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"I've got tons of questions to why I decided to have a breast revision. There are several reason to why, but the most important complications are from my prior operation. I had a Capsular contracture on one side and on the other I had a ruptured implant. This is something that I have had for a very long time. I wasn't ready to put my wrestling career on hold to go through another surgery to have them corrected. I felt this was the perfect time for me to finally fix something that was awful for so long. Hope I answered your questions." - Brooke Tessmacher talks about repairing her breast implants
April 29, 2014
Some really awful news for WWE this weekend, as Roman Reigns had to be rushed to the hospital. The rising star is undergoing surgery for an incarcerated hernia. Reigns will be forced to miss his Night of Champions 2014 match against Seth Rollins. Since the match was a featured one, the pay per view has suffered a bit of a blow. No word yet on what WWE intends to do with that slot.
September 20, 2014
Not a lot of details were provided when Ric Flair was forced to miss a WWE NXT show to have surgery. Jim Ross has revealed some details on that procedure. The longtime commentator stated that Flair had an appendicitis attack, and when doctors went in there to repair the damage, they discovered a hernia, so they repaired that as well. No word yet on when Flair will be returning to WWE television.
September 18, 2014
Through his Twitter account, Ryback revealed to fans that it has now been 18 days since his surgery, and he has been recovering extremely well from his still unknown injury, which is rumored to involve his groin. He should be making a return to WWE very soon, as he is now pain free. He might not be rushed back, though, as management really doesn't have a story ready for him.
September 15, 2014
Brie Bella recently gave WWE fans some hope when she revealed that Daniel Bryan was no longer going to need a second surgery to repair his neck injury. Many were expecting him to return by January, which happens to be the month that Royal Rumble 2015 takes place. However, reports are now surfacing that WWE is trying to see if Bryan can make his return at Survivor Series 2014 instead.
September 9, 2014
During a media interview to promote Total Divas, Brie Bella revealed that Daniel Bryan would not be needing the second surgery that has long been rumored to repair his neck injury. She stated that her husband was gaining the strength back in his right arm and could be back as soon as three months, which would enable WWE to have him make a surprise return at Royal Rumble 2015.
September 7, 2014
All those years of taking vicious bumps in a wrestling ring have taken a toll on Mick Foley. The WWE legend revealed that he is going in for back surgery this month. Foley states that it is a minor procedure, but he hopes that it will produce major improvements. The former world heavyweight champion said that the pain in his back for the last two weeks have been beyond excruciating.
September 4, 2014
Not a whole lot of fans are aware of this, but Naomi Knight has been missing in action for WWE for a couple of weeks now. The Total Divas star has now revealed that she has been on the sidelines because she needed minor surgery to help further repair her injured eye. Naomi last worked a tag team match on an episode of Monday Night Raw at the end of July.
August 30, 2014
Yesterday, it was revealed that WWE had pulled Daniel Bryan from the upcoming European tour in November. The former world heavyweight champion was scheduled to make appearances at the live events on that continent. Reports are now surfacing that management made the decision to pull him from the tour because Bryan has received confirmation from doctors that a second surgery is needed to repair his neck injury.
August 29, 2014
As many are already aware, Konnan has been having issues with his hips over the last couple of years. It's the reason why he has been forced to stay away from the ring. The former WCW star revealed that he wants one final match after his next surgery. Since he is involved with AAA, the belief is that his match will be held for that promotion. No word yet on who he wants as his final opponent.
August 18, 2014
Another speed bump has presented itself in the career of Shelton Benjamin. The former Intercontinental Champion has suffered a serious knee injury while working in Japan. He is expected to miss a couple of months of action because of the surgery. Benjamin was sidelined earlier in the year when he had surgery on his elbow, but he recovered much quicker than expected from that injury.
August 17, 2014
It looks like Santino Marella isn't quite ready to give up on his in ring career just yet. The former Intercontinental Champion stated that he will be undergoing surgery to repair his neck. Marella also stated that he is going to make a comeback attempt after spending a couple of months in recovery. He did not mention WWE specifically, but the belief is that the company has left the door open for him.
August 14, 2014
In order to help promote her upcoming match at Summerslam 2014 against Stephanie McMahon, Brie Bella is on the road this weekend for WWE. The company is sending her and Nikki Bella to the Wizard World event in San Antonio. Brie is still on a reduced schedule, as management wants to give her time to be with Daniel Bryan while he is still recovering from his neck surgery.
August 2, 2014
With his health being quite the uncertainty at this point in time, there are all sorts of rumors floating around about the return of Daniel Bryan. The latest one has the former WWE champion coming back at Royal Rumble 2015. Much of that is speculation, though, since Bryan needs to go in for another surgery, and there's no telling how his body will react to the procedure.
August 2, 2014
Initially, Daniel Bryan had surgery to repair a seriously damaged neck. However, doctors found further issues for the former WWE champion recently. His shoulders are pretty messed up as well. Additional procedures could be required to repair all of the damage to his body. Bryan is out indefinitely, and there is no timetable backstage for his return.
July 10, 2014
Some rumors have surfaced that Daniel Bryan is returning to WWE soon, and the cause of the confusion is over the fact that he was spotted in the ring with his wrestling gear on last night. The former world heavyweight champion was simply filming a public service announcement. Even though he informed the fans in the arena that he might still need another surgery to repair his damaged neck, some were still under the belief that he was coming back soon.
July 2, 2014
Thanks to an errant throw into the guard rail by Jack Swagger, Wade Barrett has underwent ligament reconstruction surgery. WWE is reporting that the operation went well and that Barrett is at home resting now. No official word yet on how long he will be gone, but rumors are floating that it will be for several months, which is why WWE stripped him of the Intercontinental Championship on Monday Night Raw this week.
July 2, 2014
While there is still a chance that he was working the audience during his speech at Money in the Bank 2014, the topic of Daniel Bryan require a second surgery to repair his neck is a major issue for WWE. Reports are surfacing that if it is true that he needs to go under the knife again, there is a very good chance that Bryan could miss up to a year of action.
June 30, 2014
A lot of rumors have been floating around as of late in regards to the condition that Scott Hall has been in at conventions and independent wrestling shows. Promoters and fans have been accusing the former WWE star of being in really bad shape, which has led to speculations that he might be losing his battle against sobriety. Sean Waltman, however, has been telling people that Hall is under heavy medication because of recurring pain from his hip surgery.
June 26, 2014
In a rather interesting bit of news, reports are surfacing that the audience at Monday Night Raw did not react much when WWE announced that Daniel Bryan would be making an appearance at Money in the Bank 2014. That comes as a surprise because he was really one of the most popular guys in the industry before he left to have surgery on his injured neck. It should be interesting to see how fans react to him at the pay per view itself.
June 24, 2014
Not too long ago, Rock revealed to the world that his cousin Tamina Snuka was one of the hardest working and most determined people he knows. He noted that she was a single mother of two, who went from being a janitor to being a WWE star. Her determination is showing yet again because Tamina is recovering much quicker than expected from her knee surgery, which was expected to keep her out of action until the end of the year.
