Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton, born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone. In the mid-1990s, after writing, directing, and starring in the independent film Sling Blade, he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He appeared in several major film roles following Sling Blade 's success, including 1998's Armageddon and A Simple Plan. During the late 1990s, Thornton began a career as a singer-songwriter. He has released three albums and was the singer of a blues rock band.

Career

One of Thornton's early screen roles was as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire with John Ritter and Markie Post. His role as the villain in 1992's One False Move, which he also co-wrote, brought him to the attention of critics. He also had small roles in the early 1990s films Indecent Proposal, On Deadly Ground, Bound by Honor, Grey Knight, and Tombstone. Thornton put Wilder's advice to good use, and went on to write, direct and star in the independent film Sling Blade, which was released in 1996. The film, an expansion of a short film titled Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade, introduced the story of Karl Childers, a mentally handicapped man imprisoned for a gruesome and seemingly inexplicable murder. Sling Blade garnered international acclaim. Thornton's screenplay earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Writers Guild of America Award, and an Edgar Award, while his performance received Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Actor.

In 1998, he portrayed the James-Carville-like Richard Jemmons in Primary Colors. Thornton adapted the book All the Pretty Horses into a 2000 film with the same name, starring Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz. The negative experience (he was forced to cut more than an hour) led to his decision to never direct another film (a subsequent release, Daddy and Them, had been filmed earlier). Also in 2000, an early script which he and Tom Epperson wrote together was made into The Gift which starred Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, and Giovanni Ribisi.

Thornton's screen persona has been described by the press as that of a "tattooed, hirsute man's man". He appeared in several major film roles following Sling Blade 's success, including 1998's Armageddon with Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis, and A Simple Plan. In 2001, he directed Daddy and Them, while also securing starring roles in three hollywood pictures, Monster's Ball, Bandits and The Man Who Wasn't There, for which he received many awards. He played a malicious mall Santa Claus in 2003's Bad Santa, a black comedy that performed well at the box office and established Thornton as a leading comic actor, and in the same year, portrayed a womanizing President of the United States in the British romantic comedy Love Actually. Thornton has stated that, following Bad Santa's success, audiences "like to watch him play that kind of guy," and "they casting directors call [him] up when they need an asshole. It's kinda that simple... you know how narrow the imagination in this business can be." In 2004 he played Davy Crockett in The Alamo.

CBC incident

On April 8, 2009, Thornton and his musical group The Boxmasters appeared on CBC Radio One program Q which was widely criticized and received international attention after Thornton was persistently unintelligible and discourteous to host Jian Ghomeshi. Thornton eventually explained he had "instructed" the show's producers to not ask questions about his movie career. Ghomeshi had mentioned Thornton’s acting in the introduction. Thornton had also complained Canadian audiences were like “mashed potatoes without the gravy." The following night, opening for Willie Nelson at Toronto's Massey Hall, Thornton said mid-set he liked Canadians but not Ghomeshi, which was greeted with boos and catcalls. The Boxmasters did not continue the tour in Canada as, according to Thornton, some of the crew and band had the flu.

Filmography

List of film appearances

Title Year Role Notes

Hunter's Blood 1986 Billy Bob

South of Reno 1988 Counterman

Going Overboard 1989 Dave

Chopper Chicks in Zombietown 1989 Tommy

The Dark Backward 1991 Patron at Sloppy's (uncredited)

For the Boys 1991 Marine Sergeant, Korea

One False Move 1992 Ray Malcolm also co-wrote

Tombstone 1993 Johnny Tyler

Blood In Blood Out 1993 Lightning

Indecent Proposal 1993 Day Tripper

The Killing Box 1993 Langston

Trouble Bound 1993 Coldface

On Deadly Ground 1994 Homer Carlton

Floundering 1994 Gun Clerk

Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade 1994 Karl Childers Short film

Dead Man 1995 Big George Drakoulious

The Stars Fell on Henrietta 1995 Roy

Sling Blade 1996 Karl Childers also wrote and directed

Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor

Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor

Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor

Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama

Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Don't Look Back 1996 Marshall also co-wrote

The Winner 1996 Jack

The Apostle 1997 Troublemaker

U Turn 1997 Darrell

Princess Mononoke 1997 Jigo Voice Only (English Language Version)

A Simple Plan 1998 Jacob Mitchell Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor

Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor

Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor

Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor

Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor

San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor

Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor

Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture

Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture

Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Armageddon 1998 Dan Truman, NASA Administrator

Homegrown 1998 Jack Marsden

Primary Colors 1998 Richard Jemmons

Pushing Tin 1999 Russell Bell

The Last Real Cowboys 2000 Tar

South of Heaven, West of Hell 2001 Brig. Smalls

Daddy and Them 2001 Claude Montgomery also wrote and directed

Monster's Ball 2001 Hank Grotowski Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (also for Bandits and The Man Who Wasn't There)

