Osama Bin Laden by the Numbers
A numerical breakdown of the life and death of Osama bin Laden. Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Thursday, May 5, 2011
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Royal Wedding reception included jokes about balding William and tables named after key places
At 7pm on the evening of the Royal Wedding, 300 of William and Kate's closest friends and family arrived for a booze-fuelled knees-up that would have had Queen Victoria turning in her grave.
The reception started quite calmly as the guests in one of the Palace's state apartments found their tables - each named after locations linked to the couple's life including Anglesey, St Andrews, Bucklebury and Highgrove.
The top table was named after a village near Wills and Kate's Welsh home: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
Shortly after 8pm, guests were ushered into the Palace's Ballroom - with two thrones at one end and an organ at the other - for dinner.
One guest said: "It looked stunning. There must have been at least 30 round tables, with ten people on each, decorated with beautiful white flowers and candles."
As every guest was deemed "equally important" to the newlyweds, the tables were a mix of royalty, family members and friends.
They tucked into a meal created by legendary chef Anton Mossimann - a crayfish, crab, salmon starter and a main of Sandringham lamb with veg from the estate, followed by a mix of small puddings.
The bride's father Michael Middleton then delivered a measured speech filled with anecdotes about the couple and Kate's childhood.
A guest revealed he joked about an "awkward" conversation with William when the Prince asked for his daughter's hand in marriage.
Mr Middleton recalled the day William landed a helicopter in the garden at his family's home in Bucklebury and nearly blew his roof off.
And he spoke of how brilliantly William fitted into HIS family.
The future king praised his bride in his speech - saying she "made him whole" and was his "rock".
But any thoughts this was to be a dignified evening typical for Buckingham Palace vanished as Harry, 26, stood up to give his speech.
Placing a Tommy Cooper-style fez on his head, he launched a tirade of mickey-taking at the groom. Addressing the couple as the "Dude and Duchess", Harry ribbed his brother with swipes at his thinning hair. He suggested that when Wills becomes King he rename Sandringham "Baldringham".
For the time being he said the newlyweds should be known as "Duke and Duchess of Hairlosshire" - with his brother being known as the Balding Baron.
As if this wasn't enough, Harry then said sorry to Kate for the fact she was marrying such a bald man.
Harry then turned his attention to William's military career - a constant source of lighthearted rivalry between the two serving brothers.
In a reference to his brother's stints in the three services, Harry went on: "He has served in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force - but only for a week."
He added: "Now that he is a helicopter pilot he thinks he's a real-life Rambo." Harry even cracked a close-to-the-knuckle gag about William "looking great in a thong".
A guest said: "He played it perfectly. He made jokes about being beaten up by William and shot with air rifles - it was a classic."
Another friend said: "Harry was so unbelievably funny that by the end he had most of the room crying with laughter."
Then William's two best mates James Meade and Thomas van Straubenzee delivered a surprise SECOND best man's speech - mocking him for his love of dressing up.
And, in a reference to his love of water polo, pal "Vans" added: "She beats him at everything - especially sports - except when he adores getting dressed up in tight Speedos and playing in a pool full of boys."
From then on the evening descended into a drinking binge worthy of the fun-loving princes.
The state apartment next door had been transformed into a nightclub, supervised by the Royal brothers' "court jester" Guy Pelly.
The room had been decked out with a huge circular bar covered in Haribo sweets and candles.
Instead of sipping champagne, Harry reached straight for the jaeger-bombs - shots of the spirit dropped into a glass of Red Bull.
The Palace rocked as revellers - led by cheeky Harry - quaffed Laurent Perrier champagne, knocked back mojito cocktails and downed sambuca slammers.
Wills, 28, and Kate, 29, had their first slow dance to a live performance of Elton John's Your Song, by chart star Ellie Goulding, 24.
Harry barely waited for the first verse to finish before pulling Kate's sister, bridesmaid Pippa Middleton, 26, on to the dancefloor.
With his on-off girlfriend Chelsy Davy looking on, he held Pippa in his arms and shuffled his feet to the romantic classic.
Even Charles and Camilla were spotted enjoying a smooch to the tune. They left around midnight. Harry was later seen on the dancefloor with one of Ellie's blonde backing singers - and dancing on the window sills.
A source at the reception said: "Harry was on fire all night. He couldn't wait to get Pippa on to the dance floor. He dragged her on to the floor within a few chords of the song. Later he looked very drunk and spent ages dancing with one of the girls from the band.
"He barely spoke to Chelsy and because he was best man they didn't even sit together. By the end of the night she was sitting at the bar looking sorry for herself."
At one point a DJ played the Beatles' classic All You Need Is Love - and Wills and Kate were surrounded by guests who chanted: "She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah!" During another tune they were hoisted on to pals' shoulders and paraded around the room waving their arms.
