Swiss Apologize For Encounter Oprah Calls Racist

English: Oprah Winfrey at the White House for the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  I guess in addition to not getting the Oprah Winfrey Show in Switzerland they don’t follow the Forbes listings of wealthy people.  Oprah is on numerous lists, including being #1 on the Celebrity 100 List and #13 on the list of 100 Most Powerful Women in the World. Maybe it would be a good idea learn who these people are so when they pop into your shop and want to look a handbag that costs the equivalent of a beginning teacher’s salary, you might have a clue.  #customerservice

GENEVA (AP) – Switzerland is a glamorous playground of the rich and famous, filled with glitterati from princes to movie stars. It’s also a land with a sometimes uneasy relationship with foreigners – especially when they aren’t white.

Billionaire media mogul Oprah Winfrey says she ran into Swiss racism when a clerk at Trois Pommes, a pricey Zurich boutique, refused to show her a $38,000 handbag, telling one of the world’s richest women that she wouldn’t be able to afford it.  Winfrey earned $77 million in the year ending in June, according to Forbes magazine.

“She said: ‘No, no, no, you don’t want to see that one.  You want to see this one.  Because that one will cost too much; you will not be able to afford that,'” Winfrey, appearing on the U.S. television program “Entertainment Tonight,” quoted the clerk as saying.  “And I said, ‘Well, I did really want to see that one.’  And she refused to get it.”

She brought up the incident during an interview about her new movie, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” which opens next week and focuses on civil rights and race relations in the U.S. She was asked to open up about her own experiences with discrimination.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/celebrities/20130809_ap_dc0748727bf040c780d8d9610a4a7749.html#Heyzqs5U21ELC7lZ.99

The World’s Most Powerful Women 2013

German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2007. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our annual snapshot of the 100 women with the most impact are top politicians and CEOs, activist billionaires and celebrities who matter. In roughly equal measure you’ll find next gen entrepreneurs and media mavens, technologists and leaders in philanthropy — all ranked by dollars, media momentum and impact (see full methodology here).

We’ve selected women that go beyond the traditional taxonomy of the power elite (political and economic might). These change-agents are actually shifting our very idea of clout and authority and, in the process, transforming the world in fresh and exhilarating ways.

This year the list features nine heads of state who run nations with a combined GDP of $11.8 trillion — including the No. 1 Power Woman, German Chancellor Angela Merkel.  The 24 corporate CEOs control $893 billion in annual revenues, and 16 of the women here founded their own companies, including two of the three new billionaires to the list, Tory Burch and Spanx’s Sara Blakely.  Speaking of, this year’s class has 14 billionaires valued in excess of $82 billion.

Read more:  http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinehoward/2013/05/22/the-worlds-most-powerful-women-2013/

“F-Bomb” Among New Words In Merriam-Webster Dictionary

(Reuters) – Popular phrases such as “man cave,” “bucket list” and “game changer” are among the new entries in the 2012 update of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, according to a list released by the company on Tuesday.

“Sexting” – the sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cell phone – and “f-bomb” – the printable euphemism for a four-letter curse word – also made the list.

Merriam-Webster said the list offers a revealing look at U.S. culture and the colorful language English speakers adopt to describe it.

The term “underwater” reflects the familiar struggles of homeowners who owe more on their mortgage loan than their properties are worth, while the lighter “aha moment” gives a nod to media mogul Oprah Winfrey‘s signature phrase describing a flash of sudden realization.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/sns-rt-us-usa-dictionary-new-wordsbre87d0p0-20120814,0,5768026.story

2011 Top US Female Billionaires

Image via Wikipedia

Since the top five billionaires are dudes, here is how the ladies stack up!

Christy Walton & family (Walmart) $26.5 billion comes in at 10^th on the world’s richest people list.

Alice Walton (Walmart) $21.2 billion takes 21^st place.

Anne Cox Chambers (Cox Enterprises) $13.4 billion is 53^rd.

Abigail Johnson (Fidelity Investments) $11.3 billion is 69^th.

Jacqueline Mars (Mars) $10 billion is 81^st.

Blair Parry-Okeden (Cox Enterprises) $6.7 billion is 145^th.

Marian MacMillan Pictet (Cargill Inc.) $4.7 billion came in at 223.

Whitney MacMillan (Cargill Inc.) $4.7 billion also 223^rd.

Pauline MacMillan Keinath (Cargill Inc.) $4.7 billion also 223^rd.

Ann Walton Kroenke (Walmart) $3.4 billion is 323^rd.

Everybody’s favorite afternoon talk show hostess, Oprah Winfrey is worth $2.7 billion and tied with Donald Trump for 420^th place.

Oprah And Glambert

Something is in the works between Oprah and Adam Lambert.  There is a posting involving Adam on Oprah’s website that indicates another appearance or something possibly more.  They are looking for people who want to be in the audience for a once in a lifetime event involving Adam.

Check it out – if you love Glambert, sign up!

Glambert Update:  Rumor has it Adam will be appearing on an episode of Glee! in a role related to Kurt.