Giuliana And Bill Rancic Welcome New Baby Boy

 Congrats to the family!

Bill and Giuliana Rancic welcomed son Edward Duke Rancic at 10:12 p.m. Wednesday night in Denver. Their little boy, born via gestational carrier, weighed 7 pounds and 4 ounces and measuring 20 inches.

"Bill and I are blessed beyond words to welcome Edward into our lives," Giuliana tells E! News exclusively. "Thank you so much to everyone who supported us along the way. We are so in love with the little guy already!"

 Labor lasted just over four hours and went smoothly and relatively quickly. Both Bill and Giuliana were in the delivery room the entire time, erupting in tears of joy the moment their son arrived. The Rancics say they were "beyond elated" and couldn't believe their journey to become parents is finally complete.
Bill cut the umbilical cord minutes after Edward was born, and Giuliana was the first to hold her son. After cozying up to Edward, she passed the newborn to Bill. Then they took turns feeding the tyke, who they say has a big appetite.
"He is doing incredibly well," Giuliana says, adding that Edward has already had his first bath and that everyone is now resting comfortably.
Bill announced his son's birth on Twitter saying, "The 'Duke' has landed! Edward Duke Rancic was welcomed into the world last night at 7lbs 4oz. G & I feel blessed beyond words...We did it!" That came a few hours after he announced their gestational carrier was in labor by tweeting, "It's Game Time......"
And what amazing timing! Baby Rancic arrived just in time for the proud parents' fifth wedding anniverary on Sept. 1, right?
With Giuliana on a break from E! News and Fashion Police to prepare for what she and Bill have happily termed their "babymoon," the couple had been staying nearby in anticipation of...well, today!
They celebrated their impending arrival with a "Guess the Sex" baby shower in June, the first time they revealed that they were "beyond excited" to be having a son.
The proud parents were thrilled to announce they were expecting a child
And Denver is special to the couple, who mainly split their time between L.A. and Chicago, for another important reason, as well.
It was a doctor in Denver who they were seeing about fertility treatments that insisted Giuliana have a mammogram. Having been diagnosed early enough, Giuliana is now a breast cancer survivor who has become a prominent spokeswoman about the importance of early detection.
"One of the things we've always tried to do is help others with our story," Bill said on Today in April when they announced they were expecting. "Whether it's with the infertility issues, whether it's with the breast cancer, we said we're gonna turn these negatives into positives. And if we can help others by sharing our story, then it's worth it."
Giuliana told us at the time, "We are so thrilled that our prayers have been answered. We are absolutely ecstatic to be sharing this with everyone who has been following our journey."

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Damn!!!! Designer Paper Bag goes for $290

This bag its cool though, its sleek, its innovative, its futuristic but no, we are not dropping that much on it. Period!

Could it be the priciest paper bag in the world?
High-end designer Jil Sander’s ‘Vasari’ bag is “crafted from coated brown paper” and has “visible brown stitched seams” at each side, as well as gold-colored metal eyelets, according to a description of the product on LN-CC, a retail website.
The designer’s name is printed in small lettering on the side of the bag.
The bag, from Sander’s fall line for men, comes in small ($273.12) and medium ($290.67).
A large size is not listed on LN-CC.
And it seems there is a market for it. LN-CC’s website said the medium bag is sold out.
The designer also offers a version of the bag in leather – which retails for about $360 – as well as a plastic tote for $140.

[ABC]

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British singer Adele weds boyfriend privately.

 First it came as a rumor but now it has been confirmed multi Grammy Award winning musician Adele is married!

A guest who attended the low-key wedding confirmed the news saying it was a ‘fabulous occasion’.

‘They did get married, and I was present. It was a fabulous occasion. Adele was dressed in a classic attire and Simon looked very smart and joyous’, a source close to the star told the MailOnline.

The rumors of the wedding began when Life & Style Magazine published photos of the 24-year-old wearing a gold band on her wedding finger.

‘She’s an old-fashioned girl and can’t wait to be part of a family unit. She just wants to focus on the baby and the man she loves’, a friend reportedly told the mag.

It seems Adele has a thing for keeping her personal life away from the public – she also kept the news of her pregnancy on the low.

The singer and Simon (who has been previously married) are expecting their first child.

Big Congrats to her! We hope Simon will not break her heart again! Ha

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Did Ann Romney deliever a great political speech?

Well, we could care less..