National Board of Review Award for Best Actor (also for Bandits and The Man Who Wasn't There)

Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama

Bandits 2001 Terry Lee Collins Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (also for Monster's Ball and The Man Who Wasn't There)

National Board of Review Award for Best Actor (also for Monster's Ball and The Man Who Wasn't There)

Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor

The Man Who Wasn't There 2001 Ed Crane Chlotrudis Audience Award for Best Actor

Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (also for Bandits and Monster's Ball)

London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor

National Board of Review Award for Best Actor (also for Bandits and Monster's Ball)

Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor

Russian Guild of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Actor

Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor

Nominated—American Film Institute Award AFI Actor of the Year

Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor

Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama

Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor

Waking Up in Reno 2002 Lonnie Earl Dodd

The Badge 2002 Sheriff Darl Hardwick

Bad Santa 2003 Willie T. Stokes Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Love Actually 2003 The US President

Intolerable Cruelty 2003 Howard D. Doyle

Levity 2003 Manuel Jordan

Friday Night Lights 2004 Coach Gary Gaines

The Alamo 2004 Davy Crockett

Chrystal 2004 Joe

The Ice Harvest 2005 Vic Cavanaugh

Bad News Bears 2005 Morris Buttermaker

School for Scoundrels 2006 Dr. P/Dennis Sherman

The Astronaut Farmer 2007 Charles Farmer

Mr. Woodcock 2007 Jasper Woodcock

Eagle Eye 2008 Thomas Morgan

The Informers 2009 William

My Run 2009 Narrator

The Smell of Success 2009 Patrick

Faster 2010 Cop

Nashville Rises 2011 Narrator

Puss in Boots 2011 Jack (Voice) post-production

Peace Like a River 2011 pre-production

Zero Theorem 2011 Qohen Leth pre-production

The Baytown Disco 2011 currently filming

Personal life

Relationships and children

Thornton has been married five times, with each marriage ending in divorce, and he has four children by three women. From 1978 to 1980, he was married to Melissa Lee Gatlin, with whom he had a daughter, Amanda Spence (born June 30, 1979), who in 2011 was convicted of the 2008 aggravated manslaughter of her best friend's young daughter. Thornton married actress Toni Lawrence in 1986; they separated the following year and divorced in 1988. From 1990 to 1992, he was married to actress Cynda Williams, whom he cast in his writing debut, One False Move (1992). In 1993, Thornton married Playboy model Pietra Dawn Cherniak, with whom he had two sons, William Langston (born June 27, 1993) and Henry James (born June 19, 1994); the marriage ended in 1997, with Cherniak accusing Thornton of spousal abuse.

Thornton was engaged to be married to actress Laura Dern, whom he dated from 1997 to 1999, but in 2000, he married actress Angelina Jolie, with whom he starred in Pushing Tin (1999). The marriage became known for the couple's eccentric displays of affection, which reportedly included wearing vials of each other's blood around their necks; Thornton later clarified that the "vials" were, instead, two small lockets, each containing only a single drop of blood. Thornton and Jolie announced the adoption of a child from Cambodia in March 2002, but it was later revealed that Jolie had adopted the child, Maddox, as a single parent. They separated in June 2002 and divorced the following year.

Since 2003, Thornton has been in a relationship with seamstress Connie Angland, with whom he had a daughter, Bella (born September 22, 2004). The family resides in Los Angeles, California. Thornton has stated that he will likely not marry again, specifying that he believes marriage "doesn't work" for him.

Health issues

During his early years in Los Angeles, Thornton couldn't afford to eat properly and lived on a diet of potatoes. When his health began to suffer, he was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with myocarditis, a heart condition brought on by malnutrition.

Thornton has obsessive-compulsive disorder. Various idiosyncratic behaviors have been well documented in interviews with Thornton; among these is a phobia of antique furniture—a disorder shared by Dwight Yoakam's character Doyle Hargraves in the Thornton-penned Sling Blade, and by Thornton's own character in the 2001 film Bandits. Additionally, he has stated that he has a fear of certain types of silverware, a trait assumed by his character Hank Grotowski in 2001's Monster's Ball, in which Grotowski insists on a plastic spoon for his daily bowl of chocolate ice cream. In a 2004 interview with The Independent, Thornton explained: "It's just that I won't use real silver. You know, like the big, old, heavy-ass forks and knives, I can't do that. It's the same thing as the antique furniture. I just don't like old stuff. I'm creeped out by it, and I have no explanation why...I don't have a phobia about American antiques, it's mostly French—you know, like the big, old, gold-carved chairs with the velvet cushions. The Louis XIV type. That's what creeps me out. I can spot the imitation antiques a mile off. They have a different vibe. Not as much dust."

