Liliane Bettencourt, the L'Oreal heiress and France's richest woman, has sold her island paradise in the Seychelles for three times more than she paid for it.
Mrs Bettencourt, who is at the centre of a corruption investigation that has involving Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, sold the islands to a Seychelles-registered conservation business linked to the Swiss Save our Seas foundation, which intends to turn it into a nature reserve, for £60 million – a profit of £42 million from when she first bought it.
Mrs Bettencourt is said to have handed over envelopes stuffed with cash to the former President of France.
In turn, the 89-year-old is said to have received massive tax breaks when Mr Sarkozy came to power in 2007.
Mrs Bettencourt has some £80 million worth of money in 12 bank accounts in Switzerland and Singapore.
D’Arros Island, together with a number of neighbouring private islets, was also in her portfolio, with Mrs Bettencourt admitting that no tax had been paid on their £18 million purchase price.
Now she has sold them for £60 million, she has agreed to pay some £8 million of unpaid taxes to the Seychelles government as part of the sale.
As well as the unpaid charges dating back to 1998, she also agreed to pay some £10 million in tax on the latest sale.
Despite the serious allegations levelled against her, Mrs Bettencourt has not faced any criminal charges.
The massive profit she has just made on Arros will lead to greater pressure on Mr Sarkozy, whose Paris home was raided by police a month ago, together with two offices linked to him.
Mr Sarkozy and his third wife, the former supermodel Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, were on holiday in Canada when detectives arrived, and have not been seen since.
Judge Jean-Michel Gentil believes that Mrs Bettencourt may have illegally contributed two payments of 400,000 euros (£335,000) each to Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign.
Both were traced to Swiss accounts, and one was allegedly received by Mr Sarkozy in person in Paris.
Mr Sarkozy is also facing allegations that he profited from illegal arms sales to Pakistan, and that he accepted millions from former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Mr Sarkozy denies all the charges, with his lawyer Thierry Herzog saying the searches of his home and two lawyers offices linked to him would “find nothing”.
Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has courted controversy once again after saying he does not like Pippa Middleton’s face, it has emerged.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Lagerfeld, 78, said Pippa Middleton should “only show her back”, saying she “struggles” with her looks.
The Chanel creative director, who had to apologise to singer Adele earlier this year after condemning her as “too fat”, has given a harsh critique of the Duchess of Cambridge’s sister saying: "I don't like the sister's [Pippa] face."
In contrast, he praised the Duchess for her “romantic” beauty and “nice silhouette”. He has also given his approval for her marriage to the Duke of Cambridge, conceding she was the “right girl for that boy”.
Lagerfeld's comments, disclosed by The Sun newspaper, appear to have been made during a discussion of the Middleton sisters’ styles.
He appears to be referencing the now-famous photograph of the younger Miss Middleton from behind, as she took the role of bridesmaid at the Duchess’ wedding.
The image was beamed around the globe and led Miss Middleton to being nicknamed “Her Royal Hotness” by some in honour of her posterior.
Lagerfeld reserved praise for former Spice Girl and fashion designer Victoria Beckham for her slim figure, saying they had the “same eating habits”.
"She is great. I like her a lot. I have known her for many years,” he said.
"And that body, after four children. There are not so many who have a body like that. She is very disciplined.”
It's not the first time the designer has criticised a fellow famous figure. In February this year, Lagerfeld said of Adele: “She is a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice.” He later apologised for his comments.
Yesterday I was making the rounds through the department stores, in an aggressive 24-hour period of self-improvement that essentially consisted of bringing my wardrobe into the year 2012.
I decided, also, that not smelling like Axe Body Spray at all hours of the day would play nicely into my self-improvement frenzy -- so I checked out the cologne counter at Macy's. I asked the woman there which brands were popular, and she directed me to one called "Success."
Only a couple seconds later did I notice below that, in small lettering: "by Trump."
Wait, what?! A Donald Trump cologne that is subtly marketed, restrained even? I had to try it.
I was expecting overpowering musky boardroom in-your-faceness, but the cologne actually rocks, and I bought it. It is light and 21st century. They even threw in a free Trump-branded tote bag, which I will use in the gym (assuming my self-improvement kick continues).
This new cologne was weirdly slammed by a reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek, so not everyone likes it. "Donald Trump's new cologne smells like soap. Not bar soap exactly, more like a really nice men’s body wash—the kind that costs $12 at the drug store instead of the generic $9 one," she opined.
The article then proceeded to mock Trump's political opposition to the Obama administration. As if an inanimate commercial product like cologne should be judged not on its smell, but on the political activities of its progenitor.
This has become a favorite topic of mine in media circles: those half-brained liberals, and quite a few television conservatives, who have mocked Trump's staunch opposition to Obama's power grab will -- eventually -- be forced to eat their words.
I've come to the realization that Trump's tirades against our unsustainable national debt, and Obama's astonishingly unconstitutional power grab, are not the PR stunts of a billionaire with a reality show to sustain.
They are the sacrifices of someone with a national platform large enough to actually speak out against what is happening: the federal government seizing new powers over our lives, an indifferent public supporting these actions because they "like" Obama's appearances on Jay Leno, or his Spotify playlist, or his down-to-Earth Facebook page.
The $45K per year reporters in their elitist media circles might enjoy mocking Trump now, but in the aftermath of this presidency we will see that very few people spoke out against the Obama power grab. Those who did will be rewarded with greater public trust; those who didn't may just hear the catchphrase "You're fired!"
US Casino gaming revenues are on the upswing. Gross revenues in the US casino gaming industry will rise by 5% (Compounded annually) over the next three years. Revenues are expected to grow to $73.3 billion by 2015. The price per head going into casinos is rising quicker than anyone ever imagined.
Nevada, the casino gaming capital of America, brought in $10.7 billion in 2011 and is expected to reach $12.96 billion by 2015. That’s nearly one fifth of the entire US gaming market. Card games revenue in Nevada is expected to increase to $125 million by 2015.
The biggest projected growth will be seen in the Regional Casinos with a compound annual growth rate of 7.3%. This is expected to dampen the growth of the Tribal Casinos.
