text:
By Moni Basu, CNN
(CNN) - Penn State has had its share of controversy for a while, but this week it is getting some more unwanted attention.
The university's Chi Omega sorority chapter is under investigation after a photo with Mexican stereotypes surfaced on a social media site.
It shows a group of sorority members dressed in ponchos and sombreros and wearing fake mustaches. One woman holds a sign that says: "Will mow lawn for weed + beer." Another sign says: "I don't cut grass. I smoke it."
The photograph was taken at a Mexican-themed party around Halloween, according to the independent college blog, Onward State. It was posted last week on Tumblr.
The university's Panhellenic Council said it had received concerns about the photo and that the council does not condone derogatory behavior from members.
"The Penn State Panhellenic Council recognizes the offensive nature of the photo and is therefore taking the matter very seriously," the executive board said in a statement.
"We are addressing the situation immediately with the members of the chapter in conjunction with their national headquarters," it said. "Our council and all its members strive to hold ourselves to a high standard and are disappointed by any failure to meet these expectations."
Jessica Riccardi, president of the Chi Omega chapter at Penn State, released an apology to The Daily Collegian newspaper.
"Our chapter of Chi Omega sincerely apologizes for portraying inappropriate and untrue stereotypes," she said. "The picture in question does not support any of Chi Omega's values or reflect what the organization aspires to be."
The connections to the sorority were discovered through members' names tagged on Facebook, Onward State said. The posts have since been taken down.
Penn State public relations director Lisa Powers said that university officials have had conversations with Chi Omega members and that the women have expressed "deep remorse."
"The students in the photo are within their First Amendment rights to express themselves in this way, although we are certainly appalled that they would display this level of insensitivity and lack of judgment," Powers said.
"Because the right of free expression is guaranteed under the Constitution - for both behaviors we disagree with or for those that we support - we are approaching this as a teachable moment to engage this group of young women in discussions about their actions and to further educate them about diversity issues," she said.
Powers said the national leadership of Chi Omega will have to decide if disciplinary action is warranted.
A statement from Chi Omega headquarters said, "Personal degradation has no place in our organization, even if such behavior is meant facetiously or in jest. The Chi Omega national organization is taking this situation very seriously and is being thoughtful and deliberate regarding any sanctions or educational directives for the chapter."
At least one student at Penn State demanded a direct apology from Chi Omega to all Latinos.
"This is not a joke. This is our culture," said Ariel Coronel, president of the Penn State Latino Caucus.
She was shocked when she first saw the photo and said the signs the women were holding were especially offensive.
"There's a huge drug war going on in Mexico and you have a sign that says, 'We will mow lawns for weed and beer,' " Coronel said. "It's wrong on so many levels. How can you think this is OK?"
The reactions to the incident varied on Twitter. Here are two:
@ChiOmegaPSU The incredible amount of racism put into your "mexican" party was disgusting.—
Oscar Moises (@KidMacabre) December 04, 2012
@OnwardState @ChiOmegaPSU Maybe some people need to be a little less sensitive... Have a thicker skin and be less PC.—
Greg Woll (@gaw150) December 04, 2012
That thought, by what I can at the present adjoining move toward to articulate it, is this
Stupid is as stupid does. Stupid people doing stupid things. I though that was what sororities and frats were all about: harboring the stupid.
To say this is not hateful is completely stupid. Go crawl back into your bottle until after you graduate, they be shell shocked when you come into modern society and get fired for stupidity like this in a workplace.
And I thought that collegiate societies were meant to expand the social worldview of their members and prepare them to be well-connected professionals. By the looks of it, getting them ready to shell peas in front of a singlewide with a Maverick menthol sticking out of the sides of their mouths seems more like it.
Shame on these girls, who are supposed to be young women, not silly children getting a quality, expensive education at Penn State, one of the finest universities in America. Shame on their behavior because as an educator of young children, I know each of those girls were taught some values by a parent or a teacher when they were 7,8 maybe 9 years old...the age of reason I will add...that you are to respect others and do unto others as you would like done unto you. Drinking...or a "cutsey" little aren't we cute photo op. just doesn't cut it for me! Grow up and be worthwhile GIRLS. Who took the photo, by the way??? What was that person actually thinking???...oh, nobody was "thinking" that night at all.
Like this sort of thing doesn't happen every day at universities nationally and across the world. But stick PSU on the headline and oooooh... it's oozing with controversy.
And Mexican is not a race, the anthropology building is that way ->
Chris you sound very simple minded . I pray that you don't have any children because they would be in trouble. Mexician is definitely a race and this was definitely a senseless act of racism.
Mexican is a nationality, not a race. You could be a white, black or asian Mexican. Although that doesn't make the photo any less stupid.
Who cares...everyone who goes to college knows Chi Omega is nothing but a sororitute factory...LOL...not much brain up there at all
First of all remember that USA is the biggest drug-consumer country in the world. If someone sells is because someone consume...Second: Your americans are always thinking that latinos come to your country, but, How many americans are ready to clean bathrooms, work with very low salaries, without any rights? You relay on the immigrant workers even to clean your house, because you can do it for yourself. Third: If some University in other country publishes something against American Army, or American people? How you will react?. You think that you are the first country in the world because you have money and a dirty, values-empty society ...But there are people and countries that dont have money but something that you never will have: A culture, traditions, and MORAL values.
Ok moose, So why such a scandal with Psy's anti-american rap? It's only a song!!
As I Mexican-American, I was not offended by the picture. That was until I saw the racism on the posters in the front.
What racism? Anybody living in a state next to mexico has seen what the cards say. Get over it. If the truth bothers you stay indoors.
So youd get over a black sorority having a white trash party?
Mexican is not a race.
Classy. That's why I never became a sororitute.
Invite me to your next "Spoiled, White and Racially Insensitive Party"! I'll bring the ignorance and chips. Or are you guys all set on the ignorance? Ok, just chips then...
What pits us against each other, are things that are most common to all of us, regardless of race or ethnicitiy. It is important that we all have the freedom to express ourselves, whether we agree with these opinions or not. In turn, we should all have the freedom to openly express our counter opinion, with out prejudice. Or, we could have a very "polite" society and not express anything that would negatively impact anyone else. I suspect we would have a pretty quiet society.
I think we should be able to contiue to evolve as a society, and accpet the fact that people do and say insensative things, but are not motived by malice. So for those that are personnely negatively impacted by this photo, feel free to express your feelings. The rest of you go back inside, there is nothing here.
Then campaign to give Illinois back its Chief, instead of espousing your beliefs only when it affects you.
Personally? I'd prefer a society where it doesn't cross anyone's mind to negatively stereotype people who aren't like them.
At the very least, I'd prefer a society that actually thinks about the effects of the words they use when referring to people who are 'different' than they are, rather than just seeing it as an "opportunity" for discussion.. You know. Words like n1gger and crippled and f@ggot and...well, you get my drift.
The two signs weren't necessary, and I'll bet those girls would have had just as much fun without them.
Hmmm...strange that I never see these types of stories around St. Patrick's Day. I guess it's okay to completely smear & stereotype a culture as long as its members are white. My suggestion to the folks who were offended by this; get the heck over it. Millions of folks w/Irish heritage brush off ignorance on an annual basis without so much as a peep. Then again, we came to America & made our own luck. American first, Irish Always.
Hey Paine Sense, when the stereotype depicts something that is unflattering – like cutting grass or eating beans – then that's when it's wrong. St. Patrick's day is about wearing green and drinking beer. You don't see anybody making fun of Ireland's potato famine.
If Mexicans would just act more white we wouldn't have this problem.
Thanks for your useless comment.
This is beyond stupid!!! Why on earth would a Mexican have to act white????? Give me a reson as to why Mexican should stop being who they are to please people like you. If Mexicans were to act white we wouldn't have food, roads, buildings...(let me narrow it down for you -we wouldn't have anything!!!) You stop and think about what you have before you go criticize, judge, and talk stupid about Mexicans. Who not only work to feed their family but also to work for the necessity of those white people who would never be able to work in the kind of fields Mexicans work in.
This is just silly- people need to lighten up.
Not at all. Or do yo think we should have a Black day or a Chinese day? Try Jewish day and see what happens.
Wait, we gave each of those groups an entire month...
As a Mexican American I am not offended by this picture. I think we need to lighten up. Yes there is a big drug war that is funded by many people like the ones on the photo. Yes they are stereotyping Mexicans from the north. But to be offended by this is a little too much. Mexican jokes are my favorite jokes. I love it when my friends of different ethnicity tell me a Mexican joke. To be honest I chuckled when I saw this photo. The truth is I know that if this was a group of Mexicans or even brown people this would have not made headlines. The fact is these girls are mainly white and having fun with other cultures. I don't want an apology. In fact they should have another Mexican party and have real authentic Mexican food and real Mexican Tequila. None of this Patron crap. The real racists here are the people that care what another ethnicity does or says.
That is a real weak way to avoid having to recognize that you are being made fun of. As for me, I have a strong sense of self-respect as a Mexican American and don't appreciate the motive here. Do you think they would do this in a neighborhood populated my Mexicans? No, they do it in the comfort of their priviledged and secluded quarters where they know they can surround themselves with people who aren't going to call them out on just being rude. I grew up where the population was 98% Hispanic and now attend an Ivy League school. The contrast of demographics, as you can imagine, is incredible and I can definitely tell when things are done in jest and when they are meant to degrade an image. Do you honestly think they sat around and had a constructive conversation about how the Mexican government can improve their international appeal for the sake of their dying tourism or solve the drug cartel corruption in the military? Please man, don't just roll over and shake hands when your value is being mocked.
Here's a specist comment. All humans are pretty stupid. It's funny b'cause so many of them think they are smart. They live in their own little world never looking too far beyond their tiny noses. No wonder they think they are at the center of everything!
Mob mentality. Dumb 19 year old girls who just want to party. I wonder if anyone in this Penn State sorority stopped and said: "Um, isn't this a racist theme? Um, I've got other plans that night. Sorry, guys."
Did anyone else besides me notice that there are at least three and perhaps four hispanic girls in the picture? This strikes me as a major overreaction to typical college silliness. After all Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong build a whole career, which they continue to be well regarded for by the way, for exactly the same type of humor sans sombreros.
Thirty-six percent of Latinos identify their race as white, according to the Pew Hispanic center.
And? What's your point? O a caso te crees mas por eso?
My goodness, why are there so many dumb comments on this story? How in the heck do you know which girls are Hispanic in this grainy, low quality picture? So using your logic: If they were making fun of black people and were wearing slave shackles, and if one of the girls was black, then it would be totally OK. Is that your thinking?
Sharkstone wins.
Sharkstone loses no matter what.
I didn't know sombreros were racist
Meet the Penn State 2012 batch of CEO sugar babies.
Racism is only funny to racist.
This is not racism, it is not racial humor, it is bigotry.
There is no such thing as a Mexican race.
Hispanic and Latino are ethnicities, not races. Mexican and Canadian are nationalities. According to the Pew Hispanic center, 36% of Latinos identify their race as white.
Hispanic/Latino is not an ethnicity, but a blanket term for several different ethnicities (i.e. Puerto Rican, Mexican, Domincan, etc.), just as white is a blanket term for all ethnicities within the breadth of European.
As a mexican, the newly "elected" mexican government offends me more than this bunch of kids
The only reason this photo has surfaced and made "news" is because these women are members of a sorority. How many other people (high school, college, professionals) have dressed up as mexicans before? Heck, mexican costumes are even sold at stores nation wide, but no one makes a scene when an average joe posts a photo of himself on Facebook dressed in a poncho and sombrero slugging tequila. Of course, these women are completely wrong and have embarrassed themselves and anyone who wears greek letters, however this photo is only a big deal because it is a sorority.
It is a shame that these women are perpetuating the tacky stereotype that sororities consist only of party animals and ignorant girls, but that is not the truth. The photo is extremely offensive of course, but I am sure that was not their intention. Also, as a member of a sorority myself, one that upholds its ideals to the highest standards, I implore people to be forgiving. Not ALL sororities do these things and I just hope that greek letters do not become synonymous with insensitivity because of one such act.
Seriously? This makes the news? People, get over yourselves. Boo hoo. Every culture, religion, race has been enslaved, or slave holders. People make fun, tease, mock, oh well.....
There are atrocities today, everywhere, and you are worried about some kids spoofing a culture? You need to look on the internet about 30 seconds to find 1,000's of items actually worthy of outrage....this ain't one of them.
What do these girls know about ethnicity where they were raised in a non-pluralistic society. Of course they will make fun of other ethnicity. These girls KNOW that they should not have denigrate the African American culture. Obviously they are not making fun of the AA girls. But they don't know enough about other cultures.
They seem not to be able to comprehend the concept that being RACIST is not fashionable. As a nation we have moved past this or we ARE TRYING Very hard to move away from it.
At my school we combined our yearly block party with Cinco de Mayo. Some people got offended, but most realized there was no malice in what we did. Cinco de Mifflin had too many police anyways
FYI, 5 de Mayo is not important in Mexico. Still do not understand why in the USA celebrated this date as an important date for Mexicans.
Our big celebration is on September 16, due the independence from Spanish crown.
Cool. I never knew that. I think Cinco de Mayo is hyped up by liquor companies and restaurants to bump up sales of their products before summer. In the same vein, almost, as "Black Friday" for partiers.
FYI, 5 de Mayo is not important in Mexico. Still do not understand why in USA celebrated this date as an important date for Mexicans.
Our big celebration is on September 16, due the independence from Spanish crown.
"we are approaching this as a teachable moment to engage this group of young women in discussions about their actions and to further educate them about diversity issues," she said."
Now this is effin funny. The school is going educate these girls for doing what the first amendment allows them to do.
I swear, white liberals are white people worst nightmare. White people shouldn't worry about blacks, or any other group thats out to destroy them. They should be worry about white liberals, because it is this very group that will destroy white people.
I would encourage evryone to make more of these jokes so that the white liberals would destroy white people sooner. Who's with me?
RacistsGoneWild, clearly you missed the point. This is not about the first amendment. No on denied them the right to express/write what they felt. I do not understand how you got to that point. Please enlighten. I look forward to making all your points sound ridiculous.
I know I'm probably not the first one to say it, but I'm am sick of these silly over privileged white girls. (I'm white btw) Maybe they should spend more time educating themselves about cultural diversity at the University that I'm sure their Indulgent parents are paying for instead of spending so much time on their identical blowout hairdos, short shorts and spray tans. It's the superficiality and ignorance of so many young women today that drives me nuts. Susan B. Anthony is rolling over in her grave.
Thirty-six percent of Latinos identify their race as white. Please don't forget that Latino/Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race.
White Latino, racism does not mean necessarily mean discriminating on the basis of race. Racism is also used to describe discrimination on an ethnic or cultural basis, independent from whether these differences are racial. Your entire point of Mexicans not being a race is moot. Racism can still affect Mexicans based on ethnic or cultural discrimination.
Irony gone wild. Hating while encouraging others to quit the hate.
Like I said earlier, it's white liberals like you that will ultimately destroy white people.
