PNUT GALLERY
Happy Weekend Pnutters! To inspire you for the year ahead check out Mark Zuckerberg’s year in review. If your year has been better than his (new daughter, Facebook becoming bigger than the internet and $45 Billion in philanthropy) let us know. We’ll tell him about it (tweet at him).
IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ
Putin: Hate Turkey, Love Trump
President Putin held his annual news conference where he sits for three hours and answers entirely “spontaneous” and “unfiltered” questions from the audience and citizens. Last year he answered one from Edward Snowden on surveillance (pot calling the kettle black wrapped in irony). Here were his main points:- Turkey has decided to “lick America in a certain place”… in reference to shooting down a Russian fighter jet.
- Donald Trump is a “very colorful and talented person.”
- Sepp Blatter should be awarded the Nobel Prize (what?… for (ahem) “awarding” Russia the 2018 World Cup).
- People “in the military sphere” (aka Russian military personnel) were on the ground fighting in Ukraine.
What do Putin’s words mean?
Tough as always. Putin is re-asserting Russia’s role in the world (i.e. Russia versus. everyone else). He is trying to project Russia as a tough, independent world power (and he has even mastered the art of the tough-guy walk). This year’s conference lasted just three hours. His record is nearly five hours. He’s here to stay.
Head Of International Monetary Fund Faces Trial
The head of the IMF (the International Monetary Fund, not the Impossible Missions Force from Mission Impossible movies), Christine Lagarde, is set to stand trial for “ negligence” over a 438 million euro compensation payment to a businessman in 2008 while she was French Finance Minister. Her lawyer called the court’s decision “incomprehensible” with Lagarde vowing to appeal. Lagarde replaced Dominique Strauss-Kahn as MD of the IMF in 2011 after the sex scandal of the millennium. Facing trial for something is starting to be a badge of honor for French politicians (Sarko, Chirac, DSK, etc.). EXPLANATORY READ: What Does The IMF Actually Do?
NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ
San Bernardino: Attackers’ Neighbor Faces Terrorism Charges
Enrique Marquez, the neighbor of the two San Bernardino attackers, is now under fire for “providing material support” for crimes of terrorism. Charged with buying the guns Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik used to kill 14 people and providing some of the explosives found at the site, Marquez is claiming that he gave Farook the firearms for “safe keeping.”
Yet, in the same breath he has also been cooperating with authorities and has revealed much of the details the investigators know about the couple. This includes the fact that Marquez and Farook had conspired to commit other acts of terrorism in the past but had not successfully carried them out… safe keeping, you say?
Brazil: Whatsapp Ban Has Nothing To Do With Protests A top judge in Brazil overturned a ban on the Whatsapp messaging service after it had been ordered shut down for 48 hours. The ban came after the company had not complied with a court order asking for user information relating to a “criminal case.” Some 93% of the country’s internet population use the service, and it remains highly popular in a country with high cost of living. Zuckerberg got mad, calling it an “extreme decision.” This won’t help President Roussef’s approval ratings (around 10%).
Pharma CEO’s Arrest Causes Global Outbreak Of Happiness
Martin Shkreli, the pharma entrepreneur who became the most hated man in America when he kindly increased prices on an AIDS drug by 5000% (and bought the only copy of a Wu Tang Clan album), has been arrested on charges of securities fraud. Prosecutors allege that he took stock from his previous company, Retrophin, to pay off debts. Not only that, but he also made secret payoffs and carried out sham consulting deals. Shkreli dressed the entrepreneurial part, doing his perp-walk a la hoodie.
Keeping Our Eye On…
- Jose Mourinho: Chelsea Football Club boss and middle-aged heart-throb, Jose Mourinho, was sacked yesterday after a disastrous return to the club. The controversial manager’s nickname for himself was “the special one”… that might need to be changed.
- Libya Peace Deal: Rival politicians signed a UN-brokered peace deal in Morocco with the aim to form a unity government. They forgot to include the militias (the armed groups which actually control the country).
- Weird Nut: A Berlin Church has announced that it will be hosting a special pre-Star Wars service in anticipation of the new film. Two pastors at the church apparently see parallels between the film and the Bible (“Jesus I am your father”). Churchgoers are encouraged to dress up as Chewbacca. We’re considering going, are you?
LOOSE NUTS: FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT Weekend Reads:
SPONSORED NUTS: MUSEXCARLY’S HOLIDAY PICKS
MuseXCarly’s Pick For Denim And Much More: RtARtA (Road to Awe) was launched with the purpose of creating a movement of like-minded individuals who share a belief that clothing should be used as a form of expression. Born under the pretense that clothing should be effortless and chic, the RtA girl is confident and the clothing she wears simply enhances her thoughts. RtA is a state of mind and while the clothing evolves, her ideas are never deterred. Follow MuseXCarly for fun and check out her blog on RtA here. |
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