June 15, 2014
"A lot of people talk about the attitude era being so great but a lot of it was terrible crap, sex jokes and over-the-top terrible bad comedy. It was Jerry Springer-like. They made a joke about a woman's breasts. Hilarious, but where's the wrestling? I look back on a lot of stuff now, and I'm like where's the wrestling? It's just a lot of crappy jokes." - Dean Ambrose discusses his disdain for a popular WWE era
October 10, 2014
"Well right now I'm not at liberty to say where I'm going but I will tell you I'm going to do the right thing for me and my family. I am in the process of structuring a deal and I do have a company in mind. I haven't said yes because I want to make it a public thing with the company and myself. I can't really say who it is or where I'm going but I can tell you it's going to happen in the next two weeks before my contract is even up. I won't be wrestling until January but there will be a signing in the next couple of weeks." - Kurt Angle hinting on whether he will stay with TNA or return to WWE
September 10, 2014
"Today, I have made the decision to close a chapter of my life and begin the next. My time with WWE was an experience I will never forget, and I will always cherish those memories. However, I am ready to move forward towards my goals and life aspirations. I am beyond thankful for the continual love and support from coworkers, friends, and fans. Thank you for everything." - Veronica Lane saying goodbye to WWE fans
September 3, 2014
"I've been really quiet since the passing of my husband and the father of my girls. Someone sent me what Mr Bollea had to say in video interview with Grantland yesterday and I would just like to ask him to stop. He is the only person in the WWE Universe who did not give a call or send a card. My girls asked why he didn't check on us like everyone else and I explained simply there isn't a camera at our mailbox or in the house when we receive our calls. I would ask respectfully Mr Bollea, for you to understand my girls hurt and just let some time pass before you say anything more." - wife of the Ultimate Warrior to Hulk Hogan
August 15, 2014
"My mom and my cousin, Savelina Fanene, were struck head on by a drunk driver this week. They lived. First reaction is to find the person who did this and do unrelenting harm to them, but then you realize the most important thing is my family lived through this, and we can hug each other that much tighter these days. Hug your own family tighter today and be grateful you can tell them you love them." - Rock talks about how a DUI almost killed his family
August 10, 2014
"Should be no surprise what happened to Alberto Del Rio. There has always been rampant racism in the industry, from subtle to obvious." - Konnan accusing WWE of being racist towards certain performers
August 9, 2014
"Every two years I go through this. This is just the first public negotiation I've ever had. I think social media has really changed this kind of thing. I'm used to every two years negotiating with Spike and negotiating with other networks. This time is absolutely not any different. We're still talking with them, but there are other people, thank God, that are interested in our product. I want to grow this brand; I want to grow it domestically. I want us to be able to start having the kind of success domestically that we're having internationally. I'm not going to stop and none of us are going to stop until we get there. I'm real excited to see and I think we'll know sooner than later what's going to happen." - Dixie Carter addresses the situation on what TNA is doing with Impact Wrestling
August 7, 2014
"No, I've been there and done it against Chris Jericho and I proved a point, so there's no sense in jeopardizing that. Everyone who saw me work that match said I did good for my age. They have a good memory of that and I'd like to leave it at that. I do know some of the older guys who have come back and tried to work in the ring and it's just heartbreaking to see. I don't want to risk all that because the fans still have a pretty good image of me and my last time in the ring." - Ricky Steamboat talking about a potential return to WWE
August 5, 2014
"Catching Monday Night Raw on my DVR. Just saw all I needed to see. Dolph Ziggler with a huge win. I bought the WWE Network just to keep up with Ziggler." - Kevin Nash praising Dolph Ziggler
August 5, 2014
"If it's true that Spike TV doesn't renew their deal with TNA, it's a double edged sword, in my opinion. They were and are atrociously bad at advertising the show whatsoever. I never used to see us advertised except maybe an hour before Impact Wrestling started. Not acceptable. The most annoying part when I was still wrestling there was I'd see Bellator constantly advertised, and we were doing better numbers at the time. Hell, even Manswers got better public relations by the network than we did. The bad side of the sword is that it obviously takes a ton of TNA's revenue away that they counted on to pay the wrestlers. For the company's future, I think the further they get the hell away from Spike, the better the company will be. That's just my opinion obviously." - Matt Morgan on the rumors that Spike TV is canceling their television deal with TNA
July 28, 2014
"Dolph Ziggler has got to be one of the toughest men to put on a pair of boots, but he's going to be like Mick Foley in another five years because that kid beats his body up more than anybody on the crew. I do know this, in my dealings with him, when I'm his producer, he gives everything he's got. He does some really phenomenal and athletic stuff." - Arn Anderson thinks WWE should push Ziggler
July 20, 2014
"He just signed with us. I was there when he had his tryout at the WWE Performance Center and I met with him there. We've been working on this for a while. His training will start when he gets here. The thing is, you can be a big star anyplace else in the world. That gets you in the door. What you do once you get here is a whole different ballgame. He's no different than anybody else once he walks through the door of the Performance Center." - Triple H on how Kenta Kobayashi will be treated in WWE
July 17, 2014
"I don't think I will ever wrestle again, but if I do, it would be for WWE. I just feel like that's my place. It's where I developed my wrestling abilities and character and that's where I would stay if I was to wrestle again. The good thing about when I left is that I left on very good terms with the WWE. It left the door open for me if I ever wanted to come back. It's not completely out of the question to ever return, whether it's for a short-term or longer. Maybe there will be a point down the line that I miss wrestling bad enough that I'll want to come back. As for now though, I'm just focusing on my company and my marriage and haven't gotten that itch to wrestle." - Kaitlyn discusses her future in professional wrestling
July 17, 2014
"Comedy wrestling is not easy. Santino Marella is one of my favorite wrestlers to watch. sad he's leaving the ring, but happy he made me smile." - Colt Cabana on Santino Marella being forced to retire from WWE due to another neck injury
July 7, 2014
"I disagree with scripting. I think the nature of a promo has to come from your heart and your guts and you have to mean everything that you're saying. Now is the perfect time to go back to that formula. You learn to sink or swim. And guys and gals will start to learn to swim again. That's what's going to make the product feel more organic, more spontaneous and more real." - Steve Austin talks about WWE being too scripted
July 7, 2014
"Heard Petey Williams retired last night. Such a great talent. Always enjoyed his work and working with him." - James Storm speaks on the surprising retirement of former TNA star Petey Williams
July 6, 2014
"Yes, I like Hulk Hogan - and here's why. With each passing year, I think I gain a better perspective on what's really important in life. There was a time - a period of many years - where Hulk's name would bring up some negative feelings for me. He was the guy who made far more than I did with a style that was the antithesis of mine. But for the past several years, whenever I see Hulk Hogan, all I can think of are the words Shane Douglas shared with me about Hulk Hogan and the kindness and warmth with which he showered the kids facing life-threatening challenges, who seemed to find strength and inspiration in Hulk's larger than life physique and personality. I'll never forget those words Shane told me, 'Those kids would just be beaming.' Those words are all I think of when I see Hogan, People can take issue with his wrestling style...as they often do with mine. But, when it's all said and done, Hulk Hogan used that oversized personality, and really big heart to ease so much suffering that he saw around him.. In the bigger picture, does anything else really matter?" - Mick Foley shares his feelings on Hulk Hogan
June 27, 2014
"Obviously this is going to be a big financial changer because you're not going to get all those buy rates. I've had a brief experience with the WWE Network. I signed up for it. I'm not a real gadget guy. I've had an iPad for damn near two years, but I hardly ever use it. I put the WWE Network on there, and I typed in certain matches, they didn't have certain things from NWA or WCW. So I've been going more to YouTube. I think they need a little bit more original content. I need to get on there more to familiarize myself with it. One of the things I've enjoyed is the old Garden stuff and from World Class (Championship Wrestling). I think it was smart to come out with the network. I think it's going to catch on more in the next two or three years, and that's when it will pay off." - Steve Austin shares his views on the WWE Network
June 27, 2014
"He is a pro. He comes to work everyday. He is straight forward and tells you exactly what it is. One of my things was I didn't get to work a match with him. I would have dropped the weight I did and keep the muscle I have. He is a great leader in terms of he talks it; he walks it. He is the face of the WWE and likely so. John Cena gave us all an opportunity to train and have the same training regiment. The training of the NBA and NFL with Olympic lifts for maintenance, for power, better cardiovascular. He was on the forefront. He gave guys an opportunity." - Brodus Clay defending John Cena
June 19, 2014
"It actually came from a joke. Cody Rhodes likes to tell a story that when he was a little kid he used to watch me wrestle. I'm slightly older than Cody, we're talking three years or something like that, but in his head I'm a really old man. I once walked into the locker room and he was telling the entire locker room that when he was a kid he was watching me wrestling as this character he made up named 'Bad News Barrett' who goes around giving out bad news to people. So we all laughed about it and forgot about it. Then I was invited on the JBL and Cole show and they said they wanted to use me on the show and asked if I had any ideas of what to do. So I said you know what, let's just do Bad News Barrett. I'll just turn up and give people bad news and then disappear. I got a really good response online and fans were loving the catch phrase 'I'm afraid I've got some bad news' and Vince McMahon saw it and thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen. Next thing you know I'm on TV doing it." - Wade Barrett explaining how his new gimmick in WWE came ot be
June 16, 2014


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Radio Consoles
IP Audio Networking
Wheatstone for radio
You know what they say about radio and silence. Right. So don't even go there. At Wheatstone, we know you have one thing and one thing only that's going to raise you above the din of today's multimedia world. Your sound. If it's just pictures you want, that's not us. Wheatstone is all about audio. We process it, route it, and cue it up for you. We get it to do stuff that only radio can fully appreciate, starting with audio IP routing (AoIP) that thinks like you do and radio consoles that are the everyday workhorses of thousands of radio studios today. Cool consoles and mixers. Intelligent audio IP studio networking or TDM routing. AM and FM on-air processors that rock. It's all right here.
Audio Performance Testing on the Cheap
There's nothing like a little audio performance testing to cap off a hectic week at the station, especially if you don't have to haul out the heavy (read "expensive") equipment to do it.
There are two main things I like to test: the flatness of the frequency response and the distortion added by equipment in the air chain. For this, you'll need clean test signals, and a way to measure those signals after they've passed through the air chain.
3 Things You Need to Know About Network Switches
You're about to embark on a social experiment.
You've selected the perfect control surfaces and the audio network is almost laid out for your new studios. Everyone and everything speaks broadcast and, so far, you haven't had to take up IT as a second language. But now you're about to drop a couple of network switches into the middle of it all and you're worried that things could erupt into a civil war between this newer IT world and the radio cavalry.
It's the Splits
This split frame LX-24 control surface arrived in Amsterdam in two pods, six modules on each side. With all the console action off to the side, announcers can work the show from their keyboard, monitor and mouse in the middle. There's no need for a backplane for the modules, and the motherboard is conveniently mounted under the table. We showed the LX-24 mixing desk along with talent stations and WheatNet-IP audio networking system at IBC 2014.
If you missed us, come see us at NATEXPO in Moscow. Russia, November 19-21; we'll be in booth A69.
Sound Off
Our friends south of the border sure know how to do radio. When we sent our audio processing specialist Mike Erickson packing to Radio Grupo in the Mexican city of Aguascalientes last month, we expected him to come back with tales of AM flamethrowers and hot tamales.
