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Although he is featured on Weezys Its Good — the leaked Carter IV track that finds Lil Tunechi throwing a subliminal shot in Hovs direction — Drizzy downplayed any involvement.

I just got a beat and did a verse over it, Drake told MTV News from the red carpet for the BMI Urban Awards in LA on Friday before he accepted the award for Songwriter of the Year. Whatever any other individual has to say, you have to ask the man himself. I just did what I know how to do. I just got on a record. I heard the beat, did a verse and heard the final product.

On the song, VMA nominee Wayne raps, Talkin bout Baby money? I got your Baby money/ Kidnap yo bitch, get that how-much-you-love-your-lady money. To the casual listener, the line doesnt sound like much, but fanatics can connect the lyric directly to Jay-Zs jab on the Thrones HAM.

It all started in 2009 when Cash Money CEO Bryan Baby Williams objected to Jay-Z topping MTV News Hottest MCs list for that year. I dont think he the number one MC, in no kinda way, Baby said, casting the first stone. Wayne is the best, he do the most and he make the most money. I dont think no n—a in the business make more money than us.

It took a few years, but Hov returned fire at the top of this year when he and Kanye leaked their first Watch the Throne track, claiming not only that Birdman and Wayne werent seeing Jay-Z-caliber bucks, but that financially, they couldnt even compare to his wife, Beyonc. Im like, Really, half-a-billi? N—a, really, you got Baby money/ Keep it real with n—as, n—as aint got my lady money, Jay lyrically retorted.

Wayne hinted at retaliation when he sat down with MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway in March. Me and my wit, given my wit, I would probably play off of it, Wayne explained. But I wouldnt make it a competition, because actually, the subject that hes talking about in that line, I cant box with the God. Id be the first one to tell you that, given my wit, and the type of person that I am, Id capitalize and Id play off of it. Yeah, I definitely would.

And he definitely did. But when it comes to Weezys response, in which he playfully threatened to kidnap Hovs lady and hold her for ransom, Drake didnt feel comfortable speaking for his YM mentor.

At the end of the day, rap is an individual art, he said. You express yourself and whatever you wanna say, you say it, so I guess thats a question for Wayne more than me.

In an August 25 interview with Vibe magazine, Wayne cryptically responded to a question about potential fallout form his track. I know there wont be any repercussions behind what I did, Weezy boldly said. I know for a fact music is about perception. You cant do anything but perceive what you hear. I know that for a fact. So I cant ever be upset about someones reaction.

No word on whether Wayne will perform Its Good when he touches the VMA main stage on Sunday, but whatever happens, the YMCMB camp is promising a rock-star performance.

What do you think of Lil Wayne and Jay-Zs lyrical beef? Will Hov respond? Tell us in the comments.

The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live Sunday, August 28, from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles at 9 pm ET/PT, following the Selena Gomez-hosted pre-show at 8. See the list of nominees, revisit last years highlights and vote for Best New Artist by visiting VMA.MTV.com.

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PRESIDENT of the African National Olympic Committee Games (ANOCA), Lassana Pallenfo has ruled out the possibility of an African country hosting the Olympic Games for now.

According to him, no country in Africa can muster the finances needed for such hosting, saying an attempt made by Cape Town to bid for the game was unsuccessful because no single town in the whole of Africa can provide all it takes to host a single Olympic Games.

He said that even hosting the All Africa Games which is tailored along  the Olympics Games, is very difficult for African countries, which had forced the organisers of the games to always postpone it on several occasions.  It took the timely intervention of all, for the forthcoming AAG to be hosted in Maputo,” he explained.

Nairobi was supposed to host it asked for an extension of four more years. When the present host took over two years ago, we had to rest over eight sports to enable them meet up.

But the bitter thing is that these sports are Olympic Sports, and we are working out modalities to make sure African countries will not lag behind in the Olympics in these sports. He appealed for adequate coverage of African traditional sports to enable it gain the accepted recognition in Olympics.