Ann Romney gave a wonderful speech. What's not deeply appealing about a woman who has struggled with illness and miscarriages and emerged with grace? Surely the day that Ann and Mitt Romney stood in the doctor's office and heard her diagnosis, they didn't think she would be onstage the way she was tonight. She said she hasn't lived a storybook marriage because she and her husband have faced hard knocks. But isn't that what a storybook marriage is? A love that can withstand everything? But was it a great political speech? I'm not so sure. It depends on what your previous feelings were about Mitt Romney and if you watched it on television or are going to hear about it later. Thirty-two percent of those who participated in a recent CBS poll said they didn't know enough about Mitt Romney to form an opinion. If any of those voters were watching tonight, this was the kind of introductory message the Romney campaign will be delighted to have them hear. It was a two-part speech. In the first part, Ann Romney tried to show that she understood women. At one point she said, "I love women!" No mistaking that. More powerful, perhaps, were the little details she offered that showed she knew what women of all socioeconomic backgrounds live with every day. She talked about eating tuna fish and pasta as a newlywed. She described how women have to keep the household in their head no matter what they do: how they're the one who has to remember the number for the emergency room doctor or stay up late to help the kids finish their book reports. Having laid the predicate, she dove into the real task: testifying for her husband. "His name is Mitt Romney and you really should get to know him," she said. She didn't really do much to tell us about him though. There were no stories you could hang your hat on. She mostly asserted that he was wonderful and testified to his ethic. "No one will work harder. No one will care more. No one will move heaven and earth like Mitt Romney to make this country a better place to live!" That line received the loudest applause of the entire speech. If Mitt Romney's problem is that voters don't think he's authentic enough, listening to a woman testify to her authentic adoration certainly conveys authenticity on the object of her devotion. You can't feel that way about a robot.

[Read More from CBSNews]

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Mitt Romney's VP candidate, Paul Ryan, to focus on personal side

Paul Ryan wants to talk policy. Mitt Romney's team wants his No. 2 to focus more on his immigrant family and small-town values. The top of the ticket is certain to win out as the Wisconsin congressman accepts the vice presidential nomination of his party Wednesday night. Ryan will deliver a speech to thousands of delegates at the Republican convention, and millions of viewers watching from home, that will be unlike most Ryan tends to favor. This one is likely to be heavy on personality and lighter on policy
. Ryan's willingness to focus on his personal story and play down policy is the latest example that of him deferring to Romney's preferences. As Ryan puts it, Romney is "the boss." Not the other way around. Ryan and his team, a mix of longtime aides and new advisers, have spent a chunk of the past few weeks writing — and re-writing — the speech. Drafts have been emailed from his campaign plane and his kitchen table in Janesville, Wis., to speechwriters in Tampa and top Romney advisers at the Boston headquarters. "Words matter a lot and I'm putting a lot of effort into them," said Ryan, a former speechwriter to 1996 vice presidential nominee Jack Kemp and former Education Secretary William Bennett. Early versions were scrapped and adjusted to include bits of Ryan's natural, easygoing speaking style. In between campaign events and daily workouts, Ryan has been working to put his own voice into the drafts. At campaign events, Ryan has tended to favor policy over his personal story. From Ohio to Virginia to Florida, he talks more often about the nation's debt and deficit than his own life as a congressional aide who became a congressman at age 28. The 42-year-old is more comfortable citing Congressional Budget Office statistics than real people. Romney's aides want that to change. Advisers are pushing Ryan toward more personal territory. The hope among Romney's team is that the nation gets to know Ryan's story, one they say working-class voters could relate to. Left unsaid is the fact that Ryan's policy positions, specifically his controversial budget proposals, have caused headaches for Romney and dominated the storyline of the campaign since he was named the running mate. On Wednesday, Ryan plans to talk not just about Romney's promises to repair the economy and Obama's failures to do it, but also about his own upbringing. A message of small-town values and self-reliance is set to play a prominent role in his speech. Ryan offered a preview of that message Monday at the Janesville, Wis., high school where he cheered for classmates two decades ago. He spoke of his ancestors' journey in the 1850s from Ireland to Wisconsin. Reflecting on more recent history, Ryan spoke of his time in the town when he said neighbors took care of each other. "What we do in our communities is we look out for one another," he said. "That's what's so special. That's what government can't replace or displace." Look for him also to acknowledge the economic troubles that have hit Janesville, a city that has become synonymous with Ryan's Midwestern appeal. On Monday, he said the city's response to the rough economy is what the United States should do on a grand scale. "That's the kind of thing we need to do is pick ourselves up, help people in need, give them the job training skills they have, flourish entrepreneurs and small businesses so that people can get back on their feet," he said. Aides are seeking to lower expectations, saying not to expect a blockbuster speech like the one 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin delivered. Instead, Ryan is likely to paint a picture of himself as a reasonable governing partner for Romney. On Tuesday, asked if he was ready as he boarded his plane to Tampa, Ryan simply said: "I am." The usually media-friendly politician ignored reporters' other questions. En route to the convention, he huddled with senior adviser Dan Senor and senior aide Conor Sweeney. As Ryan read through the speech again, he dictated changes to Sweeney, who typed them into an Apple laptop. By that point, aides said, the speech was almost finished, but Ryan wanted to put some final polishes on it and make sure it is to his liking. He knows he will not get a second chance to have this wide of an introduction.