Instead, he wound up doing something he rarely gets to do at a Top 40 station: setting the sound for clarity first and loudness second. "They were going for long term listening and clean sound, which is a welcome change for guys like me who appreciate some dynamic range," says Mike. "When processing for CHR, it's usually loud and exaggerated. But they wanted open, clear and engaging!"
What the #@& is Cable Certification?
We often use the term "certification testing" when referring to cable used in audio networks. But if a person didn't know better, they'd think we were talking about guys in white lab coats running around with clipboards.
SBE's Snelson on Radio in an IT World
We called up Joe Snelson to congratulate him on his recent re-election as the president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, and to talk about something that has been on our minds for some time: the changing role of broadcast engineering in an IT world.
KBEM Rethinks Facility with WheatNet-IP
Michael Jamnick tells the story of revitalizing KBEM using WheatNet-IP AoIP networking technology.
Writing in the August 2014 issue of Radio magazine, Jamnick tells of his challenges when taking over as engineer of the station as, along with station management, he began to rethink the technical plant. A reprint can be downloaded at this link, courtesy of Radio magazine.
RADIO: Revitalizing a Station, Reviving a School (4.1 MB 2014-09-08 16:28:56)
Cookies and I/O BLADEs
It was game on for the Wheat guys when our ever-resourceful founder, Gary Snow, offered a cookie to anyone who could come up with the best uses for our BLADE I/O access units. (BLADEs are the network access units that make up the WheatNet-IP audio network).
Radio That Can ... And Did
Meet Prayz Network, the little Christian network that could. Prayz Network started in 2011 with WTPN-FM in Westby, Wisconsin. Soon, it added a translator to get into nearby La Crosse, and within a year, added WEQS-FM in Sparta, Wisconsin.
This month, the little network that began on little more than a wing and prayer added its fourth, network affiliate WWJC-FM licensed to Augusta, Wisconsin, and will be covering the I-94/I-90 corridor from Eau Claire to La Crosse.
Miking Players on the Sports Field
Dan Daley, who covers sports and audio production for the industry, tipped us off to a new technique for capturing audio during live sporting events.
"They (NFL) experimented with placing wireless lavaliers on different player positions, so what you're hearing now is the mic placed on the back of the center and that signal is sent to the console that is controlled by the NFL, which opens the fader on that microphone at a preset number of seconds before the snap and closes it a preset number of seconds after the snap. We're getting some really great audio from the field as a result and I think the NFL experience is making everyone else look at it."
Charlie Toner on SNMP
If you want to know about SNMP, Charlie Toner is your guy. Charlie has been using this network protocol for system monitoring and other purposes as part of the engineering team for Pineridge Media and Durham Radio, which have eight stations in four Ontario locations -- each with separate WheatNet-IP audio networks linked together through Tieline Genie STLs.
With SNMP, he says he can see data packets coming in or going out, by the port or by the link, and from his WheatNet-IP mic processors to the transmitter. We talked with him recently about his love of all things SNMP.
Something New is in (on) the Air
If the station across town suddenly starts to blow everyone else off the dial, blame it on the new FM-55 audio processor. We let the cat out of the bag a few weeks ago, and there's no putting it back.
Read Mor
We've Got Talent
So many stations these days have neither the space nor the budget for an announce booth for their talent, let alone for guests.
That's where something smaller like our IP-networked TS-22 or TS-4 Talent Stations makes sense. These are small turrets that can fit just about anywhere, either on the countertop or mounted inside a countertop, and include mic, headphone, and other talent controls. The TS-4 and larger TS-22 plug into our WheatNet-IP audio network to extend all shared sources and destinations into the producer booth or guest, talent host or co-host positions.
For syndicated morning shows like Free Beer & Hot Wings, for example, the producers are able to access any source or destination that any other WheatNet-IP control surface can, plus check the satellite syndication feed at any time from their TS-22 turret panels.
The TS-22 has six programmable soft buttons, six source preselect buttons, microphone control, speaker and headphone level controls (w/built-in headphone amp and front panel jack), timer, and a source select knob with color OLED display that can access any signal on the network (source visibility software controlled).
Multimedia Madness
If you wanted to mess with cameras all day you wouldn't have gone into radio, right?
It's not just YouTube, either. Or the website that needs a continual stream of video and audio, or the photo bombs that are going off all day, every day. Or even that the morning guys are running all over town with a microphone and a camera.
It's that multimedia is such a huge production now, and it's beginning to get in the way of that other major production: radio.
Splitting Hairs and Consoles
Only in Switzerland would they think to split our flagship LX-24 control surface in two, build the two halves into slick looking furniture with LED illuminated edges, and electronically raise and lower the desk as needed. Read on.
Sneaky Points of Failure
Let's hope that your disaster recovery plans go a lot smoother than the evacuation plans we've seen for some cities. Here are a few sneaky single points of failure you could be overlooking.
New Wheatstone Gear In New Zealand
MORE FM in New Zealand had to completely rebuild their studios after a devastating earthquake. We'll have a complete story on the rebuild soon.
In the meantime, Simon Barnett sent along this video, shot in their new studios, when our own Jay Tyler was there recently.
Here's Simon talking about their new gear.
3 Ways to Extend your IP Audio Network
Thinking about extending your IP audio network beyond the studio walls? It just so happens that the gigabit switches most stations use for our WheatNet-IP audio system are equipped with a fiber port. It's then a simple matter of running a fiber optic cable between the GBIC port in your core or edge switch and the GBIC port in a remote switch for extending the network. For more information on this or extending the network using codec over Internet or with wireless IP radios, click here.

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Movie News
Correction: Britain-Obit-Richard Attenborough
Correction: Britain-Obit-Richard Attenborough story
Celeb birthdays for the week of Aug. 31-Sept.6
Celebrity birthdays for the week of Aug. 31-Sept. 6
'Guardians' retakes box office, tops summer films
'Guardians of the Galaxy' retakes box office, passes 'Transformers' for summer's top film
Amazon seeks to reach viewers with 'Hand of God'
Amazon Studios seeks to reach viewers with TV pilot 'Hand of God'
China shuts down Beijing Independent Film Festival
Chinese authorities shut down Beijing Independent Film Festival on opening day, seize films
Mixed pigskin promise in 'When the Game Stands Tall'
WTOP Film Critic Jason Fraley reviews "When the Game Stands Tall."
No act: Tom Hanks wants sod for Women's World Cup
Tom Hanks says women deserve grass fields at World Cup; actor wants artificial turf cast away
Stallone and stars promote 'Expendables' in Asia
Stallone, Schwarzenegger to promote 'Expendables' franchise in Asia
India blocks film on Indira Gandhi assassination
India blocks release of film on Indira Gandhi's killing, says it glorifies her assassins
Suspect in killing cites 'stand your ground' law
Man accused of killing cousin over 'Fast and Furious' DVDs cites 'stand your ground' law
Accuser of 'X-Men' director seeks case dismissal
Accuser of 'X-Men' director says he can't find new lawyer, seeks dismissal of Hawaii case
Review: 'Sin City' dives back into a noir abyss
Film Review: 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" dives back into a noir abyss
Chris Pratt visits children's hospital dressed as 'Guardians of the Galaxy' character
Actor Chris Pratt plays a hero in the new "Guardians of the Galaxy" film, but he was a real-life hero when he recently visited sick children at a hospital -- all while decked out in his costume from the movie.
Fade to black: Leonard Maltin ending movie guides
Fade to black: Leonard Maltin ending popular movie guides, cites access to online reviews
Jon Hamm hopes Ferguson will come out stronger
'Mad Men's' Jon Hamm backs the protesters in Ferguson, hopes city will emerge stronger
Emmys: Billy Crystal to pay tribute to Williams
Emmy Awards plan tribute to Robin Williams with Billy Crystal
Review: A sweet Moretz rescues 'If I Stay'
Film review: A sweet Moretz makes overly syrupy 'If I Stay' worth staying for
Jackie Chan expresses shame over son's drug arrest
Jackie Chan says he's ashamed and heartbroken over son's drug detention, apologizes to public
Pierce Brosnan, Jimmy Fallon face off in James Bond video game (Video)
Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan may not have skills like the spy he played in the movies.
Review: 'Love Is Strange" is tender, meandering
Film Review: 'Love Is Strange' a tender, meandering exploration of an older gay relationship
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Back to Browse Journals » International Journal of Nanomedicine » Volume 6
Ethylenediamine functionalized-single-walled nanotube (f-SWNT)-assisted in vitro delivery of the oncogene suppressor p53 gene to breast cancer MCF-7 cells
Authors Karmakar A, Bratton SM, Dervishi E, Ghosh A, Mahmood M, Xu Y, Saeed L, Mustafa T, Casciano D, Radominska-Pandya A, Biris AS
Published Date May 2011 Volume 2011:6 Pages 1045—1055
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S17684
Published 18 May 2011
Alokita Karmakar2, Stacie M Bratton1, Enkeleda Dervishi2, Anindya Ghosh3, Meena Mahmood2, Yang Xu2, Lamya Mohammed Saeed2, Thikra Mustafa2, Dan Casciano2, Anna Radominska-Pandya1, Alexandru S Biris2
1Biochemistry Department, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; 2Nanotechnology Center, Applied Science Department; 3Department of Chemistry, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR, USA
Abstract: A gene delivery concept based on ethylenediamine-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (f-SWCNTs) using the oncogene suppressor p53 gene as a model gene was successfully tested in vitro in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The f-SWCNTs-p53 complexes were introduced into the cell medium at a concentration of 20 µg mL-1 and cells were exposed for 24, 48, and 72 hours. Standard ethidium bromide and acridine orange assays were used to detect apoptotic cells and indicated that a significantly larger percentage of the cells (approx 40%) were dead after 72 hours of exposure to f-SWCNTs-p53 as compared to the control cells, which were exposed to only p53 or f-SWCNTs, respectively. To further support the uptake and expression of the genes within the cells, green fluorescent protein-tagged p53, attached to the f-SWCNTs was added to the medium and the complex was observed to be strongly expressed in the cells. Moreover, caspase 3 activity was found to be highly enhanced in cells incubated with the f-SWCNTs-p53 complex, indicating strongly induced apoptosis. This system could be the foundation for novel gene delivery platforms based on the unique structural and morphological properties of multi-functional nanomaterials.
