text:
Must have been a very slow news day.
- It's never too early, or too late, to start budgeting
- Kendré Barnes talks about work with refugees
- Men's basketball is ready to get "Mack" to business
- Walz and "the other player" target a national title
- Captains King and Cunningham tasked with guiding the offense
- Fuehring elevates the front court for women's basketball
- Enoch eyes big role in first year for men's basketball
- Women's basketball backcourt features depth and speed
- Sophomores step into the spotlight for men's basketball
- One of Louisville's best eateries is on wheels
What, what, what are you wearing?: Ramsey goes racist
If you don't believe in treating all cultures with respect, I highly recommend that you stop reading now.
About a week ago, I hopped on Facebook and was greeted with a BuzzFeed video focused on people of Hispanic descent describing what it felt like to see people dressed as the stereotypical Mexican (maracas, rainbow poncho, sombrero – the works). It was widely shared among my friends, but for those of you who didn't see it – it wasn't pretty. One guy basically said, "No one I know dresses like this!"
The takeaway? Don't dress like a culture. They aren't costumes, they're people.
Fast forward to today. I, once again, hopped on Facebook and saw something that completely goes against what I saw a week ago. A picture of President James Ramsey, in a rainbow poncho, standing with a group of people wearing sombreros and smiling while holding maracas. What?
To pile on top of it, the picture was described as a Halloween party with staff members (so these people all work for U of L) and it was held at Ramsey's mansion that the university pays for. Yes, this is the same place The Courier-Journal reported was often empty because Ramsey and his wife live somewhere else. (Let's hold off on discussing the fact that donor, student and state funds go to take care of an empty mansion.)
It's been about two hours and I'm still dumbfounded. The president of a school that prides itself in diversity opted to dress himself and his staff as a culture for Halloween. Not just a culture, but a minority that is frequently faced with prejudice. Not just a culture, but a completely wrongfully depicted culture according to people who are actually in that culture.
There's a word for this. It's called racism.
Never mind that if a fraternity threw a party with a Mexican theme and pictures of them in these outfits got out, they would be in huge trouble just like countless other Greek organizations across the country in the past few years.
As the president of a university, I would expect more. As the president of a university currently in the middle of a scandal in the national news, I would expect even more than that. I would expect discretion. I would expect thought and research into whether or not this is considered offensive. Frankly, I would expect more creativity in costume selection. But I guess my expectations are too high for Ramsey.
A year ago, The Cardinal published a flow chart (page 13) to help students understand if their costume choice was racist or otherwise offensive. A quick scan of my Facebook or Twitter feeds would show that U of L students understand how not to be racist with their costumes (or ever) and why that matters. I'm embarrassed that our president doesn't have the same knowledge.
I said it once, but I guess Ramsey needs to hear it again – they're not costumes, they're people.
Oct. 30 – 11:54 a.m.: Editor's note: I contacted university spokesperson John Karman for comment for this story. The following is the response from Kathleen Smith, Ramsey's Chief of Staff:
Photo courtesy / The Courier-Journal
103 Comments
What a silly little thoughtless race-baiting article. Shame on the administration for not having a back bone on this one. Now they can only spiral downward further into the abyss of absurdity.
After seeing the school knuckle under to the PC knuckleheads, I know who's not getting any donations from me.
I have two friends and they call themselves the poncho brothers. i've begged them to stop for months now but they won't. It's like they care more about ponchos and the people around them. It's sad to watch
Welp, at least I can see that the SJW/PC pearl-clutchers, self-appointed moral guardians and speakers for all minority persons have wormed their way well into UofL since I attended. This alum will no longer be making donations to the university as I don't want to encourage knuckling under to humorless, self-righteous sods like the author.
I will continue to make donations to my University and my Law School out west. One student does not make a school.
"As the president of a university, I would expect more."
You're the president of a university, Olivia?
It's astonishing that the editor in chief can't even write basic English.
This is so very silly. So if you dress in a Toga, you are a racist against Greeks, or like a 20's mobster, you are racist against Italians, or maybe dress up like the Pope..saw even a baby dressed like one…is that anti Christian, or the various men who dress like women…now we are against transgendered…and sexist….this is the silliest whiny crap and the Latino crowd complaining have embarrassed yourselves…there are far more important things then people dressing up as characters from ethnic groups….just stop acting like sensitive five year olds, grow up and focus your energy on far more important…and this article is just silly.
"The president of a school that prides itself in diversity…"
Look at this picture. Look at the faces. Do you see diversity in the President's office?
Well, I see multiple faces of 'color' and twice as many women as men. Not diverse enough for you?
Yes, I do see diversity in those face. 13% percent of US residents are African-American. I see 2 African-American faces out of the 16 faces shown above. It's difficult to say but after living abroad for many years I see other ethnicities in the photo as well.
Kudos to you for pointing this out BUT you opened the article with "Bruh".
Kudos for what? It's trying to find problems where none exist. I'm sick of our over sensitive society. Everybody needs to get a life. You know what. First get a job, then tell us what you think.
Thanks LaShana for pointing out your stupidity. I was actually offended by this whole article, and I'm actually offended by you for approving of this dumb article. As a Latino American, you can all piss off, respectfully (actually not, I'm sickened by all of you). I love my school and I love President Ramsey. He, along with this great school, gave me this opportunity, and I will be forever grateful.
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I think the writer is racist to think that this is racist. I will make sure my little kid doesn't dress up as a soldier for Halloween, it could be offensive to those in the military. My little boy also wanted to a be a princess, would this be sexist and seen as offensive?
This article is bullshit. The writer should find something else better to do with her/his time.
The difference here is that the costume was based on negative stereotypes. You mentioned dressing up as a soldier: imagine the reactions if you dressed up as an American soldier with a bottle of whiskey in your hand, proclaimed that you're a coward, then pretended to have a flashback and soiled yourself. Would that go over well? Would members of the military think your soldier costume was offensive?
I didn't realize that maracas/poncho/sombrero comprised a negative stereotype of Mexicans. I obviously realize that it doesn't represent most Mexicans or Mexican Americans, and I actually thought it was a positive cultural representation of one small past or present subculture, though–colorful, festive, joyous, etc. What is the negative historical association that I'm apparently unaware of? Thanks.
Nick, you are completely missing the point. It's a HALLOWEEN costume, which means that one WEARS a costume, they don't walk around with chips on their shoulders shouting about negative stereotypes and creating imagery that wasn't there to begin with. I don't see any references anywhere online that any of the people in the U of L picture were screaming negative comments, soiling themselves or otherwise making any negative references whatsoever. No, they were only posing on the front steps with pleasant smiles on their faces. THE HORROR! Maybe you (& anyone else who agrees with this garbage) need to relearn the whole idea behind Halloween, which is dressing up, and ONLY dressing up, for fun and celebration. And the costumes cited in this silly, inflammatory article were NOT offensive, by the way. I come from Scots/Irish ancestry: I guess that means that, based on this article, I need to be hugely offended every Halloween when someone dresses up in a kilt and carries bagpipes, right? Sorry, but if college freshmen are offended by simple costumes such as these (or, as referenced here, simply the PICTURES of said costumes), they need to drop out of college immediately & go back to their mommies for coddling because the real world will just be too hard for them to take. This is not bullying; this is Halloween, which used to be fun until this PC crap hit America squarely in the stomach and made it a crappy, wimpy place to live.
Oh, and by the way, I was born & raised in Los Angeles and went to a public school in the LAUSD, where we Caucasians made up only 5% of the school population. Hispanics made up 65%. So it's not like I don't know and/or appreciate Hispanic culture. None of those kids felt it was offensive when we would wear Sombreros bought in Tijuana, wear the Mexican sweaters we bought there or have pinatas at our parties. And we weren't 'mocking' them by doing these things, either.
It's very sad, indeed, when South Park's latest parodies of American culture (see PC Principal, Safe Place) are more spot-on than ever. A person cannot even sneeze without offending SOMEONE these days. smh
What exactly is … negative about this stereotype? Certainly ponchos, sombreros, and mustaches were common and fashionable in 19th century Mexico.
Would it be offensive for them to dress up like Pilgrims, or frontiersmen? Because no one I know dresses like that.
A negative stereotype? I'm polish and even the Mexicans tell pollack jokes. The difference is that I'm secure with who I am and can laugh at a funny joke. I'm sorry for those that are offended. Not because of the party but because they are so insecure and self centered that they think everything is about them personally. What a miserable way to have to live.
I'm a first generation American of Mexican descent, I deployed several times as an infantryman in the US Army, and I don't find the costumes an insult at all. I actually find your comment much more offensive.
"if you dressed up as an American soldier with a bottle of whiskey in your hand, proclaimed that you're a coward, then pretended to have a flashback and soiled yourself." I didn't see any of the people holding a bottle of whiskey or soiling themselves. Does this mean that any non-Mexicans wearing a sombrero is racist? Does this mean that anyone that does not herd cows but dresses like a cowboy is racist? Does this mean that you and this author are idiots?
