Thursday, September 27, 2007

WTF

Man Sues Over Stolen Bone Placed in Neck
September 26, 2007 7:32 PM EDT


FORT WORTH, Texas - A man who found out the bone implanted in his neck to relieve back pain was stolen from a corpse is suing a medical technology company and several tissue processing businesses, including two in Tennessee.
James Livingston, 44, of Weatherford, does not seek a specific monetary amount in his suit filed in New York last month against Minneapolis-based Medtronic Inc. for fraud and negligence.
Other defendants are Memphis, Tenn.-based Sofamor Danek Inc.; Knoxville, Tenn.-based Spinalgraft Technologies Inc.; Alachua, Fla.-based Regeneration Technologies Inc.; Fort Lee, N.J.-based Biomedical Tissue Services; Michael Mastromarino and Joseph Nicelli.
"How can you sell parts out of a body, just like parts from a stolen car?" Livingston said.
New York authorities believe Mastromarino, owner of now-defunct Biomedical Tissue Services, made deals with funeral directors to remove bones, tendons and heart valves from corpses without notifying their families or screening for disease. He has pleaded innocent to charges that include a felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison.
Nicelli is a former funeral parlor owner and embalmer who also has pleaded innocent to charges in the case.
Mastromarino is accused of doctoring death certificates and forging consent forms, then replacing the bones with PVC pipe and sewing the incision so it would not be noticed at the funerals.
The body parts were shipped to processing firms nationwide, sterilized and then implanted in patients from early 2004 to September 2005.
It's unclear how many patients received stolen tissue or bone. Livingston's lawyer, John David Hart of Fort Worth, said other lawsuits have been filed around the country.
After the New York investigation into Mastromarino, five tissue processors that received human parts from Biomedical Tissue Services issued voluntarily recalls. Medtronic, a distributor that received the parts, also issued a voluntary recall.
Livingston had surgery in 2005 at Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth, which immediately pulled the tissue from its stock after learning of the recall. Physicians who had implanted the suspect material contacted their patients - five in all, said Wendy Walker, a spokeswoman for Baylor Health Care System.
Medtronic has voluntarily recalled about 16,000 bones nationwide, and tests on 12,000 to 13,000 people show no infectious disease that is traceable to the recalled tissue, said company spokesman Bert Kelly.
Although Livingston's blood tests have shown no evidence of disease, he said he is worried about getting sick years from now. Knowing that the bone went through a sterilization process is of little comfort to him.
"My biggest concern is: Nobody really knows," Livingston said. "And there's a part of me that really does want to give that bone back."
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Information from: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, http://www.dfw.com

I know people are crazy and do stupid shit for money... I find this really disturbing, especially since Knoxville is only an hour and half from here. What pisses me off so bad is that these are big companies. Did no one know what the hell they were doing?!? Or, since big business seems to run our country now, did they know and just not say anything? Makes me wonder how many other companies are pulling crap like this.

Guess it's official...

Latest issue of Kerrang:
"Nine Inch Nails to disband
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor has revealed that the band's current line-up are set to go their separate ways now their current tour is over.
"You are getting the last show of the current incarnation of the band," says Reznor. "At this point, I want to switch things around a bit. I see other ways I can present Nine Inch Nails' material in concert. Something more challenging, something new. I don't want it to go stale.
"Nine Inch Nails' current touring line-up - Reznor, drummer Josh Freese, guitarist Aaron North, bassist Jeordie White and keyboardist Alessandro Cortini - played their last show together in Honolulu on September 18.
"The idea of five guys playing loud music two hours, while it's the culmination of fine tuning over a lot of years, has got to change," he says. "I want to whittle things down."Nine Inch Nails' forthcoming album Year Zero Remixed will be released later this year, although no firm release date has been set."

You probably have seen this, it's been posted around the net. I didn't really know if it was official or just a rumor.
So, what do you think brought this on? Conflict? Tired of one another? TR tired of being around the partiers?
Honestly, I am a little sad about this. I liked the lineup. Not my favorite, but I have special place in my heart for ally, josh, jeordie, and aaron. :P
I know he has something up his sleeve... another band? Solo? Guest
appearances? TV? Year Zero movie?
Trent is a man of many talents. Who knows what he'll throw at us next.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Gotta love those West Virginia freaks...

LMFAO...

