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POPSShe Sailed On "The cathartic moment came when her sons gave her a computer for her 80th birthday -- and she started writing her story."
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POPSUm, Kenya? You guys OK? Finishing fourth in the men's category was another American, Ryan Hall. Hall, 27, is a rising star on the world running circuit and made headlines last year by running the London marathon in a stunning 2:06:17. Americans once dominated long-distance running, bringing home consecutive gold medals from 1970-82. Marathon legend Bill Rodgers won the New York City four years in a row from 1976 to 1979, and Alberto Salazar took walked away with successive victories from 1980-82. The marathon, which began in 1970 with a mere 127 runners, now hosts 38,000 athletes from around the globe, according to the marathon's Web site. Known for its diverse, punishing terrain, the annual event spans all five of New York's City's boroughs, finishing in the heart of Central Park. Keflezighi and Tulu will each receive $130,000 in prize money.
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POPSOne person's perception.............. So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive? Can't think of anything? Don't worry. He's done all this in 5 months -- so you'll have three years and seven months to come up with an answer...! go to gather.com for rest of the list.
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POPSObama Has Won The 100 Metres at The 2012 London Olympics
Thus, with President Wilson alone, the Nobel Peace Prize death toll is over 50 million and counting. Occasionally the peace prize has gone to actual peace negotiators but usually, per Teddy Roosevelt, when there was nothing left to negotiate. Carlos Saavedra Lamas got his in 1936 for mediating between Bolivia and Paraguay in the Chaco War (1932-35). Both nations were exhausted, 100,000 soldiers were dead, and the Chaco was--as it had been and remains--a vast, useless weed patch. Likewise, Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan (1976) and John Hume and David Trimble (1998)--the four of them were standing around when, after 500 years, the fool residents of my ancestral homeland ran out of ammo and beer. Of course, if you go around giving prizes left and right (mostly left) for more than a century, you're bound to give some to worthy people once in a while. With the Nobel committee this usually involves the Red Cross (1901, 1917, 1944, 1963). But the Red Cross doesn't bring peace . . .
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POPS Oliver North::Protecting the Image by Oliver North
Mr. Obama's presentation to the assembly Sept. 23 and his speech to the U.N. Security Council's summit on "nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament" Sept. 24 were celebrated for their "breadth and understanding" and his "appeal for dialogue in the quest for world peace." But the O-Team's careful choreography collapsed just hours later, when Iran's secret uranium enrichment facility, buried in the mountains near the holy city of Qom, was exposed. In the aftermath, it was revealed that Mr. Obama had known about the site since January. When asked why he failed to mention the Iranian malfeasance in both of his U.N. addresses, a White House spokesman said the administration didn't want "to spoil the image of success" during Mr. Obama's debut at the U.N. Of course, the problem isn't "image"; it's reality. And the reality is that the Iranian pursuit of nuclear weapons has continued unabated for at least a decade. U.S. intelligence confirmed that Tehran was building . . .
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POPSMad Japanese sniper programme... At last reality has caught up with art - there was a wonderful BBC play called "This is the Year of the Sex Olympics" when a jaded TV audience can only find humour in snuff movies...
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POPSIn April, 2008, Obama Says Bush Should Boycott Olympics If.... What goes around comes around.... I guess Candidate Obama told Bush to use the Olympics' opening ceremony as a diplomatic pressure point against the Chinese. Wasn't it Bush that got Chicago on the short list to begin with? The Olympic committee isn't going to give President Obama a chance to take his own advice in 2016..
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POPSOlympic Flashback: '02 Salt Lake Games Tainted By Scandal, Bribery and Glenn Beck's Church
Almost as soon as Romney took the job, however, the Mormon Church's role in the Games became a source of contention - a dispute exacerbated by Romney's request for an additional $8 million in loaned property and cash from the church, among other contributions. Utah's wealthiest businessman, Jon Huntsman Sr., the father of Utah's current governor, assailed Romney for exploiting his ties to the church. Huntsman himself is prominent in the Mormon Church, which is officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ''We've got a chairman who is active LDS, now we've got a present CEO who is active LDS,'' Huntsman was quoted in the Salt Lake Tribune as saying of Garff and Romney. ''They claim they're going out really scour the world to find the best person, and Mitt brings in one of his cronies to be the COO. Another broken promise. Because we've got three LDS folks who are all cronies. Cronyism at its peak. ..... These are not the Mormon Games.'
