truesee's Blog

President Obama remains committed to holding 9/11 terror trial in America, official says

Daniel Roberts
DAILY NEWS WRITER

 

Sunday, February 14th 2010, 4:00 AM

 

Applewhite/AP

John Brennan, Obama's top counterterrorism aide, said the President is committed to holding the 9/11 terror trial in the U.S., though he's not sure where.

President Obama remains committed to trying accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in an American court - although he remains unsure where, a top administration official said Saturday.

"As far as support from the community and funding requirement, the most important thing to keep in mind is we need to bring him to justice in an American court," said John Brennan, Obama's top counterterrorism aide.

"Whether it happens in New York, Pennsylvania or Virginia, where will funding come from?"

New York officials estimated the cost of holding a trial in Manhattan at $250 million. Mayor Bloomberg is among those opposed to a trial in lower Manhattan, just a few blocks from Ground Zero.

Brennan, appearing before a mostly Muslim audience at an NYU Islamic Center-sponsored event, avoided commenting on the controversy during his 45-minute speech, but addressed the issue after an audience member posed the question.

"Clearly, this is an issue people in the city feel strongly about," Brennan acknowledged. 

 "We are trying to push this forward as best we can, but we also need non-obstruction from certain forces in our government," he said later. "There are stiff winds delaying us from bringing this man to justice."

LINK TO WEEKLY MESSAGE:

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/02/14/2010-02-14_bam_seeks_home_funds_for_911_trial.html#ixzz0fZU6zbAj

Elementary Fight Club: Aide at The Parkway School recruited bully to beat my son, mom says

Rachel Monahan, Kerry Burke and John Marzulli
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

 

Friday, February 12th 2010, 4:00 AM

 

Noonan for News

Tyreik Bowers, 10, has been kept home from his school by his mother, Felicia Waldron, because she fears retaliation.

Noonan for NewsTyreik Bowers was treated for a head injury.

Mecea for NewsSchool aide Ayodele Sandiford

A Brooklyn school aide has been suspended after being accused of recruiting a bully to pummel a fourth-grader in the latest fight club in a city elementary school, the Daily News has learned.

A second school aide also was suspended and accused of videotaping the beatdown with her cell phone, Department of Education officials said.

The shocking attack happened on Feb. 5 - only eight days after a Queens teacher and aide refereed a wrestling match between fourth-graders in a locked classroom.

Tyreik Bowers, 10, has been kept home from The Parkway School in Crown Heights by his mother because she fears retaliation not only from students, but from school aides as well.

"I don't feel he's safe," the mother, Felicia Waldron, said. "The adults will be plotting against him the rest of the [school] year."

The beatdown started when Tyreik and a fourth-grade girl argued in the school auditorium during recess. The girl made a comment about Tyreik's mother, prompting Tyreik to warn her that he'd hit her if she said it again, according to Waldron.

That's when school aide Ayodele Sandiford stepped in and told the girl she could repeat the comment, which she did - leading Tyreik to slug her, Waldron said.

The mother claimed Sandiford asked another student to locate a fifth-grader who has a reputation as the school bully. The older child came over and began punching Tyreik in the face, head and back, while also swinging him around by his arm, Waldron said.

"Ms. Sandiford told a lunch room aide not to break it up, to let them fight," Waldron said.

If that wasn't bad enough, a DOE incident report notes that "it has been alleged by students, school aides and a teacher that Ms. Florence Brown was videotaping the fight with her cellular phone."

Brown, a school aide, called the allegation "a lie" in a telephone interview. "I was trying to call the principal downstairs to help," she said.

In a brief interview, Sandiford also denied the allegations. "It's something the child's mother made up," she said, adding later, "I am a good employee. People are making up things about me to make money. It's embarrassing."

An Education Department spokeswoman said Sandiford had asked the fifth-grader to break up the fight, which was "inappropriate." Both aides were docked two days' pay.

Lawyer Sanford Rubenstein filed a notice to sue the city for $2 million yesterday, and he blasted school officials for not notifying the NYPD about the incident.

"If any school personnel committed a crime, particularly endangering the welfare of a minor, they must be held accountable," Rubenstein said.

Tyreik was treated for a head injury at Interfaith Medical Center. This is his first year attending public school because Waldron could no longer afford the tuition at David Grayson Christian Academy.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/02/12/2010-02-12_school_aide_at_the_parkway_school_recruited_bully_to_beat_my_son_says_mom_felici.html#ixzz0fZh9SZBX

http://www.nerve.com/dispatches/the%2Dtop%2D43%2Dsexiest%2Dus%2Dpresidents/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/14/13-ridiculous-things-you_n_460825.html

Joe Biden Tears Into Dick Cheney On 'Meet The Press'

LINK TO VIDEO:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35390969#35390969

Obama signed a bill Friday reinstating budget rules known as "paygo" – short for "pay as you go."

