely split level home offers 1,738+/- sqft, 3 bedrooms, and 2 baths. One bedroom is currently used as a craft/sewing/office area with oversized closet. Master has two closets including an oversized walk-in closet off the bath area. The master bath has a steam shower and an oversized tub. Nicely updated over the years. Perfect location for access to downtown Pacific Grove, shopping and schools. Topped off with a great outdoor patio area and low maintenance landscaping. A must see!
Listing courtesy of JR Rouse from Intero Real Estate ServicesSelling Office: M7148.
Based on information from MLSListings MLS as of All data, including all measurements and calculations of area, is obtained from various sources and has not been, and will not be, verified by broker or MLS. All information should be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. Properties may or may not be listed by the office/agent presenting the information.
Copyright 2020 MLSListings Inc. All rights reserved


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Discover what my favorite day of the year is and how to get every last drop of joy out of your favorite moments in life!
Tag: pictures
As you are reading this post I will be at the Wisconsin State fair. Today is the first day of the 11 day long festival. It is by far my favorite thing to look forward to all year. In the past I have stressed how important it is to have events to look forward to throughout the year. This is by far the one I look forward to the most. There is also a winter vacation, the bike expo, the first day of spring and many others, but the state fair is the biggest.
If I were someone who sat back and let life happen to them I would enjoy this festival to the fullest for 11 days straight and them be sad when it is over. To some extent that is what happens, but I advocate and practice getting every last drop of joy out of life you possibly can. How do I apply this to the Wisconsin State Fair and how can you apply it to activities you look forward to in life? Let us take a look and start coming up with a few ideas.
First, as you can see by the photo above, spend the activity you love with the people you love the most. This is a picture of my lovely Margie and I on the sky glider last year. Margie and I have a wonderful relationship and both work hard to keep it that way and improve it all year long. We are always on the way to increase the amazing love we already share with each other. Being with her at one of my favorite places where I am extremely excited and happy provides a great opportunity to create life-long memories that will keep us smiling for a long time. It also increases the love and connection I feel with her. Having happy and joyous memories at my favorite place with my lady just leaves me with a feeling of love and gratitude for who I share my life with. In addition to Margie, I plan to enjoy days at the State Fair with my mom, and many of our friends. Together we will all create happy and joyous memories.
Then there is the planning. There is so much fun in just exploring and seeing what we discover. Making sure there are a few things we know we will enjoy is important as well. To that end we always look at the preview guide that comes out a few weeks ahead of the fair. There we discover bands we may like to see, food we may like to try and many other fun things to look forward to. This year we are even planning on an art walk they have to see many artistic displays featured in the park. There is also a garden walk in which you are shown different displays of greenery and how they are cultivated. Both walks feature a prize upon completion and are completely free.
Pictures. This may sound like a no-brainer, but sometimes those are the easiest to forget. Taking pictures of the fun activities you experience and the great, and sometimes no so great, food we try will give us something to look back on for years to come. This keeps the great memories alive after the event, and sadly sometimes after the people have passed. In the past year with all of the loss Margie and I experienced, videos and pictures have proved to be a invaluable link to the past and those we care about. This has brought to our attention the importance of capturing all the joy as it occurs.
Being present. In contrast to being behind a camera or cell phone to capture the joy that is occurring, there is the act of being present. Noticing the taste of what you are eating, the people you are sharing the moment with, or in my case the smile on the face of the beautiful blonde lady next to you. There is so much beauty to behold in life that we must remain alert to soak it all in.
These are just some of the ways I will enjoy the Wisconsin State Fair this year. Add to that my new career as a food critic and I will have plenty of chances to practice that. I welcome you to share your ideas on how I, and all of our readers can make their special moments even more special in the comments below.
These last few days have been filled with sadness as we have been mourning the loss of Margie's mother Ruthanne. I have always been someone who searches for the light in the darkness. There is no more difficult time to do this than when we lose somebody who means so much. If there is anything my faith has taught me is that there is always something to be grateful for.
Of course we would all very much like to have Ruthanne back to hear her sing one more song, laugh one more time with us or even just to put things in perspective the way only she could do. Thankfully we have lots of videos, pictures and memories where those moments will live on. In addition to the great lessons in life that she has left behind, there is another gift I have discovered in the midst of this somber time.
While making arrangements for the celebration of life planned for Ruthanne, there were generations worth of pictures to sift through. I am a big fan of history to begin with, but being able to see first hand the family history of the woman I love is something truly special. Of course we would love to have Margie's mom present to go through these photos with us, especially to enlighten us as to who some of the less familiar faces may be. Yet, it is through her passing that the gift of discovery and in some cases revelation of many family facts and stories.
On a more personal note, I could not be more grateful and excited to learn more about where the love of my life came from and the people, places and events that help shape her into the amazing woman she is today. Plus, adorable baby pictures like the one above are hard to pass up. I was honored to get to know her mother and see how Margie learned a lot of the traits that make her the woman I love. I am also humbled to be the man she chose to have by her side as she goes through with what is the most difficult time of her life. It is my sincere hope that the knowledge I am gaining by listening to the stories (and Storys) and looking at the pictures will help provide me with more and better ways to help provide her the love she needs as her heart makes the long journey towards healing.


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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. DERRICK ANTHONY SANDOVAL, Defendant - Appellant.
Derrick Sandoval was convicted of various drug crimes. He contends the district court made a number of errors that undermined the fairness of his trial. Because he did not object at the time, we review most of his arguments for plain error. In sum, we conclude the district court did not plainly err in (1) allowing opinion testimony from the detectives who investigated the drug ring; (2) allowing an officer to testify both as a fact and expert witness; or (3) failing to exclude testimony regarding the Miranda warning given to Sandoval.
We AFFIRM.
I. Background
Sandoval was subject to an investigation for distribution of methamphetamine in the Denver area. Based on surveillance and a recorded conversation from an attempted controlled purchase, Denver detectives obtained and executed a search warrant on Sandoval's residence, where they found various drug paraphernalia.1 When confronted by officers, Sandoval made several incriminating statements. For instance, during the course of the search of his residence, Sandoval asked Detective Loveall about the drugs found and how much they weighed. Although he later disclaimed any ownership or knowledge of the guns, Sandoval also asked Detective Gutke if he liked the "MAC 10" found inside a sub-woofer, and admitted there was a handgun inside the house. Nor was Sandoval shy about his role in narcotics trafficking. He told Detective Gutke that he had been getting a pound or two of methamphetamine at a time from a person named "Pices" and selling drugs to earn money because he had a hard time finding employment. He suggested the detectives would have found more incriminating evidence if they had searched his house a week earlier, but that he was stopping drug distribution because he recently obtained a new job.
