Rule 5 Saturday - Cassandra Fiona Houck

This week's Rule 5 wonder is Cassandra Fiona Houck

Cassandra Houck is an award-winning financial services executive, entrepreneur, global leader, and beauty queen whose philanthropy has impacted organizations and charities around the world. A seasoned business leader and volunteer, she serves pro bono as chief financial officer of Global Dignity, treasurer of Central Park Angels, and on the advisory council of BPUR International.

Born and raised in Washington State, Ms. Houck was always drawn to helping others in her community and abroad. From the age of 13, Ms. Houck spent her summers in Africa and helped distribute food and clothing, built playgrounds, provided childcare, and served in soup kitchens in the Gambia, Senegal, Morocco, Uganda and South Africa.Born and raised in Washington State, Ms. Houck was always drawn to helping others in her community and abroad. From the age of 13, Ms. Houck spent her summers in Africa and helped distribute food and clothing, built playgrounds, provided childcare, and served in soup kitchens in the Gambia, Senegal, Morocco, Uganda and South Africa.

In 2007, Ms. Houck embarked on her accounting and financial services career. She earned her associate of applied science in business degree from Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington while interning at a local tax practice. Committed to continuing her education, Ms. Houck then earned her bachelor of science in business administration degree from DeVry University in 2012.

In 2019, she earned her status as an Enrolled Agent under the Department of Treasury which allows her to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service. That same year, Ms. Houck entered the world of pageantry where she has since won several national titles including: Mrs. Poulsbo, Mrs. Washington World International, Ms. World America and Ms. World International.

As a beauty queen and advocate, Ms. Houck has drawn public attention to several local charities and international humanitarian causes including the National Youth Football League of Haiti, which helps impoverished children from ages six to 18 to play soccer at no cost. Her volunteer efforts in the international community were recognized in 2021 when she earned the Friends of Africa Award, African Achievement Awards.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup – Happy Easter and links. The Wombat has Rule Five Sunday: Bunny Season! and FMJRA 2.0: No Grandeur, Lots of Misery, Just One Victory awaiting your attention at The Other McCain. Linked at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama and links.

Random Celebrity News

 For some values of "random", "celebrity" and "news". It's been a while, hasn't it?

Bounding into Sports reports NFL Podcaster Cam Stewart Becomes Public Enemy #1 For Swifties After He Suggests Tossing Taylor Swift Into Niagara Falls. That/s not nice!

It all started when Cam Stewart, one of the hosts of SportsGrid’s “Drew and Stew Podcast,” was talking about the legitimacy of the Chiefs’ 9-0 record on this week’s show. As in – are they what their record says they are, or are they a paper tiger? Conversation then turned to the upcoming grudge match against Buffalo at Highmark Stadium this weekend, and whether or not the Bills have the juice to take down the undefeated and current Super Bowl Champions.

“I love Buffalo,” Stewart said. “I love the people there…I love the food there and I want something positive to happen for these people. “Haven’t they been through enough? Kansas City, ‘Oh, we’re in Kansas City. We’re living the great life. We win every week,'” he added.

Drew Livingstone, Stewart’s co-host, chimed in to point out that Swift is expected to attend Sunday’s game in Buffalo to support her boyfriend and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.  “Oh, who cares?!” Stewart ranted in response. “Throw her in the [Niagara] Falls.”

At RVN,  Former NASCAR Driver Danica Patrick Reveals What She Was Paid To Support Trump

Former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick has shared details about her support for President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, revealing she received no payment for her appearances and events in his favor. 

This contrasts sharply with reports that Kamala Harris’s campaign allegedly paid $5 million to rapper Megan Thee Stallion for a campaign appearance, a claim that Harris’s team has yet to confirm or deny. Patrick, 42, supported Trump openly during her first-ever involvement in a political campaign, speaking at a rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and joining Trump on the campaign trail—all without compensation.

From Da Caller, US Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Coming Out Of Retirement At 40. Good luck! Break a leg! Ooops, maybe I shouldn't say that.

She’s back! Olympic skiing legend Lindsey Vonn made the announcement Thursday that she was nixing her retirement to make a comeback to the sport, rejoining the U.S. Ski Team. Her intentions will be to race again at 40 years old, as well as six years following her last Olympics. 