Are you also offended by Pepe Lopez tequila? I'm wondering when that will be the next target
I'm a first generation American of Mexican descent, and I don't find the costumes an insult at all.
As a current UofL law student, I take issue with the statement about not dressing like a culture. As an American of proud German heritage I take pride in seeing the Oktoberfest celebrations this time of year. People can dress in lederhosen,wear a feathered cap and sport mustaches to their hearts content. I'm not the least bit offended.
Well good for you… But neither you or your pending law degree represents all Germans. Additionally, when people dress up for Oktoberfest, they are honoring their culture in a a celebratory and appropriate way. When random people wear STEREOTYPICAL AND INACCURATE depictions of your culture, that is neither celebratory, appropriate or respectful.
Who says that the individual in the costume is even attempting to depict an entire culture? It's definitely not non-celabratory and how exactly is it inappropriate? Why is it STEREOTYPING and INACCURATE to dress up in such basic allotments? In another breath you hear complaints that one's culture is not celebrated or recognized enough. Sheesh, grow up and out of your victim mentality and just let the kids (and adults) get their Halloween groove on.
Um, it's not random, it's for HALLOWEEN.
I am from German descent, D. And, I'm very upset with your comment. I'm proud of our University and President. Are you even German? You can wear fXing Lederhosen, and I won't care, but don't you dare put down my University. I have too much invested in my education. Why don't you post your real name and we can talk about it smart guy?
Woah. We have a U of L law student here, ranked #94 in the nation. I'm so ready to read about your enlightened view on dressing like a culture. Maybe take a logic course the next time you try to suggest that because you are not offended, an entirely different group should not be offended.
Woah, welcome to the conversation. I see we have a stupid undergrad here. Why are you seriously offended? Is it because everybody tells you be offended, so you follow the status quo? What a bunch of original thinkers we have. It's a halloween costume. Calm down. Breathe. Get a life. There are much more important things outside of your dim-witted 17 year old perspective to be concerned about.
Woah, is this what your dumbass came up with? You are an idiot. I'm very offended by you. What school are you in? I would put our Law degree up against your jackass degree any day of the week. Put your real name tough guy. I'm tired of your types trying to put down any of our school.
I went to Duke and I have already graduated. I'm pretty sure Duke Law (ranked #8 in the nation) demolishes U of L Law (#94). The same applies for undergrad: Duke is #8 and U of L is #168.
Sorry, bud. Stick to your little U of L vs. UK rivalry. At least that is somewhat humorous to watch.
Woah, yeah right. Fill in whatever school to make your point work so you don't look like the complete idiot that you are. Is this working for you? Do they teach English at Duke, because they apparently missed the boat on you? Admit that you're just a dumb undergrad.
And I'm a graduate of Stanford. What's your point, Woah? Do you have anything to contribute to this conversation, or are you here just to say what school you wished you attended. By the way, I would also put U of L's Law School up against any school from working with their graduates.
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To those who refuse to see the inappropriateness of these "costumes": Imagine Pres. Ramsey and staff in blackface, mammy kerchiefs, and Uncle Remus attire. Hey, they'd only be honoring African American 'culture,' right?
What you don't seem to get it that it SHOULDN'T MATTER if it is appropriate. It's a freaking halloween costume! A lot of great costumes are tasteless and crude by normal everyday standards. Virtually any costume could be deemed offensive to SOME group if you want to hold everyone to standards of political correctness. But you don't want to do that. You just want to shame white people and sound righteous crowing about racism, which is the go-to topic for people who have nothing original or insightful to say about anything, and the chosen cause of the most useless people in the world, known as Social Justice Warriors.
As a Latino American I do find it slightly insensitive that the president of a well known university, the person who is supposed to be the reflection of what the university stands for, would choose to dress up as a stereotype of a culture. Especially when there are regulations against it for the students. Dressing up in lederhosen during Oktoberfest or in green with 4 leaf clovers plastered all over is done To celebrate the heritage of those cultures. Dressing up as a "Mexican" for Halloween was probably not done to celebrate the culture, if it was cinco de mayo it most likely would not have been such a big deal. The university and its staff do have a responsibility to be culturally sensitive in their behaviors at school related functions. Now I don't think I would go so far as calling the action racist. But it was defininetly thoughtless and insensitive.
As a German, dress in Lederhosen as you wish. I will not be offended. Do you know why? Because I DO NOT CARE!!! There are more IMPORTANT things in this world to care about. I read these comments and I think what silly, idiotic, and naive everybody is. Do you understand that you're in a University that supports your thought processes? Once you get out, forget it. Nobody cares what stupid things you think. You actually have to think for yourself!!! I know it's hard but try.
My point is aimed at the article's contention that it is never appropriate to dress as a "culture". I think it can be appropriate. Dressing like Pancho Villa as a caricature of Mexicans is a seperate issue and a questionable decision.
THANK YOU OLIVIA. To those feeble minds not grasping the concept, I will shorten it for you…. PEOPLE ARE OFFENDED AND UPSET BY CULTUTRAL APPROPRIATION. LETS TRY AND NOT OFFEND THEM BECAUSE THEIR CULTURE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING DERSERVING THE UTMOST RESPECT.
The question is- why are you misconstruing the simple act of costuming as cultural appropriation?
Emma, no one, aside from mentally unstable SJWs, is offended by ethnic costumes.
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I'm mexican and I don't give a shit about this. We have more serious problems going on. This is just some gringos having fun.
Have you people even heard about this little thing called the Mexican Drug War? more than 100,000 dead people in the past 5 years?
Gringos in Halloween costumes are the *least* of our problems in Mexico. This is an issue for white people to enjoy being offended by other white people, and it feels a little exploitative that you're trying to make this news.
Precisamente, Eduardo. "[…] just some gringos having fun." At whose expense? Historically, gringos had fun watching Stepin Fetchit, bumbling mammies, and other African American stereotypes 'perform' their culture for the enjoyment of white audiences. We know better. so no, the source of exploitation here is not the newspaper, which is doing its duty, but the President and his staff, who apparently need to be schooled. And yes, there is a connection to the very real, horrific realities you mention: allow us to be reduced to stereotypes and 'they' will become numbed, insensate to the suffering you allude to…these stereotypes dehumanize us, hermano.
You know Pablo, I wasn't offended until I saw you write "white audiences". I'm actually very offended that you referred to me as white. I am not white, I am American. What is your real name? I want to sue you for racial discrimination!!! See how easy this is? Everybody needs to get a life. There are much more important things outside of our campus.
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Where could we find the costume flow chart?
It is very sad that we have raised a generation of youth's who have no idea of what real racism is and who are so full of themselves that they cannot allow themselves or others around them to have a bit of harmless fun. Guess what Olivia, people think that your views towards this are bordering on the absurd. We are Americans and we have every right to put on a ponch and fake moustache if we want. If you don't like it may I suggest North Korea to you?
In my day people went to school to learn a trade or to study for a career. I guess they now go to learn to be offended by the most trivial things and to learn how to see racism in everything. Good luck in the real world Olivia. You are going to need it if you are offended by a poncho and people having a good time.
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Oh. My. Gosh. Easily offended people, please grow up.
First, "Mexican" is not a race. "Human" is a race.
Second, where's the offense? If 'no one dresses like this' then it ideally qualified as a Halloween costume. Kind of like, say, witches in pointed hats. (Wiccans must be all kinds of upset.)
Third, are these hurt feelings actually representative of how real people of Mexican descent feel? Or have we (non-Mexicans) taken it upon ourselves to be offended for them?
I am of Indian descent myself. I am not in the least offended by Indian stereotypes. You know the ones: turbans, dots on foreheads, lilting accent and bobbling head. Though they fail as generalizations, they are a recognition of the beautifully unique characteristics of a culture.
We do not all have to be the same. We do not have to pretend we don't see our differences.
That is not racist…
This editorial in the student-run newspaper is respectful, honest and based on sound principles.
The press releases, statements from the university president and actions of so many university staff who posed for that photo are disrespectful, embarrassing and unacceptable.
I challenge the student body and faculty to clean house of their clueless administration.
I see you're dressing up as an insufferable prig this Halloween. Nice.
It could be said that they are dressing up s a "Mariachi Band." More importantly, they are wearing the sombrero/serape combo because it's fun. Makes them happy. Big sombreros remind them of fun parties and people singing them a birthday song in Spanish at a Mexican restaurant. I find it hard to believe that anyone in that photo wore those costumes to tell they world they hate Latino people and want to insult them. If this is truly what you're taking from this, you need to spend your free time personally making sure all local costume shops destroy their sombreros, not one kimono is allowed to be purchased by a Caucasian, and all "white people be like" bits from Def Comedy Jam be deleted.
Where the hell is the like button?! :-)
