http://www.ToTheCenter.com/ ToTheCenter.com's philosophy is simple. The average person may not recognize a political left or right; but rather, somewhere in between. Our mission is to keep our opinion and news "down the middle" for all. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=10342 The three misdemeanor convictions for the Missouri woman who committed computer fraud by using a fake MySpace account to trick a 13-year old girl, were tentatively dismissed today; the dismissal will be final once the judge submits his written decision sometime next week, reported The New York Times. Lori Drew was convicted this past November by a federal jury after forming a questionable online relationship with Megan Meier, one-time friend of Drew’s own daughter, that allegedly lead to Meier’s suicide, The New York Times. According to Judge George H. Wu, he has tentatively dismissed the charges because it would set a precedent that implies every person who had ever broken the MySpace terms of service were guilty of a misdemeanor. "Is a misdemeanor committed by the conduct which is done every single day by millions and millions of people?" Wu asked, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. "If these people do read [the terms of service] and still say they're 40 when they are 45, is that a misdemeanor?" Prosecutors argue that Drew’s actions were illegal because the MySpace account was created specifically to harass Meier. Parents of the victim have asked Wu to impose the maximum prison sentence, The Los Angeles Times reported. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=10341 A Missouri mother accused of driving a young teenager to suicide through cyber-bullying had a victory in court Thursday morning. A judge in Los Angeles was seeing the mother, and the judge threw out the conviction against her. According to The Associated Press, Lori Drew was accused of computer fraud for creating a fake MySpace page to harass a 13-year-old girl. Drew was convicted earlier in November for charges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Many legal analysts researched the case since it was the first time charges like this were issued due to abuse from a user of a certain social networking site. The mother originally started a false account pretending to be a 13-year-old boy and befriend the girl who uses to be a friend of her daughter. After some scathing messages, the girl being harassed hanged herself in her bedroom. The main defense for Drew was that the law was created to prevent hacking into other computers and stealing personal information. The judge’s decision will not be official until it is written as a legal document; and not just spoken in a courtroom. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=10340 I can't wait for the day when "stay together for the kids" is no longer an acceptable argument against divorce. I can't think of many other reasons, aside from the religiously motivated, for Jenny Sanford to forgive her husband and keep this marriage together. When your husband gets in front of the national media and proclaims the mistress his is "soul mate," it is officially over. As reported by CNN, Jenny Sanford has taken a bold stance in choosing to forgive her husband and give him a chance to rebuild their marriage. "Mark showed a lack of judgment in his recent actions as governor," said Sanford. “However, his far more egregious offenses were committed against God, the institutions of marriage and family, our boys and me. Mark has stated that his intent and determination is to save our marriage and to make amends to the people of South Carolina." Isn't it pretty obvious that he had no intention of reforming his behavior, which included several other affairs in addition to this one that landed him in the hot seat? It's been reported that Jenny asked Mark to leave a few weeks before he was caught by the state of South Carolina with his hand in the cookie jar. Why the change of tune? If she's hoping to salvage his political career with a publicity stunt, she should give it up. Members of Sanford's own home-state party are revolting against him. For her kids? Trust me, kids grow up much happier with happy parents, and those two are not going to be happy any time soon. How do you take your husband back, knowing that his soul mate is floating around out there, no doubt on his mind? To be perfectly honest, I don't think this issue is any of our business. Sanford has plenty riding against him professionally and politically. But as long as she's making statements to the media, and the media is reporting on their marriage, I have to wonder what she thinks she's saving. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=10339 Senate Democrats may be able to attain a filibuster-proof 60 votes now that Norm Coleman, the incumbent senator of Minnesota, has conceded defeat to Al Franken, but that does not guarantee absolute power over Republicans. The deteriorating health of two veteran Democratic senators, Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia and Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, and moderate and conservative Democrats who have a history of diverging from their own party, may prevent key legislation on energy, health care, and other agendas from passing. This is the first time in 30 years that a party has had 60 votes on paper, according to The New York Times. The seemingly promising number creates great expectations, ones that would disappoint Americans who support the Democrats if not fulfilled. But Mr. Kennedy seldom appears in the Senate as he is being treated for brain cancer, and Mr. Byrd, 91, has just been released from the hospital after being treated for a staph infection for over a month. Mr. Kennedy is unlikely to be in good enough condition to cast votes once the Senate resumes after its Fourth of July recess, and it is unclear whether Mr. Byrd is now fit to vote on a regular basis. And even if Mr. Byrd remains a fixture in the Senate, he may not see eye-to-eye with Democrats pushing for climate change since his state generates substantial revenue from coal production. Mr. Kennedy would be likely to back Democratic initiatives on health care and climate change. Not including the two senior senators, Democrats will have to make ends meet with a majority of 58, giving Republicans the opportunity to block legislation. Known Democratic nonconformists, such as Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, may not side with fellow Democrats, and liberals may vote “nay” if they believe the bill caters too much to moderates and conservatives. The imminent hurdles ahead, however, will not prevent Democrats from negotiating with Republicans to make up for mavericks within their own party. Democrats could urge those within their party to take advantage of their strong numbers, yet Republicans could convince moderate Democrats that being the 60th vote to a liberal agenda would be compromising their own values. While Mr. Franken makes the Democrats mightier and potentially filibuster-proof, Democratic senators are still likely to have to reach out across party lines and solve inner-party differences. Democrats could seize this moment in Senate history to pass legislation that has been defeated in the past, especially on health care, or a failure to do so could set the stage for Republicans to climb out of their minority status. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=10338 President Barack Obama has been faced with many challenges in his new months as president. The war, the economy, the medical system, and now tween girls at Camp David. According to The Associated Press, the president is hosting close to 20 girls at the vacation home for his daughter, Malia. Malia will turn 11 on Saturday, July 4, a very patriotic day to be born considering her father is the leader of our country. The president also got candid in his interview with a few other topics other than the Camp David takeover. Jokingly, the president said The White House chef makes pastries that are so wonderful that they are causing problems for him and Michelle. He also said it is annoying when people will powder his nose and forehead before any interview occurs. Maybe after this weekend’s birthday party, the president will find all of the little annoyances in his life insignificant compared to the drama that unfolds with tween girls. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=10337 California just can't get its act together. Today, amid a $27 billion budget deficit and political gridlock pitting Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger against the Democrat-controlled state legislature, Californian printing presses began rolling out the first of 29,000 I.O.U.'s intended as a to temporary patch for the state's debt. The I.O.U.'s, or warrants, total nearly $53 million, and will be used to pay income tax refunds, a few local governments and some vendors working with the state. The warrants cannot be used to pay state employees, schools or Medicaid recipients. Recipients may cash the warrants at a willing bank or credit union, or wait until their Oct. 2 maturity date, when they can collect an additional 3.75 percent interest. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Chase have agreed to accept the warrants, only until the middle of the month, but the possibility of other banks stepping up looks grim, a consequence of California's abysmal debt. “Given the poor credit rating of California – the worst in the nation – banks may be hesitant to extend credit to the state," said Rod Brown, president of the California Bankers Association, in a press release. California lawmakers resorted to issuing the IOU's after the governor and state legislature were unable to reach a compromise over closing the budget gap. Gov. Schwarzenegger declared a state of fiscal emergency on Wednesday and ordered state workers to take a third furlough each month. In order to further remedy the budget deficit;, the governor has proposed vast cuts to social programs, while simultaneously refusing to sign any increase in taxes or agree to any measure unless it solves the entire budget crisis in one sweep. He blamed state Democrats for "putting the concerns of their labor supporters ahead of the state," as reported in the San Jose Mercury News. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=10336 Barney Frank has been a well-recognized member of Congress for many years and can always be counted on for entertainment. Today, he announced a proposal to spend TARP profits as soon as they are received. Indeed, he believes we should spend the TARP money that has not yet been given to banks. Apparently, the doubling of rate of Federal deficit is not sufficient. If there is a threat of the Feds actually receiving funds, this revenue must be spent immediately (not even waiting to see if there is actually a profit to be realized). I actually sort of like Representative Frank but this particular idea is just too much. I realize that Professor Krugman has used the acclamation from his Nobel prize in economics to make a case that the deficit does't matter but maybe we could control at least a little bit the joy in which politicians spend our and our childrens' money. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=10335 Born in a small town in Texas in 1983, Bubbles the chimp rose from obscurity to become a part of Michael Jackson's entourage at the young age of eight months. As the news media scratches their collective heads looking for more information to report, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper got the inside scoop on Bubbles, tracking him down at the Center for Great Apes, a nonprofit sanctuary in Florida. Bubbles, is now 26 years old and retired. He hangs out with 41 other chimpanzees and orangutans, many former circus performers or show business veterans. In an exclusive television report, CNN's Cooper said that Bubbles and the King of Pop "lived together, dressed alike, and went on tour together." He then cut to a YouTube clip from 1987 showing the two drinking "tea" together. Anonymous reports that they were actually drinking wine have not been substantiated, although most of Jackson's former entourage are unable to talk to the media because of "non-disclosure" agreements. As to the reports that the two went to parties together, Cooper said:, "This is the 1980's, so hey, different rules apply." Bubbles became an instant celebrity when he was introduced to Jackson by animal trainer Bob Dunn, and the chimp lived with Jackson until the late 1980's. At five years old, according to CNN, Bubbles and Jackson toured Japan, where the chimp moonwalked to the delight of the media and his adoring fans. The image of the moonwalking chimp never completely left the public consciousness, but Bubbles faded from the limelight after he was given back to Dunn's training facility because he got too big and aggressive. When Dunn closed down his training facility, Bubbles ended up at the Center for Great Apes in 2004. CNN reporter John Zarella was live on the scene at Bubble's retirement home. Up until now, Bubbles has enjoyed his relative obscurity, although Jackson has never visited him since the two parted ways, according to Zarella. He eats lunches of bananas and cucumbers, and relaxes with the other chimps and orangutans. Patti