On her resume, Vonn has three Olympic medals, including golds in the downhill and a bronze in super-G, both won at the 2010 Vancouver Games. In the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, she won another medal in the downhill, this time a bronze. On top of that, she also has four World Cup championships and eight medals in the world championships.

Outkick, NASCAR's Toni Breidinger Gets Called Up To Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. At least she's not fat or trans.  

Is 2025 the year when NASCAR's Toni Breidinger finally becomes a huge pop culture star?

If Monday's big reveal from Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue is any indication, you're about to see much more of Breidinger.

The Victoria's Secret model, newly signed IMG model and Toyota NASCAR driver announced she'll be in the 2025 SI swim issue via a video where the 25-year-old is in a red bikini, wearing her racing helmet and driving a pink buggy. This is how you make an entrance.

Also at Outkick, Victoria Kjær Theilvig Puts Denmark On The Map As The Country’s First Miss Universe Winner. A white blonde? The dark days are over!

The 73rd Miss Universe competition was held in Mexico City, with the recent unauthorized hotel room visit drama behind it and history was made. No, a biological man wasn't crowned the winner.

The 21-year-old winner, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, was the first winner of Miss Universe from Denmark. It took 73 competitions to be held before someone from the Scandinavian country took home the crown.

The long wait is over. Denmark is on the map. They've finally put one in the win colum. Theilvig topped Chidimma Adetshina of Nigeria, who finished as first runner-up.

Bounding into Sports, LPGA Fan Favorite Charley Hull The Latest Athlete To Break Out The ‘Trump Dance’

Charley Hull does the “Trump dance.” pic.twitter.com/FvXqQz0JsI

— Gregory Scherer (@gregscherer) November 18, 2024

RVM, Jillian Michaels Shreds Dems for Attacking One of Their Own Over Transgender Athlete Stance

Celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels didn’t hold back when slamming Democrats for their attacks on Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., following his comments about transgender athletes, as reported by Fox News.

Appearing on Fox & Friends Tuesday, Michaels warned Democrats that their refusal to address voter concerns could cost them future elections.

“This is why your entire party got their butts kicked in the election,” Michaels said bluntly. Turning to Moulton, she added, “Buddy, take a stand and dig in because this is your moment. Wake up your team because you’re going to lose—not just this one but all the others—if you don’t turn this around. People are sick of it. It’s ridiculous.”

RVM,  Katy Perry Gets Roasted After Failed Attempt to Slam Trump Supporters. She's still a thing?

Pop singer Katy Perry is facing backlash after recommending the film Idiocracy on social media in what appeared to be a jab at President-elect Donald Trump and his supporters.

Perry’s post on X (formerly Twitter) late Wednesday drew ridicule from commenters who argued the Biden-Harris administration better reflected the satirical 2006 film directed by Mike Judge.

Perry bypassed popular movie review platforms like Letterboxd to post her recommendation, saying nothing beyond urging her followers to watch the film.

KATY PERRY@katyperry "just watch idiocracy the movie that’s all"
. . .
“It reminds me of the last 4 years. I voted for Trump in Pennsylvania,” Scott Presler replied, referencing the Biden-Harris administration.

I forgot to send my Rule 5s to the Wombat this week, but he still posted Rule 5 Sunday: Cheerful Bikini anyway. 

Random Celebrity News

 For some values of "random", "celebrity" and "news". A double stuffed edition because I spaced last week, First, from Twitchy, Miserable Cranks on Social Media Dump on Miss Universe Olivia Culpo's GORGEOUS Wedding Dress

Sachin Jose@Sachinettiyil 

Former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo is facing backlash for wearing a modest wedding gown at her marriage ceremony with American football star Christian McCaffrey, who is an outspoken Christian, stating in a later interview with Vogue that she “didn’t want it to exude sex in any way, shape, or form.”

