TresSugar

Front Page: Severe Turbulence Injures 26, 4 Seriously

TresSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:00:39 -0700

At least 26 people were injured, four seriously, after a Continental Airlines jet headed from Brazil to Texas hit extreme turbulence this morning. The jet was forced to land in Miami, FL. - CNN
An Australian girl is suing Kentucky Fried Chicken for millions, claiming she was left crippled after eating contaminated food from the chain. - Times
An ad blasting Lou Dobbs is set to appear on CNN. - Huffington Post
The US is considering moving prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to a new prison in the US with its own courtrooms for military and civilian tribunals. - Voice of America
A lack of volunteers willing to participate in clinical trials may slow the fight against cancer. - NY Times

Front Page: Debris Found in Search For Air France Plane

TresSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:00:42 -0700

Brazil's vice president announced that debris from the missing Air France flight may have been found in the ocean. - New York Times
Conan O'Brien debuted as host of The Tonight Show last night. - New York Daily News
President Obama plans to nominate Republican Congressman John McHugh as Secretary of the Army. - Wall Street Journal
Obama also is set to deliver a highly anticipated speech about US-Muslim relations at the University of Cairo Thursday. - BBC News
North Korea's dear leader Kim Jong-Il has signaled that his youngest son will be his heir. - Boston Globe

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Barack Obama? That's My Name, Says Six Brazilian Politicians

CitizenSugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:30:03 -0700

Remember when using Barack Obama's middle name was a big deal? Yeah, vaguely right? Well it seems like his moniker has become less of a slight and more of selling point, at least for six politicians in Brazil, all of whom have changed their names to "Barack Obama." It's not just a tribute, but a sneaky election tactic.

Brazilians have embraced the candidate enthusiastically in a country with a large population of African descendants and a corresponding minority of space in government. It's thought that by adopting the name of the Democratic candidate, the politicians will have a better chance of being elected. A quirk of Brazilian election law allows candidates to run under the name of their choice, so Obama seems a likely pick.

To see the story of one such name-switcher, read more.

One new "Barack" says "In truth it was an accident. I'd been on the television wearing a suit and people thought I looked a bit like him so they started calling me Barack Obama. They'd see me in the street and shout: 'Hey! Barack!" So I decided to register it." He's running for mayor and like Obama I, he has relatives in Kenya. The Obamas' messages are similar too, "I say the same things. I talk about political renewal, change, about transforming the city."

Unlike showing up at a party in the same dress as someone else, the newest Barack wants to be in a room with the original. He says, "It would be great if he could come and see our reality. Just imagine."

Photos on Impoverished Houses Show Women Are Heroes

LibertySugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:00:56 -0700

The Morro da Providencia favela is one of Rio de Janeiro's most violent neighborhoods. A French photographer named JR went to the Brazilian neighborhood to take pictures of women related to the victims of violent clashes between police and drug traffickers. He then placed the pictures on the facades of the houses as part of his global project called "Women Are Heroes." By shooting women in their daily lives and posting them on the walls of their country, he hopes to reveal female dignity.

JR has brought his project to Sudan, Sierra Leon, Kenya, and Liberia, and will soon visit India, Cambodia, Laos, and Morocco. Through his work, he believes the story of these women will travel around the world. He says, "We went to see women who had struggle in their lives. When you hear the story you're like woah, maybe the person is dead inside. But then when you ask her to do faces, then you can see life."

View 5 Photos ›

To see a starkly realistic video trailer for the project, read more.

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Uncontacted Amazonian Tribe: The True Douchebaggery Story

GiggleSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Last Friday, CitizenSugar briefed us on the uncontacted human tribe discovered deep inside the Amazon. These people reportedly paint themselves red, live in huts, and arm themselves with bows and arrows. Digitally-enhanced photos have since been released and have added a peculiar twist to the story. Are we sure those arrows aren't used for lady hunting and those huts for tanning parlors? The red-faced tribesman above looks awfully douche to me . . .