Ragan, director for the Center for Great Apes, told Zarella "they groom each other and they fight and they have arguments too". Although Jackson never visited Bubbles, Ragan said in the CNN interview that, "most of our chimps recognize their former owners. They get very excited to see them, and I am sure he would have recognized him." She went on to say, "Probably the best tribute that we could pay to Michael Jackson here is to just take excellent care of Bubbles, because I know he loved Bubbles." If that's the case, why didn't Jackson visit his beloved chimp? According to People.com's Johnny Dodd, a representative for Jackson contacted the sanctuary not long after Bubbles arrived there in 2005, saying that Jackson wanted to come and visit his former BFF and party buddy, but Jackson never made the trip. Ragan told Dodd that Bubbles hasn't been told of his childhood friend's recent death. "We haven't said anything to him yet," she says, adding that Bubbles is well-adjusted and behaving like a typical chimp: "He's been his usual self, interacting with friends, eating well, taking cover when it rains." CNN's Zarella said that after Tarzan's cheetah, Bubbles may be the most famous chimpanzee in the world. Now that the media circus has come to Bubbles retirement home in Florida, he is no longer second to Tarzan's pet. Everything related to the pop star is taking on larger-than-life proportions, and Bubbles is arguably bigger than anyone else from Jackson's former entourage is, and that includes former child star Corey Feldman, who came out of the woodwork saying how sad he was to have not made up with Jackson after a well-known feud. Feldman is just one of many people from the pop star's past trying to get some of the media spotlight to shine on them. CNN's Cooper, known for his distinguished news show, has been criticized for making a big deal over a chimp. But Bubbles is just as much a part of the Michael Jackson story as his other hangers-on and "enablers," as family attorney Brian Oxman famously calls the people in Jackson's life who watched him become addicted to drugs, and did nothing to stop it. This includes doctors, close friends and family. Bubbles didn't have an agenda. He never got caught up with the lavish lifestyle of superstardom. Bubbles may have been the only true friend Jackson had, precisely because he couldn't care less about the extravagant lifestyle and the adoring fans. Bubbles had his fans, and Anderson Cooper has given them a glimpse of his simple yet relaxing life. Because of Cooper's groundbreaking reporting, we now know that Bubbles enjoys making faces and taking naps. The details of Jackson's funeral have not been announced, but Bubbles will be noticeably absent. According to England's newspaper, The Sun, "Bubbles will spend the day listening to calming flute music". The Sun reports that Bubbles is much healthier than when he was hanging out with Jackson, and that he has reportedly been signed to a movie and book deal. Ragan, the sanctuary director, told People.com that Bubbles could easily live to the age of 60. Jackson's will was released yesterday, and there was no mention of Bubbles, so apparently he won't be raking in any profits from Jackson's death. It seems that Bubbles was snubbed, as was the surrogate mother of his two older kids, Debbie Rowe, and Joe Jackson, his father. While Joe Jackson is trying to profit from his son's death - he famously plugged his new record label earlier this week on CNN - Bubbles will no doubt try to stay out of the limelight until the movie comes out. By Paul Solomon http://www.paulsolomon.blogspot.com http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=10334 The tally stands at 2-1 today in the mysterious case of Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina: his wife has agreed to forgive him, and a state investigation found that he did not misuse funds to carry on his affair. The South Carolina political establishment, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. Sanford reiterated today that he has no plans to step down from his post. As the Washington Post reported, spokesman Joel Sawyer stated that Sanford, "remains committed and determined to repair the damage he has done in his marriage and to building back the trust of the people of South Carolina." Early Thursday, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Reggie Lloyd announced that his department's investigation found that Sanford had not used state funds on his recent trip to Argentina. Sanford has also paid back funds used for the Argentina leg of an official trip he took last year, because he used that time to visit his mistress. Despite this vote of confidence, Sanford's fellow South Carolina Republicans have overwhelmingly called for his resignation. Republican leaders have responded harshly to Sanford's dealings with the media, including tearful apologies for his multiple infidelities, calling him "irrational" and in need of "professional help." CNN contributor Bill Bennett, a Republican strategist, decried Sanford's behavior in a statement to his own network. "He is embarrassing himself," said Bennett. "There is the old notion of indecent exposure -- usually that refers to somebody showing some skin they shouldn't -- and there's another form of indecent exposure: He is telling us way too much." http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=10333 French investigators have determined that Air France Flight 447 broke apart once it made contact with the Atlantic Ocean, the BBC reported. That is what investigators have decided what happened on that fateful day on June 1, when Flight 447 left Rio de Janeiro to Paris. The crash killed all 228 people on board. If the plane had disintegrated while in midair, fragments of the fuselage would have been found twisted in a number of directions, reported the BBC. Instead, there was compression in just one direction, which resulted from the plane’s belly hitting the water. "Between the surface of the water and 35,000ft [10,700m], we don't know what happened," said Alain Bouillard of France’s BEA aviation accident investigation agency. "In the absence of the flight recorders, it is extremely difficult to draw conclusions." Although, it was discovered that the plane’s speed sensors had been a factor, but not the cause of the crash, reported the BBC. So far, 51 bodies have been recovered from the ocean, but search teams said last month that it would be impossible to find any more, according to the BBC. The injuries on some of the recovered bodies suggest that the plane had been disintegrating before plunging into the ocean. But France has not yet been authorized access to those autopsy reports.