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Hard Cases Make Bad Law

Without gainsaying that Dharun Ravi was guilty of a hate crime, the prosecution never proved that he hated gays.

It didn’t matter. In cases where there is no way to compensate a victim juries often go for the extremes.

Such a case more than 200 years ago led to the saying that bad cases make tough law Tyler Clementi is dead. His soul left adrift on a Twitter posting.

He committed suicide after Ravi made a video of him kissing a lover.

The Convictions

Ravi was found guilty of the most serious charge, bias intimidation. He faces up to ten years in prison and possible deportation.

No one will ever know how much the video played in Clementi’s decision to kill himself. Certainly other things that had happened to him after he came out of the closet caused great hurt. Some of these events involved people he knew, including his mother.

The Web

Also weighing on the jury would be the explosion of privacy invasion that are part and parcel of the Web.

Surveillance cams are on many streets throughout the nation. People are growing tired of it.

And the Web has become a powerful tool for bullying.

This decision hopefully will cause some people to think twice before acting in harmful ways with handy Web tools, including smart phones.

What To Do In This Case

Making Ravi a martyr to some could have an impact that was the opposite of what the jury intended.

Those predicting that the decision will have a major impact on social media may not understand how powerful a force it is. Ravi became a trending topic on Twitter almost immediately after the decision was announced.

As He Enters Prison Disgraced Illinois Governor Plays Media One More Time

                  New Yorker


Cyberflaneur has suspended operation

Report Spells Out How Republican Prosecutors Framed The Late GOP Sen. Ted Stevens Of Alaska
Los Angeles Times

Disgraced Illinois Governor Can Still Play The Media Like A Well-Tuned Cello
Chicago Timeout

U.S. Soldier Accused Of Killing 16 Afghans Flown Out Of Country
Al Jazeera

Taliban And Afghan Reaction To Shootings
LA Times

Russia Supports NATO In Afghanistan
Anti-War.com

24 Belgian Students Still Hospitalized After Swiss Bus Crash
Euronews

Asssads Still Living Large Despite War In Syria
Guardian

San Jose Cleaning Up Hoarding Site Visible In Space

San Jose Mercury News

Researchers Send Message Via Neutrinos

Science Daily

Romney In France
France 24

U.S. Court Of Appeals Rejects Delay On Report On The Framing Of Ted Stevens
Anchorage Daily News

Three Bad Sisters Rereleased
From The Id

Where Did The Sun Come From

Scientific American

Bible Belt In Charge Of GOP

28 Killed In Crash Of Kids Ski Bus In Swiss Tunnel
Press Association Of Britain

U.S. Earthquake Center Reports 6.9 Quake Off Honshu, Japan
Japan Today

Mea Culpa From Goldman Sachs
Borowitz Report

Bible Belt Tightens Grip On Republican Party
Politico

                                                           They sure look familiar



Romney To Get Rid Of Planned Parenthood
Huffington Post.

Congo Warlord Convicted By International Criminal Court
Allafrica


Official Chill Falls On Serbia Intellectuals
Euronews


Enclopedia Britannica Stops Printing Goes Online
Daily Telegraph


Afghans Support Quick U.S. Withdrawal
Washington Post



Scientists Produce Eye Structures From Human Stem Cells
Science Daily


Syrian Rebels Call For Foreign Invasion
Anti-War.com

Obamacare To Offer Dollar Menu For Abortions
Wonkette

Southeastern Massachusetts Tribe Revives Its Language
Bob


Pacific Isle Of Kiribati Wants To Move, Lock Stock and Barrel
GMA

Mashable's Number 1 Office Accessory

Is An Election Near One Hopes

Bible Belt Tightens Grip On Republican Party
Politico

Syrian Rebels Call For Foreign Invasion
Anti-War.com

Murdock's "Witch Of Wapping" Arrested By Police Hacking Squad
Daily Telegraph

Reports of the death of the cyberflaneur are greatly exaggerated

Report From Outside The Mainstream Grid On Afghanistan
The American Scholar


Is Romney Just Whistling Dixie
Politico

Summations Due In Rutgers Spy Cam Case
Newark Star Ledger

Syria's Rebels And Their Cellars
France 24


Syrian Regime Commits New Massacre
Al Arabiya


Rage Grows Over States' Mortgage Deal, Once Again Home Owners Ripped Off
CNN



Pacific Isle Of Kiribati Wants To Move, Lock Stock and Barrel
GMA

Loyalty Test
Bob


Mashable's Number 1 Office Accessory

A Great Discovery in the Italian Art World

Hidden da Vinci Found In Italy
Corriere del Serra

Amish Buggy Drivers Caught After Crash And Slow-Speed Chase
Buffalo News




U.N. And U.S. Demand End To Violence In Syria
Al Jazeera




Pacific Gas Electric To Pay $70 Million For San Bruno Blast That Killed 8
Los Angles Times