The only market that is set to decline is Atlantic City. It is forecasted that it will decline 4.6% compounded annually. If you look at where Atlantic City was in 2006, it is expected to be 46.1% lower in revenue by 2015. So there are some serious losses occurring in Atlantic City.
Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Swiss logistics group Euroasia Investment SA plans to build a $100 million tax-free storage facility next to Beijing Capital International Airport to tap the booming Chinese art market.
The company is to replicate its Singapore Freeport model, its chairman said. The port has a maximum-security vault for art, gold and valuables, allowing collectors to store valuables without paying taxes or filling customs forms.
The Beijing Freeport of Culture project is a joint venture between Euroasia and state-backed Beijing Gehua Cultural Development Group. The project is part of a government initiative to promote the culture industry and clamp down on art smuggling.
“There will be a kind of public service in charge of authentic works getting in and out,” Tony Reynard, chairman of the Singapore Freeport, said by telephone from Singapore.
The Beijing facility, which is still awaiting its license, should be ready by the middle of 2014, said Reynard. The Freeport is planned to be exempt from import duties, value added tax and consumption tax, amounting to a 34 percent saving, he said.
The 83,000 square-meter (893,405 square feet) facility will be almost three times as large as Singapore’s, where all available space is fully let, he said.
Auction Space
The site will also include exhibition space designed to host international auctions, he said. Executives at Sotheby’s and Christie’s International in Hong Kong were not immediately available for comment. Neither currently holds auctions inside China.
While China boasts more than 1,000 auction houses, the business is plagued by problems of fakes, smuggling and non- payment.
Last year, China overtook the U.S. to become the world’s largest art and antiques market, said a report published by the Netherlands-based European Fine Art Foundation. Auctions in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan raised 9.8 billion euros ($12 billion) in 2011, said the report.
Muse highlights include Manuela Hoelterhoff on arts and Jorg von Uthmann on Paris art.
--Editors: Mark Beech, Jim Ruane.
To contact the writer on the story: Frederik Balfour in Hong Kong at fbalfour@bloomberg.net or on Twitter @frederikbalfour.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.
The Walt Disney Company invited The Pursuitist to tour the new, ultra-luxurious Golden Oak community — and to experience magical VIP tours, rides and dinners at Disney World. More photos are coming, check out our initial photos and impressions of this amazing luxury destination in the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort.
Golden Oak is a new luxury residential resort community from the Mouse House, designed by the Disney Imagineers. Have you ever wanted to live at Disney World? Well, now you can.
Homeowners have full access to the Disney theme parks, as well as resident-only facilities, including private VIP tours of the parks, holiday home decorating, grocery delivery, an on-call concierge service, a yoga studio, a fitness facility, and a full-service spa.
Disney has raised the bar drastically high with the Golden Oak community. On our first-hand experience inside many homes and the club house at Golden Oak, we were incredibly impressed with the over-all endeavor. From exceptional design to services that will exceed your expectations, this is luxury with Disney flair. The homes we toured were brilliantly built with an incredible attention to detail. The floor-plans are second to none, and the community connects in a unique yet cohesive manner.
The Golden Oak community, which is named after Walt Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch in California, offers single-family, custom homes priced between $1.5 million and $8 million — and they plan to build fewer than 30 homes this year. In our opinion, the homes are very affordable — considering the quality of the homes and the prime location. Ultimately, Disney plans to build 450 homes and a 445-room Four Seasons hotel at the location.
Looking for the ultimate vacation home for the family? Look no further than Disney’s Golden Oak. Here’s the first look at the luxury homes from Golden Oak, Pursuitist photos are below:
The air hangs heavy with a perfume of orchids and mango, curry and teakwood as the sun beats down.
You go deep into the maze till you’re lost amid stalls of carved Buddhas, weavings, and ancient temple bells. Welcome to Bangkok’s Chatuchak, the world’s largest market.
Bazaars like Chatuchak turn shopping into a cultural exchange, knitting you into local rhythms, customs, and traditions like few other travel experiences can. The best give you an entrée into day-to-day life, allowing you to interact with sellers and to come away with souvenirs that truly tell a story.
“When you are traveling and shopping the local markets, the ‘edit’ or mix of goods isn’t designed for you—it’s for the locals—so you run a much better chance of finding something you’ve never seen or even thought of before,” says Wendy Wurtzburger, Anthropologie’s chief merchandising officer.
It’s the vibe of bazaars as much as what you buy there that inspires Wurtzburger and the buyers at Anthropologie. “The color, the mix of textures, and the sheer volume of stuff make the experience. You can’t take that home,” she says. But you can find items that evoke that feeling. For Wurtzburger that might mean a 1960s suzani (embroidered textile) found in Istanbul or a vintage oil painting from Paris.
Les Puces’ Le Marché Serpette in Paris is among the most famous, well-established bazaars and has retained its cool over more than 200 years. In Buenos Aires, too, the San Telmo flea market has been a Sunday tradition since 1897. You can review the day’s purchases—perhaps a leather saddlebag or vintage glassware—over a bottle of Malbec at one of the outdoor cafés as dancers tango through the street.
Even as these bazaars remain favorites, design hounds the world over are increasingly getting inspiration from the next generation of cool bazaars like the Brooklyn Flea and London’s Brixton Village Market. They create a space for artisans to sell their goods and a sense of community for like-minded locals and tourists who can pour over the latest that each city has to offer.
Start by browsing our picks for the world’s coolest bazaars, from these new-guard markets to the ancient souks of Marrakesh and India and the grande dame fleas.
The city of Marrakesh was founded on shopping: it was a desert trading post for caravans on their way to and from Timbuktu. And though certainly more modernized (ATMs aplenty), its souks still throb with the heady exoticism that has long drawn travelers down its alleyways. Serious shoppers should set aside two full days to get lost in the maze of streets, getting past the touristy stalls right at the main Djemaa El Fna Square, past rug-sellers and lantern stands, musical instruments and sweets shops, to where leather is still tanned, silver is worked by hand, and wool is dyed in steaming rainbow-hued vats.
