TORO has been covering the beautiful and talented women of the world for years. For all the guys who feel left out, we celebrate all that can be done by the stronger, dumber sex.

Christian Bale, Forever Batman



In the wake of last week’s tragic violence in Colorado, stories of heroism and hope are emerging. Three men are being hailed for shielding their girlfriends from gunfire. Warner Bros. has announced the delay of shoot-'em-up movie Gangster Squad and monetary donations to victims. And actor Christian Bale visited survivors in hospital.

Celebrities donating their time to a cause is nothing new. But Bale’s situation is certainly unique; he’s spent the better part of a decade building a story about the dark side of human nature, only to have that work perverted to an unimaginable degree. Certainly he’s not a “victim” but few artists will ever have to face the reality of inspiring, indirectly or not, real-world horror.

Watching footage of Bale’s visit is sobering. His dress is plain, his expression subdued. He does not address reporters or share his thoughts. Whatever motivation he might have, any traces of cynicism or self-gratification are practically invisible.

Randy George Scott, YouTube Fugitive



On April 8, a user called “Joe Blow” posted a video of a 299 km/h + (topping the speedometer limit) motorcycle ride along a Victoria, B.C. highway. The video drew excited cheers and vicious condemnation, as every YouTube video since the first one has to some degree. But local police certainly weren’t clicking "like." A warrant was issued for Scott’s arrest July 10, though he eluded capture — until this past Tuesday, when he turned himself in to Canadian authorities. He faces up to five years in prison.

Scott’s video shines a light on the YouTube fame-grab phenomenon. Should he be praised for pulling off a dangerous stunt without injury, making an admittedly impossible-to-shut-off clip at a time when few user videos amount to much at all? Or condemned for putting lives other than his own at serious risk? The debate continues.

But for ultimately facing up to his entertaining, if incredibly dangerous and not condoned by TORO in any way, stunt, Scott proved his fearlessness — for better or worse. 


Jacob M. Howard, Dead Senator



This weekend marks the 143rd anniversary of the certification of the Fourteenth Amendment, which officially granted black people the right to citizenship and, in a broader sense, legal personhood within the United States.

One of the unsung heroes of that amendment was Jacob M. Howard, a Michigan Senator and ally to Abraham Lincoln. Howard wrote the Citizenship Clause, closing loopholes, clarifying technicalities in the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and setting the stage for further battles within the next century.

History lesson over. The point is, the real fight for equality is more often than not fought by our elected officials. And if we put our faith in them, once in a while, men of will like Howard make their mark.