                                       Victim Jessica Morales


Pacific Island Kiribati Thinking Of Moving
GMA


















Dream Of Sustainability In El Paso
Border Explorer




War Correspondent Marie Colvin To Be Buried Today
Long Island Press

Afghan Shootings Cloud Exit Strategy
Politico




Taliban Vows Revenge For Murder Of Civilians by GI
Washington Post


60 Percent Of Americans Oppose Afghan War But It Is Ignored By Politicians

ANTI-WAR.COM

Promoters Launch Lawsuits Against Sports Bars

San Jose Mercury News

Syria Regime Kills Dozens Of Civilians In Two Cities

AL JAZEERA

U.S. Petroleum Products Exceeded Imports Last Year

PENN ENERGY

Egypt To Consider Cutting Off U.S. Aid

TIME

Israel Exaggerating Iran Nuclear Threat

Baltimore Sun

KidVids

Miss Bob Etier

Mid-Atlantic Cities Can Expect Early Spring Due To The Warmth They Create

Science Daily

Fired New York Times CEO Gets $24 Million Despite Shatting Incomes

MailOnline

An Unpleasant Pass Through Cyber Space No Ads Or Paywalls

Syria Regime Kills Dozens Of Civilians In Two Cities
AL JAZEERA




Promoters Launch Lawsuits Against Sports Bars
San Jose Mercury News


60 Percent Of Americans Oppose Afghan War But It Is Ignored By Politicians
ANTI-WAR.COM


US Soldier Opens Fire On Afghani Civilians Kills At Least 16
Al Jazeera
Ria Novesti
New York Times

                               Mustafa Khan European Pressphoto 






Women. Whoops!
Wonkette






U.S. Petroleum Products Exceeded Imports Last Year
PENN ENERGY


Egypt To Consider Cutting Off U.S. Aid
TIME






Israel Exaggerating Iran Nuclear Threat
Baltimore Sun




KidVids
Miss Bob Etier


Mid-Atlantic Cities Can Expect Early Spring Due To The Warmth They Create
Science Daily


Fired New York Times CEO Gets $24 Million Despite Shatting Incomes
MailOnline

A Leisurely Stroll Through Cyberrspace With No Ads

                                                   New Yorker





Japan Marks First Anniversary of March 11th Tsunami/Nuclear Disaster
Japan Today

                                Paper Cranes to Commemorate




Fired New York Times CEO Gets $24 Million Despite Shatting Incomes
MailOnline




Four Hurt in Canberra Art Display Mishap
Canberra Times



NASA HACK
FIRESTORM


ICRC Syria Report

Situation in Syria: latest update
09-03-2012 9 March 2012

The situation remains difficult in many parts of the country. Needs are great, both in Homs following the recent fighting there and in other regions affected by the unrest. Cold weather and a deteriorating economic situation are making it even harder for people to cope.

The priority is to continue helping the most affected people in Abel, Hama, Idlib, Dara'a and rural Damascus, including those who fled the Baba Amr district of Homs. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the ICRC have assisted thousands of people over the past few days alone.

Evacuation of the wounded and the safety of medical personnel are two prime concerns. A casualty's life often depends on how quickly an emergency team can evacuate and treat them. Anyone who is ill or has been wounded must be able to obtain medical care, and medical staff and facilities must be protected at all times.

Over the past few days:
In Abel (10 km from Homs) food and hygiene items have been provided for about 2,700 people. They will be receiving mattresses and blankets in the coming days. People who fled to Abel because of the fighting in the Baba Amr district in Homs have also received aid. They had left in a hurry, leaving all their belongings behind, and were very happy to see the ICRC/SARC team for the second time in four days. SARC volunteers treated a number of children in Abel who were ill.

In addition, Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers have carried out the following activities, with ICRC supplies:
People living in the northern city of Hama and the villages nearby have been receiving regular aid from the SARC. Some of these people have fled other regions, while others are residents of the area, affected by the deteriorating economic situation.
People in Idlib (North-West) have been receiving aid daily, while SARC volunteers continued to monitor the situation there closely, so as to be able to respond to needs as they arose.
Food and other relief items have been distributed in Dara'a (South), and in particular outside the city, where both residents and people displaced from other cities such as Homs are in considerable need.
Aid has been delivered to various parts of Rural Damascus province. On 7 March, for example, distributions took place in Al-Kisweh (about 20 kilometres south of Damascus), Yabrud (65 kilometres north of Damascus) and Al-Nabak (75 kilometres north of Damascus).

