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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jan 4, 2012
January 4, 2012
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Posturing, Posing and Press Releases:
And now, some Iowa caucus factoids you didn't know about!
--What's MITT ROMNEY's real first name? (No Googling!) If you didn't guess "Willard," you're in the same boat as 94 percent of America that somehow still doesn't know all that much about a guy who's been for president for the five years. According a "60 Minutes"/Vanity Fair poll:
--Only 6 percent correctly said "Willard"
--20 percent of us thought that "Mitt" was his real name and not a glove-like nickname.
--18 percent said "Mitchell"
--8 percent, Milton
--And 2 percent real-life adult voting Americans believe that his name is "Mittens," as in what you'd name your cat
--Another 2 percent thought his name was "Gromit," which is almost equally as ridiculous sounding (and also, coincidentally, the name of a dog).Equal time:
The push to get Secretary of State HILLARY CLINTON to be PRESIDENT OBAMA's running mate this November is not slowing. In a Washington Post editorial, pundit SUZI PARKER says, "And even as her most adamant supporters long for a never-gonna-happen run against Obama, they’d happily support an Obama-Clinton ticket --and argue that she’d energize a sagging, depressed Democratic base-- women, environmentalists and unions. (Pacelli)
Guilty pleasures:
Ch-ch-changes in the works for the Powerball lottery. Basically, ticket prices are doubling as of Jan 15, and that means bigger prizes more often. Also, the number of red Powerball numbers is being reduced by four. That changes the odds of winning from 1 in 35 now to about 1 in 32.
It also changes the odds of winning a jackpot slightly-- from 1 in 195.2 million to 1 in 175.2 million.
Another change is after somebody wins a jackpot, the base amount will be upped to $40 million.
And, players who match the five white balls, but not the Powerball, will now win $1 million instead of $200,000.Trash talk and satellite dish:
Looks like NADYA "Octomom" SULEMAN isn't destined to be a major Hollywood star. Sources tell TMZ.com the media darling is very flaky and manager GINA RODRIGUEZ dropped her as a client. The handler revealed she's simply "unmanageable," refused to reply to anything work-related and seems irritated they made her 70-thousand-dollars, but Nadya claims to be flat broke. Ms. Rodriguez wanted no part of it and says the team feels sorry for the children. (Lee)
Celebs and the animals they are afraid of from Us Weekly magazine:
--MATT DAMON hated the snakes while filming "We Bought A Zoo"
--TYRA BANKS is terrified of dolphins
--NICOLE KIDMAN is petrified of butterflies
--JAKE GYLLENHAAL says he's "terrified" of ostriches (Myers)TIM GUNN is about to become every plus-sized woman’s new best friend. The beloved mentor from “Project Runway” told Marie Claire magazine he’s seriously considering designing his own plus-sized line because “I want to be a part of the solution.”
Tim says very few designers want to even try to make clothes for plus-sized women. “Most [designers] say ‘I don’t want a woman who’s a size 10 or 11 wearing my clothes.’ Well, shame on you! It’s not realistic. We need to address real women with real needs... We’ve got to reconceive clothes for all sizes.”
Tim’s sympathies for larger ladies’ fashion challenges stems out of his newest T-V gig, as one of the co-hosts of the new daytime show, “The Revolution.” It debuts January 16th, and each week follows one woman’s five-month weight-loss program over the course of a five-day week. Tim’s also a “style consultant” for Weight Watchers. (Bartha) -
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