Billy Bob Thornton's daughter guilty of manslaughter

ORLANDO, Fla. - The estranged daughter of actor Billy Bob Thornton has been found guilty of aggravated manslaughter for the October 2008 death of a friend's 1-year-old child.

Amanda Brumfield, 32, was acquitted Friday of the first-degree murder and aggravated child-abuse charges she originally faced in the death of her best friend's daughter, whom she was babysitting at the time in Orlando.

Brumfield claimed the child, Olivia Madison Garcia, was trying to climb out of a playpen when the tot fell and hit her head. According to police, Brumfield waited more than two hours to call for help, reports affiliate WKMG.

Brumfield told investigators that the child initially appeared fine after her injury and that's why she waited to get help, says WKMG.

While prosecutors say it's impossible for a fall from that height to cause the three-and-a-half inch fracture and bleeding and swelling found in the girl's brain, the defense suggested the fall may have aggravated a previous injury, causing the 1-year-old's death.

Amanda Brumfield, 32, was accused in the October 2008 death of 1-year-old Olivia Madison Garcia, who she was babysitting when the child fell and suffered fatal injuries. Her trial ended Wednesday in Orlando, Florida, according to court spokesman Karen Connolly Levey.

Thornton released a statement through his publicist a year ago when Brumfield was charged.

The actor is estranged from his daughter "and has had no contact with her for quite some time," publicist Arnold Robinson said.

"When informed about this situation, he (Thornton) commented that, 'Anytime a baby's life is lost is an unimaginable tragedy and my heart goes out to the baby's family and loved ones,' " Robinson told reporter in a written statement.

Brumfield was convicted in the same Orlando courtroom that the Casey Anthony trial is currently taking place. The Brumfield trial lasted less than a week and the verdict was handed down on Friday.

Brumfield was found guilty of manslaughter but not on the murder and aggravated child abuse charges she initially faced. Brumfield was reportedly responsible for death of her best friend's 1-year-old daughter Olivia.

Brumfield claims that while in her care one night in 2008, Olivia Madison Garcia was trying to climb out of a playpen and fell, hitting her head and causing her untimely death.

The prosecution said that it was "impossible" that the fall from that height could cause the three-and-a-half inch fracture on the back of the baby's skull as well as the bleeding and swelling found in her brain.

Powerball tool,Gyroscopic exercise

Gyroscopic exercise tool is a device used to exercise the wrist as part of physical therapy or in order to build palm, forearm and finger strength. It can also be used as a unique demonstration of some aspects of rotational dynamics. The device consists of a tennis ball-sized plastic or metal shell around a free-spinning mass, which can be started with a short rip string or by a snap of the thumb. Once the gyroscope inside is going fast enough, a person holding the device can accelerate the spinning mass to high revolution rates by moving the wrist in a circular motion.


Quality and usability
Quality of these exercises varies between manufacturers and between models. Design and quality of PB-188, PB-188C ("250 Hz", "250 Hz Pro" in RPM Sports' range) balls from NSD is such that using these balls at speeds in excess of 13,000 rpm can result in severe structural failures, e.g. breakage of rotor axle. Balls with LEDs are reportedly even more fragile. 


Records on NSD balls registered by RPM Sports
Balls manufactured by NSD are available with electronic revolution counters, which allow performance data to be gathered during use.
The current records for PB-188C ball are as follows: 16,732 rpm peak, 7,561 revolutions in 30 seconds, 21,228 revolutions in 90 seconds, and a combined 31,816 rpm in the Dual category (one Powerball in each hand).
The peak speed record for PB-388C ball is 14,091 rpm.
The peak speed record for PB-388HC ball is 20,090 rpm.
Above-mentioned model names are used by NSD. These products are also known by names used by retailers selling NSD balls under their own brands, e.g. "250 Hz Pro", "350 Hz Pro" etc. in case of RPM Sports.
All of the above records are currently held by Akis Kritsinelis from Greece. For other results, see the scoreboard managed by RPM Sports.
There exist videos showing the process, however independent expertise pointed out inconsistencies and anomalies in the world-record video by Akis Kritsinelis  and others accepted for the scoreboard. Other evidence, e.g. of people admitting use of modified NSD balls  or of WR holder Akis Kritsinelis offering powerballs capable of speeds in excess of 15000 rpm for £100/$200  supports these findings.
Certain scoreboards registered even higher scores, e.g. scoreboard managed by RPM Sports' official partner Gross-Snab contains the score of 16973 rpm achieved on PB-188LC ball (PB-188C with LEDs).


