Latest news with #Hotshot
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Memoir ‘Hotshot' exposes harassment, hardship and hope in wildland firefighting
When River Selby signed up at age 19 to become a wildland firefighter, the decision wasn't driven by a search for adventure or opportunities to be a hero. Instead, Selby was running away — from a tough, feral adolescence during which they had been a homeless runaway – including a terrifying stretch in San Francisco at 16 — as well as a sex worker, a stripper, a rape victim and a heroin user before deciding on a whim to try firefighting. Selby's absorbing new memoir, 'Hotshot: A Life on Fire,' takes readers inside the decade they spent fighting raging fires in the West, including four years on the most elite, almost entirely male, 'hotshot' crews in Utah and Sequoia National Forest that conduct the initial attack on extreme fires. Selby describes finding a newfound calm and stability being out in the wilderness for 16 hours a day, up to 21 days in a row, with an important job to do. But 'Hotshot' also details the trauma of being objectified, tokenized and incessantly judged and harassed. Interwoven throughout the narrative are Selby's deeply researched historical examinations of U.S. fire policy and its shortcomings. As California residents have learned the hard way, excessive fire suppression has worsened wildfire seasons. Since 2005, fires in the Western U.S. have more than doubled in size. Selby spoke with the Chronicle by phone from Tallahassee, Fla., about their experience of fighting fire while also fighting to be seen as a whole person. A: Yeah. It's wild reflecting on it now. I bounced around when I was younger. I ran away for the first time when I was 12, and my mom handed me cash and said good luck. I had been homeless off and on as a teenager, and had used drugs from a very young age. Everything I did as a human was defense; There was no offense. I didn't even know what the job would be, but I thought I'd give it a shot. I was lucky that first season in 2000 was a really busy (fire) season. She was right. It did distract me, for sure. Q: Elite wildland firefighting is an almost exclusively male world, and you describe how being the only woman, or one of a few, on a crew took a toll on you. Can you talk about how you were perceived and how that affected you? A: It was this dual experience of wanting to be seen outside of being a sexual object, but also internally not having been allowed in my life to be identified outside of that. I had learned to objectify myself and had internalized a lot of misogyny. I was constantly in this bind where I was trying to prove myself, working twice as hard as many of the guys, while also navigating the kinds of attention I was getting on the crew and dealing with the fallout from the ways in which I engaged with some of the guys. You know, men sleep with people on their crew all the time, but it's always the women facing the fallout. Q: Do you think things have gotten better for women firefighters today? A: Throughout the process of writing and researching, I was surprised to learn that they really haven't. Now that I've started talking about the book, I've heard from other women who've told me they thought they alone had this experience. Two women messaged me saying they left fire for similar reasons. Q: Because of harassment? Q: Looking back, what did you love about firefighting? You describe learning to confidently set fire yourself with a blowtorch (to control a burn area) as the moment you fell in love with being a hotshot. A: I loved working outside. I loved the camaraderie with the guys that I did connect with. It taught me such a work ethic. And it was a beautiful experience to lay fire on the ground, and to be able to predict what it's going to do. I can maybe just begin to understand why for Indigenous people it's not only an agricultural tool, but something that is powerful culturally in spiritual life. Kind of like a surfer who can predict the waves, when you're working with fire and know it's going to regenerate the land, it's an incredible experience. Q: There's an irony running through your book, that when you were fighting fires, you were starting to understand that fire shouldn't always be seen as the enemy. A: Right. Fire is naturally a part of all of our landscapes in the U.S., especially anthropogenic fire. Humans in North America have been tending the land with fire for thousands of years. Many landscapes need fire to be able to regenerate in a way that's healthy for them, and none of that was part of my training. As a federal firefighter, we would always burn in the same way despite how different these landscapes were and what they might require. Q: When a catastrophic fire hits California, like this year in the Palisades, and it receives a lot of media attention, is there anything you would like people to know that might get lost in the coverage? A: I think one thing the general public or media gets wrong is this idea that we need to somehow stop fire altogether from happening in these places. It's actually quite the opposite. More frequent