Finally, SARC sent a convoy on Thursday 8 March to the area of Al-Raqqa (north-eastern Syria) to help residents and nomads there who are suffering the consequences of the economic situation caused by the unrest. The supplies included 1,500 food parcels, 1,000 blankets and 500 portions of milk for babies.


When Enough is Enough
Nathaniel Hines

Taliban Threatens Attacks on Pakistan for Jailing Bin Laden Widows

Ria Novosti


Invisible Children Video Leads to US Response
Christian Science Monitor

50 Shades of Gray
New York Times

                                             Photo Richard Perry New York Times

A Leisurely Stroll Through Cyberspace With No Ads

Plight of African Children KONY 2012

KONY KERFUFFLE

Coke/Pepsi Make Tiny Change To Avoid Cancer Warning
Toronto Star


Hamas Security Forces Attack Journalists In Gaza
MAAN

Feathers Evolved To Attract Mates

Science Daily

Activists Sabotage Japan Whaling Fleet’s Harvest

Japan Today

International Red Cross Steps Up Aid To Congo
ICRC


The Impact Of Fracking On Drinking Water
ONEARTH

Selma to Montgomery March Re-Enacted
Border Explorer


Strong Earthquake Jolts China
Times of India
USGS

Chimps With Smartphones Could Be Cops Of The Future

Iran Six Ready For Talks With Iran
Ria Novosti


Israel Says No Immediate Attack On Iran
Jerusalem Post




Chimpanzees Have Their Own Cops

Science Daily

Photo Credit: Claudia Rudolf von Rohr

Why We Don't Need Breed Specific Legislation To Control Pit Bulls
Bob Goes To Dogs

Wikileaks Emails: Western Special Ops In Syria Since December

Anti-War.com

Where The Elle Are Women

Elle

   Latest ICRC Update on Syria

   A team from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) entered the district of Baba Amr in Homs today March 7). The SARC volunteers found that the vast majority of Baba Amr residents had left their homes in recent days to seek refuge in neighbouring areas, where the SARC and the ICRC are providing them with assistance.

   The priority now is to continue providing food, blankets and hygiene kits for people in areas affected by the violence, including those who have had to leave Baba Amr.

   In Abel (10 km from Homs), 450 families received food and hygiene kits today, and the SARC and the ICRC are continuing their daily distributions of food and other essential items in Hama, Idlib, Dara’a and rural Damascus.

Saudi Blogging Journalist Repents

TNW Social Commentary Site




Texas Governor Pursues Republican Attack On Women's Rights
New York Times

New Smartphone Can Send Images Of Suspicious Activity Directly To Cops

Russian TV


Fashion for Ugly
Nathaniel Hines

The Katherine Cone Gallery Presents Today's California Girls

Art Knowledge News

                       Vanessa Prager Pearls







THIS IS A LABOR OF LOVE, NO MONEY, EXCEPT MY EXPENSES. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE PLEASE PASS THE WORD.
YOU CAN CLICK ON THE GOOGLE LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE. YOU KNOW THE DRILL.

March Madness

We should have known when the Ides of March was preceded by Linsanity.
Holy Steve Jobs. Not only did we have a Super Tuesday, Wednesday starts with a new iPad.

Defendant in privacy case in New Jersey is rushed by spectators in a court room.

Pirate Bay now calls itself Supr Bay.

Peyton Manning will always be a Colt. But because of an injury caused by a bounty hunter he won’t be playing for them.

Politics remain a dream. Should we call in a Lego crew? Caesar was stabbed 23 times.

A bad joke that needs to be told again. Republicans appear headed to a Sanatorium.

What did they expect after they pissed off a majority of women and workers. Who does that leave out.

Rush made sure contraception was included. I’ll bet this guy never hard of foreplay. Well, with all those drugs available why bother.

Six Brits killed in Afghanistan. No, the war is not over. Perhaps the mainstream media might mention it from time to time.

The slaughter continues in Syria. Again, too many references to screw ups elsewhere, like Vietnam. Let’s talk about Rwanda, the Balkans and Liberia.

Where is a drone when you need one.

GOP/s March Madness Leading To Sanatorium?

