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NEW YORK (AP) -- Patti Smith is a literary star.
The singer-poet's memoir about life in New York City in the 1960s, "Just Kids," won the National Book Award for nonfiction. "Just Kids" is a bittersweet look back at her deep friendship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and at a revolutionary time in the country.
A tearful Smith, 63, recalled working decades ago at a Scribner's bookstore and stacking up the National Book Award winners, wondering if she would ever receive such a prize.
"So thank you for letting me find out," said Smith, who now claims an honor previously given to Rachel Carson, Gore Vidal and Joan Didion.
The fiction prize Wednesday night was a surprise, Jaimy Gordon's "Lord of Misrule," a wry, hard-luck racetrack comedy chosen over such better known works as Lionel Shriver's "So Much for That" and Nicole Krauss' "Great House."
Gordon, who for 20 years has been releasing books through small publishers, spoke briefly. Currently published by McPherson & Co., Gordon acknowledged she had not expected to win and cited friends who had told her that she had given them hope just by being nominated. Gordon's fate has already changed. Her next novel will be published by an imprint of Random House Inc.
Kathryn Erskine's "Mockingbird," inspired in part by "To Kill a Mockingbird" and by the Virginia Tech shootings, was cited for young people's literature. Cited for a story featuring an 11-year-old girl with Asperger's, Erskine praised parents who encourage their children to ask questions and teachers who inspire students to read and to "think for themselves."
Terrance Hayes' "Lighthead" won for poetry and thanked his wife and his editor for being "the best kind of partner," one "who lets you be imperfect."
Winners in the competitive categories for the 61st annual awards each received $10,000.
Honorary medals were presented to "Bonfire of the Vanities" novelist Tom Wolfe and to one of the creators of "Sesame Street," Joan Ganz Cooney.
Smith did not sing Wednesday, but there was music on stage, as Wolfe crooned a few lines from "The Girl of Ipanema," part of a long, leisurely speech that included memories of his early newspapers days and of the party thrown by Leonard Bernstein and attended by members of the Black Panthers, a gathering immortalized by Wolfe as "radical chic."
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2010年11月19日星期五
Forget the Axe: Cal, Stanford face off for Hogwarts’ favorite game
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Jackie Burrell
Quaffle? Check.
Bludgers? Check.
"Harry Potter" fanatic racing by the Campanile with a tube sock bobbing behind? Got that, too.
As any Hogwarts-loving Muggle knows, Quidditch is the wizarding sport played astride flying brooms. What many don't know is that here in the non-magical world a land-based version is the hottest sport to hit college campuses in years.
View a slide show of the hot sport.
What began as a scrimmage at Vermont's Middlebury College in 2005 has grown to include more than 400 collegiate teams at schools that include Harvard, Yale, USC and universities from Peru to Perth. More than 300 high schools participate, too. There's even talk of a bid for NCAA membership, which is pretty remarkable for a fictitious sport -- a cross between soccer, one-handed basketball, dodge ball and tag -- that involves flying brooms and magical balls.
It's a big enough deal that with the premiere of the seventh "Harry Potter" movie just days away, 46 of those Muggle Quidditch teams congregated in New York City last weekend for the Quidditch World Cup.
The West Coast was the site of its own epic matchup Sunday, in the shadow of UC Berkeley's Campanile, when Cal and Stanford -- two universities whose traditional rivalry equals Gryffindor's and Slytherin's -- went broomstick to broomstick before a crowd of hundreds.
The warm fall weather made it a perfect afternoon for flying or, more accurately, scampering around a field with a broom, dodging bludgers and seeking the Snitch, the golden winged ball whose capture ends the game.
In Muggle Quidditch, the role of Snitch is played by a runner -- in this case, Cal co-captain Sean Robbins, dressed in shiny gold leggings and a neon yellow shirt, with a tube sock-encased tennis ball dangling from his waistband.
Of the two teams, Berkeley's is more established. Stanford had no choice but to join, said co-captain Stewart, once students saw a YouTube video of a Cal scrimmage, in which players repeatedly described their desire to beat their age-old rival. As the Cardinal were snitch-less, the Scotland-born Stewart MacGregor-Dennis and his co-captain Madison White -- a sophomore who has read Rowling's books "about 50 times" -- fielded a team.
As game time neared Sunday, students, faculty, parents and kids gathered on the sidelines. They discussed ticket availability for midnight screenings of the latest "Harry Potter" film. (Stanford's players will be seeing the movie in dorm groups; Cal's will go as a team, wearing their jerseys.) And they debated whether the Snitch, who was warming up by doing handstands in the middle of the field, could elude capture.
"Quidditch is one of those things you can't talk about without a smile on your face," MacGregor-Dennis said, gazing around at the hundreds of spectators and athletes.
Stanford's small team toted red brooms from Ikea, a departure from the international league's official brooms, $50 movie-set-ready, handcrafted models made by Alivan's.
Cal's 50-person team wore custom-designed navy blue shirts emblazoned with a golden bear holding a golden snitch. Ace Hardware is their broom vendor of choice.
It was a spectacle made more spectacular by the cast of characters that floated past. Across the pitch, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody joined the spectators. Albus Dumbledore hawked butterbeer -- a nonalcoholic brew made with vanilla ice cream, butterscotch syrup and something fizzy.