In place during the 1990s, the rules helped create balanced budgets and surpluses. Obama blames eliminating them for creating much of the $1.3 trillion deficit he faced upon taking office in January 2009 and for a total debt of $8 trillion projected over the next decade.

The president has been trying to show a public alarmed by higher government spending in the midst of an economic downturn that he is taking steps to tighten Washington's purse strings.

But the bill also lifted the cap on the amount of money the U.S. can borrow by $1.9 trillion – to a total of $14.3 trillion. The ceiling was lifted from $12.4 trillion to keep the U.S. from going into default.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama said the "politics of the moment" often overwhelms the desire Democrats and Republicans have to produce balanced budgets – something the federal government legally is not required to do.

"Now, Congress will have to pay for what it spends, just like everybody else," he said.

Obama did not discuss raising the debt ceiling in his message.

The president also repeated a promise to create, by executive order, a panel of Democrats and Republicans to suggest ways for closing the gap between what the government spends and what it collects in revenue. His proposal is weaker than a similar plan recently defeated by the Senate because Congress would not be required to vote on the presidential panel's recommendations.

Obama was expected to sign the executive order as early as next week.

The administration is projecting a $1.56 trillion deficit for the budget year ending Sept. 30.

Republicans mocked Obama for signing the "paygo" bill behind closed doors.

"With a simple stroke of his pen, President Obama now has the ability to continue his binge spending agenda to the tune of an additional $1.9 trillion, the largest one-time increase in our history," Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele said Friday. "Taxpayers will continue to foot the bill for the Democrats' fiscal irresponsibility."

Obama address: http://www.whitehouse.gov

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35303044/ns/travel-destinations/

Is this the world's most romantic word?

LONDON

Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:53pm EST     

LONDON (Reuters) - "Amour," the French word for love, has been voted the most romantic word in the world in a pre-Valentine's Day survey of language experts. 

It narrowly beat "amore," the Italian word for love, although Italian was named the world's most romantic language.

Italian words also dominated the top places in the list of most romantic words

"Bellissima," which is both Italian and Spanish for "very beautiful," was voted the third most romantic word, while "tesoro," which is both Italian and Spanish for "treasure" (as in "Mi tesoro" / "My treasure") came fourth.

The survey was conducted by London-based Today Translations which polled over 320 of its linguists.

After Italian, they found the second-most romantic language was French, which was way ahead of Spanish and English in joint third place.

In the same poll, the firm asked its linguists to pick the least romantic-sounding way to say, "I love you" in any language.

The winner was Japan's "watakushi-wa anata-wo ai shimasu," ahead of the Welsh "rydw i'n dy garu di" and "qaparha," which, the firm noted, is Klingon, as spoken in the Star Trek universe

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Wrong footed! Amputee sent home with two left feet after hospital fiasco

 Jonathan Brocklebank
Last updated at 10:07 AM on 12th February 2010

Patrick Morrison walked around for five months with two left feet

When Patrick Morrison left hospital after having his right foot amputated, he thought the sense of imbalance he felt would vanish once he got used to his newly fitted artificial foot.

But it was not until five months later, when he took off the protective socks, that he realised he had been given two left feet.

A prosthetic limb specialist had fitted an artificial left foot to his right leg - and failed to spot his mistake during two further check-ups.

The foot was also too big - made to fit a size nine shoe rather than a size eight.

The specialist, Malcolm Griffiths, was struck off yesterday after admitting a string of blunders.

Mr Morrison, 76, said: 'The paramedics who brought me home saw that I was leaning too much to one side.

'My wife and daughter noticed that as well. I thought it was just part of the process of getting used to having a false foot. I wasn't concerned.'

It was only when Mr Morrison and his wife Alexia decided to change all three protective socks that they realised the mistake.

The retired joiner said: 'We both got a big surprise. Thankfully, the hospital got it sorted out as quickly as they could.'

A disciplinary hearing of the Health Professions Council was told Mr Griffiths admitted 16 charges relating to his treatment of 11 patients at Edinburgh's Astley Ainslie Hospital.

The prosthetist, who was absent from the hearing, was sacked by NHS Lothian in 2008.

Mr Morrison, from Bathgate, West Lothian, said he bore no ill-will towards Mr Griffiths and always got on well with him.

Mr Morrison is now the proud owner of a new right foot

His ordeal began when an ulcer on his big toe grew worse.

Eventually the toe was amputated, but the wound became infected with MRSA and surgeons had to remove the entire foot and part of his lower leg.

He was sent to Mr Griffiths to have a prosthetic limb and shoe fitted.

At the disciplinary hearing in Edinburgh, the panel was told that Mr Griffiths not only admitted the charges against him, but had also requested that he be removed from the professional register.