During a similar interaction with Detective Dompier, Sandoval said he had not sold drugs recently and was getting out of the business, planning on a new career path so he could turn his life around and take care of his eight-year-old daughter. While in jail pending trial, Sandoval engaged in numerous conversations regarding the items collected from his residence and, through these conversations, acknowledged his awareness of the specific firearms and narcotics recovered.
Based upon the seized evidence, incriminating statements, and testimony presented at trial, Sandoval—a previously convicted felon—was convicted by a jury and sentenced to a total of 240 months' imprisonment for: (1) possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1); (2) possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); (3) possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c); and (4) possession of body armor by a violent felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 931.
II. Analysis
Sandoval raises three issues related to the district court's trial rulings: (1) allowing two detectives to testify about linguistics and indicia of narcotics distribution without first qualifying the detectives as experts; (2) permitting an officer to testify as both an expert and fact witness without properly cautioning the jury about these dual roles; and (3) allowing a detective to mention that when arrested Sandoval invoked his Miranda rights to remain silent and not to incriminate himself. He also argues that the cumulative effect of these errors deprived him of a fair trial.
A. Opinion Testimony
Sandoval first contends portions of Detective Loveall's and Detective Dompier's testimonies were expert opinion wrongfully admitted in the guise of lay opinion.
Sandoval failed to object to the detectives' testimony at trial and therefore did not put the district court on notice that the testimony was improper under the Federal Rules of Evidence.2 A district court's decision to admit expert or lay testimony is ordinarily reviewed for abuse of discretion but, as here, for plain error when a party fails to contemporaneously object. United States v. Brooks, 736 F.3d 921, 929–30 (10th Cir. 2013). Plain error occurs when there is: (1) error; (2) that is plain; which (3) affects substantial rights; and which (4) seriously affects the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings. Id. at 930. An otherwise plain error may be harmless and fail to constitute adequate grounds for reversal when it is unlikely that the testimony on a particular issue "had any serious impact on the outcome of the trial"—e.g., when the jury has already heard similar testimony, or other evidence of a defendant's guilt presented at trial was "substantial" or "strong." See United States v. Hinson, 585 F.3d 1328, 1338 (10th Cir. 2009).
To properly preserve an issue, a party's contemporaneous objection must be sufficiently specific. See, e.g., United States v. Battles, 745 F.3d 436, 452 (10th Cir. 2014) ("[I]n light of Ms. Battles's failure to 'offer up a timely and specific trial objection' to the evidence, we review her claim for plain error." (alteration incorporated)). See also Elonis v. United States, 135 S. Ct. 2001, 2017 (2015) (Alito, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part) ("[A] defendant [must] 'inform the court of the specific objection and the grounds for the objection.' An objection cannot be vague or open-ended. It must specifically identify the alleged error. And failure to lodge a sufficient objection 'precludes appellate review,' except for plain error." (citations omitted)). Even if counsel "might 'not explain the evidentiary basis of his argument as thoroughly as might ideally be desired,' " counsel must at least "substantially satisf[y] the requirement of putting the court on notice as to his concern." Prager v. Campbell Cty. Mem'l Hosp., 731 F.3d 1046, 1054 (10th Cir. 2013) (citations omitted).
Sandoval contends the detectives offered improper expert opinion testimony on linguistics and indicia of narcotics distribution. He argues the detectives were never endorsed as experts, never disclosed their probable testimony, and, in any event, were not permitted under the federal rules to offer expert opinion as lay witnesses.
Two federal rules explain the admissibility of opinion evidence. Under Rule 701, a non-expert witness's testimony "in the form of an opinion" is limited to (1) an opinion rationally based on the witness's perception; (2) that is helpful to clearly understanding the witness's testimony or to determining a fact in issue; and (3) is not based on scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge within the scope of Rule 702 (pertaining to expert opinion). Fed. R. Evid. 701. If, on the other hand, a witness's opinion testimony does not meet the standards of Rule 701, the witness cannot be considered a lay witness and must be qualified as an expert pursuant to Rule 702. Rule 702 provides, among other things, that an expert must have specialized knowledge or expertise that will help the jury "understand the evidence or [ ] determine a fact in issue." Fed. R. Evid. 702(a). Rule 702 requires a district court "to assess proffered expert testimony to ensure it is both relevant and reliable." United States v. Avitia-Guillen, 680 F.3d 1253, 1256 (10th Cir. 2012).
Endorsing a witness as an expert also triggers Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16's pretrial disclosure requirements, which ensure that an opposing party will have time to adequately prepare for trial (e.g., to prepare "an effective cross-examination challenging the experts' qualifications and conclusions," or to obtain a competing expert). See United States v. Banks, 761 F.3d 1163, 1190 (10th Cir. 2014). To this end, Rule 16 provides,
At the defendant's request, the government must give to the defendant a written summary of any testimony that the government intends to use under Rule [ ] 702 ․ of the Federal Rules of Evidence during its case-in-chief at trial. ․ The summary provided under this subparagraph must describe the witness's opinions, the bases and reasons for those opinions, and the witness's qualifications.
Fed. R. Crim. P. 16(a)(1)(G). Failure to comply with a Rule 16 request could subject the government to sanctions, including exclusion of the expert testimony. Fed. R. Crim. P. 16(d)(2); Banks, 761 F.3d at 1198. And a party may not circumvent the heightened requirements of Federal Rule of Evidence 702 and corresponding Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16 disclosure requirements by offering expert testimony in the guise of lay opinion. See United States v. Richter, 796 F.3d 1173, 1195 (10th Cir. 2015), cert. dismissed in part, 136 S. Ct. 1511 (2016), and cert. denied, 136 S. Ct. 2046 (2016); James River Ins. Co. v. Rapid Funding, LLC, 658 F.3d 1207, 1216 (10th Cir. 2011).
We have repeatedly explained the contours of lay and expert opinion. A witness's conclusions and opinions fell under Rule 701 when underlying mathematical calculations, for example, were "not so complex a task that litigants need to hire experts in order to deem the evidence trustworthy," but rather "well within the ability of anyone with a grade-school education." James River, 658 F.3d at 1214 (quoting Bryant v. Farmers Ins. Exch., 432 F.3d 1114, 1124 (10th Cir. 2005)). In contrast, a CEO's testimony about his business's lost profits was inadmissible under Rule 702 because his results were based on sophisticated economic models including "moving averages, compounded growth rates, and S-curves" beyond the ken of an ordinary juror. James River, 658 F.3d at 1214 (quoting LifeWise Master Funding v. Telebank, 374 F.3d 917, 929 (10th Cir. 2004)).