Nice irony, bro.
I believe that all this racism needs to stop because darlings if you havent noticed were everywhere and The United States of America depends on us so i dont think you want people getting offended over your disgusting pictures!
It is not racism. It is inappropriate. Latino/Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race. Mexican and Canadian are nationalities. According to the Pew Hispanic survey, 36% of Latinos identify their race as white.
White Latino, racism does not mean necessarily mean discriminating on the basis of race. Racism is also used to describe discrimination on an ethnic or cultural basis, independent from whether these differences are racial. Your entire point of Mexicans not being a race is moot. Racism can still affect Mexicans based on ethnic or cultural discrimination.
We don't need you at all actually. Our laws protect your illegal invasion or else we'd bounce you out with extreme prejudice.
You need to learn to coexist. Illegal now or illegal 200 years ago? The indigenous people of this land would haul you out and hang you by your feet according to your own laws of illegal aliens. You would be called a foreign invader.
These stereotypes portrayed are not funny or helpful in any way. There is a fine line between stereotypes and racism, and it is very thin. Stereotypes have been used to justify many historical atrocities. During the slavery era, the pervading stereotype was that African Americans were unintelligent, subpar, and scientifically not "human". These "facts" justified slavery.
Seriously, you need educating. A. Slavery was first and foremost about economic. No one in their right mind wants to own another person for fun, unless it save them money, or making money for them. B. these girls were having fun and C. Mexican is not a race.
As for stereotyping, I can assured you that almost all day laborers I know are Mexican. It maybe stereotyped in your little bubble, but it's the reality for many of these day laborers. I know because I hire them.
For some reason, CNN cut off the rest of my post. This was part of a bigger point I was trying to make. I will put up the rest when I get home. But first, let me address your points. (A) I do agree that slavery was first and foremost for economic profit. But you would be naive to think that negative racial stereotypes did not play a role in justifying the use of slavery. There is a plethora of evidence that points to what Whites thought of blacks as a way to validate slavery. (B) I agree that the girls were having fun. I doubt they meant this with malicious intent. But having fun at the expense of others is not excusable. Nor is ignorance. You can have fun doing so many other things than unfairly portray an ethnic minority. These ladies will be our future leaders, neighbors, coworkers, and if future race relations are to get better, claiming ignorance and having "fun" is a flimsy defense. (c) And yes, Mexican is not a race. (This requires another long subject; the concept of race is extremely debatable) However, they can be considered an ethnic group. And racism is discrimination on an ethnic or cultural basis, independent of whether these differences are described as racial.
As for stereotypes, I can assure you that all white people are racist. It may be stereotyped in your little bubble, but its the reality for many of these people. I know because I always hear white people disparage other minorities. (In case you couldn't tell I was not being serious) This just shows how ridiculous your second argument is based on. You suffer from the logical fallacy of over generalization. Clearly, you need some educating.
Latino is an ethnicity, not a race. Mexican is a nationality. According to the Pew Hispanic center, 36% of Latinos identify their race as white. This isn't a racist photograph (inappropriate? yes) and in no way has anything whatsoever to do with slavery.
White Latino, racism does not mean necessarily mean discriminating on the basis of race. Racism is also used to describe discrimination on an ethnic or cultural basis, independent from whether these differences are racial. Your entire point of Mexicans not being a race is moot. Racism can still affect Mexicans based on ethnic or cultural discrimination.
Their only remorse is they got caught! How could ANYONE not see how this was a bad idea?
This is like the UCLA student ranting about asians in the library...people need to think before they act.
And by reinforcing these stereotypes, a whole nation decided to systematically kill an entire ethnic group. (Do you see why these stereotypes can be dangerous?) I can't say much about Cheech and Chong because I don't know about it. Or about Boardwalk Empire. But the point is, its sad to see you defend this. Images like these reinforce negative untrue stereotypes and lead to strained racial relationships in the U.S. It goes against the very ideal that "all men are created equal". I truly hope that you have learned a little bit. This is not a colorblind society that you may think it is. Please educate yourself for the good of this country.
Please get educated, please read the definition of stereotype. After you do that realize that the reason the word exist is because it's TRUE. And just because someone is having fun with it doesn't make it offensive. I have paid a mexican with weed to mow my lawn. He was happy to take it. Ignorance hides the truth and its people that refuse to see the truth that are ignorant.
david, this post was meant as a reply for Telwell. You can read my responses. And yes I do know the definition of stereotype...Do you??? A stereotype is a thought or generalization about specific types of individuals, but that belief may or may not accurately reflect reality. So a stereotype DOESN'T MEAN ITS TRUE. And I agree, having fun doesn't have to be offensive but this image is. Stereotypes have justified historical atrocities, such as slavery (Africans were thought to be subpar/ not human), internment camps (Asians were thought to be disloyal to America), and the Holocaust (Germans blamed their economic downturn on Jews who were stereotyped as stingy money grubbers). Your one instance where you paid a Mexican weed to mow your lawn does not mean that for all Mexicans. Your defense gives credence to other bigoted people who may use this to justify whatever unfair generalizations they have towards other ethnic minorities. Instead of defending this as a joke, or telling people to be less sensitive, why not tell others to be less ignorant? When we understand each others' cultures, maybe we can more forward as a nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
If this weren't a Penn State sorority then it wouldn't be getting anywhere near this level of attention. It's just some dumb college kids being politically incorrect and expressing their overall ignorance.
anyone surprised by any of this has clearly neer been to college. Stupid theme parties drug humor, etc etc is the norm. Not saying Mexican jokes are ok,not at all, BUT all the people acting shocked and outraged that a bunch of college kids would wear sombreros and act like this have never walked down a bar street on Cinco De Mayo. "If this is shocking, somebody has been living a cave for 40 years."
No, the shocking thing is that these peers of mine are going to be the future. Race relations are strained in the United States and images like these do not help.
Of course if they were wearing a Sombrero,,,,and nothing else.....who'd complain?
So as an Irishman, should I be offended on March 17th when every fool and their brother runs around all cities and town in Canada, the US and every where else getting completely waisted on green beer and yelling Paddy with every second breath? Should we ban Cheech and Chong movies? Every mob movie? Boardwalk Empire? How about we refrain from using the word Chicago. No more accounting or money related comments about our wonderful Jewish communities, not even if they joke about it themselves no more head dresses on non-native/first nations people, no more red neck jokes about Texans, we can't dude or radical when referring to Californians... shall I continue? I noticed a few Spanish Americans in that photo, are they now kicked out of the their own culture???
Telwell, the picture is offensive because it unfairly stereotypes Mexicans as people who mow lawns and smoke weed. Whether or not you want to be offended when people call you paddy is up to you. However, I would like to point out that during the 1800's Irish Catholics were unfairly discriminated against by Protestant Americans. The Irish were subject to misrepresentations of their religious and cultural beliefs; their folklore and customs were ridiculed and were considered to be demonic. NINA signs (No Irish Need Apply) were extremely prevalent. (Is this starting to sound a little familiar?) And for your Texan or California stereotype it does not carry the same degree as racial stereotypes do. There are many stigmatizations (religion, region, etc) but membership in a racial minority can be considered neither self induced nor alterable. Poverty can be eliminated, but color cannot.
Also, I would like to point out that after the 1800's, the Irish became more integrated into society. Today's racism is different because there is a distinct color contrast between ethnic minorities like Latinos, Blacks, and Asians to Whites, than there is to Irish and Whites. As for your Jews comment, you can definitely talk about accounting or money just like to any other person. However, to make unfair generalizations like Jews are stingy is ridiculous and I don't think that it is very funny. You may think it is funny, but there is a bloody history behind these stereotypes that you may espouse and reinforce. When Germany went down in the dumps, Hitler scapegoated the Jews blaming them for the economic downturn by using these well known stereotypes.
And by reinforcing these stereotypes, a whole nation decided to systematically kill an entire ethnic group. (Do you see why these stereotypes can be dangerous?) I can't say much about Cheech and Chong because I don't know about it. Or about Boardwalk Empire. But the point is, its sad to see you defend this. Images like these reinforce negative untrue stereotypes and lead to strained racial relationships in the U.S. It goes against the very ideal that "all men are created equal". I truly hope that you have learned a little bit. This is not a colorblind society that you may think it is. Please educate yourself for the good of this country.
Please get educated
You are point on!!! I could not have said it better myself. Thanks for the brief history lesson....
It can be seen in two ways ,, they are white and just because of that they can make fun of us Mexicans we can understand that we Mexicans have so much jokes at your ex..... what I don't approve and understand is the sign do they knew how many thousands had died in the hands of the drug cartels? or they can be plain stupid and post the picture when they already know that is going to cause some troubles but again they are just PLAIN STUPID,,I bet their parents who are paying for their education are really proud of them. What makes me sad is that this bright girls are our future...... by the looks of thins we are DOOM
Lawl the one Asian.
Guess i'll dress up as the KKK for Halloween as a joke. It'll be ok because I meant it "to be funny" and people need to stop being so "pc". I expect those who think the picture is funny to defend me...
Yes, because supporting an organization responsible for wishing harm on others or killing others is somehow relevant to this picture. lol
I guess if we are going to go to that extreme we can start by wearing costumes that depict almost every religious stereo type as well... because none of them have blood on their hands... my point being as far from relevant to the images as the KKK's is.
This isn't 1950, you think whites don't get their share of racist jokes or stereotypes? Puh leez, I sat right in a mexican restaurant and listened to the waitress talk smack about the white customers in spanish. I didn't go home and cry to cnn about it, I thanked her for her thoughtless comments in spanish. The irish are pretty white and we mock them every year with a day of green beer and drunken stupidity, do you see the media jumping that bandwagon? There are a number of different nationalities in that picture, but the most obvious trait they all share is the fact that they are young and not yet exposed to the bitterness the rest grow into with adulthood, so I would chalk it up to experience and let it go..
i wouldn't be hurt by any jokes if I was member of the dominant group in america with most of the opportunity, money, and education.
Precisely. I am part Mexican, born and raised in Fresno, CA and about as Americanized as can be, but with so many prejudices stemming from the immigration problem, this makes it bad for any person of Latin descent.
Where is the like button?
To all the people who are condoning hateful/harmful speech because it is "humorous" and that people need to be less politically correct, you guys really need to study the effects of racism. If someone dressed up as the KKK for Halloween, would you still think that people need to be less politically correct or that is was a joke? Clearly we do not live in a colorblind society that so many Americans espouse.
To compare this representation of Mexicans in America to the KKK is ridiculous.
Ok I apologize, I should have made the link clearer. I would like to start off though by saying that we cannot understand racism unless we look back in history. The reason why I used the KKK was to make an extreme point. Before the KKK, Whites believed African Americans to be scientifically inferior/subhuman. As time went on, many of these stereotypes changed and that Blacks were incapable of taking care of themselves, were unintelligent, etc. etc. These same stereotypes helped fuel a blacklash when African Americans began to fight for their civil rights and KKK believed that there were somehow superior to blacks (which was a historical stereotype)
that is hilarious... good going girls.
Absolutely.. good going. There is a Mexican sorority somewhere dressing up as Snooki..
...get educated. Mocking Snooki is mocking her as an individual, not because of her Italian heritage. The picture is clearly making fun of the Mexican race as a whole. Your sense of logic is appalling.
Mexican is a nationality you absolute complete waste of a soul. It is not a race. Just like American is not a race. None of this is racist at all. Crying, whimpering, white-hating, racist liberals. . .you all get to live with the trash once American divides itself. Good luck with your 'no-racism' society.
Boyce: Please leave this country. We have absolutely no use for you. Thank you.
New Penn State motto: We're just racists. We're not raping children anymore! See, not so bad!
I find it more offensive how Latinos in general are portrayed in the media. They are always cooks, dishwashers, gang members, or maids. Also they are always depicted by some one with a "stereotypical" appearance. Latinos come in all shapes and colors. One perfect example is Sofia Vergara. She is a natural blonde but to make her seem more "believable" as a Latina she dyed her hair brown. If you think Latinos only have one look, you need to educate yourself on the history of Latin America.
I believe that this is yet another result of people's inability to clearly understand Baye's theorem and conditional probability. Although many cleaning people, gardeners, etc are Latino, but that doesn't mean that most Latino's are cleaning people or gardeners.
I fail to see the problem here. We as people constantly publicly bash stereotypes for fun. So what if a bunch of drunk college girls pose as some Mexican stereotype. I've seen countless pictures of people making fun of drunk college girls(especially blonde ones).
All i know is: I'd hit it.
So if everyone does it that makes it all right?
Please do us a favor and get educated. If you don't understand the harmful effects of hate speech, let me teach you. Studies have shown psychological damage: (1) Minority mothers denied the significance of color in their lives, yet were morbidly sensitive to matters of race. Some identified excessively with whites, accepting whiteness as superior. ( (2)see how African American children choose their dolls; when asked they said the white doll was the better one) (3) The stresses of racial abuse lead to higher blood pressure, hypertension, and risk of stroke. Racism goes against our very principle that "all men are created equal". The fact that you just think this is funny makes me sad.
Really? Is that how it goes Jonnie Boy? Aww, poor hate speech victims. I think we ought to just give up all our whites, heh, I mean rights as whites people (I am so racist, I just cant stop thinking about being white) and apologize for every offense ever done to anyone liberals see as offensive to anyone even remotely non-white, no matter how insignificant it is. That will solve the issues of poverty, poor education, crime, and their lack of adherance to Federal tax and immigration law. 'Mexicans' deserve all that respect from our society. Funny thing thoughts that once they play by the rules and actually get citizenship, they are not Mexican anymore.
Jon, I would not bother with the ignorant posts, you have made some excellent points and as a person of Native American/Mexican descent and very much Americanized as I was born in Fresno, even I can state this parody from a supposedly intelligent group of women makes ALL Latinos appear as trash.
Boyce, again I please ask you to leave this country. We have no use for you hear and I am sure you would be happier some place else.
To call this picture racially insensitive is absurd .its a picture of the bunch of young people having fun .if someone is offended then they are too sensitive .it's part of the problem with today's world everyone be comes outraged at the slightest thing and the media jumps on board and encourages it .it states that this was a party around Halloween and I'm sure the signs were meant to be funny not to 'represent ' their opinion about latinos..
"Not all just the uneducated lower class folks" See how white people are? They insult you and don't even realize they're insulting you. They want to be right even when they're wrong. F*** penn state and all those stupid mindless white chicks.
"See how white people are?"?? really. . . nope, not a racist/generalizing bone in your body is there?
Obviously your not latin, it does hurt when your stereotyping a race with mowing a lawn or cutting grasses, I mean if I was Mexican, I might feel sad about myself, or my parents and would feel belittled by other race and that is wrong....everyone wants to feel good about themselves and this picture does the opposite...except for those stupid girls
dialeigh* you should dress up as the KKK for halloween and say I meant to be funny and my costume did not 'represent ' my opinion about african americans.. Part of the problem with today's world, is people like you who claim that we live in a colorblind society when clearly it is not true. Grow up. Get Educated.


