May 3, 2009

Featured TwitPic: Hand of Harmony in Homigot, South Korea

Homigot is a tourist destination at the easternmost point of South Korea, where the sun first rises on the nation. It is home to the Hand of Harmony:


"포항호미곶을첨보네요바다에손하나있을뿐인데사람많네요" (This stranger's hand in the sea in Homigot, of steel, only has one) (Posted by @hongss, of Seoul/Gangnam, South Korea, May 3, 2009)

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'Crazy' Martinelli elected president of Panama

Per BBC, right-wing Ricardo Martinelli, a businessman who owns a major supermarket chain, has defeated Balbina Herrera in Panama's presidential election today.

Per the Nica Times, Martinelli ran a campaign of 'change' as a political outsider, promising to combat crime and help Panama thrive despite uncertain economic times. He is sometimes called “el loco” (the crazy), and Herrera has suggested that he as president would be a crazy choice for Panama. Martinelli played off of that in his campaign, with “We crazies are the majority!” campaign posters.

Twitterers in Panama poked fun at the slogan when they heard he had won the election with more than 60 percent of the vote, according to early estimates:

  1. Andrew Mahfood
    AndyMahfood (Panama) LOS LOCOS SOMOS MAS!... MARTINELLI PRESIDENTE 09! (WE CRAZIES ARE THE MAJORITY... MARTINELLI PRESIDENT 09!)
  2. Shirley Garcia
    Shirley_Garcia (Panama City, Panama) Ricardo Martinelli....Panama's New President!! Definitivamente los locos somos mas!! (Definitely we crazies are the majority!!)
  3. Carol Chong
    carolinee82 (Panama) Martinelli Presidenteeee!!! :) woooaa, LOS LOCOS SOMOS MAS! :D (woooaa, WE CRAZIES ARE THE MAJORITY!)
  4. Alexandra Sousa
    AlexSoRandom (Panama City, Panama) martinelli president! panama will now be officially ruled by a crazy person, but at least he's not tacky
  5. ChrisMarieC
    ChrisMarieC (Panama) Martinelli ? okay i just hope that he does what he promisse :D
  6. Arie Palacio
    Arineth (Panama) Well the Panama's new president is Ricardo Martinelli and Los locos somos mas!
  7. wizard387
    wizard387 (Panama City, Panama) Balbina hablando heno,, nisiquiera acepto el triunfo de Martinelli. (Balbina talking hay, did not even accept the triumph of Martinelli.)


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Economic woes plague Zimbabwe

Per the Zimbabwe Times, the Zimbabwean government is broke and unable to increase union workers' salaries. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said in a May Day rally speech that the government cannot pay its workers more than their current $100 per month salary.

The Twitterverse is talking about Zimbabwe's economic problems:

  1. Maria Antonia Costa
    macosta25 (Maputo, Mozambique) Retweet @gabgabgabby: Inflation in Zimbabwe hits 500 billion per cent .Unempoyment is 90% Source: Soource: Zimbabwe Finance Minister.
  2. Dr. Shimswizzlewitz
    Shimswizzlewitz (Florida) We Need Moderators Tsvangirai: Zimbabwe is broke: Prime minister Tsvangirai says government un.. http://tinyurl.com/cvdhr3
  3. Tendai Sean Joe
    TendaiJoe (Cape Town, South Africa) @RichardBPenn i stay in SA! But the average income in Zimbabwe is US$100 per month as per civil service salaries!
  4. aroseindacity
    aroseindacity (Hollywood, Calif.) duh, Tsvangirai. ugh. RT @VOA_News: Zimbabwe PM Says Gov't is Broke: Tsvangirai says country cannot meet union demands for higher wages.
  5. Ewan Cameron
    camere1 (Johannesburg, South Africa) Departing now for Harare. Hoping to see more signs that Zimbabwe is on the way back to economic growth!


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IOC leaves Rio de Janeiro impressed by 2016 Olympic bid

Per Reuters, the International Olympic Committee left its official visit to Rio de Janeiro "impressed" by the 2016 candidate city's bid for the Summer Games. It also said it was content with security plans for the crime-ridden city.

