Literary agents predict that a book scribed by Sarah Palin would bring in enough cash for the former VP candidate to make many scandal-free visits to Neiman-Marcus. Experts believe that Palin's book deal could be worth $7 million. Since the latest battle for the White House was especially dramatic, there are many other behind-the-scenes-characters that could write about their experiences. Here's a list of other 2008 campaign veterans I would add to my reading list (title suggestions welcome). Don't worry — Joe the Plumber is not included.
Source
Should Dad Who Had Tots Duke It Out Lose Custody? Siblings have their spats, but when push comes to shove most parents step in. This was not the case when one father's 2-year-old tot came to blows with another child his age. The dad, a special operations soldier at Fort Bragg, picked up a camera, egged on the fight, prevented an older child from stepping in, and posted the footage on YouTube.
Thirty-six percent of young American voters are at least somewhat confident in the US Social Security system, according to a new poll. While almost two-thirds of voters 29-years-old and younger do not have much hope for the taxpayer funded retirement system, the newest numbers show a rise in confidence. Less than a month ago, only 19 percent of voters in the same demographic were at least somewhat confident.
Right now, employees pay a 6.2 percent tax on their earnings of up to $102,000, while employers pay an additional 6.2 percent. Barack Obama wants to extend the tax to earnings above $250,000, still leaving earnings from $102,000 - $250,000 untaxed. Perhaps his plan to increase the Social Security tax on higher income has some voters more confident in the system's survival. Do you think Social Security will be around in one form or another when you retire?
Entrepreneur billionaire Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, responded forcefully to the insider trading complaint filed against him by the SEC yesterday, saying that the case is based upon official's win-at-any-cost ambitions." The feds allege that Cuban sold shares of a soon-to-be-doomed Internet search company in 2004 while the price was still high.
So what could be the potential political motivation behind Cuban's charges? Cuban financed Loose Change, a film about 9/11. A source close to Cuban just provided a New York Times reporter with an email sent to Cuban from an SEC lawyer in 2007. The email has the subject "Loose Change" and SEC Chairman Christopher Cox was also copied. It states:
Previously, I thought you were merely foolish and naive. Now, however, I see that you are also a hypocrite. I guess your belief in free speech has severe limitations. If someone else is the victim of an absurd conspiracy theory, you defend your right to participate in smearing the good name of a patriot like President Bush. But, when you are the subject of a parody of the attack you have endorsed, you suddenly issue threats. I think I will email this to Chairman Cox myself. I think he will enjoy it. I’m sure he is also a Laker fan. Since Chairman Cox may not know the background, I will explain. Mark Cuban is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks and has participated in distributing the vicious and absurd documentary, “Loose Change,” which posits that President Bush planned the demolition of the World Trade Center as a pretext for going to war against Iraq.
Do you think Cuban is suffering political payback, or is this email from the SEC lawyer (who was later punished for it) just evidence of stupidity?
A recent study shows that deer mice are monogamous and have "superior stress tolerance and blood sugar regulation." That would make us think that for humans, a monogamous relationship would prove to offer health benefits, but what else can we learn from the animal kingdom? Here are the first five of 10 sex lessons from a recent MSNBC article and my interpretation of each one. I'll warn you, some of these are a little out there, but enjoy!
Do not turn sex into warfare: If you nag your guy and pressure him into having intimacy, it'll drive him away and you both could end up unhappy.
Avoid weaponizing your penis: If a guy pierces his business or does anything else that may make sex painful to a woman, she won't want to engage in the act with him.
On Nov. 18, 1978, more than 900 people living in the intentional community (a polite way of saying commune) Jonestown committed suicide. Their weapon of choice? A grape-flavored drink mixed with cyanide. While it wasn't Kool-Aid (generic — they were socialists!), it is where the phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" originated.
Before Jonestown became a full-blown commune in the jungle, it was a church called the Peoples Temple. Jim Jones was its founder and powerful leader, though he also went by "Dad." Not a sign at all! With a congregation heavily dominated by African-Americans from poor communities in San Francisco, his goal was to care for parishioners. And in many ways, he did. Social programs were created; sexism was preached against; and racial integration was supported.
Nobody saw it as a cult, though. Nobody wanted to. To find out why, read more
GUESS
Tory Burch
Maison Martin Margiela