Why Amber Rose should not be shamed for nude pics

Since nude pictures of Amber Rose surfaced last week, Rose has been put on the defensive.

The graphic, NSFW pictures, which depict her posing nude in high heels & touching herself, apparently in the privacy of her home, were leaked to Media Takeout, a celebrity gossip site.

Many have been quick to judge & shame Rose in the aftermath of their release, suggesting that the pictures prove something new or unsightly about her or her career. At the same time, they fail to acknowledge that there's little difference between posing provocatively in a magazine, for which she has achieved praise & compensation, & posing fully nude in the manner that Rose has done in the leaked pics. Their contradictory opinion shows that her current predicament is symptomatic of a culture in which we reward women for being as sexy as possible, but look down on them or judge them for actually having sex.

When the explicit pictures first emerged, MediaTakeout published them along with a story that accused the 27-year-old Rose of sending them to hip-hop heavyweight Nicki Minaj's assistant & rumored boyfriend, Safaree Samuels.

But on June 28, the website, already notorious for its vicious gossip & often unsubstantiated claims, retracted the original report. "Amber claims that she did NOT send these pics to Nicki's boyfriend. Even though our source was reliable, we're gonna give Amber the benefit of the doubt on this," they wrote.

Rose has vehemently denied releasing the photos to the public at all, tweeting "I have so many young girls that look up to me. I would never put those pics out of myself."

Even so, the pictures remain on the MediaTakeout site, with small areas blurred or blacked out, placing Rose within a small but growing cadre of celebrity women who have nude photos, sex tapes, or both released in the public, often against their will, & always as they continue to pursue a career in other areas.

Like many of the women who traversed this path before her, Rose's life, career, & relationships have been thrust into the spotlight & subject to even more public scrutiny than usual since the pics were released (notably, without her permission or compensation).

The attention has taken its toll. Rose has described herself as "really hurt & embarrassed" by the scandal on Twitter, & admitted to crying for days as a result. She claims that the photos were stolen from her computer by someone she trusted, & she is dealing with the situation by relying on the love & support of her friends, family, fans, & high-profile boyfriend Wiz Khalifa. "No matter what I go thru or how embarrassed I am I have a man that Loves me & has my back thru everything." she tweeted last week when the scandal broke.

Compounding the situation, haters & detractors have come out of the woodwork to comment on the explicit images, & make predictions about their effect on Rose & her career. Most have had negative things to say.

SOHH declared that her career was "finished". Bossip issued an entire list of celebrities whose careers didn't take off even after they released nude pics to the world- or someone else did. Times LIVE recommended Rose "hide her face". & these were some of the more banal comments & reactions. Various publications, celebrity gossip sites, & Internet commenters (not generally known for their benevolence, but still) have gone to town on the 27-year old in even more harsh & critical ways, attacking her character & questioning her respectability.

It's not just faceless individuals that are rushing to judgment about Amber Rose's nude photo scandal companies that had backed Rose in the past also reacted to the release of the photos.

While there had initially been rumors that Amber Rose's talent agency, CAA, has dropped her in the aftermath, she recently clarified on Twitter that the company that dropped her is not her agency, CAA, but another company she works with.

Either way, the rumors threaten to "mess up her business" as she explained on Twitter.

It's a shame to see her career threatened by something like this. After all, as Vibe magazine points out in their recent interview with Rose, she has come a long way, going from " virtual anonymity in a small apartment in Bronx, N.Y., to sitting in the front row at Fashion Week in Paris." & while it was her high-profile relationship with Kanye West that brought her onto the scene & launched her into the spotlight, it has been her swag, fashion sense, sexy curves & business savvy that has kept her there well after their breakup.

I'm glad Rose has a support network to help her get through this rough patch, but it's unfortunate that this ordeal has caused so much pain to begin with. Rose shouldn't be shamed & embarrassed by the scandal. She's built a career & a fanbase around the allure of being young, bold, & yes, sexy, & has recently announced that she'll be starring in & executive-producing a new reality show, Behind Her Shades.

But perhaps in some ways, this nude photo scandal has already brought a dose of reality to the public in regards to Amber Rose, & celebrities in general: ultimately, we can't celebrate celebrity sexiness while shaming celebrity sex. & these are the pictures that prove it.