text: Early County, designated in 1818 directly from Creek Indian land, later divided to create Clay, Calhoun, Dougherty, Mitchell, Gray, Decatur, Miller and Seminole counties. Residents named the county for Peter Early, governor of Georgia, member of Congress and judge of the Ocmulgee Circuit. Blakely, the county seat, is named for Captain Johnston Blakely, commander of the sloop Wasp during the War of 1812.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Don't get me wrong, I will still be blogging and posting about my other non-Valentine related projects. I just wanted the Valentine projects to have a home of their own, so that they could be easily accessed. So for the first, well...second, project in the series...
Hugs and Kisses Cupcake Liner Banner
Reinforcement Circles (nice to have)
Punch a hole through the bottom center of the liners. I did several at a time. It can get a little difficult with a standard hold punch because in order to get into the center, you have to really work in the liners.
Secure the two ends of the yarn with a piece of scotch tape. This makes it easier to 'sew' it through the cups. Take your yarn end and sew it through the holes. Once you get the clumps of cups onto the string, you can separate and distribute them to your liking.
Next, in order to reinforce the hole that I was going to punch in each each letter burst, I glued a little square piece of white paper to the back. If I had been able to locate my reinforcement circles, I would have used them instead. Sigh. Life with teenagers. What can I say?
After punching holes in the tops, I strung a piece of yarn through each letter burst. I chose to use a corresponding Martha Stewart yarn that had white, pink and red. You can design it however you want. I tied them onto the banner making a floppy little bow on top. Once I got them into place on my pine bench, I was able to adjust the locations of the letters to my liking. Here is the completed banner...
I was super pleased with the results. After taking all of maybe 25 seconds to enjoy this and snap an image, I knew the bench needed 'more.' I got to work putting a few things together and arranging them on the bench.
I took this cute, stuffed little owl that I picked up at Pier One last fall and dress her in a little sweetheart of a Valentine outfit!
I put together a few of my vintage whatnots into one of my wooden boxes and scattered a few wooden hearts on a piece of jute around.
I needed a little accent in one spot and decided to add a bow, made from the same yarn I used for the banner, to a small vintage strainer.
Inside this strainer was a polished stone that I must have just thrown in it months ago. Flying by the seat of my pants, like I often do when I am creating, I picked it up, ran into the studio and added a little accent.
So here is my pine bench with the Hugs and Kisses Cupcake Liner Banner and an assortment of Valentine's Day accents and such.
A few more images...
This fun Hugs and Kisses Cupcake Banner takes no time at all and is a lot of fun! I figure it cost me about 3 bucks altogether too. I wanted to show this to you guys early on so that you could grab a bag of these cupcake liners before they sell out! So get over to your local Dollar Store! You've got a banner to make!
Linking this post to:
Valentines Week Linky Party at Shabby Creek Cottage
Valentine Party at Someday Crafts