How evil is that! From Hollywood in Toto, Gina Carano Celebrates July 4th by Defending Free Speech

Gina Carano@ginacarano

Double standards on full display. It’s a constant and obvious elephant in the room in Hollywood. There is example after example, such as Mark Ruffalos below that prove this. Whom btw, I believe should have the right to express himself without getting fired, although I cringe at most all of his political posts. He is an actor, but he is a human being passionately engaging in something that he feels strongly about. It must be a nice feeling to express yourself so freely. Not everyone in this country has that privilege without having everything that they love taken from them. Do we wonder why he has that privilege and I did not? The answers are in my case. I know people would prefer basketball players to just dribble or actors to just act, but when you’re in a world where lives are being destroyed and lost, all around you, how does any human being become forced to stay silent when death by injustice surrounds them.
@Disney @Lucasfilm maliciously twisted the narrative of a meme I posted which was encouraging neighbors NOT to demonize their neighbors or history could repeat itself. . . . 

ABC, German city renames itself after Taylor Swift — at least for a few weeks

The Swifties are about to take over the German city formerly known as Gelsenkirchen, where American superstar Taylor Swift is set to give three Eras Tour concerts later this month.

In honor of the singer, the city has renamed itself “Swiftkirchen" — at least temporarily — to welcome the tens of thousands of fans who are expected to come for her shows on July 17, 18 and 19, German news agency dpa reported.

A yellow city sign with the new name — which translates roughtly to “Swift's Church” — was unveiled Tuesday by Swift fan Aleshanee Westhoff, who suggested the name to the city's mayor and started a petition a few weeks ago. Mayor Karin Welge thanked the teenager for her “great idea” in a letter accepting the proposal.

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair,  Dems' Insane Plan B: Help Us, Taylor Swift, You're Our Only Hope

Are you "ready for it"? Here's the insane plan, along with the insane take-away:

• Biden would step down as the Democratic nominee in mid-July, and announce the new system, with backing from Vice President Kamala Harris.
• Potential candidates would have a few days to throw their respective hats in the ring. The Democratic Party then would begin a primary sprint in which the six candidates who receive the most votes from delegates pledge to run positive-only campaigns in the month leading up to the convention.
• The “blitz primary” would involve weekly forums with each candidate moderated by cultural icons (Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Taylor Swift are among the names floated in the memo) in order to engage voters.
• The nominee would ultimately be chosen by the delegates using ranked choice voting before the start of the Chicago convention on Aug. 19.
• It would be announced with plenty of fanfare on the third day of the gathering. The memo imagines the nominee unveiled on stage with Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

According to its authors, the country would be captivated. Donations would pour in. And Biden would be celebrated as a “modern-day George Washington,” the proponents argue.

At Breitbart,  Actress Minnie Driver Smears Trump Supporters as Racist, Says Former POTUS ‘Deserves to Be in Prison’. So, a pretty typical Hollywoodian, then?  

Actress Minnie Driver has insulted supporters of former President Donald Trump, claiming they “really quite like a bit of a racist attitude” in their candidate. She also dissed America’s founding fathers, saying there should have been some “mothers” involved in the creation of the country. The Good Will Hunting star held forth on Trump and his tens of millions of supporters in an interview with The Times of London on Saturday.

Driver spoke about the “revelation of the 70 million people who really quite like a bit of a racist attitude and non-existent immigration policies and dismantling the environmental agencies.” “They were always there,” she added. “They weren’t created by him. He’s just a symptom, and now they’ve got a mascot.”

Driver — who is British and obtained U.S. citizenship in 2017 — said she believes Trump belongs in jail. “Of course he deserves to be in prison — of course he does,” she said.

From the Epoch Times The 2024 Miss America Also Happens to Be an Active Duty Air Force Officer. An F-16 pilot.

In her early teens, Madison Marsh attended a space camp and met several astronauts. “I just fell in love with the idea of being the first woman on Mars,” she said. So she took flying lessons at age 15 and joined the Air Force Academy to work toward her goal. She loved the thrill of flying and became an Air Force officer. When Marsh, 22, was crowned Miss America in January, she became the first Miss America to also be an active duty member of the military.

She hopes her win will show people that you can achieve anything you set your heart to, and that women can embrace their feminine and strong sides in the service of others. “I love being able to lead others and serve in something that’s bigger than just me,” she said.

RVM, ‘World’s Sexiest Athlete’ Goes Viral With Emotional Call For The Olympics [VIDEOS]. It's a high bar, but she might jump it. 

German athlete Alica Schmidt, termed the ‘world’s sexiest athlete,’ publicly shared a video of herself receiving a call to confirm her status for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics last week.