Patents
The device is covered by US patents 3,726,146 (1973) and 5,353,655 (1994) by L.A. Mishler and US patent 5,800,311 (1998) by P.S.Chuang and 6,942,601 (2001) by P.S. Chuang.


How does it work
The device essentially consists of a spinning mass inside an outer shell. The shell almost completely covers the mass inside, with only a small round opening allowing the gyroscope to be manually started. The spinning mass is fixed to a thin metal axle, each end of which is trapped in a circular, equatorial groove in the outer shell. A lightweight ring with two notches in it for the ends of the axle rests in the groove. This ring can slip in the groove; it holds the spinning gyroscope centred in the shell, preventing the two from coming into contact (which would slow the gyro down), but still allowing the orientation of the axle to change.
Since the spinning mass is balanced, the only possibility to speed up the rotation is for the sides of the groove to exert forces on the ends of the axle. Furthermore, the normal and axial forces will have no effect, so tangential force must be provided by friction. If the axle is stationary, the friction will only act to slow down the rotation, but the situation is very different if the axle is turned by applying a torque.
This can be accomplished by tilting the shell in any direction except exactly in the plane of the groove, and results in a shift of the axle ends along the groove. The direction and speed of the shift can be found from the formula for the precession of a gyroscope: the applied torque is equal to the cross product of the angular velocity of precession and the angular momentum of the spinning mass. The most important observation here is that the direction is such that, if the torque is large enough, the friction between the axle and the surface of the groove will speed up the rotation.
This may seem odd. After all, if the axle were shifting in a horizontal groove, the friction on one end that acts to speed up the rotation would be cancelled by the friction at the other end, operating in the opposite direction. The difference is that a torque is being applied, so one end of the axle is pushing against one side of the groove, while the other end is pushing against the other side. Likewise, it doesn't matter in which direction the torque is applied. If the torque is reversed, each end of the axle will then be pressing against the opposite side of the groove, but the direction of precession is also reversed. The only restriction is that the relative speed of the surface of the axle and the side of the groove due to precession, ΩPRgroove, must exceed the relative speed due to the rotation of the spinning mass, ωraxle. The minimum torque required to meet this condition is , where I is the moment of inertia of the spinning mass, and ω is its angular velocity.
Since an acceleration of the rotation will occur regardless of the direction of the applied torque, as long as it is large enough, the device will function without any fine-tuning of the driving motion. The tilting of the shell does not have to have a particular phase relationship with the precession or even to have the same frequency. Since sliding (kinetic) friction is usually nearly as strong as static (sticking) friction, it is also not necessary to apply precisely the value of torque which will result in the axle rolling without slipping along the side of the groove. These factors allow beginners to learn to speed up the rotation after only a few minutes of practice.
By applying the proportionality of the force of friction to the normal force, Ff = μkFn, where μk is the kinetic coefficient of friction, it can be shown that the torque spinning up the mass is a factor of smaller than the torque applied to the shell. Since frictional force is essential for the device's operation, the groove must not be lubricated.

Powerball

Powerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million (annuity) and can roll into the hundreds of millions over many drawings. The jackpot is paid as a 30-payment annuity; players may choose cash instead. Powerball drawings are held Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern time. The game currently uses a 5/59 (white balls) + 1/39 (Powerballs) matrix to select its winning numbers. Each selection of six numbers costs players $1 for the base game; for an extra $1, they can multiply a non-jackpot prize by up to 5 (10 during promotional periods) with the Power Play multiplier. The official cutoff time for ticket sales is one hour before drawings; some jurisdictions cut sales earlier. The drawings usually are held at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Occasionally, drawings are held "on location", often to promote the game's expansion to a new jurisdiction. The results of drawings are not official until they are audited by the accounting firm LWBJ, LLP.

Powerball holds the record for the largest prize awarded for one set of numbers drawn in a US lottery game; on February 18, 2006, one ticket won the $365 million jackpot. The eight people sharing the ticket chose the cash option, splitting $177,270,519.67 before withholdings.

2010 expansion of Mega Millions and Powerball

On October 13, 2009, MUSL and the Mega Millions consortium signed an agreement to allow US lotteries to sell both games, no longer requiring exclusivity. The expansion occurred on January 31, 2010, as 10 Mega Millions members began selling Powerball tickets for their first drawing on February 3, 2010; simultaneously, 23 Powerball members began offering Mega Millions tickets for their first drawing on February 2, 2010. On March 1, 2010, Montana (by joining Mega Millions) was the first jurisdiction to join the other game after the cross-selling expansion. Later that month, Nebraska, followed by Oregon, also joined Mega Millions; Arizona followed suit on April 18, 2010, and Maine joined Mega Millions on May 9, 2010. Colorado and South Dakota joined Mega Millions on May 16, 2010. The most recent MUSL-only member joining Mega Millions is the US Virgin Islands, in October 2010. (Ohio joined Powerball on April 16, 2010.) Powerball is played in 44 jurisdictions, with Mega Millions available in 43; currently, 42 sell tickets for both games.