He said that $65,000 will be given to all National Olympic Committees to enable them prepare adequately for the London game.

He said that it is the dream of ANOCA to see that African countries excel in the London 2012 Olympic Games, saying that a high performance training centre and Institute would soon be established in Abuja adding  that in the nearest future, that the Association would replicate the low cost training centre established in Lusaka, Zambia in all the African countries to ensure that more athletes are discovered from the grassroots.

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Like their counterparts in other sports, whenever pro soccer players get some free time, they partake in a wide variety of leisure activities. Some like to play video games while others hit the links. However, for second-year FC Dallas defender Zach Loyd, his time away from soccer is spent doing something a bit different.

Loyd is an Oklahoma native and an avid outdoorsman. He enjoys fishing in his spare time and during the off-season, also goes hunting back in the Sooner State. So, it shouldnt surprise many that his newest hobby away from the pitch is archery.

He recently purchased a bow from a local sporting goods store and practices whenever he can.

I sighted it up myself. I go online and read some forums and chat rooms trying to get an idea of how its done. So far its gone great, Loyd said. Its nice working on your bow and actually being able to know what to do if somethings going wrong. Its a good experience and hopefully as life goes on, I can teach some other people that are interested [in learning how to shoot a bow].

Since the backyard of his current residence in DFW is about a half-acre, he has plenty of room to shoot whenever he feels so inclined.

I have a bale of hay and then I have little targets set up, Loyd said. We go out there. When the sun starts setting, we go out there, turn on some music, hang out and shoot.

While he only recently bought his own bow, his interest in archery dates back for some time.

I actually started in high school. One of my friends dads had a bunch of fake deer and stuff out back. We would just go back out there and have competitions like PIG with basketball. Wed shoot and play PIG. That kind of got me started, Loyd said.

However, once he headed to North Carolina, his hobby had to take a back seat to his studies and his responsibilities with the Tar Heel soccer team.

So, why does he do it? Well, its pretty simple.

Its really relaxing. Its like fishing. I can go out back or I can go to a range, kind of relax, shoot and take my mind off soccer or anything thats causing stress or anxiety, Loyd said. Its kind of peaceful to just be able to be out there with your friends and do something outside of soccer.

Last year, FCD didnt have much of an off-season after playing in MLS Cup for the first time in franchise history. This Dallas right back is hoping their season doesnt end again until late November, this time on a winning note. No matter when it does conclude, he knows he will want to take his bow out and do some hunting.

Ive already been talking to a lot of people. Actually some guys on the team might want to go on a trip after the season, so that would be cool. I have a lot of friends and family back home that have land, so Ive already been talking to them about going out on their land, Loyd said. Theyre more than willing to take me out and have a go at it. Im excited and looking forward to that.

And he already has a pretty good idea about what sorts of game he will pursue once the season is over.

I definitely want to hunt deer. If I can get back [home to Oklahoma], Id like to do some rabbit hunting. If I have enough time, Im going to go to Colorado and try to get an elk or something, Loyd said.

Hes currently the only member of the FCD roster who shoots a bow in his down time, but he hopes that changes in the future, especially since several of his teammates have asked him about his interest in archery.

Yeah, theyre kind of curious but right now, the seasons so busy, Loyd said. I think once the season calms down and it starts getting a little cooler, some of the guys will come over and shoot the bow a little bit.

Every professional contract has certain activities that are strictly prohibited no matter whether its during the season or the off-season. Skydiving, bungee jumping and even pick-up basketball are among those activities that are prohibited by most teams.

However, Loyd is thankful that archery isnt among those activities listed in the fine print of his MLS contract.

No, there are a few things you cant do. Ive looked at the contract and theres nothing in it about archery, fishing or anything of that nature. If it ever becomes a problem, I think the coaches will let me know because they already know I fish and hunt, he said.