text:
About us ...
The multidisciplinary nature of the Center for Gender Physiology spans across nearly all of MU's colleges and schools including the School of Medicine, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the School of Health Professions, the School of Nursing, the College of Agriculture, College of Arts an Science and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center.
The Director of our Center is Virginia H. Huxley, PhD. She is also a Professor in the Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Dalton Investigator. Additional information about Dr. Huxley and her lab can be found here. She can be reached by email at email@example.com.
The Center focuses on gender/sex differences in four research areas:
- Cardiovascular Sciences
- Endocrinology/Metabolism
- MusculoskeletalSciences
- Neuroscience
The overall goal of this Center is to make the MU the premiere site in the nation for Gender Physiology research and for the training of scientists interested in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying sex hormone of cell function and ultimately human physiology.
Areas of Interest
- Sex Based Differences in Cardiovascular Science
- Sex Based Differences in Skeletal Muscle/Bone Function/Arthritis
- Sex Based Differences in Neuroscience
- Reproductive Research
- Hormone Action and Development
- Phytoestrogens
- Molecular Biology of Estrogen Receptors


text:
We have collected our PCR animations, videos, and laboratory experiments and put them all in one place. Check out the first Resources Spotlight Collection.
We are enhancing our most popular resources by building collections around them. First up: Polymerase Chain Reaction!
The DNA Learning Center has been developing multimedia animation programs since 1990. These popular programs feature some of the most common molecular processes such as PCR, sequencing, and DNA restriction. View online or download for play from your computer.
Stunning three-dimensional visualizations of cellular and molecular processes. Journey inside a cell as you follow proteins and learn about cellular interactions in Cell Signals. Zoom along a three-dimensional rendering of 650,000 nucleotides of human chromosome 11 to see how little actually encodes protein in Chromosome 11 Flyover. DNA translation, transcription, and replication, and chromosome packaging are presented in several animations featured on DNA Interactive (created by Drew Berry).
An interactive brain map that allows users to rotate the brain in three-dimensional space. Individual maps of 29 structures include information on brain damage, case studies, and links to modern research.
Gene Screen is a fun way to learn how recessive genetic traits and diseases are inherited and find out which genetic diseases are more prevalent where your ancestors came from. Info on some recessive diseases and screening programs also included. Download the free app today for your iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad.
Each year a select few scientists are recognized for their work by the Nobel Foundation. We feature many of these scientists on our DNA from the Beginning site. We have gathered all of the prize winners here; follow the links for animated explanations of their groundbreaking work.
Join Dave Micklos, Jan Witkowski, and staff commentators for a lively discussion of DNA in the news from world-renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory!
Also found under our websites header, Gene Boy is a simple, multifunction DNA sequence analysis tool; analyze stored sequences or upload your own DNA sequence.
This paper condenses insights gained during a three-day workshop of 30 experts and opinion leaders from diverse fields – including neuroscience, cognitive science, network theory, knowledge management, science education, and technology convergence. The quick insights are a useful laundry list for anyone creating a modern Internet site on science education, while the deeper insights give a sense of what is on the minds of people who are leading the effort to use the Internet to connect people in real-time communities of common interest. Available in MS Word and PDF.
These common plasmids are used in our laboratory protocols. Link for a reference map and nucleotide sequence of each plasmid.
Get information about our DNALC-produced textbooks, DVD, and CD-ROM set available for purchase through the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Just added: Genome Science!
Resources available from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press