This is one of THE most ridiculous issues ever brought about by the uber-sensitive victim class of society. Get over yourselves. I am an American of Mexican descent and am American first not a hyphenated fake ass American. I am very proud of my heritage and cook up a mean ass carne asada and mole. To see somebody dawning a costume of ANY type and taking offense is ABSOLUTE lunacy. You're supposed to be the future?!?! Grow a pair (if you're a man)! If you're a woman, have some sense (we men rely on you for that). Soon we'll not be able to have any costumes for fear of offending a freakin clown; I know many.
I like you Victor. Where can I try your mean carna asada and mole? I love this stuff.
What if they dressed in Bavarian lederhosen, or Hawaiian leis and grass skirts, or Beverly Hillbilly outfits? I'm an old bald guy. Should I be offended by bald wigs? C'mon, does everybody have their knickers in a bunch nowadays? Oops, I think that was British microagression.
These people are not dressed as a culture — they are clearly "adult Mexicans": http://www.partycity.com/product/adult+mexican+sombrero+and+serape+costume.do
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Olivia Krauth.
Go get a life.
You are being a sexist by calling this racist, you feminazi.
Don't you have anything better to do, than write idiotic garbage?
SJW's are a cancer on the face of American culture. It must be excised with due haste.
You call this news? You need to find another job . . . one you're qualified for. Something like cleaning toilets, since this "news" article is crap!
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SIGN PETITION HERE: https://www.change.org/p/students-faculty-staff-calling-for-the-resignation-of-university-of-louisville-president-james-r-ramsey
In light of recent events that have devalued, hurt, and embarrassed not only an entire culture and race, but also our University, our city, and our state, it is time for James R. Ramsey to step down from his position as president of the University of Louisville.
It is far too little too late to imagine that lack of diversity training is the reason something such as this occurs. It's 2015, and this type of insensitivity among academic and professional adults can only be due to gross ignorance and a lifetime of privileged beliefs and actions.
I call on all of you to hold this man accountable for his negligent, embarrassing behavior – sign the petition to have President James R. Ramsey resign immediately.
*Due to some of the responses we've received thus far, it's imperative that you understand these ARE NOT mariachis, thinking that alone demonstrates confusion and ignorance. This costume is an example of "brownface", and it typifies the "lazy Mexican" stereotype.
John Ramsey should not retire, maybe Oliver van Gogh should find another job. Or, maybe Oliver should get a better education. Man, I'm sick of these stupid people. In other news…Oliver, I'm calling you dumb. Got it?
Ok first, starting an article with bruh, is the best way to not get taken seriously. Now onto the article itself, thinking that wearing a poncho, putting on a bushy mustache, or holding a pair of maracas on a day where you're supposed to play pretend and knock on doors for candy, is ridiculous. This was obviously a group of people wanting to dress up in fun outfits and screw around on a day ment for that kind of thing. This is not a generalization of their culture, nor is it discriminatory. If they had signs that said, "this is what those dirty beaners look like", then I'd have a problem with it. You talk about them depicting a culture by wearing a costume, when that was not the intent at all, and call them racist for no reason. What happened, is that a group took a peice of a culture, namely the wearing of Sombreros and bushy mustaches, which has been shown to be a real part of history that continues today, and pretending. The type of pretending they did, was not to insult or hurt anyone,it was to dress up as something they aren't, and that's okay, because that's why the holiday was made. They did not try to push negative stereotypes about Mexicans being dirty or lazy, they didn't thy to do anything at all besides have fun. Another interesting thing to note is, Mexico is a country, the things depicted were from Mexican culture, Mexican is not a race, it's a nationality, so the costumes can't even BE racist. If what they did was intended to be fun and playful, not insulting and mean, then it is not wrong. It's the same as if a friend of yours said something that WAS racist, but didn't intend it to be, does that make him intolerant or a bigot, no it doesn't. With this kind of thing, it's all about the motives and intent behind the action, not the action itself, you need to see the context. In short, stop being so thin skinned, and stop trying to speak up for a group that can and has in this comment section, speak for itself. If you do that, you'll find most people don't give half a damn, and think that what you wrote, is in fact a big bunch of whining.
I use to enjoy this paper then I read crap like this. Olivia Krauth, To be offended like this, you and our students must either:
1: be an idiot.
2. to have no sense of humor.
3. to have never worked a day in their pathetic lives nor experience and consider this to be the most important moment in their short lives.
4. see number 1.
I'm offended that you even post crap like this. I'm a native american so I understand political correctness, but this is absurd. Do you even understand there is serious stuff to be offended with in this world? What about the Ukranian crisis, the conflict in Syria, poverty in our own country? You speak like a student with nothing important in their own life except what's 100 ft in front of them. You maam, need to wake up!!! I understand you're a naive student with your "first job" and need to act important. But to be honest, I'm embarrassed for you and the school if this is the best that we have.
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Great, another racist baiting article. How original Olivia. Maybe it's time you retire from the paper, bruh. What an idiot.
Everyone needs to lighten up.
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On November 4th, here in London thousands of students are flooding the streets to protest education fines and debts. I'm an American; and a student at UofL. Its shameful that our students are wasting potentially useful time.
To point out, this is not racism — if anything, the people depicting it as such are racists. They are not critical of mexican "culture"; that is to say that being a "brownface" is actually representative of mexican culture and saying that it is, is stereotypical.
There are so many other things people can get upset about. No more dressing up for St. Patricks day so as to not upset the Irish. Thanksgiving costumes are clearly out of question for the defense of the sensitivity of Native Americans and English settlers. Soon zombies will be up for politcal correction — the "z" word is outrageously offensive; they'd prefer "informally undead", or the "metabollically challenged".
Next year UofL students will be so tender, abd succumbing to public ridicule that for halloween everyone will show up naked– although I'm sure even that would spark outcry in defense for the naked communities around the globe.
Get real, undergraduates. Problems get much much worse outside college. Children are drowning in attempt to flee Syria; protest for that! Student debt has exploded and remains unrelenting in expansion; protest that.
In closure, to take offence does not mean it was given. Cheers
Ms. Krauth wrote:
"There's a word for this. It's called racism."
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of racism is:
"1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2: racial prejudice or discrimination"
Please explain how wearing a costume meets the definition of racism?
Ms. Krauth further wrote "a minority that is frequently faced with prejudice." Hispanics are considered white. Whites are the majority of this country. How are Hispanics minorities again?
Lastly, Ms. Krauth wrote "Not just a culture, but a completely wrongfully depicted culture according to people who are actually in that culture." Can she cite her sources?
I live in Houston and my wife is Mexican-American. I asked her if she was offended by this. She laughed at me and walked away.
I challenge Ms. Krauth to go to ANY Mexican restaurant (owned by Hispanics in an area with a sizeable Hispanic population) for a meal and tell her server it's her birthday. I can say with near certainty at the end of her meal, most of the waitstaff will come out whistling with a dessert, plop a SOMBRERO on her head, and sing a variant of "Happy Birthday" to her in English or Spanish.
At what point did Hispanics ask Ms. Krauth to take it upon herself represent them? I say that perhaps she, by definition, is racist. She obviously thinks that Hispanics can't stand up for themselves and she knows what the MAJORITY of Hispanics think (not just in Louisville, but the United States) so she uses the bully pulpit of her newspaper to shame the university president for some harmless fun.
Oliver and Olivia – Get a Life! You're giving olives a bad name. Seriously, can't you write something with a little more substance than dwelling this groups festive costumes for Halloween? I can see where dressing as a Nazi or an ISIS beheader would offend some, but you both are a bit over the top. There are many more important and relevant issues to be offended by. This piece wasn't journalism, it was a whiney, self-serving article that hopefully will keep you out of the mainstream of "professional" writing. You could always ask Donald Trump to come in and clarify exactly what is offensive and what is not.
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Racist?!? What a load of crap. President Ramsey, there is no need to apologize. Costume wearing is not offensive, especially during halloween. Had this been Cinco de Mayo, I may…may just then agree with the author. Had these folks been in lederhosen and dirndls during Oktoberfest, all would have been fine…nothing to see here folks, just fun loving Bavarian wannabee's. Articles like this are absolutely foolish and the writer has displayed a pathetic attempt at making a mountian out of…well, nothing!
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If you are offended by people dressing up as mexicans for halloween, fuck you. Quit being an overly sensitive pussy. Grow some goddamn balls and stop crying over everything. And, another thing, Merry fucking christmas and happy fucking hanukkah…shove your happy holidays up your politically correct asses and go suck a fat reindeer dick.
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I take it liberal universities across America will be telling non-Irish students NOT to wear green on St. Patrick's Day so as not to be culturally insensitive toward people of Irish descent? LOL. The loony left sure provides a lot of comedic relief!
That's not racist, the fact that this gentleman and his companions had to apologize is cringy for us real Mexicans.
you should resign you cocksucking bastard.
Ignorance not racism


