Prince William, Kate Middleton to Wed

After Years of Waiting, Prince William's Engagement Announced, William 'Extremely Excited,' PM Says

By LEE FERRAN

Nov. 16, 2010

"Waity Katie" must wait no more. A mere eight years since the couple met, Britain's Prince Williamis officially engaged to Kate Middleton, royal officials said today.
"The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton," the statement from Clarence House read.

Prince William, 28, asked Middleton, also 28, to marry him while the two were on vacation in Kenya last month, the statement said. The two met nearly a decade ago while students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The relationship garnered some controversy because Middleton does not come from royalty and royals are generally expected to wed other aristocrats.

The Queen said she is "absolutely delighted" for the couple, Buckingham Palace said today.

The announcement came to the elation of Britons, many of whom viewed the engagement as a seemingly inevitable, yet unreachable moment. Within just 25 minutes of the announcement's post on the royal Facebook page, more than 1,400 people "liked" the news.

Random Evidence of a Cluttered Mind: Moss would have helped Dolphins win now

BY GREG COTE

GCOTE@MIAMIHERALD.COM

When the star of your offense is the kicker, you might have a problem. The fact Dolphin Dan Carpenter is the first NFL kicker in 13 years with consecutive five field-goal games is great for the incentive clauses in Dan's contract, but not so great otherwise.

Field goals mean you almost succeeded, but you didn't. It's like leading the league in Miss Congeniality, or being voted the second-best team in a Super Bowl.

So the Dolphins have gone red-faced in the red zone and a remedy presented itself this week when receiver Randy Moss came available on waivers, but Miami passed.

Huh? What?

Characteristically the tight-lipped Dolphins wouldn't elaborate on why, which can only lead one to believe the decision was made by Carpenter.

Apparently Moss' age, 33, didn't fit the business model of building for the future.

Bulletin: This franchise hasn't won a Super Bowl in almost 40 years. When is that future, exactly? How about getting Moss to win this week? This year?

Moss reportedly burned his already smoldering bridge in Minnesota when he profanely berated a caterer serving a post-practice meal.

Guess what?

I'd prefer my team had a petty man scoring touchdowns to a nice guy kicking field goals.

• Dolphins rookie defensive back Nolan Carroll is the son of newly elected Florida lieutenant governor Jennifer Carroll. It's probably just a coincidence that legislation has been introduced that would require every NFL team in the state to start at least one cornerback named Nolan.

• The Heat issued a ``fraud alert'' for fans to beware of counterfeit tickets after a record number turned up at early home games. Hint: If your ticket pictures an action photo of Rony Seikaly or lists the game location as the Miami Arena, it might be a fake.

• A Cleveland filmmaker, Dan Wantz, produced a video of still-angry Cavaliers fans answering in response to LeBron James' new ``What should I do?'' Nike ad. Hey, it's good those folks from Cleveland don't hold a grudge or anything!

• Remember the Cleveland teen who wore a LeBron jersey to an Indians game? The Heat invited to fly him down and honor him at a game here -- then rescinded the invitation after word got out. Probably a good idea. Let's limit our civic gloating to the basketball court.

• LeBron said he wants to play on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. I wonder if that means Clevelanders will start burning American flags, too?

• The Celtics' Kevin Garnett is under fire for likening Detroit's Charlie Villanueva to a cancer patient because of his shaved head. Two things wrong with that: First, the insensitivity. Second, umm, not sure if Garnett is aware, but he, too, wears a shaved head.

• The Marlins as expected retained interim manager Edwin Rodriguez for the 2011 season. Rodriguez was that exquisite mix of cheap and pliant, a heaven-made combination for this ownership.

• With Edgar Renteria the Giants' World Series MVP and Cody Ross perhaps their biggest postseason star, isn't it fair to say the Marlins just won the World Series?

• World Series television ratings tied for the lowest ever. I think the reason is a disproportionate number of potential viewers were Tim Lincecum fans who, after too much smoking, were too busy raiding the refrigerator to remember to turn on the TV.

• Rangers ace Cliff Lee and Yankee Derek Jeter top the list of 142 free agents. The Marlins are expected to be among the biggest spenders in free agency this year. (I'm kidding, of course. Just wanted to see how that actually looked in print).

• The Panthers entered the weekend trailing their NHL division with the second-fewest points in the conference, but coach Pete DeBoer said, ``I don't mind where we're sitting.'' Hmm, anybody else think that could be part of the problem?