Best Buy: Moroccan wedding blankets. Long a favorite of high-end designers like Jonathan Adler, these white fringed and sequined throws are thought to ward off evil spirits. And here they cost about a quarter of the price that they do in U.S. boutiques. Open daily.
Feria de San Pedro Telmo, Buenos Aires
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
You go to the Feria de San Pedro Telmo on Sundays as much for what you can buy—vintage frocks, Art Deco jewelry, antiques—as for what you can see. The market was built in 1897 and retains the turn-of-the-century charm of leaded glass and wrought iron. Throughout the streets, tango dancers, classical guitarists, and other performers entertain tourists as well as porteños out for a weekend stroll. After dark, the stalls on the neighboring Plaza Dorrego are cleared away to make room for an outdoor milonga, or tango gathering. Review the day’s purchases while you watch the dancing over a glass of Malbec at one of the outdoor cafés.
Best Buy: Argentina is known for its leather, and there are amazing deals to be had here on vintage saddlebags. Open Sundays.
If people in Beijing tell you to go to the Hong Qiao Shichang for cheap pearls and knock-off bags, do not listen. Unless, of course, you enjoy getting full-body tackled while haggling for a faux Chloe bag (true story!). What you really want out of a Chinese shopping experience can be found in the wee morning hours at Panjiayuan Jiuhuo Shichang, a.k.a. the Dirt Market. Each weekend, vendors set up row upon row of antique furniture, delicate teapots, vintage Mao memorabilia, old instruments, and more. Come ready to bargain.
Best Buy: Vintage curios. A recent visit turned up a 1940s Chinese globe and a Mao tea set for less than $15 each. Open weekends.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A painting by the late pop artist Roy Lichtenstein that disappeared 42 years has turned up in a warehouse in New York City.
Lichtenstein's black and white "Electric Cord" was reported as stolen after it was sent out to be cleaned by owner Leo Castelli in 1970 and never returned.
The painting shows a tightly wound electrical cord. Court papers say it re-emerged last week when the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation notified Castelli's widow, Barbara Castelli, someone was trying to sell it.
Castelli's court filings say the painting recently was on display at a museum in Colombia.
"We're concerned that this painting is just going to disappear," Mrs Castelli's lawyer, Benjamin Semel, said.
A judge on Tuesday signed an order barring the Manhattan warehouse from selling or moving the painting until a hearing next week.
Mrs Castelli, an Italian art historian, only realised the painting should have been part of her inheritance in 2006, when the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation sent out a card featuring a picture of the painting, urging the public to come forward with any information.
On July 24, the foundation told her that a New York gallery had called to authenticate it. It had been shipped from the Quinta Galeria in Bogota, Colombia, according to the court records.
Who among us hasn’t needed a mental health day
at some point in our lives? In the vernacular, this just suggests a day where
we take the day off from our work and household obligations to do nothing but relax.
And relaxation isn’t the only reason we take little time-outs from our daily
lives: we call in sick to take care of our medical issues and we leave work early
to watch our kids’ sporting activities.
But most of us don’t set aside the time we should to manage
our personal finances - and managing them effectively definitely requires some
time and attention.
Next time you get a personal day off or are on vacation,
consider declaring it your ‘Financial Health Day’ and spending at least half
the day tending to your money matters with laser beam focus. Ideally, do it on
a weekday (and not a holiday), when the various financial institutions and
vendors you may need to contact will be reachable via phone.
When you’re ready to take your Financial Health Day, get
organized by listing the things you’ll want to handle that day line by line – don’t
forget to include the following:
1.
Check
your bank account statements. It’s very easy to set subscription services
and bill payments up for automatic deduction from our checking accounts, then just
forget them entirely – hence the phrase, “set it and forget it!” That’s
actually the point, you might think. Financial Health Day is the day to take a
half hour and just review your checking account statements from the last couple
of months, line by line, looking for any subscriptions you no longer want or
need. Then cancel them! Common ones include cable, app and magazine
subscriptions.
Also, watch for auto-paid bills that have
increased without your noticing, and give the providers a call to figure out
why they went up and/or otherwise decide how you want to get them under
control. Common offenders include home and auto insurance, cell phone bills,
utility bills and the like.
One more thing – if you are so inclined,
consider setting your checking accounts up on a service like Mint or Manilla
– these free services not only allow you to manage multiple accounts in one
place, they also offer instant charts and graphs that surface where your actual spending patterns may not jive
with what you say your priorities
are. For example, you might tell the service that your food bill should be 10%
of your monthly spending or less; the service may tell you, in turn, that
you’re actually spending 15% of your cash out on food. Auditing your accounts
for spending that is out of whack in this way can supercharge your cost-cutting
goals.
2. Check your mortgage interest rate. The
going rate for a 30-year home loan this week is 3.57 percent, according to
Bankrate; 15 year mortgages are running at 2.97 percent. (These are prime interest rates, which take
A-list credit scores and ample home equity to obtain.) But that doesn’t
necessarily mean that every homeowner with a mortgage rate over 4 percent
should refinance! Refinancing your home
loan can cost money, and it definitely extends the life of your mortgage
(unless you make an intentional, strict plan to pay it off early). Talk with
your financial planner and mortgage professional to do the math and see whether
you should consider refinancing your home loan. (Hint: set your FHD to-do list up in advance,
so you can make appointments with these and other professionals for that day.)
Additionally, keep one important thing in
mind: your mortgage interest is the basis for the largest tax advantage of
homeownership. If you refinance your home loan for one with a dramatically
lower mortgage interest rate, you need to account for the possible increase in
income tax liability that may result – it may offset some of the monthly
savings you realize. Again, your
financial planner and CPA should be able to help you calculate and plan for
this, before you make any moves.
3. Check your PMI. If you put less than a 20 percent down
payment into your home when you bought it, you were likely required by your lender
to have a Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) policy. PMI – insurance that protects your lender in
the event you default on your mortgage – is not cheap. It can add hundreds of
dollars to your monthly mortgage payment. FHA loans have their own version of
PMI called a mortgage insurance premium, or MIP, which can run even more than
PMI!