It is likely the cross-selling arrangement is a temporary measure as the lotteries investigate the possibility of merging the two games. According to the New Hampshire Lottery website, a "combined" lottery game is expected to be implemented by October 2011; minimum play would be $5. Game concepts are being tested.

Basic game

The minimum Powerball bet is $1. In each game, players select 5 numbers from a set of 59 white balls, and 1 number from 39 red Powerballs. Players can select their own numbers, and/or they can have the lottery terminal randomly select numbers (called "quick pick", "easy pick", etc. depending on the jurisdiction). In each drawing, winning numbers are selected using two ball machines; one contains white balls numbered 1 through 59; the other contains the red Powerballs numbered 1 through 39. Five balls are drawn from the first machine, and one from the second machine; these are the winning numbers. Games matching at least three white balls and/or the red Powerball win.

The drawing order of the five white balls is irrelevant; all tickets show the five white ball numbers in ascending order. Players do not have to match the white numbers in draw order, but they cannot use the drawn Powerball number to match one of their white numbers, or vice versa. Occasionally, a drawing occurs where a white ball matches the red ball.

Two identical machines are used for each drawing, randomly selected from four machines. The model of machine used is the Halogen, manufactured by Smartplay International of Edgewater Park, New Jersey. There are eight ball sets (four white, four red); one set of each color is randomly selected before a drawing. The balls are mixed by a turntable at the bottom of the machine that propels the balls around the chamber. When the machine selects a ball, the turntable slows to catch it, sends it up the shaft, and then down the rail to the display.

The double matrix has varied:

Starting date Pick 5 of Pick 1 of Jackpot odds Power Play multipliers

April 22, 1992 45 45 1:54,979,154 none

November 5, 1997 49 42 1:80,089,127 none

March 7, 2001 49 42 1:80,089,127 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x

October 9, 2002 53 42 1:120,526,770 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x

August 28, 2005 55 42 1:146,107,962 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x

January 7, 2009 59 39 1:195,249,053 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x

Power Play

For an additional $1 per game, a player may activate the Power Play option, which applies a multiplier (drawn by random number generator (RNG) just before the Powerball drawing) to all prize levels except the jackpot and second prize. Depending on the multiplier, winners multiply the appropriate prize level by 2 to 5. The multiplier for the 5+0 second prize always is 5x.

The dilemma for players is whether to maximize the chance at the jackpot, or "half" the chance at the jackpot in exchange for an increase in lower-level prize(s). The average Power Play multiplier is about 3.5, since 5+0 is guaranteed to be 5x).

In 2006 and 2007, MUSL replaced one of the 5x spaces on the then-Power Play wheel with a 10x. During each month-long promotion, MUSL guaranteed that there would be at least one drawing where the 10x multiplier would be drawn. The promotion returned in 2008; the ball landed in the 10x space twice. After skipping 2009, the 10x multiplier returned in May 2010 (after the Power Play drawing was changed to the current RNG.) The promotion was extended for the first time, as the 10x multiplier was not drawn until June 12. The second prize 5x guarantee continued as usual; the 10x applied to all non-jackpot prizes, as in previous promotions.

Power Play 's success has led to similar multipliers in other games, such as the tripler in MUSL's smaller Hot Lotto, called Sizzler, and Megaplier, available in 39 of the 43 Mega Millions jurisdictions; all Mega Millions members are required to offer Megaplier by January 2011.

The Florida Lottery added Xtra to its Florida Lotto game on October 14, 2009.

$200M Powerball lottery jackpot won by N.Y. Costco workers

Greensboro, N.C. -- Step inside Kiran Tella's, "All in One" shop, and you'll notice right away, she knows everyone.

"They are the ones who are supporting the business," she said.

Customers shop there just to see her. Well, maybe it's not just to see Kiran. Many people consider it to be a lucky store.

Two people have already won big there. One hit $491,000 and another won $200,000.

"We are hoping for the third winner because everything comes in threes, right?' Tella said

Beverly Bass already has plans for what she'd do with all that cash.

"I'd come back and buy my property. Buy me a brand new house. Buy a new car and go on a trip. Be happy. And, help some of my friends and family," she said.

Of course, everyone knows the chances of winning are slim. But, they know they can always count on Kiran to be there...win or lose.

People who win get two options. They can get the full amount -- in this case, $200 million -- paid to them over 30 years.

They can also take a smaller, lump sump and get $105.2 million in this particular game.

After all the proceeds were counted, the final jackpot number stood at $201.9 million. The cash value of that prize was not immediately available Thursday.

