DOGE Staffer Known as 'Big Balls' Reportedly the Grandkid of a KGB Spy
gizmodo.com
Sure, why not?

Summary

Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old DOGE staffer recently promoted to a senior adviser role in the State Department, is reportedly the grandson of former KGB spy Valery Martynov.

Martynov was executed in the Soviet Union after being exposed as an FBI informant. Coristine, an alleged former cybercriminal, previously worked in the General Services Administration and now has potential access to sensitive diplomatic data.

Concerns have been raised over his background and apparent lack of a security check.

The situation fuels fears about foreign influence in U.S. government operations.

  • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
    101·
    21 hours ago

    [slightly off topic]

    I’m a native of the Northeastern United States and I’ve lived in numerous areas depicted in the media as being under the influence of ‘organized crime.’ To wit, Harlem, lower Manhattan, Hell’s Kitchen, and Staten Island.

    Actual tough guys never have nicknames like ‘Big Balls.’ Never. The guys you fear have names like ‘the Chin,’ or ‘Bumpy,’ or ‘Legs.’ Al Capone’s buddies called him ‘Snorky.’

    • MountingSuspicion@reddthat.com
      2·
      6 hours ago

      I’m pretty sure it comes from his twitter handle or something like that. I think it’s more irrelevant/childish humor and less serious than it’s made out to be. Plenty of people refer to each other by their online handle, and I don’t think it’s intended as a “nickname” in the conventional way. I have a friend whose UN is basically “dragonslayer42069” and people call him dragon. I don’t think he chose that name so his nickname would be badass or anything. I think he thought it was funny when he made it and people just happen to refer to him as dragon. Plenty of memorable vulgar UNs on microblogs and forums are just there for some immature fun.

      • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
        3·
        4 hours ago

        You’re losing sight of the fact that he and his boss weren’t elected, haven’t been vetted by Congress, and have zero experience.

        His name is the least of his problems.

        That’s why my comment was [off topic]

      • GeeDubHayduke@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        3·
        8 hours ago

        I worked in construction and we used radios to communicate between crews. One kid insisted we call him ‘AntDawg.’ His name was Anthony.

        It’s started with ‘Labradoodle.’ He put up with that for two days before bitching he didn’t wanna be Labradoodle. Everyone agreed it was too annoying over the radio, so we all agreed to shorten it. Doodle still hates his name.

      • sp3ctr4l@lemmy.zipEnglish
        26·
        20 hours ago

        Pilot’s nicknames / unofficial callsigns often are as well, some kind of back handed reference to a fuck-up or troublesome character trait.

      • Cort@lemmy.world
        21·
        21 hours ago

        Maybe that’s what this is. Like calling a fat guy slim, or a tall guy tiny. Maybe he’s used to many steroids and actually shrunk his balls

        • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.worldEnglish
          17·
          20 hours ago

          Look at his photo… there’s no steroid use there. He’s just got a pair of undescended testes, they’re missing.

          • Cort@lemmy.world
            4·
            20 hours ago

            Lol, I didn’t say he worked out, just that he took the steroids. Probably thinking they’d do all the work for him.

            Though your theory seems to have some merit.

            • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
              11·
              20 hours ago

              Allegedly Elon’s chest shape is what happens when you take HGH and don’t exercise. Not a doctor or a bodybuilder so I can’t say whether that’s true, but if the shoe fits ¯\_(ツ)_/¯