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Terms of service
www.ahlershoes.com is owned and operated by Ahler ApS.
VAT no. 38 51 28 46 (hereinafter "Ahler Shoes or www.ahlershoes.com")
Ahler ApS (Head office)
Mosevej 20A
8240 Risskov
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
These terms and conditions apply to purchase of goods on www.ahlershoes.com.
Ordering and payment
www.ahlershoes.com is open 24 hours a day - 7 days a week. It may happen that we close the shop for maintenance. You can only make purchases when the store is open and available.
To shop at www.ahlershoes.com you must be above 18 years old and possess a valid credit card, which we accept. If you are not yet 18 years old, you can still purchase items if you have obtained your guardian's consent or otherwise have a legal right to enter into the purchase.
You select the items you want to buy and put them in the "shopping cart/basket". You can right up to the time of order edit the contents of the shopping cart, and you can continuously check the contents and price of the goods. Any extra payments like shipping or debit card charges will not be calculated until immediately before payment.
When you are ready to order, click on "Checkout" where you enter your name, address, email, telephone number, payment method and choose delivery method. Confirm your purchase by clicking on the button "Complete order".
The purchase amount will be withdrawn from your account when the product(s) is shipped.
At www.ahlershoes.com you can pay with the following creditcards:
- VISA/Dankort
- MasterCard
- MasterCard Debit
We hold all creditcard fees.
Acknowledgement of receipt of order and order confirmation
When you order an item from us, you will receive an acknowledgment (order confirmation) of our receipt of your order. However, the order is not binding until you have received order confirmation.
We use insured parcel service, and you receive a track & trace no. when we ship the order.
Free delivery on all orders over 900 DKK to parcel collection
Costs 45 DKK on orders under 900 DKK to parcel collection
Costs 59 DKK with home delivery
Delivery time is typically 1-3 business days with GLS
Europe: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden
It costs 100 DKK Delivery time is typically 4-6 business days with GLS
Outside EU: Norway, UK, Switzerland:
It costs 200,- taxes are not paid by Ahler ApS
Delivery time is typically 4-6 business days with GLS
NOTE: We reserve the right to cancel an order if freight costs to remote areas exceed a certain size.
Non EU customers:
Please note that local charges (customs duty, sales tax etc.) may be added to your order depending on region and local custom duties. The charges are at the customer's own expense.
When you shop online at www.ahlershoes.com you have 14 days return right. Some items are not covered by this right, and it will appear in the ordering process. The right runs from the day you received the goods. If the period expires on a public holiday, Saturday, Constitution Day, Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve deadline is extended to the following Monday. In the case of multiple goods ordered in one order but are delivered separately, or a product that comes in several batches, the period from the receipt of the last item.
Do after receiving only handle the goods in a way so that you can establish the nature, characteristics and the way they operate.
To return your product, follow instructions on the returnnote attached to your package.
If you regret your purchase, the goods must be returned to:
Ahler ApS
Mosevej 20a
8240 Risskov
Att. Return Web Shop
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
You have the responsibility of the package / goods until we receive it. So keep postal receipt and tracking number. You must pay the costs of returning the goods.
Please write with big letters "RETURN PARCEL" outside of the box/ parcel.
We expect you to dispatch as soon as possible, and you must return them within 14 days.
We do not accept packages sent COD (cash on delivery)
Will automatically happen when we receive your package, (excluding freight cost). The amount is always transferred to the same payment as you paid the purchase. Have you, for example, paid by card, reversed the purchase amount to the payment card you used for the purchase.
NOTE: Partly or no refund will happen if:
- You have actually taken the goods in use
- It has been damaged while you were responsible for it
- You have handled goods otherwise than was necessary in order for you to determine the nature, characteristics and the way they operate
- You have not followed the restrictions on the right of withdrawal.
Return right on used items
There is a 14 days return policy on items that you have used. If the item has been used it can still be returned. As a consumer you have the right to take the goods into "eyesight", which is the same right that applies to a purchase realized in a physical store. You may after receipt only use the goods in a way so that you can maintain the shape, characteristics and the way they function. If the product is used, you can get partly refund or not at all. It is the consumer who has to pay for a potential depreciation of the item. We preserve the right to value the item according to what we can get for it in a resale.
Complaints - If there is something wrong with the product
Your purchase of covered by the Sale of Goods Act, including lack rules. This means, that the consumer has 24 months warranty, that you can either have a faulty product repaired or replaced, refund or reduction in price, depending on the specific situation. Of course it is a requirement that the complaint is justified and that the defect is not caused by an incorrect use of the product or other injurious behavior.
In January 2016 there were adopted a new legislation in relation to the Consumer Complaints Act. We will allways suggest to contact us and solve any complaints but in case there is an dispute we cant solve. We refer to the EU commission's home page - Online Dispute Resolution > http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/
You must contact us within "reasonable time"
You must complain within "reasonable time" after you have discovered the defect. We recommend that you advertise as soon as possible, and within 2 months after the defect was discovered. You can complaint by contacting us via email: firstname.lastname@example.com. Depending on the specific situation, you will receive further instructions.
The product must be sent to:
Ahler ApS
Mosevej 20a
8240 Risskov
Att. Return Web Shop
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
When you return the item, please simultaneously as detailed as possible indicate what the problem is. Please use our complaint/return form. It is not a requirement, but it eases our casework, and minimizes processing time for complaint.
By justified complaint we will refund reasonable freight costs
If the complaint is justified, we will refund your reasonable shipping costs to send the product back to us. Otherwise, you must bear all costs of transport, including our freight costs for returning the item after the investigation. Remember that the product must always be in good packaging and get a receipt for shipment. You have the responsibility of the package / goods up to our reception. So keep postal receipt and tracking number.
Note: We do not accept packages sent COD (cash on delivery) or similar.
In order to shop at www.ahlershoes.com you must state at least:
- Name
- Address
- E-mail
- Telephone / mobile number
The above data is stored with information about the items you bought, for 5 years from the end of the financial year to which the information relates, see. Bookkeeping Act § 10, after which the data are deleted. Did you set up a login to be able to make self-service with us, your personal information and order information not be deleted unless you ask us to do so.
Information will not be disclosed or sold to third parties, except in connection with a restructuring or a full or partial sale of the company. Any disclosure in such a situation would be in accordance with the then-current privacy legislation. As a customer you are entitled to access to our registration data about you and you may object to the registration pursuant to the rules of this Act concerning the processing of personal data and inquiries regarding this should be directed to Ahler ApS via: firstname.lastname@example.com
By entering www.ahlershoes.com, you agree that we may use cookies. A cookie is a small data file that we place on your computer to keep track of what happens during your visit and in order to recognize your computer. A cookie is not a program and do not contain viruses.
Governing Law and Jurisdiction Purchase of goods on www.ahlershoes.com is subject to Danish law. Any dispute settled by the Danish courts.


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The Panasonic WT60 3D LED TV wraps a gorgeous IPS display in a stunning, nearly-invisible frame.
CES 2013—While CES 2013 is a great place to see manufacturers' conceptual products, sometimes it gets frustrating to be bombarded by technology that we won't see on the retail market for years, if ever. Panasonic, thankfully, had a booth full of stunning TVs that will be available this year. Our favorite was the flagship Panasonic WT60 LED TV.
With 47 and 55-inch models slated, the WT60 TVs won't win any size battles. Instead, Panasonic will be loading the displays with enhanced features and an edgy design, which is a change from the company's often uninspiring, though well-performing, plasma TVs.
Perched on a clear pedestal and wrapped in a minimalist bezel, the Panasonic WT60 TVs almost appear to be floating. The super-thin IPS panels provide a picture whose color and contrast rival plasma displays and maintain color fidelity across a 178° degree viewing angle. A 240 Hz refresh rate makes the WT60 Full HD 3D capable and, in combination with Panasonic's new 4200 Back Light Scanning technology, keeps ghosting to a minimum. The BLS should also help improve black levels.
The WT60 Series are equipped with VIERA Connect, Panasonic's smart-tv designation. In addition to now-standard TV features like app compatibility, VEIRA Connect will let you control the WT60 with your smartphone, or play compatible mobile games displayed on the TV. If you'd like to view photos on your WT60, Swipe and Share 2.0 lets you move content from your NFC-equipped smartphone to the TV with just a tap. We're especially eager to try out Panasonic's Voice Guidance and Voice Interaction. The former will read to you text displayed on the screen; the latter allows you to control the TV by speaking to it or into your remote.
Panasonic has not yet released prices, but the WT60 series LED TVs are set to be released this spring. Keep an eye on the blog, or our main site for news of their availability.

subset: commoncrawl


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Time is on your side, at least according to Mick Jagger. (Think: song lyric.) But it rarely seems that way when you get to the end of the day and realize you didn't have nearly enough of it. Where on earth does the time go?
To find out, OfficeTime conducted a survey of "over 600 small business owners, freelancers and professionals." The resulting infographic (see below) lists "The Top 10 Time Killers (and how to fight back!)".
Number one? You guessed it: email. Thirty-three percent of survey respondents spend 1-2 hours per day dealing with email, while 22 percent spend more than two hours. In an eight-hour day, that's a full fifth of your time devoted solely to your inbox.
Next up? You guessed it again: the Web. Fully 80 percent of those surveyed admitted to spending at least two hours per day surfing the Internet. Granted, some or all of that might have been work-related, but there's no denying the distracting siren song of Facebook, YouTube, Amazon, and other non-work destinations.
Other big time-wasters include meetings, commuting, non-work-related conversations, and watching TV (what?!).
The infographic also reveals the three different types of procrastinator and offers tips on dealing with your particular motives. And from there it explains how to combat all these time-killers—primarily by keeping close track of your time (which just happens to be OfficeTime's business—convenient!).
Eh, there's probably a bit more to it than that. For example, you can boost your productivity by blocking distracting sites. And learn to block out common tech distractions. Heck, I think you can make your mornings more productive just by steering clear of email.
What do you think? Are these time killers familiar in your office? If so, what methods have you found for dealing with them?


