A Grand Love Affair

King Edward Vlll , was next in line for the throne of England. He was the 20 year old grandson of Queen Victoria when the war began and he immediately signed up. The government tried to keep him from the front lines, but Edward did his best to get as near to the lines as he could. He was posted with the 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Guards. He became very popular with the British people, because he wanted to be like every other boy. In 1936 his father King George V died and Edward sat on the throne for England and Ireland for less than one year. We have to go back in time  to 1930, when the scandal began. Wallis Simpson was an American socialite married to a British businessman, when she and Edward met. Wallis had already been divorced once. The two became an item, which led to Mrs. Simpson's second divorce. By the time Edward was on the throne, he had already decided to marry the woman he had fallen madly in love with. Rumors started that she was a German spy, with no proof, and the result was, Edward chose Wallis over the throne. On December 11, 1936, King Edward abdicated the throne, for the woman he loved. On June of 1937 he married Wallis at a ceremony in France and assumed the title of The Duke of Windsor. The family was forbade to attend. The newlyweds spent the rest of their lives in exile, mostly in France, but some in America. Edward, afterward known as the Duke of Windsor died May 28, 1972 at age 77, and Wallis died on April 24,1986 at the age of 89. They were buried beside each other in the royal burial grounds of Windsor Castle. Twenty four years after Wallis' death, the exquisite 20 piece jewelry collection that Edward gave her, were auctioned off by Sotheby's. The collection has an estimated value of $4.5 million. The end of a wonderful love affair.

Henry B. Plant Museum

Railroad giant Henry Bradley Plant (10/27/1819 to 6/23/1899) was born in in Branford, Conn. His grandmother, offered him an education at Yale College, hoping he would become a clergyman. Henry had different ideas, he got a job as captain's boy and deck hand on a steamboat. He then became involved in railroads and because of his wife's health, they traveled south. After the Civil War, southern railroads were in ruins. Plant, convinced of the south's economic revival, bought Atlantic and Gulf Railroad. He restored lines to help orange growers to get their crops north faster. Tampa became his home port for a new line of steamships to Havanna, and spent $2,500,000 on a Moorish palace named the Tampa Bay Hotel, for Plant's winter guests, which is now the University of Tampa and houses the Henry Plant Museum on six acres. He also developed 150 acres in a pleasure park, with golf course, stables, racetrack and hunting grounds. Most of that is taken up by the school today, except 4.5 acres that is still parkland. It is on the banks of the Hillsborough River and some estimate it would cost $40 million in today's money. Morton Freeman Plant, his son gave many gifts to hospitals. His former 1905 mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City is now the home of Cartier.

If your plans are the visit Italy, then Rome is a must see. Prior to your trip, do some research. I find the local library an excellent resource to do homework before I travel. Not only do they have tourist books, history books, maps, but they also have DVD's, that you can check out. When traveling alone to a foreign country, it might be wise to become part of a tour. You can search for artists, writers, photographers, wine tasting, cooking or any interest you are passionate about, and join the vacation group. You will become familiar with Rome with your group, then can stay on a week or more on your own. A travel agent is an excellent source of information, as is AAA, or you can go it alone on the internet. Most people are familiar through movies and TV, of the must see sights in Rome. There is the Trevi Fountain (most famous of 300 fountains), the Roman Forum, The Pantheon, the Colosseum and the Vatican, just to name a few. Watch a great video of Rome on YouTube.

The Italian people are friendly and English is widely spoken, but you might want to learn a few key phrases before your trip. Remember to check on the weather as it may vary greatly from your home.

Ciao

Largest Financial Reform Since Great Depression

President Obama proposed this reform in June, 2009, in order to stop the 2008 global credit crisis from every happening again. The house passed the Financial Regulatory Reform bill, very similar to what the President had proposed on Friday, June 25th. Two republicans and all by two democrats voted to pass the bill.

There are three basic steps:

1. Regulators receive more power to monitor everything from mortgages to securities.

2. Financial firms are forced to reduce the debt they take on and hold more capital in reserves.

3. If a financial firm is collapsing, the government can seize it, similar to now, they are authorized to seize traditional banks.

The bill will put government in charge of Wall St.. There will be a nine person board, led by the Treasury Secretary. It also puts the President of the United States in charge of appointing the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, not by a board of member bank representatives as done in the past. It also creates a new Consumer Protection Bureau, although the auto dealers won an exemption from this oversight, which will regulate most consumer loans.

After a 20 hour, all night session, which included last minute rapid fire votes from confused lawmakers, last minute deals cut in conference rooms and private discussions between the Obama administration and democratic lawmakers, Friday morning the bill was complete but left people wondering what was and was not in the bill. The bill will go to the senate on Tuesday for a vote, as the President expects to sign it on the July 4th.