Fortunately, when the combination of paying
the balance down and increases in its fair market value results in you having at least 20% equity in your home, you might be eligible to have the PMI removed from
your mortgage loan, so you can stop paying for it. Even more fortunately, home values have been
on the rise in many areas at a much faster rate than at any time since the
recession. Your Fiscal Health Day is the perfect time to talk with your
mortgage professional and your lender about what it will take to get the PMI
removed from your home loan - you might even
get a truly pleasant surprise and find that you’re eligible right now!
(Side Note: FHA loans with less than 20
percent down are required to have MIP for the first five years of the loan,
regardless of how much the home’s value increases.)
4.
Check
your insurance. Gather up your
homeowner’s and other insurance statements, or call your agent(s) up and ask
for a review. What you want to do is
make sure that (a) you’re appropriately insured for your exposure, and (b) you
aren’t paying more than you need to. Things
like dogs, household staff, pools, your roof materials and your travel habits
all may impact what amounts and types of insurance policies you’ll need. Talk with your insurance agent and your
financial planner, if you have one, to sort these matters out, and don’t be
afraid to shop around.
5.
Check
your phone, cable and internet bills. I had the same home telephone service provider
my whole adult life until a couple of months ago. I decided I no longer needed
a land line, but wanted to continue my internet service. Boy did I get the
run-around when I called to make that change! So I hung up and called the
number for a competing service provider about which I had heard rave reviews
from my friends. After less than 20 minutes on the phone, I ended up switching
services entirely and got home phone service, internet service and cable – including premium channels –
for about 50 percent of what I had been paying for cable alone!
Don’t let brand loyalty or inertia cost you
hundreds of dollars a year. Reevaluate your phone, cable and internet services
at least every other year – you might be surprised at how increased competition
among vendors and the practice of “bundling” these services has brought prices
down, and service levels up. My internet is twice as fast as it was before, and
I haven’t had one day down since I made the switch. One caveat – do watch for discounted
introductory rates that increase substantially six months or a year into the
relationship.
6. Check your savings. Do you have an automatic savings plan in
place? If not, Financial Health Day is a
great day to set that up with your bank.
If you do, it’s the right time to do a gut check: would it kill you to
save an extra $50, $100 or $200 a month?
If you can afford to, tweak your savings on Financial Health Day.
7. Check your credit. Pull your own credit reports from all three
bureaus via AnnualCreditReport.com.
Scan the reports for any inaccuracies and any delinquencies that should have
aged off your report but have not (7 years for most, 10 years for
bankruptcies). Then, initiate disputes for any of these things you find. This
can take some time, but Financial Health Day is the perfect opportunity to
assertively manage your credit before you’re in refinance or home buying
crunch-time.
8. Check your debt. Monitor all of your debt – from your mortgage,
to your consumer debt to your student and auto loans – and put a plan in place
for getting rid of as much of it as you can, as soon as you can. Can you afford to make an extra payment
toward your mortgage? Can you pay that
credit card off? As you’ve worked through
the rest of your finances, you have likely ‘found’ money, which you’ll now be
saving and can redirect toward the very worthy aim of debt elimination. So,
do! Maybe you’ll find enough to pay
something off outright – if not, perhaps you can use your Financial Health Day
to set up a recurring extra payment or modify your existing auto-payments to
increase them by even a small bit. But if all you can do is make a modest extra
payment toward these things on your actual Financial Health Day itself, you’ll
still end the day a little further ahead than you were when you got started.
And that’s not all!
There are plenty of other financial matters that make sense to allocate
time and energy toward on Financial Health Day, from your estate planning to
your investments. New York Times writer Ron Lieber has put together a
resource-rich set of materials, including videos and a customizable checklist,
for what he calls a
Financial Tuneup – use them to round out the rest of your Financial Health
Day or, if you’re like me, to set your agenda for Financial Health Day #2!
P.S. - You should followTrulia and Tara on Facebook!
As you speed along the ship’s top-deck raft ride, waves break at the ocean’s surface 150 feet below. It’s an acrophobe’s nightmare—and could be the most thrilling moment of your next cruise vacation.
We’ve come a long way in the century since the Titanic, when that ship’s heated swimming pool was a mind-boggling luxury. Now it’s AquaDuck, the cruise industry’s first water coaster, that’s making a splash on board the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. From within the raft ride’s clear acrylic aerial flume (which extends 12 feet over the side of the ship), you’ll experience that heady ocean view.
It takes pluck to stare down the AquaDuck and the rest of the world’s craziest, record-breaking waterslides. Some, like Brazil’s 135-foot-high Insano, are traditional body slides, while others resemble intricate roller coasters and showcase innovation in waterslide technology and design. Case in point: Italy’s new Divertical, which features a unique elevator lift system and speeds more than 65 miles per hour.
Like the Divertical, which is also now the world’s tallest waterslide at 197 feet, many of the craziest rides have set new records. Title of longest slide now goes to Mammoth at Indiana’s Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari, where six-person rafts are propelled up and down hills across three acres—and partially in the dark.
Then there are the aquatic attractions making waves for their aesthetic appeal. Consider the slide that cascades down a replica of a Mayan temple at the Atlantis resort or Beijing’s colorful RideHouse, with its corkscrews, climb nets, and other quirky design elements. It was customized for the Happy Magic Water Cube Waterpark, a new use for the Water Cube, one of the most iconic venues at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
“This level of theming is relatively new to the water park industry, and what we did with RideHouse was groundbreaking when we put it in the Water Cube,” says Brad Goodbody of ProSlide.
The lavish theatrics of China’s water parks have earned them praise—and patrons. Guangzhou’s Chimelong Water Park entertained nearly 2 million visitors in 2011, making it the second most popular water park in the world (Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon takes the top spot).
When news broke that the cutting-edge Beijing National Aquatics Center (a.k.a the Water Cube) would be converted into a theme park, expectations were high. And sure enough, China’s first themed indoor water attraction debuted in 2011 tricked out with valves, cranks, jellyfish, buckets, water cannons, giant bubbles, climb nets, and spray tubes—and that’s the short list of design elements.
