Hoping to clarify a point in today's column "Murdock and the Mayonnaise Mafia:" I wrote that Deroy Murdock is not an African American but is dark-skinned. A reader promptly called in confused, as Murdock's picture that runs with his weekly column shows that he is black man. The reader joked that there must be something wrong with his eyesight.
No need to get those eyes checked, sir. You are not going blind, like Glenn Beck.
Murdock is a first generation American of Costa Rican heritage, meaning he is not an "African" American, per se -- just like a Haitian in America would be a Haitian American and a Jamaican a Jamaican American.
The point beyond the technicalities is that Murdock still fits into the retro term of "colored" and should be nothing less than ashamed of himself for ripping the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) just to appease the white man's choir to which he proudly preaches.

As a public service to our letter to the editor writers, I would like to pass along the following tips to help you get your letter published:1) The "official" limit is 350 words. I may let you slide at 355 (keep that between us), but not 432.2) Your point can be made without USING ALL CAPS, exclamation points (!) and bold letters. And if you really overdo it with both, then I'M REALLY GONNA PUT YOUR LETTER ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE OR ACCIDENTALLY-ON-PURPOSE DELETE IT!!!!!! 3) You also must include your full name and your hometown. If you want to be more anonymous, I would suggest you vent through our Your 2 Cents line or comment on our blogs or website.4) Keep in mind that letters to the editor are to the editor, and pass through his desk first. I'm the managing editor whose responsibilities include the opinion page (where letters to the editor are printed).5) We are under no obligation, legally, to run your letter. If you don't see it, maybe you are not in accordance with one of the issues raised here. That said, I'd love nothing more than to have a plethora of letters at my disposal.6) One thing that will keep your letter out of the mix is libeling someone else in print. Even though it is not us doing the writing, we cannot allow you to do it. So back up any facts. You can't just call someone, particularly one who is not a public figure, a liar without explaining the wherefore and whys of their alleged lies.7) A lot of you write about angst over tax increases and other financial concerns. Please make sure your math is accurate, and don't use the % sign. Please, write out the word "percent."Lastly, before I move you to some helpful basic writing hints and tips that will keep our editors sane and your letter on the page after I place it there, your fast track to getting published would be to hit us during dry spells. If you see stretches of days with only one letter — or Today in History in place of where the letters run on Page A4 — it's a good time to get something in to us.And now, the following from Kaboodle.com:10 Common Errors “Spell Check” Won’t Catch

As a public service to our letter to the editor writers, I would like to pass along the following tips to help you get your letter published:

1) The "official" limit is 350 words. I may let you slide at 355 (keep that between us), but not 432.

2) Your point can be made without USING ALL CAPS, exclamation points (!) and bold letters. And if you really overdo it with both, then I'M REALLY GONNA PUT YOUR LETTER ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE OR ACCIDENTALLY-ON-PURPOSE DELETE IT!!!!!!

3) You also must include your full name and your hometown. If you want to be more anonymous, I would suggest you vent through our Your 2 Cents line or comment on our blogs or website.

4) Keep in mind that letters to the editor are to the editor, and pass through his desk first. I'm the managing editor whose responsibilities include the opinion page (where letters to the editor are printed).

5) We are under no obligation, legally, to run your letter. If you don't see it, maybe you are not in accordance with one of the issues raised here. That said, I'd love nothing more than to have a plethora of letters at my disposal.

6) One thing that will keep your letter out of the mix is libeling someone else in print. Even though it is not us doing the writing, we cannot allow you to do it. So back up any facts. You can't just call someone, particularly one who is not a public figure, a liar without explaining the wherefore and whys of their alleged lies.

7) A lot of you write about angst over tax increases and other financial concerns. Please make sure your math is accurate, and don't use the % sign. Please, write out the word "percent."

Lastly, before I move you to some helpful basic writing hints and tips that will keep our editors sane and your letter on the page after I place it there, your fast track to getting published would be to hit us during dry spells. If you see stretches of days with only one letter — or Today in History in place of where the letters run on Page A4 — it's a good time to get something in to us.

And now, the following from Kaboodle.com:

10 Common Errors “Spell Check” Won’t Catch

While we can rely on a spell checker to catch glaring errors, a computer can’t pick up on all careless mistakes, especially if the word could be correct in a different context. Often word misuse is our mistake. The English language is full of homonyms, or words that have different meanings but sound and look similar, which makes it easy to confuse proper usage. For instance, verbally, you might not even notice the difference between “your” and “you’re.” But in print, the error can lead the reader to perceive you as less intelligent than you are. For this reason, it's important to spell check and proofread your documents, especially for the following common misuses, which are so easy to make, you might even have to check your document a couple times to catch them.