fire on micro levels is needed in these places. There need to be lower barriers to nonprofits and Indigenous groups burning and doing mitigation, and more funding for homeowners of all economic statuses to be able to clear defensible space around their houses. Q: There are Indigenous tribes advocating to bring healthy fire back to California. Are you hopeful that these efforts will make real progress? A: It's one of the reasons I wrote my book, because Indigenous people give me hope. They're working so hard, in so many different places, to bring fire back. These groups need more funding and they need to be allowed to lead fire suppression, instead of just state and federal agencies. This is a hopeful book. I am a hopeful and optimistic person, and that's probably how I've survived. Q: Do you mind if I ask why you decided against writing directly about your non-binary identity, and instead wrote about your past as you lived it, including using your former name, Ana? A: I had to be honest about my experiences during that time, and I didn't have words then for being non-binary. I didn't identify in that way. What's interesting is that in writing about my experience, the book is a book about being non-binary. It is a book about experiencing the world as somebody who doesn't quite feel right in the gender identity that's been handed to them. It's also about being queer. And about being a survivor of trauma. By not addressing these outright, I wanted to make sure other people would be able to say, This is my experience too.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Peter-Henry Schroeder, ‘Star Trek' and ‘Argo' actor, dead at 90
Peter-Henry Schroeder, who played Klingon Chancellor in 'Star Trek: Enterprise,' has died. He was 90. The actor passed away peacefully on June 7 at Lake City VA Medical Center in Florida with his family by his side, according to an online memorial page. 'I had a long and rich life, and I thank God for it,' Schroeder was quoted once saying. 5 Peter-Henry Schroeder died on June 7, 2025. Lally Talent Agency Schroeder was born on January 2, 1935, in Syracuse, New York. He lived in Los Angeles for 60 years. From 1953 to 1955, Schroeder served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was assigned to a unit that participated in a USO show and saw Marilyn Monroe perform for the troops. 5 Peter-Henry Schroeder in 'Star Trek: Enterprise.' USA Network After his return from service, Schroeder began to pursue a career in acting. He studied with actress Paula Strasberg and studied privately at Carnegie Hall with Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight. Schroeder made his acting debut in 1979's 'The Seduction of Joe Tynan' also starring Meryl Streep and Alan Alda. He went on to land roles in the films 'Fire in the Night,' 'Hotshot,' 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' and 'Hider in the House,' as well as the shows 'B.J. and the Bear' and 'Thirstysomething.' He also played a Maitre d' in an episode of 'Cheers' in 1989. In 2001, Schroeder portrayed Klingon Chancellor in a two-episode arc on 'Star Trek: Enterprise.' The series, a prequel to 'Star Trek: The Original Series,' starred Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock and Dominic Keating. It aired from 2001 to 2005. Later in his career, Schroeder played a producer in Ben Affleck's 2012 Oscar-winning political espionage film 'Argo.' 5 Peter-Henry Schroeder in the 2010 short film 'Gunslinger.' Nova Entertainment Schroeder was also a recording artist for Capital Records and Ascot and released 'Where's the Girl for Me' in 1960 and 'Memories of Marilyn' in 1964, ten years after he saw her in Korea. Additionally, Schroeder formed his own production company, PHS Productions, was a guest teacher at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and established the Actor/Artist Group Workshop in 1979 where he trained and mentored hundreds of actors. 5 A photo of Peter-Henry Schroeder. Human Animal Life Foundation Schroeder's memorial page described him as 'a masterful character actor' who 'through his creativity, passion, and dedication, led a remarkable life and career which enriched the lives of those he touched.' Schroeder is survived by his daughter Valerie Lynn, son Peter Henry II, grandsons Peter Henry III and Jarrid Michael, and more relatives.
Axios
02-07-2025
- Axios
Visit Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park
The Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park allows visitors to trek the final path traveled by the fallen Yarnell Hill firefighters. The big picture: The park opened in 2016 as a way to memorialize the tragedy that killed 19 wildland firefighters in northern Arizona in 2013. It features a 7-mile round-trip trail with memorial placards honoring each of the victims. The final ¾ mile is called the "journey trail" and follows the last steps taken by the Hotshot crew. It concludes at the fatality site, where their bodies were discovered, which is encircled by 19 linked gabion baskets. Zoom in: Visitors are encouraged to leave memorial items at the tribute wall that overlooks the fatality site.