Read more »

Posted in: BizNews,Entertainment,Fashion,Scandal,Scandal Crime,Women

Soome Few Ways Job Seekers Harm Themselves

The IT job market is improving, & CIOs are once again looking to hire permanent, full-time IT staff. But because the labor market is saturated with IT pros looking for work, IT hiring managers are being choosey, say IT staffing industry experts.

Make one mistake on your resume, & you can forget about being called for an interview. Fail to impress during the job interview, & the hiring manager may cut your meeting short. Go dark on a prospective employer after a job interview, & you can kiss your chances of getting a job offer good-bye. Yes, my friends, the stakes are that high.

Experienced & inexperienced job seekers alike make mistakes before, during & after job interviews that can sink their chances of landing a new job. Tracy Cashman, partner & general manager of the information technology group at staffing firm Winter Wyman, says she has seen candidates get eliminated in the past month for making such mistakes as speaking ill of a previous employer & asking about vacation & benefits too soon.

Most of the missteps job seekers make are common & can easily be avoided with a dose of common sense or preparation. Here are seven ways job seekers self-destruct.

1. They lie about their qualifications. If anything will kill your chances of getting a job, it's lying, whether on your resume or in a job interview, whether about your skills, employment history or educational background. [Lying on a resume will get caught on a background check, says Cashman. "We had a candidate, a fresh graduate, lie about their GPA, & the employer rescinded the offer.]

2. They come to the job interview unprepared. Todd Collier, a director with IT recruiting firm Eliassen Group, says his firm spends time prepping candidates for job interviews. He says Eliassen briefs candidates on the project they'll be working on, the employer's business & culture, & the manager's needs & style so that the candidate knows how to sell him or herself during the job interview. [People miss out on job offers when they don't fully understand the company's needs, he says. Adds Cashman, It's so easy to do [research on an employer] these days that if you walk in without knowing basic information about the company, you just look stupid or like you're not interested in the job.]

3. They're negative. Having a negative attitude or speaking ill of a former employer is a common mistake job seekers make during job interviews. It's one that Sam Aruti, managing director of DIBJ Enterprises, made in the past when he was looking for a job, & it cost him an offer.

When a job seeker speaks poorly of a past employer, prospective employers wonder how long it will be before the job seeker begins denouncing them, says Cashman. It also causes employers to worry whether the candidate will ever be satisfied.

Cashman advises job seekers to use caution when speaking about their reasons for leaving an employer, which can easily come across as negative. State one reason & keep the explanation brief.

4. They don't ask the right questions. Job seekers who ask informed, specific questions about the job or the employer during the interview impress hiring managers. [It is always nice to hear people ask questions that are relevant to the company,] says Aruti, speaking as a hiring manager.

Even if every question you could ever want to ask has been answered during the interview, have two more questions, adds Cashman. Otherwise, you look uninterested in the job, & it leaves the hiring manager on edge. Good questions are definitely seen as the sign of a good candidate.

But don't ask about vacation time or benefitsat least not during the first interview. Aruti & Cashman say doing so makes hiring managers think benefits are all you care about, so they won't take you seriously & you'll quickly get passed up for the next candidate.

As someone who'd been out of a job for such a long time, if you have a job opportunity in this economy, focus on job rather than on 'what is in it for me, advises Aruti.

5. They're slow. Aruti always walks with IT professionals he interviews for jobs to see if they can keep up with him. He doesn't hire anyone who can't. People who are slow on their feet will likely be slow on the job. It's a lesson he learned years ago from a former manager who told him not to hire someone who didn't walk right, he says.

6. They don't close the interview. Eliassen's Collier compares job interviews to sales calls. Just as sales professionals work toward closing a sale during a meeting with a prospective client, job seekers should work toward closing a job interview, he says. They can close job interviews in a couple of ways: Either by asking if the hiring manager has any other questions about their background, or if the hiring manager gives the last word to the candidate, the candidate should take the opportunity to reiterate why he or she is an excellent fit for the job & the company.

Ask if the hiring manager has any other questions about their background as it relates to the job opportunity, says Collier. Is there any reason you don't think I'd be a fit for this opportunity? Then, they can expand upon it & position themselves for the opportunity.

7. They go dark. Not following up with a prospective employer after a job interview can be fatal. It sends the message that you're not interested in the job. So at the very least, send a thank-you note after the interview, advises Cashman. It can set you apart, she adds, because most people do not send them.

Though some hiring managers appreciate old-fashioned, hand-written thank-you notes, your best bet is to send a well-written one via e-mail. If an employer is in a rush to fill a position & faced with two equally qualified candidates, delivering a thank-you note quickly via e-mail could make all the difference, as a decision may have to be made before the mailed thank-you note arrives. Cashman has seen it happen.