• Rescued Chilean miner Edison Peña is running in Sunday's New York City Marathon. Everywhere you turn you see a rescued Chilean miner. Can the TV reality series be far behind?

• Unbeaten Zenyatta was the favorite in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic in Louisville. Jockeys Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano exchanged punches following a Friday race. One of the funnier images in sports: Brawling jockeys. At least no whips were involved.

• Tiger Woods has lost his No. 1 world ranking for the first time in five years. I blame that recent rules change that no longer gives golfers credit for mistresses accrued.

• Redskins coach Mike Shanahan benched Donovan McNabb in favor of Rex Grossman. If that isn't a reason to have Shanahan Baker-acted, I don't know what is.

• FAU retained the Shula Bowl trophy with a fifth consecutive football victory over rival FIU last week. The bad news? The NCAA denied Howard Schnellenberger's request to play FIU every week.

• FIU basketball coach Isiah Thomas continues to lobby to return to the New York Knicks front office, this week telling ESPNNewYork.com he thinks about it ``every single day of the week.'' It sure is good FIU is getting your full attention, Isiah!

• Thomas promises if he is Knicks president again he'll lure James to New York in 2014. Umm, you do know you're living and working in Miami right now, right Isiah?

• Miami Northwestern High principal Charles Hankerson fired popular football coach Billy Rolle then reinstated him the next day. Dear Charles: Next time, take a deep breath first and count slowly to 10.

• Parting thought: Davie hosted the Southeastern Circuit Championship Finals Rodeo ending Saturday. It's the only sport in which, when the athletes pull a calf muscle, the calf bleats in protest.

Cards' Penny to wed dancer Smirnoff

Sexy TV dancer Karina Smirnoff is engaged to marry her baseball star boyfriend Brad Penny.

Smirnoff showed off her huge new diamond ring at a party in Las Vegas on Saturday night and revealed her partner proposed in early October.

She tells People.com, "We kept it quiet because my family is in New York and Brad's family is in Oklahoma so we kind of wanted them to come out and celebrate and be a family first before we let the cat out of the bag."

The pair started dating in October last year, shortly after Smirnoff broke off her engagement to fellow professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

The Dancing With The Stars beauty has previously dated Mario Lopez, while Penny has been linked to Alyssa Milano and Eliza Dushku

Bob Guccione, Founder Of Penthouse, Dead at 79

Penthouse magazine founder Bob Guccione died on Wednesday after a long battle with cancer, according to the Associated Press. While the pipe-smoking, velvet-pajama-wearing Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner was the mainstream face of men's magazines in America, Guccione cultivated a more outrageous reputation, constantly pushing the envelope of good taste and seeking to outgun his lifelong rival in the skin trade with outrageous layouts and stunts.

Hefner sought to portray the suave, sophisticated man of leisure, but Guccione cut a rougher figure, wearing wide-open disco shirts and gold chains and running more explicit photo spreads and tabloid journalistic investigations in his magazine. The Brooklyn native went from nearly entering the priesthood to running a mainstream adult magazine that showed America more skin than any previous publication at the time and becoming one of the richest men in America.

Guccione was born Robert Charles Joseph Edward Sabatini Guccione on December 17, 1930 in Brooklyn. While the New York Times reported that at one point the Roman Catholic Guccione considered entering the priesthood, life had other things in store for him. After years of living in London and running a dry-cleaning business while drawing cartoons for newspapers, Guccione decided to launch a rival to Playboy at the height of the feminist movement in 1969.

With risqué images he often shot himself, the magazine became an instant hit and reportedly brought in nearly $4 billion over 30 years. At one point, his fortune estimated at $400 million, Guccione landed on the Forbesmagazine list of the wealthiest Americans. A lifelong art fanatic, Guccione spent that money on filling his 17,000-square foot Manhattan home with original artworks by Picasso, Matisse, Dali and Renoir. His empire included 15 other magazines at its height, among them titles on photography, health, bodybuilding and computers.

Penthouse reached its pop culture zenith in 1984, when it published photos of the first black Miss America, actress/singer Vanessa Williams, who was later forced to give up her crown following an outcry over the explicit shots. In addition to also running nude photos of a pre-fame Madonna, Penthousealso ran work by high-profile writers like Stephen King, Philip Roth and Joyce Carol Oates.

