Sarah Palinâs âLearningâ Tour: A Revolutionary Road Trip?
Coach OutletAt the annual Rolling Thunder event in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, Sarah Palin will kick off a
week-long tour of U.S. historical sites. She will be accompanied by her husband Todd and daughter Piper. The tour will originate in Washington, D.C., and
will proceed north up the east coast, reads a statement from her PAC. More information will follow. Palin has no scheduled speeches or rallies, though there may be some events shes already been invited to along the way that she will participate in,
according to Tim Crawford, her PAC treasurer. Luxury Coach OutletIts a learning tour, Crawford says,
a tour of getting back to places that were key to the founding of this nation. There are a number of places from revolutionary war on that are significant
to our nations history in the northeast.
The tour, combined with a forthcoming independently produced film about her tenure as Alaskas governor, is sure to drum up speculation that Palin is
planning to run for President, something that would radically shakeup the current field of Republican contenders. She has always said that she would be an
unconventional candidate and the newly announced tour is certainly unconventional.hermes birkin One can
only imagine the mob scene when the bus, emblazoned with Join the Fundamental Restoration of America, pulls up to Gettysburg with hundreds of reporters
in tow.
Crawford would not confirm any of stops aside from Rolling Thunder. But north of Washington, there are some very obvious sites of historical significance. A
few possibilities: Antietam in Maryland, Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, the site where Washington crossed the Delaware River, the Liberty Bell and Constitution
Hall in Philadelphia, the Boston Tea Party and perhaps most important politically Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where Paul Revere delivered his warning of
the coming British invasion. Nike outlet Well soon know whether Palins trip is also an indication of major
DVDs in the 'Disney Vault': B.S. Manipulative Marketing at its Best (Worst?)
Coach OutletEvery now and again, Disney pulls movies out of the marketplace and places them out of consumer reach in the vaunted "Disney Vault." On the surface, this makes no sense: Why would a company, which obviously makes money by selling products, make it impossible for customers to buy the products? But what this piece of marketing engineering really does is cook up instant consumer demand, giving Disney fans a compelling reason to buyand buy right nowthat otherwise wouldn't exist. Eric Felten, in the WSJ, writes about the "scarcely scarce scarcity" created by Disney's marketeers, explaining that "the dreaded vault isn't so much about creating excitement as it is about creating fear."replica coach outlet The idea is that fans of movies like "Snow White" and "Fantasia," which both went into the vault in Aprilbut which you can borrow from Netflix, the local library, or, chances are, every one of your neighbors with kidswill be more likely to buy these movies if they're scared a time will come when (God forbid) they cannot buy these movies. At least until the new-new, freshly digitally remastered, freshly repriced edition comes out, of course. Felten aptly compares Disney's unpredictable DVD removal practices to experiments conducted on lab rats: cheap hermes birkinThe old behaviorists found that if a lab rat knew it would get a pellet every time it hit the lever, the rat would take his time, collecting his food only when he wanted it. But if the payoff was randomized and the rat didn't know which hit of the lever would deliver, the poor, anxious lab animal could be counted on to keep up a steady tattoo. cheap nike shoes storeHow ironic: Mickey Mouse treating us all like easily manipulated rats.