 [Newsday]

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Manchester City and Liverpool after Arsenal's Theo Walcott, Dimitar Berbatov to Fiorentina

We can't even take this no more. Seems this is set to be the worst season ever for ArsenalFC.

Liverpool have already made an inquiry for Walcott while Manchester City have asked to be kept informed of developments and are expected to make their move later this week. Formal negotiations between Walcott’s representatives and Arsenal were held last Friday at the club’s London Colney training base, and despite further communication on Tuesday, a proposed new contract worth £75,000 a week remains unsigned. Walcott had wanted closer to £100,000 a week to move into a similar pay bracket as his fellow England internationals but Arsenal’s attitude is that the offer represents a fair improvement on his current £60,000-a-week deal. The club do not intend to make an improved offer and, if Walcott does not change his mind, they are willing to sell to the highest bidder. Wenger has already said this summer that he does not want to keep players who allow their contracts to run into their final year and he will not sanction a salary offer that he regards as inflated. There is still hope at Arsenal that Walcott will sign a new contract but, if there is no agreement over the next 48 hours, Wenger is relaxed about sanctioning his sale. With Walcott into the final year of his contract, Arsenal would consider offers starting from £11 million. The Telegraph first revealed in February that Walcott was playing for his future following six mixed years at Arsenal. From Walcott’s perspective, as well as disappointment at the financial package on offer, there has been concern at Arsenal’s direction and the repeated sale of key players, notably Robin van Persie. Walcott forged a particularly close bond last year with Van Persie and also produced arguably his best season for Arsenal, with 11 goals and 13 assists. The only club to have registered any formal interest in Walcott this summer are Liverpool. Manchester City, though, have asked to be kept abreast of developments. City’s potential £6.2 million move for Scott Sinclair is on hold, but Roberto Mancini is keen to add pace and width to his attacking options. Although there would be question-marks about Walcott’s ability to break into the City first team, it is clear that he would offer a rather different option to Mancini than some of the more technical — but slower — midfielders currently at his disposition.

[Read More]

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Nigeria: ACN replies Jonathan: Lamentations an admission of failure

The Action Congress of Nigeria has described the lamentations of President Goodluck Jonathan at the opening of the 52nd Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association as the most criticised president in the world and asking why he was being held responsible for the state of insecurity, power failure, decaying infrastucture even though his administration inherited these problems as an admission of failure, incompetence and unpreparedness to govern.

In a statement issued in Ibadan on Tuesday the 28th of August by its National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed the party said that what a nation expects from a president even at a time of crisis are words that will inspire the citizens and give them confidence that the helmsman is on top of the situation and not the kind of words credited to President Jonathan which are only capable of demoralising the citizenry and telling them things are out of control and that he is completely at loss as at what to do.
Great leaders in the world like Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, JF Kennedy are remembered today more importantly for the quality of leadership they provided their various nations at moments of crisis.
Even in the face of imminent defeat and paralysing casualties Winston Churchill was still able to inspire and rally his people to victory and faced with Cuban Missile crisis President J. F. Kennedy did not throw up his hands in despondency, the party added.
Hasn’t anyone told President Jonathan that the buck stops on his desk? Hasn’t anyone told President Jonathan that an administration inherits both the assets and liabilities of his predecessor in office. Hasn’t anyone told President Jonathan that his responsibilities as President include clearing the mess left by his predecessors in office while at the same time leaving his own legacies. Does President Jonathan expect sympathy from the citizens by this open admission of incompetence and resignation to failure, the party asked.
What Nigerians expect from their leader are uplifting words, words of inspiration that can bring out the hidden potentials of its citizens, words that will galvanise Nigerians to positive action and imbue them with self esteem and not the kind of lamentations of President Jonathan that has served only to confirm that the ship of state has no helmsman and everyone is at peril, the party concluded. 