Crazy Fact: RideHouse is made up of 12 separate slides (the most of any water-play structure in the world) and boasts its own giant water-filled cube that periodically soaks those waiting for their turn.
Eleven slides form Sicily’s most scenic water attraction, which runs down a cliff on the northwest coast of the island. On a sun-drenched summer day, the turquoise slide, which is open to guests of the resort, complements the clear-blue waters of the Gulf of Castellammare—the end point of Toboggan. Keep your eyes open: the slide passes three decks, and each level delivers spectacular views of the 67-acre property.
Crazy Fact: A full top-to-bottom journey down this seaside slide will send you into four separate bodies of water: three pools and the Mediterranean Sea.
The king cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake, so it makes sense that this eponymous ride, which opens in mid-July 2012, promises to be one of the craziest theme-park attractions. Resembling a massive cobra, the ride makes an intimidating first impression with its oversize black, yellow, and bold orange scales and allows two tubes to zip up to 32 mph.
Crazy Fact: The ride’s finale features a sudden 25-foot drop at a 50-degree angle that creates the illusion of riders being swallowed by the King’s massive mouth.
LONDON (Reuters) - Gone are the Beluga caviar parties and ostentation that marked the arrival of Russia's billionaire barons onto the world stage: the new cool for real oligarchs is a much more modest mingling among the common people.
At least that's how metals magnate Vladimir Potanin, with a fortune of $14.5 billion and ranked as Russia's fourth richest man, sees it.
When asked about the garish ways of some fellow businessmen, the 51-year-old tycoon said: "I am so cool and tough that I don't need guards."
"The really cool and tough people are not those who go everywhere with hundreds of bodyguards - the really cool and tough guys are the ones who go without their bodyguards," said Potanin, who owns a 30-percent stake in Norilsk Nickel, the world's largest nickel and palladium producer.
Potanin, who sat with the crowds in ordinary seats while attending four days of swimming, basketball, volleyball and handball at the Games, said lavish displays of wealth were insulting and distasteful.
"It is not good to demonstrate your luxury and your wealth: to rub it in the faces of others is insulting," he told Reuters in an interview. "So you should be modest, try not to insult people by showing that you can do what they cannot."
Though he quipped that he drew the line at using London's public transport system, Potanin's decision to dispense with the VIP boxes indicates at least some of Russia's billionaires may be starting to take on the more understated code favored by the established wealthy in Europe, North America and Asia.
Driven in part by a need to appease President Vladimir Putin's distaste for public displays of oligarch opulence, the modesty marks a new stage in the roller coaster history of Russia's most powerful post-Soviet tycoons.
'BLUE-BLOODED OLIGARCH'
Potanin's privileged upbringing as the son of a high-ranking Soviet trade official and an education at Moscow's elite diplomatic academy have always set him apart from some of the more showy tycoons, many of whom started off trading theatre tickets, Lada cars and fake Levi's jeans on the streets.
"It is not so much that I am a blue blooded oligarch: I just don't feel like an oligarch," Potanin said in the hour-long interview at one of London's most exclusive hotels where double rooms costs 400 pounds ($630) a night.
"I am here not as an oligarch, I am here as an ordinary, regular spectator and I sit in the normal seats with the crowd. I have the same tickets as you do and I follow the same procedure as you," he said.
Building fortunes as the Soviet Union crumbled, a small group of tycoons known as the oligarchs convinced the Kremlin under late President Boris Yeltsin to give them control over some of the biggest oil and metals companies in the world.
The privatization deals gave Potanin and other tycoons the national champions of a former superpower, propelling them into the league of the world's super rich and earning them the enduring dislike of millions of impoverished Russians.
But if the 1990s were the time of often dangerous takeover battles in the wilds of Siberia, the 2000s were when Russia's billionaires signaled to the world that they had returned as high rollers almost a century since Russian aristocrats had dazzled Europe with gambling and sumptuous displays of wealth.
Roman Abramovich, whose fortune is estimated at $12.2 billion, purchased Chelsea Football Club in west London in 2003 showing the Russians had arrived. More followed.
With splendid fortunes and pasts as mysterious as Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby, Russians became the stuff of legend and ridicule as the biggest spenders in cities such as London, where the trend prompted the terms 'Londongrad' or 'Moskva-on-Thames'.
The extravagance of Russia's rich abroad even became a source of pride among some Muscovites: Russia may have lost an empire, but at least its richest could still outspend the best of the West.
PRIVATISATIONS
The mastermind behind the loans for shares auctions of the 1990s said that ostentatious displays of wealth were insulting for millions of Russians who missed out on the privatizations.
"Many people say the privatization was unfair: that is true - it was unfair. That is a fact: some people became rich and others did not. Unfair does not mean illegal but it was inevitably unfair," Potanin said.
"I am not trying to say that I am poor and that I don't like beautiful things. But I don't like luxury for luxury sake or in the sense of showing off luxury," said Potanin, who owns a 75-metre yacht.
Potanin is not alone.
While the oligarchs still live in adrenaline bubbles of splendor that would test the nerves of most mortals, the richest are trying -- at least in public -- to portray a more conservative face to the world.
Vladimir Lisin, Russia's second richest man with a $15.9 billion fortune, is an avid hunter who prefers Cuban cigars and clay pigeons to showing off in public.
Others Russian billionaires take extreme driving holidays rather than bathing on the decks of lavish yachts.
Even Mikhail Prokhorov, the whiz-kid of Russian finance and Potanin's partner for 15 years, has reinvented himself as a politician with an "obsession" about Russia's future and a plan to put it on the right track.
Prokhorov, ranked as Russia's 7th richest man and its most eligible bachelor, was detained briefly in a French ski resort in a prostitution probe in 2007. He was released without charge.
Russia's 96 billionaires control fortunes worth a total of $376.1 billion, or a little under one fifth of Russia's $2.0 trillion economy, while China, whose $7.8 trillion economy is more than three times as big as Russia's, has 95 billionaires.
CHINA'S OLYMPICS?
