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13 Sep 2011 11:08

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World: Miss Universe Leila Lopes, from Angola, plans to work to fight HIV

  • As Miss Angola I’ve already done a lot to help my people. I’ve worked with various social causes. I work with poor kids, I work in the fight against HIV. I work to protect the elderly and I have to do everything that my country needs … I think now as Miss Universe I will be able to do much more.
  • The new Miss Universe, Leila Lopes • Describing what she plans to do to help as the new Miss Universe. The current Miss Angola is a bit of a trailblazer as far as beauty pageant winners go — she’s one of the few black women to win the Miss Universe title, and she had harsh words for anyone that might have a problem with that: “Any racist needs to seek help.” Not that we’re particularly huge fans of Miss Anything pageants, but considering her social stances, we can totally get behind this winner. Africa has a huge HIV problem, and needs any help it can get. Now it has a high-profile ambassador. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Mar 2011 10:43

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U.S.: First National Spelling Bee winner dies, word recitation skills intact

Frank Neuhauser spelled the word “gladiolus” correctly way back in 1925 to ensure his place in history as the winner of the first National Spelling Bee. He died March 11 at 97. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Feb 2011 11:03

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World: Ugandan election results favor dude already in office for 25 years

  • 68% the share of votes Yoweri Museveni, in office 25 years, got in Uganda
  • 26% the share of votes his closest rival, Kizza Besigye, received
  • 6% the share of votes everyone else received in the election source
  • » The opposition says it’s “illegitimate”: Besigye’s Inter-Party Cooperation is one of a couple of groups who have thrown up question marks about the electoral results. European Union observers, for example, say the elections are “marred by avoidable and logistical failures, which led to an unacceptable number of Ugandan citizens being disenfranchised.” A group of African-based election observers gave a statement claiming, however, that the election was “conducted in conformity with minimum international benchmarks for free elections.” Hopefully this doesn’t turn into the kind of mess that has marred the Ivory Coast over the last few months.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Apr 2010 21:46

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Culture: Random quotes from three Pulitzer winners today

  • one “I don’t always feel comfortable about what I’m doing. It’s the whole ‘industry-versus-citizen’ thing where the industry always wins.”
  • two “Last year it happened three times in one day, the worst day so far in the worst year so far in a phenomenon that gives no sign of abating.”
  • three “Frankly if you kept
    it to a small scale and were satisfied to keep it to a grand a week, I don’t know how you would ever get caught.”
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

26 Jul 2009 12:12

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Offbeat: The soap-box derby isn’t a boys’ game anymore, guys

  • 4 of the six titles went to girls in the national Soap Box finals source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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