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8:30 pm
Ed Sullivan's Top Performers 1966-1969 (My Music) From the U.S. television debut of the Beatles in 1964 to The Doors' infamous one-time-only appearance, "The Ed Sullivan Show" brought the greatest musical acts in the world into America's living rooms on Sunday nights. This new special features both The Beatles and The Doors as well as memorable performances from other superstars of the '60s pop-rock era, including The Mamas & The Papas, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Rivers, The Beach Boys, Tom Jones, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.G
10:30 pm
Bee Gees One Night Only This 1997 concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, is one of the very few Bee Gees performances filmed. The music special showcases many of the group's disco and pop hits. The Gibb brothers, who comprised the Bee Gees, sang three-part harmony and wrote their own hit songs. Two of the three siblings have died - Maurice in 2004 and Robin in 2012. Barry continues to perform as a solo act.G

subset: commoncrawl


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Standards[ edit ] As an example of improving safety of infant bed designs, the U. Consumer Product Safety Commission has set standards for infant beds sold since Since this time U.
The sides are too high for a baby to climb and provide no footholds. Technical standards for infant beds include considerations such as the materials used and preventing hand and head entrapment.
Standards for infant beds have been specified in Australia and New Zealand, [7] Europe, [8] the United States [9] and internationally. Falls To prevent injuries such as concussion and bone fractures from falls when trying to climb out, footholds are not permitted. Minimum cot side heights are defined for various mattress positions. Strangulation Infants can become trapped and strangled if their clothing gets caught on parts of a cot that stick out, or if their head becomes trapped between gaps.
Neither gaps large enough for a child's head nor protrusions are permitted. Suffocation Babies lack the motor skills or strength to turn their heads should they roll into something that obstructs their breathing. They can become trapped and suffocate if they fall into gaps created by ill-fitting or additional mattresses.
Babies can also suffocate if the mattress is too soft. Entrapment Infants can suffer injuries to their arms and legs if they become trapped between gaps. Gaps small enough for a limb to become trapped are not permitted. Some older cribs contained a drop gate or drop side , a side which lowers to ease the process of putting the child into the bed, but can be raised again to restore the integrity of the enclosure.
However, assembly problems and malfunctioning hardware on drop gates can cause the formation of gaps, which have been attributed to infant deaths and other major injuries. In June , the United States implemented new safety standards requiring all infant beds manufactured and sold in the country to have fixed sides.
In their portable form the beds generally don't feature a dropside, and portability factors are emphasised. Portacots are often made from plastics, are often smaller and fold into a compact package. Rather than bars, they will have breathable mesh sides with an aperture too small for any finger to fit into less than 5mm by the standards.
Standards for folding infant beds exist for Australia and New Zealand, [13] Europe [8] and international [10] adopted by various organisations including the American National Standards Institute. Convertible cribs or convertible cots that can be converted into a standard sized bed as the child grows larger have become increasingly popular due to a longer useful life for the furniture.
By removing both sides it becomes a toddler bed with unusually high head and foot boards , or removing just one side it becomes a daybed. Although in the U. They may include a top, generally made of plastic or metal, to prevent a child from climbing out. Use[ edit ] An infant bed is typically used after it is no longer safe to leave the baby in a bassinet. They have a lower center of gravity , more mass, a broader base of support and can hold a larger baby than a bassinet.
Infant beds are more stable than bassinets and as such become desirable when a baby can roll, transferring inertia with their actions; a bassinet may tip, an infant bed won't without concerted effort. A baby lying on an elevated mattress in an infant bed with traditional crib bumpers Placing a child into an infant bed can put strain on a caretaker's back as they typically have a mass between To reduce the strain on those operating an infant bed, many infant beds feature: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants under 12 months share a room but not a bed with their parents, as this has shown to be protective against sudden infant death syndrome SIDS.
Other sleep environment factors include supine positioning back sleeping , use of a firm sleep surface, breastfeeding, consideration of a pacifier dummy , and avoidance of soft bedding, overheating, and exposure to tobacco smoke.
However, neither mattress materials [17] nor using a second-hand mattress [18] affect SIDS risk. It is common to place a waterproof membrane between the mattress and the bedding to prevent uncontained bed wetting from damaging the mattress. Bed sheets ought to fit the mattress tightly so that the child cannot become entangled and suffocate; a common safety recommendation is to short sheet the bed.
Older children can use items such as pillows and toys to construct a platform to facilitate escape, defeating the major design criteria and endangering the child. An infant bed with raised mattress, mobile and now-discouraged traditional crib bumpers Bumpers cushioning are marketed to keep children from bumping against the hard sides and hurting themselves or becoming entrapped between the crib slats; breathable bumpers are intended to reduce the risk of suffocation.
In fact, the sale of traditional crib bumpers has been banned in Chicago and Maryland, with the exemption of mesh alternatives or ones that wrap along the crib rails. Children's product safety non-profit, Kids In Danger is actively working to ban the sale of traditional crib bumpers in Illinois and throughout the country.
Online vs in store: Safety The first thing on your mind when purchasing a travel cot should be safety.
Mobiles are musical toys to soothe the baby to sleep, but should be removed before the child can stand 8 to 12 months of age. Mirrors are to keep the children entertained while awake in the bed. With decreasing technology prices and increasing house sizes, [21] it has become increasingly common to have a baby monitor nearby so as to alert the caretaker when the child awakens. Without either professional endorsement or scientific evidence that they prevent SIDS, apnea monitors are available to alert the caregiver if the baby stops breathing.
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text: One of the risks that comes with modifying any vehicle is compliance with the law, and suspension mods can be the most noticeable. Many Jeep enthusiasts want to lift their Jeep to inprove off road capability, but may wonder what their local laws are regarding lift restrictions. It is best to get familiar with your local laws before installing a lift kit on your vehicle to avoid unwanted circumstances as a result. All it takes is a little time to make sure that your mods are done legally and safely. There is a great online resource for enthusiasts to check state by state information, LiftLaws.com.


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Leafcutter, mason, and resin bees
Last updated over 2 years ago
Bees are among the most important pollinators of flowering plants in most ecosystems. Recent concerns about population declines of both managed and unmanaged bees have highlighted the need for a better taxonomic understanding of native bees to assess the status of pollinators and pollination services. This project focuses on bees of the family Megachilidae, a group of solitary bees that are both ecologically and economically relevant. Many are pollinators of natural, urban, and agricultural environments. The goal of this project is to help diminish such taxonomic impediments by making information on diverse aspects of the biology and systematics of bees accessible to everyone. It will include illustrations, photographs, and diagnosis for each species as well as information on the nesting biology, parasites and distribution. It will also include many important works on these bees as downloadable PDF files. Another goal of this project is to serve as an online portal on the biology and systematics of bees, which will be primarily developed and maintained by the community, for the community. Specialists in diverse fields as well as non-specialists can significantly contribute to this project. Last indexed November 16, 2011


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BBM Music has been updated officially today in the Beta Zone. Some improvements have been made to RIM's new streaming music app that should improve the overall functionality of it for its users. Check out the release notes below and make sure you follow all the steps necessary in order to get BBM Music v220.127.116.11 to work properly with your device.
Step 1. Download BBM v6.0.1
If youre not yet part of the BlackBerry Messenger 6 Beta Program, click here to join today. Already part of the BBM 6 Beta Program? Download BBM v6.0.1 from BlackBerry Beta Zone over-the-air by clicking here from your BlackBerry smartphone.
Step 2. Click to Download BBM Music v184.108.40.206 (OTA).
REQUIRED: Please uninstall your current version of BBM Music prior to installing this version.
General Improvements
Media Playback Improvements
- Users with a reduced BlackBerry data plan can use BBM Music over Wi-Fi
- Account and subscription information is now shown in Options
- Trial length is now shown on first use of the application
- Low memory warnings shown when there is not enough memory to cache songs or run application
- SureType and virtual keyboard errors fixed
- Updated text in all supported languages
Contacts Improvements
- Player now lets you click album art to play in more cases
- Playback stability improved, especially on CDMA devices
- Improved offline song playback on OS 5.0 devices
- Improved long song playback on devices with low memory
- Improved warnings about streaming over the mobile network
- Reduced the delay when skipping songs
- Faster opening of large playlists
Known Issues
- Easier sorting of songs
- Faster loading of All Songs
- Notification icons for comments and friend requests
- Performance improvements to support larger numbers of contacts
- URLs for email invites and sharing are now much shorter (recipient needs the new version of BBM Music)
- PIN of the invitee is hidden when inviting user from BBM Music to BBM
- BBM 6.0.1 beta users can now invite BBM contacts that don't have BBM Music installed
- Playback may not stop if Bluetooth is uncleanly disconnected
- Refreshing screens can cause rendering issues on certain device resolutions
- Saving playlists with many songs may result in delays
- BBM Music email invite links are only actionable through Menus on certain device builds.
- Connecting to BBM can cause delay at Step 2 of 4 requiring application restart
- Email links sent will not open in older version of BBM Music
- Prompts to download a newer BBM version will not work until BBM 6.0.1 is available


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By: Dr Lynda Kelly, Category: At The Museum, Date: 19 Sep 2011
Here's the lattest on multitouch technology.
Multitouch is becoming big business for museums. Technology that enables users to navigate and/or add content on a giant table is a trend that won't go away. Couple that with gesture-based computing and anything is possible.
This post, Thin Film Transforms Any Surface Into a Massive Multitouch Screen, gives an insight into how to creat touchscreens in a flash - and no computer required!
The large touch table highlighting dangerous animlas in Surviving Australia is the most poprular and remebered feature in the whole exhibition. So much so, that we made an app out of it - DangerOz! Go here for more...


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ATLANTA — The final step in Kevin Durant's evolution from budding superstar to bona fide showman has been a work in progress over the past three seasons.
The three-time scoring champion has always been about substance over flash, a trait that has separated him from some of his high-scoring predecessors. But the ability to stun, silence and then send a road crowd for the exits before the final buzzer is a quality only a handful of true superstars are able to manage on a nightly basis.
Durant did all that and more Wednesday night, turning the Hawks' "Highlight Factory" into his personal playground in the second half of a 100-92 win — the Thunder's 12th straight.
Durant scored 28 of his season-high 41 points after halftime, 18 during a wicked fourth-quarter stretch of brilliance, having already ceded the first half to Russell Westbrook and his 21-point assault.
The Thunder are basically unstoppable when these two play the way they did against the Hawks. They are 11-1 this season when both of their All-Stars score 20 or more points.
Durant was 14-for-23 from the floor, 4-for-8 from deep and nailed nine of his 10 free throws. He also added 13 rebounds, three assists and two blocks (though had that many on one particular play). Westbrook finished his night with 27 points, a game-high 11 assists, two steals and a block while recording his 10th double-double of the season.
But Durant's work from one end of the floor to the other during one wild stretch in the third quarter is what allows him to knock on your door and take over the place away from home.
The Hawks cut a 16-point lead to just four, 73-69, when Josh Smith spun into the paint with Durant guarding him and went up three times only to be stopped by Durant each and every time. Durant finished the sequence at the other end with a dunk over Smith and, after being fouled on the play, he stepped into the crowd behind the basket and pounded his chest. He shouted, "this is my house," with a colorful adjective tossed in for good measure and toward the fans sitting near courtside who spent a good portion of the night jawing at the visiting team.
"Uh, I don't remember [saying] that," Durant said and then laughed.
But it wasn't about him showboating as much as it was him stating the obvious.
"We double-teamed him, we zoned him," said Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "He still made shots. You can't stop him when he's hot like that.
"[The Thunder are] a very talented team. Durant is as good as there is in this league. Russell Westbrook is one of the top point guards in this league. You really have to be on the money with your coverage on them, and you also have to make sure you have a backup coverage. Those guys are capable of getting it going, and once they get it going, they're a tough team to defend."
How about impossible, when Durant and Westbrook are on like they were on this night.
Durant insisted that he was just being aggressive and taking whatever shots the defensive gave him after halftime. He admitted to taking some questionable shots as well, but when your range is anywhere within the metropolitan area you are playing in that night, what's the big deal?
"I've seen it so many times," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said, "I know when he gets hot, it's hard to turn him off. And he was hot in that second half. I didn't realize he had 41. But I very rarely look at the guys' individual scores.
"I thought that second half he was making shots but he was just being much more aggressive. Some of his turnovers in the first half were just [him] being a little lackadaisical with the ball. In the second half was very physical with his first dribble, and when he's physical with his first dribble it's very hard to stay in front of him."
Durant had one of his worst shooting games of the season (7-for-17) in a 104-95 loss to these Hawks Nov. 4 in Oklahoma City. They're 20-2 since then and Durant looks every bit like the scoring machine everyone saw in the summer during the London Olympics, when he carved up the competition from distance as well as inside the 3-point arc.
Durant's growing more and more comfortable with his role as not only the Thunder's vocal and emotional leader but also as one of the true showstoppers in the game (the role guys like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony relish, especially on the road.) And it's a sight to behold when he's in the zone the way he was after halftime against the Hawks.
"I think the best part about it is my teammates wanted me to shoot it, they always give me confidence," he said. "I felt good. Russell got me going. I just tried to exploit the matchups, make the right passes sand stay aggressive."