Keywords: carbon nanotubes, gene delivery, cancer cells, p53 oncogene suppressor
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2. TEST: Take your Math & English Assessment Tests in the Student Services Center Room 217. This test will take 1 ½ to 2 hours to complete. You must bring a picture ID and pen/pencil with you. You can bypass this step only if you have attended another college and want to transfer units in English or Math. No children are allowed in the testing office!
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7. FAFSA: Apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA is financial aid offered to all individual s interested in attending college. These funds help pay for costs associated with attending school. Much of this money is free! Apply!


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Skillet Asparagus
- roxlet May 3, 2010 10:27 AM
I got about a kilo of thin asparagus and was looking for a way to cook them when I came upon Edna Lewis' method in Saveur on line. Essentially, you wash and trim asparagus and put them in a skillet with some butter, turn the asparagus to coat them all, and cook until done adding only salt and pepper. I usually blanch my asparagus, but I have to say that this was truly simple and very delicious.
re: nstoddar
The heat was medium and the butter did not burn. I used a cast iron skillet. Here's the link to the piece in Saveur, which I meant to put up before:
re: roxlet
Ah, so you're covering the asparagus. I guess that explains why they cook before the butter burns.
re: nstoddar
Right. For some reason, this really seems to intensify the flavor.
re: nstoddar
I use a 50/50-ish mix of butter and olive oil when I cook asparagus this way, and I find no need to cover. It keeps the butter from burning and it's just as tasty.
Try washing and drying the asparagus, drizzling olive oil over it, putting it in a paper bag and folding it over to close it. Drizzling more oil on the bag and putting it in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes (longer or shorter, however done you like it)
re: John E.
I usually do this with 1/4 cup or so of water and no oil or oil (adding that after, if I want it), but I'm going to try it with vermouth. I like that idea, thanks.
I've always cooked asparagus in a bit of olive oil or olive oil/butter. Use medium high heat, toss in some chopped or sliced garlic and add washed and trimmed asparagus spears, salt and pepper. Toss once or twice using tongs. Takes 5 minutes at most to cook; no need to cover. Tender and slightly crisp. Delicious.
I was feeling somewhat underinspired last night and had some nice asparagus I wanted to cook - I trimmed it, put it wet into a rectanglar plastic box witth a lid (Chinese food takeout container), and microwaved it on high for a minute, shook the box and let it go for another minute. With just a shake of salt it was scrummy. Would have put butter on it but the rest of the meal was rather rich. Look Ma, no calories!
re: buttertart
Note to transatlantic friend.......butter when used with asparagus has no calories. It's a scientific fact.
Going to try the microwave. We've been looking at other ways to cook, other than steam or boil. Sort of like char-grilling but it's a fine line between adding the char taste and it overpowering the taste of the "grass"
re: Harters
Calories weren't (can't say aren't ever, but are relatively seldom) the issue, richness was (the main was pasta with ground veal in heavy cream and saffron). You really should try this, it worked extremely well and the taste was very intense, not watered down in the least.
I prefer thin asparagus, and I of course snap off the fibrous bottom third before cooking.
Method of preparation is to bring roughly 1/2 inch of water to a medium boil in a cast iron skillet. Add roughly 1 T. butter and 1 t. each of dried rosemary and basil. Dump in the asparagus and braise approximately seven minutes. Drain and season lightly with salt.
re: chef chicklet
Honestly, I may as well not even be aware of another way to cook asparagus. It's so simple to just toss them in the pan and pull them right back out, you know?
I use lemon juice to finish, along with some shaved parm and, if I'm feeling particularly motivated, some toasted almonds. Like many simple dishes, this one really impresses people (and I'm always a bit embarrassed to admit how easy it is to make, heh).
re: nickblesch
sure parm is good, sounds like beginning of beautiful pasta dish. Some cherry tomatoes, white wine, some fresh cracked pepper and a little pasta. geez.
Asparagus has many options other than smearing it with mayo and of course, I have nothing against that either.
i think thick asparagus gets a needlessly broad bad reputation. some thick asparagus is intolerably woody--for sure--but some leggy thin asparagus is too. i very much enjoy very young, but thick, spears. these are sometimes very short--maybe thumb sized--but very good when young and garden fresh. i think--but am not sure--that the spears i like are the immature green products of very mature roots.
re: silverhawk
My DH only likes the thick kind. I like all kinds and I particularly liked the ones that I made in the skillet since they almost looked like wild asparagus to me, although I am sure they weren't. They had something weedy about them, if you know what I mean. Just give me good, fresh asparagus, thick or thin. I love both.
re: silverhawk
I prefer thicker asparagus for roasting or grilling.
With really thin asparagus, I usually just saute w/oil or butter, as OP suggests. I also find microwaving them w/a tiny bit of water works very well, but I have overcooked them that way a couple of times.
re: silverhawk
I love the thick spears. In our house we trim them with a paring knife and cut off the bottom inch or so, and everything's fine. I don't think I've ever ran across an overly-woody spear after being trimmed.
Yep that works well. If they were thicker, you could also try steam saute which is putting them in a skillet with water and butter. covering the pan and turning up the heat to cause the water to boil. Steam them for 3-5 minutes. Take the lid off and evaporate the water leaving only the butter to saute them. You could add almonds and garlic for a nice change.
You could also roast them. Put olive oil and salt and pepper on them in a cookie pan or jelly roll pan. Throw them in the oven at 350 to 400 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes. That is very good.
A friend of mine used to harvest wild asparagus along the Rio Grande in New Mexico, skillet braise it, and then drizzle chile con queso over the top. I've never tried this, but it does sound fabulous.


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Morning all,
Bascially, I've installed Spicework's onto my machine and it works fine! Others can connect remotley and everything is fine. I decided to move the database over to a Windows 2003 R2 ESXI VMWARE Virtual server. I can connect to Spiceworks directly through the machine but when I try connecting remotley from other machines I get an incompatability error.
I've tried using Google Chrome and I get the same errror's, my second option was to try Firefox but our ISA/Proxy can't handle it.
Any help would be appreciated.
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Two months ago, I was preparing for one of the biggest competitions of my life when I got an unexpected dose of gluten from a supplement. Then, there it was – the biggest and most painful pimple of my life was forming on my chin.
Here's what it looked like on day two (warning this is cringe worthy…):
It was painful, hot to the touch, infected and full of pus. Look familiar?
You've probably been there, too. Maybe you have a major business presentation or a first date this week, but hidden gluten got the best of you, and now you're suffering.
Benzoyl peroxide is the number one ingredient in most over-the-counter and prescription-based acne treatments. It's yet another toxin that we put on our skin to 'heal' it. My dermatologist's answer is always the same, a benzoyl peroxide cream with lots of pain or a shot with drainage. Yuck!
It doesn't have to be that way
Clinical studies have shown essential oils with antimicrobial properties can repair many skin conditions with fewer side effects. (Yay – no drainage!) I've used essentials oils to heal my Celiac Disease symptoms and skin conditions are a major side effect of mine.
A variety of essential oils can work as antiseptic agents and healers including:
- Melaleuca
- Lavender
- Juniper Berry
- Basil
- Geranium
- Helichrysum
I follow a specific protocol to deal with my 'boils' caused from Celiac Disease. More on that in a minute…
Healthy skin starts from the inside out
You are what you eat. Your mom probably told you this when she wanted you to eat your veggies over that plateful of chocolate chip cookies. Like all things your mom told you, she was right again. Food has a major impact on your skin. Watch out for the oatmilk, but these 30 foods can cleanse your skin.
Plus, drinking 8 glasses of water helps, but…
Sometimes you need more than foods to cleanse your body
As a Celiac, it's likely that your body isn't absorbing all of the nutrients that you need. That's where supplements save the day.
Here's my daily supplement regime for glowing skin:
- 1 8oz Glass of Water with 3 drops of doTERRA Lemon essential oil first thing in the morning to remove toxins and petrochemicals that are built up in my body.
- 2 Alpha CRS+® Capsules: These support healthy cell proliferation and lifespan with important metabolic factors of cellular energy to help you live younger, longer.
- 2 Microplex VMz® Capsules: A Food Nutrient Complex that's an all-natural, whole-food formula of bioavailable vitamins and minerals that are deficient from our modern diets.