At 2.45am cheers could be heard as guests were treated to a fireworks display in the back garden.
At 3am the party drew to a close before guests piled into mini buses.
Harry sat just in front of Pippa gripping a microphone and pretending to be a tour guide.
The gang headed off to London's Goring hotel, which had been hired out by the Middletons, where the party continued until dawn.
Additional reporting: SEAN HAMILTON and DAVID WILLETTS
Kate's folks leave London hotel
Michael, Carole, Pippa and James Middleton posed briefly for photographs in casual clothes.
Pippa, who wowed a worldwide audience yesterday in her stunning bridesmaid dress, was wearing a blue blazer, cream buttoned shirt and tight white jeans.They looked happy and relaxed, bearing no signs of the after-effects of last night's celebrations when they appeared at 1.45pm.
Mr Middleton told the gathered crowd: "We had a wonderful time."
They then got into a people carrier and drove off.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Special prayer from Royal pair
Kate and Wills, who were married at Westminster Abbey, also asked for spiritual help to maintain focus on the things that mattered, and to be "generous" with their "time and love and energy".
The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres, read the words penned by the Royal couple ? a declaration of intent for their new life together.
The senior cleric spoke the prayer at the end of his address to the wedding congregation of around 1,900 family, friends, associates and dignitaries.
He told those gathered in the Abbey: "I pray that everyone present and the many millions watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today will do everything in their power to support and uphold you in your new life.
"I pray that God will bless you in the way of life you have chosen, a way which is expressed in the prayer that you have written together in preparation for this day:
"God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage.
"In the busyness of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy.
"Strengthened by our union, help us to serve and comfort those who suffer. We ask this in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen."
The bishop has close links to the groom and his family, becoming a trusted friend of William's father the Prince of Wales when they were students at Cambridge University.
WATCH the moment William and Kate officially became husband and wife
The cleric, appointed in November 1995, is said to have counselled William and Prince Harry following the death of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997.
He was assigned as one of the trustees of Diana's will and also delivered a sermon at her memorial service in 2007.
Along with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, the cleric is said to have given the couple pre-wedding advice on marriage.
Speaking from the Abbey's great pulpit, the bishop began by telling the newlyweds that becoming husband and wife would ultimately enable them to become their "deepest and truest selves".
He acknowledged the thousands who were wishing the couple well, both in this country and abroad, saying it was good that people on every continent were able to share in the celebrations as today was "a day of hope".
Dr Chartres added: "In a sense, every wedding is a Royal Wedding with the bride and groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them to the future."
He also stated that wedlock would "transform" partners for the better just as long as people did not try to "reform" their spouse.
The bishop said: "Marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art.
"This transformation is possible as long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner.
"There must be no coercion if the Spirit is to flow; each must give the other space and freedom. Chaucer, the London poet, sums it up in a pithy phrase: 'Whan maistrie (mastery) comth, the God of Love anon, Beteth his wynges, and farewell, he is gon'."
New-Home Sales Increased in March, but Stayed Low
Buyers signed contracts in March at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 300,000, an 11 percent increase from the month before but down from 384,000 in March 2010, the Census Bureau said Monday.
In March 2005, when a lack of income or savings was no deterrent to getting a dream home with granite countertops and a walk-in pantry, families and investors flocked to new homes at an annual rate of 1.43 million houses.
The millions of homes built during the boom have created a drag on the current market as the owners surrender them to foreclosure. Builders cannot compete against relatively new construction offered by banks for large discounts.
The March sales numbers modestly exceeded analysts’ expectations but nevertheless did not impress. “Still miserable,” concluded Joshua Shapiro, chief United States economist for MFR Inc. While February sales were revised up to 270,000 from an initial 250,000, it was still the lowest of any month since records were first kept in 1963.
Builders told potential buyers in March that they might want to make a deal before new rates came from the Federal Housing Administration, which guarantees many loans. That probably contributed to the rebound.
In a separate report issued Monday, the HousingPulse Tracking Survey indicated that nearly half of the housing market is distressed properties. Because banks generally pulled back on foreclosures over the last six months, the survey underlined the long-term pressures facing the market.
If the banks start processing foreclosures faster, that will create further downward momentum on the housing market. A coalition of state attorneys general and the Obama administration is negotiating with the lenders to persuade them to do more loan modifications instead.
Home prices have been falling for the last six months, and the release on Tuesday of the Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Index for February is expected to show another decline. Before that release, Morgan Stanley lowered its forecast for prices by an additional 4 percent. Morgan Stanley analysts now say prices will drop 6 percent to 11 percent from their levels at the end of last year.
The drop in home construction and sales is in some ways good news for would-be sellers, because it means new supply is not coming to a market that already has excess inventory. But lackluster construction is a drag on the larger economy, contributing to high unemployment and weak consumer spending.