Even though FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman and the rest of the coaching staff are well aware of his archery away from soccer, they havent asked him much about it.

They dont say much. They like guys to have things to get their minds off things. Theyre more than happy when guys have hobbies to get their minds off soccer, relax and spend that time with friends and family, Loyd said.

Ed note: Nice feature on Loyd in the Tulsa World today.

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Viking Range Corporation won?t return as the title sponsor of Mississippi?s PGA Tour tournament, and the state?s premiere professional event has a ?small window? to find a new backer, tournament director Randy Watkins said today.

The tournament, held at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, is in jeopardy of losing its spot on the 2012 PGA Tour calendar if Watkins can?t find a title sponsor or a consortium of sponsors by late September.

?It?s possible,? Watkins said this afternoon when asked if the event could be discontinued. ?Anything?s possible.?

Viking decided last week not to sign onto a new deal, Watkins said. Viking, which manufactures high-end kitchen appliances, has been hit hard by the recession, laying off more than 300 workers since 2008.

The Greenwood-based company has been the title sponsor for the last five years and four tournaments ? the 2009 event was canceled because of rain.

A title sponsor must pledge a minimum of just less than $1 million per year, Watkins said, to sponsor Mississippi?s 44-year-old lower-level tour event, a tournament that?s been played opposite the British Open or in the fall and has one of the smallest purses on tour.

If a new title sponsor is found, it will be the tournament?s fourth different one in 25 years.

Watkins won?t need a title sponsor if he can pool together about eight sponsors to form a consortium. If that?s done, the tournament?s new name wouldn?t include a sponsor.

Watkins has spoken to about five companies interested in being sponsors in someway. He wouldn?t reveal names.

Watkins has an agreement with the PGA Tour to play in July, opposite the Britsh Open, for the next three years, all contingent upon a sponsor or sponsors being found.

The purse for next year?s event will rise $100,000 to $3.7 million. Some of that is subsidized by the PGA Tour.

Chris Kirk, a rookie from Georgia, won this year?s Viking Classic by a shot on July 17, taking home the $648,000 first-place prize.

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There will be some pain depending on how hard the NCAA wants to come down on the Canes.

Miami was last on probation in 1998 for major violations involving more than $600,000 of improper money going to athletes. It got probation and a reduction in financial aid and was back in business in no time, winning a national title three years later.

Being put on probation is like a slap on the wrist, though a postseason ban can hurt a program for awhile. But the NCAA doesn#x92;t like to level that penalty because of the collateral damage it can bring to a conference and future television contracts.

Since the first BCS title game in 1999, 10 of the 36 teams that participated in the game were on probation at least five years prior to the game and one within six years. Five of the those BCS title game winners were on probation within five years of the game and two within at least three years.

Circumventing NCAA rules has become an art form. Here a few programs that have mastered the endeavor.

n ALABAMA (2009 national champion): NCAA probation 2002-06 and #x92;09-12.

Crimes: Labeled a #x93;repeat violator#x94; by the NCAA (which is like telling your 2-year-old he is being bad); charged with athletes giving books received on scholarship to others. Four highest amounts of impermissible #x93;book#x94; benefits obtained by football players. The first probation was in part for paying $20,000 to a recruit. Alabama was on probation when it won the #x92;09 title; banned from bowls in #x92;02 and #x92;03, but rebounded in #x92;08 with 12-2 record. Could win second title while being on probation this season. Is this why Nick Saban never smiles?

n OKLAHOMA (BCS runner-up 2003, #x92;04, #x92;08; 2011 AP preseason No. 1): Probation in #x92;05-#x92;06 and #x92;08-#x92;09 (hit with financial aid reduction).

Crimes: The hidden job trick, aka payments to football players for jobs not performed. The school was already serving probation from #x92;05-#x92;06, when last violation was cited and given two additional years of probation through May 2010.

n OHIO ST. (BCS runner-up in #x92;06/#x92;07): Probation #x92;06-#x92;08.