Schmidt previously went to Tokyo for the pandemic-delayed Summer Games in 2021 but did not compete and later announced plans to “take a break” from track and field in August 2021. She expressed dissatisfaction with her performance and the challenges she faced throughout the year.

Schmidt, 25, expressed her excitement for the Olympic season after qualifying for the mixed 4x400m relay at the World Athletics Relays in May.

ArsTechnica,  First “Miss AI” contest sparks ire for pushing unrealistic beauty standards, who seems to be an affirmative action choice.

An influencer platform called Fanvue recently announced the results of its first "Miss AI" pageant, which sought to judge AI-generated social media influencers and also doubled as a convenient publicity stunt. The "winner" is a fictional Instagram influencer from Morocco named Kenza Layli with more than 200,000 followers, but the pageant is already attracting criticism from women in the AI space.

"Yet another stepping stone on the road to objectifying women with AI," Hugging Face AI researcher Dr. Sasha Luccioni told Ars Technica. "As a woman working in this field, I'm unsurprised but disappointed.

Instances of AI-generated Instagram influencers have reportedly been on the rise since freely available image synthesis tools like Stable Diffusion have made it easy to generate an unlimited quantity of provocative images of women. And techniques like Dreambooth allow fine-tuning an AI model on a specific subject (including an AI-generated one) to place it in different settings.

From Outkick Olivia Dunne Had ESPY Viewers On The Edge Of Their Seats

The six people who watched the ESPYS on ESPN last night got a front row seat to the Olivia Dunne show. Fine. I'm sure more than six people watched. Did the annual awards show become complete garbage about a decade ago? Absolutely. Most things on ESPN did.

Do we really need to tune into a woke network in the middle of July to watch a bunch of woke, Hollywood elites tell us how bad Harrison Butker is? Or how white people love Caitlin Clark? I mean, I don't. Do you? I doubt it. But whatever. That's not the point here.

Point is, while Paul Skenes was mowing down hitters in Pittsburgh Thursday afternoon, Olivia Dunne was firing off heaters – and channeling her inner-Game of Thrones – at the ESPYS . . .

Also from OutKick, Golf Influencer Grace Charis Drops Her Own Paige Spiranac Style Slow-Mo Swing Video

Paige has already accepted a challenge from fellow golf influencer Hailey Rae Ostrom to hit the course in what promises to be an all-time showdown in the history of golf. An event that can grow the game like none other. Now she's facing what appears to be another attempt at a battle of content from arguably her greatest competition on the content front, Grace Charis.

She posted a slow-mo video of her swing on Instagram - where she's up to 3.4 million followers - that, given Paige's recent use of slow motion, could only be seen as a challenge. At first glance, this would look like an attempt by Grace to copy an idea from Paige. However, when you do a little investigating you find that this is hardly the first time Grace has used slow-mo in her content.

I'm not going to turn the tables here and accuse Paige of stealing the idea from Grace. We all know that there have been plenty of copycats of Paige's work. Besides, great content is good for everyone. It's a rising tide that lifts all influencer boats. Now Grace might feel differently about that. She might want to go toe to toe in a content battle where, let's face it, everyone wins. You have to beat the best to be the best after all.

On Friday, Grace fired another shot at Paige with her own "Golf is fun" answer to one the world's No. 1 golf influencer posted.

And last, sad news from Variety, Shannen Doherty, ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ and ‘Charmed’ Star, Dies at 53, much too young;

Shannen Doherty, known for her roles on the wildly popular series “Beverly Hills, 90210” and on the witchcraft fantasy “Charmed,” has died after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She was 53.

“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress, Shannen Doherty,” Doherty’s publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement. “On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease. The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.”

The Wombat makes up time with Rule 5 Sunday: Hangar Queen Double-Scoop Sunday! 

Maryland, My Maryland

'Bailey Anne' Kennedy

 Mary Margret Olohan at Da Signal, Miss Maryland Contestants Push Back After Male Winner Steals Their Crown 

But on June 1, when the beauty pageant crowned a man the winner of Miss Maryland USA, a number of the contestants felt that they had not been granted that fair and supportive environment they were promised.

