Mega Million Jackpot Swells To $ 640 Million

Lines of lottery tickets that inflated the Mega Millions jackpot record has risen to 640 million, thanks largely to players who have opened their wallets despite long odds of success. Officials estimated ticket buyers spent more than $ 1.46 billion for the jackpot when the numbers are drawn on Friday night.

A coffee worker in Arizona reported selling $ 2,600 tickets to a single buyer, while a retired soldier in Wisconsin has doubled its regular weekly ticket costs $ 55. But everyone would have to deposit millions more win to secure what could be the largest single payout of lottery in the world.

"I feel like a madman throwing that kind of money away," said Jesse Carter, who spent $ 55 and donated the last two tickets purchased in a store in Milwaukee on Friday in a charity. "But it's a chance you take in life, with everything you do."

The jackpot, if taken as a sum of $ 462 million lump sum and after federal tax withholding, working at about $ 347 million. With the chances of a jackpot by 176 million it would cost $ 176 million to redeem all the combinations. In this scenario, the strategy would gain $ 171 million less if your state does not want all taxes.

Laura Horsley, who is communications and marketing for a professional association, bought $ 20 million Quick Pick ticket at a downtown Washington, DC, Liquor Store Friday. But Horsley, who said she will not buy a lottery ticket unless the top jackpot of $ 100 million, remained realistic.

"I really do not think I will win, and I do not believe in superstitions or numbers or something like that," she said. "I just figured it was just around the corner. I'd be crazy not to at least give it a shot."

Thousands of players - who have converged on convenience stores in 42 states and Washington, DC, where Mega Millions tickets are sold - okay.

Kelly Cripe, a spokesman for the Texas Lottery Commission, said Tuesday, national sales for Mega Millions drawing totaled over $ 839 million. Officials have projected an additional $ 618.5 million in sales ahead of Friday's drawing, however, a number expected to total turnover of over $ 1.46 billion.

"This is unprecedented," Cripe said Friday via e-mail.

Indiana some players managed to get freebies, as a Hoosier Lottery officials gave away a free ticket to each of the Mega Millions 540 first players to several outlets across the state Friday - a plan announced before the jackpot increased by $ 100 million.

In Indianapolis, college student Chris Stewart said he showed at the lottery headquarters at 6.30am to be first in line.

"I've never seen a jackpot like this before," said Stewart, who bought five extra tickets. "If I won - I mean wow, I do not know what I would do, I would really think I could do with it!"..

The lines were at the door at Rosie Coffee Den in north-western Arizona in the rural community of White Hills, 72 miles southeast of Las Vegas and one of the closest points in Nevada - which offer no Mega Millions - for buyers to get in the game.

Rosie Christine Millim worker said there had been non-stop for four days.

"In one step, I sold $ 2,600 worth, therefore, was a person," she said.

Mike Catalano, chairman of the mathematics department at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, SD, concedes the calculation is clear: more tickets you buy, the better chances you have of winning. Better long-shot chance, of course.

"You are about 50 times more likely to be struck by lightning than winning the lottery, based on 90 people a year are struck by lightning," said Catalano. "Of course, if you buy 50 tickets, you have leveled your chances of winning the jackpot with being struck by lightning."

Based on the average of other U.S., you are about 8000 times more likely to be murdered than winning the lottery, and about 20,000 times more likely to die in a car accident than hitting the lucky numbers, Catalano said.

David Kramer, a lawyer in Lincoln, Nebraska, by buying his Mega Millions ticket was not on "a realistic opportunity to win."

"It's the fact that for three days, time to dream what I would do if I won is great entertainment and, frankly, a statement of great after a normal day," he said.

Eahmer Everett, 80, of St. Paul, Minn., said he has been playing the lottery "from the beginning."

"If I win, the first thing I will do is buy a (Tim) Tebow football shirt, and I will be facing Tebow," said Eahmer, who bought five tickets Thursday. "I am with him in accordance with a higher power. "

Lottery officials are happy to have made Mega Millions jackpot Friday feeds ticket sales, but even they warn against excessive spending.

"When people ask me, I tell them that the chances of a lottery game make a game of destiny," said Chuck Strutt, executive director of the Association Multi-State Lottery Urbandale, Iowa-based company, which oversees the Mega Millions, Powerball and other lotteries. "Just buy a ticket, sit down and see if fate points a finger at you for that day."

Read more »

G8 summit At Camp David Power

The White House abruptly announced he had scuttled plans to hold the G8 economic future in Chicago and would rather host world leaders at the presidential retreat Camp David in Maryland mountains north of Washington.

It was an exceptionally late change in location for a large international summit and very scripted and came with little explanation from the White House.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff that the former has personally lobbied President Barack Obama to hold the summit in Chicago, was informed of the change on Monday.

White House national security spokesman Tommy Vietor said simply Camp David, the rustic mountain retreat at an altitude of 1,840 feet and 62 miles from Washington, was a framework that would allow for more intimate discussions between leaders G8.

He said that security and the possibility of demonstrations were not factors in the decision, noting that Mr. Obama would still host the NATO summit in his hometown of Chicago on 20-21 May

The White House said the G8 summit will be held from May 18-19.

The White House announced last summer plans to hold two summits back-to-back in Chicago, giving the president an opportunity to tout his major foreign policy and diplomatic credentials on home soil in an election year.

The idea of ​​moving the G8 summit in Camp David was raised to the President a few weeks ago, a senior official said, adding that the president was intrigued by the novelty of the idea and asked staff if they could withdraw change.

Adding to the curious nature of the announcement from the White House was that Mr. Obama rarely passes the time of his presidential retreat. Unlike many of his predecessors, Obama has never hosted a world leader at Camp David.

The announcement seemed to take many by surprise Chicago. A spokeswoman for Mr. Emanuel said the mayor of Chicago was informed of the change in the location in a telephone call Monday from an official of the White House.

Sources: Google

Read more »

San - Francisco Earthquake Of Literal And Figurative Wake Up Call

Here's one way I do not want to be woken up, never: Two earthquakes shook the Bay Area of ​​Northern California residents to sleep on Monday utrom.3 5 earthquake rattled at 5:33 am and followed eight seconds later, tremor of 4.0. Up to now, fortunately had not been any reports of significant damage or injuries, but, perhaps more happily, no one has yet accepted the earthquake in San Francisco as the ability to send pictures around the white plastic lawn chair in his party.

Hayward Fault was overdoing for a major earthquake, and although it is not known how female San Andreas, this is another track as it passes through such human oblasti.Grohochet felt during the 60-mile radius that reached from Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa.

The U.S. Geological Survey said in 2003 that the Hayward fault was a 27 percent chance of an earthquake with a magnitude above 6.7 in the Bay area in the next 30 years. No other wine had a higher percentage of errors and makes the Hayward one of the most dangerous in the area.

I believe many Californians thank their lucky stars that an earthquake today was not so destructive as it might have been. Perhaps, cocktails, inspired people to earthquake preparedness more seriously as wine wakes up and stretches his legs.

Because if USGS is correct, it was just a little mini-wake-up call, literally and figuratively. In general, there is a 62 percent chance of the San Francisco area will receive a major earthquake by 2032, regardless of whose "fault" it is.

Sources: The Stir

Read more »