In short, Rule 701 "does not permit a lay witness to express an opinion as to matters which are beyond the realm of common experience and which require the special skill and knowledge of an expert witness." See James River, 658 F.3d at 1214 (quoting Randolph v. Collectramatic, Inc., 590 F.2d 844, 846 (10th Cir. 1979)). A lay witness may offer only "observations that are common enough and require a limited amount of expertise, if any." James River, 658 F.3d at 1214 (alterations incorporated) (quoting United States v. VonWillie, 59 F.3d 922, 929 (9th Cir. 1995)).
Sandoval claims Detective Loveall improperly relied on his background and experience in narcotics investigations to opine about the meaning of ostensibly coded language used in the course of the attempted controlled purchase. For example, Detective Loveall testified that the word "paper" may refer to "money," the number "2" may refer to ounces of methamphetamine, the numbers "1,400" and "3,700" may refer to "$1,400" and "$3,700," and the word "heads" may refer to "customers." R., Vol. 2, at 312–15, 406.
Likewise, Sandoval claims Detective Dompier improperly relied on his background and experience in executing search warrants and narcotics trafficking to testify about indicia of distribution and drug ledgers. For example, Detective Dompier testified that when he conducts a search warrant he looks for "indicia of distribution ․ that would show the business side of narcotics distribution," including, "[s]cales, paperwork, photographs, phone numbers, things along those lines," and "items of paraphernalia," including "pipes, scales, baggies, needles, spoons, cotton balls, on and on." R., Vol. 2, at 472–74. Detective Dompier also testified that he collected a "pay/owe sheet" or "ledger" from Sandoval's residence, which he described as "one piece of paper that had numerous names and s [sic] large number of phone numbers on it associated with another piece of paper, which [he] believed, due to the writing, to be a ledger, due to mathematics and some of the terms that were written ․ such as 'payment,' 'balance,' and dates written in the form of '7-3,' '7-6,' '7-4.' " Id. at 472, 476–77.
In previous cases, we have considered the admissibility of non-expert witness testimony regarding the meaning of language used in the drug trade. For the most part, our cases have allowed witnesses to testify and explain coded language without first being qualified as experts. See, e.g., Brooks, 736 F.3d at 927, 929 (key government witness explained "code words and drug lingo used"); United States v. Patterson, 713 F.3d 1237, 1240–41 (10th Cir. 2013) (DEA special agent interpreted a number of recorded conversations using "coded language").
With this background in mind, the district court did not commit plain error. First, it is doubtful any error existed let alone that it was plain. Neither the translations of language from the recorded conversation nor the inferences drawn from them were beyond the capacity of an ordinary person. Detective Loveall's observations (e.g., that the word "paper" may refer to "money" and the word "heads" may refer to "customers") were not so complex as to require the special skill and expertise of an expert. Nor was Detective Dompier's testimony concerning evidence related to narcotics trafficking sufficiently specialized to trigger the requirements of Rule 702. We agree with the government that the testimony elicited here was "not rocket science" and a reasonable juror "in many cases could easily understand what was going on" without the need to invoke the requirements of Rule 702. See Aple's Br. at 15.
Moreover, both detectives were directly involved in the investigation and gave testimony that rationally could be based on their own perception of the events and evidence. Even if the detectives relied on some of their background experience and training, any such reliance was balanced with their personal experience with the case and evidence at hand. It is neither clear nor obvious that the challenged testimony falls outside of the scope of Rule 701.
Finally, Sandoval has not made a showing under the third prong of plain error that his "substantial rights to a fair trial" were implicated by the unobjected-to testimony. Sandoval's counsel suggested "that it would suffice that the prosecution simply didn't comply, as they were required to," [Oral Arg. Recording at 8:09–8:15.] with Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16's pretrial disclosure requirements. But this broad allegation of mere noncompliance does not come close to satisfying the showing required by the third prong of plain error review, and Sandoval points to no specific prejudice arising from the challenged testimony, especially in light of the volume of other incriminating and probative evidence pointing to guilt introduced to the jury.
In sum, the district court did not commit plain error in admitting the detectives' testimony.
B. Dual Capacity Testimony
Sandoval next contends the district court committed plain error when it allowed Officer Barben to testify as both an expert and as a fact witness without taking precautionary measures to avoid jury confusion. Sandoval neither requested any specific measures at trial nor objected to Officer Barben's testimony on these grounds.
We recognize that witnesses who testify in both a lay capacity and an expert capacity may present special risks at trial. The "aura of special reliability and trustworthiness surrounding expert testimony," may give the witness "unmerited credibility" and "create[ ] a risk of prejudice 'because the jury may infer that the agent's opinion about the criminal nature of the defendant's activity is based on knowledge of the defendant beyond the evidence at trial.' " United States v. Dukagjini, 326 F.3d 45, 53–54 (2d Cir. 2002) (citations omitted). In light of this concern, some circuits have encouraged district courts to take precautionary measures, including warning the jury about the witness's dual roles or bifurcating the questioning to clearly demarcate lay and expert testimony offered by the same witness, to protect against these dangers. See, e.g., United States v. Rios, 830 F.3d 403, 414–15 (6th Cir. 2016), cert. petition filed, No. 16-7314 (Dec. 27, 2016); United States v. Moralez, 808 F.3d 362, 365–67 (8th Cir. 2015); United States v. Haines, 803 F.3d 713, 730–32 (5th Cir. 2015); United States v. Vera, 770 F.3d 1232, 1242–43 (9th Cir. 2014); United States v. Garcia, 752 F.3d 382, 392 (4th Cir. 2014); United States v. Tucker, 714 F.3d 1006, 1016 (7th Cir. 2013); United States v. Flores-De-Jesus, 569 F.3d 8, 21 (1st Cir. 2009); Dukagjini, 326 F.3d at 53–56.
Despite these risks, we have "decline[d] to adopt a per se rule prohibiting the use of case agents as experts," choosing instead to rely on determinations made by "the trial judge who is attuned to the dynamics of the trial." United States v. Mendoza, 236 F. App'x 371, 384 (10th Cir. 2007) (unpublished). And Sandoval has not cited any case from any circuit finding a district court's failure to take such measures constitutes reversible error under a plain error standard of review.