Crimes: Extra benefits to football players by representatives of the university#x92;s athletics#x92; interests. It recently self-imposed punishments for players accepting improper benefits, waiting for NCAA ruling.

n MIAMI (BCS 2001 national champion): Probation #x92;95-#x92;98.

Crimes: Pell Grant fraud involving more than $212,000. Cash awards were given to football players for game performances that included bounties of between $20 to $200; excessive financial aid to athletes of more than $412,000 from 1991 through #x92;94. Penalty: three-year probation, reduction of financial aid.

n FLORIDA ST. (1999 BCS national champion): Probation 1992–94; 1996.

Crimes: Athletes involved with sports agents with some receiving benefits. The #x92;96 report followed similar allegations in #x92;92 though #x92;94, when sports agents were seen in dormitories.

n USC (BCS 2004 national champion): BCS title vacated. On probation 2004-#x92;05; #x92;10-#x92;13.

Crimes: Lack of institutional control involving myriad violations (see Reggie Bush); in 2001, academic fraud. Two-year bowl ban ends after #x92;11 season. Doesn#x92;t seem to have lost much.

Since 1953, Auburn, Oklahoma, Alabama and USC are among the 10 most penalized FBS programs in the country behind all-time leader SMU. The SEC, which has won five straight BCS titles, is the most penalized conference. Its schools have been placed on probation 27 times for a total of 61 seasons.

On an interesting note: ESPN aired a so-called blue ribbon panel to discuss college football and integrity issues. Two of the panelists were head coaches Nick Saban of Alabama and Bob Stoops of Oklahoma, whose programs are among the most penalized in the country.

Maybe we could bring John Dillinger back to life and have him talk about keeping banks safe.

Alan Dell, Herald sports writer, can be reached at 745-2112.

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PARKERSBURG – One mans trash …

Several years ago a couple moving into a north Parkersburg home discovered a discarded painting in the basement. Both the picture – a portrait of a woman – and its frame had been damage from water, abuse and neglect.

The paintings new owners knew what they had found; a rare self-portrait of local artist Lilly Irene Jackson. They pulled it from the basement and put on display in their home for many years. Recently, the painting was purchased by the Blennerhassett Museum where it will eventually be restored and displayed.

Its one of our treasures; the only known portrait of her, said Ray Swick, historian of the Blennerhassett Island Museum.

Swick said the journey of the Jackson portrait is not all that uncommon. He thinks many of the works by many of the areas local artist have been banished to attics, basements and trash bins -possibly lost forever.

Jackson, the daughter of Judge John Jay Jackson Jr., was one of the most famous woman to have lived in Parkersburg, according to Swick.

And she was an accomplished artist.

The museum has a number of Jacksons painting, many of dogs (one of her favorite subjects). And now it has a rare – perhaps the only – self-portrait. The purchase would never of been possible if the paintings previous owners hadnt realized its value and plucked it from the bowels of the house.

It was leaning against the wall with the rubbish, Swick said. It was not cared for.

According to Swick, Jackson, who died in 1928, willed most of her paintings to the city of Parkersburg -provided it create a gallery to display them.

Need I tell you what happened, Swick asked.

Instead of being housed in a museum, Jacksons paintings were bequeathed a friend and eventually trickled out. Swick said for years Jacksons painting could be found at garage, yard and estate sales and purchased for next to nothing.

Now the opposite is true, he said. Her works are sought after.

The museum purchased Jacksons self-portrait for $2,500, thanks to funding from the Wood County Commission.

Jackson is one of several area artists whose works can be rediscovered at local sales.

George Storm, Katherine Burnside, Marjorie Caldwell, Dorothy Decker, Lois Cochran Rogers, Lizzie Forbes and Joseph Dodd are all among the late, great area painters. Nationally famous artists John James Audubon and Rembrandt Peale, among others, all painted in the area.