Cal senior Jace Meierhenry took his place behind the microphone, channeling Gryffindor commentator Lee Jordan.
"Don't worry about the applause. I hear it in my head constantly," he assured spectators, as the teams took the field astride their brooms, dropping to one knee and closing their eyes as the Snitch was released into play. Robbins took off, like a streak of neon yellow.
The refs stepped forward and the game was on.
Beaters sent red bludger balls soaring, knocking out players, dodgeball-style, as beaters raced to throw the quaffle, a slightly deflated volleyball, through one of the three hoops poised at each end of the pitch. Players who were hit with a bludger raced it back to their own goal to tag up before returning to play.
Cal's Gavin Saldanha raced for the hoops and lobbed the quaffle through one of them, notching the first 10-point goal of the game.
Every few minutes, the Snitch streaked back across the field, two seekers in pursuit, as the crowd roared with delight.
Armed with a campus map, Stanford's seeker, Minh Nguyen, chased Robbins up and down hills and around Doe Library, as Cal's seeker, Donovan McNiff, closed in from the other side.
Then it was over. McNiff hoisted the tube sock triumphantly and, for just a moment, he was Harry Potter. He grinned, his hair damp with sweat and his glasses slightly misty, as friends rushed up.
"I think my wrestling talents helped," he said later.
When all was said and done, Cal had won two games (90-0 and 100-0) and lost one (40-60), and taken home its first Big Sweep trophy. All that was left was the celebrating -- and planning for future matches.
Robbins and Wurden dream of a West Coast tournament on the field in front of Bowles Hall. Teams at San Jose State, UC Santa Cruz, USC and Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union have expressed interest.
And Stanford is demanding a rematch.
"Next time," MacGregor-Dennis said, "it's a home game."
Photo caption: Cal's Calvin Saldanha scores against Stanford on Nov. 14, 2010. (Carlos Fajardo / Bay Area News Group)
www.go2bagtrade.com
Jackie Burrell
Quaffle? Check.
Bludgers? Check.
"Harry Potter" fanatic racing by the Campanile with a tube sock bobbing behind? Got that, too.
As any Hogwarts-loving Muggle knows, Quidditch is the wizarding sport played astride flying brooms. What many don't know is that here in the non-magical world a land-based version is the hottest sport to hit college campuses in years.
View a slide show of the hot sport.
What began as a scrimmage at Vermont's Middlebury College in 2005 has grown to include more than 400 collegiate teams at schools that include Harvard, Yale, USC and universities from Peru to Perth. More than 300 high schools participate, too. There's even talk of a bid for NCAA membership, which is pretty remarkable for a fictitious sport -- a cross between soccer, one-handed basketball, dodge ball and tag -- that involves flying brooms and magical balls.
It's a big enough deal that with the premiere of the seventh "Harry Potter" movie just days away, 46 of those Muggle Quidditch teams congregated in New York City last weekend for the Quidditch World Cup.
The West Coast was the site of its own epic matchup Sunday, in the shadow of UC Berkeley's Campanile, when Cal and Stanford -- two universities whose traditional rivalry equals Gryffindor's and Slytherin's -- went broomstick to broomstick before a crowd of hundreds.
The warm fall weather made it a perfect afternoon for flying or, more accurately, scampering around a field with a broom, dodging bludgers and seeking the Snitch, the golden winged ball whose capture ends the game.
In Muggle Quidditch, the role of Snitch is played by a runner -- in this case, Cal co-captain Sean Robbins, dressed in shiny gold leggings and a neon yellow shirt, with a tube sock-encased tennis ball dangling from his waistband.
Of the two teams, Berkeley's is more established. Stanford had no choice but to join, said co-captain Stewart, once students saw a YouTube video of a Cal scrimmage, in which players repeatedly described their desire to beat their age-old rival. As the Cardinal were snitch-less, the Scotland-born Stewart MacGregor-Dennis and his co-captain Madison White -- a sophomore who has read Rowling's books "about 50 times" -- fielded a team.
As game time neared Sunday, students, faculty, parents and kids gathered on the sidelines. They discussed ticket availability for midnight screenings of the latest "Harry Potter" film. (Stanford's players will be seeing the movie in dorm groups; Cal's will go as a team, wearing their jerseys.) And they debated whether the Snitch, who was warming up by doing handstands in the middle of the field, could elude capture.
"Quidditch is one of those things you can't talk about without a smile on your face," MacGregor-Dennis said, gazing around at the hundreds of spectators and athletes.
Stanford's small team toted red brooms from Ikea, a departure from the international league's official brooms, $50 movie-set-ready, handcrafted models made by Alivan's.
Cal's 50-person team wore custom-designed navy blue shirts emblazoned with a golden bear holding a golden snitch. Ace Hardware is their broom vendor of choice.
It was a spectacle made more spectacular by the cast of characters that floated past. Across the pitch, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody joined the spectators. Albus Dumbledore hawked butterbeer -- a nonalcoholic brew made with vanilla ice cream, butterscotch syrup and something fizzy.
Cal senior Jace Meierhenry took his place behind the microphone, channeling Gryffindor commentator Lee Jordan.
"Don't worry about the applause. I hear it in my head constantly," he assured spectators, as the teams took the field astride their brooms, dropping to one knee and closing their eyes as the Snitch was released into play. Robbins took off, like a streak of neon yellow.