'Foot Harasser' Fined for Over 600 Calls
September 20, 2007 6:33 PM EDT
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A man who made more than 600 telephone calls to a shoe store and other businesses to ask women about their shoes and feet must pay a $200 fine.
James Lee Fink, 31, placed 119 calls from his cell phone to the Chambersburg (Pa.) Mall, 513 calls to a Holiday Inn in Havelock, N.C., and 17 calls to a Comfort Inn in Chambersburg between Jan. 1 and May 8, 2006, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Jeff Bopp said Thursday.
The caller would ask the women what kind of shoes they were wearing and whether they would show him their feet if he came into their store.
The man identified himself as Brian Thompson, but State Police used phone records to link the telephone number to Fink, whose last known address was in Martinsburg.
Fink pleaded guilty to harassment in August in Franklin County Court in Pennsylvania. He was sentenced Wednesday.
In addition to a fine, Franklin County Court Judge John Walker ordered Fink to serve a year on probation. Fink also was ordered to stay away from The Shoe Department in Frederick, Md., and one woman whom he continuously harassed.
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Information from: The (Hagerstown, Md.) Herald-Mail, http://www.herald-mail.com

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The man of the hour, day and well...forever!


It goes without saying that this man is a god in sooo many ways. With or without his players he is NIN and he is what makes it go round and round. (This does not mean that each player did not add something special) After all of these years I have grown to appreciate Trent in a whole new light. He is much stronger than many people and his whole heart just bleeds through his music to us. If only one woman would be so lucky to heal his wounded heart......anyhow I know its not going to be me cause I live in reality, lol...but I can always dream so let the lusting begin :D

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Nine Inch Nails Tribute




Typically I'm not impressed with "tribute" videos unless they are very well done. This Nine Inch Nail fan did a great job with this tribute vid, capturing Trent Reznor's raw performance and passion for his art to the tune of "Right Where It Belongs". Excellent job!

The Day the Whole World Went Away...



This is from NIN's Sydney performance yesterday. I love the fact that Trent wants his fans to enjoy his music without being ripped off by the record labels. He's absolutely right...paying anywhere between $18 - $26 for a CD is ridiculous. Of course, I think NIN is totally worth it, but there are kids and young people all over the world who cannot afford these prices. Thanks for taking care of your fans, Trent!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Dragoncreeper Art!


Check out the work of our lovely Dragoncreeper at her DeviantArt page. She is very talented with the camera! The above photo is titled "Shoes"....

Love your work, DC!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Everett Improves, May Walk Again

Bills' Everett Improves, May Walk Again
September 12, 2007 4:22 AM EDT
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Kevin Everett voluntarily moved his arms and legs on Tuesday when partially awakened, prompting a neurosurgeon to say the Buffalo Bills' tight end would walk again - contrary to the grim prognosis given a day before.
"Based on our experience, the fact that he's moving so well, so early after such a catastrophic injury means he will walk again," said Dr. Barth Green, chairman of the department of neurological surgery at the University of Miami school of medicine.
"It's totally spectacular, totally unexpected," Green told The Associated Press by telephone from Miami.
Green said he's been consulting with doctors in Buffalo since Everett sustained a life-threatening spinal cord injury Sunday after ducking his head while tackling the Denver Broncos' Domenik Hixon during the second-half kickoff of the Bills' season opener.
Everett dropped face-first to the ground after his helmet hit Hixon high on the left shoulder and side of the helmet.
Everett remains in intensive care at Buffalo's Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital and will be slowly taken off sedation and have his body temperature warmed over the next day, Green said. Doctors will then begin taking the player off life support systems - including a respirator - currently controlling his body functions.
"It's feasible, but it's not 100 percent predictable at this time ... he could lead a normal life," Green said.
On Monday, Bills orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Andrew Cappuccino, said Everett likely wouldn't walk again.
"A best-case scenario is full recovery, but not likely," said Cappuccino, who operated on the reserve tight end. "I believe there will be some permanent neurologic deficit."
Cappuccino was not available Tuesday, and hospital spokesman Mike Hughes declined comment.
In a report Tuesday evening, Buffalo's WIVB-TV quoted Cappuccino as saying: "We may be witnessing a minor miracle."
Bills owner Ralph Wilson said the team has been in contact from the beginning with Green and the Miami Project, the university's neurological center that specializes in spinal cord injuries and paralysis.
"I don't know if I would call it a miracle. I would call it a spectacular example of what people can do," Green said. "To me, it's like putting the first man on the moon or splitting the atom. We've shown that if the right treatment is given to people who have a catastrophic injury that they could walk away from it."
The encouraging news might have come as a surprise to many, but not to those who know Everett well.
Al Celaya, who coached Everett at Thomas Jefferson High in Port Arthur, Texas, was confident his former player would battle through.
"When faced with any adversity, Kevin is going to put out the effort, he's going to work hard and he's going to find a way to win," Celaya said. "I think Kevin will be that kind of person, because that's the kind of person he's always been."
Intending to play basketball, Everett was persuaded by Celaya to give football a try. Some nine years later, and after two seasons at the University of Miami, Everett was Buffalo's third-round pick in the 2005 draft.
"He overcame a lot of odds to do that," Celaya said.
Green said the key was the quick action taken by Cappuccino to run an ice-cold saline solution through Everett's system that put the player in a hypothermic state. Doctors at the Miami Project have demonstrated in their laboratories that such action significantly decreases the damage to the spinal cord due to swelling and movement.
"We've been doing a protocol on humans and having similar experiences for many months now," Green said. "But this is the first time I'm aware of that the doctor was with the patient when he was injured and the hypothermia was started within minutes of the injury. We know the earlier it's started, the better."
Cappuccino said Monday that the 25-year-old did have touch sensation throughout his body, showed signs of voluntary movement and was able to breathe on his own before being sedated. But he cautioned that Everett's injury remained life-threatening because he was still susceptible to blood clots, infection and breathing failure.
Green noted that Everett and Wilson have ties to Miami and the Miami Project - Everett played there and Wilson is one of the project's largest donors.
"It's an amazing group of circumstances. It's a home run. It's a touchdown," Green said.