According to local newspaper Newsday, the winners of the jackpot are a group of 20 employees, all of whom work at the Costco store on Route 110 in Melville, Long Island. The winning ticket is said to be a Quick Pick.

A news conference was originally planned for Thursday morning at the Costco store, but was later cancelled because all of the winning employees would not be able to attend.

One employee who was not in the winning pool, Marisol Taveras of Copiague, said she had spoken to one of the winners. "She said she is going to keep working," Taveras said. "Everything is still the same."

A Costco shopper at the store Thursday morning commented, "It's good for them. I wish I was in it myself." The shopper, identified as Mario Aves of Bay Shore, said he doubts if he'd work if he'd won. "I think if it was me, I'd just pack it in."

In addition to the jackpot winners from New York, 11 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $200,000 prize: 2 from Connecticut, 1 from Delaware, 2 from New Jersey, 2 from New York, 1 from North Carolina, 1 from Ohio, 1 from Tennessee, and 1 from Washington.

The North Carolina ticket, as well as one of the tickets sold in Connecticut, were purchased with the Power Play option, upgrading their prizes to $1 million each. Power Play costs an extra $1 per ticket.

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Women Media Center

Women Media Center (WMC) is a non-profit organization based in Karachi, Pakistan promoting Gender Equality in Pakistani Mass Media. Its core functions are to conduct research trainings and educate women in various professions of media. Another objective of the WMC is to promote creativity among the Pakistani women, train them with latest facilities, equip them with modern journalistic approaches and assist them in being a productive part of Pakistani and International Journalism Fraternity.

Ms. Fauzia Shaheen felt the dire need of Women Journalists representing in the mainstream media, weak democratic structure of Pakistan, lack of resources, insignificant number of women representation in mainstream media contributed in establishing Women Media Center. Ms. Fauzia Shaheen serves as the Founder and the Executive Director Women Media Center Pakistan.

Projects

The Women Media Center organizes projects, seminars and workshops that encourage women journalists to work in an enabling professional environment. Women Media Center has organized workshops to improve the skills of women journalists in:

Television Reporting

Camera Work

Editing

Story Making

Article Writing

Storyboarding

To add up to the credentials of WMC it has conducted ten-day training workshops on a National Platform for female journalists on television reporting and has organized two National Conferences on the role of Women Journalists in Pakistan. Currently situated in the largest metropolis of Pakistan i.e. Karachi, the WMC aspires not only to reach all areas of Pakistan but also to expand its operations in whole of South Asia.

Board of directors

Shaheena Sultana - President

Is a senior writer; through her writing she has promoted the ideas of good governance and transparent electoral process. She is a dedicated activist for Peace, democracy and civil liberties.

Nazir Ahmed Leghari

Is a well-known journalist and political analyst who covers national and international political issues. He is the founder editor of Daily Awam, Karachi, (The largest circulated Evening Urdu Daily of Pakistan). He has interviewed many national and international figures including Benazir Bhutto, King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, V.P Singh, Ahmed Shah Masood, Begum Shaikh Hasina Wajid, and Mother Teresa etc.

Dr. Huma Baqai Is an Assistant Professor at IBA. She has been teaching International Relations since 1995 and has authored a number of articles including “Globalization and Unemployment: Impact on South Asia, The Role of ethnicity in South Asia, The Role of Media in the Politics of South Asia.

Beena Qayyum Khan Beena has been associated with CNBC Pakistan as a reporter. She is a law student specializing on human rights. She has participated in various seminars and workshops organized by various UNDP, FHRI (Fazaldad Human Rights Institute), FNF (Friedrich Naumann Foundation), LFP (Liberal Forum of Pakistan) and WISCOMP-India.

Atiq-ur-Rehman Khan

Is a well-known journalist in Pakistan, who is a committed advocate of Peace, Democracy and Liberalism. Atiq has contributed in many articles on socio political developments in South Asia, Central Asia, and Middle East and especially in Pakistan.

Riaz Bhatti

Is very senior and competent journalist works in Daily Awam. He obtained Master degree in Siraiki Language & literature (The ancient language of the Indus Valley) from Islamia University Bahawalpur (Punjab). He has expertise in current affairs, economics, human rights, good governance and conflict resolution.

WMC Team

Fauzia Shaheen - General Secretary & Executive Director

She is the Founder President of Women Media Center Pakistan and internationally acclaimed Pakistani journalist. She is also the founding editor of “Dastak” a well-reputed monthly news magazine and Quarterly Liberal Pakistan. She also contributes articles to BBC online Urdu service. Ms. Shaheen has also worked for the largest newspaper of Pakistan Daily Jang .

