Watercooler Stories

Book: Abraham Lincoln was gay

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- A clinical psychologist and author claims in a new book that former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was gay.

C.A. Tripp's newly published "The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln" presents several pieces of controversial evidence pointing to Lincoln's homosexuality, the New York Daily News reported.

Among Tripps findings are that Lincoln shared a bed for four years with his friend Joshua Speed after arriving in Springfield, Ill., in 1841 and that during his presidency a bodyguard would share Lincoln's bed when the first lady was away.

Tripp died shortly after completing the manuscript.

Bookseller fires blogger

LONDON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- British bookseller Waterstone's has fired an employee for keeping a blog about bad days at work and satirizing his boss.

Joe Gordon, 37, worked for Waterstone's in Edinburgh for 11 years. He says he was dismissed without warning for "gross misconduct" and "bringing the company into disrepute" through comments he posted on his Web log, or blog, The Guardian said Wednesday.

Several authors and bloggers protested the dismissal, saying it was extraordinary a company advertising itself as a bastion of freedom of speech acted so swiftly to sack Gordon.

Gordon wrote about everything from U.S. elections to his home city of Edinburgh in the satirical blog he penned in his spare time.

Gordon said he had offered to stop posting anything about his work life when the company called a disciplinary meeting. His union said the company rejected his plea.

A spokeswoman for Waterstone's confirmed the firing but declined comment.

World cruise ends up as day trip

SOUTHHAMPTON, England, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- An expensive 103-day round-the-world cruise for 1,769 British passengers fell 102 days short because of another setback for the troubled P&O ship Aurora.

The ship was due to sail from Southampton, England Sunday, but once everyone had boarded, they were told a technical malfunction on the $200 million ship made it unsafe to set sail long distances.

Instead, they embarked on a day trip to the Isle of Wight, which normally costs $17.50.

The passengers spent Monday tied to the pier as engineers worked to rectify the problem. The cruise line offered free drinks and food and complete refunds to anyone not willing to wait.

Fares for the cruise range from $18,500 for a cabin to $80,000 for a penthouse suite.

The Times of London said the ship has been jinxed ever since Princess Ann attempted to name her four years ago, and the champagne bottle fell unbroken into the water instead of breaking across her bow.

Japan markets Cinderella travel packages

TOKYO, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Japanese women are spending as much as $10,000 to play the fantasy role of Cinderella in Europe, the Washington Post said Wednesday.

One of the major promoters of the tours is former bank clerk Makiko Horio, who gave up banking in 2000 to create a travel agency to help Japanese women escape on "princess vacations."

Horio said that before leaving, women receive help from the company in selecting a dress, jewelry, shoes and hair accessories and tiaras. Once in Austria, they get tips on how to move like a princess with their hired dance instructors.

"I think all women share the princess fantasy," she said.

She denies Japanese women are indulging in escapism, and says it's more the fault of Japanese men, who, she said, are too often absent and lacking in chivalry, and expect to be served by women.

"In Japan, the men do not open doors for us or allow us to enter first," she said. "But in Austria, they know how to treat a lady."