[Vanguard]

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Young cannabis smokers run risk of lower IQ, report claims

wow... is all we can say. Do you believe it? And why only yound people? well read on. It might be the right time to say goodbye to marijuana!

The findings come from a study of around 1,000 people in New Zealand. An international team found those who started using cannabis below the age of 18 - while their brains were still developing - suffered a drop in IQ. A UK expert said the research might explain why people who use the drug often seem to under-achieve. For more than 20 years researchers have followed the lives of a group of people from Dunedin in New Zealand. They assessed them as children - before any of them had started using cannabis - and then re-interviewed them repeatedly, up to the age of 38. Having taken into account other factors such as alcohol or tobacco dependency or other drug use, as well the number of years spent in education, they found that those who persistently used cannabis - smoking it at least four times a week year after year through their teens, 20s and, in some cases, their 30s - suffered a decline in their IQ. The more that people smoked, the greater the loss in IQ. The effect was most marked in those who started smoking cannabis as adolescents. For example, researchers found that individuals who started using cannabis in adolescence and then carried on using it for years showed an average eight-point IQ decline. Stopping or reducing cannabis use failed to fully restore the lost IQ. The researchers, writing in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that: "Persistent cannabis use over 20 years was associated with neuropsychological decline, and greater decline was evident for more persistent users." "Collectively, these findings are consistent with speculation that cannabis use in adolescence, when the brain is undergoing critical development, may have neurotoxic effects." One member of the team, Prof Terrie Moffitt of King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, said this study could have a significant impact on our understanding of the dangers posed by cannabis use. "This work took an amazing scientific effort. We followed almost 1,000 participants, we tested their mental abilities as kids before they ever tried cannabis, and we tested them again 25 years later after some participants became chronic users. "Participants were frank about their substance abuse habits because they trust our confidentiality guarantee, and 96% of the original participants stuck with the study from 1972 to today. "It is such a special study that I'm fairly confident that cannabis is safe for over-18 brains, but risky for under-18 brains." Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research, also at the King's College London Institute of Psychiatry but not involved in the study, said this was an impressive piece of research. "The Dunedin sample is probably the most intensively studied cohort in the world and therefore the data are very good. "Although one should never be convinced by a single study, I take the findings very seriously. "There are a lot of clinical and educational anecdotal reports that cannabis users tend to be less successful in their educational achievement, marriages and occupations. "It is of course part of folk-lore among young people that some heavy users of cannabis - my daughter calls them stoners - seem to gradually lose their abilities and end up achieving much less than one would have anticipated. This study provides one explanation as to why this might be the case. "I suspect that the findings are true. If and when they are replicated then it will be very important and public education campaigns should be initiated to let people know the risks." Prof Val Curran, from the British Association for Psychopharmacology and University College London, said: "What it shows is if you are a really heavy stoner there are going to be consequences, which I think most people would accept. "This is not occasional or recreation use." She also cautioned that there may be another explanation, such as depression, which could result in lower IQ and cannabis use. Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity SANE, said: "In a significant minority of people who are vulnerable the drug can act as a trigger to illnesses like schizophrenia which may last a lifetime." Illicit drug use by young people has been decreasing since the mid 1990s, but the rate of decline in cannabis use throughout most of the last decade has been slow, official statistics show.

[BBC]

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Oprah is Forbes' highest-paid celebrity

The media mogul's earnings fell by a staggering $125 million from last year. However, even with the drop, she remains the highest earner on the list, just inching out director Michael Bay. It's been a challenging year for Winfrey, who signed off from her 25-year syndicated show and immediately turned her attention to struggling cable network OWN. The bulk of the earnings dive comes from lost income on The Oprah Winfrey Show, but her diversified portfolio includes O: The Oprah Magazine, spin-off shows like The Dr. Oz Show and a radio deal with Sirius. She does not earn a salary at OWN, which has faced ratings disappointments and financial issues since it premiered in Jan. 2011. As chairman and CEO of the joint venture with Discovery Communications, she hopes a recent restructuring, new programming and a distribution deal with Comcast will turn the network around.