Sandoval fails to overcome plain error here. Officer Barben was present during the search of Sandoval's residence and called to testify about his participation in the search and observations of materials found in the home. But in addition, the prosecution went on to qualify Officer Barben as an expert on whether the items found were consistent with involvement in the drug trade. Officer Barben thus testified, for example, about "some of the common-known tools that go with drug dealing," including: (1) "paraphernalia, such as the packaging you are going to use to sell; so small baggies, medium baggies, large baggies"; (2) "the things, like, that you will need for protection of your product; guns, knives, stun guns, things of that nature"; (3) "scales, because you need something to weigh it out so the customer knows what they are getting"; (4) "surveillance equipment; cameras, especially on residential operations, ․ to survey what is going on outside of your home" and "thwart robbery attempts of your product"; and (5) "use of multiple phones that do not come back to the true identity of that person." R., Vol. 2, at 623–25. He also gave his opinion, based on his "experience in street-level narcotics," that 13.1 grams of methamphetamine (i.e., the amount recovered from Sandoval's residence) was a "selling amount" more consistent with distribution than personal use, which was "typically half a gram to one-and-a-half grams, not 13.1 grams." Id. at 628–29. Officer Barben further testified that the type of "fold-top sandwich bags" recovered from Sandoval's residence were "packaging for methamphetamine ․ [i]n a certain technique," and that "rock" may mean "crack cocaine." Id. at 630–31, 653–54. In both instances, however, the district court clarified that Officer Barben was not talking about the baggies collected in particular (but about that type of bag in general) and not saying "rock" meant crack cocaine in the recorded conversation (but merely that it could have that meaning in general). Id. at 631, 653.
Both lay and expert aspects of Officer Barben's testimony were independently admissible. Given this, Sandoval objects only that the district court erred by failing to instruct the jury as to the differences between Officer Barben's roles in providing the lay and expert testimony. None of our cases require a blanket instruction in such circumstances, so it is doubtful any error was plain. Nor has Sandoval pointed to any prejudice arising from the testimony or Officer Barben's dual capacity. To the extent Sandoval claims dual capacity testimony is presumptively, or at least inherently, prejudicial in the absence of proper prophylactic measures, Sandoval misunderstands the burdens associated with plain error review. Even assuming the district court erred in failing to take sua sponte precautionary measures concerning Officer Barben's dual role, Sandoval cannot show a plain error affecting his substantial rights or the integrity of the judicial process.
C. Miranda Reference
Sandoval also challenges the district court's failure to sua sponte correct Detective Loveall's brief reference to Sandoval's invocation of his constitutional rights to remain silent and not incriminate himself. He claims the district court committed plain error by failing to strike the testimony or provide a curative instruction to the jury.
It is axiomatic that the government cannot "penalize an individual for exercising his Fifth Amendment privilege" and the "prosecution may not, therefore, use at trial the fact that [a defendant] stood mute or claimed his privilege in the face of accusation." Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 468 & n.37 (1966). See also Doyle v. Ohio, 426 U.S. 610, 617–19 (1976). But not all violations of this categorical prohibition constitute reversible error. Any error in allowing the prosecution to comment on a defendant's post-Miranda silence or invocation is likely to fail the third prong of plain error review when a "single, isolated reference ․ could not have affected the jury's verdict, considering the substantial evidence supporting the verdict." See Bland v. Sirmons, 459 F.3d 999, 1023 (10th Cir. 2006).
The only mention of Sandoval's invocation of his Miranda rights was a one sentence reference in the midst of several hours of testimony from Detective Loveall, testimony that spans 123 pages of the voluminous record. The erroneous reference occurred as follows,
GOV'T COUNSEL: Did you transport Mr. Sandoval?
DET. LOVEALL: Yes.
GOV'T COUNSEL: Did you have any conversations during this transportation?
DET. LOVEALL: I advised him of his Miranda rights.
GOV'T COUNSEL: And what did Mr. Sandoval say?
DET. LOVEALL: That he didn't want to speak with me or to incriminate himself any further.
GOV'T COUNSEL: Did Mr. Sandoval make any further statements?
DET. LOVEALL: Not on the way to the jail.
R., Vol. 2, at 324. This single, isolated reference could not have affected Sandoval's substantial rights required by the third prong of plain error review. The ample evidence of Sandoval's guilt—including the drug paraphernalia and money seized from his residence; the numerous incriminating statements he made before and after he invoked his Miranda rights during the course of the investigation, pretrial preparations, and in jail; and other unchallenged evidence and trial testimony—confirms the single comment did not have any influence upon the jury or the outcome of the trial.
To the extent Sandoval now complains of the district court's failure to correct the error by issuing a curative instruction, that argument is waived. Not only did Sandoval fail to contemporaneously object, but when Sandoval's counsel eventually raised the issue, the district court (1) explained its decision not to intervene sua sponte;3 (2) admonished the government to avoid mentioning the fact;4 and (3) offered to give a curative instruction which Sandoval's counsel declined.5 Based on our review of the reference, its context, and the district court's and defense counsel's responses, we hold the decision not to bring further attention to the reference was a calculated strategic decision; not reversible error.
In sum, the reference to Sandoval's invocation of his Miranda rights does not constitute plain error.
D. Cumulative Error Analysis
Finally, Sandoval claims that even if each of the three alleged evidentiary errors were individually harmless, their aggregate negative effect requires reversal.
Cumulative error analysis generally "aggregates all errors found to be harmless and 'analyzes whether their cumulative effect on the outcome of the trial is such that collectively they can no longer be determined to be harmless.' " United States v. Willis, 826 F.3d 1265, 1280 (10th Cir.) (citation omitted), cert denied, 137 S. Ct. 405 (2016). There "must be at least two errors before we may find cumulative error," otherwise "there are not multiple errors to cumulate." Id. Each error considered must be an "actual error" (i.e., a matter deemed to be error); this court does not consider "the cumulative effect of non-errors." United States v. Harlow, 444 F.3d 1255, 1269 (10th Cir. 2006). But this court need not determine there was error in order to dismiss a defendant's cumulative error argument; we can assume error for purposes of the analysis. See, e.g., United States v. Toles, 297 F.3d 959, 972 (10th Cir. 2002).