The refs stepped forward and the game was on.
Beaters sent red bludger balls soaring, knocking out players, dodgeball-style, as beaters raced to throw the quaffle, a slightly deflated volleyball, through one of the three hoops poised at each end of the pitch. Players who were hit with a bludger raced it back to their own goal to tag up before returning to play.
Cal's Gavin Saldanha raced for the hoops and lobbed the quaffle through one of them, notching the first 10-point goal of the game.
Every few minutes, the Snitch streaked back across the field, two seekers in pursuit, as the crowd roared with delight.
Armed with a campus map, Stanford's seeker, Minh Nguyen, chased Robbins up and down hills and around Doe Library, as Cal's seeker, Donovan McNiff, closed in from the other side.
Then it was over. McNiff hoisted the tube sock triumphantly and, for just a moment, he was Harry Potter. He grinned, his hair damp with sweat and his glasses slightly misty, as friends rushed up.
"I think my wrestling talents helped," he said later.
When all was said and done, Cal had won two games (90-0 and 100-0) and lost one (40-60), and taken home its first Big Sweep trophy. All that was left was the celebrating -- and planning for future matches.
Robbins and Wurden dream of a West Coast tournament on the field in front of Bowles Hall. Teams at San Jose State, UC Santa Cruz, USC and Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union have expressed interest.
And Stanford is demanding a rematch.
"Next time," MacGregor-Dennis said, "it's a home game."
Photo caption: Cal's Calvin Saldanha scores against Stanford on Nov. 14, 2010. (Carlos Fajardo / Bay Area News Group)
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AP Exclusive: Raising retirement age hurts poor
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WASHINGTON – Raising the retirement age for Social Security would disproportionately hurt low-income workers and minorities, and increase disability claims by older people unable to work, government auditors told Congress.
The projected spike in disability claims could harm Social Security's finances because disability benefits typically are higher than early retirement payments, the Government Accountability Office concluded.
The report, obtained by The Associated Press ahead of its scheduled release Friday, provides fodder for those opposed to raising the eligibility age for benefits, as proposed by the leaders of President Barack Obama's deficit commission.
[Related: Get a bigger Social Security check]
"There's more to consider than simply how much money the program would save by raising the retirement age," said Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. The report shows an unequal effect on certain groups of people, he said Thursday, and many of them "would have little choice but to turn to the broken disability program."
Under current law, people can start drawing reduced, early retirement benefits from Social Security at age 62. Full benefits are available at 66, a threshold gradually increasing to 67 for people who were born in 1960 or later.
The deficit commission's leaders, Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson, last week proposed a gradual increase in the full retirement age, to 69 in about 2075. The early retirement age would go to 64 the same year.
Under their plan, the new thresholds wouldn't be fully phased in until today's 4-year-olds are ready to retire.
AARP criticized the recommendations and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called them "unacceptable." Experts, however, warn that Social Security is on a financially unsustainable path that will worsen as people live longer and collect more benefits.
For many workers, reducing early retirement payments or delaying eligibility would provide an incentive to put off retiring, resulting in more earnings and potentially more savings for later in life, according to the watchdog agency's report.
But it "could create a financial hardship for those who cannot continue to work because of poor health or demanding workplace conditions," the report said.
The report, requested by Kohl's committee, draws on research by outside groups as well as interviews with Social Security officials and data from the Social Security Administration. Researchers also analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study, a continuing study of older Americans by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.
About one-fourth of workers age 60 and 61 — just under the early retirement age — reported a health condition that limited their ability to work. Among those older workers, blacks and Hispanics were much more likely to report fair or poor health than whites, according to the report.
Less healthy older workers had lower incomes, less accumulated wealth and were much less likely to have attended college.
"Some people just can't continue to work beyond age 62 for either health reasons or they're just not able to find jobs," said David Certner, legislative policy director for AARP. "Just because we tell people they should work longer doesn't mean that there are employers out there willing to hire people."
Workers older than 55 are less likely than younger workers to lose their jobs, the report said. But when older workers get laid off, they are less likely to find other employment.
[Related: Ways to save money in retirement]
Nearly 54 million retirees, disabled workers, surviving spouses and children now get Social Security. Payments for retired workers average $1,020 a month; disability benefits average $929 a month. In 75 years, 122 million people, or one-fourth of the population, will be drawing benefits.
On its current path, Social Security is projected to run out of money by 2037, largely because of aging baby boomers reaching retirement. The longer action is delayed, the harder it will get to shore up the program.
The GAO report says that raising the age when workers qualify for full benefits would save money. But raising the age when workers can get early benefits would hurt the program's finances because of the expected increase in disability claims.
The plan from Bowles and Simpson promotes shared sacrifice: High-income workers would pay more in payroll taxes to support the system; current retirees would get smaller annual increases in benefits; future retirees have to wait longer to qualify for full benefits.
"We put a hardship exemption in there for people who have, what people are always talking about, backbreaking jobs, people that really need to retire at 62," Bowles said. "We think it is balanced."
___
Online:
Social Security: http://www.ssa.gov
Obama's deficit commission: http://www.fiscalcommission.gov
(This version CORRECTS the agency's name to Government Accountability Office, not General Accountability Office.)
www.go2bagtrade.com
WASHINGTON – Raising the retirement age for Social Security would disproportionately hurt low-income workers and minorities, and increase disability claims by older people unable to work, government auditors told Congress.