Guccione also poured $17 million into the X-rated epic "Caligula." The Gore Vidal-penned 1979 film was a sex-filled flick about the Roman emperor starring Sir John Gielgud, Malcolm McDowell, Peter O'Toole and Helen Mirren.

But as quickly as Guccione amassed his fortune, his empire began to crumble. He lost millions in investments, was socked with massive back tax bills from the Internal Revenue Service and saw circulation plummet for this signature magazine as free content on the Internet began to sap the allure of his company's projects.

In 1998, while battling cancer and mounting debts, he began selling some of his beloved artworks and media properties. He was finally forced to file for bankruptcy in 2003 on behalf of his company, General Media. He resigned as CEO of Penthouse International in 2003 and creditors foreclosed on his beloved Guccione mansion in 2006, forcing him to move out. The contents were sold for fire-sale prices in 2009.

Guccione was 79.

Adriana Lima dons $2M bra

Every gal loves how she looks and feels in her favorite pair of sexy underwear, but looks like Victoria Secret's latest venture is more than just slinky skivvies. The bejeweled 2010 Bombshell Fantasy Bra pushes up despite being decked out under the weight of a combined 142 carats worth of diamonds, topaz and sapphires. Priceless? Try $2 million! 

The princess has arrived! Adriana Lima, who may be poised to take over for Heidi Klum as "head angel," makes a royal arrival at the launch event. 

Rihanna Now Managed By Jay-Z's Roc Nation

By Mawuse Ziegbe

Just weeks before her fifth LP, Loud, hits shelves, Rihanna is switching up her team.

The singer announced Wednesday (October 20) that she will now be managed by mentor and former Def Jam exec Jay-Z's Roc Nation company. The chart-ruling singer spilled the beans to The Associated Press, saying in a statement she's "so excited to take this next step in my career." The "Only Girl in the World" singer joins songstress Melanie Fiona, spitter Wale and DJ/producer Mark Ronson as other faces handled by the management arm of Hov's multi-pronged firm.

Aligning herself with the super-mogul and /Forbes cover star is probably a smart move — not only for her music, but for her forays into the business world as well. Rihanna also told the AP that she is creating a company called Rihanna Entertainment that will "merge all of her businesses, including music, film, fragrance, fashion and book ventures."

Jay-Z and Rihanna's professional history goes back half a decade to the hip-hop mogul's brief tenure as president of Def Jam. The MC signed the then-17-year-old songbird to the storied rap imprint only hours after seeing her audition.

"We signed her that night — 3 in the morning was when that contract got signed," Jay told MTV News in 2005 of meeting the budding singer. "We wouldn't let her leave the office. From meeting her at 4 [p.m.] in the office till 3 in the morning, I was absolutely certain. That doesn't happen too often."

Although Rihanna's Barbados-bred swagger impressed the rap impresario, she said at the time that she was nervous to meet the hip-top titan and her soon-to-be-boss. However, the Brooklyn legend quickly made her feel at ease.

"When we first got there, I was shaking. I had never met a celebrity, and to have to audition for one and meet him at the same time ... I was hysterical," Rihanna said. "But the minute I went in the office, it was totally different. He was so welcoming; the environment was so warm and friendly. The jitters just went away immediately."

Lindsay Lohan Attempts To Escape Rehab To Get Coke By Jumping Fence!

Seems that Lindsay Lohan may need more than rehab if she continues at the rate that she’s going. The actress and singer had a coke craving and was willing to do anything to get it.

Coke craving? Yes, the soda pop. Unfortunately the plan that her and a companion cooked up didn’t turn out as they planned. According to Splash, the two tried to sneak over the fence at the rehabilitation center to get to the vending machine at Eisenhower Medical Center.

It seems that Lindsay Lohan’s buddy snagged her clothing on a fence which trapped her and made her surrender to a Betty Ford volunteer who luckily passed by in a golf cart at the right time.

Lindsay Lohan was driven back to the caffeine free center where they interrupted a meeting that was organized to discuss the two caffeine junkies actions.

Lindsay Lohan has been at Betty Ford Clinic since September 27 for violating probation and a failed drug test and she has a few more days and will have to see the Judge again on October 22.

We’re sure the judge isn’t going to like to hear the report that Lindsay Lohan attempted to leave the facility and went as far as to attempt jumping over the fence to satisfy her cravings despite almost messing up the entire rehabilitation treatment.