Like parent, like child? If a kid grows up in a broken home, will she be more likely to head to splitsville if (or after) she marries? If a youngster's mom and dad are wed, will her own marriage last just as long? Today People reported that Karenna Gore Schiff and her husband Andrew are separated. This is hot on the heels of her parents, Al and Tipper's announcement that they were parting ways. Karenna's younger sister Kristen finalized her divorce from Paul Cusack last year. Do you think breakups in families are a result of influence or coincidence?
Couples who have stayed married for decades seem like they got it figured out. Together for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, they've likely supported each other while raising kids, pursuing careers, and taking on life's numerous challenges. It's hard for us to picture these longtime spouses not together. But apparently this perception of stability is all in our minds — statistics show that once a couple gets through the first 10 years of marriage, the likelihood that they will divorce decreases, but it remains relatively the same throughout the rest of the marriage.
In other words, couples like Al and Tipper Gore, who have separated after 40 years of marriage, don't have a better chance of sticking it out than a couple who's been married only one decade. The Gores' reason, which has yet to be credibly questioned, is that they simply grew apart. And that's not such an unbelievable reason. Al and Tipper inevitably have changed since they got married at 22 and 21, and maybe now separation makes sense.
Do you know anyone who divorced after decades of marriage?
Amid the sad news that former Vice President Al Gore and his wife decided to split, CNN inadvertently published Al Gore's email address when posting an email sent by the former VP and his wife to close friends. After claiming it received the email from a "longtime family friend," the news outlet posted the email in its entirety — including the email address it was sent from. Though it has since been removed, the address was live on the site for nearly two hours; long enough for thousands of people to see.
I once fell victim to a similar disaster — CCing a group of recipients on an invitation instead of BCCing everyone. I received no less than 10 angry emails from contacts upset that their personal addresses were shared with a large group. I've also been on the receiving end of such a gaffe, but clearly never on this scale. Just another one to add to the list of top Internet mistakes of all time, I guess! Has something like this ever happened to you?
Al and Tipper Gore have announced their separation after 40 years of marriage. The couple, who met at a high school dance, wrote in an email:
This is very much a mutual and mutually supportive decision that we have made together following a process of long and careful consideration. We ask for respect for our privacy and that of our family, and we do not intend to comment further.
This comes as a big surprise to those of us who recall the couple's many public displays of affection over the years. We wish them and their four children the best.
It's been a busy January with all the tech-related announcements of CES, but the product that garnered the most buzz was by far the new Apple iPad. If you missed any of the news or features (and there was a lot) get caught up right now!
One of my favorite eco-geeks, Al Gore, was in the audience at today's Yerba Buena presentation to hear all about Apple's newest product, the iPad. Falling in line with the rest of the Apple family, the iPad is eco-friendly — coming stocked with arsenic-free display glass as well as a mercury-free LCD screen. Thankfully, the entire device is free of any toxic BFR and PVC chemicals, while the body of the iPad is enclosed with recycled aluminum and glass, so you know your iPad won't do any damage to mother earth. Damage to your wallet? Now that's a different story. Either way, I think Al would approve.
In honor of Earth Day, I was originally going to offer up my favorite eco geek and feature them in their own post. But once I got digging, I really couldn't decide on just one! Sure, the term "geek" may apply to more than gadgets in this case, but not only are these ten people lovably geeky in their own right, they all have one thing in common: they're passionate about our planet! Check out some of my favorite eco-minded geeks, and then be sure to vote for your favorite on the last slide!
