Free Republic

One of the academics who has accused Harvard president Claudine Gay of ripping off her work claims the Ivy League school won’t condemn her because it holds “high pedigree” minorities to lower standards than others. Carol Swain, a former political science professor at Vanderbilt University, blasted the school in a fiery Wall Street Journal op-ed published Monday — nearly a week after Harvard said it was standing by Gay following an investigation into the plagiarism claims leveled against her.

We all need some lighter moments this weekend, what with the economic news. Here is a "Pedigree" Super Bowl Ad slated to run tomorrow during Super Bowl 43. . . . (watch video)

“I don't know what Caroline Kennedy's qualifications are. Except that she has name recognition, but so does J-Lo.” – Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y. Right idea, wrong argument. The problem with Caroline Kennedy's presumption to Hillary Clinton's soon-to-be-vacated Senate seat is not lack of qualification or experience. The Senate houses lots of inexperienced rookies – wealthy members of the business community, sports stars, even the occasional actor. The problem is Kennedy's sense of entitlement. Given her rather modest achievements, she is trading entirely on pedigree. I hate to be a good government scold, but wasn't the American experiment a rather firm...

Dear Dave, My son is a sophomore at a local college, and he wants to transfer to a very prestigious university. If he did this he would incur more than $100,000 in student loan debt, and that's with us picking up half of the cost. What do you think I should tell him? Will Dear Will, I'd have a hard time telling anybody that one school is $100,000 more valuable than another one. The fact is that unless he has $100,000 lying around somewhere, he shouldn't go to that other school for one very simple reason – he can't afford...

Balthazar Napolean de Bourbon, a jovial Indian lawyer and part-time farmer settled in Bhopal, has been told that he is the first in line to the lost French throne. According to media reports, "Bourbon may soon make his first trip to Paris, after he was visited by a relative of Prince Philip, who told him that he is the first in line to the lost French throne." This Indian father of three is being feted as the long-lost descendant of the Bourbon kings who ruled France from the 16th century to the French revolution. A distant cousin of Louis XVI...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A colored bull terrier known as Rufus made history on Tuesday, becoming the first of his breed to win best in show at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.Formally named Rocky Top's Sundance Kid, the 5-year-old tan and white bull terrier beat six other finalists, including classic family dogs such as a golden retriever and an Old English sheepdog who were the clear crowd pleasers. He also triumphed over more than 2,600 other entrants at the world's largest and most prestigious dog show.But Rufus' owner Barbara Bishop of Holmdel, New Jersey, said her dog was...