The male winner goes by the name Bailey Anne Kennedy and identifies as a transgender woman. The day that he was crowned Miss Maryland USA was also the first day of Pride Month—a fact that was not lost on the contestants.

Top 5

“I was shocked,” one contestant told The Daily Signal as she described how she found out that she was competing against a man. This contestant, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her privacy, will be identified as Contestant A. “I had mixed feelings. I started to think that the winner might be predetermined.”

“A transgender woman gets crowned during first day of transgender Pride Month?” she asked. “It did not seem like a coincidence. Especially when owner of the pageant is a transgender woman herself. I was feeling like neither myself nor my fellow contestants had a fair opportunity from the beginning.”

A beauty contest rigged? Whodda thunk! 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Cheesecake Armor & Other Delights ready for you digital pleasure at The Other McCain.

Random Celebrity News

For some values of the words "random," "celebrity" and "news." First, from Jeff Charles at Da Caller, Feds Arrest Beauty Queen In Major Cartel Drug Bust

Federal authorities have arrested a former beauty queen and two bank employees in Indiana for collaborating with a Mexican cartel to traffic drugs into the country, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

The three individuals are accused of allegedly “moving thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the United States and laundering tens of millions of dollars in proceeds,” the DOJ’s press release explained.

The indictment, unsealed Friday, also “charges flight attendant GLENIS ZAPATA, 34, of Lafayette, Ind., with assisting the traffickers in the transportation of drug proceeds on commercial airline flights.”

Before becoming a flight attendant, Zapata was 2011’s Miss Indiana Latina, according to ABC7. The former beauty queen is alleged to have “possessed a ‘Known Crew Member’ badge and used her authority to help the cartel move cash drug proceeds from the Midwest to the southern part of the U.S. and into Mexico,” according to the DOJ.

I guess being a minor beauty queen 13 years ago doesn't pay the bills.  At Reason, The Housing Policy Implications of Taylor Swift.

This past week, headlines were abuzz with the news that the homeless population of Edinburgh, Scotland, had been expelled from the city to make way for thousands of adoring Taylor Swift fans flooding into town for the singer's three days of performances.   

The more complicated, less scandalous reality (detailed in many of the above articles, if not their headlines) is a local government program that places homeless people in hotel rooms started to refer people to hotels outside the city after incoming Swift fans snatched up many of the vacant rooms that had been available.

Edinburgh officials have stressed that none of the homeless who'd already been placed in hotel rooms were forced to vacate them. The whole episode seems quite overblown in this context.

OutKick predicts SI Swimsuit Model Xandra Pohl Is Ready To Dominate The Next Decade

The performance last night from 2024 SI Swimsuit rookie Xandra Pohl was like Ken Griffey Jr. making his MLB debut. It was like the first time Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes took the mound. It was like Sydney Sweeney's Hooters comedy bit on Saturday Night Live. It was like Bron Bron making his NBA debut.

DJ Xandra Pohl declared on Thursday night at Hard Rock Hotel in New York City that she's the future of pop culture and she's here to dominate the next decade. I've been at this game a long time. We're looking at all the intangibles. We're looking at a social media force.

Xandra Pohl attends the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2024 Issue Release and 60th Anniversary Celebration at Hard Rock Hotel New York on May 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)

We're looking at a 2023 college graduate DJ with over a million TikTok followers who can go ahead and determine what industry she wants to dominate and it appears the swimsuit game is next up.

As we reported this week, she's already been spotted with new Chiefs running back Louis Rees-Zammit, the Welsh rugby player who's good-looking, young, super athletic and ready to make an NFL roster. Notice who Pohl was photographed with at the SI party. . . .

 Things are looking up for SI. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Just What It Says On Her Label out more or less on time at The Other McCain.

American Woman Wins Miss Universe

I'm a little surprised, I didn't think that would be possible anymore, Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel wins Miss Universe Competition

R’Bonney Gabriel, a fashion designer, model and sewing instructor from Texas who competition officials said is the first Filipino American to win Miss USA, was crowned Miss Universe on Saturday night.

Gabriel closed her eyes and clasped hands with runner-up Miss Venezuela, Amanda Dudamel, at the moment of the dramatic reveal of the winner, then beamed after her name was announced.