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Learn About the Law
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw's Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you're ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
Respondent Anne Koller was born without normal arms or legs. She filed suit in Federal District Court, alleging that during pregnancy her mother had taken an antinausea drug manufactured by petitioner and that this drug had caused respondent's birth defects. Respondent was initially represented by Miami and Washington law firms, but a Los Angeles law firm later took the lead in trial preparation. Before trial, the District Court disqualified the Los Angeles firm and revoked the appearances of two of its attorneys because of misconduct. Respondent appealed the disqualification to the Court of Appeals, which stayed all proceedings in the District Court pending the outcome of the appeal. The Court of Appeals thereafter held that 28 U.S.C. 1291 - which grants courts of appeals jurisdiction of appeals from all "final decisions of the district courts," except where a direct appeal lies to this Court - confers jurisdiction over interlocutory appeals of orders disqualifing counsel in a civil case. The Court of Appeals then held that the disqualification in question was invalid.
Orders disqualifying counsel in a civil case are not collateral orders subject to immediate appeal as "final judgments" within the meaning of 1291, and hence the Court of Appeals lacked jurisdiction to entertain respondent's appeal. Pp. 429-441.
O'CONNOR, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which BURGER, C. J., and BRENNAN, WHITE, MARSHALL, BLACKMUN, and REHNQUIST, JJ., joined. BRENNAN, J., filed a concurring opinion, post, p. 441. STEVENS, J., filed a dissenting opinion, post, p. 442. POWELL, J., took no part in the decision of the case.
Lawrence E. Walsh argued the cause for petitioner. With him on the briefs were Guy Miller Struve, Ogden N. Lewis, Whitney L. Schmidt, Vincent H. Cohen, Robert B. Cave, and Richard C. Ford.
Michael H. Gottesman argued the cause for respondents. With him on the brief were Robert M. Weinberg, Jacob A. Stein, and Robert F. Muse. *
[ Footnote * ] Jonathan D. Blake, Charles S. Sims, Burt Neuborne, and Arthur B. Spitzer filed a brief for the Washington Post et al. as amici curiae urging affirmance.
JUSTICE O'CONNOR delivered the opinion of the Court.
Last Term, in Flanagan v. United States, 465 U.S. 259 (1984), the Court unanimously held that pretrial orders disqualifying counsel in criminal cases are not subject to immediate [472 U.S. 424, 426] appeal under 28 U.S.C. 1291. In this case, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held that 1291 confers jurisdiction over interlocutory appeals of orders disqualifying counsel in a civil case. 237 U.S. App. D.C. 333, 737 F.2d 1038 (1984). Because we conclude that orders disqualifying counsel in a civil case are not collateral orders subject to immediate appeal, we reverse.
Respondent Anne Koller (hereafter respondent) was born without normal arms or legs in a District of Columbia hospital in 1979. She filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging that petitioner Richardson-Merrell, Inc., is liable for her birth defects. The complaint alleged that respondent's mother, Cynthia Koller, had taken the antinausea drug Bendectin during the early stages of her pregnancy, and that the drug had caused Anne Koller's injuries. Petitioner is the manufacturer of Bendectin.
Respondent was initially represented by Cohen & Kokus, a Miami law firm, and by local counsel in Washington. As discovery progressed into 1981, however, a Los Angeles law firm, Butler, Jefferson, Dan & Allis, took the lead in trial preparation. James G. Butler entered an appearance pro hac vice for respondent on January 26, 1981; his partner Nicholas Allis was admitted pro hac vice on October 19, 1982. As the case neared trial in early 1983, respondent's counsel of record included at least eight lawyers from the Cohen firm, the Butler firm, and two Washington firms.
On December 22, 1982, Nicholas Allis' secretary, Krystyna Janowski, twice called the offices of Davis, Polk & Wardwell, Richardson-Merrell's attorneys. Janowski left messages indicating that Koller's suit was fraudulent and that Cynthia Koller had not taken Bendectin during the crucial early weeks of her pregnancy. App. 19-20. Janowski subsequently regretted her actions, and on December 26 she told [472 U.S. 424, 427] a paralegal at her firm that investigators for Richardson-Merrell had been attempting to persuade her to sign a statement indicating that Koller's case was fraudulent.
The next day, Allis twice went to see Janowski, first at a hospital where the secretary was visiting her child, and later at the secretary's apartment. During the second visit, Allis was accompanied by a private investigator who surreptitiously taped the conversation on a concealed tape recorder. Allis presented Janowski a typed statement indicating that "[a]t no time did I ever hear Cynthia Koller or anyone else say that Cynthia Koller did not take Bendectin." Id., at 26-27. Janowski signed the statement. The following day, December 28, 1982, Allis received a copy of a letter that Davis, Polk & Wardwell had sent to the District Court. The letter recounted Janowski's telephone calls, informed the court that petitioner had engaged independent counsel for Janowski, and requested a hearing. Id., at 21-22. Allis' firm responded with its own letter to the court. The letter recounted the story Janowski had told Allis. A copy of the statement obtained from Janowski was attached. Id., at 23-25. During subsequent discovery into the matter, Janowski recanted the signed statement.
While the District Court and counsel were struggling with these unusual revelations, they were also preparing for an imminent trial. A pretrial hearing was scheduled to commence on January 31, 1983, and trial was to commence immediately upon the conclusion of the hearing. On January 17, 1983, the trial judge issued a pretrial ruling excluding collateral evidence related to two children who had birth defects like those of the respondent. The court ruled that it would not "grant plaintiffs a license to submit the birth defects of children whose only demonstrable relationship to Anne Koller is that they have suffered birth defects that are superficially similar." Id., at 60-61. On January 28, 1983, James Butler submitted to the Food and Drug Administration a set of "Drug Experience Reports" prepared by his firm. The [472 U.S. 424, 428] reports described the birth defects of a number of children whose mothers had taken Bendectin, including the two children covered by the District Court's order of January 17. In an accompanying letter, Butler urged the FDA to take Bendectin off the market. Butler sent copies of the reports and his letter to a reporter for the Washington Post.
On January 31, 1983, the District Court ruled that it would not admit any "Drug Experience Reports" that were submitted to the FDA more than one year after the birth of the children involved. Id., at 84-91. The 14 reports Butler had submitted to the FDA fell within this category. The following day, a Washington Post reporter interviewed Butler at the attorney's invitation. Id., at 341. Butler discussed the Koller case and the materials he had sent to the FDA. On February 7, 1983, after the court had already called the February jury pool from which the Koller jury panel would likely be drawn, the Washington Post published a lengthy article discussing the Koller case and the Drug Experience Reports which the trial court had excluded from evidence.
In the wake of these events, the District Court postponed the trial and allowed further discovery concerning Janowski's allegations. In February 1983, petitioner moved to disqualify Butler, Allis, and their firm from the Koller case on the ground of their alleged misconduct. After a 4-day evidentiary hearing on the issue of whether respondent's law firm had improperly obtained Janowski's statement, the District Judge issued an order requiring Butler and Allis to show cause why they and their firm should not be disqualified. The show cause order identified two "alleged incidents of misconduct" as possible grounds for disqualification: Butler's release of information to the Washington Post in an effort to "prejudice the jury" and to "bring inadmissible evidence before the jury pool," and Allis' preparing and obtaining a statement from Janowski "without regard for the truth" of the statement in an effort to protect his firm's financial interest and to thwart an investigation. Id., at 246-248. [472 U.S. 424, 429]
Butler and Allis opposed disqualification and defended their conduct in testimony at a lengthy hearing. Nevertheless, on January 6, 1984, the District Judge found that Allis had attempted "to thwart a true investigation of a crucial witness" and that Butler's release of information to the media "was calculated to prejudice the defendant's case and circumvent the Court's prior rulings." App. to Pet. for Cert. 77a-78a. Noting that respondent's other counsel of record could provide competent representation, the court revoked the pro hac vice admissions of Butler and Allis and the appearance of their law firm. Id., at 80a.
Respondent appealed the disqualification to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which stayed all proceedings in the trial court pending the outcome of the appeal. 1 App. 339. The Court of Appeals subsequently held that it had jurisdiction to entertain the appeal pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1291. On the merits, the panel held that the District Court's disqualification order was invalid and that the appearances of Allis, Butler, and their firm should be reinstated. 237 U.S. App. D.C. 333, 737 F.2d 1038 (1984). We granted certiorari to review the Court of Appeals' jurisdictional ruling as well as its decision on the merits of the disqualification. 469 U.S. 915 (1984).
Title 28 U.S.C. 1291 grants the courts of appeals jurisdiction of appeals from all "final decisions of the district courts," except where a direct appeal lies to this Court. The statutory requirement of a "final decision" means that "a party must ordinarily raise all claims of error in a single [472 U.S. 424, 430] appeal following final judgment on the merits." Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Risjord, 449 U.S. 368, 374 (1981). As the Court noted in Firestone, the final judgment rule promotes efficient judicial administration while at the same time emphasizing the deference appellate courts owe to the district judge's decisions on the many questions of law and fact that arise before judgment. Ibid.; Flanagan v. United States, 465 U.S., at 263 -264. Immediate review of every trial court ruling, while permitting more prompt correction of erroneous decisions, would impose unreasonable disruption, delay, and expense. It would also undermine the ability of district judges to supervise litigation. In 1291 Congress has expressed a preference that some erroneous trial court rulings go uncorrected until the appeal of a final judgment, rather than having litigation punctuated by "piecemeal appellate review of trial court decisions which do not terminate the litigation." United States v. Hollywood Motor Car Co., 458 U.S. 263, 265 (1982).
An order disqualifying counsel in a civil case is not a final judgment on the merits of the litigation. There has been no trial or final judgment in this case, and indeed the stay imposed by the Court of Appeals assures that there can be none pending the outcome of these interlocutory proceedings. Section 1291 accordingly provides jurisdiction for this appeal only if orders disqualifying counsel in civil cases fall within the "collateral order" exception to the final judgment rule. In Cohen v. Beneficial Industrial Loan Corp., 337 U.S. 541, 546 (1949), the Court recognized an exception to the final judgment rule for a "small class" of prejudgment orders which "finally determine claims of right separable from, and collateral to, rights asserted in the action, [and are] too important to be denied review and too independent of the cause itself to require that appellate consideration be deferred until the whole case is adjudicated."
The collateral order doctrine is a "narrow exception," Firestone, supra, at 374, whose reach is limited to trial court [472 U.S. 424, 431] orders affecting rights that will be irretrievably lost in the absence of an immediate appeal. See Helstoski v. Meanor, 442 U.S. 500, 506 -508 (1979); Abney v. United States, 431 U.S. 651, 660 -662 (1977). To fall within the exception, an order must at a minimum satisfy three conditions: It must "conclusively determine the disputed question," "resolve an important issue completely separate from the merits of the action," and "be effectively unreviewable on appeal from a final judgment." Coopers & Lybrand v. Livesay, 437 U.S. 463, 468 (1978). Our recent decisions have strictly applied this test when parties pursued immediate appeal of trial court rulings on motions to disqualify counsel.
In Firestone, supra, the Court held that a trial court order denying a motion to disqualify counsel in a civil case was not subject to immediate appeal. The Court assumed without deciding that such a ruling resolves an important issue completely separate from the merits, and thus meets the second part of the Coopers & Lybrand test. 449 U.S., at 376 . Nevertheless, the Court refused to permit an interlocutory appeal because it found an order denying disqualification to be reviewable on appeal after a final judgment. JUSTICE MARSHALL's opinion for the Court observed:
Flanagan v. United States, supra, decided one of the issues left open in Firestone. There the Court held that a district court's pretrial order granting disqualification of defense counsel in a criminal case was not immediately appealable under 1291. The unanimous opinion in Flanagan emphasized the strong interest of both the parties and society as a whole in speedy resolution of criminal cases. This important interest counsels application of the final judgment rule with "utmost strictness." 465 U.S., at 265 . The Court then applied the standards enunciated in Coopers & Lybrand and concluded that criminal disqualification orders do not qualify for immediate appeal.
Since Flanagan was decided, the Courts of Appeals have divided on the appealability of orders disqualifying counsel in a civil case. Compare Gibbs v. Paluk, 742 F.2d 181, 184 (CA5 1984) (rejecting appeal pursuant to 1291 in reliance on Flanagan), and Kahle v. Oppenheimer & Co., 748 F.2d 337 (CA6 1984) (rejecting appeal of order disqualifying counsel who was needed as witness), with Banque de Rive, S. A. v. Highland Beach Development Corp., 758 F.2d 559 (CA11 1985) (distinguishing Flanagan and accepting appeal pursuant to 1291); Interco Systems, Inc. v. Omni Corporate Services, Inc., 733 F.2d 253, 255 (CA2 1984) (same); and Panduit Corp. v. All States Plastics Manufacturing Co., 744 F.2d 1564 (CA Fed. 1984) (same). We granted certiorari to resolve the conflict.
The decision below allowing immediate appeal of the disqualification order rests primarily on two lines of reasoning. First, the Court of Appeals identifies policy considerations that suggest civil disqualification orders should fall within the [472 U.S. 424, 433] collateral order doctrine even though criminal disqualification orders do not. Second, the court attempts to distinguish Flanagan's application of the Coopers & Lybrand test.
At least four policy considerations are articulated in the course of the appellate opinion. First, the panel suggests that the societal interest in prompt adjudication of disputes is weaker in civil cases than in criminal cases, and that the "extraordinary limits on the collateral order doctrine" in the criminal context have not been carried over to civil cases. 237 U.S. App. D.C., at 345-346, 737 F.2d, at 1050-1051. The appellate court further reasons that "disruption and delay of proceedings on the merits are unhappily foreseeable byproducts of the injudicious use of disqualification motions," and that this disruption "would be exacerbated were orders disqualifying counsel not immediately appealable." Id., at 359, 737 F.2d, at 1064. Third, the panel concludes that immediate appeal should be available not only to vindicate the client's choice of counsel, but also to vindicate "the interest of the attorneys, who are parties to this appeal, in correcting what they claim is an erroneous finding of misconduct." Id., at 348-349, 737 F.2d, at 1053-1054. The panel notes that "[i]n the event that plaintiffs were satisfied with the final verdict obtained by substitute counsel, the disqualified attorneys could be left with no means whatsoever of vindicating their own important interests on appeal from a final judgment." Ibid. Finally, the Court of Appeals expresses concern that the use of motions to disqualify counsel in order to delay civil proceedings and to harass opponents has become prevalent in recent years. "To insulate from prompt review an erroneous order granting a motion to disqualify counsel," the Court of Appeals concluded, "would only raise the stakes in this dangerous game." Id., at 346, 737 F.2d, at 1051.
We do not find these policy arguments persuasive. Although delay is anathema in criminal cases, it is also undesirable [472 U.S. 424, 434] in civil disputes, as the Court of Appeals itself recognized. One purpose of the final judgment rule embodied in 1291 is to avoid the delay that inherently accompanies time-consuming interlocutory appeals. Flanagan, 465 U.S., at 264 . When an appellate court accepts jurisdiction of an order disqualifying counsel, the practical effect is to delay proceedings on the merits until the appeal is decided. As in this case, the appellate court may stay all proceedings during appellate review. Even where the appellate court fails to impose a stay, it would take an intrepid District Judge to proceed to trial with alternate counsel while her decision disqualifying an attorney is being examined in the Court of Appeals.
The delay accompanying an appeal results not only when counsel appeals "injudicious use of disqualification motions," but also when counsel appeals an entirely proper disqualification order. Most pretrial orders of district judges are ultimately affirmed by appellate courts. 15 C. Wright, A. Miller, & E. Cooper, Federal Practice and Procedure 3907, p. 433 (1976). Given an attorney's personal and financial interest in the disqualification decision, orders disqualifying counsel may be more likely to lead to an interlocutory appeal than other pretrial rulings, whether those rulings are correct or otherwise. To be sure, an order granting disqualification itself leads to delay. Alternate counsel must often be retained. Even in cases like this one where competent alternate counsel had already entered appearances and participated in the litigation, such counsel will need time to gain the knowledge of the disqualified attorneys. But where the disqualification decision of the trial court is correct, this delay is unavoidable. We do not think that the delay resulting from the occasionally erroneous disqualification outweighs the delay that would result from allowing piecemeal appeal of every order disqualifying counsel.
We also decline to view the disqualified attorney's personal desire for vindication as an independent ground for interlocutory [472 U.S. 424, 435] appeal. An attorney who is disqualified for misconduct may well have a personal interest in pursuing an immediate appeal, an interest which need not coincide with the interests of the client. As a matter of professional ethics, however, the decision to appeal should turn entirely on the client's interest. See ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct 1.7(b), 2.1 (1985). In neither Firestone nor Flanagan did the Court regard the attorney's personal interest in a disqualification ruling as relevant or dispositive. Moreover, a rule precluding appeal pursuant to 1291 would not necessarily leave the client or the disqualified attorney without a remedy. As we noted in Firestone, "a party may seek to have the question certified for interlocutory appellate review pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1292(b), . . . and, in the exceptional circumstances for which it was designed, a writ of mandamus from the court of appeals might be available." 449 U.S., at 378 -379, n. 13. Alternatively, if the client obtains an unsatisfactory judgment with substitute counsel, the disqualification ruling may be challenged on appeal of a final judgment. Even when the client is satisfied with the judgment obtained by substitute counsel, an attorney whose reputation has been egregiously injured by the trial court's disqualification decision might be able to obtain relief from the Circuit Judicial Council pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 332(d) (1). 2 [472 U.S. 424, 436]
Finally, we share the Court of Appeals' concern about "tactical use of disqualification motions" to harass opposing counsel. Nevertheless, we do not believe that this "dangerous game" constitutes an independent justification for immediate appeal of an order disqualifying an attorney. Implicit in 1291 is Congress' judgment that the district judge has primary responsibility to police the prejudgment tactics of litigants, and that the district judge can better exercise that responsibility if the appellate courts do not repeatedly intervene to second-guess prejudgment rulings. Cf. Cohen v. Beneficial Loan Corp., 337 U.S., at 546 ("Appeal gives the upper court a power of review, not one of intervention"). Like any referee, the district judge will occasionally make mistakes. A mistaken ruling disqualifying counsel imposes financial hardship on both the disqualified lawyer and the client. But the possibility that a ruling may be erroneous and may impose additional litigation expense is not sufficient to set aside the finality requirement imposed by Congress. Coopers & Lybrand, 437 U.S., at 476 , and n. 28; Will v. United States, 389 U.S., 90, 98, n. 6 (1967). "If the expense of litigation were a sufficient reason for granting an exception to the final judgment rule, the exception might well swallow the rule." Lusardi v. Xerox Corp., 747 F.2d 174, 178 (CA3 1984). The Coopers & Lybrand test looks not to the litigation expense imposed by a possibly erroneous ruling, but rather to whether the right affected by the ruling can and should be protected by appeal prior to judgment. To that inquiry we now turn.
In Flanagan, the Court held that orders disqualifying counsel in criminal cases cannot satisfy either the second or the third parts of the Coopers & Lybrand test: If a showing of prejudice is a prerequisite to reversal, then the ruling is not "completely separate" from the merits because it cannot be assessed until a final judgment has been entered; on the [472 U.S. 424, 437] other hand, if a showing of prejudice is not required, then the ruling can be effectively reviewed on appeal of the final judgment. 465 U.S., at 267 -269. Apart from its policy discussion, the Court of Appeals held that Flanagan's analysis is inapplicable in the civil context.
First, the appellate panel asserted that a showing of prejudice would be required in civil cases: "Only an erroneous disqualification combined with prejudice at trial could conceivably result in outright reversal of a civil judgment." 237 U.S. App. D.C., at 347, 737 F.2d, at 1052. Nevertheless, the panel concluded that the ruling is both incapable of review on appeal of a final judgment and completely separate from the merits. The panel concluded that a disqualification order is unreviewable on appeal of a final judgment because:
We find these efforts to distinguish Flanagan unavailing. To a large extent, the Court of Appeals' analysis rests on a conundrum of its own making. This Court has never held that prejudice is a prerequisite to reversal of a judgment following erroneous disqualification of counsel in either criminal or civil cases. As in Flanagan, we need not today decide this question. But we note that the difficulties in proving prejudice identified by the Court of Appeals go more to the issue of the showing required to reverse a final judgment than to whether a disqualification order should be subject to immediate appeal.
The Court of Appeals relies on a requirement of prejudice to overcome the third Coopers & Lybrand requirement that the ruling "be effectively unreviewable on appeal from a final judgment." 437 U.S., at 468 . Yet by reversing the decision of the District Court on the interlocutory appeal, the Court of Appeals implicitly held that a showing of prejudice is not required on interlocutory appeal. We are unpersuaded by this analysis. As in Flanagan, we conclude that, if establishing a violation of one's right to counsel of choice in civil cases requires no showing of prejudice, then "a pretrial order violating the right does not meet the third condition for coverage by the collateral-order exception: it is not `effectively unreviewable on appeal from a final judgment.'" 465 U.S., at 268 . Absent a requirement of prejudice, the propriety of the trial court's disqualification order can be reviewed as effectively on appeal of a final judgment as on an interlocutory appeal.
We must likewise reject the Court of Appeals' suggestion that civil orders disqualifying counsel satisfy the second condition of the collateral order exception. To do so it is enough to rely on Flanagan. If the nature of the right to representation by counsel of one's choice is that "[it] is not violated absent some specifically demonstrated prejudice," ibid., then [472 U.S. 424, 439] a disqualification order, though "final," is not independent of the issues to be tried. Only after assessing the effect of the ruling on the final judgment could an appellate court decide whether the client's rights had been prejudiced. If respondent were to proceed to trial and there receive as effective or better assistance from substitute counsel than the disqualified attorney could provide, any subsequent appeal of the disqualification ruling would fail. For the same reasons as in Flanagan, the disqualification ruling would be inextricably tied up in the merits.
Even apart from Flanagan's analysis, we would conclude that orders disqualifying counsel in civil cases are not "completely separate from the merits of the action." Coopers & Lybrand, 437 U.S., at 468 . The Court of Appeals asserts that, in this particular case, the extensive record "presents an entirely adequate basis for determining whether the district court's order was proper." 237 U.S. App. D.C., at 348, 737 F.2d, at 1053. This Court, however, has expressly rejected efforts to reduce the finality requirement of 1291 to a case-by-case determination of whether a particular ruling should be subject to appeal. Coopers & Lybrand, supra, at 473-475. Even if some orders disqualifying counsel are separable from the merits of the litigation, many are not. Orders disqualifying attorneys on the ground that they should testify at trial, for example, are inextricable from the merits because they involve an assessment of the likely course of the trial and the effect of the attorney's testimony on the judgment. Kahle v. Oppenheimer & Co., 748 F.2d, at 339. Appellate review of orders disqualifying counsel for misconduct may be entwined with the merits of the litigation as well. If reversal hinges on whether the alleged misconduct is "likely to infect future proceedings," 237 U.S. App. D.C., at 351, 737 F.2d, at 1056, courts of appeals will often have to review the nature and content of those proceedings to determine whether the standard is met. In this case, for example, the Court of Appeals opinion exhaustively discusses [472 U.S. 424, 440] respondent's claim on the merits, the relevance of the alleged instances of misconduct to the attorney's zealous pursuit of that claim, the pretrial proceedings in the trial court, and the danger that it will be difficult for the trial judge "to act with complete impartiality in future proceedings." Id., at 359, 737 F.2d, at 1064. In light of these factors, we conclude that orders disqualifying counsel in civil cases, as a class, are not sufficiently separable from the merits to qualify for interlocutory appeal.
