The late Tyler Clementi A verdict in the case involving the tragedy of 18 year old Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University student who jumped to his death off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate used a webcam to spy on his lovelife and tell others that he caught it on camera. And it’s a strong verdict: A former Rutgers University student accused of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate’s...

UPDATE: Members of the Southern Mississippi band are looking at disciplinary action after directing a racially insensitive chant at Kansas State point guard Angel Rodriguez who, by the way, scored 13 points to lead his Wildcats to a 70-64 victory against Kansas State. Southern Miss president Martha Saunders issued a statement after the game on the school’s Web site that read, “We deeply regret the remarks...

UPDATE II: Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez, who represents Illinois’ 4th District in Chicago, was born in Chicago and later moved to Puerto Rico, his parent’s birthplace, before returning to Chicago to attend college. He has led the fight to expand citizenship education and English language proficiency programs for newly-arrived immigrants. Gutierrez should thus know a little bit about Puerto Rico,...

For years those of us who are concerned with the issue of Domestic Violence have noted disturbing flaws in America’s so-called “Violence Against Women Act.” Groups as diverse the Ms. Foundation for Women (founded by Gloria Steinem and other noted feminists in the 1970s), the Independent Women’s Forum (formed by “equity feminist” Christina Hoff Sommers and other non-leftist...

One year after one of the most devastating catastrophes in living memory, there seems to be no end to Japan’s inner turmoil. According to this editorial from Japan’s Too Nippo Shimbun, recently released transcripts from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission not only demonstrate America’s proactive attitude in a crisis, they expose a deep-seated tendency among Japanese decision-makers to underestimate...

Like Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum continues his nearly perfect record of derision from the international press. In this latest example from Switzerland’s News, columnist Patrik Etschmayer compares the elections in Iran to the Republican primary race and concludes that Rick Santorum is running for office in the wrong country. For Switzerland’s News, Patrik Etschmayer writes in small part: “Rick...

Cardow, The Ottawa Citizen This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

As Afghans boil over with rage after a U.S. soldier reportedly left his base in the middle of the night to murder 16 Afghan civilians in their homes, according to this news account from Pakistan’s Frontier Post, the Taliban are claiming that the operation was the work of a group of soldiers, and that far more people were killed. Propaganda it may me. But in the fog of war, will the average Afghan be...

I know. You say, not another story about Limbaugh and his faux pas; not another example of selective outrage; not another piling on Rush. Perhaps, perhaps not. Because Limbaugh is — I believe — quite popular with our military; because his show is broadcast to our troops overseas via the Armed Forces Network (AFN) radio and, last but not least, because his unfortunate remarks were directed against...

UPDATE: As promised yesterday, Invisible Children has released a new 8-minute video to answer some of the criticism the organization has received. Video courtesy Fox News: UPDATE: CNN’s Don Lemon interviewed ‘Kony 2012′ directors Jason Russell and Ben Keesey this afternoon about allegations by critics. Russell and Keesey revealed that they are preparing a 10-minute video addressing...

UPDATE: Here’s a different take on this story. UPDATE III: Santorum’s press secretary Alice Stewart repeatedly refused to answer questions by Dutch television station RTL4 about Santorum’s outrageous and false claims about euthanasia in the Netherlands. Asked at least three times by the RTL4 reporter to clarify Santorum’s incorrect figures and totally distorted statements about Dutch euthanasia...

After posting the “Stop Kony” story on another blog, several readers mentioned remarks defending the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) allegedly made by none other than Rush Limbaugh when President Obama announced the deployment of 100 military advisers to combat the LRA in central Africa. Incredulous, I checked the record. There are many accounts of Limbaugh’s defense of the LRA during his “show” on...

Last week, Egyptian military authorities decided to release 19 Americans ostensibly being held for their involvement in the foreign-funding of non-governmental organizations operating in Egypt. According to this news item from Egypt’s state-run Al-Gomhuriah, dual protests in front of the U.S. Embassy demonstrated against their release by military authorities, and then turned on one another. The news...

If there is one thing that I find even more offensive than the far-right politicians’ claim that they, and their followers, are the “real Americans” — and by implication that I am a fake American — is their insolent slogan, “We want to take our country back.” I have explained why here and here. But that’s just little ol’ me saying so. I was thus pleasantly surprised to find someone...

The attack on Israeli diplomat Tal Yehoshua Koren in New Delhi seems to be part of larger terror plan. According to the Indian police, the conspiracy was hatched for over a year before the first strike on the Israeli diplomat on February 13, reports The Times of India. Police claim the conspirators have been identified, including the bomber who fled India the next day and is now holed up in Malaysia. “Intelligence...

UPDATE In a powerful, detailed and facts-supported article in the Washington Times, Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the first Marine combat veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars elected to Congress, joins other California elected officials in pleading for “Giving honor where honor is overdue” in the case of Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta. Please...

Before anyone gets too self righteous, partisan or seriously philosophical about this, please understand that I am laughing with every word I write. Of course, it’s only funny because it’s true. The scene is Laurens County, South Carolina. Why does it always have to be South Carolina? The subject is the sex life of a potential political candidate. The pledge: A county Republican resolution requires...

What can a blogger write about on “Super Tuesday” when the eventual results of the 10 States’ Republican Primaries are of little interest personally and of little long-term global impact? Wading in the morass of the ongoing Rush Limbaugh imbroglio is an interesting alternative. I view it as another humorous and depressing tour of the current American national insane asylum. From now on, I will refer...

Going back to its inception, the United States Supreme Court has been made up of 106 combinations of Justices. Professor Benjamin H. Barton of the University of Tennessee has run the data and come to a conclusion. The current version of the Court is an outlier when compared historically to the 105 that preceded it. Here are a few of the findings; • This is the first Supreme Court with three women justices. • This...

There are incidents in life that are so heinous that it takes more than just a vanilla-flavored “how can you be so despicable” story to illustrate it and condemn such. When such craven acts are committed by a celebrity — a hero to more than 20 million folks — it takes more than just a little blogger to make any kind of an impact. When the dastardly, hurtful words are hurled against a young,...