By Jade Watkins
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It is one of the most sort after handbags in the world and customers are often required to go on a very long waiting list in order to obtain one.
But the fashion world is without one less Hermes Birkin bag after Francesca Eastwood and her boyfriend Tyler Shields set one on fire in a new photo shoot.
The 18-year-old daughter of legendary actor Clint Eastwood and her photographer beau burnt the $100,000 crocodile skin version of the bag in the name of art.
Hot stuff: Francesca Eastwood and her boyfriend Tyler Shields set a $100,000 Hermes Birkin Bag on fire in a new photo shoot
In one snap, Francesca is also seen fanning the flames even further by blowing on it with her red-painted pout.
As well as engulfing the leathergood in flames, the teenager also put the handles of the bag in her mouth in order to play a game of tug of war.
The pair finish off the tote by slicing it in half with a chainsaw.
Destroyed: The pair finish off the tote by slicing it in half with a chainsaw
This isn't the first luxury item that has been destroyed for one of Shields's shoot.
A pair of Christian Louboutin shoes were also wrecked in the name of photographic art.
The new pictures come after Shields‘ recently opened his Mouthful exhibit in support of Love is Louder in Los Angeles.
Opening night was last weekend and actress Emma Roberts was one of the guests-of-honour.
It's mine! As well as engulfing the leathergood in flames, the teenager also put the handles of the bag in her mouth in order to play a game of tug of war
The event, held at a private studio, was the most exclusive ticket in town as guests clamoured to get close to the cult photographer.
Also in attendance at the exhibit, presented by A/X Armani Exchange were Tyler‘s girlfriend Francesca, Harry Shum, Jr., and Modern Family‘s Sarah Hyland - who was with boyfriend Matt Prokop - and beauties, Christa B. Allen and Brittany Snow.
The cult snapper posed happily with Eastwood's beautiful daughter and Roberts at the wonderfully surreal event.
Two for the price of one: The Hermes bag is one of the most sought after accessories in the world
Roberts, 21, looked stunning in a black Dolce & Gabbana dress with matching bag with Christian Louboutin shoes.
And the niece of superstar Julia Roberts seemed to enjoy the event, mingling with the giant rabbits and panda wandering around the studio playing chess.
Roberts and Eastwood have often teamed up for a series of stylish photoshoots with Shields.
In love: Shields‘ recently opened his Mouthful exhibit in support of Love is Louder in Los Angeles with Francesca at his side
The photographer is famous for his provocative snaps of stars like Demi Lovato, Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton.
At the event, guests were greeted by human pandas and rabbits donning black A|X suits and 'viewed the out-of-the-box photography before signing special edition A|X Armani Exchange tee shirts in support of Love is Louder and Tyler Shields.
The tees will be auctioned off, with all proceeds going towards the foundation, created to support anti-bullying efforts.
Famous friends: Emma Roberts was also in attendance at the event
According to the press release: 'The fashion-forward crowd received a sneak-peak of the one-day-only gallery exhibition which fuses photography, video, and art installation.
Shattering all the rules, Shields leads the way at the helm of an entirely new breed of art.'
Shields also stars in his girlfriend's new reality show Eastwood & Company, which airs tomorrow night on E!.
Group raises money for C.S. Mott Children's Hospital - Detroit Free Press
TODAY'S SUBJECT: Six area business owners and professionals partnered to host a Mott Spring Tailgate on April 19 at Vanguard Motor Sales to raise money for the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. They were Jim Athens of Vanguard Motor Sales in Plymouth, Dr. Jamie Reynolds of Spillane & Reynolds Orthodontics in Novi and Rochester Hills, Steve Furr, a retired executive from Plymouth, Dr. Benn Gilmore, retired physician and owner of Chrysler Jeep of Ann Arbor, Dr. David Salah of Progressive Dental in Novi and the Core Financial Group of Royal Oak.
THE CAUSE: C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor is consistently ranked as one of the best pediatric hospitals in the country. The new C.S. Mott Children's Hospital (and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital) opened in December 2011.
BACKGROUND: The hosts of the Mott Spring Tailgate have various connections to U-M and C.S. Mott Hospital. For example, Athens' two best friends' children were treated there in recent years and his wife, Kelly, was a patient there as a child and is now a volunteer. Reynolds attended the university and dental school at U-M and was captain of the men's volleyball team. His two children were born dangerously premature and spent months at various pediatric neonatal intensive care units.
