MAGS156 Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin walked off with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's diamond-encrusted 2005 Super Bowl ring, but was it a generous gift or a very expensive international misunderstanding? Following a meeting of American business executives and Putin at Konstantinovsky Palace near St. Petersburg on Saturday, Kraft showed the ring to Putin -- who tried it on, put it in his pocket and left, according to Russian news reports. It wasn't clear if Kraft, whose business interests include paper and packaging companies and venture capital investments, intended that Putin keep the ring. Stacey James, a spokesman for the football team, said Wednesday that Kraft was traveling and he hadn't talked to him in four or five days, despite e-mails and calls. "He's still overseas, I can't even tell you where. ... He's not due back until next week." "It's an incredible story. I just haven't been able to talk to Robert Kraft to confirm the story," James told The Associated Press. However, a senior Kremlin official, Dmitry Peskov, told the AP the ring was a present. "It was offered as a gift to the Russian president in the presence of numerous journalists." "We honestly did not get any signals from the person who offered it that he was in an awkward situation," Peskov said. He said Putin had given the ring to the Kremlin library where other foreign gifts are kept. James said the ring's worth was "substantially more" than $15,000 (euro12,400), as the value had been reported. He refused to be specific, but noted that the ring has 124 diamonds. Kraft handed out Super Bowl rings to players and coaches at his home two weeks ago. The Patriots have won three of the last four Super Bowls. http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/29/putin.ring.ap/index.html YOU BEANERS NEVER DESERVED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE :haha: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 bribes are an everyday thing in russia. I doubt Putin would have intentionally 'stole' it. He probably thought it was some kind of bibe. + I heard Putin has 2 incredibly hot daughters who've never been photographed because the russian 'paparazzi' are afraid they'll go missing if they take pics of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest -40 trooper Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 yoink![/size=7] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAGS156 Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 how do you say yoink in russian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Morris Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 yoinksy comrad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAGS156 Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 I didnt want to start a new thread so i'm gonna name this one international incidence MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- The Mexican government has issued a postage stamp depicting an exaggerated black cartoon character known as Memin Pinguin, just weeks after remarks by President Vicente Fox angered U.S. blacks. The series of five stamps released for general use Wednesday depicts a child character from a comic book started in the 1940s that is still published in Mexico. The boy, hapless but lovable, is drawn with exaggerated features, thick lips and wide-open eyes. His appearance, speech and mannerisms are the subject of kidding by white characters in the comic book. Activists said the stamp was offensive, though officials denied it. "One would hope the Mexican government would be a little more careful and avoid continually opening wounds," said Sergio Penalosa, an activist in Mexico's small black community on the southern Pacific coast. "But we've learned to expect anything from this government, just anything," Penalosa said. In May, Fox riled many by saying that Mexican migrants take jobs in the United States that "not even blacks" want. Fox expressed regret for any offense the remarks may have caused, but insisted his comments had been misinterpreted. Carlos Caballero, assistant marketing director for the Mexican Postal Service, said the stamps are not offensive, nor were they intended to be. "This is a traditional character that reflects part of Mexico's culture," Caballero said. "His mischievous nature is part of that character." However, Penalosa said many Mexicans still assume all blacks are foreigners, despite the fact that at one point early in the Spanish colonial era, Africans outnumbered Spanish in Mexico. "At this point in time, it was probably pretty insensitive" to issue the stamp, said Elisa Velazquez, an anthropologist who studies Mexico's black communities for the National Institute of Anthropology and History. "This character is a classic, but it's from another era," Velazquez said. "It's a stereotype and you don't want to encourage ignorance or prejudices." The 6.50-peso (60 cent) stamps -- depicting the character in five poses -- was issued with the domestic market in mind, but Caballero noted it could be used in international postage as well. A total of 750,000 of the stamps will be issued. Ben Vinson, a black professor of Latin American history at Penn State University, said he has been called "Memin Pinguin" by some people in Mexico. He also noted that the character's mother is drawn to look like an old version of the U.S. advertising character Aunt Jemima. The stamps are part of a series that pays tribute to Mexican comic books. Memin Pinguin, the second in the series, was apparently chosen for this year's release because it is the 50th anniversary of the company that publishes the comic. Publisher Manelick De la Parra told the government news agency Notimex that the character would be sort of a goodwill ambassador on Mexican letters and postcards. "It seems nice if Memin can travel all over the world, spreading good news," de la Parra said, calling him "so charming, so affectionate, so wonderful, generous and friendly." http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/06/...p.ap/index.html :haha: WTF WERE THEY THINKIN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAGS156 Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 SHIT CAN YOU RENAME A THREAD IF SOMEONE ELS CAN DO IT I'M LEAVIN WORK TIME TO GET ON THE LIE NO TIME TO TYPE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_El Mamerro Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Hahaha... I used to read Memín when I was little. The whole stereotype thing was lost on me then, but it's so painfully obvious now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
__ __ __ __ Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 ^ semmone ese.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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