Responding too slowly to a job offer also sends the wrong signal to a prospective employer, according to executive search firm Korn/Ferry International. They employer might think that the candidate is getting cold feet or has completely lost interest in the job.

Of course, job seekers need time to evaluate offers. They should state up front, upon receiving the offer, that they need time to think about it, & how much time they will need. Candidates can ask for a day to a week to make a decision, depending on the complexity of the offer, the job seeker's career level, & the employer's timeframe.

Read more »

Posted in: Free Download,Internet,Online Job,SEO,Web

How Long Does Pneumonia Last ?

Pneumonia causes respiratory illness & infects the lungs. The lungs get inflamed, & they get filled with extra fluid. This leads infection, which is caused by bacteria, virus, fungi or parasites. The lungs are the most affected parts when someone gets infected with pneumonia.

After a person is said to have pneumonia, he will be prescribed with antibiotics, anti-fungal medications & antiviral medications, depending on the cause of the disease. Walking pneumonia is a kind of mild pneumonia. If the severity is high, it is called double pneumonia. In case the severity is high, hospitalization is required with oxygen & strong medication.

If the patient does not have any other illness, he can recover in 2 weeks after being diagnosed with pneumonia. People who have asthma, respiratory disorders & smokers will take many weeks or months to recover. Even after the infection is cured, cough will remain for some more weeks. The people who are old need to be cared for a lot in case they are infected with pneumonia. Seniors & children are high risk categories.

To recover faster, you can take a few measures though. Take adequate rest, drink lots of fluids, use the medicines as prescribed, & take steamy showers to clear the lungs. Also, inhale hot steam from fluids, & get out the excess mucus when you cough. Doctors will prescribe medicines to make the mucus thin in the lungs to help you overcome the infection. You can use over the counter drugs to reduce the cough, but it is better to consult your doctor before you use these drugs or any herbal medicines.

Read more »

Posted in: Medical News,Pneumonia

More about Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and HIV

What Is Pcp?

Pneumonia is an infection that inflames your lungs' air sacs. The air sacs may fill
up with fluid or pus, causing symptoms such as a cough with phlegm, fever, ...

PCP is a kind of pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci (P. jiroveci). (Say the name this way: "new-mo-sis-tis yee-row-vet-zee-eye.") It used to be called Pneumocystis cariniipneumonia. Most people infected with P. jirovecidon't get pneumonia because their immune systems are healthy and strong. People whose immune systems are weak because of HIV infection can get PCP. PCP is less common than it used to be, but it's still the most common serious infection in people with advanced HIV disease in the United States.
How Would I Know If I Have Pcp?

If you get PCP, you probably will have fever, cough, trouble breathing (especially with exercise) or chest tightness. See your doctor right away if you have these symptoms. Most cases are mild, but people with severe PCP may die if the infection isn't treated quickly. PCP is diagnosed by lab tests of fluid or tissue from your lungs.
How Do You Get Pcp?

Most scientists believe PCP is spread in the air, but they don't know if it lives in the soil or someplace else. P. jiroveciis common all over the world. Since you can't help being exposed to P. jiroveci, you should get medical care so you won't get PCP. (PCP is not spread by sex.)

Read more »

Posted in: Medical News,Pneumonia

Biggest baby killer in Bangladesh [ Pneumonia ]

Pneumonia is the biggest baby killer in Bangladesh, but most of the people do not realise its all-pervasive presence, say health experts.

Widespread malnutrition & poor hygiene have been blamed for the 'dangerous' lung disease that, according to ministry of health, accounts for 18 percent of deaths under five.

"It (Pneumonia) can put pressure on achieving Millennium Development Goal 4," paediatrician Prof Ruhul Amin of Dhaka Shishu Hospital told a journalists' workshop in the capital.

The workshop organised by non-government organisation Poriprekkhit suggested awareness campaign on the dangers of the diseases.

"You will not get a family where at least a member did not suffer Pneumonia in his lifetime," Prof Amin said, adding children with Pneumonia occupy over one-third of hospital beds across the country.

"But we can prevent it by ensuring exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months & later homemade food & necessary vaccines."

According to Prof Amin, exclusive breastfeeding can curb Pneumonia by 15 to 23 percent by boosting their immune systems.

Early detection is imperative to combat the disease mostly caused by bacteria.