Its chairman Colin Allies said: 'The panel is satisfied that it is appropriate and proportionate to make the consent order as requested by the parties.'

As well as the charges relating to Mr Morrison, the prosthetist also admitted that he caused 'unnecessary delay and pain' to another patient by failing to complete work 'within a reasonable time-frame'.

He also admitted failing to maintain adequate patient notes.

A spokesman for NHS Lothian said its senior clinical staff had apologised to Mr Morrison.

He added: 'As soon as issues regarding this former member of staff's competence were raised, we set procedures in place to provide additional support and training.

'He was dismissed in September 2008 following a failure to engage in our competency supervision processes.'

LINK TO PHOTOS OF PATRICK MORRISON:

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250240/False-limbs-expert-faces-struck-giving-amputee-left-feet.html#ixzz0fQT38F0C

Woman keeps world’s largest rodent as a pet

The 100-pound capybara snuggles with owner, performs tricks for treats

updated 3:32 p.m. ET, Fri., Feb. 12, 2010  

  Caplin Rous relishes snuggling in bed, going to the pet store with his owner and doing tricks like sitting and shaking for treats.

He might sound like your typical dog, but guess again. He's actually a capybara, otherwise known as the largest rodent species on earth.

"People hear the word rodent and they think it's some kind of a dirty word," Caplin's owner, Melanie Typaldos, tells PEOPLE Pets. "But many of them are very smart, clean, loving animals."

Courtesy Melanie Typaldos"He's very needy but I love him to death," says his owner Melanie Typaldos. "He's very affectionate. He loves to lick my face and forehead and just follow me around everywhere."

Caplin Rous, (his second name is an acronym for "rodent of unusual size," a reference from the movie "The Princess Bride") is all those things — although Typaldos warns that she wouldn't recommend him as a pet for just anyone.

Although he's extremely loyal and a perfect gentleman in public, he can be territorial at home, sometimes trying to bite visitors he doesn't like. He also requires a very large grazing area because he munches on grass most of the day and the semi-aquatic animal requires daily dips in a pool or other body of water.

Fortunately, Typaldos and her husband provide the perfect living conditions for the 100-pound rodent. They live in rural Buda, Texas, with acres of open space filled with pesticide-free grass, as well as a pool outside and an oversized tub inside to satisfy his swimming needs. Typaldos says Caplin springs to life in the water, playfully dunking his toys or sticking his head through his favorite inner tube (specially stuffed with aqua noodles so he doesn't puncture it with his sharp teeth.)

When he's not swimming or eating, Caplin is typically following his master around and softly makes a sound akin to an "eep" whenever they are separated.

"He's very needy but I love him to death," says Typaldos. "He's very affectionate. He loves to lick my face and forehead and just follow me around everywhere."

Typaldos credits her adult daughter, Coral, with helping her appreciate these oversized creatures while on a trip to Venezuela several years back. When they returned home, Coral begged her mom to get a capybara on her behalf, since she lived in an apartment and traveled a lot and couldn't care for one herself. Typaldos found Caplin through a Texas breeder two and a half years ago when he was just 11 days old. Once at her home, she worked with him consistently for three months to get him accustomed to domesticated life. (And yes, Caplin is housebroken, and does his business in an oversized water bowl in the family bathroom.)

Today, with Typaldos' help, Caplin has become an ambassador for the species. She often takes him into local schools for wildlife talks, and loves taking him out in public to pet-friendly places, like outdoor eateries or even independent bookstores. Unsurprisingly, Caplin draws a crowd wherever he goes.

  "Mostly people are just stunned and amazed," Typaldos reports. "People literally stop their cars in the street and want to take a picture with him ... When we're in public, he will tolerate anything. Sometimes kids will surround him to the point that he can hardly move and he's completely calm."

Typaldos is also dedicated to educating the world at large about capybaras since she discovered there was little online information about keeping one as a pet. Today, she manages Caplin's Facebook

As a full time software engineer, Typaldos admits it's a lot of work caring for Caplin and keeping up with all his online endeavors, but it is a true labor of love.

  "He's so smart and I absolutely just love him," she says. "Being with him is just a lot of fun."

MOST AMAZING AMINALS

 http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30522001/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=1

Man plants landmines in garden to keep out thieves

February 12, 2010 • 10:17 am

Diana Fasanella

A Russian man has been convicted on weapons charges after he planted landmines in his garden to keep out intruders. 

He must be a blast at parties

Alexander Skopintsev of the Primorye region built three explosive devices in his garage and then planted them around his garden to protect it from thieves, ABC news reports. 

The traps were discovered after a trespasser set off one of the landmines and was injured in the blast. The intruder’s condition was not revealed.   

Skopintsev was convicted of unlawful construction and storage of weapons. A Ussuriisk court gave him a 2 ½ year suspended sentenced. 