The projected spike in disability claims could harm Social Security's finances because disability benefits typically are higher than early retirement payments, the Government Accountability Office concluded.
The report, obtained by The Associated Press ahead of its scheduled release Friday, provides fodder for those opposed to raising the eligibility age for benefits, as proposed by the leaders of President Barack Obama's deficit commission.
[Related: Get a bigger Social Security check]
"There's more to consider than simply how much money the program would save by raising the retirement age," said Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. The report shows an unequal effect on certain groups of people, he said Thursday, and many of them "would have little choice but to turn to the broken disability program."
Under current law, people can start drawing reduced, early retirement benefits from Social Security at age 62. Full benefits are available at 66, a threshold gradually increasing to 67 for people who were born in 1960 or later.
The deficit commission's leaders, Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson, last week proposed a gradual increase in the full retirement age, to 69 in about 2075. The early retirement age would go to 64 the same year.
Under their plan, the new thresholds wouldn't be fully phased in until today's 4-year-olds are ready to retire.
AARP criticized the recommendations and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called them "unacceptable." Experts, however, warn that Social Security is on a financially unsustainable path that will worsen as people live longer and collect more benefits.
For many workers, reducing early retirement payments or delaying eligibility would provide an incentive to put off retiring, resulting in more earnings and potentially more savings for later in life, according to the watchdog agency's report.
But it "could create a financial hardship for those who cannot continue to work because of poor health or demanding workplace conditions," the report said.
The report, requested by Kohl's committee, draws on research by outside groups as well as interviews with Social Security officials and data from the Social Security Administration. Researchers also analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study, a continuing study of older Americans by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.
About one-fourth of workers age 60 and 61 — just under the early retirement age — reported a health condition that limited their ability to work. Among those older workers, blacks and Hispanics were much more likely to report fair or poor health than whites, according to the report.
Less healthy older workers had lower incomes, less accumulated wealth and were much less likely to have attended college.
"Some people just can't continue to work beyond age 62 for either health reasons or they're just not able to find jobs," said David Certner, legislative policy director for AARP. "Just because we tell people they should work longer doesn't mean that there are employers out there willing to hire people."
Workers older than 55 are less likely than younger workers to lose their jobs, the report said. But when older workers get laid off, they are less likely to find other employment.
[Related: Ways to save money in retirement]
Nearly 54 million retirees, disabled workers, surviving spouses and children now get Social Security. Payments for retired workers average $1,020 a month; disability benefits average $929 a month. In 75 years, 122 million people, or one-fourth of the population, will be drawing benefits.
On its current path, Social Security is projected to run out of money by 2037, largely because of aging baby boomers reaching retirement. The longer action is delayed, the harder it will get to shore up the program.
The GAO report says that raising the age when workers qualify for full benefits would save money. But raising the age when workers can get early benefits would hurt the program's finances because of the expected increase in disability claims.
The plan from Bowles and Simpson promotes shared sacrifice: High-income workers would pay more in payroll taxes to support the system; current retirees would get smaller annual increases in benefits; future retirees have to wait longer to qualify for full benefits.
"We put a hardship exemption in there for people who have, what people are always talking about, backbreaking jobs, people that really need to retire at 62," Bowles said. "We think it is balanced."
___
Online:
Social Security: http://www.ssa.gov
Obama's deficit commission: http://www.fiscalcommission.gov
(This version CORRECTS the agency's name to Government Accountability Office, not General Accountability Office.)
www.go2bagtrade.com
Kate's Royal Prison
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NEW YORK – Millions of young women may envy of Kate Middleton’s engagement to Prince William, but Andrew Roberts says they should be relieved to miss out on the onerous, boring, and unending life of being a royal.
Across the globe, socially ambitious young ladies are sighing over the fact that Prince William, the world’s most eligible bachelor, has finally gotten engaged. Their wild hopes that perhaps he might have repeated his April 2007 breakup, leaving Kate in the lurch once again, are now irrevocably dashed. As their gaze now swivels elsewhere—to pop stars, hedge-funders, social networking tycoons, even Prince Harry—they are awaking from the dream of marrying the tall, blond Adonically handsome cavalry officer prince at Westminster Abbey. Yet even as they cross off Prince William from their little black address books, they can console themselves with this thought: being a royal in the 21st century is appallingly hard work, where the disadvantages easily equal, and probably outweigh, the advantages.
In the calendar year 2009, Her Majesty the Queen undertook no fewer than 409 official engagements, i.e., more than one a day. She is 84 years old. Except for Christmas Day and Easter Day, she never has a day away from her government red boxes, which follow her everywhere. Although Kate will obviously not be head of state, it is an indication of how busy her husband will be, and she will be expected to be with him on all the most important engagements. Yet she will also be expected to undertake hundreds of engagements on her own as well, and will be minutely judged on each of them.
She cannot say anything controversial, or indeed particularly interesting, for the rest of her life, otherwise she will be castigated in the press. She can never again express a political opinion of any kind whatsoever, because the most important constitutional duty of the royal family is to be above politics. Even if she winds up knowing much more about a subject than government ministers—as is often the case with the royal family regarding conservation, environmental, agricultural and heritage issues—she must keep resolutely silent about them in public. Even in private she must be highly circumspect, otherwise the politicians or civil servants will leak her letters, as has happened recently to Prince Charles.