The common cold is typified with cough & runny nose. "But in case of Pneumonia, things will get worse," the child specialist said. "The child will start facing difficulty in breathing, apart from high fever."

He advised parents to take their kids to hospitals 'if breathing problem noticed'.

"But the disease should get priority as the government is aiming to achieve the targets of the Millennium Development Goals," Prof Amin said.

To meet the MDG target, the government is trying to reduce child mortality rate to 48 per 1,000 births by 2015.

According to health ministry, the figure stood at 60 per 1,000 births in 2009.

Microbiologist Dr Samir Kumar Saha sought support of Global Alliance for Vaccines & Immunisation (GAVI) to make vaccines for pneumococcus & haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) available in Bangladesh.

Findings of the latest Bangladesh Demographic & Health Survey found 41 percent children under five underweight while the stunted rate was 43 percent & wasted 17 percent.

Read more »

Posted in: Medical News,Pneumonia

Brain waves to track sleep quality with a new app use !!

TOKYO, Oct 10 (coolblognews.com | Latest news update 24x7) - A new app that aims to improve both the quantity & quality of sleep uses brainwaves to track the amount of time spent in different stages of sleep.

Called Sleep Manager, the app synchronizes with a headset that measures brain activity, eye movement & other signals in light, deep & REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.

"The thing about sleep is that it's not just about how much you get - it's about the quality of your sleep," said Ben Rubin, co-founder of Zeo, which makes the app.

"In general, you want to optimize to get as much REM & deep sleep as possible."

A soft-sensor headband measures brainwave activity, muscle tone & eye movements, the same signals that would be taken by a professional sleep lab, but at a consumer level.

The signals are relayed through Bluetooth to the user's iPhone, iPad, or Android smartphone & uploaded to Zeo's website.

Rubin said that sleep tracking is only the beginning. After benchmarking sleep quality, Zeo uses this information to coach the user's sleep habits.

Studies have shown that when people wake up during the light sleep phase they are more refreshed, so the app has the ability to rouse users while in this state.

It also syncs with other apps such as RunKeeper, a running application, & DailyBurn, a nutrition planning app, to allow users to see how their sleep quality relates to their fitness & diets.

But not everyone is convinced that Zeo can provide accurate sleep data.

Rubin agrees there are limitations to the measurements that can be done but he said the app comes close to replicating a sleep lab.

"If you have two experts in a sleep lab scoring the same record, they agree with each other about 83 percent of the time," said Rubin. "Zeo agrees with those guys about 75 percent of the time. So we're about 7/8th as accurate as a full sleep lab," he added.

The company has an in-house sleep expert on their team, as well as an advisory board made up of sleep experts from Harvard University & the University of Colorado Bolder.

coolblognews.com | Latest news update 24x7

Read more »

Posted in: Entertainment,Latest Technolgoy,Scientifically,Software,Success

What is the path of your weight loss goal?

Working out & not losing any weight. Skimping on the right amount of aerobic activity might keep you from reaching your weight-loss goals.

You go to the gym, work out, but you still aren't losing any weight. What gives? It's a frustrating scenario but not an impossible one to change. Here are three reasons why you aren't losing weight at the gym & what to do about them.

You're Not Doing Enough [Intense] Cardio Aerobic activity is the most efficient way to burn calories, so make sure you are consistent with cardio workouts. We recommend doing at least 30-45 minutes of cardio, three to four times a week. It's also important to pick the right kind of cardio workout. Studies show that faster-paced workouts help release fat-burning hormones in the body & that interval training is key to losing unwanted belly fat. Still not convinced that you should step up your gym workouts? A recent study said that a 45-minute vigorous workout gets three times the net calories burned compared to the same 45 minutes spent walking; it also increases metabolic rate for up to 14 hours post-workout. To melt away unwanted pounds, choose high-intensity workouts like intervals, running, boot camp, or spin.
You Aren't Really Committed You showed up to the gym, which is awesome. But what's not awesome is how you might be spending your time there — weight loss is as much a mental game as a physical one. Mindlessly walking on the treadmill while flicking through a copy of Us Magazine isn't the best way to go about weight loss, & neither is talking yourself out of a workout once you're there. [You can lose a calorie burn of over 50 calories from just shaving five minutes off of a workout!] Commit yourself by finding a specific goal or personal reason that inspires you to lose the weight & use that as motivation to maintain your fitness routine. Along the way, set smaller goals for yourself & celebrate in some small way when you meet them. This will help you stay focused the entire way through.
You Don't Strength Train Even though cardio is key to weight loss, a good fitness program should incorporate one to two strength training sessions per week. Strength training can reduce overall body fat by three percent in just 10 weeks since muscle burns more calories than fat. & don't forget the after-burn: after an hour-long strength training session, the average woman burns an extra 100 calories over the next 24 hours. Maximize your time by rolling cardio & strength workouts into one. Circuit training intervals & bootcamp-style workouts focus on mixing bursts of cardio with serious strength training moves, but if you don't have time for a long session, perform supersets of compound moves instead.