We acknowledge that an order disqualifying counsel may impose significant hardship on litigants. Particularly where the grounds for disqualification are troubling, this hardship may tempt courts of appeals to assert jurisdiction pursuant to 1291. But in the words of Judge Adams:
We hold that orders disqualifying counsel in civil cases, like orders disqualifying counsel in criminal cases and orders denying a motion to disqualify in civil cases, are not collateral orders subject to appeal as "final judgments" within the meaning of 28 U.S.C. 1291. The Court of Appeals lacked [472 U.S. 424, 441] jurisdiction to entertain respondent's appeal and should not have reached the merits. Firestone, 449 U.S., at 379 . We accordingly do not address the additional issues on which we granted certiorari, and we do not intimate any view on the merits of the District Court's disqualification decision.
The judgment of the Court of Appeals is vacated, and the case is remanded with instructions to dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction.
[ Footnote 2 ] Although it is well established that Judicial Councils do not exist to review claims that a particular trial judge's rulings were erroneous, In re Charge of Judicial Misconduct, 613 F.2d 768 (CA9 1980), they do exist "to provide an administrative remedy for misconduct of a judge for which no judicial remedy is available." In re Charge of Judicial Misconduct, 595 F.2d 517 (CA9 1979). Cf. In re Complaint of A. H. Robins Co., JCP 84-001 (CA8 Judicial Council, Dec. 26, 1984) (noting that Judicial Council conducted hearings, received briefs, and heard oral arguments on complaint that Federal District Judge improperly accused counsel of misconduct, and then dismissed complaint as moot only because a Circuit panel found separate grounds to permit an appeal in Gardiner v. A. H. Robins Co., 747 F.2d 1180 (CA8 1984)).
JUSTICE BRENNAN, concurring.
A fundamental premise of the adversary system is that individuals have the right to retain the attorney of their choice to represent their interests in judicial proceedings. To be sure, that right is qualified. A court need not, for example, permit an individual to retain anyone at all, regardless of qualifications, to represent him in open court. Nor must a court continue to permit an individual to be represented by an attorney who by his misconduct in open court has threatened the integrity of the proceedings. Nonetheless, if an attorney is adequately qualified and has not otherwise acted so as to justify disqualification, the client need not obtain the permission of the court or of his adversary to retain the attorney of his choice.
I share the view of the Court and the Court of Appeals below that the tactical use of attorney-misconduct disqualification motions is a deeply disturbing phenomenon in modern civil litigation. When a trial court mistakenly disqualifies a party's counsel as the result of an abusive disqualification motion, the court in essence permits the party's opponent to dictate his choice of counsel. As the court below recognized, this result is in serious tension with the premises of our adversary system, see 237 U.S. App. D.C. 333, 352, 737 F.2d 1038, 1057 (1984), and some remedy must therefore be available [472 U.S. 424, 442] to correct the error. The question before the Court today is whether that remedy is an automatic interlocutory appeal or whether instead the remedy is simply a stringent review of the disqualification decision on review of the final judgment in the case.
The Court holds that the plaintiff in this case must undergo the burdens of trial without the counsel of her choice before being permitted to obtain appellate review of what may well be an erroneous disqualification. As the Court points out, this result is in accord with our recent decisions in Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Risjord, 449 U.S. 368 (1981), and Flanagan v. United States, 465 U.S. 259 (1984). Today's case, however, is somewhat different from both of those cases. Respondent's attempt to vindicate her right to the attorney of her choice is substantially more compelling than the claim in Firestone of a "right" not to have one's opponent represented by counsel who has misbehaved. And permitting an interlocutory appeal here would not implicate the strong public interest in speedy disposition of criminal trials that influenced the decision in Flanagan. Nonetheless, a litigant's right to retain an attorney of choice can be protected on review of final judgment if appellate courts are willing when necessary to set aside verdicts - even when they result from lengthy civil proceedings. Moreover, today's result could well give pause to a party considering an abusive disqualification motion, for an improper grant of such a motion could jeopardize an ultimate jury verdict in his favor. On the understanding that the courts of appeals will develop standards for reviewing final judgments that will effectively protect each litigant's right to retain the attorney of choice, I join the Court's opinion.
JUSTICE STEVENS, dissenting.
Everyone must agree that the litigant's freedom to choose his own lawyer in a civil case is a fundamental right. The difficult question presented by this case is whether the denial [472 U.S. 424, 443] of that right by a district court's disqualification order can effectively be reviewed following a judgment on the merits. 1
In my opinion, Flanagan v. United States, 465 U.S. 259 (1984), does not control the decision in this case. The strong public interest in the prompt disposition of criminal charges - an interest shared by both the prosecutor and the defendant - is not present to the same extent in the civil context where the defendant's interest in delay may motivate a motion to disqualify in a borderline case. 2 Moreover, in a criminal case an erroneous order disqualifying the lawyer chosen by the defendant should result in a virtually automatic reversal; review after trial on the merits is therefore "effective" to protect the right.
In the civil context, I do not believe a pretrial disqualification order would similarly be effectively reviewable after the entry of a final judgment. Prejudice to a litigant's right to go to trial with the advocate of his choice is suffered the moment a disqualification order is granted. Nevertheless, after a trial with substitute counsel has been held, I would be most reluctant to subscribe to a rule requiring reversal without a showing of some impact on the outcome. Yet I believe it would be virtually impossible to demonstrate that an outcome has been affected by the change of counsel as opposed to the other myriad variables present in civil litigation. Both prejudice to the litigant's freedom of choice and the substantive basis of attorney disqualifications based on pretrial actions are "completely separate" 3 from the underlying merits. I am therefore persuaded that a disqualification [472 U.S. 424, 444] order fits squarely within the classic formulation of an appealable collateral order:
On the merits of the disqualification of respondent Koller's counsel here, I agree with the Court of Appeals' explanation of why the District Court's decision was erroneous as a matter of law. See 237 U.S. App. D.C. 333, 349-359, 737 F.2d 1038, 1054-1064 (1984). Accordingly, I would affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals.
[ Footnote 1 ] See Coopers & Lybrand v. Livesay, 437 U.S. 463, 468 (1978) (matters "effectively reviewable" after final judgment not subject to interlocutory appeal).
[ Footnote 2 ] See 237 U.S. App. D.C. 333, 346, 737 F.2d 1038, 1051 (1984) (while "tactical use of motions to disqualify counsel" recently have become prevalent in civil cases, "[w]e are aware of no comparable phenomenon in criminal cases").
[ Footnote 3 ] Coopers & Lybrand, supra, at 468. [472 U.S. 424, 445]
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Later this week the Federal Trade Commission and several State Attorneys General will announce a major sweep of fraudulent "credit repair" firms. Consumer protection professionals all over the country say they are seeing an aggressive resurgence of the credit repair scheme right now because so many Americans are having credit problems in this tricky economy. Don't fall for it.
It's ironic. People who are too strapped to pay their bills somehow scrape together enough money to pay a credit repair company. Credit repair companies claim they can erase negative entries on your credit report –even if those entries are true. Sorry, nobody can do that for you. Now, if there are mistakes in your credit file, you can correct those yourself. But companies that claim they can purge accurate information from your file are operating illegally –and if you hire one, you could be breaking the law too.
Tiffany D. heard an advertisement for credit repair on the radio. Her credit was a mess, so she was intrigued. When she called, the company told her it could almost instantly "clean up" her credit record. So Tiffany made a 450-dollar down payment for the company's help. A couple months later, she still couldn't get a loan to save her life. She got suspicious, put a hold on her bank account so the company wouldn't take out any more payments –and called me.
I sent a producer into the company undercover. He signed up to get his credit repaired. A few days later, the company sent him three sealed envelopes that he was supposed to forward to the major credit bureaus. Of course, we opened them first. The company had written dispute letters claiming our producer had never made a late payment –even though he had. The company wrote all sorts of other lies and then forged our producer's name at the bottom!
Credit repair companies use a couple different strategies. The first is known as "bombardment." They flood the credit bureaus with paperwork disputing every single item in your credit report. They try to take advantage of a law that says credit bureaus must drop an entry if it can't be verified within thirty days. Trouble is, that same law allows creditors to put an item back in your credit file, once it is verified. So even if a credit repair company succeeds in creating chaos at the credit bureau, it won't last for long.
Another strategy is called "file segregation." Some credit repair companies counsel their clients to apply for an employee identification number. It has the same number of digits as a social security number. Credit repair firms claim you can create a new financial identity by using this number instead of your old social. If you try it, you'll be breaking not one, not two, but three federal laws. It's illegal to apply for an employee I.D. number under false pretenses, to misrepresent your social security number and to make false statements on a credit application.
Of course, many credit repair companies don't bother with all these fancy strategies. Their method is much simpler. They just take your money –and disappear.
The Federal Trade Commission says it has never seen a legitimate credit repair company. But just in case, the FTC has crafted a series of rules they must obey. Credit repair companies are not allowed to take money up front before they do any work. They're not supposed to make false claims about their services. They must tell you that you have three days to cancel and then honor that waiting period. And they have to give you a written contract that includes the price, the precise services they are offering you, how long it will take to get results, any guarantees and the company's official name and business address.
Scam credit repair companies should not be confused with legitimate credit re-scoring companies, which I will be profiling on Good Morning America this week. Re-scoring is available only through your mortgage lender. And here's the difference: Credit Re-scoring involves rapidly correcting mistakes in your credit record to raise your score. Re-scoring professionals will not try to change negative credit entries that are true.
Know the signs:
1. Credit repair companies advertise directly to consumers on the radio, the internet and on telephone poles!
2. They claim they can quickly fix your credit situation, no matter how atrocious it really is. These grandiose claims are one of the signs to watch out for.
3. If a company asks you to pay for credit repair services up front, that's a bad omen, indeed, because it's illegal.
4. Credit repair companies often discourage you from contacting the credit bureaus directly.
5. If somebody suggests that you apply for an employer identification number and use that instead of your social security number when you apply for credit, that's a telltale sign of fraud.
6. Credit repair scammers may advise you to dispute all the information in your credit report, even entries you know are true.
Do your homework:
1. If, after reading this column, you still somehow believe a credit repair company could be legit, then for goodness sake, check out the company with the Better Business Bureau and your county and state consumer protection offices. Also type the name into an internet search engine and see what comes up.
2. Consider disputing errors in your credit history yourself –for free! Start by ordering your free credit reports from www.annualcreditreport.com.
How to complain:
Since credit repair companies operate illegally, contact your state attorney general if you have been victimized. Also file a complaint with the BBB to help other consumers.