Sandoval has established, and the government has conceded, only one actual error: Detective Loveall's comment regarding Sandoval's invocation of his Fifth Amendment Miranda rights. For this reason, his cumulative error argument fails. But even if the other claims on appeal had merit, Sandoval was still not deprived of a fair trial. In the aggregate, none of the claims affected Sandoval's substantial rights. The jury heard unchallenged testimony and evidence from a variety of witnesses that confirm the correctness of the jury's verdict. Upon consideration of all the claimed errors and the record as a whole, cumulative error analysis does not warrant reversal.
III. Conclusion
We AFFIRM the district court's judgment.
1. Items seized included 13.1 grams of methamphetamine, sandwich bags, rubber bands, a "cutting agent" or "filler" substance allegedly used to increase the volume of methamphetamine for distribution, a "pay/owe sheet" or "ledger," a list of phone numbers, nine cell phones, two different digital scales, five driver's licenses belonging to Sandoval, approximately $1,400 in cash, one $20 bill from the pool of traceable funds given to a confidential informant for use in the attempted controlled purchase, a baseball hat embroidered with narcotics officer logos, a marijuana grinder, a Ruger .40 caliber handgun and case, a MasterPiece Arms 9 mm handgun (modeled after, and occasionally referred to as, an Ingram MAC 10), a box of .40 caliber ammunition, two handgun magazines, at least nineteen empty ammunition shell casings inside firework tubes, a black tactical vest, a ballistics vest, boxes containing surveillance cameras, and a healthcare identification card belonging to Sandoval.
2. Sandoval's counsel did make a single contemporaneous objection that Detective Dompier was engaged in "improper opinion testimony" when testifying as to items he was trained to look for when collecting evidence related to narcotics trafficking. See R., Vol. 2, at 473–74. But the challenged testimony was not lay or expert opinion, nor did the objection notify the court that the detective was impermissibly offering expert opinion testimony in the guise of lay opinion.
3. "I could have addressed it at the time. But you did not make an objection ․ I was not about to insert myself and highlight the testimony any more than I needed to without the defendant raising the objection. ․ I could have cured it at the time and said strike it. I didn't do that on my own because I think it just highlights it more. I thought maybe it was part of your strategy just to let it go." R., Vol. 2, at 445–46.
4. "It is inappropriate for the Government or any witness for the Government to indicate to this jury that he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights. So I want you to instruct your witnesses that they are not to raise that as an issue or in testimony. ․ I am instructing the Government, it needs to tell its witnesses they cannot bring up that type of testimony." R., Vol. 2, at 447–48.
5. "If you want me to do anything at this point to try to correct it, I would do it." R., Vol. 2, at 450. But Sandoval's counsel declined the court's offer: "I think that I am going to, for a tactical decision, at this point I am not going to ask the Court to give any sort of curative or ask the jury to disregard, because I think that it will highlight that further." Id.
Timothy M. Tymkovich Chief Judge


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While in the grocery store the other day we picked up a couple of packs of Pasta Sides by Knorr. It's been a long time since I did and I'm talking about years. But I noticed they come in the same flavors and are still easy to make.
So my husband cooked the Alfredo pack one day and I made the stroganoff pack another day. They cook in ten minutes and that's really a quick and fast way to get a meal on the table and so a light bulb went off in my head to why not load up on these little things. They were under a dollar and one pack is enough for two servings.
I was thinking that these are the types of things that are perfect to add to anyone's food storage and even when all "SHTF" and food is scarce, it's a good way to be able to share food with someone who didn't prepare and well giving up a bunch of these and a couple of cans of food to help a family member or friend without breaking the bank.
My mind goes back to the time when I lived in New York and how we used to prepare those for a quick meal on those rare nights when my husband and I returned from work and were too tired to lift a finger to cook and it was too late to order take out.
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Quantity: 1 available
Book Condition: Very Good
Very good condition. Cover has some wear- light edge wear, Small tear on front bottom under Price/upc, light rubbing, light creasing. 1st printing as stated in book. **ADDITIONAL SHIPPING MAY APPLY TO INTERNATIONAL ORDERS** **LARGER BOOKS MAY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SHIPPING** About the book: If any book can make its readers feel nostalgic for a TV show whose main character hacks one of his enemies into pieces, it is this gorgeously designed and smartly written tribute to The Sopranos and its conflicted hero, Tony, the mob boss torn between loyalty to his crime family and his own family. Scheduled to be published in conjunction with the series' final nine episodes in its six-season, eight-year-long run, the book is a success primarily due to Martin's enthusiastic but never fawning insider's look at everything from the initial casting of the series, the show's use of New Jersey's "suburbo-industrial landscapes" as a backdrop to various thematic elements, and the characters' large appetites for sex and food. He gets great insights from his interviews with all of the show's production staff, such as series creator David Chase, who was influenced by his work on The Rockford Files ("TV's first postmodern, ironic detective"). The book is also lavishly illustrated with wonderful photos of various sets, a superb short episode guide to each show, page-long descriptions on how each actor views the characters they play (Robert Iler wants to step outside of his character, Tony's son, A.J., "and smack myself in the face").
Title: The Sopranos: The Book Special Collector's Edition
Categories: Television and Movies,
Edition: 1st Edition
Publisher: Time Home Entertainment: 2007
ISBN Number: 1933821876
ISBN Number 13: 9781933821870
Binding: Soft cover
Book Condition: Very Good
Type: Book
lbs: 1.00 lbs
Seller ID: 001859
Keywords: Television and Movies.


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News Letters
About Us
Lesson Information/Events
Photo Gallery
Contact Us
Competition Results
Competition News
I'm busy working on my blog posts. Watch this space!
April 14, 2018
Shae competed in her first official competition today and finished 2nd in the Compulsory 5 competition just missing out on the gold medal. Well done Shae.
The club will be running gymnastics classes through the summer holiday open to members and none members classes will be £15 per session (3 hour class). Classes will run 1000-1300
Days available are: Tuesdays, Wednesdays 24th, 25th & 31st July 1st, 7th, 8th 28th & 29th...
August 30, 2017
September 24, 2016
April 12, 2016
January 10, 2016
The presentation night is being held on 13th February. Tickets will be on sale from Monday 18th January. There are limited spaces and will be first come first served.
The club is currently full for all new starters over the age of 5. There are limited spaces for age 3-4.
April 19, 2015
New Term dates for recreational gymnastics classes can be found in the class information section of the website
Pete James completed his London to Paris 300 mile bike ride last week. Thank you to every one who sponsored him. A great acheivement!!!!
We will be running a summer course which is open to members and non members. The dates will be as follows:
July 28th, 29th, 30th August 4th, 5th and 6th. Classes will be either 10.00 till 13.00 or 13.30 till 16.30. (3 hour classes) Contact the club to book a space....