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University of Georgia provost Jere Morehead named sole finalist for school president
ATLANTA – State officials have announced that University of Georgia provost Jere Morehead has been named the sole finalist for university president.
University System of Georgia officials made the announcement Monday. They say the state Board of Regents will make a final decision on selecting a president for UGA at a future meeting.
Current President Michael Adams is set to retire at the end of June.
In a release, officials say Morehead previously served at UGA as vice president for instruction, vice provost for academic affairs, director of the honors program and acting director of legal affairs.
Morehead is a 1980 graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. He has held a faculty appointment in the Terry College of Business, and serves on numerous state educational boards.


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Opposing view on fiscal reform: Address health care costs
By Paul Ryan
The Fiscal Commission has been a success. Due in large part to the leadership of co-chairmen Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, the commission's deficit-reduction proposal has launched a critical debate about the biggest problem facing this country: how to get the federal government's fiscal house in order and ensure a growing and prosperous future.
Tasked with an extraordinarily difficult challenge, the co-chairmen put forth a serious and credible plan aimed at reducing deficits.
Unfortunately, this plan failed to address the runaway costs of our health care entitlement
programs, which is the crux of the debt threat. In fact, this plan would take us in the wrong direction on health care with a tax change that would force more people away from their employer plans and onto the Democrats' newly created government system. Instead of tackling the explosive growth of health entitlement spending, it embraces this new government-run health system and expands it.
The commission's plan also relies too heavily on tax increases, which would stifle growth and prosperity. It masks its emphasis on higher taxes by using the president's policy preferences as a baseline. A more realistic approach would use a current policy baseline. Some of the plan's tax recommendations would result in a more efficient code with lower rates and a broader base. We should build on these good ideas, but we cannot accept that permanently higher taxes should be America's "new normal."
Erskine Bowles rightly declared: "The era of deficit denial is over." Those who refuse to confront the looming fiscal crisis have nowhere to hide. The deficit debate is not merely an exercise in arithmetic. It is also a conversation we need to have about the proper size, scope and role of our government. Despite its flaws, the report contains a host of positive reforms that I'm eager to build upon, along with other solutions, when we write next year's budget — drawing upon the inspired leadership of the co-chairmen.
This article available online here.


text: Fuskie Posted August 24, 2013 Premier: Devotion. Obsession. This is the cult of celebrity. Welcome to Celebrity Big Brother UK! Converted to 5 star luxury, the CBB house is ready for new housemates, including The Temple of Celebrity, home to the first three housemates to enter the CBB House. Spice Boy Louie Spence, child prodigy Lauren Harries and recovering addict Sophie Anderton are the founding member of the Cult of Celebrity with great power and responsibility. They will observe the other 10 housemates in secret for the next 24 hours, after which they will have the sole power of the first nomination.Bruce Jones and Vicky Entwhistle played husband and wife on Britain's Coronation Street. With the Cult of Celebrity ensconced in the Temple of Celebrity, they think they are the first housemates to enter the BB House. Next into the house is American golden girl, Courtney Stodden, joined by rapper Abs Love, Dublin reality star Danielle Meagher, and Saved By The Bell's Dustin Diamond. Joining them is reality star Charlotte Letitia Crosby, sharp dressing bad boy actor Mario Falcone, loose woman Carol McGiffin, and futbol manager Rod Atkinson. Being the most famous housemates, Bruce and Vicky will sleep in the spacious BY. Coming up: The members of the Cult of Celebrity (Louie, Lauren and Sophie) surprise the housemates by descending into the CBB UK House from the Temple of Celebrity, and then they further shock their fellow housemates by making this week's nominations based on their observations over the last 24 hours. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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The industry's poll
Pricing for a 411 ft. 6' high galvanized chain link fencing
Pricing for a 208' Chain Link in GA
Pricing for a Ornamental Aluminum
Pricing for a
Vinyl Fence
Pricing for a
Red Cedar Fence
Little Rock School District - Invitation for Bids #F35-030 New Chain Link Fence for Franklin Elementary School Posted 05/18/2015 Bids Due 06/04/2015
This project includes all work associated with the Security Fence Installation at the Terminal Radar Approach Control, Weldon Springs, Missouri
The work includes but is not limited to the following:
The installation of a 8' High Steel Simulated Wrought Iron Ornamental Fence with sliding cantilever automated gates with gate operator, installation of 7' High Vinyl coated Chain Link Fence with Mower Gate, Gate Control Video (GCV) pole, installation of power and control wiring, Rear Yard Video (RYV) pole, and Intercom/Call Station at the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility in Weldon Springs, Missouri.
Break-Away Nuts
Break-Away nuts are suitable for applications where removal of a fixture is not intended and when prevention of tampering is important. After tightening to the proper torque, the hex head breaks away leaving a conical shaped tamper resistant nut. They are used extensively in correctional institutions, hospitals, schools, public places and retail stores to secure a variety of products.
Break-Away nuts are manufactured from ZAMAC 5 zinc alloy and are now available also in 18.8 stainless steel. The nuts are tapped to standard bolt dimensions and are also available tapped oversize for hot dip galvanized fasteners.
Tanner Bolt & Nut Corp. specializes in providing security solutions to the fence contractor.
We came across a video on Google news this week called the Boston Fence Guide. It is a blog and video on how one customer decided on which fence company to pick. It has some wonderful insight on what his thought process was. What his concerns were, what were the pluses and minuses and how he eventually...
FenceWeek Marketing Blog
Question of the Week Blog
May 14, 2007
The Transition of the Low Tech Fence
Yesterday I saw a cartoon picturing the US / Mexican border in the background, with new 20' fencing being installed. In the foreground was a ladder shop with a gentleman up on a ladder changing his signage to read, "New - 21' Ladders on Sale." ...
Protecting the Perimeter
April 24, 2007
Bad PR and the Fence Contractor
There's a story in this week's FenceWeek about a fence company that puts
offensive jokes on signs in front of its business. They got a lot of free PR - but not very good. Boycotts were launched, old customers came out to state how he's done this for years
Fence Contractor and the Internet
September 11, 2007
Selling Vinyl Decks vs Composites
So much hoopla has been made about composite decking in recent years, that wood and vinyl manufacturers have felt like they have to get in on the market in order to capture their share....
Vinyl Blog
February 20, 2007
A fence by any other name...
One thing we do when searching for the news for Fenceweek is weed out all the stories about fencing that have nothing to do with the kind you install. There are homonyms, fencing with different meanings, and many stories related to those other meanings. And like you, we sometimes get curious... so we started reading
History of Fences
July 4, 2006
Pool Fencing Challenges and Opportunities Many times, when I've spoken at fencing industry meetings, the Q&A portion of the meeting stimulates some of the most interesting discussion of the day. Fencers have presented many challenges they've faced in meeting pool codes and passing building code inspections....
Pool Fencing Blog
Markup and Profit is a new feature to FenceWeek. Michael Stone is a coach and consultant for construction companies throughout the U.S.. Although the advice is not specific to the fence industry, we hope you agree that his advice is spot on.
12/11/07 Planning 2008 - Part 2
Last week's newsletter ended with "Have you tried direct mail advertising? What have you tried that generated the type of leads you want? That is where to focus your money. Check the results monthly to see the results and adjust your advertising as needed."


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New Products For November
Why Choose Us?
More Choices for A Better Life
We are the global online retailer with affordable items which also bear free shipping for every hobby and lifestyle.
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Convenient & Friendly Customer Service
We offer convenient and friendly customer service for any problem about Tiffany outlet products.
Fast Delivery Around The Globe
A variety of expedited shipping methods mean there is a convenient delivery option for every budget.