text:
Fox couldn't keep a high-tech security team from "Breaking In" to its broadcast schedule.
The comedy, which stars Christian Slater, Bret Harrison, Alphonso McAuley and Odette Annable, was cancelled in May. Now Fox has renewed the show for a 13-episode second season beginning in 2012, Fox announced Thursday.
That should make the show's small but loud fan base happy.
"'Breaking In' is a creatively vibrant and wildly adventurous comedy," Fox president of entertainment Kevin Reilly said. "We are looking forward to bringing it back for a second season and continuing our relationship with this incredibly talented cast and these fantastic creators: Adam Goldberg and Seth Gordon. We can't wait to see where they take these characters next year."
The workplace comedy follows Slater's slick security firm boss, Oz, and the team of oddball recruits who often break in to client's property to test their existing security. They also play riotous tricks on each other.
Annable will pull double duty for Fox: She will star in the network's series "House" beginning this fall.


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Blog Archive
- ► 2011 (122)
- ► 2010 (52)
- Crafty Gift Saturday: Tee Time!!
- TGI Fancy Card Friday!
- Thursday's Layout - Home for the Holidays
- Winter Magic Kit - NEW!
- It's Wednesday's Gift Packaging!
- Home Decor Tuesday!
- Christmas with the Cricut Guest Designer Week Begi...
- Back in Stock - Wild About You Kits!!!
- Christmas Vinyl Decor Class
- Blog Candy Winners Announced!!!
- ▼ November (10)
One more quick note: Don't miss my blog post directly below this one as I am introducing my brand new Cricut kit "Winter Magic" which uses the Winter Woodland cartridge.
Alrighty, let's get down to business, shall we? I went all out on this layout - maybe even a little overboard. But that's what happens when I get my hands on gorgeous paper. I can't help it!! This paper is by My Mind's Eye from their Wonderful Winter stack. It's glittery and just makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. I pieced together the background strips that go through the middle of the pages, and used lots of dark brown chalk ink all over the place. I also used the Stampin' Up! scallop border punch for the red strips. Btw, if you're going to try out this layout, there are many things you could easily simplify and still get the basic look and feel. You can ignore my ridiculous need to add too much detail.
So I used both Winter Woodland and Everyday Paper Dolls on this layout, and I'll tell you the sizes that I used for the cuts. Here we go. From Winter Woodland: The Building is 9 1/4", Trees are 3 3/4" and 4 1/4", "HOME" title is 2", "for the HOLIDAYS" title is 1 1/2", Bird is 1 1/4", Branch1 on left page is 2 1/2", Branch2 on right page is 1 3/4", Poinsettias are 1 3/4", Snowman is 3 1/2", Squirrel is 1 1/2" flipped. Obscenely tiny holly leaves to make wreath are 1/2". Snowflakes are 1 1/4", 1 1/2" and 1 3/4".
From Everyday Paper Dolls: Airplane is 2", Car is 3 1/2", Suitcases are cut at 3 1/2" and 3", Dog is 1 1/4". This cartridge doesn't actually offer layers for the airplane and car - no shadow, no nothing. So what I did is cut the airplane out in several different colors, and cut away the different parts that I wanted in different colors and layered them on top of the light blue base. I also cut the plane in red and off-set that underneath to make it look like a shadow. I used this same basic process for the car, but without the shadow.
A few little details: I Cuttlebugged the house with the Tiny Mosaics folder and then lightly inked the texture. The cardstock I used for the base of the house, which is the yellow that shows in the windows is by Core'dinations, and I sanded it down a bit to make more of the yellow show through the whitewash for a soft, glowy look. To create the wreath on the door (I can't believe there's no wreath in the WW cart!), I cut super tiny holly leaves in green and ice blue, inked them and glued them onto a letter "o" (you may need tweezers and a microscope if you want to try this). Then the tiny bow was cut off of the baby's bonnet on the Everyday Paper Dolls cart. Also, I used lots of chipboard and pop-dots here and there because I'm obsessed with dimension. My scrapbook may not close with this layout inside, LOL! The ribbon I used is from Stampin' Up, and I also added lots of Diamond Stickles and white dots. Bling, bling!
I sure hope you're enjoying my projects this week. I've really had fun reading over your sweet comments! Thanks for letting me share my work with you!! Be sure to check back tomorrow as I've got a very special card for Fancy Card Friday. My mom is already trying to get me to sell it to her. Yeah, right - nice try, Mom! ;) Happy Holidays!!
45 comments:
- Shirley said...
Beautiful...you put in so much detail. I love the paper colors.
- November 26, 2009 at 1:34 AM
- Sherri said...
Beautiful layout!
- November 26, 2009 at 3:10 AM
- Maria said...
I just looooove all your details! It´s beautiful!
- November 26, 2009 at 3:31 AM
- Monique said...
Wow, this is really gorgious !! I love everything about it. So many lovely details !!!
Hugs Monique
- November 26, 2009 at 3:55 AM
- Dawn McCarty said...
very nice I love it
- November 26, 2009 at 4:51 AM
- Candie said...
Just Beautiful!!
- November 26, 2009 at 5:12 AM
- Candie said...
- November 26, 2009 at 5:16 AM
- Mom2Fiveplus3 said...
Absolutely gorgeous. Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for all the time you put into your fantastic layouts.
- November 26, 2009 at 5:31 AM
- Brens Designs said...
What an adorable layout! Love it!!!
- November 26, 2009 at 5:55 AM
- Steph Ackerman said...
THis is absolutely stunning. Overboard indeed, but gorgeous.
- November 26, 2009 at 6:12 AM
- Becky Moore said...
What a fabulous layout! I love all the intricate details even though my own skill level would require the simplified version! LOL Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
- November 26, 2009 at 6:19 AM
- Deena said...
Happy Thanksgiving!! You really did an amazing job on your layouts!
- November 26, 2009 at 6:24 AM
- ~BridgetL~ said...
What a beautiful layout.
Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving :)
- November 26, 2009 at 6:30 AM
- dee said...
Your Home for the Holidays layout is outstanding!!! I can't believe all the details you put in. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!
- November 26, 2009 at 6:58 AM
- Anonymous said...
It is adorable...I love everything about it! (I must get the ww cart.) Thank you for sharing your talent w us! Happy Thanksgiving!
- November 26, 2009 at 7:03 AM
- Susan said...
Absolutely beautiful! Such detailed work. Love your additional layout! I'm THANKFUL I found your blog!
- November 26, 2009 at 7:21 AM
- mekei said...
this is absolutely gorgeous.
- November 26, 2009 at 7:36 AM
- Amanda said...
Your designs are absolutely beautiful! I added your blog to favs list. I can't wait to see what else you come up with. I would love to see a tutorial of how you decorate your letters on "Home for the Holidays"!!
- November 26, 2009 at 7:59 AM
- Crooked Scrapper said...
Another marvelious layout. I love the color combo.
- November 26, 2009 at 8:16 AM
- Billie A said...
This layout is so cute and detailed love it. Wonderful work and use of colors and view. Thanks for showing.
- November 26, 2009 at 8:57 AM
- Marlene W said...
Beautiful....Love all your detail, especially the squirrel. thanks for sharing
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving
- November 26, 2009 at 9:23 AM
- Luria said...
Oh WOW.. I love this very pretty you are a very talented lady. Thanks for sharing this. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
- November 26, 2009 at 10:02 AM
- penny said...
I literally gasped when i saw these layouts, they're absolutely amazing, what kind of white marker do you use, I have the hardest time finding one that doesn't "disappear" after it's dried for a while, especially on really dark cardstock, I'd really appreciate it, if you could tell me where you find these markers and what the name is, thanks in advance.
- November 26, 2009 at 10:15 AM
- Monique Griffith said...
Penny, I use a Signo Uniball white gel pen, and it is the BEST in the universe hands down!
Thanks for all the kind words, everyone!!
- November 26, 2009 at 11:15 AM
- Kris in AK said...
In a word.... AWESOME! I am not a scrapbooker... I make cards... but this layout may just change my mind on that! So glad you are the guest designer this week!
Kris in AK
funamom at yahoo dot com
- November 26, 2009 at 11:27 AM
- Emily S said...
Wow what a GORGEOUS layout!! Great job and have a GREAT Thanksgiving!
- November 26, 2009 at 11:52 AM
- windchase said...
This is a gorgeous layout! You amaze me with how intricate & detailed it is.
- November 26, 2009 at 12:39 PM
- icraft2create.com said...
Ok, it's gorgeous! I am so glad to have found your blog, I get to see such great stuff that is really inspiring! Thanks!
- November 26, 2009 at 2:53 PM
- Mariangeli said...
What a amaizing loyout!!!!! I love it!!!!
- November 26, 2009 at 4:01 PM
- Sharon said...
WOW! Did I say WOW?! This is just awesome!! I just LOVE all the details! My own scrapbooking is so simple but I'm gonna have to try some of this! OMG! This is just beautiful! Oh, and did I say WOW!!!
- November 26, 2009 at 5:29 PM
- jd said...
You always hit it out of the park. I don't think I ever see something you have created that isn't fabulous! Thanks and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
- November 26, 2009 at 5:29 PM
- Chai Dackermann said...
So cute, I want this cart. Imay have to go buy it this weekend.
- November 26, 2009 at 5:59 PM
- Wendy aka Bling Queen said...
OMG- I love this layout. It is over the top amazing.
- November 26, 2009 at 7:15 PM
- dianne said...
Wow, My granddaughter said amazing, and she loves your skill(Cheyenne is 10, and an avid scrapbooker). I will have to scraplift some of your ideas. Thanks for sharing.
- November 26, 2009 at 7:31 PM
- TxLonestarAngel said...
You have such wonderful talent love your work!
- November 27, 2009 at 5:31 PM
- Anonymous said...
This is AMAZING!!! Your really outdid yourself, beautiful job!!!
- November 27, 2009 at 5:40 PM
- Anonymous said...
WOW, this is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!
- November 27, 2009 at 5:43 PM
- Christine said...
Your layout is stunning. Your obsession with detail and dimension is a good thing!!!
- November 27, 2009 at 8:26 PM
- Live Love and Scrap said...
Okay, so my jaw just HIT THE FLOOR!!! This one is gorgeous....GORGEOUS!!!
- November 28, 2009 at 9:03 AM
- Ladybug said...
Simply beautiful LO, Monique. I'm going to miss seeing you at CWTC, but at least I'm a follower of your blog, so can check back lots! ;-)
- November 28, 2009 at 4:42 PM
- Unknown said...
Absolutely AMAZING!!!!!! Love every single detail!
- November 29, 2009 at 11:04 AM
- Jen said...
You might call it a "ridiculous need to over embellish" (I think that's what you said...) but I call it FAB! Another wonderful layout! Thank you so much for sharing.
- December 6, 2009 at 8:26 AM
- scrappingnana said...
Wow, this is gorgeous and so much detail. Thanks so much for sharing all the tips & techniques.
- November 26, 2011 at 8:10 AM
- Anonymous said...
Love this layout!!!!
- January 20, 2012 at 7:59 PM
- Nancy E said...
Such a wonderful Layout, thanks for Sharing. Have a great Summer
- July 31, 2012 at 8:15 PM
About Me
- Monique Griffith
- Rocklin, CA, United States
- The Monique Griffith Design Team consists of 4 Cricut Designers: Monique, Wendy Lawrence, Susan Rees and Becca Rees. We specialize in making Cricut Project Kits that you can make on your own with your Cricut, learning more about your bug in the process. You just need your Cricut Expression, the required cartridge(s), and a few basic tools. The directions come with a Cricut Cut Chart that shows you line by line exactly what you'll need to cut on your machine, with all of the settings for each cut. There are also well-organized written instructions and color photographs. We pride ourselves on our detailed designs, and on teaching others how to most effectively design with the Cricut. Currently, we have have downloadable directions on sale for only $5, and there are over 50 projects to choose from.