• William & Kate: Photos, News, and More
Her income will be publicly picked over to the last pound sterling in House of Commons committees, and she cannot spend lavishly even her own private money. Every item of expenditure at her wedding will be subjected to intense media scrutiny, especially at this time of austerity. Almost every holiday—and there are precious few—will be a “working” holiday of some kind where she will have to meet and greet local worthies. If she is ever once caught yawning during an interminable tribal dance in Papua New Guinea, the photo will haunt her for decades.
Everything she wears every single day will be commented on and picked over and judged in the newspapers day in, day out. In this era of the telephoto lens, she can have no bad hair days for the rest of her life. The days of mildly malicious gossipy lunches with friends are over, as are nightclubbing, flirting, and drinking more than two glasses of wine, for fear of the paparazzi snapping a flushed face. Yet however glamorous she dresses and lovely she looks, it could be decades before she is allowed to emerge from the shadow of her iconic mother-in-law, as she will be reminded whenever she looks at her engagement ring.
[Related: Prince Harry's response to Kate]
When she visits her in-laws in Scotland, she must pretend to enjoy being woken up at 6:15 every morning by bagpipers at Balmoral, and enjoy the cold and damp and Wellington boots of the House of Windsor’s hearty outdoors life. She must deal with the inanities, bitchiness, and pettiness of life at court, and she must also be a role model for millions of women, who will look up to her and expect her to say the right thing all the time. She must personify honor, duty, and diligence, otherwise she will be compared unfavorably to the present queen, who promised on her 21st birthday to dedicate her life to her people, and then spent the next 63 years doing exactly that.
[Related: All about Kate Middleton]
When, after half a century of not putting a foot wrong in this most taxing of public roles, Queen Catherine of England becomes a national treasure—as I am certain she will—she will have more than deserved it. But in the meantime, all those young women around the world who were dreaming of becoming princesses should instead be thanking providence that Prince William chose someone else.
Historian Andrew Roberts' latest book, Masters and Commanders, was published in the UK in September. His previous books include Napoleon and Wellington, Hitler and Churchill, and A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1900. Roberts is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Society of Arts.
www.go2bagtrade.com
NEW YORK – Millions of young women may envy of Kate Middleton’s engagement to Prince William, but Andrew Roberts says they should be relieved to miss out on the onerous, boring, and unending life of being a royal.
Across the globe, socially ambitious young ladies are sighing over the fact that Prince William, the world’s most eligible bachelor, has finally gotten engaged. Their wild hopes that perhaps he might have repeated his April 2007 breakup, leaving Kate in the lurch once again, are now irrevocably dashed. As their gaze now swivels elsewhere—to pop stars, hedge-funders, social networking tycoons, even Prince Harry—they are awaking from the dream of marrying the tall, blond Adonically handsome cavalry officer prince at Westminster Abbey. Yet even as they cross off Prince William from their little black address books, they can console themselves with this thought: being a royal in the 21st century is appallingly hard work, where the disadvantages easily equal, and probably outweigh, the advantages.
 | [Photos: From Uggs to dresses, see Kate's style] |
She cannot say anything controversial, or indeed particularly interesting, for the rest of her life, otherwise she will be castigated in the press. She can never again express a political opinion of any kind whatsoever, because the most important constitutional duty of the royal family is to be above politics. Even if she winds up knowing much more about a subject than government ministers—as is often the case with the royal family regarding conservation, environmental, agricultural and heritage issues—she must keep resolutely silent about them in public. Even in private she must be highly circumspect, otherwise the politicians or civil servants will leak her letters, as has happened recently to Prince Charles.
• William & Kate: Photos, News, and More
Her income will be publicly picked over to the last pound sterling in House of Commons committees, and she cannot spend lavishly even her own private money. Every item of expenditure at her wedding will be subjected to intense media scrutiny, especially at this time of austerity. Almost every holiday—and there are precious few—will be a “working” holiday of some kind where she will have to meet and greet local worthies. If she is ever once caught yawning during an interminable tribal dance in Papua New Guinea, the photo will haunt her for decades.
Gallery: Prince William and Kate Middleton
Everything she wears every single day will be commented on and picked over and judged in the newspapers day in, day out. In this era of the telephoto lens, she can have no bad hair days for the rest of her life. The days of mildly malicious gossipy lunches with friends are over, as are nightclubbing, flirting, and drinking more than two glasses of wine, for fear of the paparazzi snapping a flushed face. Yet however glamorous she dresses and lovely she looks, it could be decades before she is allowed to emerge from the shadow of her iconic mother-in-law, as she will be reminded whenever she looks at her engagement ring.
[Related: Prince Harry's response to Kate]
When she visits her in-laws in Scotland, she must pretend to enjoy being woken up at 6:15 every morning by bagpipers at Balmoral, and enjoy the cold and damp and Wellington boots of the House of Windsor’s hearty outdoors life. She must deal with the inanities, bitchiness, and pettiness of life at court, and she must also be a role model for millions of women, who will look up to her and expect her to say the right thing all the time. She must personify honor, duty, and diligence, otherwise she will be compared unfavorably to the present queen, who promised on her 21st birthday to dedicate her life to her people, and then spent the next 63 years doing exactly that.