- 2 xEO Mega Capsules: A blend of marine and land-sourced omega fatty acids. These omega fatty acids help support healthy joint, cardiovascular, and brain health, support healthy immune function, and have been shown to help mediate healthy inflammatory responses in cells.
- 1 GX Assist® Capsules per day for the first 10 days of the month that helps support a healthy digestive tract by creating an unfriendly environment for potentially harmful pathogens that can disrupt digestive immunities and cause digestive upset.
- 1 PB Assist®+ Capsule per day for the remainder of the month to support healthy digestive functions and immunities.
Since starting this daily regime, I've had no painful breakouts/boils, no dermatitis, no constipation, fewer migraines, increased energy levels and more.
What if you need to get rid of a breakout quickly?
The faster you can get rid of that painful pimple, the better.
Here's my step-by-step acne protocol for painful pimples caused from hidden gluten (especially those water-filled bumps that form on your chin):
- Do not squeeze the spot! I've tried it, and I promise it is extremely painful and can leave scarring.
- Cleanse your skin as you would normally to remove makeup and other oily residue.
- Mix Lavender and Melaleuca oil (1:1 ratio) and apply directly to the infected area. Reapply 3 – 5 days per day until healed.
- If needed, added a drop of Peppermint to the affected area throughout the day for a cooling sensation.
- After the pimple is gone, use a mixture of Geranium and Helichrysum (1:1 ratio) to prevent scaring.
Ready to start your doTERRA regime at wholesale prices? Here's how:
- Click here to open this link in a new tab.
- Select "Join as a New Wellness Advocate". This means you'll get wholesale pricing and save 25% on all orders, plus earn rewards points!
- Choose your Enrollment Kit (see options here). I suggest the Family Wellness Kit to receive both your supplements and oils.
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- You can begin earning rewards credits of up to 30% for each order by joining the highly beneficial Loyalty Rewards Program now too! Add the Lifelong Vitality Supplements here for them to easily autoship each month (this must equal 125PV for you to receive your free product of the month). Note: you can change this at anytime.
Have questions or want to add doTERRA to your spa or salon? Email me at firstname.lastname@example.com to talk more about wholesale options.
Also, remember, I'm not a doctor nor do I claim to be one (or really encouraging you to not listen to your dermatologist anymore). I'm just sharing my experience and the natural ways that I've got rid of my skincare problems and acne.
What essential oils have you used to get rid of acne? Share with us in the comments below:


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I have a few shows in Cleveland and Pittsburgh this fall, read about it all here.
I'm currently working on commissions, if you would like to have one done, please visit here.
I also have a new company doing my prints, phone cases, iPad and Kindle skins. Many of the paintings are the size of an iPhone or iPad, so I'm glad to finally offer these. Visit my profile at Nuvango.


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Anesthesiologists in Brooklyn, NYContact Dr. Fisgus
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Thursday, July 14, 2011
2 comments:
It's not a bug! It's a FEATURE!! :DReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 20, 2011 at 12:27 PM
This beetle is called VW Sedán Última Edición, and was given as a present to blessed John Paul II in 2004 to thank him for his 2002 trip to Mexico. Only 3000 units were produced as a a farewell to the beetle that went out of production.ReplyDelete
Note the emblem with the coat of arms of Wolfsburg located in the trunk's lid. This badge was present in older models, and it's back in the Volkswagen Sedán Última Edición.
Nice licence plate!
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Posted by Andrew on July 06, 2013 at 05:08 PM in Self-Promotion, U.S. Law | Permalink | Comments (0)
Blogger Paul Campos of Inside the Law School Scam is giving up blogging. The message of his blog, and many others, is that American law schools (1) are unjustifiably expensive and saddle their students with huge debts; (2) send graduates into a shrinking job market, thus setting them up for unemployment and financial ruin; and (3) have been trying desperately to conceal these facts for years, using techniques that amount to a 'scam'. According to Campos, the message has been received:
19 months and 499 posts later, it turns out that the core message of this blog – that legal academia is operating on the basis of an unsustainable economic model, which requires most law students to borrow more money to get law degrees than it makes sense for them to borrow, given their career prospects, and that for many years law schools worked hard, wittingly or unwittingly, to hide this increasingly inconvenient truth from both themselves and their potential matriculants – has evolved from a horrible heresy to something close to conventional wisdom
...People have asked me how I can continue to be on a law faculty, given my views. This question – when it isn't simply a hostile attempt to derail conversation – is based on a misunderstanding. I very much believe in the potential value of higher education. And I believe that legal education can and must be reformed radically. (On one level the most important short-term reforms couldn't be simpler: the cost of law school attendance must be reduced drastically, and the number of people graduating from law school must be decreased by a significant amount. In the longer term, the American legal system will need to confront whether it is either pedagogically justifiable or financially viable to continue to require the basic law degree to be acquired through postgraduate education).
I found ITLSS consistently witty and brave. And Campos is enough of a scholar to marshal evidence, not mere snark. His very long, very thorough description of the crisis facing American legal education is here.
I've followed this story with interest since I'm in legal education, and I sometimes wonder whether it has relevance to Germany, either because (1) Germany may be facing similar problems; or (2) There will be spill-over effects from the American crisis on the German legal scene.
As to #1, I doubt it. The main difference, of course, is that German law students, like university students in general, either pay no tuition fees or very low ones. One major driver of the sense of crisis in the U.S. is that the average law student graduates with something like $100,000 in debt, but jobs that pay enough to service this debt are few and far between. That is not a problem in Germany. However, I do think that some of the structural changes to the American job market -- outsourcing, temporary contract work, much more price-conscious clients -- could well begin to be seen in Germany.
As to #2, I also think the effect will be marginal, except perhaps that some American law school graduates might relocate abroad, either to find any kind of job or to make a 'fresh start' where debt collectors will find it hard to trace them. Again, though, this doesn't seem very likely. Anyone who comes to Germany or France fresh out of law school will soon face the harsh reality that an American legal education is well-nigh worthless in most European countries. Also, as non-EU citizens, Americans can be legally discriminated against in favor of EU citizens. Nevertheless, I can imagine an increasing number of law graduates -- especially ones who have cultural or personal ties to Europe -- trying to establish themselves across the pond.
What say you, commenters, especially Pageant? By the way, since comments are now moderated, you no longer face the horrible prospect of typing a long comment only to see it magically 'disappeared' because you unknowingly used a spam key-word.
Posted by Andrew on February 28, 2013 at 03:43 PM in German Legal System, Policy, U.S. Law | Permalink | Comments (1)
Another bizarre threat served up by the United States federal criminal-justice system:
The shuttered Hump restaurant in Santa Monica and two of its sushi chefs have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges including selling sei whale meat, an announcement from the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles says.
Typhoon Restaurant Inc., the parent company of the Hump, and Kiyoshiro Yamamoto and Susumu Ueda were named in the nine-count indictment. Other charges include conspiracy to import and sell meat from the endangered sei whale and lying to federal investigators.
The Hump closed in 2010 after an associate producer of the documentary "The Cove," which investigated the killing of dolphins in Japan, orchestrated a video sting. The Times reported that two participating activists asked if they could order whale meat as part of an omakase meal and a waitress served eight pieces, according to a federal affidavit. DNA tests confirmed the meat came from a sei whale, which is protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. It's illegal to sell any kind of whale meat in the U.S.
If convicted, Yamamoto faces up to 67 years in prison, and Ueda faces a maximum 10-year term. Typhoon would face fines totaling $1.2 million.
Yes, you read that right: 67 years for selling whale meat, conspiracy to sell whale meat (which, in the wonderful world of American criminal justice, is actually a separate crime), and lying to federal investigators. So, a chef sells endangered whale meat once to undercover investigators, and now faces 67 years in prison.
To add some context, the chance of this fellow actually getting a 67-year-sentence is low. A federal judge will do the sentencing, and has discretion to impose a much lower sentence than the theoretical maximum. What's happening here is that prosecutors have stacked up as many separate charges as possible to terrorize this man into cutting a deal. If you were faced with this tactic, you would think as follows: There's probably a 90% chance I'll get a sentence of something like 5 years, a 9 percent chance I'll get no prison time, and a 1% chance of getting a sentence of 50+ years (this just an illustration, federal sentencing law is actually more complex than this).
What would you do to avoid even a slight possibility that the rest of your life will be utterly destroyed? A lot. You would take a deal for, say, 8 years. At least then you can be certain of the outcome. If you hadn't been threatened with 67 years in prison, you might have risked a trial, or at least insisted on a deal for 2 or 3 years in prison. But the prosecution can bludgeon you into throwing several extra years of your life away by threatening you with an insanely long sentence that is, at least, theoretically permissible.
And to think that Americans pride themselves on being rugged individualists with a distrust of government power.
Posted by Andrew on February 04, 2013 at 12:59 PM in Comparing Societies, The Faces of Justice, U.S. Law | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The problem of outdated laws inflicting unpredictable, massive penalties on people who use the Internet in unapproved ways (see Aaron Swartz) is also acute in Germany. Case in point: In 2000, a highly unusual-looking man, seeking attention, went out onto the streets of Berlin to dance in a techno-parade. Another attendee filmed him doing his thing. This is the result:
Notice that there's no attempt to conceal the filming. The filmer, Matthias Fritsch, decided to post the video online, figuring it might amuse other people. Indeed it did: the man in the video became known as the Technoviking, and his moves spawned an Internet subculture. Fritsch even made a modest amount of money from all the YouTube views.