text: An ongoing challenge for funding organizations is tracking the outputs and outcomes of research they have funded. Understanding the impact of funding is a vital input into funding strategy, programme design, and mission alignment. ORCID provides the foundation to address this challenge, by providing a registry of persistent unique identifiers for researchers and methods for linking to digital research objects. Funders can integrate ORCID identifiers into their research workflows, such as grant application processes and grant progress reporting protocols. Combined with efforts by research organizations and publishers, embedding ORCID identifiers in critical funding workflows will make it possible to link a researcher's contributions across their career. Greater precision and transparency of funded research and associated outputs can improve information on global research and development resource flows, vital for funding agency gap analysis and strategy.


text:
Jim Carrey has the hots for Emma Stone and he doesn't care who knows it. He uploaded an ever-so-slightly strange video to his website on Wednesday, wherein he said the following: "Emma, I think you're all the way beautiful. Not just pretty, but smart and kind-hearted. And if I were a lot younger, I would marry you," Carrey tells her. "We would have chubby little freckle-faced kids, we'd laugh all day long, go camping and play Yahtzee. Tell ghost stories by the fire. And every day, for the rest of your life, you would thank God that I was the appropriate age for you." No word on any restraining orders just yet. [US, Official Site]
Jason Bateman and his wife Amanda are expecting their second child, according to Amanda's father Paul Anka. He says, "I'm going to be a grandfather again!" Congrats all around. [Just Jared]
TMZ got their hands on a business plan for a new film called Growing Defiant, which is being sent by Dina Lohan to prospective financiers. The movie is "a hard look at the social pressures that can lead a kid in the wrong direction," and there's reportedly an asterisk at the bottom that says, "The cast listed above is a suggested cast list only. Michael Lohan is the only cast member who has been signed." He's signed to play the lead role, coincidentally, which is that of a heroin addict. Family fun for all! [TMZ]
Simon Cowell would like to be cryogenically frozen when he dies, telling GQ, "If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. If it does work, I'll be happy. If it's possible, and I think it will be, why not have a second crack? Does that sound crazy? I think it's a good idea. I have a feeling that if I don't do it now," he says of the procedure, "I could regret this in 300 years' time." [GQ]
"Hacker students" have discovered that Dakota Fanning will be attending New York University this fall. But really, the people at NYU Local discovered a loophole that would allow them to search through the school's new email system and saw her name in the directory. [NY Daily News]
Bachelorette reject/wine seller Ben Flajnik will reportedly be the ABC's next Bachelor. (We thought he was seeing Jennifer Love Hewitt?) Clearly, the nation demands more mental kisses. [US]
Larry David reportedly found love on the set of Curb Your Enthusiasm. He's rumored to be dating actress Amy Landecker, who starred in last week's episode as the bisexual woman whose attention both Larry and Rosie O'Donnell were vying for. Since her episode was filmed over six months ago, the pair have been spotted out together in both New York and LA. Somehow this one makes much more sense than the rumor that he was dating Eva Mendes. [Page Six]
- Multiple members of crew from HawthoRNe, the TNT drama Jada Pinkett Smith stars on, tell TMZ that she and Will have not broken up. [TMZ]
- Alec Baldwin, 53, has sold his fancy-pants Central Park West apartment to move in with his girlfriend, 27-year-old yoga instructor Hilaria Thomas, downtown. [Page Six]
- Hustler insist they have a sex tape of Rihanna and rapper J-Cole. Leave RiRi alone! Related, Rihanna eats ice cream in Portofino, Italy. So gelato, then? [Radar, Just Jared]
- Click through to see Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire riding around in vintage cars on the set of The Great Gatsby. [Just Jared]
- Sarah Michelle Gellar is looking radiant on the cover of Entertainment Weekly this week. [ONTD]
- Speaking of 90s television actors, two of our (many) favorites from Boy Meets World has snagged roles in fall TV. Ben Savage will head to Bones, and Anthony Tyler Quinn (aka the motorcycle-riding, sexy Mr. Turner) will appear on an episode of Pretty Little Liars. [ONTD]
- A body found in the Mississippi River yesterday belongs to Michael Showers, of HBO's Tremé. The actor reportedly went out for a drink and never returned home. [WDSU]
- Sara Gilbert and Allison Alder, her partner of 10 years, have broken up "amicably." The two share custody of two children son Levi, 6½, anddaughter Sawyer, 4. [People]
- Jared Leto says he's unsure about the future of his band 30 Seconds To Mars. He questions their creative direction, and wonders if he's up for making another album: It took two years to make This Is War. Touring it has been another two years. Do I have that in me again?" [Perez]
- After marrying her new husband, Tara Reid went straight to living in the Celebrity Big Brother house. On the show, she has reveals that she has a few questions about her marriage: "I get nervous, I guess. Because when we're together I'm like, 'Where are we living, what are we doing?' It's kind of scary." [Contact Music]
- ABC will give Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice) a third show on the network called Gilded Lillys. The period drama is set in 1895 and revolves around the "first true luxury hotel in New York City." [Inside TV]
- First Britney, now Katy Perry — are Cheetos the official snack of the stars? And more importantly, how can they stand the orange crap all over their fingers? [ONTD]
- Whoopi Goldberg has finally adopted the adorable kitten featured on The View that had been thrown out of a car window. She has named him "Vinny." Congrats to the happy couple! [Contact Music]
- Heather Graham will star opposite Rob Corddry in Fox pilot Little In Common. The project failed to be picked up in May, but with a brand-new cast, will likely show up in the network's midseason schedule. [THR]
- Brothers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg just bought the rights to the restaurant name "Wahlburger." Get ready for a new burger joint in Boston that will always say "Hi to your mother for me." [Pop Sugar]
- Carrie Fisher has lost 50 pounds in less than nine months because she really wanted to fit into that gold bikini one again. She told the Today Show, "I want to get back in that metal bikini and just walk around the house like an idiot! Answer the doorbell and say, 'Oh, what? This old thing? I'm just wearing my home-style metal bikini'. I'll come out with a line of metal bikinis for women over 40! It's for dignity. If you want dignity you wear a metal bikini over 40. That's all I'm saying!" [Digital Spy]
- Lily Allen says her pregnancy makes her "feel like a penguin, not the chocolate covered biscuity kind, but an actual penguin that waddles. Now can't stop thinking about chocolatey penguins doh!" Is there such a thing in Britian? She continues, "I can't see my toes and I'm not bendy anymore." [Digital Spy]


