The XX Factor: What women really think.

She's Nothing but Trouble

I agree with Will Saletan that it is an abomination that the late Leona Helmsley wished her potentially $8 billion foundation to go entirely to the dogs. Uber-narcissist Helmsley left one of her largest personal bequests, $12 million, to her badly behaved (surprise!) Maltese dog, Trouble, an amount cut to $2 million by the judge overseeing the case. Looking at the photo of Helmsley's taut, rotten face cuddled up to Trouble, the only creature on earth who could bear the sight of her, fills one with faint longings for the return of Marxism. Helmsley's newly revealed preference for her foundation's mission does not have legal standing, so let's hope the trustees ignore it completely. How much better if they decide to do something useful with the money, follow Warren Buffett's lead, and give the pile to the Gates Foundation. If they do honor their benefactor's wishes, be prepared to see that the best-endowed professorship in the country is the veterinary school that establishes the Leona Helmsley Chair in Canine Anal Gland Impaction.