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POPSCheering Over Obama's Failure and the Censorious Head-Shaking Over The Cheering Nearly one year ago, on a clear November night, people from every corner of the world gathered in the city of Chicago or in front of their televisions to watch the results of the U.S. Presidential election. Their interest wasn't about me as an individual. Can't you just see the eyes rolling? Somehow he's President of the whole world. And he's bigger than himself as an individual. Rather, it was rooted in the belief that America's experiment in democracy still speaks to a set of universal aspirations and ideals.... Actually, it's kind of cool to hear him reciting the ideology of "American exceptionalism" he's usually accused of not believing in. But isn't this exactly the wrong place to do it? Is he about Chicago or America or the whole world or does he somehow think it all becomes one... in him?
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POPS Chicago’s “Good Times” Canceled: DynOmite! All I have to say is, where the hell were our international protocol and intelligence teams? Why didn’t someone over at the State Department tell us about this Danish policy before we put everything on the line to bring the Olympic games to the capital of Pay-To-Play cities? We just assumed that we would be treated to the same fawning adulation and deference we get in the USA: the country that invented free speech. We arrived with soaring expectations, only to have the whole thing blow up in our face. Thanks, State, once again. I’m beginning to think that Hillary didn’t really want that job. Insults are under threat in many countries. The World Press Freedom Committee earlier this year published a survey, "The Right to Offend, Shock or Disturb," which details how laws against insults are being used to squelch free speech, including opposition to the government. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704471504574451712299324476.html
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POPSDanes Explain Why Obama Failed I don't quite see it exactly as the article expresses it. The people I have talked to, don't see it as Obama failing, as much as America in general, failing. Obama's (USA's) appearance here left many with a sense, that America somehow felt entitled to get the games, merely because they wanted them. Now they seem "in shock" because their wishes weren't accommodated, obviously disregarding the fact that Rio deserved to win. I am very happy on behalf of Rio and I think they're gonna put on a hell of a show. .:) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGfJ0_KMiro
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POPSBeijing National Stadium (bird's nest) designer didn't get an invitation to the Opening Ceremony ?!!
Q: You’ve coined the phrase, “pretend smile,” as a label for China’s Olympic effort. Why? Ai: I did say it’s a “pretend smile.” I was questioning whether it’s possible for a society that doesn’t have democracy to excite the joys and celebrations of its people. Q: What disappoints you about China’s Olympic effort? Ai: The biggest disappointment is that China has fallen short of its promises, which is, “One World One Dream,” or to show the world a “New China, New Beijing, New Olympics.” I doubt there’s anything new here. What we’re seeing are the deep-rooted lack of courage and confidence, and the want for real happiness and civil participation. Instead, we see more of inept management and a blind sense of self-defense. Q: How can China benefit from the Olympics? Ai: Maybe China and its people will further realize that today’s world cannot be divided. China has common political, cultural and economic interests with the rest of the world. The only way for it to produce wonders is
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POPSPresident Obama: “My Image Is More Important Than Iranian Nukes” Addendum: Truly, this man wanted the spotlight instead of sending the message, given is lame excuse: But Mr Obama did not want to “spoil the image of success” of his disarmament session, which passed a resolution to work towards a nuclear-free world and a host of measures designed to control the spread of nuclear weapons and reduce existing stocks. How could challenging Iran’s hidden nuclear facilities collide with his image of fighting the spread of nuclear weapons? The two dovetail nicely, and he would have picked up the respect of the hard liners here and abroad. Clearly, this presidency is all about ‘me’ (the imperial ‘me’ of course). And I thought Clinton was self absorbed.
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POPS Olympic Failure Obama + Michelle x Oprah = Zer0 But the president's pitch, along with the star power of First Lady Michelle Obama and TV queen Oprah Winfrey , couldn't sway enough votes.