Potanin, one of the biggest investors behind the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics with a $2.5 billion commitment, said the biggest surprises of the London Olympics had been the strength of the Chinese team, which so far has the most gold medals.
"We all knew they have been preparing themselves for swimming because there was a lack of medals for China in swimming. But I frankly speaking never thought they could be so successful," said Potanin.
When asked whether the strength of China at the Olympics merely fitted a wider growth of Chinese economic and political power, Potanin said: "Yes, that is true. But each time when we see it, it is surprising."
The world's 46th richest man, who said he did about 10 hours of exercise a week including jogging, stretching and Chinese Qigong exercises, said he hoped Russia would be among the top three medal winners at the Sochi Winter Olympics.
"We will not be number one: our aim is to be among the top three, that is realistic," he said.
"We used to have a powerful machine in sport, then there was nothing for 10 years. Now we are relaunching this machine - but when a powerful machine stops, it is very difficult to make it run again." ($1 = 0.6382 British pounds)
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Taking an odd ingredient and finding even more unusual uses for it.
It’s not so much that the following uses are particularly unusual, but rather that nutritional yeast itself is an odd ingredient.
It’s gaining popularity among foodies for its cheesy taste and nutritional benefits, but it still has a way to go in terms of becoming the pantry staple it’s meant to be.
Nutritional yeast (nooch) is one of the only non-animal sources of vitamin B-12. It only takes 1/2-1 tbsp of nutritional yeast to get the daily requirement for B-12. Nutritional yeast is also an excellent source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, chromium, selenium, and other minerals as well as 18 amino acids, protein, folic acid, biotin, and other vitamins.
And don’t worry about the yeast fermenting in your gut. It’s deactivated, so it will not give you the bloat. This is what distinguishes it from Brewer’s Yeast, which has not been deactivated.
As if popcorn couldn’t get any more addicting, nooch had to get involved. Sprinkle the powder along with a drizzle olive oil and a dash of sea salt onto popcorn just popped for a cheesy touch.
Add other spices, such as garlic powder, dried thyme or dried rosemary for an even more gourmet experience.
Skip cheese and sprinkle a light layer of nutritional yeast onto pizza just after it leaves the oven. Cheese is hard to digest, especially when cooked, but that doesn’t mean you have to cede the taste completely.
If you top a pizza with diverse textures and flavors, such as a robust marinara sauce, roasted vegetables and nutritional yeast, the cheese component is unnecessary.
As back to school shopping heats up, some state governments will be jumping in to help out consumers. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia all have state sales tax holidays this weekend, from 8/3/12-8/5/12. The tax-exempt items included in the holidays vary, but most states include at least clothing and school supplies.
These tax free holidays amount to an incredible savings opportunity for shopping online. This is because buying over the Internet means the chance to use online rewards malls or cash back sites. Online rewards malls are websites that grant additional bonuses, typically in the form of bonus points, miles, or cash back, for purchases made at participating e-retailers.
Tax free holidays, then, give you the opportunity to buy items for the new school year that you know you’ll already need for your family, save on sales tax, and get rewards by shopping online. Because understanding how to take advantage of this opportunity might be confusing, however, we compiled a guide for navigating the tax free holiday online.
What is an Online Rewards Mall?
Rewards malls usually come in two forms: popular membership points programs, like Chase Ultimate Rewards or United Mileage Plus Shopping, or independent cash back websites like eBates.com or FatWallet.com. In general, airline rewards programs grant shoppers miles, credit card portals offer bonus points, and independent sites offer cash back.
Aren’t Internet Purchases Already Tax Free?
Recent debate about Internet sales tax reform in Congress has reignited the controversial question about sales tax and Internet purchases. The short answer is that right now, you are only taxed at the point of sale by online retailers who have a “physical presence” in your state. Yet the intricacies of this definition cause headaches for retailers, consumers, and states alike.
The bottom line, however, is that you will be charged sales tax at most of the online stores where you will likely do your back to school shopping. This is because 18 of the top 25 online retailers, such as Target.com, Sears.com, and Wal-Mart.com, are “brick and click” stores that have integrated their online operations and physical operations. If there’s a physical Target location in your state, you’ll be charged sales tax online at Target.com. Amazon.com, however, currently only collects sales taxes from customers in Kansas, Kentucky, New York, North Dakota, Texas, and Washington, as the retailer has found creative ways to avoid collecting these taxes from other consumers.
Nevertheless, because most online retailers with big back to school shopping inventories will be charging you sales tax online, use the sales tax holiday to avoid paying these payments to the state.
Special Conditions
If you made your purchase during the sales tax holiday, you won’t be charged sales tax, even if the delivery date will be after the tax holiday is over. This is pretty easy to figure out- when you’re about to confirm all your cart and personal information details at online checkout, just make sure the retailer hasn’t charged you any sales tax.
Rules on layaways, rain checks, and other special offers vary from state to state, however. Check your state’s official policy on the sales tax holiday. Some policies, like Virginia’s, are fairly clear and readable. Remember, too, that a state sales tax holiday doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t have to pay taxes. City, county, or jurisdiction taxes could still apply.
Dollar Limits
Most states have a dollar limit on most items you buy sales tax free as opposed to having an amount limit on your total purchase. Check the details for your state. Additionally, utilizing online coupons to get under the stated dollar limit for tax free will probably not count, but for the determined shopper it might be worth a shot.
Most of all, however, good luck on your sales tax free shopping. Utilizing online rewards malls this weekend will net you a double savings bonus. You won’t pay states sales tax, and you’ll be gaining valuable perks and privileges from your online purchases.
The Greek economic crisis has inevitably affected the country's commercial art market. Elizabeth Louizou founded Harma Gallery in Athens in 2007. It sold contemporary painting, sculpture, jewellery, drawing and decorative objects. Despite a strong presence on the Greek art scene and a prominent location in Plaka, the old Athens neighbourhood beneath the Acropolis, Louizou was forced to close down the space in March last year because of financial difficulties.