Ms. Shaheen won the best Feature writer award on the prisoners’ condition of Pakistan with special reference to Central Jail Karachi in 1990. She also won the PPF-UNESCO Gender award in 2005.

Over the span of 20 years she has interviewed prominent national and international politicians and dignitaries including Asif Ali Zardari ( Current President of Pakistan), Ms. Benazir Bhutto (former Prime Minister of Pakistan), Begum Sheikh Hasina Wajid (Ex. Prime Minister of Bangladesh), Mr. Sher Bahadur Dueba and Mr.K P Bhatta Rai (Ex. Prime Ministers of Nepal), Mr. Tyranne Fernando, (Ex. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka), and Mr. Don McKinnon, Secretary General of Commonwealth Association.

Ms. Shaheen has served twice as the Executive member of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and member of the International Relation Committee, Sindh Committee and Periodical Committee of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE).

She is the founding member of South Asian Editors Forum and has the honor of being a member of International Women Media Foundation, Commonwealth Journalists Association, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Karachi Union of Journalists and Karachi Press Club.

Her career in journalism spanning over more than two decades she has participated in various international workshops and seminars in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan and Germany organized by International Center for Peace Initiatives (India), Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society (Canada), The International Academy of Leadership, Gummersbach (Germany), Friedrich Naumann Stiftung, Commonwealth Journalists Association and United States Information Agency (The International Visitor’s Program).

Music journalism in Pakistan

Music journalism in Pakistan has grown especially with the growth of the country's pop music industry and scene.

Popular music journalism was uncommon in the country till about 1985 when Karachi's tabloid, The Star started printing reviews written by Farrukh Moriani who is also considered to be the country's first ever pop music critic.

At the end of the Eighties and with the coming of the Liberal government of Benazir Bhutto in 1988, the once repressed and frowned upon (by the Islamist dictatorship of General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq), Pakistani pop music emerged from the underground and started gaining mainstream popularity.

With this came another pioneering Pakistani music and fashion critic Fifi Haroon who was amongst the first in the country to undertake full features on the growing local music scene. Another frontrunner in this regard was M. Ali Tim.

The arrival of Nadeem F. Paracha in 1990 that music journalism started to be taken as a serious form of journalism in Pakistan. With Paracha was Farjad Nabi (at The News International) and Aysha Aslam (at the Herald). The New's Instep magazine also began to do regular features on the Pakistani music scene.

Media of Pakistan

From Pakistan's independence, there have been four major news agencies in Pakistan: the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP); the Pakistan press association, later renamed the Pakistan Press International (PPI) Associated Press Service (APS) is the first Pakistani news Agency on IT base in specialization in editorial writing. APS news agency also contributing news, feature, article, column, interviews, audio, video and photo service to print and electronic media through out world. Renowned journalist and columnist Chaudhry Ahsan Premee Chief editor and Publisher of this news agency. APS Associated Press Service, the news agency, is working in Islamabad, Pakistan. (APS) Associated Press Service also accredited by Government of Pakistan; the United press of Pakistan (UPP); and the National News Agency (NNA). A number of other smaller news agencies have come into existence including the Independent News Pakistan (INP), News network international (NNI), Sharp Eye (www.sharpeye.pk), the South Asian News Agency (SANA), and Online News International (ONI), Worldwide News agency (WNA)

In the early 21st century, like the rest of the world, print media declined precipitously but total circulation number have increased. From 1994 to 1997, the total number of daily, monthly, and other publications increased from 3,242 to 4,455 but had dropped to just 945 by 2003 with most of the decline occurring in the Punjab Province. However, from 1994 to 2003 total print circulation increased substantially, particularly for dailies (3 million to 6.2 million). Print media are published in 11 languages, but most are published in Urdu and Sindhi, and English-language publications are numerous. The press generally publishes free without restrictions and has played an active role in national elections, but journalists often exercise self-censorship as a result of arrests and intimidation by government and societal actors. Most print media are privately owned, but the government controls the National Press Trust, a major newspaper publisher, and the Associated Press of Pakistan, one of the two major news agencies,but now many news channels and news corporations are made through which Pakistani media became more faster and complicated and many talk shows are held to get the answers from political leaders about their bad plans.

Human rights in Pakistan

Pakistan’s human rights record has dramatically improved since the reforms that took place after the tenure of President Zia-ul-Haq in 1988. The situation of human rights in Pakistan is a complex one, as a result of the country's diversity, large population, its status as a developing country and a sovereign, Islamic republic as well as an Islamic democracy with a mixture of both Islamic and colonial secular laws. The Constitution of Pakistan provides for fundamental rights, which include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press and the right to bear arms. These clauses are generally respected in practice. Clauses also provide for separation of executive and judiciary, an independent judiciary and freedom of movement within the country and abroad.

The founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah wanted Pakistan to be a moderate secular state blended with some Islamic values and principles. No Pakistani Government has ever come up with a detailed conclusion on what he exactly meant by this. Nevertheless, Pakistan's status as an Islamic Republic should not be confused or compared with other Islamic Republics in the region, such as the Islamic Republic of Iran. Unlike Iran, Pakistan is not a theocracy, but rather an Islamic democracy where elections regularly takes place on time and are mostly free and fair. Most of Pakistan's laws are secular in nature, most of which were inherited from the United Kingdom's colonial rule of modern-day Pakistan before 1947. In recent times, there has been increasing pressure on Pakistan to amend or replace some of its outdated laws made during the time of the British Empire.

Although the government has enacted measures to counter any problems, abuses remain. Furthermore, courts suffer from lack of funds, outside intervention, and deep case backlogs that lead to long trial delays and lengthy pretrial detentions. Many observers inside and outside Pakistan contend that Pakistan’s legal code is largely concerned with crime, national security, and domestic tranquility and less with the protection of individual rights.

The 2009 Freedom in the World report by Freedom House gave Pakistan a political rights rating of 4 (1 representing free and 7 representing not free), and a civil liberties rating of 5, earning it the designation of partly free.

Humanitarian response to conflict

Violence in Pakistan and the Taliban conflict with the government have heightened humanitarian problems in Pakistan. Political and military interests have been prioritised over humanitarian considerations in their offensives against the Taliban, and issues likely to get worse as people are encouraged back home prematurely and face once again being victims of the insurgents. Displacement is a key problem and humanitarian organisations are failing to address the basic needs of people outside displacement camps, nor are they able to address issues such as the conduct of hostilities and the politicisation of the emergency response. Researchers at the Overseas Development Institute argue that aid agencies face dilemmas with engaging with the government, as this does not always produce the desired results and can conflict with their aim of promoting stability and maintaining a principled approach. A principled approach limits their ability to operate when the government emphasises political and security considerations.

Internally displaced people

There were over 500,000 people displaced in 2008, mainly from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on the border with Afghanistan, and a further 1.4 million from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in May 2009. By mid-July 2009, Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) put the total of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) at just over 2m, while unofficial figures are as high as 3.5m. Most of those displaced (up to 80%) were taken in by relatives, friends and even strangers - Pashtun communities in particular have displayed great efforts in assisting the displaced despite their own high levels of poverty. Still others use schools, but only a small minority live in approximately 30 official camps, mainly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

There is little support for those living outside of camps, official support consists only of some food and non-food items and government cash grants. Many of those who have been taken in are looked after by political and religious groups providing assistance in return for membership or support. The government has been struggling to provide support to an area traditionally marginalised and remote and is also keen to downplay the scale of the crisis. Before military operations are undertaken, little preparation is made for the predictable increase in displaced peoples in order to avoid attracting the attention of opposing forces.There are also suggestions that help given to IDPs is informed by cultural and political expediency, as in the case of a $300 family cash grant.

The international community's assistance is marginal in comparison to local efforts due to the rate and scale of displacement; the scattering of displaced populations among host families and in spontaneous settlements; access difficulties due to insecurity and the role of the military in the relief effort.International humanitarian organizations have focused on camp-based populations and this limited interaction has hampered their attempts to analyse the full complexity of the situation, the context, its different actors and their interests – all of which are key to ensuring that the humanitarian imperative is achieved in this complex operating environment.

"Friends of Pakistan"

Many donors see the conflict as an opportunity for more comprehensive engagement in an effort to promote stability in the region, to promote a legitimate government and curtail transnational threats. The ‘Friends of Pakistan’ group, which includes the US, the UK and the UN, is key in the international community's drive to promote stability. The US has adopted a joint ‘Af-Pak’ (Afghanistan and Pakistan) strategy in order to suppress the insurgency and defend its national security interests. This strategy seeks engagement with the government and the military intelligence communities, develop civilian and democratic governance, for instance through the provision of services and support in ‘cleared areas’ in FATA and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and increasing assistance including direct budget support, development aid and support with counter-insurgency work. The UK equally sees an opportunity to counter instability and militancy through a combined military and 'hearts and minds' approach, through judicial, governance and security sector reform. The UNDP/WFP takes a similar line.

Yet the success of this approach is by no means clear, as both the government and society at large are not welcoming of foreign interference. USAID takes into account political as well as humanitarian dimensions in its decision making process. Many civilians see little distinction between aid agencies, the military operations and "western interests"; ‘you bomb our villages and then build hospitals’. Many humanitarian organisations thus avoid being too visible and do not mark their aid with their logos.friends of Pakistan must come forward to assist in her committment.