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Friday, February 12th 2010, 11:53 AM

 

Harrer/Bloomberg

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid decided to forgo the two party approach to a jobs bill.

WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats scrapped a bipartisan jobs bill in favor of one they say is leaner and focused solely on putting Americans back to work, and they're all but daring Republicans to vote against it.

The new, stripped-down proposal followed criticism that the bipartisan version wouldn't create many jobs.

The switch brought sharp accusations of reneging from Republicans who thought they had a deal, jeopardizing a brief attempt at bipartisan lawmaking.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's latest bill focuses on several popular provisions aimed at boosting job creation, including a new tax break negotiated with Republicans for companies that hire unemployed workers and for small businesses that purchase new equipment. It also would renew highway programs and help states and local governments finance large infrastructure projects.

Reid, D-Nev., put forward the pared-back plan after Senate Democrats balked at a broader bill stuffed with unrelated provisions sought by lobbyists for business groups and doctors. The surprise blew apart an agreement with key Republicans like Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who worked with Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., for weeks to produce a bill containing the extra provisions.

The original bill had won support from across the political spectrum, from President Barack Obama as well as conservative Republicans in the Senate, offering the promise of a rare bipartisan package in a Congress that has been gripped by partisan fights. To get that support, however, the package had morphed into a 361-page grab bag of provisions that included extending benefits to the unemployed and tax breaks for businesses.

Now, the bipartisan agreement is off.

"Our side isn't sure that the Republicans are real interested in developing good policy and to move forward together," said Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del. "Instead, they are more inclined to play rope-a-dope again. My own view is, let's test them."

Said Reid: "Republicans are going to have to make a choice. I don't know in logic what they could say to oppose this."

Reid officially put the measure before the Senate on Thursday evening, setting up a key test vote when the chamber returns the week of Feb. 22. He'll need at least one GOP vote to prevail in a filibuster challenge.

Republicans said they were blind-sided by Reid's about-face.

Grassley spokeswoman Jill Kozeny said in an e-mail that Reid "pulled the rug out from work to build broad-based support for tax relief and other efforts to help the private sector recover from the economic crisis."

The bigger bill got a decidedly mixed reception at a luncheon meeting of Democrats, many of whom were uncomfortable with supporting a bill containing so many provisions unrelated to creating jobs, including loans for chicken producers and aid to catfish farmers.

The provisions also included a $31 billion package of tax breaks for individuals and businesses, an extension of several parts of the USA Patriot Act and higher payments for doctors facing Medicare payment cuts.

The surprise move appears to insulate Democrats from criticism that greeted the earlier, lobbyist-backed legislation first leaked on Tuesday and officially unveiled by Baucus and Grassley - to praise from the White House - only hours before Reid's announcement.

The centerpiece of Reid's new bill is a $13 billion payroll tax credit for companies that hire unemployed workers. The idea, by Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, would exempt businesses hiring unemployed workers in 2010 from the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax for those hires.

It also would provide an additional $1,000 tax credit for workers retained for a full year and deposit an additional $20 billion into the federal highway trust fund - money that would have to be borrowed. There's also $2 billion to subsidize bond issues by state and local governments for large infrastructure projects.

But Republicans are irate at the tactics and said Reid had gone back on a deal reached with some of the Senate's heaviest hitters, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/02/12/2010-02-12_harry_reid_and_senate_dems_ax_bipartisan_jobs_bill_.html?page=1#ixzz0fLrI2G6A

http://www.bvonsports.com/2010/02/12/mike-tyson-dancing-with-the-stars-in-italy/

Cedar Rapids woman charged with offering daughter for prostitution

Feb 11, 2010

Gazette on Line

Anna Lothson

                         Mary Doolin

A 60-year-old Cedar Rapids woman is being held at the Johnson County Jail after police said she arranged for her daughter’s prostitution.

Mary J. Doolin was arrested Wednesday in connection with a Sept. 29 incident in Coralville, in which police say Doolin sent her daughter to meet with an undercover officer who had contacted her during a prostitution investigation.

Doolin’s daughter, Debra Voshell, 37, was later charged with pandering, according to police.

              Debra Voshell

Voshell was charged with prostitution in October after meeting with the undercover officer in Coralville.

Police said Doolin admitted to running a prostitution ring for a number of years and has prior convictions for pimping and prostitution.

Doolin, of 1635 B Ave. NE No. 3, remained in the Johnson County Jail Thursday on a $10,000 bond.

Another prostitution investigation in Coralville on Tuesday led to the arrest of Heather A. Brown, 21, of Rock Island, Ill, after police said she placed an ad on the Internet and met with an officer who she told she would perform sexual acts in exchange for money.

She was charged with prostitution and was being held in the Johnson County Jail Thursday on a $5,000 bond.