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Got $12 Million? John McCain's Arizona House Is For Sale!

CitizenSugar — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:00:35 -0700

Would you pay a "celebrity premium" to scoop up the former Phoenix house of John and Cindy McCain? The current owner is selling the abode (Cindy's childhood house, and the McCain's residence for 20 years) for a cool $12 million - four times more than the current owner paid Cindy for it in 2006. That's a lot of air conditioning. Though the decor has been updated from the McCains' time, the jungle bedroom is . . . specific. If it's your taste, you're in luck: the furniture (including leopard-print dining chairs) is included.

The 14,000-square-foot home, with 13 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms, could leap in value if the senator is elected. Not to mention, the McCain family handprints in the cement outside are pretty precious. What do you think - would you move in?

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Awkward! Not Sure About Inviting Boyfriend to Thanksgiving

TresSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0800

Since the Holiday season can be rich with awkward moments, a friend of mine is trying to sort out a relationship dilemma before Thanksgiving arrives. Read her story, and see if you can offer her any advice.

"My boyfriend and I have been dating for about six months. Thanksgiving is coming up and I will be going to my parent's house, which is about two hours away from where I live now, for the weekend. Each year my extended family and I celebrate Thanksgiving at my aunt's house, which is right near my parent's. Since my boyfriend's family lives really far away, I would love to invite him to come. My only concern is that it might be overwhelming for him. He's met my parents when they came to visit, but this would involve staying at their house, not to mention meeting all my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Then again, it seems like a natural step in our relationship. Should I ask him to come along, or is it putting too much pressure on him?"

(By the way - if you have some awkward tales of your own, join our Awkward! group to share etiquette questions and stories with other readers.)

Front Page: Halloween's a Treat For Celebrities and Politicians

TresSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:56 -0800

Dressed as a crow, Heidi Klum went all out for her 10th annual Halloween party where countless celebrities celebrated in costumes. - PopSugar
Barack and Michelle Obama welcomed 2,000 trick-or-treaters to the White House Saturday. - Huffington Post
The USS New York, a warship built with steel salvaged from the World Trade Center, made its entrance into New York City today. - BBC News
Afghanistan's runoff presidential election has been canceled after challenger Abdullah Abdullah dropped out because he said the vote would not be free or fair. - AP
The New York City Marathon happened this weekend; here's a look at runners who have cheated throughout history. - New York Times
Michael Jackson's This Is It moonwalked to the top of the box office this weekend, bringing in $21.3 million in its first weekend in theaters. - BuzzSugar

The Doctor Is In: Love and Sex With Dr. Drew, Part I

DearSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:00:00 -0800

I don't think I've ever shared with you my admiration for Dr. Drew Pinsky, but I've got to say, he's one of my favorite television personalities - and let's be honest, he's pretty sexy too! While he is a physician first, he's made his expertise available to the public via Loveline, Celebrity Rehab, and now Sober House. His approach to helping people is the perfect combination of compassion and tough love, and I was lucky enough to sit down and talk with him about his new project, Sex . . . With Mom and Dad, where Dr. Drew helps families in need of guidance when it comes to the "taboo topic of sex."

In this two-part interview, you'll get to hear his opinion on sex, addiction, relationships, and how the world of dating has changed over the years. Tune in tomorrow for part two.

Why is it so important to talk to kids about sex?

There are multiple reasons. One, it gives parents a chance to shape their behavior and to communicate their values. Number two is, it diminishes the secrecy in a family system, which is always a bad thing. And ultimately, my hope is it'll give parents a chance to help kids examine how deeply embedded sexuality is in their emotional lives, and I think most parents are kind of sensitive to that.

To read more from this interview, read more.

Is it harder for you to talk to the kids or their parents about sex?

It's so different, it's pretty equal, they each have their own challenges. Sometimes it's the parents, when they're so rigid and resistant - I've got to say - sometimes it's the parents. Because the kids usually want to have the conversation, it's just awkward; they don't know how to initiate it, and we really help them break the ice.

What is the best piece of advice you received as a kid about sex?

I didn't receive any guidance or direction when I was a kid, and it was a very confusing time. After I became a physician, it became something I was attuned to. When I had an opportunity to do a radio show, the way I crafted the radio show was, I wished there was a place like that for me to go as a kid. Just having someplace to go with this is what I've always wanted to create for kids.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow to see the rest of my interview with Dr. Drew!

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Front Page: The White House Celebrates Ramadan

TresSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:00:42 -0700

President Obama hosted a Ramadan dinner at the White House last night, where he stressed that "Islam is part of America." - AP
Donald Trump fixes the Miss Universe pageant to make sure the prettiest women make it through, according to the pageant's choreographer. - Huffington Post
Tribal leaders are alleging that Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai forged 23,900 votes in the recent election. - New York Times
A car bomb exploded outside the stock exchange in Athens, Greece, today, injuring a female passerby. - BBC News

Should the Media Stay Away From Michelle Obama's Heritage?

TresSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Yesterday, the New York Times ran a piece on Michelle Obama's connection to slavery. Using old public records, fading photos, and recollections of older family members, the New York Times, along with genealogist Megan Smolenyak, uncovered details that fully connect the first lady to the history of slavery for the first time. While the piece was captivating, some worry that it was not appropriate.