Older Posts >
Excellent Result For Shae
Good luck to all the gymnasts competing in the levels through September & October
Good Luck to all the Girls competing in the Levels in September and October
We are now accepting application form again. There are a number of new classes available through the week 16.30pm - 17.45pm
Presentation Night
Waiting List For Places
New term dates
Sponsored Bike Ride
Summer Course
April 2018 (2)
August 2017 (1)
September 2016 (1)
April 2016 (1)
January 2016 (2)
April 2015 (3)
March 2015 (1)
January 2015 (1)


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Merchant Associate at DoorDash
We're looking for a Merchant Associate to help provide our merchants the best onboarding and ongoing DoorDash experience and build a long-term strategic partnership.
Our merchants are the heart and soul of DoorDash. As a Merchant Associate, you will work with the operations teams to support our merchant partners and serve as the face of DoorDash. You will become an expert in all things DoorDash (e.g. new products, menus, tools, onboarding) and be merchants' primary resource for questions, concerns, and education on how to succeed and grow on our platform. You will work cross-functional on special projects aimed at improving our products, getting feedback from our merchants, and ensuring a great onboarding experience. This role is best suited for candidates with strong client-service skills, the ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment, and the tenacity to solve many disparate problems for multiple stakeholders at once.
You must be a high energy, personable and motivated self-starter. We look for hustlers who are reliable, looking to work hard, and can tackle hard problems with relentless persistence. Above all else, we are looking for team members who are driven and as excited as we are to provide an amazing experience for local businesses.
About You
- Self-motivated and driven, wants to begin a career in account management and/or client service
- High energy/hustlers, customer-service oriented
- Reliable and resilient, able to manage an angry merchant in person, over the phone or through email
- New-Grads Welcome
- Analytical Major or Quantitative major a plus
- Prior experience in a fast-paced, constantly evolving environment
- Expert communication and interpersonal skills
- Strong computer proficiency including good knowledge of Microsoft applications
- Excellent project management skills and ability to run multiple projects simultaneously
Founded in 2013, DoorDash is a San Francisco-based technology company passionate about transforming local businesses and dedicated to enabling new ways of working, earning, and living. Today, DoorDash connects customers with their favorite local and national businesses in more than 3,300 cities across the United States and Canada. By building intelligent, last-mile delivery technology for local cities, DoorDash aims to connect people with the things they care about — one dash at a time.


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Gilda Writes
Freelance Writer
I write articles about a number of topics and have included a few of my most recent articles here.
It is always an honor to interview experts in the beef cattle industry who are always willing to share up-to-date information as well as future trends, both of which are important to cattle producers. I recently interviewed Dr. Temple Grandin for an article about Cargill's innovative robot that will be used in packing houses, and later in feedyard settings. My recent piece about value-added programs that appeared in Progressive Cattleman, will also appear in Jared E Decker's blog, "A Steak in Genomics ™. I've covered innovative Allflex SenseTime™ ear tags and Shade Haven portable shade units for Calf News. I'll be adding genomics and supplement articles for your reading pleasure. Stay tuned for new articles!
Upcoming articles include winter supplement strategies for Working Ranch Magazine and fake meat for Calf News. Stay tuned.


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Bumblebees seem to prefer the buzz of the city to the countryside, a large-scale "citizen's science" study has found.
They also like to have a cool breeze on their backs when foraging, and choose English lavender over the more "flowery" French variety, according to the findings.
Scientists were surprised to receive more bumblebee sightings from volunteers in city centres than in either the countryside or suburbs.
After taking account of factors such as local variations in participant numbers, they concluded that densely packed "flower rich oases" in the form of tubs or baskets of flowers used to brighten up city centres were attracting the insects.
"We asked people to record bumblebees visiting lavender," said lead researcher Dr Michael Pocock, from the Centre for Ecology Hydrology (CEH) in Wallingford, Oxfordshire. "The rate of bumblebees observed … was higher in cities than in other places, and certainly much higher than in the countryside.
"We were surprised to see more observations in urban localities, as suburban gardens are often thought to be better.
"Bumblebees are visiting (flowers) both for nectar and pollen. A likely explanation is that there's a concentration effect. Bumblebees will be concentrated on floral resources such as pots and baskets of lavender."
Colleague Dr Helen Roy, also from CEH, said: "This was an exciting result. I think we can think of cities as quite hostile environments for wildlife. But this shows that we can create oases for wildlife in our cities."
Areas of greater flower density appeared to be what mattered most to the bees.
Dr Pocock added: "It does suggest potentially one way of boosting and enhancing populations of bees in the cities. If the explanation is this concentration effect then if we plant more floral resources that's going to have a beneficial effect on populations of bees."
A total of 30,000 people, mostly schoolchildren, took part in the study this summer, recording more than 4,000 bumblebee sightings from across the UK.
Participants were asked to note how many bumblebees they saw visiting roughly 1ft wide patches of lavender over a period of five minutes. One reason lavender was used was because it is easy for people to identify.
The rate of bumblebee observations was also found to be higher when the weather was both sunny and windy.
Breezy conditions are thought to suit the insects because they help to prevent them overheating, especially on warm days.
"We had some lovely warm days this summer, and the fact that when it was sunny more sightings were reported on breezy days suggest that a breeze has a positive effect on the activity of bumblebees," said Dr Pocock, speaking at the British Science Festival at the University of Birmingham.
In addition, bees showed a marked preference for English rather than French lavender. Both are introduced species, but French lavender has "highly ornamental" flowers that might impede bees' access, said the researchers.


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Back to Blog
So you've decided who you want to spend the rest of your life with? Congratulations – that's the easy bit.
Now, you have to buy a ring.
Bear in mind that she's probably been dreaming about her perfect ring since the age of six. She'll have doodled sketches, ripped out pages from glossy magazines, salivated over websites. Yet you don't have a clue.
Don't panic. Choosing a ring may be a (diamond) minefield, but it's OK, we've done the work for you.
You can't afford not to read our comprehensive guide to the pitfalls and pleasures of buying an engagement ring…
Whether that be an antique engagement ring or a brand spanking new one, there is equal research involved to make sure you make the right decision.
Check out Love Antiques selection of vintage engagement rings here.