Close behind was movie director Michael Bay, whose action-packed adventure flick "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" released last year, helped him earn $160 million based on participation in ticket and toy sales and other revenue. Another film director, Steven Spielberg, earned $130 million in the 12-month period covered by Forbes from his participation with TV shows like "Smash" and the release of the movies "The Adventures of Tintin" and "War Horse."
Jerry Bruckheimer placed fourth with $115 million from TV shows and films including "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and behind him at No. 5 was music producer Dr. Dre, who earned $110 million based mostly on the sale of part of his stake in the Beats by Dr. Dre headphone company.
 
Rounding out the top 10, in order, were:

Actor and producer Tyler Perry, $105 million
Radio and TV personality Howard Stern, $95 million
Author James Patterson, $94 million
Movie producer George Lucas, $90 million
Music producer and TV personality, Simon Cowell, $90 million

[Forbes/Reuters]

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Apple lists eight Samsung devices to ban

Lol.... Interesting

Since a US jury found that Samsung had violated parents used in the iPhone, and ordered the South Korean company pay $1.05bn (£664m) in damages at the end of last week, Apple has wasted no time in stipulating which products it wants banning from US shops.

On a lighter side, this explains the whole story. lol

According to a notice Apple filed with the court, Apple wants the following eight smartphones banned in the US: Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S2 (AT & T), Galaxy S2 (Skyrocket), Galaxy S2 (T-Mobile), Galaxy S2 Epic 4G, Galaxy S Showcase, Droid Charge and Galaxy Prevail.

Apple will still have prove to the court that it will be irreparably harmed if these handsets are not banned in the country.

A Samsung spokesman said: “We will take all necessary measures to ensure the availability of our products in the US market."

The injunction hearing at which the bans will be decided is scheduled for September 20th.
Last week the nine-person jury in San Jose, California, found Samsung infringed six of the seven Apple patents in dispute and did so wilfully in five of the cases. The jurors also upheld the validity of all seven of Apple patents, many of which covered the design of the iPhone.
Apple had sought up to $2.75bn in damages, alleging that Samsung infringed four design patents and three software patents.
Samsung, in turn, counter-sued, claiming that the Californian company infringed five of its own patents. Lawyers for the South Korean company argued Apple was trying to thwart legitimate competition.
The legal battle in California was one of several being waged across the world to determine the future of the $200bn smartphone industry.
While Apple has pursued legal action against manufacturers such as Samsung, experts says its real target is Google.
"In a very real sense, it's a fight between Apple and Google," said Brian Love, a patent expert at the University of Santa Clara who followed the case. "This particular case has been the most important in that because we have had the number one and the number two manufacturers facing off."
Benedict Evans, a consultant at Enders Analysis, said main result of the case would be that "blatant copying won't happen anymore".
“The money was really irrelevant for Apple. For Samsung it will be painful, but for any other Android handset maker the payout would have been ruinous.”

[Telegraph]

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Psquare opens up on why they dropped MayD

Psquare have disclosed that former Square Records act May D made his exit from the label due to ‘management issues’.

At a press briefing held in London in preparation for their August 26 live performance gig at the HMV Apollo, when asked about the recent split with the talented upcoming act, the twins responded; ‘It was just management issues that’s all‘, Peter Okoye said. Well we are waiting for MayD to fully tell us what really went down.

 Here is a video of the Press Conference and their BBC Interview ahead of their Love Afrobeats Festival this saturday in London

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LMAO!!!! Prince Harry Offered $10 MILLION for Adult Film

Well,I know there are folks who will like to see him take up this offer. lol

You knew it was coming ... and now, so does Prince Harry -- a multi-million dollar offer to get down and dirty in a XXX movie ... courtesy of the biggest porn studio on the planet.

Vivid Entertainment honcho Steve Hirsch just fired off a letter to the royal palace in London -- offering Prince Harry $10 million to star in a big budget adult film called "The Trouble with Harry" ... thanks to his recent naked romp in Vegas.

According to the letter, the film would also star "little Harry" and would feature some REAL royal carousing -- in the form of full-on boning.

Hirsch writes, "We assure you the sex will be well-scripted, and the crown jewels will not be 'minimized' in any way."

God save the peen.