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There's a new bridge camera on the block – Fujifilm's retro-styled X Series is making room for the X-S1. As you can probably tell, the bridge cam breaks the old-skool mould of the X Series by ditching the old-fashioned overcoat and taking on the guise of a DSLR, complimented nicely with a premium rubberised coating and selection of metal dials. It has taken a cue from the desirably-styled X10, though, by housing the same 12MP EXR CMOS sensor – so it'll snap great pics in low light – alongside a whopping 26x zoom and a tilting 3in LCD display.
The S-X1's 26x optical zoom lens throws up a range of 24-624mm – the equivalent of a 35mm analogue camera – and that impressive zoom is further bolstered by digital magnification, boosting its zoom capabilities to a monumental 52x – a twitcher or peeping Tom's dream. Its extensive zoom range should make reaching those hard to see subjects an absolute doddle – without, according to Fujifilm, any drop in picture quality.
Not only has it got long distance zoom functionality covered, but you'll be able to shoot your subjects right down to 30cm, or trigger its Super Macro Mode taking that number down to 1cm for incredibly detailed close-ups. Its nine blade aperture means you can achieve great bokeh effect shots – so photos with a blurry background, with the subject in focus – and as ever, Auto EXR mode removes all responsibility from the user for hassle free shooting. Auto ISO has you covered, too. And because it packs the same sensor as the X10, the X-S1 is capable of shooting high-quality snaps in all kinds of light conditions.
So whether you want your camera experience to be as simple as picking up a compact or you want to get your hands dirty and take control of your photos in manual mode, the X-S1 has you covered. On the home-made movies front, 1080p Full HD video recording is on the menu at 30fps, complemented by stereo sound.
According to Fujifilm, which is touting the X-S1 as the reinvention of the bridge cam, it's due for a UK release in February for around £700, so we've pencilled it in our diary and hope to put those claims to the test test in the new year.
You may also like


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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. cable news network HLN on Monday said it will give its image and programming an overhaul around social media in an effort to attract younger audiences sought by advertisers.
Time Warner Inc-owned HLN, which changed its name from Headline News in 2008, said the network will follow popular
websites and blogs for its news, and that it will put an emphasis on trending and viral social media stories.
The network said the new social media-focused format would also complement its slate of programming, including its daily news shows and prime time programs like "Nancy Grace" and "Dr. Drew on Call."
It marks the biggest formatting change for the news network since it began adding personality-driven shows and original programming about a decade ago.
The average viewer of cable news tends to be older than the 25 to 54 age group advertisers value most, and HLN said the rebranding is meant to appeal to "millennial-minded" viewers.
HLN also said it would begin airing on Monday the syndicated show "RightThisMinute" about the stories behind viral internet videos and would integrate the social media format into its existing programs.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Diane Craft)


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Twice the Love—And a Lot Less Sleep
Elizabeth Damato, Ph.D., R.N., is studying the sleep patterns of parents of twins, monitoring their sleep duration, sleep quality, fatigue levels and mood.
"Sleep deprivation can bring on symptoms of depression and can impact how parents interact with their babies," says Damato, of Case Western Reserve University's Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. "Some 29 percent to 42 percent of mothers with twins report depression."
This information is drawing attention as more and more women give birth to twins. The rate of twin births has risen 70 percent since 1980 as fertility treatments have become increasingly common.
Damato presented early findings from her study this summer. She found moms are getting an average of 5.4 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period during their first month home from the hospital. But they aren't getting those 5.4 hours all at once. They get an average of 15 sleep episodes, each about 22 minutes. Eight weeks after births, moms got slightly more sleep—5.6 hours in stretches lasting an average of 31.8 minutes.
For comparison, moms with a single newborn get about two extra hours of sleep in a 24-hour period.


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2019 Jeep Cherokee
A powerful new turbo engine option improves things, but an ill-tempered transmission still holds back the Cherokee. Read more
2018 Ford Expedition
Big, bold and fully updated, the Expedition has the goods to take the sales crown away from the Chevrolet Tahoe. Read more
2018 Buick Regal TourX
Compelling value and impressive utility are its best traits, but the cabin and driving experience need to be better. Read more
2019 Infiniti QX50
The QX50 is a smallish luxury SUV with promising technology and a lush, roomy interior, but it has a few shortcomings. Read more


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Obama went for the media blitz yesterday morning, but it ended up as a bunch of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
I was really disappointed with this conversation, for multiple reasons. Over on Meet the Press, Obama backed away yet again from a public option, but reinforced the idea of mandatory health care coverage.
DAVID GREGORY: Those narrow differences can also, in some cases, be very big differences. And as you were president elect, last year, you said to the nation, "In light of the huge challenges that the country faces," you said- "we're going to have to make hard choices. And not all of these choices are going to be popular." What are the hard choices that you are now asking the American people to make? And who are you gonna say no to - in order to get health care done?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well- I- I've already made some- pretty substantial changes in terms of how I was approaching health care. When I was -
DAVID GREGORY: Like the public option. You effectively said to the left, "It's not gonna happen."
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well what I - no, no, that's not true. What I - what I've said is the public option, I think, should be a part of this but we shouldn't think that, somehow, that's the silver bullet that solves health care. What I've said, for example, on - what's called an individual mandate. During the campaign I said, "Look, if - health care is affordable, then I think people will buy it." So we don't have to say to - to folks, "You know what? You have to buy health care."
And - what - when I talked to health care experts on both the left and the right what they tell me is that, even after you make health care affordable, there's still gonna be some folks out there who - whether out of inertia, or they just don't want to but - spend the money - would rather take their chances.
Unfortunately, what that means, is then you and I and every American out there who has health insurance, and are paying their premiums responsibly every month, they've gotta pick up the cost for- emergency room care when one of those people gets sick. So what we've said as long as we're making this genuinely affordable to families then you've got an obligation to get health care just like you have an obligation to get auto insurance in every state.
No one is discussing what genuinely affordable means. I am sure, some would argue that most COBRA coverage is genuinely affordable as they charge you triple the rate of your current premium while knowing you are unemployed. And, considering so many Americans are unemployed, how do we justify adding yet another mandatory expense on to already stretched budgets? Is unemployment going to start stepping in to cover the costs of your mandatory health coverage?
Obama says "we've gotta get past some of these ideological arguments to actually make something happen." But this is starting to feel like we're leaving ideology by the side of the road in favor of some milquetoast compromise, the watered-down gruel of health care reform. What is the point of "making something happen" if the majority of people who are uninsured still cannot afford health insurance?
Blame it on the Media!
Obama declares that much of this beast is the media's making. The Politico summarizes his circular style media takedown:
"Sometimes I think that, frankly, the media encourages some of the outliers in behavior, because, let's face it, the easiest way to get on television right now is to be really rude," Obama said on ABC's "This Week." "If you're just being sensible and giving people the benefit of the doubt and you're making your arguments, you don't get time on the nightly news. … But if you say something outrageous, you're there in a hot second."
Obama continued his media lecture on CNN's State of the Union, CBS's Face the Nation and NBC's Meet the Press. The only interviewer he spared his media critique was Univision's Jorge Ramos.
"You know, and the other thing I've got to say is, is that I think it's important for the media — you know, not to do any media-bashing here — to recognize that right now, in this 24-hour news cycle, the easiest way to get on CNN is or FOX or any of the other stations — MSNBC — is to just say something rude and outrageous," Obama told CNN's John King. "If you're civil, and polite, and you're sensible, and you don't exaggerate the — the bad things about your opponent, and, you know, you might maybe get on one of the Sunday morning shows, but you're not going to be on the loop."
And there he was on Meet the Press, suggesting to host David Gregory that the media generated the race dialogue. And he told Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer about how conflict is reporters' "catnip."
"And I have to, one last point I've got to make Bob," Obama said, winding up. "And that is I do think part of what's different today is that the 24-hour news cycle and cable television and blogs and all this, they focus on the most extreme elements on both sides. They can't get enough of conflict. It's catnip to the media right now. And so the easiest way to get 15 minutes of fame is to be rude to somebody. In that environment I think it makes it more difficult for us to solve the problems that he American people sent us here to solve."
Personally, speaking as a blogger, I am sick to death of conflict. My apathy is entirely caused by the fact that having a heated debate isn't much fun when your opponents are misinformed and/or unwilling to use fact based tactics. And I don't respond well to hysteria.
This is not discourse. It's an embrace of willful ignorance and idiocy. The media did not create Joe Wilson. He choose to shout out "You Lie!" and he chose to blatantly distort the truth while it sits quietly, waiting for someone to search the text of the health care bill. But people are choosing not to do so. They are choosing to believe talking heads and frightened politicians over actual facts, and this is where our current crisis lies. The media is a reflection of what we, as a people, are willing to accept and support. And the foundations of our democracy are in serious peril if our populace is choosing to remain uninformed.
President Obama, we have far greater problems than ratings battles.
Race? Nah, it's not about race...
I am also getting tired of the constant bobbing and weaving (notice I did NOT say "shuck and jive" because the two terms are NOT synonymous) when it comes to an actual conversation about race. I will agree with Obama that race is "catnip" for the media - but that is only because they like to bat around the same tired conversations and ignore the actual issues. Rarely do we hear a discussion of systemic racism, of the racialized aspects of poverty and unemployment. Instead, it's the same old game of "Is this racist? - He said/She said" which tries to max out the controversy while minimizing historical context and solutions.
Unfortunately, instead of elevating the conversation, Obama is sticking to the we-are-one-nation narrative - even where there are some clear divisions emerging:
In a number of interviews, Obama also addressed the tone of a heated summer debate over healthcare, and President Carter's contention that racism underlies critics' Hitler comparisons and other harsh attacks on Obama.
Obama disagreed with Carter, saying that the invective instead reflected the kind of turmoil that is common "when presidents are trying to bring about big changes."
"Are there people out there who don't like me because of race? I'm sure there are," Obama told CNN's John King. "That's not the overriding issue here."
Obama told NBC News' David Gregory, "Look, I said during the campaign, 'Are there some people who still think through the prism of race when it comes to evaluating me or my candidacy?' Absolutely. Sometimes they vote against me for that reason, sometimes they vote for me for that reason."
He took a longer view of his critics' motivations: "It's an argument that's gone on for the history of this republic, and that is, What's the right role of government? . . . This is not a new argument, and it always invokes passions."
Ummhmm...tell that to Little Miss I Want My Country Back.
The GOP Says
(Aside to the Politico: Reax? Really? To put the -cts on the end was too much?)
The Republicans provided their usual non-option in response to the increasingly grim health care plan:
"We can fix our current system. We can make it work better. We don't have to throw it away and have the big government plan that we see moving through the House. And if you look at what the president has been supporting, it's this big government plan," said House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Boehner said Republican reform ideas include allowing small businesses to form national associations to buy health care, allowing people to buy insurance across state lines and reforming medical malpractice liability laws.
"I don't know that the tone of the debate has gotten out of control," said Boehner, adding that people are intensely engaged because the debate affects them personally.
Clearly, John Boehner has access to meds. And they must be working well, for him to spout that bullshit without blinking. The tone alone is cause for concern - I know I am not the only one waiting to see a protester frothing at the mouth on national television. And again, making incremental reforms isn't helping the 44 million Americans without care, or the tens of millions of Americans with inadequate care who are routinely denied services they need. Making it easier for people to access this fucked up system is not the same as fixing this fucked up system.
However, the stance of one Olympia Snowe is a good sign:
Ms. Snowe has not endorsed either Democratic health care bill in the Senate. No Republican has.
But in an interview, she offered a surprisingly robust endorsement of Mr. Obama's skepticism about expanding government too much, his willingness to accommodate different views and his assertion that Washington must act now after decades of failure.
Those views directly contradict the assertions of Republican leaders, who accuse Mr. Obama of pursuing a radical expansion of government, spurning dialogue and unduly rushing to enact his agenda. Ms. Snowe's analysis of the discrepancy: she has maintained traditional Republican principles over 30 years in Washington, while her party has moved past them to the right.
"I haven't changed as a Republican," she said. "I think more that my party has changed."
That it has.
Overall, I didn't feel at all different about any of the issues after watching the Sunday rounds. I'm still not a fan of David Gregory on Meet the Press and I am still grieving for Tim Russert. I am saddened at the dilution of the news as an entity and the rise of news as sport. I am aware of why politicians choose to dodge key questions and stick with talking points, but I am annoyed anyway. And I find myself agreeing with Howard Kurtz, when he notes,
And the more [Obama] waltzes onto every show this side of "Dancing With the Stars," the more he risks being seen as just another programming element, his words quickly fading into the electronic ether.
Meet the Press [MSNBC]
Obama chides media [Politico]
Andrew Cuomo on Obama: 'You Can't Shuck And Jive' at a press conf [Pam's House Blend]
In media blitz, Obama says vitriol isn't racism-based [LA Times]
GOP reax to Obama interviews [Politico]
The President's Best Hope in the G.O.P. [NY Times]
Obama's TV Blitz: On The Air, but Off His Game? [Washington Post]