Storm, was probably the areas most successful commercial artist, according to Swick. Storm, who painted in the mid-to-late 1800s once sold a painting for $10,000. His portrait of America Jackson Small, an aunt of Lilly Jackson, is on display at the museum.

Jackson was described as a Sunday Painter, but Swick said that fails to give proper credit for her talent. The term referred to spinsters from well-to-do families trying to find ways to fill their days with hobbies, in Jacksons case painting.

L. Montelle Smith,w ho died in 1973, was another locally famous portrait painter.

Smith, who lived in Vienna, painted hundreds of portraits, historical and religious as well as family members. The museum has a number of Smiths portraits and paintings.

Rogers, who died in 1958, specialized in murals, producing art for St. Josephs Hospital and the Blennerhassett and Chancellor Hotel. The museum has a large Rogers painting depicting a her and a group of friends meeting at the Tap Room in the Chancellor Hotel.

Decker was another prolific portrait artists. Decker, who died in 2005 at age 88, was a locally renowned as both an artist and teacher. Her portraits of many of West Virginias governors are in the Statehouse in Charleston and her miniatures of US presidents from Eisenhower through George Bush are in the Butler Institute of Art. In 2009, the Parkersburg Art Center had a show for her work.

Dodd was a gifted black artist, who was Yale educated and died in 1945, after serving in World War II. Dodd preferred portraits, still life, religion and the inspiration of nergo spirituals for his subjects. Some of his work can be found at West Virginia University Library Art Collection. The museum has a print Dodd did circa 1938.

Swick imagines many of the artists work has been lost. He said there are often cases of owners who threw the paintings away. But others he said are valued and remain in the hands of owners who appreciate and value the work.

The museum, the Parkersburg Arts Center and the areas universities and colleges all have works of art. Swick said there are many more to be found at local antique shops and estate sales.

We have lost a lot of local art, he said. Cases of owners who threw away paintings.

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LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Laurus Corporation (“Laurus”) is pleased to announce that it successfully completed the acquisition of the Intercontinental Center Office Building in Houston, Texas.

The building, an institutional quality, nine-story office building sits on a 5.14 acre site and contains approximately 198,090 square feet of net rentable area. Strategically located on John F. Kennedy Boulevard on the North side of Houston, it is just seconds away from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, one of the Nation’s busiest hubs. The property is located one block North of State Highway Beltway-8 (Sam Houston Toll Road) which provides direct access to Highway 59 (2 miles away), The Hardy Toll Road (3 miles away), and Interstate 45 (5 miles away). Nearly all areas of Houston are immediately accessible via one of these major arteries; one of the key reasons Class A buildings in the area maintain approximately 95% occupancy levels.

The Houston economic marketplace continues to be one of the nation’s most resilient in these challenging times. Houston has seen positive job growth over the past consecutive eight months, and Bloomberg has recently named Houston as its best city for college graduates while Moody’s predicts Houston will trail only New York City among major U.S. cities in both population and employment growth to 2013.

The new owners intend to implement a program to further upgrade the building, while exploring additional development opportunities to maximize the site, aiming at providing an overall enhanced atmosphere for tenants and visitors.

15600 JFK Houston Partners, LLC was formed as an investment vehicle to acquire the property. The partners behind the entity have over 40 years of real estate experience which is further supported by an exceptional history as an active principal in banking.

Laurus Corporation is a boutique style domestic and international real estate development company that specializes in office buildings, hotels and resorts, master plan communities, mixed-use properties and multifamily. The Company coordinates activities converting ideas from paper into real property; it creates, manages, develops, and orchestrates key partnerships, achieving exceptional returns for its investors.