Beware the Ides of March
Robert Weller

Apple News
Gizmodo

So-called Libyan Leader Vows To Use Force To Keep East From Separating
Guardian

Letter from Brazil

AUSSIE Government Buys Software Flaws Before They Are Sold On Black Market
Sydney Morning Herald





With Bruising Battle GOP Primary Contest Continues Ad Infinitum
New York Times

West Agrees To Iran's Request To Renew Nuclear Talks
Al Jazeera

New ICRC Syria Update
International Committee For The Red Cross


Stem Cells Can Repair Corneas
Science Daily

Luggage No Doubt Was Free But She Was Jailed For Ten Hours For Painting Her Nails On Southwest
Mail Online

British Grieve For More Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan
BBC Report

Lego Space Shuttle

Emotions Of Tweets Being Gauged
LA Times

Obama Administration To Provide Non-Military Aid To Syrian Rebels
Anti-War.com

Crazy Alert (stolen from Russian TV)

http://wrobertweller.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Ludicrous Tuesday

You are more likely to have an Amazon store come to your town than a Republican primary.

It certainly would mean more.

Sometimes these things look like the kind of standoff a local SWAT team would handle.

The media reports today that Independents don’t care for any of the candidates. That is blamed on bruising primaries.

It does seem that some candidates have taken out bounties on their opponents. It is easier, however, to knock an opponent out than to build your own credibility.

One possible factor, in addition to the primaries, is the possibility Independents were put off by the failure of the GOP to do anything.

President Obama, on the other hand, can probably count on enough Progressives to vote for him to win a second term.

For some it is déjà vu all over again. At least in 1968 there was a third candidate, sadly it was George Wallace.

Given the Internet’s ability to send unhappy activists into the streets of Cairo and Moscow,  and into the artillery of Syria, one wonders why so little impact here. Occupy this, occupy that.  Hey they try.

Recessions being somewhat cyclical, things are turning around.

Who will admit being a Republican in December? Kind of reminds one of the late Everett Dirksen denying he had nominated Barry Goldwater as the GOP presidential nominee. Expect something like that.

And all the stories of this boring campaign wouldn’t even fill the smallest Kindle.
The fact is they want us to have no fun of any kind.

Bring out your dead, and those about to be dead

West Agrees To Iran's Request To Renew Nuclear Talks
http://aje.me/zI1JYI

New ICRC Syria Update
http://bit.ly/xwZ6f1

Ludicrous Tuesday Even Sillier Than Expected Too Bad The Media Ran Out Of Time
http://bit.ly/xTCj9P

Anti-War Kucinich Driven From Congress By Former Ally In District Redrawn By GOP
http://wapo.st/wuh7GM


New Yorker Cartoon Bank


France Ready To Hand Out Biometric ID Cards
http://bit.ly/AlHe9s

Thousands Die In UK Because They Fail To Report Cancer Symptoms
http://bbc.in/A4Y4Ef

Egypt Parliament Member Quits Over Nose Job

http://lat.ms/wewCdv

RSS Feed http://wrobertweller.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Cyberflaneuries Of A Spring Day

Some Aid Reaches Homs But Not Its Devastated Areas
http://aje.me/ypcHOc

Wikileaks Says Osama Bin Laden's Body Brought To U.S. And Not Dumped At Sea
http://bit.ly/wsugqn

Lakota Pipeline Arrest
http://bit.ly/wqBmd7

Claim NFL Players Paid Bonuses For Hurting Other Players
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/american-football/17261982


Study Shows Even More Brain Flexibility Neuroplasticity
http://bit.ly/z64V14

Belarus Dictator Says He Would Rather Be Called A Dictator Than Gay
http://bit.ly/x47nhe

China Spends More On Military To Win Local Wars
http://bit.ly/AqAqp

Satellites Track Russian-Supplied Artillery Bombing Syrian Civilians
http://blog.amnestyusa.org/justice/homs-at-gunpoint-satellites-track-assault-on-syrian-cities/

http://wrobertweller.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?lt=rss

Surprise Surprise Putin Wins Presidency With 59 Percent
Russians Vote for President On Their Tippy Toes
Fraud Alleged Throughout Country
http://bit.ly/zExETi
http://bit.ly/Aiw5y1

Putin Seen As A Kind Of Janus In Satire
http://f24.my/AotNLc


British Poker Champion Faces Murder Charges After Wife's Bones Found Near Dinosaur, Colorado
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_20097300?source=rss_igoogle


Putin's Toothpick
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/03/08/040308ta_talk_lipman


Hundreds Killed in Brazzaville at Munitions Dump
http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2012/03/04/01003-20120304ARTFIG00103-serie-d-explosions-meurtrieres-a-brazzaville.php
http://bit.ly/whhTc0