Read more »

Posted in: Actors,Beauty tips,Entertainment,Fashion,Lose Weight food,Medical News,Recipes,Ware Fashion,Weight loss Program,Women

Job fields are growing up for class of 2012

Now Job fields are growing up.
Jobs are looking up for the class of 2012!!

Employers surveyed by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) say they plan to hire 9.5 percent more graduates from the class of 2012 than they did from the class of 2011.

Salary offers for recent college grads also continue to inch higher. Students landing jobs from this year's class will be paid more, on average, than the class of 2010. The NACE Fall 2011 Salary Survey shows that this year's class of graduates will make, on average, about 6 percent more than last year's graduates, from just over $48,000 to just over $51,000.

Students earning engineering degrees have seen some of the highest salary offers. As a group, the average salary offered to engineering majors rose 2.8 percent from last year's average, to $60,291. The average salary offered to petroleum engineering graduates grew 7.1 percent to $82,740, making it the highest-paid major, according to the report.

If you're still in college & looking to get a leg up on the competition, another NACE survey reveals that paid interns had the most success attracting job offers in 2011. "Class of 2011 graduates who took part in a paid internship were more likely to get a job offer, have a job in hand by the time they graduated, & receive a higher starting salary offer than their peers who undertook an unpaid internship or no internship at all," according to a NACE press release. More than 61 percent of students who took part in paid internships in the for-profit sector received a job offer.

Many of the openings for the class of 2012 are for "replacement hires," new employees brought in to fill the roles of existing employees who are leaving. In the report, employers expressed the greatest interest in graduates who majored in business, engineering, & tech-related subjects.

Two companies with extensive hiring plans, mostly based on new hires & not on attrition, are accounting firm Ernst & Young & Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Ernst & Young began a hiring campaign in July, in which it plans to hire 9,000 students from throughout the Americas. Some 5,200 of those hires will come from U.S. campuses. The company plans to hire for a mix of full-time positions (3,000 graduates) & interns (2,200) in the United States alone. This year marks a the first that Ernst & Young's campus hiring level has reached its per-recession highs. "There are a wide range of opportunities that are available," says Dan Black, director of campus recruiting for the Americas at Ernst & Young. He says the company is actively recruiting at about 200 college campuses throughout the Americas.

Car rental company Enterprise is also back to hiring levels in line with it is per-recession efforts. Marie Artim, Enterprise's senior vice president of talent acquisition, says the company plans to hire about 8,500 college graduates for its management training program for the fiscal year starting in August 2011. Artim says Enterprise generally promotes from within the company, & that many company executives, including herself, started in the management training program. [That is really the one way into the company is through our management training program,] Artim says. From there, it is our pipeline to our management path & our future leadership.

Read more »

Posted in: Business,Hottest,Internet,Job,Online Job,Web

How to buy a car online [ The Money-saving ways to buy a car online ]

Working with an auto dealer's Internet department could shave $1,000 off your purchase price.

Despite all the benefits of online dating services, couples meet in person before heading down the aisle. But surveys show that growing numbers of car buyers are taking the online-only approach, avoiding the hard sell in the showroom & even skipping the test drive altogether.

There’s no question an Internet search allows the car shopper to cast a bigger net, improving the odds of landing a great deal they might not get if they’re limited to what’s at the dealership. & if you save hundreds of dollars or more, it may be worth going 100 miles to pick up your new baby.

But most buyers will be wise to take a hybrid approach, visiting a dealership or two in addition to scouring the Web. If you haven’t shopped for a car in a few years, it may be news to you that some dealerships now have an “Internet department” to help buyers find vehicles that aren’t on the lot, often at substantial savings.

An online search can certainly help you find a good used car as well as a new one, but there are just too many potential problems with older cars to risk buying sight unseen. In fact, unless there’s a terrific warranty, you should really have your own mechanic check the vehicle before signing any sales contracts. A new car is a safer bet for Internet shopping because today’s warranties cover so much & last so long.