The tailgate fund-raiser was first held in 2011 at Athens' home, with 225 people in attendance. This year's event was moved to Vanguard Motor Sales to accommodate its growing popularity and drew 350 people.
Bobby and Wendy Wilson of Akron, Ohio, shared the story of their daughter, Mia. Born in February 2011 with a congenital heart defect, Mia was airlifted to C.S. Mott a few days after her birth, where she underwent emergency open heart surgery and months of treatment. The Wilsons and their three other daughters stayed at the Ronald McDonald House near Mott for the five months of Mia's care.
RESULTS: Guests enjoyed appearances by Michigan football coach Brady Hoke and former U-M Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson and a live and silent auction. One of the hottest items was an autographed Michigan helmet from Woodson, which was available for a $500 donation. The Mott Spring Tailgate raised $65,000 in support of C.S. Mott.
ON GIVING: "Giving is an opportunity ... not an obligation. It's an opportunity to make a difference in other people's lives," said Athens.
Reynolds explains his support for Mott Children's Hospital: "I think it's important for those in a position to give back to feel a meaningful connection to the charitable organization they are supporting. As the father of two children who spent several months in neonatal intensive care units, I have a special place in my heart for medical professionals who care for children."
INFORMATION: To learn more about U-M's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, visit www.mottchildren.org. To learn more about Mia Wilson's story, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipWUlSYvIJU
Giving Back recognizes philanthropy and volunteerism in the Michigan business community. To nominate your company, boss, colleague or employee, e-mail Steve Spalding, sspalding@freepress.com.
Bank of mum and dad goes bust: A third of pensioners forced to borrow money from their children to cover soaring bills - Daily Mail
By Chris Hanlon
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Impoverished pensioners are being forced to ask their children to help pay their bills as soaring food and energy bills leave them unable to cope.
A poll of 2,000 retirees conducted by the firm Responsible Equity Release revealed that a third admitted to asking their children for money in the last year and a third also fear they may have to sell their house just to get by.
Almost half have taken on part-time work to boost their income, while one in six have no savings whatsoever.
Piling up: A third of retirees have been forced to ask to borrow money from their children to help them pay bills
Further research carried out by Age UK found 11 per cent of pensioners had borrowed money to pay their rent or mortgage.
Many have seen a shortfall in their income due to low interest rates on their savings or have been hit by pensions not paying as much as expected.
Hard-up OAPs need to ask for cash is also hitting their children hard at a time when money is tight due to high living costs.
Michelle Mitchell, charity director general at charity Age UK, told the Sunday Express: 'It is extremely worrying that such a high number of older people report having to borrow money just to keep a roof over their heads.
Struggling: Pensioners are increasingly having to turn to their children to help with the cost of living a study has revealed
'Far too many older people are living in poverty and the Government must continue to work pr-actively on ways of getting money to older people who are in desperate need.
Managing director of Responsible Equity Release Steve Wilkie said: 'More than ay other group, they must feel let down by the Government - the forgotten generation, left to fend for themselves.'
It is estimated that 1.8million pensioners in Britain live in poverty.
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Facing money gap, candidate Gregg plays small ball - Ibj.com
Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg hopes time is money as he heads into the heart of the 2012 Indiana governor's race.
Gregg trailed Republican Mike Pence significantly in fundraising as of March, holding $1.5 million in the bank to Pence's $4.9 million. And if the last competitive race for governor is any indication, both camps will need far more than both those tallies to claim the governor's office in November. In the 2004 battle, Gov. Mitch Daniels spent $16.8 million to oust former Gov. Joe Kernan, who spent $14.4 million.
Earlier this month, the Republican Governors Association added to Pence's lead with a jaw-dropping single contribution of $1 million. That donation alone is almost double the amount Gregg raised through the first three months of 2012.
"It's nearly impossible to overcome a fundraising gap the size of the one it appears he has," said Jennifer Hallowell, a veteran Indiana Republican operative.
So Team Gregg has to play a little small ball, going for singles here and there and taking walks when they can get them. For the Gregg campaign, that has meant taking advantage of his time in Indiana while Pence is back in Washington, D.C., working his day job as a congressman.