Coach OutletWith a title like L'Amour Fou, Pierre Thoretton's documentary about fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his life partner Pierre Berge promises a wild ride, a story of mad love. They had a relationship that endured throughout 50 years of glamorous living, business triumphs and failures, infidelities and Saint Laurent's drug and alcohol abuse as well as his chronic, often crippling depression. Arrows first flew, Berge tells us, at a fashion dinner in 1958; they soon moved in together, sharing homes until 1976, at which point a worn-out Berge retreated to a hotel just down the street. But they remained a couple in an emotional sense and married in a civil ceremony shortly before Saint Laurent's death in 2008. It was Berge who closed Saint Laurent's eyes for the last time. In short, there was plenty of mad and crazy love between them, but this melancholy documentary (in limited release) represents their partnership as a sort of still life: a thing quieted first by aging and then by absence. Whereas Italian fashion icon Valentino was larger than life in The Last Emperor, Matt Tyrnauer's jazzy 2009 documentary, Saint Laurent in L'Amour Fou is mostly a rather sweet and anguished ghost. Luxury Coach Outlet There are tantalizing glimpses of him at 21, he drolly tells an interviewer that he's "not unhappy" with his first collection but it doesn't feel like a full portrait. (This is the third Yves Saint Laurent documentary; two from 2002 concentrated on his career.) Thoretton focuses on the literal and figurative dismantling of the life Saint Laurent shared with Berge: an auction of their joint possessions. The central image that emerges is of Berge, who, having lived in the shadow of the fashion giant for five decades, steps out of it and walks sadly but resolutely away. (See a TIME video on Yves Saint Laurent's art collection.) hermes birkinWhile there is never any doubt about their bond, the mad love of Thoretton's title could also refer to the constant, fevered acquisition and adoration of beautiful objects. Whether in Marrakech, Morocco, on the Left Bank or in the French countryside, their homes were crammed with paintings, sculptures and vases. Busy as he was turning out two collections a year, Saint Laurent was also busy decorating: filling up spaces, creating moods within places (their country home paid homage to Marcel Proust, with rooms named for characters from Remembrance of Things Past). And he spent a lot of time languishing in them, Berge says, too depressed to entertain any of his glamorous friends (Andy Warhol, Catherine Deneuve and Mick Jagger all appear in archival footage, and Thoretton interviewed Saint Laurent's twin muses, Loulou de la Falaise and Betty Catroux). nike dunk shoesAs the camera pans over a tasteful library in Saint Laurent's Paris apartment, with Warhol's portraits of Saint Laurent peeking down from a high shelf, Berge says the designer was particularly fond of this room. "It offered him a little more privacy, away from all the masterpieces we owned," he explains. It's a real "Say what?" moment; while everyone knows money can't buy happiness, the notion that Saint Laurent, lover of beauty, needed a refuge from his more monumental possessions is startling. In his 2002 retirement speech, much of which is shown here in fuzzy black and white, Saint Laurent spoke of needing "aesthetic phantoms to live," of chasing, seeking and tracking them down but he did not mention needing rooms in which to hide from them. L'Amour Fou makes you contemplate your own clutter with an eye to a yard sale. Whether it's a Brancusi sculpture looming over the living room or a stereo that works properly only half the time, ultimately it's all just stuff, right? When Thoretton pans over Saint Laurent's former bedroom or living room, tellingly, it's dull and flat, not nearly as interesting as vintage shots of angular Saint Laurent posing among objects. Coach Totes Bags The point he's making is clear, but he hammers it home with a few too many shots of crowded-but-empty rooms.
Volcanic Deja Vu? One Year Later, Iceland Faces Another Eruption
Coach OutletBetter learn how to pronounce this name: Grimsvotn. It could be the cause of much travel grief if the eruption continues. If Eyjafjallajokull were any example, Iceland's volcanoes have the power to disrupt the world travel scene. And yesterday, it appears the tiny nation's hidden volcanoes are at it again. This time, the culprit was Iceland's biggest and most active volcano, Grimsvotn. (PHOTOS: The eerie beauty of Iceland's volcanoes) The eruption began Saturday, shooting a plume of ash more than 12 miles into the sky. Scientists noted that it was Grimsvotn's largest eruption in more than 100 years. Luxury Coach Outlet And as its name notes (in English, at least), the fallout could be grim indeed. "(It was) much bigger and more intensive than Eyjafjallajokull," University of Iceland geophysicist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson told the AP. However, a combination of factors could help mitigate this eruption as compared to the April 2010 blast at Eyjafjallajokull, which impacted travel plans for 10 million people worldwide. Gudmundsson says the ash is coarser than last year's, meaning it will dissipate and fall to the ground faster, leading to clearer skies quicker. hermes birkin He also noted the winds were not as strong as they were last April, so the ash is less likely to be blown for miles. Nonetheless, Iceland's main international airport, Keflavik, was shut down this morning amid fears that the ash might damage jets' engines. The halt grounded 11 airplanes in Iceland, affecting about 2,000 passengers. Nike outlet Authorities have set up a no-fly for 120 nautical miles in all directions of the eruption. Scientists are optimistic that the worst will be over in two or three days.