[tweet_box]Essential reading for anyone looking at engagement rings. Read this guide before you buy #engagement[/tweet_box]
Q. Will a diamond engagement ring go down well?
A. Highly likely.
Their brightness and brilliance has bedazzled for centuries. In 1477, Archduke Maximilian placed a diamond ring on the third finger of fiancée Mary of Burgundy's left hand, believing it had a vein that led straight to the heart. Diamonds have been associated with romantic love ever since, inspiring iconic songs such as Shirley Bassey's Diamonds Are Forever, Marilyn Monroe's Diamonds Are A Girl's Friend and Rihanna's Diamonds.
Diamonds are crystallised carbon, formed in volcano feed pipes beneath the Earth's surface. They're mined, then shipped to cutting centres to be shaped and polished, then set as jewellery.
When choosing a diamond, you need to concentrate on the Four Cs: cut, colour, clarity, carat.
Of all the 4Cs, cut is of supreme importance, as it's about the facets and angles of a diamond, which determine its overall brilliance.
The principle of cut is to get as much light as possible into the diamond, so it will bounce back and bedazzle.
One hundred years ago, mathematician Marcel Tolkowsky came up with ideas on how diamonds should be cut, but they weren't widely accepted.
It took the GIA to step in with a grading system that met industry standard. It runs like this:
Very good
Guys, when buying a round gem, you need to dig deep and go for the highest possible cut grade you can. Even to the untrained eye, there's a huge difference between, for example, Excellent and Good.
Don't fret too much, though. The great news is that there are very few diamonds on the market graded below Very Good.
The most valuable diamond colour is white (colourless), graded from D (top) to Z, not to be confused with fancy diamonds as their value is more complex and mainly comes down to the tone and saturation of the colour.
If you look at a diamond through a magnifying eyeglass, you'll see inclusions, or 'nature's fingerprints', which look like clouds or feathers. The most expensive gems will be graded IF (internally flawless) but SL (slightly included) 1 to I (Imperfect) 3 should do fine.
The diamond's weight is measured by carat (one carat=200mgm). A carat is divided into 100 units, so 3/4 of a carat is 75 points. Most engagement rings are between one and half a carat.
Although it's said that diamonds are a girl's best friend, every girl has her own personal taste and her diamond should therefore reflect that. The shape may be round, emerald, pear, marquise, princess, oval, heart or trillion (not featured but triangular in shape).
Q. What about coloured stones?
A. Also gorgeous. Ever since Prince William gave Kate Middleton his late mother's world-famous sapphire engagement ring, coloured gems have roared back into fashion. If you want a truly original ring, a coloured stone, whether contemporary or vintage, could be the way forward. (It may be considerably cheaper than a diamond too.)
Here's an alphabetical line-up.
Amethyst: Transparent purple quartz, ranging from lilac to deep purple. According to legend, a strong antidote against drunkenness.
Aquamarine: Belongs to Beryl family of gemstones. Free of inclusions, these shiny gems are on a spectrum between pale blue and light green. The more intense the colour, the higher the value.
Emerald: A valuable Beryl that owes its bright-green colour to chromium or vanadium. Clear stones with vibrant colour are most expensive. Be cautious if your girlfriend is superstitious, as emeralds were once said to be unlucky.
Lapis lazuli: Precious, opaque to translucent, blue to bluish green.
Pearl: Natural pearls come from oysters and are nearly 100% nacre, a coating secreted to protect the organism from foreign bodies entering the shell. Cultured (simulated) pearls are produced by artificially introducing a foreign body into the oyster shell. Test if a pearl is natural by rubbing on your teeth. Natural pearls feel rough, simulated are smooth.
Ruby: The red variety of mineral Corundum. It's normal for rubies to have imperfections and most are treated (usually by heat). Natural rubies are very rare and command a huge price.
Sapphire: Any colour of the mineral Corundum except red. As with rubies, they may have a three or six-point star (asterism). The best sapphires are intense blue with lots of sparkle.
Topaz: A fluorosilicate with elements that can cause different colours within the stone. Often heat-treated, a topaz may be yellow, blue, pink, gold, green, red or brown.
Q. How do I choose an engagement ring she'll like?
A. It's far safer to pick a ring out together so you don't make a costly mistake, but if you're determined to buy in advance, look carefully at the style of jewellery she owns. Does she like vintage or contemporary? Chunky or delicate? Are her existing rings silver, gold or platinum? Keep an ear out for comments she might make about the rings of friends, or celebrities.
A classic diamond solitaire is a fairly safe bet (accounting for 75% of ring sales) but if she's more into one-off, individual style, an antique ring may be more likely to get her heart racing. Do be careful about size, though. You may be able to sneak one of her rings off to the jewellers, but the fingers on her left hand may be a different size to her right. You could try to measure her engagement-ring finger with cotton when she's asleep, but it would be a dead giveaway if she wakes up.
Q. Here's the big one. What should I spend on an engagement ring?
A. You may hear that spending a month or two's salary is the norm, but De Beers' publicity machine may well be behind that nugget. The company has a near monopoly on the diamond industry. Our best advice is to work out what you can realistically afford, then add a bit (optional!). Online or in store, remember you're the boss and don't be pushed too far upwards.
Starting at £500, you'll be looking at a 0.50 carat diamond. From there on in, you're looking at increased quality according to the Four Cs above. The average spend in the UK is around £1500, which will give you plenty of options, including antique rings. If you want a brand-new Tiffany box to go with your ring, you'll probably need £8000 plus. And so it goes on, upwards, skywards, into the millions and beyond.
But if she really, really loves you, you could argue she'll settle for a Haribo ring and an I.O.U.
If our guide has got you in the romantic mood, why not check out Love Antiques vintage engagement rings to make a start with your proposal plan.
Good luck!
Take a look at a few of our Non- Haribo selection now:
Posted March 19th, 2015 by LoveAntiques and filed under Just For Fun, LoveAntiques University
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Technology moguls from Google, Facebook and a number of other companies made the announcement on April 11th that they have decided to join together in order to create a political advocacy group under the name of FWD.us. The group, which is the brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, is intending to promote policies that would ensure that the workforce of the United States remains competitive.
The first priority for the bipartisan group is to push for comprehensive immigration reform, with the focus being on those who arrived in the United States when they were children or who have been educated in the country. Writing in the Washington Post in the Opinions Column, Zuckerberg claims that his plan for immigration reform calls for effective border security in addition to a different method to try and attract the hardest working and most talented people to the United States, regardless of their country of origin.
He argues that it is necessary to have simple employment verification procedures, together with modifications to the guest worker program and a rise in the amount of available of H-1B US visas, while emphasizing the necessity for a brand new focus so as to ensure more innovation, investment and new jobs.
