Russia to get a Miss Constitution

The winner of a new Russian beauty contest must be attractive, talented and witty.

But never mind wanting to help children. She should also symbolize Russia’s constitution.

Russia’s main progovernment youth group, Nashi, is to stage the “Miss Constitution 2008” contest as the Kremlin is pushing for changes to the constitution that critics say aims to let Prime Minister Vladimir Putin become president again. “This constitution is a state brand and today we want to choose a girl worthy of its image,” a Nashi spokeswoman.

Nashi will crown Miss Constitution on December 12 to celebrate the document’s 15th anniversary. Other Russian youth groups will also take part in the event. “The girls must prove they are gifted in many ways,” the spokeswoman said. “Talented, clever, erudite, artistic, witty, graceful, flexible and most important of all not without sparkle.”

The Kremlin wants to extend the Russian presidential term to six years from four, a change critics say could be designed to allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to reclaim the top job.

Parliament has already approved the changes which now must be approved by Russia’s regional legislatures. Last year thousands of Nashi protesters marched to support Putin in parliamentary elections and demonstrate against his opponents but in 2008 the group has adopted a far lower profile.

Palin tops 2008 Google search

Sarah Palin may have ended up on the losing side of the landmark US electoral battle for the White House, but she has finished first on Google’s image search list.

In the Google’s list of the most popular searches in 2008, the photogenic defeated US vicepresidential candidate, topped the the web search chart.

The glamorous Palin finished number one on Google image search in 2008, Google said. “Beijing Olympics 2008” came in at number two on the Google list of “fastest-rising” searches around the globe this year followed by “Facebook login” and “Tuenti,” a Spanish social networking website.

Searches for “Heath Ledger,” the Australian actor who died in January, was listed at number four followed by as in Barack Obama.

Pick up tech slang before you are dubbed ‘404’

A new type of slang, dubbed the “tech slang”, is making its way into people’s inboxes, as more people are using technology driven terms in messages, according to a new study. So, from now on, if you read “404” in your mobile inbox, it will mean “clueless”, inspired by the error message given when a browser cannot find a webpage. According to slang lexicographer Jonathon Green, some such terms and abbreviations have evolved as a result of the limited speed and space afforded by text messaging. And more use of SMS can actually come up with new terms. As part of the study, the researchers closed in on an unlikely slang source- Oyster system, a card-based payment scheme on the London Underground. Usually, the card readers show the number 35 if the card has run out of credit. Thus, “Code 35” now means penniless. In the same way you can be named “Code 11” if you are behind the times, for in Oyster’s system, that’s how one refers to an out-of-date card.

What does Roadrunner refer to?

What does Roadrunner refer to?
It’s the world’s fastest supercomputer built by scientists at IBM and Los Alamos National Laboratory for the US military. It can compute about 1.026 quadrillion calculations per second. It will be primarily used for military problems, particularly to ensure the accurate functioning of ageing nuclear weapons.

Who are the youngest and oldest captains to win the soccer world cup?
The youngest captain was Cafuaka Marcos Evangelista de Moraes from Brazil. Born on June 7, 1970, he won the World Cup in 1994 and 2002. The oldest captain is Dino Zoff from Italy, born on February 28, 1942. He won the World Cup in 1982.

What is the Armenian genocide?
The Armenian genocide was carried out by the Young Turk government of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1916 and from 1922 to 1923. About 1.5 million Armenians out of the 2.5 million in the empire were killed. Armenians all over the world commemorate the tragedy on April 24 every year.

What is a gluten-free diet?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. In some genetically predisposed children, food containing gluten causes small-bowl mucusal damage resulting in a disease called gluten-sensitive enteropathy or celiac disease. The treatment is a strict gluten-free diet i.e. elimination of wheat, rye and barley products from the diet.

What is Riemann Hypo thesis?
Riemann Hypothesis is an important result in Mathematics whose truth or otherwise is not yet known. This was conjectured by the German mathematician Gerhard Riemann in 1859. A lot of results have been proved on the assumption that the Riemann Hypothesis is true. They would all stand or fall based on whether the hypothesis is proved or disproved.

What is Fat Tuesday?
Fat Tuesday is Mardi Gras, where gras is French for fat and Mardi is French for Tuesday. The name comes from the tradition of slaughtering and feasting on a fattened calf on the last day of a carnival. The annual festivities start on January 6 and build to a climax on Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, which always occurs on the day before Ash Wednesday.

What is a gazebo?
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, often octagonal, commonly found in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos provide shade, basic shelter, ornamental features in a landscape and a place to rest.

What’s distinctive about Davos?
Situated at an altitude of 1,560 metres, in the heart of the Alps in Switzerland, the town of Davos has the distinction of being the largest mountain resort in the Alps and the highest town of Europe. Its major tourist attraction are winter sports. It is also a preferred place for holding international conferences like the World Economic Forum.

ANY ANSWERS?

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