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Washington, Dec 11: HSBC, the British banking giant, will pay $1.9 billion to settle a money-laundering probe by federal and state authorities in the United States, a law enforcement official said on Monday.
The probe of the Europe's largest bank by market value has focussed on the transfer of billions of dollars on behalf of nations like Iran, which are under international sanctions, and the transfer of money through the U.S. financial system from Mexican drug cartels.
According to the official, HSBC will pay $1.25 billion in forfeiture and pay $655 million in civil penalties.
The $1.25 billion figure is the largest forfeiture ever in a case involving a bank. Under what is known as a deferred prosecution agreement, the financial institution will be accused of violating the Bank Secrecy Act and the Trading with the Enemy Act.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the source was not authorised to speak about the matter on the record.
Under the deferred prosecution arrangement, HSBC will admit to certain misconduct, the official said, but the details of those admissions to be made in a New York court were not immediately available late Monday.
Nevertheless the deferred prosecution agreement means the bank won't be prosecuted further if it meets certain conditions, such as strengthening its internal controls to prevent money laundering.
The Justice Department has used such arrangements often in cases involving large corporations, notably in settlements of foreign bribery charges.
The law enforcement official said an announcement of the agreement could come as early as Tuesday.
The London-based bank said it is cooperating with investigations but that those discussions are confidential.
In regard to HSBC and Mexico, a U.S. Senate investigative committee reported that in 2007 and 2008 HSBC Mexico sent to the United States about $7 billion in cash.
The committee report said that large an amount of cash indicated illegal drug proceeds.
Money-laundering by banks has become a priority target for U.S. law enforcement.
In another case on Monday, a British bank, Standard Chartered, which was accused of scheming with the Iranian government to launder billions of dollars, signed an agreement with New York regulators to settle their investigation with a $340 million payment.
Since 2009, Credit Suisse, Barclays, Lloyds and ING all paid heavy settlements related to allegations that they moved money for people or companies that were on the U.S. sanctions list.
Credit Suisse, Switzerland's second largest bank, agreed to pay $536 million. The authorities said the bank violated U.S. economic sanctions by hiding the booming illegal business it was doing for Iranian banks.
Barclays paid $298 million. The big British bank allegedly engaged in $500 million in illegal transactions with banks in Cuba, Iran, Libya, Sudan and Myanmar for more than a decade.
Lloyds, another major British bank, agreed to forfeit $350 million for allegedly helping customers skirt U.S. sanctions on business transactions with Sudan, Iran and Libya.
Dutch bank ING paid $619 million to settle charges that it secretly moved billions of dollars through the U.S. financial system on behalf of Cuban and Iranian customers.
Last summer, the Senate investigation concluded that HSBC's lax controls exposed it to money laundering and terrorist financing.
The report also blamed U.S. regulators — it said they knew the bank had a poor system to detect problems but failed to take action.
Senator Carl Levin, the committee chairman, cited instances in which HSBC had promised to fix deficiencies after being sanctioned by regulators but failed to carry through.
Levin also said the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the U.S. agency that oversees the biggest banks, tolerated HSBC's weak controls against money laundering for years and that agency examiners who had raised concerns were overruled by their superiors.
In January, HSBC hired Stuart Levey, a former Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, as its chief legal officer.
And a former policy adviser in the Obama administration, Preeta Bansal, in October became HSBC's global general counsel for litigation and regulatory affairs.


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One, Inc. v. Olesen (1958)
The U.S. Post Office and the FBI deemed One: The Homosexual Magazine, a lesbian, gay, and bisexual publication, obscene, and as such could not be delivered via U.S. mail. The publishers of the magazine sued, and lost both the first case and the appeal. The Supreme Court accepted the case and reversed it, marking the first time the Supreme Court ruled in favor of homosexuals.
Bowers v. Hardwick (1986)
The Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that consenting adults do not have a constitutional right to engage in homosexual acts in private, upholding a Georgia law. The majority said the "right of privacy" under the Due Process Clause does not give homosexuals the right to engage in sodomy. The "right to privacy" protects intimate marital and familial relations, but the Court said it does not cover gay sodomy because "no connection between family, marriage, or procreation on the one hand and homosexual activity on the other has been demonstrated." This decision, considered a serious blow to the gay-rights movement, was overturned in 2003's Lawrence v. Texas decision.
Romer v. Evans (1996)
In a 6–3 decision, the Supreme Court struck down Colorado's Amendment 2, which denied gays and lesbians protections against discrimination, calling them "special rights." According to Justice Anthony Kennedy, "We find nothing special in the protections Amendment 2 withholds. These protections . . . constitute ordinary civil life in a free society."
Boy Scouts of America v Dale (2000)
In another setback to the gay-rights movement, the Court ruled 5–4, that the Boy Scouts of America have a constitutional right to ban gays because the organization's opposition to homosexuality as part of its "expressive message."
Lawrence v. Texas (2003)
The Supreme Court, 6–3, overruled a Texas sodomy law and voted 5–4 to overturn 1986's Bowers v. Hardwick decision. "The state cannot demean their [gays'] existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime," wrote Justice Kennedy in the majority opinion. In his dissent to Lawrence v. Texas, Justice Scalia said the court has "largely signed on to the so-called homosexual agenda."
The Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage opponents in California did not have standing to appeal the lower court ruling that overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage, known as Proposition 8. The ruling will remove legal battles for same-sex couples wishing to marry in California.
United States v. Windsor (2013)
The Supreme Court ruled that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. In a 5 to 4 vote, the court ruled that DOMA violated the rights of gays and lesbians. The court also ruled that the law interferes with the states' rights to define marriage. It was the first case ever on the issue of gay marriage for the Supreme Court.
Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment requires a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex and to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-state.