"In a knowledge economy, the most important resources are the talented people we educate and attract to our country," Zuckerberg says. "To lead the world in this new economy, we need the most talented and hardest working people."


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Potomac residents had the opportunity to learn about local history last week, when local author Judith Welles introduced her latest book, Potomac, at two meetings.
"First, an opening celebration was held Wednesday evening at Hunter's Inn on River Road, which drew many long time Potomac residents to share memories of their own Potomac history.
"A book about local history will bring a community together," Welles said.
Welles also visited with residents and sold books at Strosniders Hardware on Saturday and will be a featured speaker with the Potomac Library, the Friends of the Library Winter Author Series on Saturday, Jan. 25.
This month's speaker in that series was KK Ottesen, who shared her book, "Activist: Portraits of Courage," on Saturday.
Ottesen grew up in Potomac and attended Potomac Elementary School from grades one to four. The library, she said, was a special place for her, recalling that when she was young it was located on the ground floor of the bank building across the street. Her mother, Carole Ottesen, still lives in Potomac and is also a writer and author.
"I think she wrote for the Potomac Almanac," KK Ottesen said. (She did.)
Ottesen's book is a collection of photos and first-person narratives of mostly ordinary people who stood up to right a wrong and became leaders — activists.
She is both the photographer and interviewer for the book and traveled across the country to get her stories.
"I was frustrated by the division [in the country] and wondered what I could do to help bring people together," Ottesen said. "I wondered what compels someone to become an activist."
So, she set off to talk to people who are activists, some famous, others local, almost unknown, who are making a difference. She included 41 people in her book.
"Once we get to know someone it helps [smooth over] division," she said.
Starting with a photo of Congressman John Lewis, Democrat from Georgia, Ottesen shared the stories and photos of about a dozen subjects from the book.
Lewis is known for his work in the Civil Rights Movement and for voting rights, including being beaten by police and serving time in jail for protesting. Now, as a congressman serving his 17th term in the House of Representatives, he still uses his voice in activism.
Ottesen introduced the audience to less well-known activists too, including actress Nicole Maines who plays the first transgender superhero on TV.
"She grew up transgender in a small town in Maine," Ottesen said.
Sister Megan Rice, a Catholic nun and nuclear disarmament activist was arrested at age 82 when she broke into the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
You are not too old (or too young) to become an activist, Ottesen said, introducing the audience to Jasilyn Charger a 23-year-old member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe in South Dakota.
Charger has been active in protests to protect her people's lands and environment since a teenager.
Ottesen's book, billed as a civil right book, a social justice book and an inspirational gift, is available on Amazon; as is Potomac by Judith Welles.
Welles book, a pictorial history of Potomac from its early days to current times, was written using many photographs from Montgomery History, formerly the Montgomery County Historical Association. Part of the proceeds from the book will go to that organization.
Welles will be speaking and selling books Saturday, Dec. 14 at Bethesda Co-Op, 6500 Seven Locks Road, Bethesda and at The Surrey Saddlery, 14120 Darnestown Road, Darnestown.


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The Bayside U3A Writers Group
At the monthly meetings of The Bayside U3A Writers Group creative energies bounce off the walls as 20 writers share written works of various genres.
Since 2013, 28 radio plays have been written by writers in the group and performed by local actors. Each year, the group has the opportunity of working with a Bayside Council Artist in Residence to adapt a short story into a radio play. In 2018 the writers worked with Bayside Artist in Residence writer, Michelle Deans, who kindly offered one of her stories for radio play adaptation.
Whether writing, poetry, short stories, novels, radio plays, stage plays or creative messages, there is one thing shared in common by the members of this wonderful group of diverse personalities and talent – an enthusiasm and passion for writing.


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Praise God, Capt. Richard Phillips is safe and alive in the hands of the US Navy. Snipers killed three pirates and freed Capt Phillips as the brigands pointed their AK-47s at the American and threatened to kill him. The story is here.
Back home, there's a lesson to be learned. The pirate problem off the Somalian coast is an apt analogy for the guns control debate back in the States. The only reason piracy succeeds off Somalia is because the pirates know the crews are unarmed. If they thought for one minute that the crews would fire back, would-be pirates would think twice about trying to scale a steel shipside into the face of waiting gun barrels. A few well placed shots by the ship's crew at the approaching speedboats would stop the operation cold before any boarding ever took place. Eventually, piracy would come to a virtual halt as word got out that crews shoot back.
Back home, gun control advocates must explain why that same dynamic would not hold true in our neighborhoods stateside. In the Gulf of Aden, the navies of many countries patrol the sea, but by necessity remain in reactive mode and can only respond after a piracy has taken place. They simply cannot cover enough ocean to be everywhere a crime might take place. The domestic police who patrol our neighborhoods are in exactly the same position. They serve perpetually in reactive mode, showing up after a crime has taken place.
Now imagine that American citizens — as the ship crews in the Gulf of Aden should be — were armed and trained in the use of their weapons, ready to defend themselves and their families from criminals. Imagine that the couple that walks in the park at night, like a ship plying the African waters, is armed. How many criminals would approach? How many home invasions would occur? Once it became a near certainty that accosting a citizen might result in instant death, criminals would begin to seek alternate occupations.
This is the argument gun control advocates don't want to have. Next time you are confronted with a liberal who wants to ban your handguns, ask him exactly how he proposes to stop piracy in Africa. His answer will either be a pointless stream of bilge about international resolve, blah, blah,… or it will be that he thinks ships crews should be armed. Either way, you've got him. International resolve stops nothing. It didn't stop the N. Koreans from launching a three stage missile. It hasn't stopped the Iranian mullahs from their quest to build a nuclear weapon. And it will never stop piracy. Now, as always, self defense — from common criminals or from pirates — can only be accomplished by the citizen, or sailor, becoming the prepared defender. The Second Amendment is what gives us the right to rely on ourselves to do what police, or navies, can never do for us.


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We are looking for Sales Assistants for our store in Utrecht.
We are passionate about second hand clothing and strive to give our customers the best alternative for buying fast fashion. As a sales assistant you will be the face of Episode by creating a great shopping experience for our customers.
What is expected of you?
At Episode we like to be energetic. We have an open and active approach towards our customers.
The minimum requirement to be eligible:
- You are available for two or three days a week (approximately 20 hours)
- You don't mind working in the weekends
- You are full of energy.
Have you found a job that matches your skills and expectations? Please contact us using the contact form below. Send us your motivation, and do not forget to attatch your CV.
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