Picking Up the Pieces
After Vladimir Putin annexed the Crimea, many of the multi-national corporations planned to pull out of Russia; it was just too risky. Many of the locals were ready to pick up the pieces.
Madame Tussaud
The story broke when the Washington Post political correspondent noticed the president seemed to be less animated than usual, and finally the story came out: President Obama had Madame Tussaud make a stand-in to sit at his desk and sign documents so that he could go on an arctic bear and seal hunting trip with Vladimir Putin with their shirts off and do a little male bonding. By the middle of the second day, he was wishing he had sent the Madame Tussaud stand-in and stayed home where he could have the secret service do the shooting, and he could have stayed warm. . .
Waiting
Nadir (pictured, (right) had been told on local TV that some important dignitary was going to be visiting and bringing major funding for agricultural projects. There seemed to be some confusion as to who was coming; some said the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, others said Vladimir Putin, still others, Hugo Chavez. Nadir didn’t care, it could be Barack Obama or Lady Gaga; until there were boots on the ground and a check that could actually clear his bank, he was waiting . . . . David, Sf.G.