text:
Story highlights
- Business brainstorms are often poorly conducted, says leadership consultant
- However, if applied correctly, they can be a highly effective and profitable resource
- Three experts give us their six tips on how to organize successful brainstorms
- Don't think outside the box; ask the right questions and always follow up with action
It's a familiar scene: The boss calls for a brainstorming session and everyone obediently shuffles into the conference room to stare at a white board, trying to pull new ideas out of thin air.
The result? A handful of participants monopolize the conversation, a few others contribute occasionally, while the remainder sit waiting to get back to work.
"The typical session lacks structure and focus," says Shawn Coyne, co-author of "Brainsteering: A better approach to breakthrough ideas."
"Some ideas seem quite interesting, some of them ridiculous, some are great but will never see the light of day. In the end, people mostly leave feeling dissatisfied and frustrated," he adds.
For Brian Clegg, director of Creativity Unleashed -- a consultation firm that helps businesses apply creative thinking methods -- companies are harnessing only a fraction of the brainstorming session's potential.
"It's a bit like having the latest smart phone and only using it to make calls," he laments.
So, how do you turn a light brainshower into a fully fledged brainstorm?
Don't think outside the box
If the organization you work for has limited resources and fixed company policies, then being told to "think outside the box" is unhelpful -- because you'll end up with a raft of ideas that couldn't possibly be implemented, suggests Coyne.
"That's why it's critical to know the company's decision-making criteria before you start," he says. "Instead of thinking outside the box, you should think inside a carefully crafted box with enough structure to help guide your thinking without over-constraining it."
At the same time, Clegg warns against artificially stifling creativity: "Remember, it's easier to make an exciting idea practical than a dull-but-practical idea exciting."
Ask the right questions
So how do you strike the right balance between pragmatic and imaginative ideas? Coyne believes that the key to finding the best solution is asking the best question.
"If you talk to Nobel prize winners about how they came up with their brilliant idea, they'll often tell you it was easy after they'd discovered the question -- which was the really hard part."
According to Coyne, one of the most frequently asked -- yet counter-productive --questions in business is, "how can we increase profits?" This, he says, is both too vague and too common a line of inquiry.
"You've asked it a million times, so it's no surprise you're getting the same old ideas back. You must force yourself into thinking more tightly and to looking at it from different angles," he says.
For example, Coyne says you might instead ask yourself what your customer's biggest hassle is in using your product, or indeed, what unusual uses some customers have for it that you could capitalize on.
If the group is having trouble thinking of new perspectives then introduce something provocative or unexpected -- like an unusual photograph or object -- and ask them what associations they make with it, suggests Clegg.
"It doesn't have to be directly related to the business, but it's a useful way to jump-start people out of their normal thinking patterns," he says.
Scale down
Now you've established the parameters of the brainstorming session and carefully selected what questions you want answered, don't just throw them out there for the group to discuss.
"If there's 20 people in the room, you'll have three talking loudly and 17 not saying anything," warns Coyne.
The author and business consultant says it's best to divide into small groups of between three and five. "Our research shows that this is the optimum number," he says. "If there's just two of you, then one will end up dominating, whereas once you get to six or seven, natural conversational patterns take over and the group will subconsciously split down into two sub-groups, which is disorientating."
Be selective
When you assign people to subgroups, it's important to cast "idea crushers" off to their own individual island. These people are the those who in one way or another inhibit others from suggesting good ideas.
According to Coyne they come in three shapes: "big mouths," who squeeze out air-time for the less forthcoming; "subject matter experts," who can intimidate others with their presumed superior knowledge; and bosses, who can intimidate just by being in the same room.
Coyne says there's also nothing wrong with hand-picking your brainstormers based simply on who's best positioned to answer the question.
"If they have more experience with the issue, get the receptionist, salesman or truck drivers in the room -- rather than inviting those with the most impressive job title, or indeed just anyone who'll come."
James Manketelow, founder of leadership training firm Mindtools.com, says that it's possible to take this idea further, by slowly adding members to the session one by one: "This way, each new participant can inject a fresh perspective without being too influenced by what others have said," he explains.
Remain focused
Remember, your group is familiar with the conventional brainstorm, where ideas come thick and fast but are often ultimately shallow, says Coyne.
"So, in a two-hour session, encourage them to focus in their groups on just one question every half hour," he says. "It's good to remember that in the first five minutes, most ideas are pretty mediocre and it's only through pushing through and really exploring an idea that you realize its potential."
In this spirit, Manketelow recommends the "round-robin" approach -- where each participant writes their initial idea on a piece of paper and then passes it over to a colleague to be elaborated on and developed.
"Whatever approach you take," he says "it's important to let all ideas breathe and never be too negative about (another colleague's) suggestion. Some might sound silly at first but, with a little refinement, these are often what turn out to be the most exciting."
Make big promises and keep them
Whoever is organizing the group place needs to make clear that whatever the group comes up with, at least one of the ideas will come to something, insists Coyne.
"Now everyone knows they're playing with live ammunition and it really focuses the thinking," he explains.
The same person should maintain momentum by following up the brainstorm as soon as possible with their selection of those ideas that made it and an explanation why, adds Coyne.
"Those with ideas that got picked are excited and those that didn't get picked will understand -- and in future they'll come up with suggestions more in line with the objective."
Lastly, Clegg recommends using the brainstorm not just for generating new ideas, but for working out how to get them materialized.
"It's easy to get over-excited about a brilliant idea, but to see it through it needs to be signed off," he says. "So it's worth spending some of the session on figuring exactly how you're going to package (it) to the people up top."


text:
Add vehicles to compare. You can compare up to 3 vehicles at a time.
Contact your Haley Consultant for additional manufacturer rebates that may be available and could further reduce your price! Haley prices include current manufacturer rebates and factory incentives some of which may require financing through the manufacturer and are therefore subject to credit approval. Additional factory rebates from certain manufacturers such as first time buyers, recent college grads, military etc., may be available and are not included in this price. Haley pricing may not be compatible with special factory financing. Haley prices are valid based on manufacturer incentive program time periods. We make every effort to provide accurate information but please verify options and price before purchasing. All vehicles are subject to prior sale. All prices are special internet prices only. All financing is subject to approved credit. *Tax, Title, Tags and the $599 Processing Fee not included in vehicle prices shown and must be paid by the purchaser. While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, errors do occur so please verify information with a customer service rep. This is easily done by calling us at (804) 222-4600 or by visiting us at the dealership Tax, title, license (unless itemized above) are extra. Not available with special finance, lease and some other offers.
Come to Haley Buick GMC Airport and take a look at our entire range of Savana vehicles. Designed with utility and safety in mind, these vans are a great addition to your business. We have an extensive inventory of the new GMC Savana vans for you to choose from. These vehicles are not only functional, but also come with excellent infotainment options. We also offer attractive and flexible financing options on these vehicles. So what are you waiting for? Visit us in Richmond and test-drive one today!
New GMC & Buick Sales in Richmond, VA
Come to our Buick and GMC dealership in Richmond, VA, to buy or lease a new GMC or Buick! We have new Buick sedans for sale like the new Buick LaCrosse and Regal, so you can find the luxury sedan that you love. Or, buy a new GMC Terrain SUV or a new Buick Enclave and enjoy a family-friendly vehicle that's filled to the brim with the latest technologies. Need a new truck? We have new GMC Sierra trucks for sale at our Virginia GMC dealer. For those who are looking for pre-owned Buick cars and used GMC trucks, we have plenty of options as well. Buy a used GMC Sierra or Canyon and take on your days at the worksite with ease. We have plenty of used cars, trucks and SUVs from other makes on our lot, too, so you can take home the car that you love. Visit Haley Buick GMC Airport today!


text:
WOW! Make your own rosary without doing all the work! Beautiful beads in tons of colors, and plenty of crucifix and center choices. Better than ready made rosaries from a religious store or merchant site.
I purchased a rosary for my wife as a token of our 16th wedding anniversary (topaz and silver). I was very impressed by the outstanding quality and beauty of the rosary and the excellent promptness of the service proved. This will be my "go to" shop for any similar items in the future. My highest recommendation and compliments!
Would you like to see what my customers think or leave your own Feedback? Click on the links below to check out customer ratings and reviews!
The Better Business Bureau
Merchant Circle
**** Please don't eat your rosary!! ****
I'm just kidding, but due to the CPSIA Law passed in 2008 and the government fear that kids and pre-teens will eat their rosaries, my rosaries, parts, and supplies are no longer recommended for children under the age of 13 years. Please click here to learn more about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and how it affects you and your family.


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I took a break from my Dark Soul game when I hit Anor Lando.The difficulty sure spiked there.Playing an agi + katana character doesn't do much against the stone giants either =/Feels like I'm pricking them with a needle while (if they hit me) I get crushed in 3 hits.
True but I use a high bleed katana... and somehow it still works (yes, bleeding stone statues to death)
Well, I wrote the bleed effect still works.
Quote from: bigdeath on October 15, 2013, 02:40:06 PMWell, I wrote the bleed effect still works.I replied before you edited ;)
Quote from: Annubis on October 15, 2013, 02:35:39 PMTrue but I use a high bleed katana... and somehow it still works (yes, bleeding stone statues to death) Well, I wrote the bleed effect still works. Also, the Sentinel are not actually stone statues. Their armor is just made out of stone. The reason occult weapons work against them is because they are actually alive. In other words, there is a giant demi god human in that stone armor who you are killing each time you beat an Anor Lando Sentinel. Its the same with the Silver Knights who are also weak to Occult weapons for the same reason. Occult weapons are for slaying the living, primarily the gods. Its also why the Sentinels can cast miracles, they are the divine bodyguards of the gods.Just extra fluff you can piece together from reading weapon and armor set item descriptions. ;)


text:
Consider an example where the server receives a request for the URL D:/server_name/jos.html. In this case, all directives executed by the server are in the default object.
The following NameTrans directive translates the requested URL to D:/oracle/webserver7/https-server/docs/jos.html:
NameTrans fn="document-root" root="D:/oracle/webserver7/https-server/docs"
Assume that the PathCheck directives succeed.
The following ObjectType directive tells the server to look up the resource's MIME type in the MIME types table:
ObjectType fn="type-by-extension"
The server finds the following entry in the MIME types table, which sets the type attribute to text/html:
type=text/html exts=htm,html
The server invokes the following Service directive. The value of the type parameter matches anything that does not begin with magnus-internal/.
Service method="(GET|HEAD|POST)" type="*~magnus-internal/*" fn="send-file""
For a list of all wildcard patterns, see Appendix B, Using Wildcard Patterns.
Here is an example that involves using another object:
The following NameTrans directive assigns the name personnel to the request.
NameTrans fn=assign-name name=personnel from=/personnel
As a result of the name assignment, the server switches to processing the directives in the object named personnel. This object is defined as:
<Object name="personnel"> Service fn="index-simple" </Object>
The personnel object has no PathCheck or ObjectType directives, so the server processes the PathCheck and ObjectType directives in the default object. Assume that all PathCheck and ObjectType directives succeed.
When processing Service directives, the server starts by considering the Service directive in the personnel object, which is:
Service fn="index-simple"
The server executes this Service directive, which calls the index-simple function.
As a Service directive has now been executed, the server does not process any other Service directives. However, if the matching object did not have a Service directive that was executed, the server would continue looking at Service directives in the default object.


