Waterboarding

WaterboardingObama won't prosecute CIA for waterboarding.

The Associated Press reports that the Obama administration will not prosecute CIA agents who used waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics on terror suspects authorized by President George W. Bush.

Attorney General Eric Holder will issue a statement today confirming President Obama's intent to exonerate CIA officials for their actions, as long as they resulted from legal advice at the time, according to unnamed senior administration officials.

He states that although CIA officials will not face federal prosecution, the Justice Department would provide "legal representation to any employee, at no cost to the employee, in any state or federal judicial or administrative proceeding," and would "take measures to respond to any proceeding initiated against the employee in any international or foreign tribunal."

Holder goes on to say that to "the extent permissible under federal law," the government will "indemnify any employee for any monetary judgment or penalty ultimately imposed against him for such conduct and will provide representation in congressional investigations."

Original Source : http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/04/obama-wont-prosecute-cia-for-waterboarding.html

Jasmine Waltz

Jasmine WaltzRyan Seacrest’s New Lady: Jasmine Waltz.

Ryan Seacrest has been a busy man, but lately he has been happily enjoying the company of L.A. bartender Jasmine Waltz.

The cute couple has been dining and going out all over town together after meeting at Guy’s, a West Hollywood lounge.

Meanwhile, Waltz has worked at hot spots all over LA, including Les Deux and Italian restaurant Bell, as she tries to reach her goal of becoming an actress.

Of the new couple, a source says, “They’ve been together for a few months.”

After hosting “American Idol” last week, Seacrest took Waltz to Paris for a weekend and the two looked quite comfortable together.

And it appears that Seacrest’s mom will be happy very now that Ryan has a girl, as she recently said that she wishes her son had more time to date. “That would be wonderful for him and we’d stand a better chance for him to have a relationship.”

Original Source : http://www.celebrity-gossip.net/celebrities/hollywood/ryan-seacrests-new-lady-jasmine-waltz-212846/

Julissa Brisman

Julissa BrismanFriends struck by tragic hotel murder of Julissa Brisman.

The New York woman working as a masseuse before her horrifying murder at the Marriott Copley Place on Tuesday night was described by those who knew her as an aspiring model and actress.

Julissa Brisman, 26, was dating a Colorado man when she advertised herself as offering masseuse services on Craigslist.com, said several friends.

“She very much talked like Paris Hilton,” said Emily Claire, 30, a Queens-based make-up artist who worked with Brisman on photo shoots. “She also told us about this thing she did, and she was kind of embarrassed to talk about it.”

Claire’s boyfriend, Matthew Terhune, 34, began photographing Brisman last year. He said she needed headshots for modeling auditions and photos for her job in a tanning salon.

Terhune described Brisman as amped up, frequently clutching a Red Bull energy drink.

“She’d always say, ‘Just joking, just joking,’ ” Terhune said. “She was very petite, very skinny, maybe 100 pounds. Last time I saw her I thought her legs were too skinny.”

Terhune and Claire said Brisman never mentioned being a masseuse. She had apparently posted a photo on her Craiglist ad of another model photographed by Terhune.

Michelle Barisano worked with Brisman on an ad for cell phone etiquette.

“Oh my God, what a tragedy,” she said upon learning Brisman’s tragic fate. “She’s beautiful. A very committed and serious actress.”

Mark Pines, a New York videographer, knew Julissa for six years. He said she came to work for him to shoot music videos and as a photo model.

“This is a total tragedy,” Pines said.

“We became the best of friends, I was very close to the whole family.” Pines said. “I babysat her dog.”

Pines learned of Julissa’s demise when he got a call from her mother.

“She called me at 7 this morning quite hysterical. Her mother lost her mother last month in the Dominican,” Pines said.

Pines said Julissa was working as a masseuse to make money but rejected speculation she was selling sex.

“I can tell you right now it was massage and not prostitution,” Pines said. “I know what she was doing with that. She wasn’t into anything with sex.”

Original Source : http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1166066

Siderodromophobia

SiderodromophobiaDefinition: fear of trains, railroads, or train travel.

A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track (permanent way) to transport freight or passengers from one place to another. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway. Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate locomotive, or from individual motors in self-propelled multiple units. Most modern trains are powered by diesel locomotives or by electricity supplied by overhead wires or additional rails, although historically (from the early 19th century to the mid-20th century) the steam locomotive was the dominant form of locomotive power. Other sources of power (such as horses, rope or wire, gravity, pneumatics, and gas turbines) are possible.

The word 'train' comes from the Old French trahiner, itself from the Latin trahere 'pull, draw'.

Original Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trains

John Madden Retiring

John Madden RetiringMadden Decides to Put Down His Microphone.

John Madden retired on Wednesday from calling football games, leaving a weekly discipline that he revolutionized with a coach’s eye, cartoonish sound effects and a taste for Thanksgiving turducken.

“It’s time,” he said in a statement issued by NBC Sports, where he had been an analyst for “Sunday Night Football” since 2006 following stints at ABC, Fox and CBS, where he began his second career after retiring from coaching the Oakland Raiders in 1979. “I’m 73 years old. My 50th anniversary is this fall.” He added: “It’s been such a great ride. The N.F.L. has been my life for more than 40 years, it has been my passion — and still is.”

Madden rose to prominence at CBS with Pat Summerall as his terse partner and straight man; the two announcers moved to Fox when the network acquired the rights to televise the National Football League. Madden subsequently moved to ABC, where he and Al Michaels called “Monday Night Football.” He and Michaels moved to NBC in 2006.

NBC did not name a replacement for Madden but the likely candidate is Cris Collinsworth, NBC’s lead studio analyst and the co-host with Bob Costas on “Football Night in America.” Collinsworth has shifted between calling games and studio work (he did both at Fox) in his career, and is currently a game analyst for the NFL Network.

Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Universal Sports, said in a statement that he was with Madden on Tuesday to determine if Madden was certain of his decision.

“To put any speculation to rest,” Ebersol said, “John has just decided to retire because it’s time — nothing more, nothing less. We’ll never see or hear another man like John Madden. We will sorely miss him because he was the most fun guy ever to just hang out with.”

Madden’s retirement means less — or no more — mileage on the plush bus that he used to travel to games to avoid flying. But it will probably have no impact on his connection to EA Sports’ “Madden NFL Football,” the top-selling sports video game ever. The video game, now 20 years old, is part of a portfolio of commercial work in which Madden has been a spokesman for Ace Hardware, Outback Steakhouse and Tinactin.

He also has interests in real estate and almond orchards.

Original Source : http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/sports/football/17madden.html