SOURCE Laurus Corporation

Copyright (C) 2011 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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MONESSEN, Pa., Aug 26, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
FedFirst Financial Corporation (nasdaq capital:FFCO)(nasdaq capital:the “Company”),
the parent company of First Federal Savings Bank (the “Bank”), today
announced that the Boards of Directors of the Company and the Bank have
appointed Jamie L. Prah to the position of Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer, effective September 30, 2011. Mr. Prah is
replacing Robert C. Barry, Jr., who announced on June 29, 2011 that he
is retiring effective September 30, 2011.

Mr. Prah has served as Vice President of the Company and Vice
President–Controller and Treasurer of the Bank since February 2005. In
2010, Mr. Prah was also appointed Assistant Corporate Secretary of the
Company. Mr. Prah received his Bachelors degree in Accounting with a
minor in Finance from Saint Vincent College. Mr. Prah is a Director of
Mon Vale Health Resources, Inc. and a member of the Pennsylvania
Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Patrick G. O’Brien, President and Chief Executive Officer of the
Company, stated, “We are delighted to have Jamie Prah assume the
position of Chief Financial Officer. Jamie’s strong banking and
accounting experience and leadership skills are consistent with our
vision for the future, and we expect that his enthusiasm and extensive
knowledge of First Federal’s business will be an asset to the Company,
the Bank and our community.”

FedFirst Financial Corporation is the parent company of First Federal
Savings Bank, a community-oriented financial institution operating nine
full-service branch locations in southwestern Pennsylvania. First
Federal offers a broad array of retail and commercial lending and
deposit services and provides commercial and personal insurance services
through Exchange Underwriters, Inc., its 80% owned subsidiary.

SOURCE: FedFirst Financial Corporation

FedFirst Financial Corporation
Patrick G. O’Brien, 724-684-6800

Copyright Business Wire 2011

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SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — As Texans gear up to save this tax-free weekend, Walmart introduces its first-ever Midnight Savings Event to get the tax-free weekend started off right. The Midnight Savings Event will offer special product and pricing only in Texas so shoppers can save even more on select electronics and essentials.

The three-hour Midnight Savings Event will take place in every Walmart store in Texas from midnight to 3 am on Friday, August 19. Everyone can take advantage of the special pricing on brand name electronics, apparel and everyday basics.

The Midnight Savings Event is a unique opportunity for all Texas shoppers to take advantage of extra savings, said David Norman, senior vice president, Texas Division, Walmart US Whether you have a student heading back to class and in need of school essentials or youre in the market for a great brand name laptop at a special low price, you wont find better prices than at Walmart.

Walmart is a one-stop for Texas tax-free shopping, offering low prices on a broadened assortment of everyday supplies, sporty backpacks, and the latest electronics. To help Texas customers save even more, the Midnight Savings Event starts the sales tax holiday with savings on popular electronics that are not included on the states tax-free list, plus special pricing on several items that are, including:

Midnight to 3 am only, while supplies last:

• Compaq Presario AMD Dual-Core Processor Laptop Was $298, Now $248 (#CQ57-229WM)
• Acer Netbook Was $228, Now $178 (#AOD257-13404)
• 1 Black Economy Binder 50 cents
• Dixon No. 2 Pencils, 24 Count Box 25 cents
• Crayola Crayons, 24 Count Box 25 cents

Savings throughout the weekend, while supplies last:

• HP Wireless Printer $49 (#CH377A#1H5)
• Texas Instruments 84 Plus SE Graphics Calculator $95
• 70-Sheet, 1-Subject Notebook 20 cents
• Select Clothing for the whole family starting at $3

The Midnight Savings Event is only in-stores and while supplies last, and excludes Neighborhood Markets. Walmarts every day low prices are backed by an ad match policy. With ad match, Walmart will match any local competitors advertised price for the same product right at the register.#160;For more information on Walmarts back-to-school offerings, visit www.walmart.com/school.

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 9,000 retail units under 60 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com, on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Walmart, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Second Saturdays Evening of Art Returns this Weekend

Galleries across Highland Park, including the Outpost for Contemporary Art, will be featuring new exhibits on Saturday evening.

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