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Every fall, tens of thousands of law students compete for a small number of coveted summer associateships at the country's top law firms. The stakes are high: getting one of these rare internships virtually guarantees full-time employment after law school. The salaries are unbeatable, six-figure sums that catapult young students to the top 5% of household incomes nationally and are often quadruple of those offered in other sectors of legal practice. These jobs also open doors to even more lucrative employment in the private sector as well as prestigious judiciary and government roles. For these reasons, employment in top law firms has been called the legal profession's 1%.
Now imagine four applicants, all of whom attend the same, selective second-tier law school. They all have phenomenal grade point averages, are on law review, and have identical, highly relevant work experiences. The only differences are whether they are male or female and if their extracurricular activities suggest they come from a higher-class or lower-class background. Who gets invited to interview?
We set out to answer this question in a series of studies reported in the December 2016 issue of American Sociological Review. Based on prior research showing that hiring in top professional services firms is highly skewed toward applicants from wealthy families, we expected that an applicant's social class background would play a decisive role in determining interview invitations. And indeed, we found that, in contrast to our national lore that it is individual effort and ability—not family lineage—that matters for getting good jobs, elite employers discriminate strongly based on social class, favoring applicants from higher-class backgrounds. But our research uncovered a surprising — and disturbing — twist: coming from an advantaged social background helps only men.
We uncovered this through a field experiment with the country's largest law firms. Specifically, we used a technique — known as the resume audit method — that is widely seen as the gold standard for measuring employment discrimination. This method involves randomly assigning different items to the resumes and sending applications to real employers to see how they affect the probability of being called back for a job interview. All in all, we sent fictitious resumes to 316 offices of 147 top law firms in 14 cities, from candidates who were supposedly trying to land a summer internship position. All applicants were in the top 1% of their class and were on law review, but came from second-tier law schools. This was important because graduates from the most elite law schools (e.g., Harvard and Yale) are typically recruited on-campus. But law school students from second-tier schools must compete for coveted internship positions by sending in their resumes directly to firms in hopes of attracting employers' attention by virtue of their C.V.s.
We signaled gender by varying the applicant's first name (James or Julia). Directly indicating a parent's occupation or income on a resume might be strange for an employer to see, so we signaled social class position via accepted and often required portions of resumes: awards and extracurricular activities. Reflecting the fact that social class is a complex characteristic that cannot be boiled down to income, education, or lifestyle alone, we used a constellation of resume items to signal social class.
For example, to capture the economic component of class, our lower-class applicants received an award for student-athletes on financial aid. To incorporate its educational competent, they listed being a peer tutor for fellow first-generation college students. By contrast, our higher class candidate pursued traditionally upper-class hobbies and sports, such sailing, polo, and classical music, while the lower-class candidate participated in activities with lower financial barriers to entry (e.g., pick-up soccer, track and field team) and those distinctly rejected by higher-class individuals (e.g., country music). But crucially, all educational, academic, and work-related achievements were identical between our four fictitious candidates.
Even though all educational and work-related histories were the same, employers overwhelmingly favored the higher-class man. He had a callback rate more than four times of other applicants and received more invitations to interview than all other applicants in our study combined. But most strikingly, he did significantly better than the higher-class woman, whose resume was identical to his, other than the first name.
Why did the higher-class man do so much better than the higher-class woman? To further explore this issue, we conducted a follow-up experiment with a sample of 210 practicing attorneys from around the country. We asked each attorney to evaluate one of the same resumes we used in our field experiment and to tell us whether they would like to bring the candidate in for an interview. We also asked them to rate their candidate on factors proven to influence how favorably people view job candidates but that vary between men and women. These included perceptions of the candidate's competence, likability, fit with an organization's culture and clientele, and career commitment.
Just like the employers in our audit study, the attorneys we surveyed favored interviewing the higher-class man above all applicants, including the higher-class woman. This time, though, we were able to understand why. Attorneys viewed higher-class candidates of either gender as being better fits with the culture and clientele of large law firms; lower-class candidates were seen as misfits and rejected. In fact, some attorneys even steered the lower-class candidates to less prestigious and lucrative sectors of legal practice, such as government and nonprofit roles, positions that tend to be more socioeconomically diverse than jobs at top law firms.
But even though higher-class women were seen as just as good "fits" as higher-class men, attorneys declined to interview these women because they believed they were the least committed of any group (including lower-class women) to working a demanding job. Our survey participants, as well as an additional 20 attorneys we interviewed, described higher-class women as "flight risks," who might desert the firm for less time-intensive areas of legal practice or might even leave paid employment entirely. Attorneys cited "family" as a primary reason these women would leave. Parenting strategies vary between social classes, and the intensive style of mothering that is more popular among the affluent was seen as conflicting with the "all or nothing" nature of work as a Big Law associate. One female attorney we interviewed described this negative view of higher-class women, which she observed while working on her firm's hiring committee. The perception, she said, was that higher-class women do not need a job because they "have enough money," are "married to somebody rich," or are "going to end up being a helicopter mom." This commitment penalty that higher-class women faced negated any advantages they received on account of their social class.
Our findings confirm that, despite our national myth that anyone can make it if they work hard enough, the social class people grow up in greatly shapes the types of jobs (and salaries) they can attain, regardless of the achievements listed on their resumes. More broadly, our results illustrate a phenomenon that social scientists call "intersectionality" — a fancy way of saying that, when it comes to understanding sources of advantage and disadvantage, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Crucially, we have found that privilege works differently for men and women in the labor market. While coming from a higher-class background helps men, it can actually hurt women.
Together, biases related to social class and gender skew employment opportunities toward men from privileged backgrounds. Our research adds another twist to just how difficult it is for certain groups to get ahead, even when they achieve an advanced degree.
There are some potential solutions for law firms, however. While biases themselves are difficult to change and merely making people aware of them via training has little payoff, there are quick and cost-effective ways to make the playing field more even in resume screening. When it comes to social class, the answer is simple: ditch the extracurricular activities. We were able to conduct our study only because employers and career services offices encourage (if not require) students to lists hobbies and activities on resumes. Without this information, we would not have been able to indicate social class background effectively. While social class still manifests in other types of resume cues (especially attendance at a top-tier undergraduate institution or law school), blinding evaluators to extracurricular activities or having students omit them from resumes entirely could eliminate those class signals that are least performance-related.
As for gender, blinding evaluators to first names (or substituting with initials) could help keep more women in the pool. In fact, one reason why women seem to do better when they come from the most elite schools may be that employers have limited ability to screen resumes and do not have the chance to engage in the types of resume-based class and gender discrimination we found in our study. Eliminating signals about class and gender as resumes are screened could open the door more widely for talented individuals with varied backgrounds, while creating a more diverse workforce of qualified talent.