text:
Boca Raton Real Estate
Boca Raton is located in Florida. Boca Raton, Florida has a population of 93,235. Boca Raton is more family-centric than the surrounding county with 26.79% of the households containing married families with children. The county average for households married with children is 25.99%.
The median household income in Boca Raton, Florida is $71,867. The median household income for the surrounding county is $52,878 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Boca Raton is 46 years.
Boca Raton Weather
The average high temperature in July is 89.7 degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 57.6 degrees. The average rainfall is approximately 62.9 inches per year, with inches of snow per year.
Boca Raton Map
Sort by:
West Palm Beach, FL
Wellington, FL
Village Of Golf, FL
Tequesta, FL
South Palm Beach, FL
South Bay, FL
Royal Palm Beach, FL
Riviera Beach, FL
Palm Springs, FL
Palm Beach Shores, FL
Real estate near Boca Raton
Nearby Cities
Nearby Cities Homes for Sale
Boca Raton Zip Codes


text:
Militants with possible links to al Qaeda seized about 40 foreign hostages, including several Americans, at a natural-gas field in Algeria, posing a new level of threat to nations trying to blunt the growing influence of Islamist extremists in Africa.-->
WSJ Pentagon correspondent Julian Barnes joins The News Hub from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta 's press corps in Rome, where hours ago he declared the Algeria attack an act of terrorism. WSJ's Drew Hinshaw has the latest on the ground from Bamako, Mali. Photo: AP.
A French effort to drive Islamist militants from neighboring Mali that began with airstrikes last week expanded on Wednesday with the first sustained fighting on the ground. France's top target, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, claimed responsibility for the Algeria kidnappings, calling it retaliation. The claim couldn't be verified, although AQIM has its origins in Algeria and operates across a swath of Africa.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the U.S. would take "necessary and proper steps" in the hostage situation, and didn't rule out military action. He said the Algeria attack could represent a spillover from Mali.
U.S. officials have struggled for a year or more to devise a response to the many Islamist militant groups, some with ties to al Qaeda, across northern and western Africa.
"We have been concerned about Mali, because they would use it as a base of operations to do exactly what happened in Algeria," Mr. Panetta said.
With intelligence reports "streaming in" on the Algeria siege, according to a senior intelligence official, some U.S. officials said confirming early suspicions that AQIM was involved was complicated by the group's loose structure.
The militants at the complex are believed to be headed by Mohktar Belmokhtar, a member of AQIM who has been a top target of the Algerian military for years, said Bruce Riedel, a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst who is now a counterterrorism fellow at the Brookings Institution.
In late 2012, Mr. Belmokhtar set up a group apart from AQIM, calling it al Mouthalimin, or Those Who Sign with Blood. If he is behind Wednesday's raid, it would suggest the commander continues to share the broader objective of the al Qaeda franchise.
Al Qaeda has rarely taken American hostages, however. If AQIM is involved, the operation represents a "big step up" for a group that has long been considered by the U.S. as a lesser terrorist threat than other al Qaeda branches, said Bruce Hoffman, an al Qaeda specialist and professor at Georgetown University.
"This obviously was planned for some time," he said. "The fact that they can flex their muscles like this and choose the timing shows they had the ability to take advantage of this opportunity."
There are a number of options for freeing the hostages, said Seth Jones, an al Qaeda specialist at Rand Corp., including ransom negotiations by BP, U.S. government negotiations and a U.S. military operation after significant intelligence collection on the site.
The U.S. has used special-operations forces in recent years in Afghanistan, Somalia and elsewhere when launching rescue operations to free hostages taken by militant groups. But none of the rescues has involved large numbers of hostages.
While Algeria may not be an easy destination for American forces, the U.S. military has been bulking up its presence in Africa. There are an estimated 2,000 U.S. personnel at Camp Lemonier, a joint U.S.-French base in Djibouti, that also serves as a base of operations for U.S. special-operations forces as well as Air Force drones that conduct lethal missions in Yemen.
The Algerian government is likely to resist an American-led military rescue, though they would probably accept U.S. intelligence support, said Mr. Riedel.
Algerians said the hostage crisis revived their deepest fear of seeing AQIM, a group whose main roots are in Algeria, spread from their strongholds in Mali to sow havoc in bordering nations.
"The minute the French military started pushing AQIM groups from the south of Mali, it was quite evident they would move north and into Algeria," said Adbelhamid Si Afif, a senior member of Algeria's pro-government party Front de Libération Nationale. "They have the power to shake up the entire region."
The militants, after raiding the energy complex, took positions inside living quarters there with a number of Algerian and foreign workers, the Algerian government said.
Algeria reported two deaths in Wednesday's raid, a Briton and an Algerian, but reports of the number of casualties and hostages varied widely.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said 13 Norwegians were involved in the hostage situation. "This is one of the most serious hostage situations to affect Norwegian citizens" and companies, he said.
The U.K. confirmed that British citizens were being held. The French government said it couldn't confirm the presence of French nationals in the base.
BP said that contact with the site, named In Amenas, was extremely difficult. In Amenas harbors nearly 50 oil and natural-gas fields, linked to the northern coast through several pipelines.
Sonatrach didn't have any comment on the situation.
French military forces joined Malian troops on Friday in battling Islamist rebels in the West African nation, amid Western fears that insurgent groups with links to al Qaeda could destabilize the region and gain the ability to strike overseas.
French officials have said they feared the campaign could lead jihadist movements to target French and Western interests in retaliation. Interior Minister Manuel Valls said France's internal and external security services are "particularly vigilant" amid a "very strong and permanent," terrorist threat in France.
Algeria, which has traditionally championed a noninterventionist policy and had voiced reservations about any foreign military role in Mali, allowed French combat jets to fly through its airspace and said on Monday that it would close its southern border with Mali.
Analysts said they were skeptical that Algeria, although the strongest military force in the region, would succeed in sealing the border.
"It's possible to reinforce control on that border, but closing it is virtually impossible," said analyst Mohamed Chafik Mesbah, a retired officer of the Algerian army.
On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers cited the attacks in Algeria as well as last year's attack on a U.S. Consulate in Libya to press the Obama administration to step up its efforts against al Qaeda.
"The Obama Administration needs to have a clear and focused policy on eliminating the threats that diverse al Qaeda affiliated groups pose to the United States and to Americans working abroad off of the usual battlefields," said House intelligence committee chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Mich.)


text:
Views: 1038
I found out that Jewish and Christian historians, theologians, and apologists almost unanimously believed up until about 1000 AD that Jephthah had sacrificed his daughter. Christian apologists believing this included Origen, St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, and John Calvin.
I had an email exchange with a Christian preacher about this topic and he said that Jephthah wouldn't have been included in the Hebrews 11 "hall of faith" if he had sacrificed his daughter. I pointed out that David was included in the Hebrews 11 list despite his adultery and murder.
The comparison to David got me thinking...perhaps it could be argued that the sacrifice was allowed to go through because it was a result of trying to barter with the Lord. In a similar manner, the Bible says in 2 Samuel that the son born to David via Bathsheba died as a result of his sins of murder and adultery. Furthermore, there is a clear distinction in why God stopped the killing of Isaac, but not Jephthah's daughter. Abraham and Isaac was a test of faith that was initiated by God. Jephthah's situation, on the other hand, was initiated on his own accord and I suspect it would be considered a sin to make a deal with God.
© 2019 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


text:
Q: My baby's birth was long and hard, and my son came out with a squishy lump on the back of his head. Should I be concerned?
A: Probably not. It sounds like your baby has a cephalohematoma, a bruise between the skull bones and the overlying tissue. It's usually caused by a hard delivery, or by a forceps or vacuum delivery, and should heal within a few weeks. As it does, the blood will calcify from the edges first, leading to a volcano-like bump with a soft center. I've read that some complications can occur with cephalohematomas, such as fractures and infections. But I see newborns with these bumps many times each year and have never encountered such problems. Sometimes babies with cephalohematomas do get a bit more jaundiced, but there are no other issues to be concerned about.


text:
Will Sheridan played for Villanova from 2003-07, or what we call the Allan Ray Heyday.
Where fellow Wildcat mainstays Ray, Mike Nardi, Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, and Dante Cunningham went on to careers in some kind of professional basketball, Sheridan decided to embrace his musical side.
This, writes tipster Eric, is the result:
Dear sir or madam, If MC Hammer had sex with shitty house music, then that lovechild mated with Grace Jones, I'm pretty sure you'd get W!ll Sheridan's "Welcome to the Jungle." At first I hated it and now I can't stop watching. Please pass this on to the noble patrons of Deadspin so that they may enjoy it as much as my friends and I do.
So we shall. Enjoy, people of Deadspin. Especially you, Scottie Reynolds.
Former Villanova Player Will Sheridan Releases Music Video [The Nova Blog]


text:
Collection Items
MapUpper Geyser Basin, Fire Hole River, Wyoming Territory. 1 inch equals about 500 feet. Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image.
- Contributor: Geological Survey of the Territories (U.S.) - Hayden, F. V. (Ferdinand Vandeveer) - Hergesheimer, E. (Edwin)
- Date: 1871