Still, it can be pretty risky to buy a car without having driven the same year, make & model with similar options. Reviews are helpful, but it’s not likely the reviewer was exactly your height & weight, shared your concern over blind spots or the feel of the arm rest. You really have to get in the driver’s seat to know if a vehicle feels right, & it’s a good idea to have the family ride too.

The chief benefit of Internet shopping is price comparison. Start by checking your preferred model at sites such as Yahoo! Autos, & look for the typical price over dealer’s invoice. Then use their services, or the manufacturer’s own website to find vehicles within a specified distance of your home.

The test drive can obviously be done at the local dealership, but in fairness, the dealer who provides a test drive should be given a chance to match or beat any deal you find online. Going in with printouts of the cheapest deals will boost your negotiating clout & help you avoid the hard sell, though you may be pressed to accept a car on the lot that’s not exactly what you want. It will help if you’re not in a desperate hurry.

Also, as mentioned above, ask a person at the dealership for its Internet department, typically one or more sales people assigned to get a hold of vehicles that aren’t already on the lot. A dealer’s Internet department could provide an identical vehicle for $1,000 less than the same dealer’s traditional sales people.

Experts say sticking with the same Internet salesperson for the test drive & all paperwork can streamline the process & eliminate additional pressure for financing & unwanted options.

Before signing a contract, though, ask about all fees on top of the sales price, registration & tax. Don’t get stung by an unexpected “documentation fee,” for example. Some dealers charge hundreds of dollars just for filling out paperwork.

If you haven’t seen the car you are agreeing to buy, be sure to find out how many miles are on it, as some “new” cars have hundreds of miles that should reduce the price paid.

Also, be sure to ask if you will be charged for any aftermarket add-ons such as mud flaps, tinted windows or a paint-protection package. Sometimes, dealers neglect to mention these until the last minute.

Read more »

Posted in: Business,Car,Entertainment,Free Download,Internet Business

George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, Judy Garland, & Babe Ruth bunked in these homes now for sale

President Teddy Roosevelt




Location: [The Primrose] 9 Westmoreland Dr., Shelter Island, N.Y.
Price: $3,500,000

Vice President Roosevelt & President McKinley were guests in 1898.
Shelter Island is located on the east end of Long Island & is only accessible by ferry. As one of three original homes on Westmoreland Farm, the Primrose recalls the days when Vice President Roosevelt & President McKinley were guests in 1898. The pair had been visiting American troops stationed at Montauk, L.I., during the Spanish-American War when they stopped at Shelter Island & Westmoreland Farm. However, while rumors that the Primrose was built for McKinley have been debunked, he did stay at another house on Westmoreland Farm before his assassination.

Judy Garland



Location: 222 W. Main St., Georgetown, MA
Price: $515,000

Judy Garland slept here, & received private medical care.

Judy Garland’s road to stardom was sadly marked with a stay at this Georgetown home, which was formerly owned by a doctor from nearby Baldpate hospital. He was one of many doctors who treated the tragic star, who battled depression & addiction. The 1900s, 2,287-square-foot home has original hardwood floors & custom built-ins & features 5 bedrooms & 1.5 baths.

Al Capone


Location: 9065 Van Emmon Rd., Yorkville, IL
Price: $239,900

Was this Chicago mobster Al Capone's gin mill?

Located about an hour west of Chicago, on the Fox River in Yorkville, IL, this cabin was reportedly one of the mobster’s gin mills during the Prohibition. Or, so the listing says.

The first floor is built log cabin style & the second story was added later. The home looks like a perfect place to kayak, canoe, fish, set up an easel & imagine Capone’s meanderings about the property.

Babe Ruth


Location: 24 Ocean St., Marshfield, MA
Price: $859,000

The Babe rented a room at this beachside home.

The Great Bambino is another historic figure whose far-flung sleeping quarters make a splash — especially since Babe Ruth liked his seaside getaways. This premier Brant Rock waterfront home in Marshfield with stunning views of the Atlantic has a rich history. “Edgecliff’ was built for the president of Dole Pineapple Co, & in later years, Babe Ruth vacationed here, said listing agent Alice Bowker of Coldwell Banker.