And now, thirteen years later, he faces bankruptcy and jail. The Daily Dot reports:
[Fritsch stated:] "I am being accused for creation and publication of images connected to the Technoviking, therefore infringement of personality rights. They also say I am earning a lot of money by that. They argue that [I] gave him the name Technoviking, create 3D characters, comics and more to constantly increase the popularity in order to market Technoviking and therefore cause damage to the protagonist"
If Fritsch loses, so does the Internet. He'll have to scrub any original content he created that featured the Technoviking's likeness, and he'll be barred from creating new content. Worse, the lawsuit accuses him of creating numerous other derivative works, most of which Fritsch says he never touched....
Failing to do that, Fritsch would face a €250,000 ($334,441 U.S.) fine and up to six months in jail. Fritsch said the lawsuit only includes content he allegedly posted, so no matter the result of the trial, other Technoviking remixes around the Web are safe—for now.
"I can't say how far his intentions go for removing content that is posted by other people," Fritsch said. "It would be a Don Quixote action to try removing Technoviking from the Web."
Fritsch, who still won't reveal the Technoviking's identity despite the lawsuit, said he's not really worried about the trial. He doesn't take credit for the Technoviking character, which he believes was born out of the collaborative creativity of millions of Internet users.
"I am only worried that the judge might not understand contemporary web-culture and therefore judges from an old fashioned perspective," Fritsch said. "Artists are not rich usually and I am one of those artists. To put me in a financial emergency is really something I wouldn't like.
Technoviking's lawyer is almost certainly suing under German Persönlichkeitsrecht, which gives people control over how their own image is disseminated. The most famous case is the so-caller Herrenreiter (g) (dressage rider) decision from 1958, in which a professional horse rider's image was used without his permission in advertisements for a tonic thought to increase male potency. You could also sue for this under the common law, since this is appropriation of someone's unmistakable image without consent or payment to use in advertisements for a consumer product.
However, the common law has a different answer when it comes to people who are voluntarily putting themselves on display in public. In this case, the law generally says that if you volunarily go outside and expose your image to thousands of strangers, you are demonstrating that you don't wish that what you're doing should be kept secret, and therefore your image can be taken and used by others. There is, however, an exception for voyeuristic videos that attempt to reveal parts of your body you would wish to be kept secret (such as upskirt videos). That's obviously not an issue here. Some courts also have an exception when your image is used without your consent for a profit-making enterprise that you certainly would have demanded money for participating in had you known about it.
Under the common law, then the Technoviking video can be legally shared. Technoviking went out into a public festival, where certainly knew he might be filmed, and started dancing. He was sharing his image with thousands of strangers, and obviously enjoyed himself doing so. The artist was not using the Technoviking's image to sell a product, and the money he earned from it was merely incidental to its unexpected success. And it was, of course, money for something he created -- the video of an interesting person dancing on the street.
The idea that this could lead to jail time is an absurd consequences of Germany's outdated privacy and intellectual property laws, which also subject you to hefty fines, believe it or not, if someone else (g) posts a copyrighted picture to your Facebook page. The problem here is uncertainty. Germans are normally obsessed with Rechtssicherheit, the notion that the law must be stable and clear, so that private persons can regulate their affairs in peace. But there's a huge hole in that protection when it comes to Internet users. The persistence of these old, overbroad definitions are a constant background threat that chills Internet freedom. Any of you who have a Facebook account could theoretically face a lawsuit tomorrow for something innocent you shared with your friends years ago. All that needs to happen is for someone to find out about it and contacts one of the many German lawyers who specialize in harassing German internet users with ludicrously exaggerated damages claims for infringements both real and alleged.
This is why I have a soft spot for the Pirate Party, for all their shenanigans. None of the mainstream German parties was giving much thought to these issues before the Pirate Party came along. This was due probably in equal measure to technological ignorance, the inherent conservatism of the German legal system, and effective lobbying by the content industry. The Pirates found resonance because they pointed out that outdated laws were making potential criminals of literally millions of citizens, an absurd state of affairs in a country that claims to be governed by the rule of law. The Pirates, in the best tradition of third parties, forced the mainstream to finally face an issue they'd been all to happy to ignore.
Posted by Andrew on January 18, 2013 at 01:39 PM in Comparative Law, Comparing Societies, Dance, Exploding Animals, German Legal System, The Faces of Justice, U.S. Law, Web/Tech, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
The American criminal justice system stands out not only for the severity of its criminal sentencing, but for the incredible leeway it gives to prosecutors. Prosecutors exercise sole discretion over what charges to file against defendants and what deals to cut with them, if any. There are no formal requirements that prosecutors treat like crimes alike, and no rule against a prosecutor singling out one defendant for an extremely severe sentence to 'set an example'.
Although constitutional rules require prosecutors to turn over exonerating evidence to the defense, it is the prosecutor's own prerogative to decide what evidence must be turned over, and what can be kept secret. Not surprisingly, prosecutors often abuse this prerogative and conceal favorable evidence from the defense. If this fact is discovered at all, it may be only after the defendant has spent years in prison, and it often results in no punishment at all for the prosecutor. This is mainly owing to the fact that prosecutors, as government officials, enjoy immunity for actions they take during the course of duty, and this legal protection is nearly impossible to overcome. In 2011, for instance, the United States Supreme Court ruled that a Louisiana prosecutors who confessed to intentionally suppressing blood testing showing a defendant's innocence -- thereby sending him to death row to wait for execution for 14 years -- could not be held liable in a civil court.
But that's not all. Prosecutors can engage in overcharging: threatening defendants with extra crimes despite weak evidence, in order to force them to accept plea bargains. They can also charge defendants with every single act of illegality and seek consecutive sentences, creating the potential for huge punishments. This is also true if all of the violations were only part of one scheme. For instance, if you ran a scam sending out fraudulent letters, the prosecutor can decide to charge you for every single piece of mail the operation sent out, attaching a penalty to each one. So, for example, if you send out 60 fraudulent letters during your scheme, and the maximum sentence for each letter is 5 years in prison, then there is nothing stopping the prosecution from charging you with 60 separate offenses, and asking for a 5-year consecutive sentence on each one, for a total of 300 years in prison. Although this would raise a few eyebrows, and the judge would be likely to impose a much lighter sentence, there's nothing preventing the prosecution from asking for this insane punishment, and judges will often agree to sentence offenders to extremely long consecutive sentences.
The fact that prosecutors are immune from any effective accountability helps to explain the case of Aaron Swartz, the activists who recently committed suicide while facing prosecution for hacking into a database of academic articles. Glenn Greenwald reports:
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that - two days before the 26-year-old activist killed himself on Friday - federal prosecutors again rejected a plea bargain offer from Swartz's lawyers that would have kept him out of prison. They instead demanded that he "would need to plead guilty to every count" and made clear that "the government would insist on prison time". That made a trial on all 15 felony counts - with the threat of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted - a virtual inevitability.
Just three months ago, [prosecutor Carmen] Ortiz's office, as TechDirt reported, severely escalated the already-excessive four-felony-count indictment by adding nine new felony counts, each of which "carrie[d] the possibility of a fine and imprisonment of up to 10-20 years per felony", meaning "the sentence could conceivably total 50+ years and [a] fine in the area of $4 million." That meant, as Think Progress documented, that Swartz faced "a more severe prison term than killers, slave dealers and bank robbers".
Swartz's girlfriend, Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, told the WSJ that the case had drained all of his money and he could not afford to pay for a trial. At Swartz's funeral in Chicago on Tuesday, his father flatly stated that his son "was killed by the government".
Ortiz and Heymann continue to refuse to speak publicly about what they did in this case - at least officially....
A petition on the White House's website to fire Ortiz quickly exceeded the 25,000 signatures needed to compel a reply, and a similar petition aimed at Heymann has also attracted thousands of signatures, and is likely to gather steam in the wake of revelations that another young hacker committed suicide in 2008 in response to Heymann's pursuit of him (You can [and I hope will] sign both petitions by clicking on those links; the Heymann petition in particular needs more signatures)....
In sum, as Sen Jim Webb courageously put it when he introduced a bill aimed at fundamentally reforming America's penal state, a bill that predictably went nowhere: "America's criminal justice system has deteriorated to the point that it is a national disgrace" and "we are locking up too many people who do not belong in jail." The tragedy of Aaron Swartz's mistreatment can and should be used as a trigger to challenge these oppressive penal policies. As Moynihan wrote: "those outraged by Swartz's suicide and looking to convert their anger into action would be best served by focusing their attention on the brutishness and stupidity of America's criminal justice system."
I have signed both petitions. Of course, Obama is not going to fire the prosecutor for simply pursuing Draconian punishments -- he probably considers that part of her job. And firing one prosecutor doesn't solve any of the systemic problems. But at least it's shone a bit of sunlight on this area. The more I study other criminal justice systems, the more I become aware of how many aspects of the U.S. system are preposterously outdated, inefficient, and/or unjust. There's a German saying: Der als Normalität getarnte Wahnsinn: Insanity disguised as normality. Hmm, that might make a good subtitle.