On a tour of Indiana earlier this year, Gregg started the day with a small fundraiser in Santa Claus with roughly 70 Democratic supporters at St. Nick's Restaurant, near the Holiday World amusement park.
"I want to thank each and every one of you for your contributions, because I know they could have been spent other places," he said.
He delivered his main campaign themes before getting down to brass tacks: Democratic voters make up roughly 40 percent of Indiana's electorate and independents make up another 14 percent, so he's looking for Republicans to cross over and vote for him.
"They're out there, they want their party back, they don't like the way it is. We all know them. Talk to them. Talk to them about helping us out, talk to them about voting for us," he said
Later in the day, Gregg traveled north to Logansport to help Cass County Democrats raise money at their annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner, which cost a relatively meager $25 to attend. He spent a few hours working the room and taking photos with local Democrats before taking the stage.
Gregg's staff says that at his best, he can average five events like those a day, depending on how well they've packed his schedule.
When played successfully, small ball is about more than just scraping together donations. Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock proved that while building a network of Republican supporters, many of them unaffiliated with the tea party, across the state.
Still, the campaign sought a shot in the arm with the pick of Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson for lieutenant governor last week. The Bloomington Democrat appeals to the party's base and should fire up donors turned off by Gregg's conservative stances on social issues, said former Democratic Party Chairman Kip Tew.
"I think she's going to help him in every way," he said.
That money makes the difference in whether a campaign relies on "earned media" or "paid media" to win over voters. The terms refer loosely to whether the campaign "earns" press coverage or pays for campaign ads. Gregg has swapped out the money he doesn't have with a series of press conferences designed to "earn" coverage from the Indiana media.
In some cases, the strategy has worked. Hours after Pence announced he was adding freshman state Rep. Sue Ellspermann to his ticket, word leaked that Gregg was taking Simpson for his ticket. Gregg effectively wrested away the news cycle with his announcement the next day.
But both Tew and Hallowell agree that earned media doesn't win campaigns in Indiana. The Pence team's movements seem to reflect that. While he has trickled out informal ideas to the press, Pence was the first to hit Indiana airwaves with a campaign ad featuring him skating with his wife.
Gregg has gotten off a few obvious jokes about politicians skating in response to the Pence ad. But unless he can convert the time he's spending on the ground into money successfully, they will probably stay little more than inside jokes around the Statehouse.
Charity ride raises £18,000 funds for Cancer Research (From This Is Wiltshire) - This is Wiltshire
Charity ride raises £18,000 funds for Cancer Research
10:10pm Sunday 27th May 2012 in Latest News By Josh Layton
AN INTREPID fundraiser from Swindon has completed a cycle ride of more than 900 miles between London and Monte Carlo – and helped to raise £18,000.
Max Harrison-Tosatto, 21, and his friends overcame punctures, sore legs and wrong turns, which saw them escorted off motorways by the French police.
The group of 20-somethings, who were raising money for Cancer Research, also had to muster extra strength through the mountains in the south of France.
Max, a business studies student at Plymouth University, was on a placement with IBM in Feltham when he and colleagues hit on the idea after discovering they had all been touched by cancer.
At one point Max, who took part in memory of his grandfather and father, had to catch the group up with a 20-mile burst of speed after a nail in his tyre was followed by a split inner tube and a puncture.
The team reached Monte Carlo on May 18 and had to negotiate with the police to take pictures in a square that was on security lock-down for the Grand Prix.
Max said: “It felt really good to complete the ride, especially with the amount we raised, which was £18,000. We think we can still reach £20,000. To raise so much money for a good cause is just brilliant.”
Cycling past the Ferraris and yachts when they reached their destination was one of the highlights of the trip.
“When we got to Monte Carlo we cycled through the start line for the Grand Prix,” said Max.
“We were cycling along and we met a local cyclist who said he would show us the way and thankfully took us straight to where we were going. It was a brilliant way to finish the journey.”
Max, whose dad Eric died of lung cancer, still returns home at weekends to play for Shrivenham FC.
His mum Julie said said she was extremely proud of her son.
“He’s never done any serious cycling before and it’s probably up there as a lifetime achievement,” she said.