[TMZ]

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Details on ill will between Empire State Building shooting victim, gunman emerge

New word is emerging about the relationship between the man shot to death outside New York's iconic Empire State Building Friday and the gunman. They were the only ones killed when, police say, Jeffrey Johnson, 58, opened fire injuring Nine people
Police are trying to determine what happened during their chaotic confrontation with the gunman, which lasted just eight seconds. There was chaos in the aftermath as bystanders were sent scrambling.
Construction worker Onner Camacho was laying stone during the morning rush hour right outside the landmark building when he heard gunshots and started running after police.
Multiple people shot near Empire State Building
"It was amazing," he says. "I've never seen anything like this in my life. All of a sudden - just shooting. Bam bam bam."
When it was over, the gunman lay dead.
Also dead, Steve Ercolino, his former colleague at Hazan Import Corp.
"During a downsizing at the company a year ago, Johnson was laid off," New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told reporters. "In a dispute with one of the former employees of Hazan in front of the building, Johnson produced a pistol and fired at close range, striking his 41 year old victim in the head."
Nine bystanders were wounded. What's not clear is whether they were shot by the gunman or police trying to bring him down.
A law enforcement source tells CBS News Johnson blamed Ercolino for not supporting his work while he was at the company. And earlier this year, both men had filed harassment complaints with police -- against each other.
While streets were blocked off around the Empire State Building Friday - it's one of New York's biggest tourist attractions - it never shut down, and was open to visitors as usual Saturday.

 [(CBS News) NEW YORK]

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Winning Powerball ticket worth $337M sold in Michigan

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A winning ticket in the $337 million Powerball drawing has been sold in Michigan.
The winning numbers in the Wednesday night drawing were 6, 27, 46, 51, 56 and Powerball 21.
No other details were immediately available.
In addition to the jackpot-winning ticket, there were eight tickets that matched five of the winning numbers to win $1 million. Two of those tickets were sold in Indiana. The others were sold in Kansas, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

There was also a ticket sold in Nebraska that added the Power Play to win $2 million.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 175 million, while the odds of winning any prize -- including $4 for selecting the Powerball -- are 1 in 31, according to the lottery’s website. No one has won big in Powerball since June 23, when a couple from Connecticut won $60 million, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Each Powerball ticket costs $2 and drawings are held twice weekly at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Five numbered balls are selected from 59 white balls and one red ball -- the Powerball -- is drawn from 35 balls. Sales of tickets are stopped at least 59 minutes before the local drawing time and winners can select an annuitized prize paid in 30 payments or a lump sum payment, according to its website.
In April, three Maryland public school employees won a share of the record Mega Millions $656 jackpot, ending a mystery that involved a McDonald's employee who claimed she had the golden ticket.
Maryland Lottery Director Stephen Martino said the anonymous employees would each receive $34.997 million after taxes. The trio bought a total of 60 tickets at three different locations throughout the state, or a total investment of $20 per person for the $218.6 million portion of the grand prize.
At the time, the winners -- a woman in her 20s, another in her 50s and a man in his 40s who referred to themselves as "The Three Amigos" -- said they planned to purchase new homes. One had planned a backpacking trip through Europe, while another intended to finance his daughter’s college education. A third winner hoped to tour Italy's wine country, Martino said.
The announcement ended a two-week mystery following the record-breaking, $656 million drawing on March 30. Mirlande Wilson, a single mother of seven who worked at a Baltimore-area McDonald’s, claimed to have one of three winning tickets and went as far as alienating her co-workers by claiming she bought it separately from tickets she purchased for a pool of 15 co-workers.
The two other winning tickets were sold in Kansas and Illinois.

[foxnews]

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Lagos among world's 10 worst cities to live in

Lagos has been ranked among the world's 10 worst cities to live in according to Economist Intelligent Unit's Liveabililty Ranking and Overview released August 2012. The EIU first began ranking cities to test whether or not companies should pay staff a hardship allowance if they make employees relocate to a different country.
Its researchers look at how “tolerable” it is to live in a particular place given its crime levels, threat of conflict, quality of medical care, levels of censorship, temperature, schools and transport links. In the latest rankings for 2012, Melbourne came top having overtaken Vancouver in Canada. The Liveability Ranking and Overview assesses living conditions in 140 cities around the world. A rating of relative comfort for 30 indicators is assigned across five broad categories: stability; healthcare; culture and environment; education; and infrastructure. The survey gives an overall rating of 0-100, where 1 is intolerable and 100 is ideal.  