Business Wire
09-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Suffolk Law Partners with Hotshot to Deliver GenAI Learning Track to All 1L Students
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Suffolk University Law School today announced a partnership with Hotshot, a popular learning platform for lawyers, to integrate Hotshot's AI content into its mandatory 1L curriculum for all first-year students. Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, all first-year students will complete a custom Generative AI learning track as a required component of their Legal Practice Skills course, making Suffolk Law the first law school in the nation to mandate this Hotshot learning track for all its incoming students. During the fall semester of the Legal Practice Skills course, which recently ranked No. 3 in the country in the U.S. News Rankings for Legal Writing, students will complete a tailored learning track featuring Hotshot courses specifically selected in collaboration with Suffolk Law. The course combines asynchronous videos with in-class exercises designed to bridge foundational knowledge with practical application. The learning track features a curated list of Hotshot AI courses covering topics like understanding GenAI and why it matters for lawyers; large language models, including use cases, risks, and limitations; ethics and professional responsibilities; and practice-area specific use cases and considerations. The partnership gives Suffolk Law students access to Hotshot content used by major law firms, including half of the Am Law 100, as well as other top law schools nationwide. This ensures students are learning what they'll need to know in practice. Upon completion of the track, students will receive personalized certificates they can share with employers via LinkedIn to show their practical AI knowledge. 'Today, legal skills press far beyond traditional memos and research,' said Dyane L. O'Leary, Professor of Legal Writing and Director of Suffolk Law's Legal Innovation & Technology Center. 'Law students and lawyers are expected to understand the basics of Generative AI tools, including their limitations and risks. While Suffolk Law's LIT Concentration offers unique upper-level electives for a deep dive, all students need a strong, foundational understanding.' The partnership reflects Suffolk Law's commitment to preparing students for the realities of modern legal practice. 'Suffolk's program strives to teach students 'old' but still critical analysis skills alongside transformative tools—we can't pretend they don't exist, or that students aren't using them,' O'Leary continued. 'The asynchronous, flexible Hotshot videos offer the perfect kick-off in combination with our curriculum as we help students transition from personal users of tools like ChatGPT to professional ones.' 'Suffolk's approach to legal education perfectly aligns with our mission to provide practical, accessible training for all lawyers, law students and other legal professionals,' said Ian Nelson, Co-Founder of Hotshot. 'By working together to create a custom learning track for all 1L students, Suffolk is ensuring students have the traditional skills and the technological fluency that they need.' The program launches in fall 2025, with all incoming 1L students participating in the integrated curriculum. About Suffolk University Law School Suffolk University Law School is a leading institution known for its innovative curriculum and commitment to practical legal education. The school's Legal Practice Skills Program, ranked No. 3 nationally by U.S. News, emphasizes real-world application and professional readiness. About Hotshot Hotshot is a learning platform for lawyers that supports on-demand, interactive, and experiential learning as well as CLE in nearly all MCLA jurisdictions. They offer 300+ short, practical courses and training materials across corporate, litigation, technology, and business topics. Hotshot's customers include half the Am Law 100 law firms, regional and boutique firms, top law schools, and companies. For more information, visit
01-06-2025
- Automotive
Shizuoka: A Global Center for Plastic Modeling
The city of Shizuoka is a modeling mecca. Home to 10 hobby manufacturers—Tamiya, Bandai, Aoshima, and Hasegawa, to name a few—it is where more than 80% of Japan's plastic model kits are produced. The town is so passionate about its status that authorities at city hall created a special department to promote plastic models, playfully proclaiming the municipality 'A Model City.' To highlight its modeling culture, Shizuoka has established 15 life-size monuments shaped like plastic model kits around town. These include information signs as well as working public phones and a mailbox designed to look like kits with pieces still attached to their runners. Clockwise from upper left: a monument in the shopping arcade near Shizuoka Station features parts of a seat and a digital display of a Shinkansen; the monument at the smoking area near the station's north exit consists of parts from a large outdoor ashtray; a monument designed like an old-style model box and a newly opened kit advertises Shizuoka's connection to modeling. (© ) The monument outside Shizuoka City Hall is an actual post box. (© ) The monuments have garnered attention as the modeling market as a whole continues to enjoy broad popularity. According to a Tamiya spokesperson, the pandemic brought a brisk uptick in sales for plastic models as