text:
President Barack Obama's campaign is hosting a fundraising reception Thursday in Chicago to honor the campaign's women in leadership positions.
Ann Liston and Maia Johnson are hosting the event at a Wicker Park home, according to an invitation. Tickets are $100 for guests and $500 to be placed on the host committee.
Those being honored include deputy campaign managers Stephanie Cutter, Jen O'Malley Dillon and Julianna Smoot, Chief Operating Officer Ann Marie Habershaw, National Political Director Katherine Archuleta, National Operation Vote Director Buffy Wicks, Deputy National Finance Director Liz Lowery and Research Director Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean.
Great Scott
Florida Gov. Rick Scott's (R) office announced last week that the governor's longtime aide, Brian Burgess, was leaving his position as communications director to lead the press office at the Florida Republican Party.
Burgess worked for Scott in various communications roles since January 2009, when Burgess was a consultant at CRC Public Relations, the firm that led the media strategy for Scott's group Conservatives for Patients' Rights and later worked with Scott's gubernatorial campaign.
"From the very beginning, Brian has been by my side as a strategic and political adviser, a trusted aide, and loyal member of my team," Scott said in a statement. "His strong work ethic, strategic advice and leadership will be missed inside the administration, but he isn't going far. In his new role, he will continue to help tell the story to Floridians and the nation about what we're accomplishing every day."
Burgess is being replaced by Melissa Sellers, who most recently served as director of regional media for the Republican National Convention. Sellers was previously communications director for Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) during his 2007 campaign and his first term in office.
Bringing the Payne
Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Joe Nosef recently announced hiring Brandon Payne as executive director.
Payne, a former Biloxi police officer, is president of the Harrison County Republican Club and member of the county party's executive committee. He most recently worked as the southern district field representative for Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and has held various volunteer positions with numerous statewide and local political campaigns.
"Brandon has played a key role in my office," Wicker said in a statement. "I know he will be a great benefit to the Mississippi Republican Party. He is tireless, bringing experience and knowledge that will help our Party this fall and in the years ahead."
Partnering Up
NGP VAN, the leading technology provider for Democratic candidates nationwide, is partnering with CallFire, a voice and text communication firm, as its leading provider of cloud broadcast voice and interactive voice response services.
"At this critical juncture for every campaign, when money is tight and every vote matters, the services we provide through our partnership with CallFire provide an affordable way for candidates and campaigns to connect with volunteers and voters," NGP VAN CEO Stuart Trevelyan said in a statement.
According to a release, campaign staff and volunteers using NGP VAN's VoteBuilder platform to access a voter file could select "RoboCall Using CallFire" and "RoboSurvey Using CallFire" to identify voters and collect polling and other information without leaving the VoteBuilder platform. Among NGP VAN's clients are President Barack Obama's re-election campaign.
"This partnership is a game-changer because it puts the same telephony tools available to the Obama campaign into the hands of thousands of other national, state and local campaigns," CallFire CEO Dinesh Ravishanker said in a statement.
On to November
With his Member-vs.-Member primary far behind him, New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell (D) announced the campaign team that he hopes will lead him to victory in November.
David Parano, a longtime Bergen County operative, is taking over as campaign manager after serving as field director for Pascrell during the primary against Rep. Steven Rothman (D).
Pascrell's consulting team includes Murphy Vogel Askew Reilly for media, Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group for polling, Ray Ferraioli for fundraising and Tom Erickson for Washington, D.C.-based fundraising.
The rest of his campaign team includes Pascrell's son, Bill Pascrell III, as campaign chairman, former Pascrell Chief of Staff Ed Farmer as political director, Ryan Yacco as field director, Bernadette McPherson as outreach and operations director, Sean Darcy assisting with message and media development, Keith Furlong as spokesman, Jacqueline Grindrod as finance director and Al Spivey for get-out-the-vote efforts.
Submit campaign staffing news and tips to Shop Talk here.


text:
Description:5 x 250GB 3.5-inch SATA 3G 7.2K Midline (MDL) Non-Hot-Plug (NHP) Single Port (SP) Hard DriveGenuine HP serial number and firmware
Genuine HP Certified Hard DrivePart Number(s)
Option Part# 458939-B21
Spare Part# 459315-001
Assembly Part# 482483-001
Model# GB0250EAFJF
Overview:This HP Midline (MDL) 250GB 7.2K RPM NHP 3.5 Hard Disk Drive is SMART capable and offers data integrity along with the lowest cost per GB targeted for non-mission critical applications with low workloads of 50% or less. SMART stands for Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology. First developed at HP it detects possible hard disk failure before it occurs allowing replacement of the component before failure occurs.


text:
Star Wars LIGHT UP Chop Sabers
An elegant utensil for a more civilized age
- Chopsticks that light up and look like lightsabers
- Choose Luke (blue) or Vader (red)
- Push-button light-up action
But now, we must eat. Come, good food, come... and meet your end in the grasp of the Star Wars Light-Up Chop Sabers. They're lightsabers. They're chopsticks. They'll change the way you experience your favorite Asian foods. The time is now to grab these Japanese imports from ThinkGeek and deftly maneuver your food with the power of the Force.
Go forth, brave Jedi warriors, and use your chop sabers to mix just a little extra wasabi into your soy sauce. You can handle it. It is a known fact that eating sushi with chop sabers vastly strengthens your ability to ingest horseradish products. (By the way, did you know that researchers are trying to make a smoke alarm for the deaf using wasabi vapors? We wonder how the low battery notification would function. Would deaf people find themselves mysteriously craving sushi once every 2 minutes?)
Whatever your personal sushi preference, it's better with light-up chop sabers. Choose your side wisely and ready the way for a truly epic eating experience.
- Chopsticks that light up and look like lightsabers
- Officially-licensed Lucasfilm merchandise
- Choose Luke (blue) or Vader (red)
- Push-button light-up action
- Each contains a pair of chopsticks of the same color, because it would suck trying to eat with just one chopstick (you'd have to use a lot more Force that way)
- Imported from Japan
- Materials: Resin
- Batteries: 8 LR41 button cell batteries (included)
- Care Instructions: Remove lightsaber blade portion from the hilt before washing. Hilt should not get wet. Wash with soft sponge and mild detergent.
- Dimensions: 9.6" long
- Not microwave-safe
- Not dishwasher-safe
- Ages 14+
- WARNING - SMALL PARTS - Not intended for children under 3 years of age
- WARNING - Product contains functional sharp edges (or points)
- Note: Chop sabers do not slice effortlessly through flesh like lightsabers, which is just as well, because it would make it really hard to eat with them
- The diagrams in the instructions that came with your Chop Sabers are solid, but if you're like us, you probably don't have them any more. To change the batteries: Remove the saber's blade (it pops off). Ensure the power button on the hilt is in the "Off" position. The battery door is located on the opposite side from the power button, and it slides off toward the end of the hilt.


text:
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Hurple-ing Along
16 comments:
- Chris Eldin said...
Hi Bernita!
Your post below cracked me up. Thanks for the laugh!
A medieval whodunit! I love this concept. Off to check it out further..
About the floor, you see, with a puppy you wouldn't have to mop such spills. just sayin'...
- August 18, 2010 3:07 PM
- moonrat said...
wow, what a coincidence--i've gone into a shell of re-reading (and then re-watching the BBC miniseries of) Cadfael this summer. in fact, i was planning a post on the series.
guess i'm in good company :)
- August 18, 2010 3:39 PM
- laughingwolf said...
love it!
also those tales by umberto eco...
there was a series on cbc-tv[?] i quite enjoyed, believe it was the eco stories... or was it peter's?
'the name of the rose' was excellent...
glad you had time off just to rest and recuperate... hope it eased the back pain some, too :)
- August 18, 2010 4:22 PM
- laughingwolf said...
i thought monk's hood was also a flower, it is:
- August 18, 2010 4:26 PM
- Travis Erwin said...
I think we all require that breather now and again.
- August 18, 2010 4:29 PM
- Natasha Fondren said...
Oh nice! Have you read Eric Mayer and Mary Reed's mystery series, based in 5th century Constantinople? Or somewhere around there. *ducks head*
I've been thinking of you, Bernita. *hugs*
- August 18, 2010 4:50 PM
- Whirlochre said...
It's a testament to taste, decency and all-round aptitude that the TV Cadfael role was awarded to Derek Jacobi over Sting and Mickey Dolenz.
According to Dolenz' agent, the ex-Monkee spent 6 months in Tibet preparing for the role only to discover that Sting had busked the whole monastic spiritualism thing c/o a surfing holiday in Honolulu.
Jacobi was originally hired as a mediator between the two pop icons, but so medieval-friendly was his hairdo, and the cut of his sack-cloth chic, he charmed the BBC production team into casting him.
- August 18, 2010 6:47 PM
- Lana Gramlich said...
I used to watch Cadfael on TV. The books sound wonderful. I know we have some at our library. I'll have to check them out someday.
- August 18, 2010 7:05 PM
- Charles Gramlich said...
Glad you've recovered a bit from your exhaustion. Sometimes it happens.
- August 18, 2010 11:47 PM
- writtenwyrdd said...
Reading binges are one of the things that make life worth living. I hope you are fully recharged now.
I loved the Cadfael shows I saw, and was impressed by the qualities of humanity that infused them. I've never read the books, though I have several times thought about it.
One of these days, though.
- August 19, 2010 8:27 AM
- writtenwyrdd said...
PS I'm still working on the Mrs Pollifax books. Mom loves the ones she's read so far. (I got 7.)
- August 19, 2010 10:43 AM
- Angie said...
I actually have a couple of those. I remember liking them, but they're still packed so I don't know which ones they were. :/ One of those series where I meant to get more and haven't gotten around to it yet. It's great reading in a medieval setting where the writer clearly knows her stuff, though. That's one of my periods, and I'm hard to please there.
(I retain a sense of anachronistic outrage over a story set in the 12th century I read once that had someone collapse "like a sack of potatoes.")
[facepalm] Gads, yes. Or an idea hitting the character like a jolt of electricity. Or just modern colloquialisms, like, "Seriously, what were you thinking?" Nothing there that couldn't have been said in the Middle Ages (with proper translation to Middle or Early Modern English) but it screams modern. I also have issues with modern names, like a medieval romance featuring "Lady Taylor." [more headdesking] Seriously, what are these writers thinking? And what are their editors thinking, to let that into the published version? :(
- August 19, 2010 2:59 PM
- stacy said...
You make good book recs, Bernita. Those are going on my wishlist right now.
- August 20, 2010 11:37 AM
- raine said...
Glad you're resting & enjoying your reading, Bernita.
- August 20, 2010 11:47 PM
- Bernita said...
Hi Chris!
I often use the dogs for floor cleaning but didn't want them to imbibe the cafffeine.
Am glad they are not puppies...else there might be a different kind of puddle to clean...just sayin'
You have excellent
Funny, LW, I find Eco tedious in the extreme. Maybe I didn't have my mouth set right when I read The Rose.
Monkshood as a title is a deliberate pun. The mystery revolves around a poisoning.
Travis, I've been overwhelmed to the point I just wanted to lie back, read, and Not Think.
Bless you, Natasha.Don't think so. Must put it on my list.
Interesting, Whirl! Haven't seen the series but I trust he did justice to the character.
You will not be disappointed, Lana, and you will enjoy the print visuals.
Thank you, Charles. Feel guilty about it though.
Am so glad about the Polifax books, Written!
You won't regret Cadfael either.
Exactly, Angie! But nothing jarred me in the Cadfael books and I thought the civil war of Stephen and Maud, its allegiances and factions, which is the socio-political background of the stories was well and fairly represented.
Stacy, I'm sure you'll love them. A truly satisfying series.
Thank you, Dear Raine.Hope to crawl back soon.
- August 22, 2010 10:05 AM
- laughingwolf said...
no worries re. eco... if we all saw things the same way, many of us would be redundant ;) lol
figgered a pun was involved ;)
- August 22, 2010 2:22 PM