Read more »

Posted in: Actors,Babe Ruth bunked,BizNews,Business,Entertainment,George Washington,Judy Garland,Sale

Famous people slept here> Live where an American icon once slept

George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, Judy Garland, & Babe Ruth bunked in these homes now for sale.
When it comes to real estate listings that tout celebrities [who slept here,] the first president of the United States will have to share that bed, er, honor, with Teddy Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Judy Garland, Ernest Hemingway & Susan B. Anthony, to name a few.

But it’s Washington who may hold the record for the number of places that claim the founding father allegedly caught some shut-eye. After all, the eastern seaboard is littered with homes, inns, taverns, lighthouses & hot springs where the well-traveled Washington was said to have slept in his quest to [present himself to the citizens of the shaky new union,] according to Smithsonian Magazine.

And, if you haven’t noticed, [George Washington Slept Here[ is the biggest real estate cliché this side of] location, location, location.]

In a casual survey of homes for sale across the United States., it turns out Washington is not the only presidential name drop. Let’s take a look at real estate listings that offer some celebrity pop.

Click here for details.

Read more »

Posted in: Babe Ruth bunked,George Washington,Hollywood,Hot Hits,Internet Business,Judy Garland,Sale,Teddy Roosevelt,Top most

Ex-beauty queen gets $2 million FBI reward

A stray cat leads a former Miss Iceland to cross paths with crime boss "Whitey" Bulger & his girlfriend.
Former Miss Iceland got $2 million reward in Bulger case. Former Miss Iceland who met Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger & his girl friend in California was paid a $2 million reward for the tip that led to Bulger's arrest in June, the Boston Globe said on Sunday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation paid the reward money to Anna Bjornsdottir, a one-time model & Miss Iceland 1974 who had gotten to know Bulger's girl friend Catherine Greig after the two women both took a shared interest in a local stray cat while the fugitive couple hid out in Santa Monica.

Bulger & Greig had assumed new identities during more than a decade on the run from federal charges, & appeared to neighbors to be a modest retired couple.

But it was Bjornsdottir, the newspaper reported, who recognized Bulger in a news report this summer while she was back in Reykjavik & called authorities.

After the tip, Bulger & Greig were arrested in June without incident at their Santa Monica apartment building in June. Property records showed they moved into a two-bedroom unit in April 1998, playing $863 a month.

Authorities have said they found about 30 firearms & $822,000 in cash hidden in the walls of their apartment.
The FBI had said in September it had paid $2.1 million to "more than one individual" for information that led to the arrests of Bulger & Greig, but had not given more detail.

The newspaper reported Bjornsdottir had collected $2 million of the $2.1 million in FBI rewards for her tip.
A spokesman for the FBI's Boston office said he could not discuss people who gave the bureau information.

Read more »

Posted in: Actors,BizNews,Entertainment,Fashion,Hollywood,Hot Hits,Hottest,Movies,Weight loss Program,Women

The Top Five(5): Most Expensive Colleges in America

1: Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y.

Pricey New York-area location & low, 9:1 student/faculty ratio make this 1,300-undergraduateliberal-arts college the nation's most expensive school.

Tuition: $45,212
Total cost: $58,334

2: University of Chicago

Brainiac Central on Lake Michigan comes with a stiff price, but places its graduates in the best professional schools in the country. The 65% of students who receive some assistance averaged $27,460 in aid.

Tuition: $42,041
Total cost: $57,590

3: The New School in New York, NY

This eclectic collection of colleges in downtown Manhattan — graduates include Donna Karan, Dr. Ruth Westheimer & Walter Matthau — vaults to the Top 10 thanks mainly to $4,000 in expenses for books, supplies & other costs like travel & meals. Average financial aid of $11,355 is low because of high number of foreign students who pay full freight.

Tuition: $37,610
Total cost: $57,199

4: Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University in St. Louis Costs have increased steadily at this Midwestern liberal-arts university in recent years. Half of 7,100 undergraduates receive some kind of aid; average amount is $23,963.

Tuition: $41,992
Total cost: $56,930

5: Columbia University in New York, NY

Manhattan campus insures this Ivy League research institution is always on the Top Ten list, despite a $7 billion endowment to help pay the bills. More than half of students get aid; average amount is $36,041.

Tuition: $45,290
Total cost: $56,681

Read more »

Posted in: Internet Business,iPhone 5,School,The Future Arrives Next Week,Top most,University

List of America's Most Expensive Colleges

Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y. has long held the dubious honor of being one of the nation's most expensive colleges. This year, it tops the list for the second year in a row, with an all-in price of $58,334 a year, or close to $240,000 for a four-year course of studies if inflation in higher ed continues on its current course.