people stayed at home, with the hobby taking on a family flair as parents and children shared in the fun of building replicas together. Makers have also capitalized on the growing popularity of radio-controlled cars as more people take to the outdoors for activities like camping. These trends have fueled the sales of higher-end items as former hobbyists rediscover modeling in middle age and snap up expensive kits that were once beyond their budgets. Tamiya's Hotshot. The four-wheel-drive radio-controlled buggy debuted in 1985 and remains a popular item with hobbyists of all ages. (© ) Hobby Square is another site celebrating Shizuoka's modeling industry. The facility, near the south exit of JR Shizuoka Station, has displays highlighting the history of plastic modeling and exhibits from different makers, including rare and historic items. The onsite shop carries new releases and specialty items. Characters from the Mobile Suit Gundam series, a mainstay among modeling enthusiasts, greet visitors to Hobby Square. (© ) New and historic items are on exhibit at Hobby Square. (© ) An exhibit detailing the manufacturing process for Gundam models. (© ) Manufacturer Bandai offers specially designed model kits as part of its Gunpla Academia, a school-based initiative to introduce students to the world of craftsmanship. (© ) Deep-Rooted Craftsmanship Shizuoka's tradition of craftsmanship was greatly influenced by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate that ruled Japan for more than 200 years. As a young boy, Ieyasu was a political hostage in Sunpu, which later became the modern city of Shizuoka. At age 40, he took control of the area, relocating from Hamamatsu to the southwest, and built Sunpu Castle in 1589. Ieyasu gathered master carpenters, sculptors, metalworkers, and other skilled craftsmen from around Japan for the project. He also rebuilt the important Sengen Shrine and later expanded the confines of the castle, where he settled after passing the title of shōgun to his son Hidetada, although he continued to wield power behind the scenes. After Ieyasu's death in 1616, the craftsmen constructed Kunōzan Shrine as his resting place. Later shōguns supported these artisans, and many settled in the area, taking advantage of the surrounding forests to create exquisite crafts. Such traditions as Suruga bamboo craftwork are still produced today. A plastic model monument featuring the golden Kindamigusoku armor worn by Tokugawa Ieyasu. (© ) The Model Industry Lifts Off Shizuoka's modern model-making industry dates to 1924 when aviation enthusiast Aoshima Jirō founded an airplane research center in the city. Using his knowledge and experience, Aoshima started manufacturing wooden model airplane kits, which he began to sell in 1932. The models were used to teach aviation, becoming popular items nationwide. Restrictions in the postwar years forced the area's burgeoning number of manufacturers to shift to selling wooden ships. From the late 1950s, as imported plastic models grew in popularity, they adopted plastic for their kits. Aoshima established Aoshima Bunka Kyōzai in 1961 to develop and manufacture model kits, and the company grew to be an industry leader with its easy-to-build offerings. Early wooden models made by Aoshima's company on display at Hobby Square. (© ) A Global Model Giant Emerges Tamiya is another Shizuoka success story. Founded as a lumber company in 1946, it began selling wooden model kits in 1948, making these its primary offering after closing the lumber mill in 1953. It released its first all-plastic kit, a 1/800 scale of the Japanese battleship Yamato , in 1960, but it was the Panther, a 1/35 scale motorized tank issued in 1962, that gave the firm its first major hit and led to the establishment of a separate plastic molding division. Tamiya continued to find modeling success, including the 1976 release of the 1/12 scale radio-controlled Porsche 934 Turbo and its mini 4WD models of the 1980s. It began expanding overseas, and in 1994, it set up its only factory abroad, in Cebu, Philippines, making the firm one of the largest model manufacturers in the world. Clockwise from upper left: Wooden boat models; the 1/800 scale model of the Yamato ; Tamiya's Panther tank. (© ) Tamiya's radio-controlled Porsche 934 Turbo (right), which triggered an R/C car boom in Japan, and other offerings in the series. (© ) Tamiya Craftsmanship Tamiya offers fans several exhibits of interest at its head office. The Archive Room displays products from early wooden models to modern creations, and the lobby of its headquarters features actual sports cars and other vehicles, many of which have been turned into R/C models. The exhibits are open to the public by reservation. Racing cars on display at Tamiya's headquarters. (© ) Tamiya's Archive Room. (© ) Tamiya has also helped in establishing Takumishuku, a center highlighting the traditional crafts of the region. Visitors to the facility can try their hand at techniques like Suruga bamboo lattice ware, hand-dying, pottery, and lacquerware, providing a sense of the centuries-old culture of craftsmanship that remains the backbone of Shizuoka's plastic model industry. The interior of Takumishuku. (© ) A display of Suruga bamboo lattice ware and indigo dying. (© ) An artisan shows how Suruga bamboo lattice ware is made. (© ) (Originally published in Japanese. Reporting, text, and photos by . Banner photo: Different plastic model monuments around Shizuoka. © .)