Click image to see future Princess Kate Middleton
Reuters/Paul Hackett
So Kate must open schools, hospitals, and community centers, whether she feels up to it or not, scores of times every year for the rest of her life, and be seen to enjoy it. She must be bland when she does so, but also compassionate, interested, and caring. She must shake hands with hundreds of thousands of complete strangers and show interest in their lives, even though she will never see them again. She must have at least two healthy photogenic offspring, preferably more, of whom at least one is expected to be male, whom she must try to bring up as normal children even though patently obviously they are not. She and her husband and children could well be the target of assassination attempts, and will certainly receive constant death threats. She will almost never be praised in public except by oleaginous flatterers desperate for social advantage. She will not genuinely know how she is doing in her new job; there are no objective career assessment programs for royals. Reuters/Paul Hackett
[Related: All about Kate Middleton]
When, after half a century of not putting a foot wrong in this most taxing of public roles, Queen Catherine of England becomes a national treasure—as I am certain she will—she will have more than deserved it. But in the meantime, all those young women around the world who were dreaming of becoming princesses should instead be thanking providence that Prince William chose someone else.
Historian Andrew Roberts' latest book, Masters and Commanders, was published in the UK in September. His previous books include Napoleon and Wellington, Hitler and Churchill, and A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1900. Roberts is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Society of Arts.
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What to Call Kate?
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Kate Middleton's engagement to Prince William has sparked an avalanche of Web interest. Top of mind now -- what will Kate's new title be? Is she in line to be queen? And how does Prince Harry figure into all this?
Figuring all this out can be a royal pain, so we did the legwork for you. Here's a quick summary of everything you ever wanted to know about royal marriages but were too common to ask.
Kate's title
Once married, Kate Middleton will unofficially become "Princess Catherine." The official title will likely be Her Royal Highness Catherine of Wales. Eventually, after many years and barring any unforeseen tragedy or divorce, she and William will become the Queen and King of England. But! She won't have that title until her father-in-law to-be, Prince Charles of Wales, has had his turn.
The future Queen?
Kate being queen is a ways away. In the meantime, she and William will likely earn an honorary title after marrying. An article from People magazine speculates that some possible titles include the "dukedoms of Clarence, Cambridge and Sussex." These titles are "eminently suitable" for the couple. Why? HowStuffWorks explains that the titles of Duke and Duchess are among the highest order of nobility. If things go according to plan, eventually she will be the Queen. First, though, the title of duchess is most likely.
Who decides on the titles?
The Queen does, who else? An excellent article from the Sydney Morning Herald explains that if "the Prince surprises all and turns down a title, Kate would become HRH (Her Royal Highness) Princess William of Wales or Princess Catherine or Kate of Wales." Again, though, this is highly unlikely. When Prince Charles becomes king, it is believed that he will name William Prince of Wales, thus making Kate the Princess of Wales. Confused yet?
What about Harry?
Prince William's younger brother Harry is also in line to be King of England, but he is behind William. So, if and when he does marry, he won't be able to promise his bride-to-be the lofty title of queen. Sigh, the perils of being the younger brother. Still, we imagine that Harry is pleased to remain a prince. After all, it's a pretty sweet life. And as for what title Prince Harry's future wife will have, that's anybody's guess.
What about Prince Philip?
If your entire sum knowledge of royal lineage comes from "King Ralph," you might not understand why the Queen's husband, Prince Philip is not the King. Some online sources explain that this "the husband of a female monarch does not have any recognized special status, rank, or privileges." However, other sources argue that if the Queen wanted to appoint Philip as King she could. Sheesh, and we thought "Lost" was confusing.
www.go2bagtrade.com
Kate Middleton's engagement to Prince William has sparked an avalanche of Web interest. Top of mind now -- what will Kate's new title be? Is she in line to be queen? And how does Prince Harry figure into all this?
Figuring all this out can be a royal pain, so we did the legwork for you. Here's a quick summary of everything you ever wanted to know about royal marriages but were too common to ask.
Kate's title
Once married, Kate Middleton will unofficially become "Princess Catherine." The official title will likely be Her Royal Highness Catherine of Wales. Eventually, after many years and barring any unforeseen tragedy or divorce, she and William will become the Queen and King of England. But! She won't have that title until her father-in-law to-be, Prince Charles of Wales, has had his turn.
The future Queen?
Kate being queen is a ways away. In the meantime, she and William will likely earn an honorary title after marrying. An article from People magazine speculates that some possible titles include the "dukedoms of Clarence, Cambridge and Sussex." These titles are "eminently suitable" for the couple. Why? HowStuffWorks explains that the titles of Duke and Duchess are among the highest order of nobility. If things go according to plan, eventually she will be the Queen. First, though, the title of duchess is most likely.
Who decides on the titles?
The Queen does, who else? An excellent article from the Sydney Morning Herald explains that if "the Prince surprises all and turns down a title, Kate would become HRH (Her Royal Highness) Princess William of Wales or Princess Catherine or Kate of Wales." Again, though, this is highly unlikely. When Prince Charles becomes king, it is believed that he will name William Prince of Wales, thus making Kate the Princess of Wales. Confused yet?
What about Harry?
Prince William's younger brother Harry is also in line to be King of England, but he is behind William. So, if and when he does marry, he won't be able to promise his bride-to-be the lofty title of queen. Sigh, the perils of being the younger brother. Still, we imagine that Harry is pleased to remain a prince. After all, it's a pretty sweet life. And as for what title Prince Harry's future wife will have, that's anybody's guess.