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Uncontacted Human Tribe Sighted in Amazon

LibertySugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:30:31 -0700

Anthropologists have discovered an "uncontacted tribe" living in Brazil deep within the Amazon. Aerial photos show red-painted people, living in huts, and ready to defend themselves with bows and arrows. If you think you're out of touch with world events, think again.

This situation blows my mind. To think that there is an independent human society living on this planet, with no knowledge of the dramas, histories, religions, languages, cities, wars, and everything else that makes up the rest of us, is almost unfathomable.

Despite the wealth of information this tribe could provide the outside world, experts warn against contact. Modern outsiders, including loggers, miners, and cattle ranchers, will kill these people for their land - a typical historical narrative. If not killed by violence, members of previously contacted tribes have died from common diseases.

Does this story amaze you as much as it amazes me? Will we be able to quell our fascination enough to leave these people alone and save their lives? How do we know we're not an uncontacted society?

Technology Being Used to Fight Street and Web Crime

LibertySugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:00:11 -0700

Ever wish your laptop could do more than just order you up a pair of shoes? How about using it to fight crime? Victims of crimes in Brazil can now log onto Wikicrimes and pinpoint the exact intersection of the criminal attack. Created by a Brazilian professor, the site asks contributors to provide details such as whether the perpetrator was armed or whether a third party can confirm the incident.

The unavailability of police data in Brazil has prompted the public to warn others by amplifying the power of word of mouth with the internet. To see how Google aims to stop sexual predators, read more.

While Wikicrime is using the web to prevent crime, Google is making it more difficult for sexual predators to use the web to exploit children. Google developed software that will allow analysts at the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to sort and identify web images that contain images of child sex abuse victims. The engineers developed the program on "20% time" - Google's program that allows employees to dedicate that amount of time to projects they chose.

While technology has made it easier to perpetrate crimes like child pornography, it's reassuring to know that companies like Google are not sitting still. Should they be doing more?

As for the Brazilian Wikicrimes - what use does reporting crime to the internet serve? Will crime be perpetuated in an area labeled "unsafe"?

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Dengue Outbreak, Doctor Shortage Plaguing Brazil

LibertySugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:00:27 -0700

A medical crisis is erupting in South America. A dengue fever outbreak in Brazil has infected 55,000 people, and killed 67 Brazilians so far this year. Half of those killed by the mosquito-borne illness are under 13-years-old. Victims experience harsh symptoms including, high fever, headaches, joint pain, eye pain, nausea, vomiting, and a rash.

Unfortunately there are not enough doctors to tackle the outbreak. Patients must wait at hospitals for as long as 28 hours. People from the rural areas are flooding the municipal hospitals. Eighty new cases are being diagnosed every hour. The Brazilian military intervened, building three field hospitals trying to address the demand. The situation is so drastic that the governor of Rio de Janeiro may ask Cuba to send doctors.

This is a huge humanitarian crisis! The more time it takes for those infected to get treatment, the more likely the infection will become fatal. If you haven't heard about it yet, are you surprised?
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Anderson Cooper: Donna Brazile's Wannabe "Boo"

GiggleSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:00:00 -0700

I'm in love with Anderson Cooper. (Is that so wrong? I'm in good company with Kathy Griffin.) Coop pressed political strategist Donna Brazile to reveal details about Barack Obama's private phone conversation with her. "Anderson," she teased, wagging a finger, "you're not my boo." He giggled and then whined, "But I wanna be your boo," unaware (?!) that it's slang for boyfriend/girlfriend. Everyone in the studio cracked up, and it was ridiculously cute. Swoon.

Chicago Dropped From 2016 Olympic Race, Rio Wins!

TresSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:35:43 -0700

Update: Rio de Janeiro has been awarded the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. This is the first time a country in South America will host the Olympics! The delegation from Brazil jumped and cheered in celebration when the IOC made the announcement.

The IOC unexpectedly decided to drop Chicago from contention for the 2016 Olympics in the first round of voting. It had been expected that the final vote would come down to Chicago and Rio de Janeiro. Tokyo was dropped in the second round, and Madrid and Rio are still in the running as the vote continues. President Obama, Michelle Obama, and Oprah had traveled to Copenhagen to make a passionate pitch for their hometown, but in the end, it wasn't enough.