Awsome, I couldn't believe it when I read this! I hope that this does in fact mean that he will be ok and able to walk again. Good luck Kevin, I wish for a speedy recovery!

Monday, September 10, 2007

Everett Likely to Be Partially Paralyzed

Everett Likely to Be Partially Paralyzed
September 10, 2007 9:09 PM EDT
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Kevin Everett sustained a "catastrophic" and life-threatening spinal-cord injury while trying to make a tackle during the Buffalo Bills' season opener and is unlikely to walk again, the surgeon who operated on him said Monday.
"A best-case scenario is full recovery, but not likely," orthopedic surgeon Andrew Cappuccino said. "I believe there will be some permanent neurologic deficit."
Everett was hurt Sunday after he ducked his head while tackling the Denver Broncos' Domenik Hixon during the second-half kickoff. Everett dropped face-first to the ground after his helmet hit Hixon high on the left shoulder and side of the helmet.
Cappuccino noted the 25-year-old reserve tight end did have touch sensation throughout his body and also showed signs of movement. But he cautioned that Everett's injury was life-threatening because he was still susceptible to blood clots, infection and breathing failure.
Everett is in the intensive care unit of Buffalo's Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital, where he is under sedation and breathing through a respirator as doctors wait for the swelling to lessen. Cappuccino said it will take up to three days to determine the severity of the injury and the recovery process.
Cappuccino repaired a break between the third and fourth vertebrae and also alleviated the pressure on the spinal cord. In reconstructing his spine, doctors made a bone graft and inserted a plate, held in by four screws, and also inserted two small rods, held in place by another four screws.
Doctors, however, weren't able to repair all the damage.
Bills punter Brian Moorman immediately feared the worst when Everett showed no signs of movement as he was placed on a backboard and, with his head and body immobilized, carefully loaded into an ambulance.
"It brought tears to my eyes," Moorman said after practice. He said the sight of Everett's motionless body brought back memories of Mike Utley, the former Detroit Lions guard, who was paralyzed below the chest after injuring his neck in a collision during a 1991 game.
Utley, Moorman recalled, at least was able to give what's become a famous "thumbs up" sign as he was taken off the field. Everett didn't.
"That's what I was waiting for, and that's what everybody else was waiting for," Moorman said. "And to have to walk back to the sideline and not see that made for a tough time."
Utley, who lives in Washington state, was saddened to see replays of Everett's collision.
"I'm sorry this young man got hurt," Utley told The AP. "It wasn't a cheap shot. It was a great form tackle and that's it."
Cappuccino said Everett was alert and aware of the extent of his injuries.
"I told Kevin that the chances for a full neurologic recovery were bleak, dismal," said Cappuccino, who works for the Bills as a consultant, specializing in spinal surgery. "I was honest with him, and he told me, 'Do everything you can to help me.'"
Cappuccino received permission to operate from Everett's mother, Patricia Dugas, who spoke by phone from her home in Houston. She and other family members arrived in Buffalo on Monday.
Buffalo's 2005 third-round draft pick out of Miami, Everett missed his rookie season because of a knee injury. He spent most of last year playing special teams. He was hoping to make an impact as a receiver.
The Bills now attempt to refocus while preparing to play at Pittsburgh on Sunday.
"It's difficult because you know the situation," said running back Anthony Thomas, one of Everett's best friends on the team. "We have to move on. But he'll always be in our thoughts and in our prayers."
Quarterback J.P. Losman said it was difficult to concentrate during practice.
"It seems like every couple of seconds that go by it's always popping into your head," Losman said. "Going through a walk-through, we're looking for him, wanting to hear his voice."
Coach Dick Jauron said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called him Sunday evening, offering the league's support.
"We honor ourselves by our work, and we honor Kevin by moving forward and working while never forgetting Kevin and never getting him out of our thoughts and prayers," Jauron said. "We're going to wait and see what the outcome is here and we're really hoping and praying for the best."
---
Associated Press Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.