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Yeah this anime should have been in a short format .
Its difficult for me to sit for 24 minutes and watch the full episode especially when the art is really colorful and bright and the flow feels very segmented and the characters dont really connect..... It does get annoying.
Maybe I will watch it it again when I feel like it, maybe
There are a lot of really good anime this Fall.
My Avatar is seiyuu Morita san and Me cosplaying at AnimeExpo
ep 4
the only funny part imo
What even
As long as there is a Jojo in the world, anime shall never die.
This anime is really dumb .But I cant stop watching it ..
I just don't know what to do. SURE I was looking for something after Free and I saw Meganebu. First I was like "Sure, I like anime boys in glasses so I KNOW imma like this". It was wrong of me to look at this show like a substitute until Free's seecond season.
I....I can't stop watching it but its soooo goofy. I guess its kinda like that Bobobo show. I didn't know what the heck was going on but it was so funny, I didn't care. But THIS show....I don't know. At first, it looked like a comedy....then a drama with feels....I just don't know.
I guess that's part of the show though. All these guys have glasses and they want to start a club. There's not really a main objective. Well, there WAS but there was no female nurse...so...I don't know what direction this show is going in. I feel so jilted. The characters are so....distant in development....I feel like I missed an introduction episode somewhere. I'll keep watching. I'm sure SOMETHINGs gotta happen that make sense to me. :/
Sometimes, all you need to entertain yourself are your fingers. :) .....wait....
Another bizarre episode, and I took so many screencaps for the /AMP/ thread that I ended up taking a few of 'em and tossing 'em together into a random five-panel comic.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
I will say that the number of laughs per episode is going up for me, but the one that got me this time was
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
the pixelated, censor-beeped, slow-motion eye poke.
As long as there is a Jojo in the world, anime shall never die.
I'm not sure why I'm still watching this to be honest. There's no real plot to keep me interested, the characters aren't being given any development and the laughs feel forced. I agree that this series should be a short, like Miss Monochrome. That animation, though. It's crazy enough to make me want more.
Clearly, I don't know what I'm doing.
ep 5
better ep than the last one, the mantis fight and bike ride were pretty funny at times
What even
ep 6
so far the animation is the only thing that's really making me keep watching, some scenes just look really good
plot is ok but nothing to write home about, it falls flat a couple of times (like the rest of the episodes so far) with only a few good moments
What even
I'm up to episode 5 now.
I'm in love with the animation of course, but I haven't really connected with any of the characters other than Takuma and he gets the least amount of screentime/talking time.
I'm a little let down. I did expect more, but eh. It's not the worst thing I've seen all season. That goes to Kill la Shit.
Anyway, considering dropping at this point, but I may stick through til the end just to see.
i am to be your eyes
Episode 6 is not a highlight for me, I must admit, but at least it introduced our ... antagonists? Can a show like this have those?
As long as there is a Jojo in the world, anime shall never die.
ep 7
the only good part (only part I was paying attention to) was the inner monologue part
those kinds of jokes always make me laugh, can't say the same for the rest of the episode (wasn't really paying much attention to it).
What even
ep 8
I'm surprised I'm still watching this show lol
What even
You and I might be the only ones, Rito. I have to admit that the last handful of episodes has been weaker, but I hope the series comes to a strong finish (... of some kind).
As long as there is a Jojo in the world, anime shall never die.


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Inspiration Backstory: From Beachwood Cafe to My Dining Room
Though inspiration for a home's decor can come from anywhere, I've usually taken my cues from hotels and restaurants. The recent sale of the ornate black glass chandelier that hung in my dining room set the scene. I needed to find a light fixture to replace it. A lunch at The Beachwood Cafe, recently given a brightening up by architect Barbara Bestor, provided the aha moment!
Like my kitchen/dining room, the old coffee shop had a dark 70s feel, complete with knotty pine. New wallpaper by Geoff McFetridge brightens up the space, and Granada tiles provide whimsical splashes of color on the floor. (Like Barbara, I'm especially partial to this variety of tile; Fez, the pattern in the Bestor-designed Intelligensia coffee shop, is a favorite). Hung here and there, dioramas by Claire Cresbo and David Tagel draw the eye around the room, creating a comfortably casual yet stylish setting for the cafe's American classics with an Asian twist. Barbara herself describes the makeover as "half Provençal, half Tokyo supergraphics".
But the (no pun intended) lightbulb moment for me came when I spotted the ginormous paper globe that dominates the cafe's back room. Dramatic without being heavy, it balanced out the pine trim. That was just what I needed to do in my own home. A quick trip to Chinatown, twenty dollars, and a lighting kit (mine's from Ikea), and the 36" globe makes my formerly drab dining room my new favorite spot.
(Photos: photo 2: Bestor Architecture; all other photos: Abigail Stone)


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Car News
2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid Starts Under $36,000
- Pathfinder Hybrid to start at $35,110
- Available in 2- or 4-wheel drive; three trim levels
- Fuel economy rated at 26 mpg combined
Nissan is clearly moving in a cleaner, greener direction with its longstanding SUV, the Pathfinder, first by making it 500 pounds lighter and reducing its engine size for 2013, and now with the roll out of an efficient hybrid model for 2014. The new gas-electric iteration, which debuted at the New York International Auto Show, makes the Pathfinder one of the most fuel-sipping 7-passenger SUVs available.
Official pricing for the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid has been announced, with a starting MSRP of $35,110 (plus $860 destination) for the base SV 2-wheel-drive model. That's $3,000 more than its conventional gas-powered counterpart. The Hybrid will be available in both 2- and 4-wheel drive configurations and in three trim levels. The SL trim begins at $38,050, and the SL Premium starts at $40,700 (plus destination).
The Pathfinder Hybrid is motivated by a supercharged 2.5-liter gasoline engine -- as opposed to the conventional Pathfinder's 3.5-liter powerplant -- working in tandem with a 15-kW electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery. The battery is housed neatly beneath the third-row seat and does not compromise interior passenger room or rear cargo space.
Power is managed by Nissan's Intelligent Dual Clutch System and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Pathfinder Hybrid outputs an impressive 250 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque, comparable to the gas-powered version. However, its towing capacity is much lower at 3,500 pounds (versus 5,000 pounds). The Hybrid is less of a workhorse and more of a people mover.
But in mileage, the hybrid version has the clear advantage. It is 24 percent more efficient than the gas-powered Pathfinder, yielding 25 miles per gallon city/28 mpg hwy and 26 mpg in combined city and highway driving in 2-wheel drive and 25 mpg city/27 mpg hwy/26 mpg combined in 4-wheel drive. And it boasts an interstate driving range of almost 550 miles, making it an exceptional long-distance cruiser.
By comparison, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid brings more power and better mileage at 28 mpg city/28 mpg hwy/28 mpg combined, but it also costs $5,000 more. That means, even with the lesser fuel-economy ratings, the Pathfinder Hybrid is still likely to be the more affordable and economic choice, at least for the first three to five years of ownership.
What it means to you: The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid is a sensible vehicle for families desiring both overall practicality and savings at the pump without compromising performance. And at the price, it should be attainable for many.


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castro | MOST RECENT | POPULAR | BUZZ |
News: World
Rum & Coke: One-woman show explodes the myth of Castro's Cuba
Posted byon 03.12.08 |
"The play was Carmen Peláez' retort to the fascination with Che T-shirts, solidarity tours to Cuba and the endless praise of the revolution's twin pillars of health and education… 'The image is one of the defender of the oppressed and defender of just causes… People who understand the Cuban reality know it is not like that. It is not something they would want for themselves or their own country. Or, they are opportunists who use Cuba as a symbol knowing full well what is happening.'" READ MORE >
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Another group who somehow think they should fall under our Constitution and laws is made up of illegal aliens.
To the editor:
Another group who somehow think they should fall under our Constitution and laws is made up of illegal aliens.
Please take note that I do not fall into the foolish notion that these lawbreakers are immigrants � they are more in the criminal class. They are illegal aliens, and we shouldn�t fall in with the so-called Latino rights organizations who want to call them �immigrants.�
My family and many of your families were true immigrants, and we shouldn�t insult them by calling these lawbreakers �immigrants,� as they are illegal aliens as defined under our laws.
Isn�t it also ironic that the wealthiest man in the world is a Mexican citizen? Mexico can�t be all that bad.
Isn�t it also ironic that among the very first moves King Obama made was the release of thousands of illegal aliens? These are illegals that were rounded up and jailed, being held to be deported. This is supposed to be a cost-cutting move; however, who will feed, clothe and provide medical care for them now? Money spent to transport them to the border would have made more sense.
Obama cut White House tours to save money � how petty. How does that save big money? Obama�s moves are like those of a spoiled kid � if he can�t have his way, he will do little nonsensical things to garner attention. What a way for our president to act. It puts me in mind of the attitudes of the people who voted for this guy. Now they can eat crow as our economy crumbles even further.
Vendettas are no way to settle our economic problems. Democrat voters need to wake up and take a good look around. They would learn that many millionaires and people who consider themselves middle class have earned what they have through education and hard work.
I know these are hard times in which to find a job, but a lot of folks just sitting around with hands out didn�t just start and over the years it has added to today�s woes.
In North Carolina, we offer licenses to certain illegal aliens to whom Obama granted work permits; however, they�re complaining and are not satisfied because our state wants to mark the drivers� licenses with the words, �No Lawful Status.� They claim it is discriminatory and reinforces the attitude that Latinos are second-class citizens which is not true � these illegal aliens are not citizens.
Come on, folks, think about it. We need well-educated people from a variety of other countries. Mexicans and South Americans form a tight clan of people who vote for the things that will help them increase their population in this country. I tried to prove that point in a previous letter, I wrote but The Daily News would not print it.
Mexicans have, for many decades, felt that this country was stolen from them and many want it back; their voting power eventually will accomplish this. Take a look at voting percentages for he last election, their vote turned the tide.
Obama talks immigration reform � polite wording for illegal-alien reform; yet he has not committed to better border security. As an American and President of the United States where are his ties? He is a joke when it comes to dealing with illegal aliens and now it�s time for payback for his Hispanic vote.
Folks wake up, this is our country. If the Mexicans and South Americans here don�t like the way it is, they can go home � the return will be easy as there are few fences to climb over.
God bless America and all true Americans.
Gerald Theriault