Skimm for November 14th Quote of the day: “All she would have had to do was to close her legs…” — A defense attorney in Australia gave an explanation on what a rape victim could have done if she didn’t want it. His client was found guilty. Things that make you go ‘Hmm’ Snapchat THE STORY: Snapchat’s founder might have separation anxiety. The social messaging service that is widely used by teens to send naughty pics that allegedly disappear in seconds turned down a $3 billion buyout offer from Facebook. The company is two years old; its founder is 23. Mark Zuckerberg was not the only one scratching his head. theSKIMM: Facebook presented the all cash — yes, ALL CASH — offer, allegedly because Snapchat’s users are mostly cool kids (meaning younger than you) and they like mobile. The Book has been having problems with that demo lately. But Snapchat is allegedly taking its time flirting with other investors and potential buyers, and probably won’t think about any of that until early next year. The founder would like a higher valuation. This comes amid lofty valuations in other social media companies, which have many asking, ‘Umm, when will this bubble pop?’ Obamacare THE STORY: The Obama administration released its first official update on enrollment since Obamacare’s launch of insurance marketplaces on Oct. 1st. Spoiler: It was not good. #StartupProblems PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE. So the administration warned us the numbers would be bad and it was right. A little over 106,000 people enrolled in Obamacare in its first month, while only a quarter of them enrolled in plans sold through the troubled federal health exchange site, HealthCare.gov. The rest came through state-run marketplaces. This is one-fifth of the administration’s month-long goal. HealthCare.gov is supposed to be fixed by Nov. 30th but that’s looking more like a rough estimate. For the key part of Obamacare to work, people must enroll. However, the administration says many are procrastinators and will get in just before the March deadline (when you have to buy health insurance or face a fine). theSKIMM: Obamacare is no stranger to partisan critics. Many Democrats are not happy and want this all fixed; many Republicans just want to see the health law, as a whole, scrapped. The likely bigger hurdle for Obama is that many Americans are developing trust issues, especially over his repeated ‘if you like your plan, you can keep it’ assurances that didn’t turn out to be totally true. REPEAT AFTER ME… What to say while getting used to your new Netflix TV interface… Guess the future is here. Rolls-Royce agrees. The status car maker is also one of the people, as the world’s second largest maker of commercial jet engines, and now it’s trying to up its cool factor. The company announced that it plans to use 3D printing to produce jet engine parts. The benefits? It should speed up production and produce lighter parts for engines. 3D printers have been all the rage recently, turning into a multi-billion dollar business that could transform industries by printing things like a new kidney, a face, underwear, guns, and even McDonald’s toys. As Rolls-Royce said, the sky’s the limit when “You can create any shape you like.” How about us in a Rolls? What to say when your co-worker complains about being hungry… Stop talking. The situation in the Philippines is not getting better. Days after Super Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the region killing thousands, survivors are panicking over food, water, and medicine shortages. Looting has become a widespread problem, and yesterday took a turn for the worse. There were reports of gunfire between security and armed men, and eight people were crushed to death when a warehouse was raided. The Philippines says it’s getting the situation under control but many doubt that; meanwhile, international aid workers are trying to help but finding it very to distribute any supplies. Help. What to say when you see someone get engaged on Facebook… Unless, she got the Pink Star, I don’t care. A pink diamond called the Pink Star was sold yesterday at a Sotheby’s auction for around $83 million. Yes, that is a lot for a girl’s best friend. It’s actually the highest price ever paid for a gemstone at an auction. No, we don’t know who the buyer is but it’s safe to assume it’s not going to you. The stone is 59.6 carats. The sale closed with the theme song from “Pink Panther” playing. Maybe it’s for a cougar? What to say while complaining… Don’t take anything for granted. And read Madonna Badger’s story.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 17:25:54 +0000
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