Coach SunglassesLos Angeles Lakers fans must have hoped that their team's implosio in the 2011 NBA playoffs during coach Phil Jackson's likely last season was the end of this year's Staples Center soap opera. As it turns out, that was wishful thinking. Now, suddenly, the Lakers' faithful are witness to a more bizarre melodrama. Their legendary Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has in recent days taken to Twitter and other media outlets to express his genuine displeasure that the Lakers have not yet erected a statue in his honor outside the Staples Center, where Magic Johnson, Jerry West and longtime Lakers announcer Chick Hearn are all bronzed, along with Wayne Gretzky and Oscar De La Hoya. (See TIME's Q&A with Abdul-Jabbar.) Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, has never been a charmer, and he would be the first to admit it. But his griping about the statue has already raised lots of eyebrows. Luxury Coach Outlet"I don't understand it," Abdul-Jabbar told the Sporting News regarding the statue issue. "It's either an oversight or they're taking me for granted. I'm not going to try to read people's minds, but it doesn't make me happy. It's definitely a slight." In a statement, Abdul-Jabbar later said, "I am highly offended by the total lack of acknowledgment of my contribution to Laker success. I guess being the linchpin for five world-championship teams is not considered significant enough in terms of being part of Laker history." Among the slights, says Abdul-Jabbar: he was forced to take a pay cut as a special assistant coach in 2009 while Jackson earned $12 million per year (a Lakers spokesman has said Abdul-Jabbar's responsibilities were reduced and that his salary was adjusted to reflect that). Former teammate Magic Johnson has been fully embraced by the Lakers.cheap hermes birkin He even became part owner, though he sold his share last year. Meanwhile, Abdul-Jabbar says he feels like an outsider. "They just treated me like I was some stranger," he tells TIME. On the flight back from Orlando after the Lakers won the 2009 NBA Finals, Jabbar, who is 7 ft. 2 in., says the team made him coil up in a small seat while there were roomier seats available in the area where players and other coaches were lounging. Many observers are not going to have much sympathy for Abdul-Jabbar, who can seem like yet another retired star clinging to glory days and starving for recognition while the world moves on without him. The Lakers have indicated that Abdul-Jabbar is next in line for a statue, though he says he heard that promise two years ago. But perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to kick the man. "It's not like I want a statue and I'm jumping up and down about that," says Abdul-Jabbar. "It's an accumulation of things. nike dunk shoesThe principle of not being recognized is something that can really burn." (See the top 10 U.S. sports strikes and lockouts.) In his six years as a special assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar has received some credit for helping Lakers center Andrew Bynum develop into a low-post threat. And Abdul-Jabbar, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2009 it's in remission isn't some ex-jock who just sits around at card shows, trying to profit solely from his name. He's an established cultural figure, whose experiences encountering racism and subsequent conversion to Islam got people talking about race and religion.Coach Belts He has written six books, including several on African-American history, and has just produced a thoughtful documentary now available on Netflix, On the Shoulders of Giants, which tells the story of the Harlem Rens, a successful barnstorming all-black team from the 1930s. (And who could forget his immortal cameo as pilot Roger Murdoch in Airplane!? "Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes." )
Coach SunglassesIt is Wall Street's job to throw money at new companies, a Wall Street economist explained to me during the dotcom boom of a decade ago, when the valuations of IPOs were being questioned. We can report today that the Street, despite the dotcom bust and the real estate bust and the financial meltdown, has not only retained its moneychucking prowess but amped it, if LinkedIn is any measure. The social network for the professional set had already marked up its IPO to $45, the top end of the range, before it opened for trading today. The stock rocketed about 125% before your second cup of coffee as investors once again rushed the doors to try to buy what may or may not be the next great internet company. It's tempting to lump LinkedIn with those featured dotbombs of an era ago, Pets.com being the most famous. But remember, most of those outfits were profitless promises of future growth. LinkedIn has a solid track record. Sales have doubled every year. It has 100 million registered members. And good golly, it actually earned money in a couple of quarters. coach handbags outletBut that means the company trades at a p/e north of crazy, upwards of 1,000. Google's p/e, by comparison, is closer to 21. Some things did remain the same. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, who became a dotcom jillionaire, said the requisite, I don't care about the stock price the way a basketball player talks about it was a team effort after he scores 50 points. hermes birkin C'mon, Jeff, how about a little whoopee, or even, Are those people nuts or what? That's the question, of course: just how much are the social networking companies that are due to hit the market, including Groupon, ultimately worth? Are we headed for Dotcom II? In important ways the world is different now. A decade ago, everyone was still trying to figure out where this new technology called the Internet would take us. Although it was clear that a huge disintermediation was taking place, particularly in retailing, the speed of consumer adaptation was relatively slow.nike sb shoes We were wary, for instance, of making credit card purchases. Nobody had a smart phone. Amazon struggled mightily. Pets.com and Webvanan early internet grocery delivery firmflamed out. Today, of course, there are plenty of grocery and pet sites operating. Social networking sites didn't have to wait for Internet penetration to reach a critical mass. We all have smart phones. So investors don't have to guess as much as to whether these firms will catch on and thrive. Key metrics registered users and page viewscan be known by the minute. So investors have a much deeper knowledge about web companies today. Coach- Poppy CollectionsIt's arguably more rational that they would want to get a piece of the action. What never changes is the herd mentality. Whether that's in hula hoops or real estate or planking or social network stocks, everyone wants to be in on the hot item. That's why we end up throwing too much money at some many things, just like Wall Street always does.
No. 1 with a Bullet: 'L.A. Noire' Lifts Parent Company's Stock Price
Coach JewelryTake a development cycle of six years, ambitious and expensive MotionScan technology and shared responsibilities between Rockstar and Team Bondi. What do you get? One gigantic, city-sized gamble, in the form of L.A. Noire. But if the share price of Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive is any indication, it's a gamble that's paying off. (More on TIME.com: Arresting Development: 'L.A. Noire' Review) Observers who followed the development of Rockstar's latest gamemyself includedknew that the interactive detective game presented a huge risk for the publisher and parent company. nike sb shoesRadically different game design than that seen in the Grand Theft Auto games and the new body language technology focused on making deduction possible meant that L.A. Noire was ripe for backlash. But reviews seem positive so far, with the game netting an average score of 90 on Metacritic. The positive reception apparently caused a jump in Take-Two's stock price, which started yesterday at $15.93/share and ended the day at $16.90/share. It hit a high of $17.24 yesterday, which is the highest it's been in the last six months. As someone who reviews games, it always strikes me as weird that aggregators like Metacritic hold sway over the financial fortunes of video game companies. hermes birkin bagThe last few months have shown negative stock price repercussions for Nintendo and THQ in the wake of the 3DS and Homefront launches, respectively. Over and over, you hear how compensation and shareholder sentiment swing in accordance with how well a game performs in the critical space. With the success of L.A. Noire, here's hoping that that Rockstarand other game-making entitieskeep taking creative risks. The results can be rewarding creativelyand financially, too.
Coach BootsEven in the best of times, Pakistans nuclear-weapons program warrants alarm. But these are perilous days. At a moment of unprecedented misgiving between Washington and Islamabad, new evidence suggests that Pakistans nuclear program is barreling ahead at a furious clip. According to new commercial-satellite imagery obtained exclusively by NEWSWEEK, Pakistan is aggressively accelerating construction at the Khushab nuclear site, about 140 miles south of Islamabad. The images, analysts say, prove Pakistan will soon have a fourth operational reactor, greatly expanding plutonium production for its nuclear-weapons program. The buildup is remarkable, says Paul Brannan of the Institute for Science and International Security. And that nobody in the U.S. or in the Pakistani government says anything about thisespecially in this day and ageis perplexing. Unlike Iran, which has yet to produce highly enriched uranium, or North Korea, which has produced plutonium but still lacks any real weapons capability, Pakistan is significantly ramping up its nuclear-weapons program. luxury coachEric Edelman, undersecretary of defense in the George W. Bush administration, puts it bluntly: Youre talking about Pakistan