Its versus It’s (and all other apostrophes):
According to a copy editing instructor for California-based copy editing service provider Edicetera, confusing “its” and “it’s” is the most common error in the English language. That one minuscule apostrophe (or lack thereof) drastically changes the meaning of the entire sentence. “It’s” is a contraction of “it is,” whereas “its” refers to possession. Also, watch out for “your” versus “you’re.”


Sales versus Sails
Can you imagine writing on your resume that you “increased sails by 20 percent”?! Unless you’re applying to a job for a sail boat manufacturer, this careless mistake will probably get your resume sailing right into the recycling bin.

Affect versus Effect
There is a lot of confusion around this one but here’s the rule: “Affect” is a verb and “effect” is a noun. It’s as simple as that.


Would Have NOT Would of
The subtlety in pronunciation leads to the rampant misuse of this phrase; however “would of” is never correct and may make you appear as if you are not well-read.

Through versus Threw
“He threw the ball through the window.” “Threw” is a verb and “through” is a preposition. And speaking of “through,” be careful to make sure you don’t actually mean “thorough” or vice versa. The slight variation in spelling will not be picked up by a computer, but writing “I am through” when you mean “I am thorough” is quite ironic, don’t you think?

Then versus Than
Six is more than five; after five then comes six. “Than” refers to a comparison, while “then” refers to a subsequent event.

Supposed To NOT Suppose To
“Suppose” is a verb, meaning to think or to ponder. The correct way to express a duty is to write, “I was supposed to…”

Wonder versus Wander
You can wander around while you wonder why “wander” and “wonder” have such different meanings, yet sound oh so similar.

Their versus There versus They’re
OK, once and for all: “Their” is possessive; “there” refers to distance; and “they’re” is a contraction of “they are.”

Farther versus Further
While both words refer to distance, grammarians distinguish “farther” as physical distance and “further” as metaphorical distance. You can dive further into a project, for instance, or you can dive farther into the ocean.

Be prepared to be scared. The following is a time line of the life and times of one Faisal Shahzad, aka the wanabe terrorist who failed at ignited a bomb in Times Square on May 1 of this year.

This should chill you to the core, as it reveals the gaping holes in the student visa system.

June 30, 1979 - Born in Pakistan, the youngest of four children. Attended primary school in Saudi Arabia and returned to his native land to continue his education as a mediocre student.

1997 - Despite his underwhelming academic record, he came to the U.S. to study at Southeastern University in Washington D.C., a school which is now defunct.

1998 - Sporting a 2.78 GPA, he was granted a student visa.

1999 - Placed on a U.S. Customs (now DHS) watch list.

2000 - Transfers to the University of Bridgeport, a school with a sizable number of international students.

2001 - After 9/11, he is heard pronouncing that America "had it coming."

Spring, 2002 - Received a degree in computer applications with his parents in attendance for the ceremony. A month earlier, received a work visa.

December 24, 2004 - Returns to Pakistan to be married in an arranged union with a woman born in the United States to Pakistani-born parents who have split their time living in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Colorado.

Summer, 2005 - Remaining the U.S. on his visa, he earns an MBA from Bridgeport.

June 15, 2006 - Quits his job as a financial analyst for Eliza Arden Cosmetics in "disgust" over his sub-$50K salary.

January, 2006 - Earns his Green Card, buys a single three-bedroom house and earns $70K per year as a financial analyst.

February, 2006 - Sends the following e-mail: "Can you tell me a way to save the oppressed? And a way to fight back when rockets are fired at us and Muslim blood flows? Everyone knows how the Muslim country bows down to pressure from west. Everyone knows the kind of humiliation we are faced with around the globe." As the year progresses, he becomes more religious, praying at mosques as many as five times per day.

2008 - His father denies his request to fight in Afghanistan against the U.S.

April 17, 2009 - Granted U.S. citizenship, and then quits his job within weeks and stopped making mortgage payments. Marriage becomes strained and he tells his wife he wants to find work in the Middle East. She instead takes the family's two children to Saudi Arabia, where her parents are living.

July, 2009 - Travels to Pakistan, finding his way to a terrorist training camp.

February. 2010 - Returns to U.S. on a flight from Dubai; buys a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder for $1,300 on Craig's List.

May 1, 2010 - Parks Pathfinder in Times Square with car bomb, which ignites but fails to explode.

May 3, 2010 - Arrested at JFK Airport after boarding a flight to Dubai, after which he purportedly planned to return home to Pakistan. Following the arrest, he reportedly cooperated with authorities but was unrepentant.