"Since its very first exhibition in 2007, Harma Gallery has known great recognition, overcome visitors' expectations and gained popularity and customer loyalty very rapidly. Its market share increased until the last quarter of 2009, when its number of visitors and moreover, sales, gradually started declining," says Louizou.
Louizou set up the gallery at the age of 22 without any financial assistance. "I tried to support it by working a second job but the economy and tourism only got worse. As business is business, all the sentimental part had to be taken aside. A negative balance shows an unhealthy business and I could not support a gallery just for a hobby at the age of 26."
While a few collectors invested in art as prices decreased, the revival was short-lived, says Louizou. "Art is a luxury good. When people are struggling to pay for necessity goods – electricity and taxes – they have to set their priorities accordingly. This has a knock-on effect on the Greek art scene. Art becomes the least priority."
High up above Scandinavia about 75 degrees north latitude is an obscure archipelago that few people in the world know about, and even fewer have been to.
It’s called Svalbard, population ~3,000. And while the islands are technically part of Norway, they come with some incredibly unique benefits that I’ll explain in a moment.
For centuries, Svalbard was completely lawless, devoid of any government authority. It attracted whalers, hunters, merchants, and fishermen from all over the world– the UK, Russia, France, Netherlands, North America, and Scandinavia.
Amazingly enough, they were all able to co-exist for hundreds of years without a sovereign authority or central government telling them what to do or how they could live.
Of course, it all got screwed up eventually. In time as word got out about Svalbard, a number of countries tried to claim the islands. Peace turned to conflict very quickly.
Various nations began sending their navies to fight other navies. It was absurd. When they discovered substantial coal deposits, even more conflict ensued.
Svalbard’s fate was ultimately decided because of World War I. The utter devastation that was wracked across Europe led many war-weary politicians to consider a compromise.
Obviously the option of simply pulling out of Svalbard and letting the islands go back to being governmentless was off the table. So in 1920, a group of 14 nations got together and signed the Spitsbergen Treaty, effectively awarding Svalbard to Norway.
Over time, over forty nations (including the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India, and most of Europe) became party to the treaty, recognizing Norway’s authority over the territory.
It all seems rather mundane… except for a few key provisions in the treaty:
1) Travel and Residency. Citizens from countries who are signatories to the treaty can travel to Svalbard and reside there. No visa or residence permit is required. You just show up. This makes Svalbard a unique, albeit unlikely escape hatch.
In practice, it will be difficult to get to Svalbard if you don’t have at least have a visa (or visa-free travel) to Norway. Unless you travel by boat, it’s a three hour flight north from Oslo.
Furthermore, according to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, if you eventually apply for permanent residency on the Norwegian mainland and are accepted, your time on Svalbard will count towards citizenship.
Citizenship in Norway is granted after seven years of permanent residency; you can be out of the country for up to two months of each calendar year during that seven year period.
2) Tax. There is no VAT in Svalbard, compared to 25% in Norway. This makes things noticeably cheaper. It also means that there are no social services, public welfare, etc. People are expected to take care of themselves. Crazy idea, I know.
3) Gun rights. If you already have a permit to carry firearms in your home country, you can use your existing documentation to ‘rent’ a rifle for up to six months from the moment you arrive on the island.
In the meantime, you can apply for a license to purchase firearms through a very straightforward, abbreviated process. Qualification standards include, and I’m not kidding, (a) being sober, and (b) being over the age of 18.
Understandably, most people aren’t going to hop the first plane to Svalbard… but it’s definitely a place to be aware of, especially if you need to hit the escape button quickly.
Cole & Son brings to you the Fornasetti Collection to jazz up your walls and give your house interiors the cool edge with their urban wallpapers. Sure to catch your eyes, these wallpapers have bold new designs and patterns to bring your walls to the forefront. Some of the most prominent patterns are the Mediterranea, Malachite, and the Ex Libris. The Mediterranea wallpaper pattern, available in black-and-white or brown-and-black, is a city scene full of buildings that looks picturesque from a distance. Move a little closer, and the eyes keep moving over the pattern. You can check out the entire Fornasetti Collection of urban wallpapers at the Cole & Son website.
Having a martini or beer while overlooking Disney’s Main Street USA?
Imagine no more. Just hop a plane to France and visit Disneyland Paris. Right on Main Street USA is Walt’s, An American Restaurant, dedicated to Walt Disney, the creator of the Walt Disney Company. It is known as one of the main restaurants of the resort that specializes in fine dining — and Walt’s offers a diverse list of cocktails and beers.
When designing Euro Disneyland, Disney Imagineers wanted to create a place which would act as a tribute to Walt Disney, since European guests were not as acquainted to his life as American guests were. Imagineer Eddie Sotto wanted Walt’s to be designed as a Club 33 for the average guests.
Walt’s is one of only a few table service restaurants inside the Disneyland park. It is advised to make reservations in advance either through your Disney Hotel, Guests Relations at City Hall or finally by calling +33 (0) 1 60 30 40 50. Its nice when visiting Disneyland Paris to eat at a restaurant offering table service — and Walt’s is one of the finest on the Disneyland Paris property. The views are also amazing, as you watch guests stroll down Main Street USA. If you like fine dining, a drink, great service — and you don’t want to eat hotdogs and fries again — just enjoy the ambience of Walt’s. And it is certainly the best restaurant inside the Disneyland theme park.
Walt’s, An American Restaurant, a fitting tribute to Walt Disney, is located on 1401, Flower Street, which is also the location of Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, California.
For the last four years, the superhuman athletes that will be competing this summer have been abstaining from any and all tempting behaviors in their quest for gold.
And if past headlines of prevalent sex, cheating, and drug use (so what if they are performance enhancers) in the Olympic Village are any indication, there’s a lot of steam waiting to blow.
With this summer’s Games taking place in one of the party capitals of the world, you can bet they’ll be hitting the town to celebrate their victories—or drown away their defeats. But before you start fantasizing over bumping into Maria Sharapova at the local pub and wooing her with your obscure tennis knowledge, remember that you will be in the original land of nobility.