even potentially passing France at some point. Thats extraordinary. Pakistani officials say the buildup is a response to the threat from India, which is spending $50 billion over the next five years on its military. But to say its just an issue between just India and Pakistan is divorced from reality, says former senator Sam Nunn, who co-chairs the Nuclear Threat Initiative. The U.S. and Soviet Union went through 40 years of the Cold War and came out every time from dangerous situations with lessons learned. Pakistan and India have gone through some dangerous times, and they have learned some lessons. But not all of them. Today, deterrence has fundamentally changed. The whole globe has a stake in this. hermes birkin handbagsIts extremely dangerous. Its dangerous because Pakistan is also stockpiling fissile material, or bomb fuel. Since Islamabad can mine uranium on its own territory and has decades of enrichment know-howbeginning with the work of nuclear scientist A. Q. Khanthe potential for production is significant. Although the White House declined to comment, a senior U.S. congressional official who works on nuclear issues told NEWSWEEK that intelligence estimates suggest Pakistan has already developed enough fissile material to produce more than 100 warheads and manufacture between eight and 20 weapons a year. Theres no question, the official says, its the fastest-growing program in the world. What has leaders around the world especially worried is whats popularly known as loose nukesnuclear weapons or fissile material falling into the wrong hands. Theres no transparency in how the fissile material is handled or transported, says Mansoor Ijaz, who has played an active role in back-channel diplomacy between Islamabad and New Delhi. Coach Belts And the amountthey have significant quantitiesis whats so alarming.
coach factory outletWhen House Speaker John Boehner calls for trillions of dollars of spending cuts, the message is clear. Any deal to raise the federal debt ceiling must include significant savings in Social Security and Medicare benefits. Subsidizing the elderly is the biggest piece of federal spending (more than two-fifths of the total), but trimming benefits for well-off seniors isnt just budget arithmetic. Its also the right thing to do. I have been urging higher eligibility ages and more means-testing for Social Security and Medicare for so long that I forget that many Americans still accept the outdated and propagandistic notion that old age automatically impoverishes people. Asks one reader: Who are these well-off elderly you keep writing about? The suggestion is that they are figments of my imagination, invented to justify harsh cutbacks in Social Security and Medicare on the needy. Just the opposite. Nike outletWe see every day that many people in their 60s and older live comfortably and still would if they received a little less in Social Security and paid a little more for Medicare. The trouble is that whats intuitively obvious becomes lost in the political debate; its overwhelmed by selective and self-serving statistics that cast almost everyone over 65 as being on the edge of insolvency. The result: Government over-subsidizes the affluent elderly. It transfers resources from the struggling young to the secure old. To correct the stereotype, consult a government publication called Older Americans 2010, Key Indicators of Well-Being. It reminds us that Americans live longer and have gotten healthier. luxury coachIn 1930, life expectancy was 59.2 years at birth and 12.2 years at 65; in 2006, those figures were 77.7 and 18.5. Since 1981, death rates for heart disease and stroke have fallen by half for those 65 and over. In this population, about three-quarters rate their own health as good or excellent. hermes birkinMost older people are enjoying greater prosperity than any previous generation, the report says. Consider: l From 1959 to 2007, the proportion of the 65-plus population with incomes under the governments poverty line ($12,968 for a couple in 2009) dropped from 35.2 percent to 9.7 percent, which was half the poverty rate for children under 18 (18 percent). l The proportion of elderly living in the high income group defined as four times the poverty line, or almost $52,000 for a couple in 2009 rose from 18.4 percent in 1980 to 30.6 percent in 2007. l In 2007, the median net worth (that is, assets minus debts) of 65-plus households was $237,000, about twice the amount for households aged 45 to 54. Among 65-plus married couples, median net worth was $385,000. Coach BeltsIndeed, half the nations wealth is owned by people 55 and older (a third of the adult population), report Eugene Steuerle and Stephanie Rennane of the Urban Institute. The old feel more secure. The National Opinion Research Center regularly surveys Americans about their financial satisfaction. In 2010, 82 percent of those 65 and over said they were satisfied or more or less satisfied. For those under 65, the comparable figure was 66 percent.