It would take about seven months to find buyers for all the new homes now on sale, a period only slightly longer than normal. Builders are clearly skittish about anything for which they do not have a contract.
No relief is in sight.
“Sales remain very low by historical standards and, considering that a number of home builders reported large drops in orders recently, there is likely more weakness ahead,” wrote Jennifer Lee, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.
In the Region | Long Island: East End Homes Prepare for Guests
“It goes a long way to paying our taxes locally,” said Mr. Stoecker, a senior vice president of Town and Country Real Estate in East Hampton, “and it’s a positive experience all the way around.”
So goes life as summer approaches in the Hamptons. Happy for a windfall, homeowners are cleaning out kitchens and closets in anticipation of paying guests. The homeowners then decamp for less pricey accommodations or take vacations with their bounty. In some cases investors are sprucing up their well-appointed houses, enticing renters willing to pay $15,000 or $50,000 or $100,000 for a month — or more than $600,000 for a Memorial Day to Labor Day stay (and that’s not including the maid, the pool boy, the gardener or the electric bill).
“We have very few hotels,” said Gary DePersia, a senior vice president of the Corcoran Group in East Hampton. “Renting a house has become a convention out here.” It is also something of a race for the most suitable property, with “people in a frenzy trying to find the right house,” whether that’s a $35,000-a-month rental, or a $300,000-a-season rental. “Each renter has their own idea of what their Hamptons experience should be, have a location in mind, a bedroom count in mind and a price in mind,” Mr. DePersia said.
From Westhampton to Montauk, Shelter Island or the North Fork, there are 5,000 to 7,000 rental listings on the market at any given time, Mr. DePersia said, but “in any location, there are only a finite number of good houses.” With prices higher than last year’s and places renting at a faster pace, he said, the winners are houses with amenities like flat-screen televisions, DVD players, wireless Internet access and fresh-looking furnishings. “People expect the same amenities out here as when they stay in a fine hotel,” he said.
Fifteen years ago, he recalled, most Hamptons rentals were taken for the entire summer. As the economy dipped in recent years, the two-week rental became more popular, as well as options to rent for August only, or for July through Labor Day, to coordinate with children’s day-camp schedules. People “are not going to downsize the house,” so instead they book a shorter stay, he said.
Lawrence Citarelli Jr., the president of First Hampton International Realty, has a $395,000 listing for anyone interested in spending July in a 12-bedroom 12-and-a-half-bath mansion on six acres — with pool, tennis and eight fireplaces (in case it gets chilly).
Mr. Stoecker and Jennifer Wilson, who work as a team for Town and Country, have an inventory of 93 homes for sale and 785 summer rentals. So far, Ms. Wilson estimated, about 60 percent of rentals have been scooped up, and more than last year are being rented for the whole season.
Indeed, Mr. Stoecker said, this season seems more like the days before the market took a nose dive — with renters who started shopping on Thanksgiving weekend and trudged through the ice and snow, then “pulled the trigger” in January. He also said that houses south of Route 27 usually rented first and that communities “with the most inventory are the woodsy sections of East Hampton, Amagansett and Sag Harbor.”
But despite Mr. Stoecker’s enthusiasm, perusals of sites like Craigslist turn up a wealth of options for single-week stays, or even long weekends. One recent example is a historic house on a Peconic Bay inlet in Sag Harbor with “lots of lounging areas,” according to the advertisement. Weeks in May and September are $3,200, in June and July $3,800. Cleaning and utilities are included. (When stays are longer, utilities, housekeepers, swimming coaches, landscapers and pool cleaning services can add 15 percent or more to a tenant’s bill, brokers say.)
One of Mr. Stoecker’s properties, a 3,000-square-foot North Haven house on two acres with a waterfront pool and a private beach on Sag Harbor Bay, belongs to Shannon Such and Howard Deutsch. It is listed for $295,000 for the summer. For the last 25 years it has been rented out for the summer — for 23 of them to the same family.
Ms. Such, a lawyer in Manhattan, says that in the fall, winter and spring her husband spends most of the time enjoying the “almost spiritual” water views at the “light and airy and informal but fun” cottage, while she comes out to the East End on weekends.
Summer is “a beautiful time, but it is a crowded time,” Ms. Such said. “It gives us an opportunity to travel” — this summer to Peru — and the presence of tenants easily covers the annual cost of maintaining the house. “It is a bit of an annuity.”
Dee Kerrigan Perfido, a broker-owner of First Hampton International Realty in Westhampton Beach, said she had seen a “nice uptick” in rentals for the first time in three years. Waterfront homes for rent are “going very quickly,” partly because many that sat out the downturn as rentals have now sold. Former tenants are among the buyers. “Renters have decided they liked it here and they’ve bought,” Ms. Kerrigan Perfido said.
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