Best ten cities to live in, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit global 'liveability' study Melbourne, Australia
Vienna, Austria
 Vancouver, Canada
 Toronto, Canada
Calgary, Canada
Adelaide, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Helsinki, Finland
 Perth, Australia
Auckland, New Zealand
  
Worst ten cities to live in, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit global 'liveability' study

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Tehran, Iran
Douala, Cameroon
Tripoli, Libya
Karachi, Pakistan
Algiers, Algeria
Harare, Zimbabwe
Lagos, Nigeria
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Dhaka, Banglade

  [EIU]

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New Video: “Amsterdam” Rick Ross

Ricky Rozay takes you around his home. Opulence. Note there is a topless scene.

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Was London 2012 Olympics the best Olympics ever?

We may not have witnessed a dozen olympics over here at chigotoday but we will choose Atlanta 96 over London 2012 Olympics any day but here is what a handful of media outlets around the world are saying about the just concluded London Olympics 2012!


 The Australian, Peter Wilson: British take gold as best Olympics Games hosts "It is one thing for the British to thrash Australia in the medals table of the London Olympics. But now the Games are over, it is just as clear they have knocked Sydney off its pedestal as the best host of a modern Olympic Games. As awful as it is to admit, London 2012 was bigger, slicker, almost as friendly and more thoughtfully planned than Sydney in terms of the legacy it will leave the host city... It is, I'm afraid to say, bronze for Barcelona, silver for Sydney, and gold for London."  

The Age, Australia, Greg Baum: It's been a right bang-up job "London, you didn't half do a decent job. These Olympics had Sydney's vibrancy, Athens's panache, Beijing's efficiency, and added British know-how and drollery. With apologies to Sydney, they might just represent a new PB for the Olympics. The Games were preceded by the usual fatalistic anticipation of a cock-up. It proved groundless. Moving masses of people around a mazy city was expected to be a nightmare but London made it look effortless. Security was plentiful but low key. The army, called in to meet a shortfall, proved to be Britain's finest ambassadors."  

New York Times, USA, David Segal: Britain Takes a Final Bow "One of the great stories of these Olympics was the effect they had on England itself. Triumphalism does not come naturally to this country, where the cultural stock in trade has long been dignity in defeat. This, let’s not forget, is a nation where one of the most beloved poems is Tennyson’s “Charge of the Light Brigade,” which valorizes a military rout at the hands of the Russians. The Games have hit this country like an extra-strength dose of a mood-enhancing drug."

 New Zealand Herald, David Leggat: Three cheers for a job well done "Hats off to the Lord Coe and his Locog planning chums. They can put their feet up knowing London did itself, and the Olympics, proud...What was out of whack was the hugely lopsided work of the BBC. They didn't just drop their cloak of impartiality; they biffed it over the bridge. Interviewers wore Team GB shirts and chatted to sixth or seventh-place finishers while races were still on. "We" was everywhere. It was cringeworthy, and unworthy of the organisation."  

China Daily: Grand finale brings Games to an end "Despite concerns about the creaky transport system and a shortfall of private security guards, which forced the government to call in thousands of extra troops to help screen visitors, the Games have so far passed by fairly trouble-free. "A furore over empty seats at several Olympic venues blew over, especially once the track and field showcase kicked in and drew capacity crowds for virtually every session.Even the weather improved as the Games wore on. Bright sunshine has graced the closing weekend of a festival that has helped to lift spirits in Britain."  

National Post, Canada, Bruce Arthur: Britain pulls off an Olympics to remember "This was a brilliant Olympics, in almost every way: wonderful crowds, marvellous volunteers, logistical coherence, a galvanizing performance by the home side. There were some goof-ups, sure. London mayor Boris Johnson got stuck on a zip line, and compared women’s beach volleyball players to glistening wet otters; the cops lost the keys to Wembley Stadium; early on, someone mixed up the North and South Korean flags. Buses occasionally went missing, and trains were occasionally delayed. But there is always a fraying, and the whole held together."

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Taylor Swift buys Cape Cod beach home near boyfriend Conor Kennedy's family estate

One od

Country music rave Taylor Swift spent an action-packed weekend with the Kennedy clan in Hyannisport then jetted home to Nashville yesterday to make a “big announcement” on her official YouTube channel.
The announcement? $5 million for the house next door to her new boyfriend Conor Kennedy’s grammy Ethel (Stage 5 Clinger alert!) was snapped sporting a red polka-dot bikini top as she frolicked with Conor’s dad, Bobby Kennedy Jr., and other members of the political dynasty on the Cape.