“It was an incredible bonding experience for all of them. They did everything off their own backs, from generating funds to every little bit of logistics for the ride.
“Even though they had a couple of setbacks, their spirits stayed high. It’s a mammoth achievement, both on a personal level and for Cancer Research.”
The team set off on May 10 from Westminster Bridge in London. Once in Monte Carlo, they had to get permission to pose for pictures to mark their eight-day journey.
Julie said: “It took quite a lot of negotiating with the Monegasque police and the Société des Bains de Mers, who are in charge of the area around the casino, to get permission for the boys to ride onto the square in front of the casino.
“They were already preparing for the Monte Carlo Grand Prix and security was much tighter than usual.”
Max has kept fit playing football, having turned out for Croft Juniors and then Shrivenham FC.
The former Kingsdown and New College student, of Stratton, has also run in the Swindon Half Marathon.
In their blog post, the group wrote: “We’ve completed the hardest challenge and biggest achievement of our lives. All for a superb cause and one that deserves all the efforts we put in.”
To donate, visit ldn2mc.co.uk
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The rampant custom of 'tea money' persists, and where has it got us? - Nation - Thailand
For the first time in Thailand's history, parents and students staged a hunger strike in protest against what they perceived as unfair school admissions earlier this month. But looking back into history, schooladmission scandals have emerged every now and then, regardless of the policies education ministers, old and new, have boasted about.
So, when a group of students cried foul at the immensely popular Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) school this year, where should we expect their action to lead? A true revamp for the schooladmission system or another effort to play down the scandal?
Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej stepped in fast when he saw the hunger strike. Even though he was in South Korea, he arranged a video conference with the protesting parents and representatives of relevant authorities. However, when he returned to Thailand, he simply attended a press conference to announce the establishment of committees tasked with looking into the schooladmission complaints. He advised the protesting Mathayom 3 graduates of Bodindecha (Sing Singahaseni) to contact the committees. If they had solid evidence to back bribery claims against the Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) school, they could show it to him, he said.
A student said she had heard many allegations against her school director, but she did not have any evidence to offer. She said parents of friends who allegedly paid bribes were not happy about the school director's demands, but would not stand up to accuse him.
The student is among more than 200 at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) who found they had lost their right to continue their studies at their old places at the end of the 2011 academic year. All these students were Mathayom 3 graduates and the school offered many seats to new students who wished to receive a senior secondary education at its facility. Many of these students suspected school executives had taken away their seats to give to children of parents willing to provide a huge amount of 'tea money' or bribes.
According to many informed sources, 'tea money' in exchange for seats at a famous school is a big sum. Each seat can cost up to seven figures. The tea money is paid to the popular schools when they offer seats in Prathom 1 and Mathayom 1. The problem has now spread to Mathayom 4 seats too.
In the past, schools were instructed to allow all their old students to move from Mathayom 3 to Mathayom 4. But late last year, new schooladmission criteria were announced. In line with this new criteria, only 80 per cent of Mathayom 3 graduates could further their study automatically at their old place. The rest have had to compete with new applicants.
Suchart has tried to blame the regulations introduced before he came to the helm of the Education Ministry.
However, no one should forget that he has favoured the acceptance of financial donations from parents. When he first took the post of education minister earlier this year, he publicly talked about how financial donations from wealthy parents could be used to improve educational quality for all.
Donations are often paid to famous schools through associations of students' parents or alumni. Many famous schools may not directly ask for bribes or receive tea money, though. Still, pressure on parents is huge because these schools openly ask what donation amounts they are willing to give to the schools at the time their children submit applications.
The greater the competition, the higher the amount of donations the parents believe they have to offer in exchange for their children's chances to get a good education at a quality school.
Like many of his predecessors, Suchart has vowed to provide quality schools for all children. He has talked about how prestigious schools will help develop other schools and extend quality educational services to more children - and in the end all children - in the future.
But the truth is that more it's more than one decade since the country embarked on socalled educational reform, but the quality of education is still dubious and the custom of teamoney for school seats still rampant.
Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation
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DM...you idiots. The bag is $10,000 not $100,000. Get your reporting facts straight. Either way, I would never spend that much on a bag and I'm sure this idiot guy didn't either...he probably bought a replica from Chinatown for $50.
- Kristin, NY, 27/5/2012 21:54
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