But many Twitterers in Rio are saying that the IOC was tricked into thinking the city is better than it really is.

  1. Marques-Samyn
    marques_samyn (Rio de Janeiro) O Rio nao tem mais favelas! Ao menos no vídeo exibido para o COI... http://tinyurl.com/cty87e RT @JucaKfouri (Rio has no slums! At least in the video shown to the IOC ... http://tinyurl.com/cty87e RT @JucaKfouri)
  2. Isabel Brito
    belzinhaaaaa (Rio de Janeiro) @adrianovinagre mas hoje o COI vai ver o lixo debaixo do tapete. o caminho de ônibus até o Engenhão é tão biiiiiito... (@adrianovinagre but now the IOC will see the garbage under the rug. the path of the bus to Engenhão is so biiiiiito ...)
  3. Pamela Kopp
    PamelaKopp (Rio de Janeiro) Comitê Olímpico Internacional - COI - conhece a cidade dos sonhos de todo carioca. #2016 #fail http://migre.me/PSA (International Olympic Committee - IOC - know the city of dreams throughout Rio. #2016 #fail http://migre.me/PSA)
  4. Matheus Tibúrcio
    matheustiburcio (Rio de Janeiro) @JucaKfouri Nós, cariocas, não vamos disfarçar a realidade do RJ. Por acaso o COI viu o velódromo do Pan abandonado? Uma lástima ... (@JucaKfouri We, the people, we will not disguise the reality of RJ. Did the IOC saw the Pan Velódromo the left? A shame ...)
  5. Mario Marona
    mrmarona (Rio de Janeiro) O COI devia verificar tudo o que o Rio prometeu e deixou de fazer na cidade para o PAN. Cada promessa não cumprida, um ponto perdido. (The IOC should verify all that the Rio has promised to do in the city for the NAP. Each promises not fulfilled, a point lost.)

Not all were negative. Some did tweet support for the bid.

  1. ricardosolo
    ricardosolo (Rio de Janeiro) http://twurl.nl/0zduyn Com certeza uma ótima impressão para o comitê do COI. (http://twurl.nl/0zduyn Definitely a good impression to the committee of the IOC.)
  2. Victor Pencak
    VictorPencak (Rio de Janeiro) Os integrantes do COI estão visitando as instalações esportivas do Rio.Vamos torcer pela nossa cidade! http://migre.me/PsO #Rio2016 #euquero (The members of the IOC are visiting the sports facilities of Rio.Let's go cheering for our city! http://migre.me/PsO #Rio2016 #euquero)
  3. Manuel Pérez Bella
    mpbella (Rio de Janeiro) He visto a los del COI convencidos... Río va a llegar a Copenhague en primera línea (I have seen the conviction of IOC ... Rio will come to Copenhagen in the front line)

Rio 2016's official Twitter account, @vivasuapaixao, which translates to "Live your passion" in English, posted updates during the visit.

  1. Comitê Rio 2016
    vivasuapaixao (Rio de Janeiro) A presidente da Comissão de Avalição do COI ficou impressionada com a quantidade de pessoas que praticam exercícios na orla de Copacabana. (The chairman of the Commission of the IOC evaluation was impressed with the amount of people who practice exercises on the edge of Copacabana.)
  2. Comitê Rio 2016
    vivasuapaixao (Rio de Janeiro) 4 dos 8 membros da Comiissão do COI sentiram a emoção de atirar no stand de Deodoro (4 of 8 members of the IOC COMMISSION felt the thrill of shooting the stand of Deodoro)
  3. Comitê Rio 2016
    vivasuapaixao (Rio de Janeiro) Presidente da Comissão de Avaliação do COI bate bola com Pelé na visita ao Maracanã (President of the IOC Evaluation Commission for hits ball with Pele on visit to Maracanã)

Rio is hoping to host South America's first ever Games, and is competing with Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo. The winner will be announced in October.

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