Red is, of course, Taylor’s new fave shade since it’s also the name of her new album. The chipper pop superstar announced that the new CD will hit the shelves Oct. 22 and it will, no doubt, have some reference to her new romance with the Kennedy scion.
“Well, you know I tend to kind of skew in the direction of writing songs about love-related things,” said Swift, who was clad in a tomato-red dress and matching lipstick for her Web chat.
“It’s about the tumultuous, crazy intense, semi-toxic relationships that I’ve experienced in the last two years,” Taylor told a group of lucky fans, plus the 65,000 tuning in on the interwebs. “All those emotions, intense love, intense frustration, love, jealousy, all those emotions are red. There’s nothing beige about any of those feelings.”
Swift then debuted her first single off the album, a catchy little ditty called “We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together.” As you’d expect, she dedicated it to an ex-boyfriend. Cool right? Props to the folks at BostonHerald for this report

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Not Again: 3 killed in shootings near A&M University Texas

SMH....

[CNN] A Texas constable and two others were shot dead Monday in about a half an hour of gunfire near Texas A&M University, police said.

Scott McCollum, assistant chief with the College Station police department, told reporters Monday afternoon that the three people killed were a Brazos County constable, the man authorities say exchanged gunfire with law enforcement officers and a male civilian.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund noted that the slain constable, Brian Bachmann, is the sixth law enforcement official killed so far this year in Texas.

According to his Facebook campaign page, Bachmann was a 41-year-old from College Station who had been a Brazos County sheriff's deputy since 1993. The county's website indicated that his four-year term as constable -- a position that involves, among other duties, serving court documents such as eviction notices and subpoenas to citizens -- was set to expire on December 31, 2014.

"He was a pillar in this community, and it's sad and tragic that we've lost him today," McCollum said.

The city of College Station on Monday night identified the suspect at the center of the standoff as 35-year-old Thomas Caffall.

On a Facebook page purported to be by Caffall, he indicates his hometown is nearby Bryan, Texas, but that he was living in College Station -- though he also described himself as "a cross between Forrest Gump and Jack Kerouac ... I'm on the road permanently."

Three of the seven profile pictures on the Facebook page are of rifles, three feature dogs and one shows a man in an image much like one distributed Monday night by the city of College Station. His list of "inspirational people" includes famed snipers Vasily Zaytsev and Carlos Hathcock, as well as noted firearms designers Eugene Stoner, Mikhail Kalashnikov, John Garand, Samuel Colt and John Browning. The writer indicates he is divorced and has a mother, sister and brother.

The page also includes a quote saying, "We are all capable of redemption, if we are willing to change," plus another he attributes to George Orwell stating, "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

As to the third victim, described as a "civilian bystander," he was identified as 43-year-old Chris Northcliff of College Station.

Four others suffered injuries in the roughly 30-minute ordeal after law enforcement officers arrived at a residence a few blocks from the Texas A&M campus.

They included College Station police Officer Justin Oehlke, who was shot in the calf, and two other officers -- one of whom refused transport to an area hospital -- who suffered "non-life-threatening injuries," McCollum said. A 55-year-old female civilian who was shot was undergoing surgery Monday afternoon at a hospital, according to the assistant police chief.

He explained that police got a call shortly after 12:10 p.m. from a citizen indicating shots had been fired in the residential area just south of the university campus. He added that the constable had gone to the residence to deliver an eviction notice.

Texas A&M issued a Code Maroon -- the university's emergency notification system -- at 12:29 p.m., telling people to avoid the area because of a report of an "active shooter."

By then, two law enforcement officers who were nearby had responded and found the constable down in the front yard of a home. They "received fire from the suspect inside, ... took cover and defended themselves," McCollum said, noting other officers were then called to the scene.

"They ended up shooting the gunman," said the assistant police chief.

At 12:44 p.m., Texas A&M posted another Code Maroon update on its website indicating the suspect was by then "in custody."

Caffall's mother Linda Weaver issued a statement through family attorney W. Tyler Moore indicating her son, whom she called Tres, was "ill" and saying the family was "shocked and devastated by the tragedy."

"Our thoughts and prayers go to the families of the deceased and the wounded victims," Weaver said. "We mourn them and the loss of Tres. He had been ill. It breaks our hearts his illness led to this."

College Station Mayor Nancy Berry also put out a statement Monday night in which she lauded Bachmann, her city's police department and others "who stood with us throughout the day."

"What unfolded today in College Station is beyond tragic," Berry said. "There are many victims, including families of Mr. Caffall and Mr. Northcliff, who will continue to suffer physical and emotional pain for a very long time, and we shouldn't forget them."

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