Thumping music rang out, and she was handed a bouquet of flowers, draped in the winner’s sash and crowned with a tiara onstage at the 71st Miss Universe Competition, held in New Orleans.

 

In the Q&A at the last stage of the competition for the three finalists, Gabriel was asked how she would work to demonstrate Miss Universe is “an empowering and progressive organization” if she were to win.

“I would use it to be a transformational leader,” she responded, citing her work using recycled materials in her fashion design and teaching sewing to survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. “It is so important to invest in others, invest in our community and use your unique talent to make a difference.”

R'Bonney Grabriel

R'Bonney Nola Gabriel was born in Houston, Texas to a Filipino father, Remigio Bonzon "R. Bon" Gabriel, and an American mother, Dana Walker, who married in the Philippines. She grew up in Missouri City, with three older brothers. Her father was born in the Philippines and is from Manila, later immigrating to Washington state at the age of 25, later receiving a degree in psychology at the University of Houston, opening a car repair shop. Her mother is from Beaumont, Texas. Gabriel graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in fashion design with a minor in fibers. She works as a designer creating eco-friendly clothing, and as a model. She has worked as a sewing instructor at a non-profit. 

'Murica! 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Gina Lollobrigida, RIP up on time at The Other McCain.

Ukraine, Russia Go Head to Head at Miss Universe

 Althouse, Miss Ukraine. first, harkening back to famed winged Hussars 

The Polish hussars (/həˈzɑːrs/; Polish: husaria [xuˈsarja]),[a] alternatively known as the winged hussars, were a heavy cavalry formation active in Poland and in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1503 to 1702. Their epithet is derived from large rear wings, which were intended to demoralize the enemy during charge. The hussars ranked as the elite of Polish cavalry until their official disbanding in 1776.

Ukraine is SLAYING on stage, along with her beautiful feathered wings. What an inspiration to all. 💙 #MissUniverse pic.twitter.com/bP3LA4gDsx

— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) January 12, 2023

followed by Miss Russia, celebrating imperial Russia:

росія вийшла в костюмі імператриці на міс всесвіт (як їм це дозволили я не розумію)

навіть цвіркуни не кричали слей

pic.twitter.com/b9RhxN3iip

— vanya ✙ 🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@eurovanya) January 12, 2023

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Homeko up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

Election Deniers?

R'Bonney Gabriel

At NYPo, Contestants claim Miss USA 2022 was ‘rigged’: ‘We were humiliated’

Were Miss USA pageant-goers miss-led this year?

“Humiliated” contestants claim the 2022 Miss USA pageant was “rigged” and that the winner of the contest, Miss Texas R’Bonney Gabriel, was predetermined — or so say theories circulating TikTok, which claim no one had a “fair chance.”

Miss Montana Heather Lee O’Keefe fired up the rumor mill online following the contest on Monday, when Gabriel, 28, was crowned — which made her the first Filipina American to win the Miss USA title. She’s also the first Asian American contestant to earn the Miss Texas USA state title. 

Heather Lee O'Keefe

“Most of the Miss USA contestants feel very strongly that there was favoritism towards Miss Texas USA and we have the receipts to prove it,” O’Keefe claimed in a TikTok video with over 29,000 views.

Miss New York Heather Nunez wrote on her personal account’s Instagram Stories that she was “humiliated” and thought everyone had a “fair chance.”

“I am lost for words,” she wrote. “The way I entered this pageant and gave it every last bit of my heart and soul… We were humiliated, thinking we entered something with a fair chance.”

Heather Nunez

Nunez said she’s “not here to create a sob story” and said people “don’t have to believe what we are saying.”

“The ONLY reason I am speaking up is to prevent future contestants from feeling the way that I do,” she wrote. “For all the little girls who watch Miss USA with the same dreams I had of working hard to be in that position. You deserve a fair chance.”

 

[UPDATE: Miss Universe has launched an investigation into claims made by contestants after The Post’s report and Miss USA has denied the contest was “rigged.”]

They're all winners in my eyes.  

Dutch Beauty Dodges the Needle

At Da Mail, Miss World Netherlands anti-vaxxer refuses to take part in Miss World because contestants must have a Covid jab

Miss World Netherlands has quit the modelling contest - saying she is not prepared to get vaccinated so she can travel to the final in Puerto Rico later this year.