text:
Mathematical Association of America Conference
Two Gannon University students made presentations at the
conference of the Allegheny Mountain Section of the Mathematical
Association of America, April 4-5 at Westminster College in New
Wilmington, Pa.
Krista Munger, a mathematics major, spoke on "Dominating
Multidimensional Chess" and "Dominating Honeycombs: Not Just for
Bees" was the topic of the presentation by Joe Petrone, a biology
major with a mathematics minor.
David Prier, Ph.D., assistant professor of mathematics, was the
advisor for both students in their work, which dealt with finding
minimal arrangements of chess pieces that allow every space to be
attacked in the following turn. Both students studied these
problems for chessboards of non-standard shapes (three-dimensional
or hexagonal spaces instead of squares). Each student gave a
15-minute talk to an audience of faculty and students from colleges
and universities located in western Pennsylvania and West
Munger and Petrone gave two of the 24 student talks at the
conference, which was attended by six Gannon faculty members and
nine students. Gannon University will host the MAA sectional
conference in 2016.
Penn State College of Medicine Primary Care Scholars'
Three Gannon University pre-medical students have been chosen to
participate this year in Penn State's College of Medicine Primary
Care Scholars' Program.
Juniors Grant Schirmer, Brian Sohl and Morgan Thompson were
selected for the program based on their academic performance,
broader life experiences, knowledge of medicine and service
experiences. The two-week summer program, which begins May 19
includes workshops and a one-week clinical experience that can be
done near the Penn State College of Medicine or near the student's
Villa Maria School of Nursing Awards
Nearly $20 thousand in scholarships were awarded to nine
undergraduate nursing students at the Villa Maria School of Nursing
Awards ceremony April 6. Heather Wilson won both the Sister Mary
Norman Award and the Sister Doloretta Thorn Scholarship Award. She
was also one of five students who received Dr. Dorothy Jean Novello
Scholarships, named for the longtime head of the Villa Maria School
of Nursing. The others were Chelsea Griffiths, Deborah Lorenzo,
Heather Smith and Monique Smith. Griffith was awarded one of the
two Dr. Mary Ann Kibler Awards with Emily Ziroli, who also received
an award from the Marilyn Schaffner Memorial Scholarship Fund. Emma
Patterson received the Mary Spaulding, R.N. Nursing Scholarship
Award endowed by the Meadville Woman's Club, and Courtney Behr was
given the undergraduate scholarship presented by Eta Xi Chapter of
Sigma Tau Theta International, The Honor Society of Nursing. Eta Xi
Chapter also inducted 20 new members at the awards ceremony.
DPT Students Community Health Initiatives
On May 1, students in Gannon University's Doctor of Physical
Therapy (DPT) Program gathered for the annual Celebrating Community
Health Initiatives presentation. The daylong event included
presentations of capstone projects done by 37 DPT students for 14
different community partners in Erie, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
Stand-up reports were presented for 20 community partners helped by
members of the Classes of 2015 and 2015. Forty-two DPT students of
the Class of 2015 were recognized for their participation in seven
health initiatives at the John F. Kennedy and Tri-Boro Senior
Centers operated by the Greater Erie Community Action Committee
(GECAC) and the St. Joseph Apartments operated by the Housing and
Neighborhood Development Service (HANDS).
Gannon's University's DPT curriculum requires students to
integrate classroom material and apply it into clinical practice
through full-time clinical placements throughout the program.
Clinical exposure starts in the first semester with the first full-
time clinical experience occurring after only two semesters of
classroom work.
Gannon Students Present at National Conference
Four Gannon University physical therapy students presented a
poster, Health Illiteracy: Examining Discrepancies In Body Mass
Index (BMI) and Perceptions of Body Morphology in Female
Adolescents, at the American Physical Therapy Association's
Combined Sections Meeting in Las Vegas in February. The student
physical therapists, Michelle Adams, Tori Darling, Kylee Gnesda and
Kimberly Marmol, were among the 11,331 attendees, speakers, and
guests at the conference.
Gannon University announces the launch of the Institute for Health and Cyber Knowledge (I-HACK).


text:
Description of 3988 Gift Boulevard, Johns Island, SC 29455
A property like this only comes on the market every so often in sought after Gift Plantation. 3988 Gift Blvd is located on a beautiful tidal creek w/ a short 130 ft dock & a 8,000 lb boat lift. This property was designed to enhance the water views from over 1,000 sqft of the 2 back porches which includes the pool, fire-pit, & outdoor kitchen w/ polished concrete counter-tops, grill & sink. The inside offers 3 floors of pure custom finishes. Floor 1 could be a mother in law suite or man cave or game room w/ just over 1,400 sqft of living space, polished cement floors, granite wet bar, sink, fridge & full bath. Floor 2 is almost 3,000 sqft offers a master bedroom w/ vaulted ceilings tub, tiled shower, his & hers walk in closets, Den/family room fire place, separate dining room, laundry room , eat in kitchen, granite counter tops, custom cabinets, butlers pantry, office/study, coffered/tray ceilings, Caribbean Heart Pine floors throughout, crown molding, & a covered porch that runs the entire back of the home. Floor 3 is over 1,300 sqft w/ 3 bedrooms, all on-suites. hardwoods in the hall & carpet in the bedrooms, tile in all of the bathrooms. The 5th bedroom has a top floor porch too.
Property Features of 3988 Gift Boulevard, Johns Island, SC 29455
Single Family Detached
Gift Plantation
Johns Island
|Elementary school: Angel Oak
|Middle school: Haut Gap
|High school: St. Johns
|Gas log fireplace(s)
|Fireplace in family room
|Central air
|Three car garage
|Attached parking
|Covered patio
|Inground pool
|Cement plank exterior
|Lot acreage is: 0.65
|Waterfront lot
|Lot has river view
|Subdivision: Gift Plantation
|Wet bar
|Ceramic tile flooring
|Eat-in kitchen
|Wood floors
|Wall to wall carpeting
|Kitchen island
|Separate dining room
|Walk-in closet(s)
Rooms & Dimensions
|Family Room
|Game room
|In-law quarters
|Laundry room


text:
Perez Hilton Is Scared And On The Lam
Infamous gossip monger/dirtbag Perez Hilton has maybe had the worst week of his life. And it's beginning to show: Perez is blogging scared. Is this the end for him?
Perez (née Mario Lavandeira) got a literal slap upside the head by Will.I.Am's manager earlier this week, and a few figuratively slaps upside the head by celebrities who once willingly participated in his sadomasochistic, symbiotic celebrity-industrial complex for his poor handling of Michael Jackson's death. Because of both, Lavandeira's clearly shaken, and isn't doing too well. The cracks in his mini-empire are beginning to show. Little of the trademark viciousness or salaciousness Perez typically attracts readers to his site with has been around lately. Take, for example, a handful of the stories he's posted lately:
- Pictures of Ashley Olson in Paris. Hilton's sure to point out how nice she was, according to the tipster. He also decries her smoking habit.
- Four lines about the legal documents from Michael Jackson's unpaid pharmaceutical bills. Where's the trademark Hilton "zinger" in this one? His kicker: "The case was dismissed a month later, probably as the result of a settlement."
- "NBC To Celebrate Ed McMahon." Again, a tone of reverence and sadness. We're talking about Perez Hilton on Ed McMahon, here.
- Fanboy pieces about a prequel to Inglorious Basterds in praise of Brad Pitt, as well as one about Madonna's new album title. Whee!
- Oh, and: projecting much? "Still More Work Ahead For Equal Rights" was the site's third post of the morning. It's Perez piss-poor populism in taking on an LA Times poll about California's gay marriage laws.
Since his poor handling of the Jackson story, people have been taking him to task. And not just people! But celebrities, who're just like us! They can't stand Hilton, either. Pete Wentz thinks he just needs to own up to getting the story wrong:
While John Mayer just thinks he needs to go away:
Perez is doing a bunch of "spin control," running his operation on a very tight, Press-y leash. Especially on Twitter. Now that he's alienated the gay community - even Matthew Shephard's mom won't take his money - he's sending the only people he has left, his deranged base of hardcore fans, plenty of cited messages on Twitter, highlighting and encouraging what little support for him is out there right now. He probably needs it, since advertiser money for his slightly more "family friendly" operation is going to be scarce after his very public PR fiascos.
Truth be told, Perez, cockroach that he is, probably isn't going anywhere any time soon. While more efficient ways of consuming the most brainsucking news out there surely exists, we've sadly let Perez become a brand name for gossip - like Coke, or Pepsi - and it's going to stay that way until someone's writing white lines over pictures of his faked real death or whatever. In the meantime, some of the things he prides himself most on - his celebrity "friends," the support of the gay community as someone of significance - have taken a hit past the point of no return, and there's surely more where that came from. As we all well know by now, Karma - like Perez - is kind of a bitch.


text:
Rainn Wilson has signed on for his first post-Office gig. The actor has landed the title role in CBS' drama pilot Backstrom, TVGuide.com has learned.
The pilot is based on a Swedish book series about an overweight, offensive, irascible detective who tries and fails to change his self-destructive behavior. Dennis Haysbert will co-star as another detective opposite Wilson.
Pilot Report: Get the scoop from all the major networks
Creator Hart Hanson appears to be thrilled about the casting. "We got our Backstrom! And wow, he's a corker!" the Bones creator tweeted Sunday.
What do you think of the casting? And are you looking forward to seeing Wilson in a dramatic role?