What about Prince Philip?
If your entire sum knowledge of royal lineage comes from "King Ralph," you might not understand why the Queen's husband, Prince Philip is not the King. Some online sources explain that this "the husband of a female monarch does not have any recognized special status, rank, or privileges." However, other sources argue that if the Queen wanted to appoint Philip as King she could. Sheesh, and we thought "Lost" was confusing.
www.go2bagtrade.com
Hate the Black Friday Lines? Score Deals Online
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It has become as traditional as turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie: On the day after Thanksgiving, shoppers bundling up and heading out before dawn for retailer's eagerly awaited Black Friday doorbuster deals.
[Click here to check savings products and rates in your area.]
And after two years of dismal holiday sales, retailers are upping the ante to bring shoppers into the stores this season. This year the National Retail Federation estimates that holiday sales will increase 2.3% to $447.1 billion, much improved from last year's 0.4% uptick and the dismal 3.9% sales decline in 2008.
[See 5 Ways to Cash In on Cyber Monday]
But for those who don't want to face the stores, don't despair. Many of the doorbuster deals will be available online, too.
"This Black Friday, I would like to stay in the comfort of my bedroom possibly online bargain shopping for maybe a table and some things to decorate my new apartment," said Kaitlynn Blyth, who waited outside last year from 7 p.m. until midnight to get Zhu Zhu pet accessories for her younger sister.
Here's where to score the deals:
Best Buy (NYSE: BBY - News): The same products promoted in its Thanksgiving Ads -- including doorbusters -- will be available on BestBuy.com starting Thanksgiving Day. Best Buy is also offering free shipping on online orders through Dec. 21, excluding laptops, iPads, iPods and some major appliances.
Macy's (NYSE: M - News): Doorbusters, like a KitchenAid Mixer for $179.99, will also be sold both online and in stores on Black Friday.
Amazon (NasdaqGS: AMZN - News): Here's another reason to avoid the Black Friday stampede: The online retailer is matching other retailer's doorbuster prices. Plus, it's offering free shipping.
Toys R Us: The popular toy store will preview more than 60 "Mystery Deals" on its site starting Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 12:01 a.m. But those savings will only be available in Toys R Us stores from 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day until 1 p.m. on Black Friday. The toy retailer will also give out free Crayola 64-Packs and coloring books with any purchase, while supplies last.
Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT - News): The country's largest retailer is offering online-only specials on Thanksgiving Day in addition to free online shipping with no minimum purchase. However, the doorbuster deals that shoppers camp out for, like a Nintendo Wii for $199 plus a $50 gift card, will be in-store only starting at 12 a.m. on Nov. 26.
Target (NYSE: TGT - News): Online-only deals start on Thanksgiving Day before the company's popular two-day sale. But the discounter's doorbuster deals are only available at in stores starting at 4 a.m. on Black Friday. In order to get free shipping on the online orders, consumers must spend $50 or more.
[See 7 Black Friday Deals Worth Buying Now]
The same is true for Sears (NasdaqGS: SHLD - News) and Kmart, where there will be online discounts of 30-40% off on Thanksgiving Day, but the deeper discounts of 50-60% will only be in stores on Black Friday. Web shoppers can then pick up their purchases in stores to save on the shipping.
www.go2bagtrade.com
It has become as traditional as turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie: On the day after Thanksgiving, shoppers bundling up and heading out before dawn for retailer's eagerly awaited Black Friday doorbuster deals.
| More from CNNMoney.com: • Holiday Money 2010 • Hottest Toys of 2010 • CNN's 2010 Holiday Shopping Guide |
And after two years of dismal holiday sales, retailers are upping the ante to bring shoppers into the stores this season. This year the National Retail Federation estimates that holiday sales will increase 2.3% to $447.1 billion, much improved from last year's 0.4% uptick and the dismal 3.9% sales decline in 2008.
[See 5 Ways to Cash In on Cyber Monday]
But for those who don't want to face the stores, don't despair. Many of the doorbuster deals will be available online, too.
"This Black Friday, I would like to stay in the comfort of my bedroom possibly online bargain shopping for maybe a table and some things to decorate my new apartment," said Kaitlynn Blyth, who waited outside last year from 7 p.m. until midnight to get Zhu Zhu pet accessories for her younger sister.
Here's where to score the deals:
Best Buy (NYSE: BBY - News): The same products promoted in its Thanksgiving Ads -- including doorbusters -- will be available on BestBuy.com starting Thanksgiving Day. Best Buy is also offering free shipping on online orders through Dec. 21, excluding laptops, iPads, iPods and some major appliances.
Macy's (NYSE: M - News): Doorbusters, like a KitchenAid Mixer for $179.99, will also be sold both online and in stores on Black Friday.
Amazon (NasdaqGS: AMZN - News): Here's another reason to avoid the Black Friday stampede: The online retailer is matching other retailer's doorbuster prices. Plus, it's offering free shipping.
Toys R Us: The popular toy store will preview more than 60 "Mystery Deals" on its site starting Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 12:01 a.m. But those savings will only be available in Toys R Us stores from 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day until 1 p.m. on Black Friday. The toy retailer will also give out free Crayola 64-Packs and coloring books with any purchase, while supplies last.
Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT - News): The country's largest retailer is offering online-only specials on Thanksgiving Day in addition to free online shipping with no minimum purchase. However, the doorbuster deals that shoppers camp out for, like a Nintendo Wii for $199 plus a $50 gift card, will be in-store only starting at 12 a.m. on Nov. 26.
Target (NYSE: TGT - News): Online-only deals start on Thanksgiving Day before the company's popular two-day sale. But the discounter's doorbuster deals are only available at in stores starting at 4 a.m. on Black Friday. In order to get free shipping on the online orders, consumers must spend $50 or more.
[See 7 Black Friday Deals Worth Buying Now]
The same is true for Sears (NasdaqGS: SHLD - News) and Kmart, where there will be online discounts of 30-40% off on Thanksgiving Day, but the deeper discounts of 50-60% will only be in stores on Black Friday. Web shoppers can then pick up their purchases in stores to save on the shipping.
www.go2bagtrade.com
Leonardo DiCaprio Gives 'Red Riding Hood' the 'Twilight' Treatment
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The trailer for "Red Riding Hood" makes it seem the classic fairy tale has received the "Twilight" treatment.
This isn't surprising. The director of "Red Riding Hood" -- Catherine Hardwicke -- also shot the first installment of the world's most profitable sparkly vampire franchise. What might be surprising, though, it is that the idea for an amped-up fairy tale bursting with adolescent angst didn't come from her.
Instead, it came from Leonardo DiCaprio.
According to Hardwicke, who was recently interviewed for the Los Angeles Times, DiCaprio thought, "Wouldn’t it be cool to do a Gothic twist on Red Riding Hood, with the wolf being a werewolf, and just have a cool, sexy romantic thriller?" Soon his company, Appian Way, began to develop the idea.
Star Amanda Seyfried's rumored beau >>
Judging from the trailer, which you can see below, Leo got exactly what he asked for. By the looks of it, "Twilight" fans are going to be very pleased with the results.
It opens with Amanda Seyfried gamboling in an autumnal glade with a handsome young suitor, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), who sports an anachronistic faux-hawk. As they embrace, we hear Seyfried say, "I’ll do anything to be with you." And then, suddenly, the trailer makes a left turn into Gothic! There’s talk of killer wolves, there’s foreboding music, there’s Gary Oldman.
From what I can piece together, Amanda is in love with Peter though she's betrothed to Henri (Max Irons), another handsome young suitor in a faux-hawk. Someone in the village is a lupine supernatural killer, but, in spite of Oldman's glowering looks, no one is 'fessing up. Somewhere along the lines, Seyfried dons her red cloak and goes to grandmother's house.
The 'Twilight' story that never was >>
So -- Is this flick like "Twilight?" Or has this trailer been edited to remind everyone of "Twilight?" On the one hand, the set-up does seem remarkably familiar, with one or both of Seyfried's paramours most likely werewolves. That sounds a lot like that other lycanthrope love triangle Hardwicke is associated with. On the other hand, there's a claustrophobic paranoia here that feels much more akin to horror movies like "The Thing."
So which is it? To find that out, you'll have to wait until the movie comes out in March 2011.
www.go2bagtrade.com
The trailer for "Red Riding Hood" makes it seem the classic fairy tale has received the "Twilight" treatment.
This isn't surprising. The director of "Red Riding Hood" -- Catherine Hardwicke -- also shot the first installment of the world's most profitable sparkly vampire franchise. What might be surprising, though, it is that the idea for an amped-up fairy tale bursting with adolescent angst didn't come from her.
Instead, it came from Leonardo DiCaprio.
According to Hardwicke, who was recently interviewed for the Los Angeles Times, DiCaprio thought, "Wouldn’t it be cool to do a Gothic twist on Red Riding Hood, with the wolf being a werewolf, and just have a cool, sexy romantic thriller?" Soon his company, Appian Way, began to develop the idea.
Star Amanda Seyfried's rumored beau >>
Judging from the trailer, which you can see below, Leo got exactly what he asked for. By the looks of it, "Twilight" fans are going to be very pleased with the results.
It opens with Amanda Seyfried gamboling in an autumnal glade with a handsome young suitor, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), who sports an anachronistic faux-hawk. As they embrace, we hear Seyfried say, "I’ll do anything to be with you." And then, suddenly, the trailer makes a left turn into Gothic! There’s talk of killer wolves, there’s foreboding music, there’s Gary Oldman.
From what I can piece together, Amanda is in love with Peter though she's betrothed to Henri (Max Irons), another handsome young suitor in a faux-hawk. Someone in the village is a lupine supernatural killer, but, in spite of Oldman's glowering looks, no one is 'fessing up. Somewhere along the lines, Seyfried dons her red cloak and goes to grandmother's house.
The 'Twilight' story that never was >>
So -- Is this flick like "Twilight?" Or has this trailer been edited to remind everyone of "Twilight?" On the one hand, the set-up does seem remarkably familiar, with one or both of Seyfried's paramours most likely werewolves. That sounds a lot like that other lycanthrope love triangle Hardwicke is associated with. On the other hand, there's a claustrophobic paranoia here that feels much more akin to horror movies like "The Thing."
So which is it? To find that out, you'll have to wait until the movie comes out in March 2011.
www.go2bagtrade.com
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