My heart, prayers, and get well wishes go out to Kevin Everett, his family, and his friends.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Very Creepy............



Little_Eiffel created both above images for one of our other NIN fansites, The Creepshow. You have a way with photoshop, L_E!
Keep creating...

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Big Freakin' Suprise...

11 public officials arrested in N.J. corruption probe, including 2 mayors, 2 legislators
September 06, 2007 12:23 PM EDT
TRENTON, N.J. - FBI agents arrested 11 public officials in towns across New Jersey Thursday on charges of taking bribes in exchange for influencing the awarding of public contracts, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Two of those arrested are state lawmakers, two are mayors, three are city councilmen, and several served on the school board in Pleasantville, where the scandal began.
All 11, plus a private individual, are accused of taking cash payments of $1,500 to $17,500 to influence who received public contracts, according to criminal complaints, said Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie.
"This is another sad day for the people of New Jersey," said Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce. "Once again, New Jersey's culture of corruption is national news."
Initial court appearances were scheduled Thursday afternoon in Trenton, and Christie and FBI Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun planned an afternoon news conference.
A federal complaint charges each of the 12 with accepting payments from companies that offered insurance and roofing services to cities and school districts, Drewniak said.
The investigation began last year with Pleasantville schools, near Atlantic City, Drewniak said. The FBI established an undercover insurance brokerage company purporting to employ the government's two cooperating witnesses and undercover agents.
The probe widened when Pleasantville school board members referred the cooperating witnesses to public officials in northern New Jersey, Drewniak said.
Democratic state Assemblymen Mims Hackett Jr. and Alfred E. Steele were arrested, as was Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera. Also arrested were Keith Reid, the chief of staff to Newark's City Council president; Passaic councilmen Jonathan Soto and Marcellus Jackson; two current Pleasantville school board members, three former board members and a private citizen. One of the former school board members is now a Pleasantville city councilman.
Rivera is a former police officer and professional wrestler.
Hackett, 65, is both a legislator and mayor of Orange, a city of about 33,000 residents 15 miles west of New York City. He was convicted of kidnapping in 1975 and sentenced to 30 years in prison, but was pardoned a year later when the victim recanted and Hackett's cousin confessed.
A phone message left at Hackett's office wasn't immediately returned Thursday. Neither were messages left at Reid's and Rivera's offices.
Newark City Council President Mildred Crump said she just found about Reid's arrest and had no comment. She said he has worked for her since she became the council president in 2006.
Steele, an assemblyman since 1996 and deputy speaker since 2002, also serves as a Baptist minister in Paterson. He had been Passaic County undersheriff but resigned from the $89,900-per-year post on Thursday, said sheriff's spokesman Bill Maer.
Jenna Pollard, who answered the phone at Steele's office and identified herself as his chief of staff, said she had no comment and didn't know if Steele had a lawyer.
One of the former school board members, Maurice "Pete" Callaway, is now a Pleasantville city councilman and the brother of former Atlantic City Council President Craig Callaway, who is serving time in federal prison from stemming from an unrelated corruption scheme.
"It's just a horrible day in Pleasantville," said John Deserable, a monitor sent by the state Department of Education to oversee the district's finances. "It's another black eye to the district that we don't need. The children deserve better than this."
Thursday's arrests were the latest in an anti-corruption campaign waged by Christie's office.
More than 100 public officials in the state have been convicted on federal corruption charges in the last five years. Two other Democratic state senators, Wayne Bryant of Lawnside and Sharpe James of Newark, are among others facing pending corruption charges.
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Associated Press writers David Porter, Janet Frankston Lorin and Matthew Verrinder in Newark, Angela Delli Santi in Trenton and Wayne Parry in Atlantic City contributed to this report.


It makes me sick. What bothers me the most is that we pretty much do NOTHING. What happened to standing up to our rights and holding people responsible for their actions? I know people make mistakes but come on! These are the people we put in charge and look how corrupt things are getting. It makes me sad to hear people my age (I am almost 30) say they don't care...
We need to start caring... yesterday.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Nine Inch Nails live @ Pukkelpop Festival, 18 Aug 2007

This was added to NINofficial a few hours ago... not really the best quality, Rob must have recorded it with his iphone, LOL! Enjoy!

Saturday, September 1, 2007

NIN - Rock Am See Festival Recap Pt 2, Germany, 02 Sept 2007

Oops, sorry, not used to posting videos on these things, LOL.
Anyways, here is part 2, Trent is raging, Josh is rambling about some crazy shit, and Trent doesn't miss a beat...
"Fuck being in Europe, fuck being on tour, I quit"...
Damn, I hope he just blowing off some steam.

NIN - Rock Am See Festival Recap Pt 1, Germany, 01 Sept 2007

Wow, Trent is pissed and who can blame him? The fans nor NIN deserve to be treated like this.