Alaina Giordano, Mom with Stage 4 Cancer, Speaks Out About Losing Her Kids
nike dunk shoesDivorce is often nasty but once in a while, the details of a particular breakup grab ahold of the soul and won't let go. One such case involves Alaina Giordano, a mother of two who is battling Stage 4 breast cancer. On April 25 Giordano lost custody of her children, when a judge ruled that they would need to relocate from their Durham, N.C., to live with their father in Chicago by June 17 because, essentially, the judge said, a healthy dad is better than a sick mom. Giordano was stunned. She had expected an open-and-shut case. Quickly, an elementary-school friend leaped into action, slapping up a Facebook page that he hoped would spread the word and help Giordano attract a pro bono lawyer who could challenge Judge Nancy Gordon's ruling. She's seeking an altruistic attorney because Giordano doesn't earn an income she's a stay-at-home mom (SAHM, natch), the toughest of jobs a fact that was used against her in the custody battle, igniting a wave of support from fellow SAHMers. (More on TIME.com: Should a Mother Lose Custody of Her Kids Because She Has Cancer?) Concern over Giordano's health was also a primary issue in the custody battle.coach factory outlet Her cancer was diagnosed in 2007, about six months before she moved with her family to Durham so that her husband, Kane Snyder, could study for his M.B.A. at Duke University. The cancer has since metastasized to her bones, which is hardly a good thing. But her treatment regimen is keeping the disease at bay; she says it is not actively spreading. And it's anyone's guess how long she'll live. In the meantime, she says she's able to parent and, if her recent media schedule is any gauge, rival the stamina of a triathlete. On Wednesday, Giordano was in New York City for a publicity blitz. She awoke at 5 a.m. to arrive at the Today show set with her kids, 11-year-old Sofia and 5-year-old Bud. She did her interview; her kids met Matt Lauer. luxury coachAfterward, she knocked out another few interviews, including The Gayle King Show and CNN, where they ran into Michelle Obama's brother and Anderson Cooper. Then there was lunch with Giordano's cousin and dinner with the kids at the Hard Rock Cafe (the haunted Jekyll and Hyde Club having proved too spooky for Bud). They gallivanted through Central Park and finished the day in the audience of "The Addams Family," a Broadway musical. "I'm totally functional," says Giordano. (More on TIME.com: What We Can Learn from the Schwarzenegger-Shriver Split) As she waited with her kids for her return flight to North Carolina, Giordano spoke with Healthland about fighting for her life, but mostly for her children. (Kane Snyder was also asked to comment for this post, but he did not return emails or phone calls.) Healthland: How much do your children know about what's going on? Giordano: They know there was a court case and I had to tell them the judge said they have to move. I told them the night of the ruling. I was still in shock at that point. I tried to be matter-of-fact. cheap hermes birkinI did say I wanted them to stay with me, but the judge ruled otherwise. My daughter can be a bit stoic, like me, but when it was just me and her, she started screaming, crying. She didn't get out of bed, didn't want to leave the apartment. My son has been very anxious. He doesn't want to let me out of his sight. He sleeps with me. They know that when someone forces you to do something, that's not love. Healthland: What kind of relationship do your children have with their father? Giordano: He's their dad, and I do my best to be honest with them but also be protective of their relationship with him. They love their dad. When my son says, "Daddy hates you and you hate Daddy," I say, "I don't hate your dad, but I'm not happy with his behavior." Healthland: Does he visit frequently? Giordano: I can't really say how often. He came to visit for one night in February, one night in March, and the judge ordered [the kids] go there for spring break, so they did. There were about eight weeks in the fall when he didn't come to see them. Healthland: What did you do before your kids were born? Giordano: I worked as a paralegal in Philadelphia. Coach Earrings [Snyder] was a waiter. I took the LSAT but when I had kids I stayed home, and he was finishing his undergraduate degree and working. In Aug. 2005, he became a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers so he was away a lot. ... I went on every [school] field trip. I was the room mother. My kids always came first. Healthland: It seems like there must be something else going on in addition to your illness to warrant a custody decision like this. There are allegations of cheating and abuse. What's going on there? Giordano: I admitted my cheating. He won't admit his. In North Carolina, if there is an affair you don't get alimony so he has really gone after me on that. ... It's always been an abusive relationship. There is documentation. I had a witness testify that she saw him physically assault me in front of my son. Coach Jewelry The judge heard that, then wrote there was no domestic violence that qualified under whatever statute it was.