Dilay Willemstein, 21, made the announcement late Tuesday via Instagram, saying she is 'not yet ready' to get the shot - and might never be.

The model and dancer will now be replaced by Lizzie Dobbe, who came second place in the Netherlands' national contest which concluded back in July.

Dilay Willemstein, 21, winner of the Miss World Netherlands contest, has said she will not attend the final later this year because contestants are required to get a Covid vaccine

Willemstein told the media at the time of her win that taking the Miss World crown was a life-long dream.

But it was not until after winning the national event that she was told all finalists would have to be vaccinated in order to travel to Puerto Rico.

However, new rules introduced last month mean that events operating at full capacity must require guests to be jabbed. If not, they are limited to half capacity. Puerto Rico does not currently require travellers to be fully vaccinated in order to enter, and will accept a negative PCR test taken up to three days before departure.

It is not clear whether the Miss World pageant was complying with locals rules when it issued its vaccine edict, or whether it was applying its own rules.

Nevertheless, Willemstein has now ruled herself firmly out of the contest.

At her age and sex, neither the WuFlu or the vaccines poses much risk to Dilay. I think it was stupid of her to drop out of the pageant for lack of the vaccine. But then, her body, her choice, right?

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Carol Cleveland ready for business at The Other McCain.

Miss. Miss USA Bitterly Clings to Trump, God and Guns

 Hat tip to Ace's ONT, Mississippi Queen

Meet Asya Branch of Tupelo, Mississippi. Asya just won the Miss USA Pageant, and she did it despite being a fan of President Trump.

The first black woman to be crowned Miss Mississippi was crowned Miss USA on Monday, and will go on to represent the United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The beauty queen, Asya Branch, is also pro-Second Amendment and has previously met with President Donald Trump for a roundtable discussion on criminal justice reform.

At the pageant, the 22-year-old Ole Miss grad was asked how she believes Americans can bring the country back together in the wake of having become a more “polarized” society.

 

Not only is she a fan of President Trump, but also a big supporter of the Second Amendment.

Branch was also asked about her stance on gun laws, to which the beauty queen responded that “as someone who grew up in a home with guns, I learned at an early age how to load, how to fire, and gun safety, and I think that [gun] education should be available to everyone.”

Yeah, I think I’m in love. And obviously, screen door, hurricane…

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Julie London awaiting your digital pleasure. 

Nerd Power!

WaPoo, ‘Miss America can be a scientist’: Camille Schrier of Virginia wins after onstage chemistry experiment

The Miss America competition has had a rocky couple of years, public-relations-wise, but the annual show returned to NBC on Thursday night and doubled down on its new message: This is Miss America 2.0.

In other words: Instead of bikinis or evening gowns, the focus is on interviews and social impact initiatives. For the second year in a row, the competition stayed away from even alluding to physical appearance. At the start of the two-hour broadcast, the 51 women were introduced by career category: science, business, arts and education.

British Academic Wants To Ban The Insults "Nerd" And "Geek" As Hate Crimes. I always accepted the label proudly.

So it was quite fitting for this revamped show that the winner (of the crown and $50,000 scholarship) was Miss Virginia Camille Schrier, a 24-year-old scientist from Richmond studying to earn a doctor of pharmacy degree at Virginia Commonwealth University. She certainly stole the show during the talent portion — as the other four finalists performed jazz dances, twirled batons and sang songs, Schrier put on a chemistry demonstration.

“Science is all around us! I’ve loved science since I was a little girl,” she said, beaming, dressed in a white lab coat. “It’s my mission to show kids that science is fun, relevant and easy to understand.”

She then poured potassium iodide into three separate flasks that contained concentrated hydrogen peroxide, food coloring and dish soap.

The pageant got it right, but the WaPoo got it wrong. It was a demonstration and not an experiment. It's only an experiment when you don't already know the answer.

It's great that a nascent scientist won, but damn, I miss the swimsuit competition.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat is back in action with a double stuffed Rule 5 Sunday: New Year Double Scoop Delight!.

Fish Pic Friday - Brie Gabrielle

Hey look, it's Fish Pic Friday already!