These athletes, with their bodies sculpted like Greek gods and goddesses, will be getting the ultimate royal treatment—far from the prying eyes of the peasantry. Which is why we here at Party Earth are here to help. Because if you want your chance at showing Kevin Durant a few tips on throwing down shots, or seeing Aussie swimming star Stephanie Rice in something sexier than her one-piece speedo (hard to imagine), you better know where to go—and be ready to look the part.
So brush off that snazzy sports coat or make a shopping stop at Regent Street, because here are five exclusive clubs in London where you’ll need to look good in order to have the best chance of finding your favorite Olympic athletes.
This story was originally published by Party Earth.
McQueen
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Named after the king of cool himself, McQueen is an ultra-sleek nightclub and lounge in the Shoreditch neighborhood of London. Purple and blue hues pervade under the dim gold lighting, and deep black leather banquettes and sofas balance the rooms.
Three separate areas provide the power players and swank fashionistas with a place to eat, drink, and dance, but the masculine coolness of the venue is topped off with the basement: its Thursday night burlesque shows and late-night DJs are famous for inspiring the sort of antics that would have made the legend himself proud. McQueen, with its crafted cocktails, risqué environment, and trendy clientele, will be a likely place to spot an athlete dressed to impress. Hopefully the rest of the crowds are distracted by the cabaret.
The Cuckoo Club
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Deserving of its own Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous episode, The Cuckoo Club is where the city’s finest throw on their Louboutins and little black dresses for a night of glamour. Competing with Los Angeles clubs for its constant celebrity sightings, the Cuckoo Club will be a prime suspect for spotting Olympians looking to hit the dance floor. Make a reservation and arrive early to this lavish spot because the lines are guaranteed to be stiff. When you spot soccer star Alex Morgan inside and attempt to show off your moves, just make sure not to come on too strong—a penalty kick to the groin with her six-inch heels will hurt even more than with her cleats.
Shoreditch House
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
You might not look twice at this featureless four-story building, but within its upper three floors is an exquisite members-only club known for its celebrities, athletes, and affluent corporate-types that relax and socialize in its tranquil environment.
By far, the highlight of the Shoreditch House is its rooftop. Perched on the roof are a restaurant/bar, a crystal blue pool, and even a Lazy Lawn—a garden area with lounge chairs and beds perfect for a sunny day tan while sipping on world-class cocktails. But if you aren’t a member, how do you get in? Well, tough luck Chuck. Just kidding, there is actually an adjacent hotel next door, and guests are welcome to use the club. So book that room or be prepared to dish out a pretty penny if you want to talk strategy with D-Wade or share a Manhattan with Lolo Jones.
Sure, there’s an appeal to a new swanky restaurant, bar, or club opening.
It’s fun to be a part of something new and exciting, but there’s no way to tell if this new hot spot is a flash in the pan or an icon in the making.
There’s just nothing like the cozy feeling you get from dining or drinking in a historic establishment.
Anyone can set up shop and serve a beer, cocktail or glass of wine, but these six bars on the East Coast and across the pond give off a venerated atmosphere with their long-standing ties and the generations-old stories that live within the walls.
This story was originally published by Party Earth.
McSorley's Old Ale House
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Starting off in New York’s East Village, McSorley’s Old Ale House has been serving libations since 1854 and proudly wears its history with sawdust strewn floors, old photos, and historical documents on display. This pub’s stories range from John Lennon ordering cold ones, Woody Guthrie inspiring the union movement, and Teddy Roosevelt dropping in for a pint. Even Honest Abraham Lincoln stepped in to wet his whistle whilst on his way to becoming one of the most influential American presidents. Turns out these great minds did so for good reason; McSorley’s has been one of the most popular beer bars in NYC for over 150 years.
The Union Oyster House
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Moving northeast, you’ll find two senior Boston bars that are only getting better with age. Standing since 1826, The Union Oyster House is the oldest continually operating restaurant in the United States. The Kennedy family patronized the Oyster House for years and to this day people come from all over to pose at the monument to JFK’s favorite booth. Homage is also paid to one of the original purposes of the building with clippings from American’s first newspaper—the Massachusetts Spy, published in the 1770s—prominently displayed throughout the bar.
Bell in Hand Tavern
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Nearby sits the Bell in Hand Tavern—named after Boston’s last town crier, Jimmy Walker—which claims to be America’s oldest tavern with beginnings dating back to 1795. Walker served as the town crier for 50 years and delivered news of everything from the Boston Tea Party to the birth of the nation before hanging up his bell in favor of the bar. The tavern eventually became famous for something other than its owner when word got out about its two glass beer pours—one glass for the ale and one for the froth.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Blogger Eric Barker pulls out useful tips from the latest psychological research.
Here we've gathered some of his most fascinating insights about sex and attraction, including what attracts people and what you can tell about someone just by looking at them.
Girls really do go crazy for dogs
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Nicolas Guégen...conducted four studies (with Serge Ciccotti) to investigate whether the presence of a dog might increase the likelihood of people obliging one of several requests...a man's likelihood of obtaining a woman's phone number increases three-fold when accompanied by a dog.
In Experiment 1, men who viewed an ostensible conversation partner in a red versus a green shirt chose to ask her more intimate questions. In Experiment 2, men who viewed an ostensible interaction partner in a red versus a blue shirt chose to sit closer to her.
Source: "Red and romantic behavior in men viewing women" in the European Journal of Social Psychology
Girls are attracted to rich men, while guys couldn't care less about a woman's wealth
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
The present study experimentally manipulated status by seating the same target model (male and female matched for attractiveness) expressing identical facial expressions and posture in either a 'high status' (Silver Bentley Continental GT) or a 'neutral status' (Red Ford Fiesta ST) motor-car.
Results showed that the male target model was rated as significantly more attractive on a rating scale of 1-10 when presented to female participants in the high compared to the neutral status context. Males were not influenced by status manipulation, as there was no significant difference between attractiveness ratings for the female seated in the high compared to the neutral condition.
Source: "Effect of manipulated prestige-car ownership on both sex attractiveness ratings", from Br J Psychol. 2010 Feb;101(Pt 1):69-80. Epub 2009 Mar 19