World War 2 Graves Smashed in Benghazi Libya
http://aje.me/AoMBv5






Finding Fernanda
http://bit.ly/z33SKC






Syria Hands Over Bodies of American and French Journalists Its Troops Killed
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Mar-03/165418-syria-hands-over-bodies-of-2-foreign-journalists.ashx

The Myth of War Reporting
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-the-heroic-myth-and-the-uncomfortable-truth-of-war-reporting-7499735.html

Yvas Tanguay     0400 Rocky Mountain Time

Syria Hands Over Bodies of American and French Journalists Its Troops Killed
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Mar-03/165418-syria-hands-over-bodies-of-2-foreign-journalists.ashx

The Myth of War Reporting
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-the-heroic-myth-and-the-uncomfortable-truth-of-war-reporting-7499735.html




UN Says Atrocious Assaults in Syria, Breaks Promise of ICRC Entry to Homs
http://aje.me/x64nXy

US Gets Calm Weather for Storm Cleanup
http://bbc.in/zHlY1u




Border News
http://bit.ly/zSdCoq

Edith Bouvier of Le Figaro

Mexico Adopts Alarming Surveillance Legislation


https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/03/mexico-adopts-surveillance-legislation

                                              NPR Corbis




TYLER CLEMENTI and the END OF PRIVACY


http://dscriber.com/dscriber/4233-tyler-clementi-and-the-end-of-privacy

      Yves Tanguay

0839 Denver Colorado Time

Storms Kill 28 in Three States (Denver Colo Time)

Storms Kill 28 in Three States
http://bit.ly/zHOIZR

UN Chief Receives Grisly Reports from Syria
http://bit.ly/zlo97t






Syria Breaks Promise Blocks Entry of Red Cross Aid to Babu Amro in Homs

Russia Says Will Not Fight On Behalf Of Syria
http://en.rian.ru/world/20120302/171691343.html


France Joins U.S. and U.K. in Closing Syrian Embassies

Edith Bouvier of Le Figaro

Mexico Adopts Alarming Surveillance Legislation


https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/03/mexico-adopts-surveillance-legislation

                                              NPR Corbis




TYLER CLEMENTI and the END OF PRIVACY


http://dscriber.com/dscriber/4233-tyler-clementi-and-the-end-of-privacy




U.N. Concerned Over Reports of Syrian Executions in Homs


http://bit.ly/AaMvQx




7 American and Eight Other Aid Workers Flown Out of Egypt


http://www.france24.com/en/20120301-several-us-foreign-ngo-workers-flown-out-egypt-bail-trial-non-governmental-arrests

Six Things You Didn't Know About Bison

6 Amazing Facts You Never Knew About Bison
from Wildlife Promise
2 2/29/2012 // Judith Kohler
Bison, Great Plains, tribal bison, Yellowstone National Park

Photo credit: Beth Pratt/NWF
The bison, shaggy behemoth of the Great Plains, despite weighing as much as a ton, can race up to 40 mph, jump up to 6 feet vertically and can quickly pivot to combat predators. Unfortunately this mighty beast is not faster than a speeding bullet.


Though the bison’s ancestors roamed the continent with saber-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths, he could not protect himself from expansion and was nearly wiped out in the late 1800s as the nation’s population moved West.

Millions of bison were slaughtered for sport, for their hides, to clear the plains for settlers and their livestock and to control the Plains tribes. Native Americans used the bison for food and clothing, shelter, tools and ceremonial implements – nearly everything to survive physically and spiritually.

Before their near extermination, an estimated 30 million to 60 million bison ranged from Canada to northern Mexico and from the Plains to Eastern forests. By about 1890, roughly 1,000 remained, including two dozen in Yellowstone National Park.

Now the tribes at Fort Peck and Fort Belknap are preparing for the arrival of 65 Yellowstone bison.

The American buffalo, also known as bison, has always held great meaning for American Indian people…buffalo represent their spirit and remind them of how their lives were once lived, free and in harmony with nature.  -the InterTribal Buffalo Council

Credit: D. Forehand of Montana
6 Facts about Bison:

1) Bison are North America’s largest land animals. Mature bulls weigh up to 2,000 pounds and mature cows as much as 1,000 pounds.

2) A bison stands 6 – 6.5 feet tall and 10 – 12.5 feet long.

3) A bison’s hump is composed of muscle, supported by long vertebrae. It allows the animal to use its head to plow through snow.

4) Most of the 500,000 or so bison nationwide are raised as livestock on ranches. About 30,000 are managed for conservation in private and public herds.

5) Fossils and accounts from early travelers show that Yellowstone National Park is the only place in the U.S. where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times.

6) The Yellowstone herd is one of the few that remains genetically free of cattle genes.






By: Judith Kohler
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