Posted by Andrew on January 16, 2013 at 06:20 PM in Policy, The Faces of Justice, U.S. Law | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
I'm reading the latest edition of Lawrence Friedman's A History of American Law. It's actually a pleasure to read, which is no mean feat for that sort of book. I'm pretty sure it would also be comprehensible to non-lawyers. Friedman has an eye for the colorful quotation, such as this description of 'The Chinese', from the remarks of John F. Miller during the 1878 constitutional convention in California. See if you can tell what sort of immigration policy the new constitution favored:
[The Chinese] is a sinewy, shriveled human creature, whose muscles are as iron, whose sinews are like thongs, whose nerves are like steel wires, with a stomach case [ed. 'stomach case'!!] lined with brass; a creature who can toil sixteen hours of the twenty-four; who can live and grow fat on the refuse of any American laborer's table.
(p. 263). Actually, they sound pretty handy (unless they become, er, sentient). Where can I get one?
Posted by Andrew on January 14, 2013 at 09:39 AM in Europe-Bashing, Quotations, U.S. Law | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
One question I get a lot from students and colleauges is 'why does the United States almost never ratify international treaties?' That's not strictly the case, since the U.S. is happy to ratify trade treaties that open new markets for U.S. firms. But when it comes to virtually any other treaty, the U.S. usually stays out. The reason for this is pretty simple: the U.S. Constitution requires a 2/3 majority of the Senate to vote to approve treaties, and there's almost always a hard core of American isolationists who will never, ever agree to any international treaty not directly related to trade.
Kevin Drum has more on this, occasioned by the most recent treaty to fail before ideological conservatives in the U.S. Senate, including a bonus quote from an American senator talking about killing cats(!):
Today, Republicans blocked ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a treaty negotiated by George W. Bush that basically codifies U.S. law as a model for the rest of the world....
Movement conservatives have been paranoid about treaties at least since FDR's treachery capitulation treason agreement with Stalin at Yalta, and for all I know, maybe even long before that. Hell, the Bricker Amendment, which would have dramatically restricted the ability of presidents to negotiate treaties at all, only failed by one vote in 1954, back when memories of Yalta were fresh. Just for laughs, let's compare and contrast 1954 with 2012. Here is Senator Walter George on the Bricker Amendment:
I do not want a president of the U.S. to conclude an executive agreement which will make it unlawful for me to kill a cat in the back alley of my lot at night, and I do not want the President of the U.S. to make a treaty with India which would preclude me from butchering a cow in my own pasture.
Does that sound eerily, tea party-ishly familiar? It should. Here is Senator Jim Inhofe on UNCRPD:
Unelected bureaucratic bodies would implement the treaty and pass so-called recommendations that would be forced upon the United Nations and the U.S....This would especially affect those parents who home-school their children....The unelected foreign bureaucrats, not parents, would decide what is in the best interests of the disabled child, even in the home.
Movement conservatives tend to tolerate trade treaties, but that's about it. They went ballistic over the Panama Canal treaty. They screamed blue murder over the Law of the Sea treaty. They opposed establishment of the International Criminal Court. They've fought pretty much every arms control treaty ever. They don't like treaties, they've never liked treaties, and if there's nothing obviously wrong with one they'll invent a bunch of bizarre conspiracy theories in order to get themselves worked into a frenzy about it.
If you ask me, one more data point for the argument that the U.S. Constitution needs an overhaul.
Posted by Andrew on December 05, 2012 at 03:46 PM in U.S. Law | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
The Supreme Court of the United States just handed down a peculiar decision. By a vote of 6-3, it refused to decide an Idaho case in which an extremely mentally ill man was denied any chance to lodge an insanity defense and was sentenced to two life prison terms for murder. This result is possible because, 1982, the state of Idaho decided to break with thousands of years of legal tradition (pdf) and completely abolish the insanity defense. In Idaho, since 1982, mentally ill people cannot introduce evidence of their mental illness and are sentenced to precisely the same prison terms as ordinary criminals: as the law states, '[m]ental condition shall not be a defense to any charge of criminal conduct.' Idaho Code §18–207(1).* The courts of Idaho held that the legislature's decision to abolishing the insanity defense was not inconsistent with Constitutional due process
The United States Supreme Court just allowed that decision to stand. This means the other 46 American states who still permit some sort of insanity defense may, if they choose, now abolish it. They probably won't, though. Three Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court dissented from the majority's decision (pdf). And the mere fact that the Supreme Court didn't take this case does not imply any sort of judgment. They still remain free to decide the issue later -- although this case, Delling v. Idaho, was an excellent test case, since Delling was so disturbed that he had to be medicated for a year just to make him competent to stand trial. Nobody disputed that Delling was mentally ill, and that his illness was responsible for his crimes. But under Idaho law, that was irrelevant.
This is the danger of passing legislation based on a single spectacular case. In Germany, talking heads intervene after a spectacular crime and admonish the public that 'we must remain calm and assess the issue rationally without overreacting to a single incident (Einzelfall).' Examples for the skeptical here (g) and here (g). To some, this phrase may smack of elite condescension, but to others, it's a necessary corrective (these categories are hardly mutually exclusive). To understand this issue, you have to look at the date. Idaho passed this law in 1982 -- that is, just after the trial of John Hinckley, the man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan on 30 March 1981. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity after evidence was introduced that he had become obsessed with the actress Jodie Foster.
After Hinckley's acquittal, there was a backlash against the very idea of the insanity defense. Politicians and conservative commentators began thumping the tub, claiming that the insanity defense was being abused everywhere to let guilty criminals off the hook. (In fact, it is only invoked in a tiny percentage of American criminal trials, and is successful only in a minority of those). The message resonated with Americans, who thought that huge numbers of criminals were 'getting off' on insanity pleas (yet another example of the gob-smacking political ignorance of many Americans). In the aftermath of the Hinckley trial, many states and the U.S. government narrowed the insanity defense, and three states -- including Idaho -- abolished it altogether. These laws weren' the product of careful reflection or policy analysis -- they were just spasms of opportunism by politicians eager to exploit a passing public mood.
But Idaho politicians, wary of being accused of being 'soft on crime', never changed the law. Which means paranoid schizophrenic Joseph Delling faces life in prison with mental illness. A Human Rights Watch report describes the future he faces:
Without the necessary care, mentally ill prisoners suffer painful symptoms and their conditions can deteriorate. They are afflicted with delusions and hallucinations, debilitating fears, or extreme mood swings. They huddle silently in their cells, mumble incoherently, or yell incessantly. They refuse to obey orders or lash out without apparent provocation. They beat their heads against cell walls, smear themselves with feces, self-mutilate, and commit suicide.
Doing time in prison is hard for everyone. Prisoners struggle to maintain their self-respect and emotional equilibrium in facilities that are typically tense, overcrowded, fraught with the potential for violence, cut off from families and communities, and devoid of opportunities for meaningful education, work, or other productive activities. But life in prison is particularly difficult for prisoners with mental illnesses that impair their thinking, emotional responses, and ability to cope. They are more likely to be exploited and victimized by other prisoners. They are less likely to be able to adhere to the countless formal and informal rules of a strictly regimented life and often have higher rates of rule-breaking than other prisoners.
And this all came about because some long-forgotten, perhaps even long-dead Idaho lawmaker, 30 years ago, decided to score political points by introducing a bill eliminating what had been a pillar of the Anglo-American legal order for hundreds of years. I doubt that these long-ago Idaho lawmakers envisioned that the law would be used in cases such as Delling's. They thought they were sticking it to those clever, big-money defense lawyers and cynical, malingering defendants. But once the law is on the books, it's there forever. Who knows how many other mentally ill people have been sentenced to prison terms in Idaho the past 30 years because of this law?
Delling's story showcases the danger of 'legislating based on a singe case.' It's especially likely to happen in the U.S. in the area of criminal law, since accused (and especially convicted) criminals are about the safest punching bags a populist politician can find. And there's nothing to stop these politicians except for their consciences....
Posted by Andrew on December 04, 2012 at 04:36 PM in Comparing Societies, Policy, The Faces of Justice, U.S. Law | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Hey everbody, I will be holding a 'workshop' at the Humboldt University tomorrow at 16:00. The title is Who Writes Criminal Laws? A Comparative Look at the Social and Structural Determinants of Criminal-Justice Policy in Europe, the UK, and the United States. As you might be able to guess by the title, this will be rather academical in nature. Nevertheless, if you're interested, feel free to drop by!