We calculated the list of America's Most Expensive Colleges with the help of the Center for College Affordability & Productivity, a Washington non-profit that researches the causes of rising educational costs. The center, relying on data from the government's National Center for Education Statistics, includes not only tuition & room & board, but the cost of books & other costs such as transportation & mandatory computers.

It's those other costs — especially the cost of being in the big city — that help push some new entrants into the Top Ten list, including the New School & Fordham University. Both are located, like Sarah Lawrence, in the ultra-expensive New York City metropolitan area. The New School's emphasis on the arts also pushed the estimated cost of books, supplies & other expenses to $4,300, double the total at many other schools.

The biggest expense at most schools is still salaries & wages, however, & that explains Sarah Lawrence's perennial position at the top. The 2,500-student college, located on a 44-acre tract a short train ride from Manhattan, has a student-faculty ratio of only nine to one. Unlike the slightly less expensive Ivy League schools nearby, Sarah Lawrence has no vast lecture halls where 300 students listen to an underpaid teaching assistant explain medieval history. "In practically all cases, our classes are seminars with an average head count of 12 students," said Thomas Blum, vice president for administration. "We have five lecture sections this fall, & our largest lecture section may have 75 students."

The estimated cost also represents only what students from relatively affluent families pay. Most colleges operate a very efficient system of price discrimination, offering "grants" & "scholarships" to better match tuition to what parents can actually afford to pay. At Sarah Lawrence, 64% of students get some sort of grant, with the average amount $29,500. But with a relatively tiny $66 million endowment, Sarah Lawrence can't afford the pledges of larger schools like Yale & Harvard to give students from poor families a completely free ride.

Fordham, closer to New York in the Bronx, extends some sort of aid to 93% of its students; the school says even the government-calculated average "net price" of $31,383 for students with some sort of aid gives a misleading picture. The weighted average cost paid by all students is $33,280, compared with $40,000 at comparable private schools where a much smaller percentage of students receive aid.

Parents also have to consider the cost of traveling four or five times a year to a far-flung university, & necessary expenses like laptop computers or art supplies that can increase the overall college bill. Some schools in urban areas have general-purpose dining cards that students can use to rack up large charges at nearby restaurants.

Parents with children a few years away from college can add thousands of dollars to these estimated costs. Higher education expenses rose 2.3% this year, according to the Commonfund, a Wilton, Conn. non-profit that helps universities manage their funds, & studies educational inflation to help schools budget their expenses. The biggest drivers are salaries & benefits, said William Jarvis, managing director of research. While Commonfund estimates supplies & materials will rise 8.1% this year & utilities 4%, Jarvis said, "they don't account for much of the index."

"What we'd seen for the last few years was a disinflationary trend in salaries," he said. "This year that stopped."

Faculty salaries were estimated to rise 1.4% this year, he said, except in some parts of the south & southwest. Disinflation is a scary thing, he said, but the shift to inflation reported by colleges "may be a straw in the wind in terms of other things in the economy."

The average salary for a doctoral-level professor has risen from $16,425 in 1967 to $157,282 this year, Commonfund estimates. The overall cost of four-year colleges, meanwhile, has increased more than eightfold compared with a 6.7 times increase in consumer prices.

State universities can be a low-cost alternative to private schools, but only if you live in-state.

We had the Center for College Affordability pull the most expensive state schools, & they look about like the private colleges for out-of-staters. The Top Eight were campuses in the prestigious University of California system, led by Berkeley at $53,933 a year. Surfing fans will pay a couple of hundred bucks less to earn their undergraduate degree at UC-Santa Cruz, while the Ivy-Class University of Michigan costs $48,331 for out-of-staters.

Worth noting: In August Forbes completed its fourth annual survey of America's Best Colleges, which rates schools based on quality of education, student experience & professional success. Only the one school, the University of Chicago, was among the Top Ten of both lists. Two of the Top Ten best schools are almost entirely free: West Point & the Air Force Academy. Perhaps it's not too late to convince your kids to embrace military discipline.

Click Here to see details the Top 5 Most Expensive Colleges

Read more »

Posted in: School,Top most,University

Amanda Knox's photo

Read more »

Posted in: Actors,Amanda Knox,Fashion,Hollywood,Hot Hits,Hottest,Hottest Korean Actresses,Movies,Scandal,Women