Media-Whore D'Oeuvre

"The U.S.-Pakistan relationship has weathered more than its fair share of crises over the years. The experience has taught each of us -- and our respective governments -- that we have much work to do. Over the last few months, we have made real progress on issues critical to the interests of both of our countries. And we are meeting this week in Washington to carry forward this effort, focusing especially on expanding our economic relations. It is clear to us that trade, investment, and private sector growth are the future of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship. The United States remains the largest and most open economy to trade and investment in the world, and Pakistan is a large and emerging market with a growing class of entrepreneurs. Two-way trade between Pakistan and the United States totaled nearly $5 billion in 2011, spurred in part by the preferential access many Pakistani products enjoy under the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences Program, which provides preferential market access to 128 countries and territories, including Pakistan. The United States purchases nearly 20 percent of Pakistan's total exports -- more than any other country in the world. Major U.S. companies such as Citicorp, Proctor & Gamble, Boeing, Pepsico, and Coca-Cola are already operating large and growing ventures in Pakistan." (Foreignpolicy)

"Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Marrakech this week, and was there, our Moroccan spies tell us, for a hush-hush wedding of his youngest daughter, Yekaterina. The nuptials were reportedly to take place at the luxe La Mamounia Hotel, which got a $165 million makeover in 2009 and relaunched with a bash that brought out stars Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek. Local reports said the wedding was imminent this month. Then again, there have been reports dating back to 2010 that secretive couple Yekaterina, 26, and Korean boyfriend Yoon Joon-won, 28, were imminently getting hitched. The stories were shot down in April by the groom’s father, retired admiral Yoon Jong-gu, according to a Korean broadcast. Either way, we’re assuming the entertainment at the reception was not Putin’s punk nemeses Pussy Riot. The Kremlin announced yesterday that Putin will visit Turkey next week. He’s postponed several foreign trips recently, and is said to have spent most of the past two months at his suburban residence." (NYPost)

"Wednesday night at Doubles, the private club in the Sherry, Chris Meigher, the owner/publisher of Quest, and Heather Cohane, the magazine's founder, along with DPC hosted a party celebrating the 25th Anniversary issue of the magazine. More than 200 attended, including Mayor Bloomberg and Diana Taylor." (NYSocialDiary)

"Elizabeth Warren is already giving Wall Street executives serious agita. In their mind, the spunky senator-elect from Massachusetts is heading to Washington for one reason only: to destroy them and everything they stand for. 'Looking at her rhetoric on the campaign trail, she seems to take an exception to wealth creation and what banks do,' said one bank executive. 'It’s not really Wall Street she’s against — it’s banks, full stop,' added another. Banks have disliked Warren since her Harvard days, when she agitated against predatory lending, credit card fees, and other bank practices. And as her national profile grew through her work with TARP oversight and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the watchdog agency she helped create, their arm's-length opposition became a full-on war. Banks lobbied to keep her from being nominated to head the CFPB, then poured big donations into the campaign of Scott Brown, her Senate race opponent.After her convincing victory in November, her appointment to the powerful Senate Banking Committee, where she would have actual oversight of the financial sector, is seen by many on Wall Street as a fait accompli." (NYMag)

"Judy Price invited me to a lunch at her Park Avenue apartment yesterday. It was to meet Helene Dubrule, the Directeur General of Hermès Maison. I know Hermès from the ties women automatically give men when they can’t think of anything else and the men know they could always use a good tie.I worked for Mrs. Price for three years beginning in 1997 as editor of Avenue Magazine. She had started it in the mid-'70s, ran it sleekly and profitably until she’d had enough a quarter century later. She was successful as a magazine publisher because is a born saleswoman ('No’ is just the beginning…'), and also because she is a culture maven, intensely interested especially when it comes to art and architecture, ancient and contemporary. And she is knowledgeable. It is commerce. Or maybe 'commerce is all.' The advertorial wasn’t invented by Judy Price but it came into its own because of her. A lot of the top purveyors of of the products of art and culture, both here in the US, and in Europe advertised in Avenue for those reasons. (Although they would probably tell you they just finally gave in to Judy Price’s sales pitch and tactics and signed an advertising contract.) Coincidentally, she sold Avenue in 2001, shortly after Jeff Hirsch and I left to launch the NYSD. She and I have remained friends ever since. Five years ago she created the National Jewelry Institute, with an eye on founding a jewelry museum. She’s also turned our three or four books on the history of jewelry." (NYSocialDiary)