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View Settings
There are a few ways to increase or decrease the web pages you are viewing.
If you have a wheel on your mouse, click anywhere on the web page and do the following:
1) Hold the CTRL key down and then rotate the mouse wheel button backwards and this will decrease the size of the page or
2) hold the CTRL key down and then rotate the mouse wheel forward and this will increase the size of the page.
With a mouse - Click the Magnifying glass icon at the bottom right corner of the Internet Explorer window.
Or, select the arrow to open the list of options and select one.
Keyboard actions - press CTRL + Plus Sign (+) to zoom in, or CTRL + Hyphen (-) to zoom out.


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A Brilliant Diagram of the Lord of the Rings Movies
Want to relive the Peter Jackson's classic Lord of the Rings movies but don't have the nine hours to spare to watch them all? Check out this chart by University of Florida student JT Fridsma that plots the story of the trilogy both geographically and on a time line.
In the center of the chart is an actual map of Middle Earth and around the edge are lines depicting the various characters and where they are in their journey. (Click on the image, right, to see the full version.)
My personal favorite is Gandalf, who you can clearly see falling down into a dark pit and then reemerging falling down from the sky. My only question is where is Gollum? And does he need two lines for both of his personalities? Can't we see him falling into a pit at the end too? That's what this graph needs—more falling in pits. [Fast Company]


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Improved detection confirms significant threat from lone star tick, supports need for year-round tick control in dogs and cats.
IDEXX Laboratories recently reported that dogs in the south central and eastern regions of the country are being exposed to a greater number of ticks and tick-borne diseases than once thought, according to a company-issued press release. Researchers with IDEXX compared reference laboratory results conducted in 2011 with current results from one of its SNAP diagnostic tests—also run at the reference laboratory—and found that there was up to a fourfold increase inEhrlichia species exposure this year.
But is this the result of improved laboratory tests and better detection, or is the nation's tick population growing and branching out into uncharted territory? It's true that the company's SNAP 4Dx Plus test, which screens for a number of common tick-borne pathogens, was recently upgraded to include antibody detection for Ehrlichia ewingii, but that's only part of the story, says Susan Little, DVM, PhD, DEVPC (right), professor of veterinary parasitology at Oklahoma State University. "That test has wider platform and is detecting an agent that we didn't previously have serologic assays to detect," she says. "But the vector tick that transmits Ehrlichia ewingii, the most common Ehrlichia species infecting dogs in the U.S., now has a broader geographic distribution, too."
Ehrlichia ewingii is transmitted by the lone star tick, and dogs in the southern part of the U.S. have always been at risk for this type of Ehrlichiosis, due to the tick's overwhelming presence in that region. But even that indigenous tick population is growing, says Little, and now the lone star tick is migrating north into much of the eastern two-thirds of the country.
However, Little is encouraged by the fact that laboratories such as IDEXX are striving to create better diagnostic tests that pick up more disease-causing agents, like Ehrlichia ewingii. "We need to characterize the full gamut of what's out there and have diagnostic tests that identify the infection," she says. "Many veterinarians recognize that a patient has a tick-borne disease, but they're not able to figure out what it is."
But that could be changing, as evidenced by the recent upgrade in the IDEXX test. "While many veterinarians in highly endemic areas are familiar with acute E. ewingii infections, we don't know a lot about this pathogen because testing for it has been limited until now," says Melissa Beall, DVM, PhD, manager of medical affairs at IDEXX. "IDEXX is excited to be able to help veterinarians screen for a pathogen and evidence of a tick species that is fast becoming a larger threat to people and pets in more parts of the country."
In order to keep that threat to a minimum, Little suggests that veterinarians follow the Companion Animal Parasite Council's recommendations and urge clients to practice year-round tick control and prevention. "We need to be more adamant with clients about year-round tick control for dogs and cats," Little says. "Tick control protects dogs and cats from tick-borne diseases—the ones we know about and the ones we're still finding out about."
HOW DO WE FIX THIS ISSUE DOCTOR ANDY???? By purchasing Revolution at our office this will not only take care of your fleas and heartworms prevention but it also takes care of the most common ticks. But when you purchase here in the office you are welcome to a free tick collar!


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Ready for a test drive? Check this interactive tutorial that will walk you through the most important features of Redis.
Redis 6.0.10 is the latest stable version. Interested in release candidates or unstable versions? Check the downloads page.
Follow day-to-day Redis on Twitter and GitHub. Get help or help others by subscribing to our mailing list, we are 5,000 and counting!


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According to a story by the Associated Press, "The Corn Refiners Association wants to use "corn sugar" as an alternative name for the widely used liquid sweetener currently labeled as high fructose corn syrup" and have petitioned for a name change. In the meantime, the FDA has cautioned them to stop using the term prematurely, as they haven't yet received approval and are already including it on promotional materials such as their web sites.
This reminds me of Aspartame's re-brand as AminoSweet that I discussed awhile back. It's not difficult to see why they'd want to change away from the term high fructose corn syrup (HCFS) as more and more people are turning against their product.
A representative for the group says they don't believe consumers will be misled by the new terminology though, saying, "We do not believe that anyone could be confused or believe that the statements regarding 'corn sugar' on the websites refer to anything other than high fructose corn syrup."
So what exactly would be the purpose for making the change, if not to lose the negative association? If it's not to re-brand your product as something more appealing to consumers, then why bother?
According to this New York Times piece, it's because they believe corn syrup is a confusing term and that corn sugar better communicates about the calories and sweetness of the ingredient. They say consumers wrongly believe it has more sugar than what we'd traditionally consider table sugar (the granular white stuff) and are avoiding it for that reason.
It seems they haven't quite agreed on consistent messaging internally. Corn sugar is either a term that will be seen as equivalent to HCFS in the minds of consumers (doubtful, IMO) or else a term than more accurately describes a form of liquid sugar that is nutritionally similar to table sugar (presumes consumers care about and are making nutritional decisions based sugar type comparison, also doubtful). If they're going to choose a new label because it brings clarity to consumers, they're not going to choose one that is seen as equivalent to their current term.
In my head, it's nothing more than an attempt to re-brand in attempt to slow or stop the declining use of their product as manufacturers switch to more "natural" forms of sugar in response to consumer demand — as seen with the introduction of products like Pepsi Natural and Mountain Dew Throwback. And consumers are likely demanding this not due to research into the nutritional profiles of varying types of sugar, but because the media and others have painted HCFS as a bad guy, accurate or not. Also, because the pursuit towards more natural products is a popular trend.
In fact, scientists are somewhat split over whether HFCS is any more damaging to consumers than other sugars. According to the Mayo Clinic, research studies have yielded mixed results. HFCS is chemically similar to table sugar, but the thought is that your body may react differently since it's processed. There's insufficient evidence at this point to say that this is true, but studies continue to look a the potential effects, including potential links to cancer. Where there is no argument is that we should all be consuming less sweetener, no matter what the source.
So what do you think? Does a switch to the name corn sugar provide any nutritional clarity to you as a consumer? Do you shy away from HFCS in particular or is sugar of any kind treated the same?


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DES MOINES, IA – A top Iowa aide to businessman Tom Steyer resigned Friday, a day after The Associated Press revealed he had privately offered campaign contributions to local politicians in exchange for endorsing Steyer's White House bid.
Steyer's Democratic presidential campaign announced the resignation of Pat Murphy, a former House speaker who served as a top adviser on Steyer's Iowa campaign.
"After the conclusion of an investigation alleging improper communications with elected officials in Iowa, Pat Murphy has offered his resignation from the campaign effective immediately," Steyer's campaign manager Heather Hargreaves wrote in a statement. "Our campaign policy is clear that we will not engage in this kind of activity, or any kind of communication that could be perceived as improper. Violation of this policy is not tolerated.
In a statement Thursday, Murphy apologized for but did not deny the interactions and said the concerns expressed by his former colleagues about his overtures were the result of a "miscommunication." He didn't immediately respond to messages from the AP seeking comment Friday.
The overtures from Murphy weren't illegal — though payments for endorsements would violate campaign finance laws if not disclosed. There's no evidence that any Iowans accepted the offer or received contributions from Steyer's campaign as compensation for their backing.
Murphy's departure leaves Steyer without an Iowa political director with less than three months until the state's lead-off caucuses. The businessman remains mired at the bottom of the polls.
Steyer said Thursday that he first learned about the allegations while driving to an event in South Carolina that day and that no payments had gone to officials in Iowa.
Tom Courtney, a former Democratic state senator from southeastern Iowa who's running for reelection to his old seat, had told the AP that the financial offer "left a bad taste in my mouth."
Several other local politicians said they received similar propositions from Murphy. Most spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the issue freely. Iowa state Rep. Karin Derry said Murphy didn't explicitly offer a specific dollar amount, but made it clear Derry would receive financial support if she backed Steyer.
"It was presented more as, he has provided financial support to other down-ballot candidates who've endorsed him, and could do the same for you," she said.
Courtney described a similar interaction with Steyer's campaign.
"Tom, I know you're running for Senate. I'm working for Tom Steyer," Courtney recalled hearing from the aide. "Now you know how this works. ... He said, 'You help them, and they'll help you.'"
"I said, 'It wouldn't matter if you're talking monetary, there's no amount,'" Courtney continued. "I don't do that kind of thing."
Murphy is the second Steyer aide to resign this week. His deputy South Carolina state director resigned Monday after accessing volunteer data from California Sen. Kamala Harris' campaign.