The issue of race in America's past and present is undoubtedly a sensitive subject. Many Americans, including African-Americans, want to celebrate the Obamas' path to the White House, and the story about Michelle Obama's slave roots helps shed light on just how far our society has come. In addition, the fact that Michelle's great-great-great-grandfather was white might remind this diverse country that we share a common past. Yet other people feel that the independent piece on her heritage violates her privacy or focuses on her race when the Obamas have made it clear that they want to move past it.

The first lady has declined to comment on the article due to its personal nature. Now that Michelle Obama is first lady, is it fair for the public to take an interest in her genealogy, or was this piece in bad taste?

The Doctor Is In: Love and Sex With Dr. Drew, Part II

DearSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:00:00 -0800

I hope you all enjoyed part I of my exclusive interview with Dr. Drew yesterday, because I'm back to share part II with you today! There's a lot to cover so I'll get straight to the point - enjoy!

How has dating changed since you started Loveline 25 years ago?

Well the whole hookup culture has now become institutionalized. Before it was not so mainstream. One-night stands were considered relatively disdainful and problematic. Now it's considered the cornerstone of your social life.

What are some of the commonalities and differences between dealing with sex and addiction?

Prepare yourself because I'm going to talk for a couple of minutes about this! One is that sexuality and drugs and alcohol are reinforced in precisely the same part of the brain. So sexual addiction, sexual compulsion, and drug and alcohol addiction really biologically, are really very closely related. And they are also very much about trying to find solutions to emotional disregulation. We have such destroyed family systems in our culture today that people don't get what they need to develop a flexible capacity for emotional regulation. They look to the culture for solutions to that, and the kinds of solutions our culture offers them are drugs, alcohol, and sex; so sex becomes a drug in our culture, when in reality, it's not that, it's a very deeply embedded component of our interpersonal and our emotional life. And we've taken it away from that - we've just expunged it from all that. Not only that, the hookup culture is always an intoxicating experience - always. So it's fueling not only addiction, but substance abuse, and my constant question to college age kids is, well if that's such a cool thing that it needs to be the cornerstone of your social life, why the hell do you always have to be intoxicated? Why is it always an intoxicating experience? And what you find is, they're intoxicated because they are trying to, again, regulate their emotions, trying to suppress feelings, or medicate away feelings in order to tolerate the hookup culture, so it's deeply interconnected on many, many levels.

To hear more from Dr. Drew, read more.

What advice do you have for someone that is in a relationship with an addict?

Go to Al-Anon. Either get out or go to Al-Anon - those are your two choices. If you do neither of those, you are part of the disease and part of the problem.

So do you think a relationship can make it through an addiction?

Yeah, but I tell this to families all the time. If you do not go to a therapist and/or a 12-step program yourself, you are participating in the demise of the person you love. If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem. So to not do anything and expect the addict to get better, the addict will either A) not get better or B) the relationship will not survive.

What's your secret to having a successful relationship after 18 years of marriage?

Oh man, this is complicated, but I do have an opinion about it! I do believe that passionate connection - passionate attraction is important, but it's traitorous. And you have to be prepared, because often times what creates passion is the sickest part of one person connecting with the sickest part of another - so you have to be prepared to do something called process. You have to be prepared to go to therapy, get mental health services when you need to, and work things through - always make sure that you avail yourself of support. Commitment is the other thing - commit to stay in with the relationship, but don't expect things to change if you don't reach out for help. The best thing in the world is a passionate relationship with what we call process.

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Student Fights For Right to Wear Confederate Clothes

TresSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0700

South Carolinian teen Candice Hardwick believes her freedom of speech was violated when school officials forced her to change her clothes and turn shirts inside out because they featured the Confederate emblem. Candice, whose state still flies the Confederate flag at the state house, was even suspended from her middle school for continuing to wear the controversial logo. A federal court ruled that the school district could prevent her from wearing the clothing, but now Candice is appealing the decision.

Candice's family says she's not celebrating a past of slavery and segregation; she just wanted to honor her heritage since her family members fought for the South during the Civil War. But for many people, this argument is a smokescreen. To them, the Confederate flag unequivocally represents nostalgia for a disgraceful past, and it's not incidental that the KKK and Neo-Nazi groups use this emblem to represent their views.

If the Confederate emblem is a loaded symbol everywhere, its racial repercussions couldn't be felt more than in Candice's school district, where schools were segregated until the 1970s and separate proms were held for blacks and whites well into the 1980s. Despite Candice's arguments, the lower court ruled that Confederate clothing could disrupt learning in racially diverse schools. We'll have to wait to find out what happens on appeal. Should public schools be able to ban students from wearing Confederate clothing?

Oh Snap! Birthday Buddies!

TresSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:40:24 -0700

President Barack Obama surprised reporter Helen Thomas with cupcakes earlier today. The longtime White House reporter shares her birthday with President Obama. Obama is celebrating his 48th birthday today and Thomas her 89th. Happy birthday!

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Front Page: GM Goes Bankrupt Owing $172 Billion

TresSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:00:43 -0700

General Motors has filed for bankruptcy today. The company says it owes $172 billion.- New York Times
An Air France flight traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris with 228 people on board vanished over the Atlantic. - Huffington Post
Twilight dominated the MTV Movie Awards last night. - PopSugar
Microsoft has launched its new search engine, Bing, earlier than expected. - PC World
In a new interview, Nancy Reagan discusses her lovely conversation with Michelle Obama. She also says that President Obama snubbed her when he didn't invite her to the White House to celebrate the reversal of Bush's stem-cell research ban. - Vanity Fair
It's official: Octomom Nadya Suleman and her children will star in a reality show. - San Francisco Chronicle

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