Posted by Andrew on November 19, 2012 at 11:56 AM in Comparative Law, Policy, Self-Promotion, U.S. Law | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
A reader emailed me (thanks!) a link to this excellent piece by Liliana Segura for the Nation on US-European criminal-justice contrasts:
The United States is uniquely punitive when it comes to sentencing compared to much of the rest of the world, whether the crime is murder or drug possession. Putting aside the death penalty, which lands us in dubious international company, in countries with life sentences on the books, prisoners are often eligible for release after a few decades. "Mexico will not extradite defendants who face sentences of life without parole," the New York Times's Adam Liptak noted in 2005 (Most of Latin America has no such sentence). "And when Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish gunman who tried to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981, was pardoned in 2000, an Italian judge remarked, 'No one stays 20 years in prison.' "
The same article quoted Yale law professor James Q. Whitman, author of a book comparing US sentencing with Europe. "Western Europeans regard 10 or 12 years as an extremely long term, even for offenders sentenced in theory to life," he said. Today, there are more than 41,000 people serving life without parole in the United States compared to fifty-nine in Australia, forty-one in England and thirty-seven in the Netherlands. That's according to a study released this spring, which found that we are "in the minority of countries using several sentencing practices, such as life without parole, consecutive sentences, juvenile life without parole, juvenile transfer to adult courts, and successive prosecution of the same defendant by the state and federal government." In the United States, prison sentences have gotten longer and longer—a sea change that Americans have come to accept relatively quickly (largely because the targets have been people of color). Just a few decades ago in high-incarceration states like Louisiana, lifers were eligible for release in ten and a half years. Today in Louisiana, there is no longer parole for lifers, and thus virtually no hope of release, ever. And when it comes to crimes prosecuted under the War on Drugs, three-strikes sentencing and mandatory minimums have not only sent people away for life for minor drug offenses—an anomaly compared to the rest of the world—they have led to a current reality in which the vast majority of people arrested on nonviolent drug charges plead guilty—whether they are or not—in order to avoid such draconian prison sentences, a decision that can have lifelong implications.
...[T]he notion that a retribution-based system hands out sentences that "fit the crime" is wildly and tragically false if the United States is your guide. In the United States, grandmothers are sentenced to life for first-time drug offenses. Mothers who fire a "warning shot" in self-defense at an abusive husband get twenty years in prison. Teenagers who kill their abusive pimp get sentenced to life without parole. Kids who commit crimes at 14 have been condemned to die in prison—getting raped along the way—with no consideration for their age, mental health or abusive upbringing. People land on death row for failing to anticipate that an accomplice in a crime might kill someone—and people are executed for killings committed by others who then go free. The American model—which Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia recently summed up by musing, "I thought that modern penology has abandoned that rehabilitation thing"—is a system rife with injustice.
Posted by Andrew on November 16, 2012 at 12:41 PM in Comparative Law, Comparing Societies, The Faces of Justice, U.S. Law | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)


text:
- AARP - http://blog.aarp.org -
The Takeaway: Senate Passes Veteran's Jobs Package; MacArthur Fellow Fights Elder Abuse
Posted By Elizabeth Nolan Brown On November 11, 2011 @ 9:30 am In Bulletin Today | No Comments
[1]Measure Aims to Aid Unemployed Veterans: What better way for Congress to honor Veteran's Day this year than by passing a portion of President Obama's jobs plan [2] aimed at helping unemployed veterans get hired? Though the President's overall jobs plan has been languishing in a divided Congress, the veteran's jobs package-including a provision to give companies tax credits for hiring unemployed military veterans and a job-training program for vets-passed the Senate yesterday 94-1. President Obama said in a statement:
Today, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate did the right thing and passed tax credits that will encourage businesses to hire America's veterans.
Tomorrow, our nation will commemorate Veterans Day and honor the service and the sacrifice of all who have worn the uniform of the United States of America.
No veteran who fought for our nation should have to fight for a job when they come home, and I urge the House to pass these tax credits as well so I can sign them into law.
If the package passes in the House-which its expected to do-companies could get a $5,600 tax credit for each veteran they hire who had been unemployed for at least six month; they would get a $9,600 credit for hiring an unemployed veteran with service-related disabilities.
See Also: 7 Scams That Target Military Veterans >> [3]
Fighting Elder Abuse: USA Today has a nice profile [4] of Marie-Therese Connolly, 54, who directs a nonprofit dedicated to elder abuse issues called Life Long Justice. In September, Connolly was awarded a MacArthur Foundation grant [5] to further her elder advocacy work; the Foundation said she is "a leading voice to prevent the suffering of older adults and ensure that elder abuse becomes a priority on the national agenda."
"The fact that a respected entity like the MacArthur Foundation decided this is an issue worth investing in is a real game-changer," Connolly told USA Today.
"I can't think of another issue that affects more people in this country where less is being done. Programs for child abuse and domestic violence are decades ahead."
Connolly conceived of and helped draft the Elder Justice Act, federal legislation addressing elder abuse that was passed as part of the health care reform law in 2010 but awaits funding.
Friday Quick Hits:
Photo: VeteransNewsNow.com [12]
Article printed from AARP: http://blog.aarp.org
URL to article: http://blog.aarp.org/2011/11/11/the-takeaway-senate-passes-veterans-jobs-package-macarthur-fellow-fights-elder-abuse/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://aarpblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/women-veterans-jobs-320x176.jpg
[2] passing a portion of President Obama's jobs plan: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-senate-jobs-20111111,0,3760937.story
[3] 7 Scams That Target Military Veterans >> : http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-11-2011/scammers-target-veterans.html?intcmp=DSO-HP-SL1
[4] a nice profile: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/caregiving/story/2011-11-10/MacArthur-fellow-leads-the-fight-against-elder-abuse/51149920/1
[5] was awarded a MacArthur Foundation grant: http://www.aarp.org/relationships/caregiving/news-09-2011/marie-therese-connolly-elder-abuse.html
[6] belatedly awarded wartime service metals: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-belated-honors-20111111,0,1000299.story
[7] of a secret 4:40 a.m. meeting with Vietnam War protestors: http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/10/politics/nixon-lincoln-memorial/?hpt=hp_c1
[8] will host the 2012 Oscars: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15687819
[9] shows most smokers want to quit,: http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/11/most-smokers-want-to-quit-but-few-use-the-best-strategies/
[10] are shown to reduce colorectal cancer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15674998
[11] sought to honor African Americans members who enlisted amid the racial segregation: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-montford-marines-20111111,0,4607148.story
[12] VeteransNewsNow.com: http://www.veteransnewsnow.com/2011/09/09/moving-forward-with-veterans-jobs-initiatives/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2013 AARP. All rights reserved.


text:
To make reservations by phone, dial freephone 0800 221 222 in the UK, 1 800 409 929 in Ireland, or view our regional telephone reservation numbers.
Inspiring modern American cuisine with regional flavors, menus are packed with everything from a hearty All Canadian Breakfast Buffet and ala carte classics to the favorite flame-grilled Marriott Burger for lunch and tasty "Land & Sea" choices for dinner.
The casual atmosphere of this unique bistro is complemented by a full menu of light snacks and hearty meals. Featuring signature cocktails, wine and beer, guests will enjoy the relaxed setting and outdoor patio as a great place for gathering with friends.


text:
IMA Relocation
Organisation details
- Company:
- IMA Relocation
- Type:
- Commercial partners
- Website:
- www.managementanswers.co.uk/relocation.html
Having worked with London & Partners for a number of years, IMA Relocation has been designed specifically for international companies who are setting up a business in the UK and who want a personal home finding service for employees relocating to London.
We are independent of letting agents and estate agents and, as such, we provide a completely unbiased service. Our approach is personal, we always meet our customers face to face so we can get to know specifically what they're looking for and then recommend areas which meet their criteria.
All flats and houses are visited and vetted by IMA before they are introduced to our clients and our fees are capped at 5 days at a maximum cost of £3,000 per property (as opposed to first month's rent, which a lot of other agencies charge), this approach guarantees that we will always negotiate the best price for you!
We also offer a comprehensive school search service and accompany you on school tours to help you choose the right school for your child.
Free introduction and client offer
Special 33% discount on day rate for London & Partners' clients. Find out more: IMA Relocation Services Offer
Company overview
Type of company
Relocation services
Client services
- We Search - IMA offers a high quality relocation service for international clients looking to rent property in London. We know exactly how to assist private individuals and employees with the perfect location. After understanding your precise requirements we carry out an extensive search using all sources available to us. This includes a comprehensive list of letting agents across central and greater London. We explore the type of property you are looking for; its size, location, proximity to amenities together with your budget.
- Area Orientation - If you are unsure of which area you would like to rent a property we are happy to take you on a tour of areas we think will suit your requirements before our search process begins for a nominal charge.
- We Shortlist - Once the properties have been personally vetted and a short list drawn up we will organise viewings for you over a 1 day period, if possible, until you find the perfect home.
- We Negotiate - Once your accommodation has been found we begin negotiations with agents working to secure the best possible terms for you, giving you time to focus on your move. Unlike most relocation agents we don't charge a month's rent as our fee and so you can rest assured that we will be getting you the best price possible. We will arrange the Tenancy Agreement, complete a full inventory with the Agent on the landlord's behalf and transfer utilities into your name.
We charge a day rate of £600 per day + VAT and we ensure your search is completed in as few days as possible. Monies are due 14 days after the Tenancy Agreement has been signed. There is no registration fee and search fees are capped to a maximum of 5 days for a property search and 8 days if the search is to include schools.
On Completion of your lease
If you require your tenancy to be extended we will negotiate this for you with the Agency for a flat fee of £600. When you're ready to depart and vacate the property we will liaise with the agent/landlord on your behalf throughout the departure process, arrange cleaning contractors, conduct a thorough search of Inventory reports, negotiate and agree dilapidation costs enabling the return of your deposit and organise utility disconnection. This is at a cost of a 1 day fee of £600.
Frankie Taylor
IMA, Bishops Walk House, 19-23 High Street, Pinner, Middlesex, HA5 5PJ
Tel: +44 (0)7866 506049
Email: email@example.com
This content was provided by IMA Relocation.