Known to her followers as “The OFishalInsider”, Brie Gabrielle is the well-known co-host of the Chevy Insider Report with Captain Rick Murphy.

And she became famous all throughout the country last year as she was crowned Miss Florida USA 2016!

Besides Brie’s huge TV following, she also has a very large social media following as well.

Oh, and did we mention that this girl knows how to catch fish!

Make sure to follow Brie on Instagram here.

You Will Be Made to Conform

Trump Supporter Stripped of Miss Michigan Title for Hijab Tweet

On Thursday, 20-year-old Miss Michigan Kathy Zhu shared a screenshot of Miss World America organizers notifying her that she had been stripped of her title and her ability to compete in the beauty pageant.

"Miss World America's State/National/Chief Director accused me of being racist, Islamophobic, and insensitive. They stripped me of my Miss Michigan title due to my refusal to try on a hijab in 2018, my tweet about black on black gun violence, and 'insensitive' statistical tweets," Zhu tweeted with screenshots of emails from the organizers.

Miss World America's State/National/Chief Director accused me of being racist, Islamaphobic, and insensitive.

They stripped me of my Miss Michigan title due to my refusal to try on a hijab in 2018, my tweet about black on black gun violence, and "insensitive" statistical tweets. pic.twitter.com/K1Btho0Pgq

— Kathy Zhu (@PoliticalKathy) July 19, 2019

MWA Michigan State Director Laurie DeJack wrote, "It has been brought to the attention of Miss World America that your social media accounts contain offensive, insensitive and inappropriate content, and in violation of MWA's Rules and Conditions, specifically the contestant requirement of 'being of good character and whose background is not likely to bring into disrepute Miss World America or any person associated with the organisation.'"

Newsweek's David Brennan reported on the tweets that got her excluded from the beauty pageant. Last year, Zhu tweeted about a "Try a hijab" booth on campus. "So you're telling me that it's now just a fashion accessory and not a religious thing? Or are you just trying to get women used to being oppressed under Islam?"

While many Muslim women voluntarily wear hijabs as a religious statement — notably Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) — many Muslim countries enforce the hijab by law. In January 2018, at least six Iranian women removed their hijabs in protest — and were immediately arrested. Islam is a diverse religion, but the hijab does indeed symbolize oppression for many women, notably Somali-born women's rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a victim of female genital mutilation.

Muslim students at Zhu's college began a campaign to have her expelled. A female student who was manning the hijab booth said, "I invited you to try one on and you said 'no thank you'...You didn't take the time to even ask questions or try to understand what Hijab is. That's ignorant of you. You literally sprinted after taking the photos. That's pathetic."

The other tweet that got Zhu booted from the beauty pageant involved black-on-black crime. "Did you know the majority of black deaths are caused by other blacks?" Zhu tweeted. "Fix problems within your own community first before blaming others."

While this message is rather blunt, it is based in fact. Despite excessive media coverage of police violence against black men, the majority of black homicide victims were killed by other blacks. That does not justify excessive use of force but it does put the debate in an important context.

We know the real reason.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Victoria Baldessara on time and within budget at The Other McCain.

Under Her Thumb

When melanoma hides: Woman develops skin cancer under her nail

When Karolina Jasko was 18, she was at a salon getting a set of acrylic nails.

It was 2016 when a nail technician noticed something unusual on the Chicago-based woman’s finger — she had a black vertical line on her thumbnail.

“Neither of us were too concerned because we both assumed it was just a bruise,” she told Global News. “A few days later, an infection occurred on that very thumb which caused me to return to the nail salon to get my acrylic removed.”

Jasko thought she got an infection from the salon, and when the nail was removed, the black vertical line was still there.

“I went to see my primary-care physician who referred me to a dermatologist right away because he told me it was a sign of melanoma,” she said, adding her family had a history of melanoma. “He didn’t want me to take this lightly.”

Barely mentioned later in the article, Karolina Jasko is a beauty pageant participant, and Miss Illinois in 2018.

Jasko had developed a rare form of melanoma under her nail, something she found “extremely shocking.”

“I didn’t realize that at age 18, as a senior in high school, I would have to deal with something like this. But I had to stay strong for my mom and my family and I just hoped for the best, and luckily everything ended up being okay.” She eventually had her nail, and the cancer, removed.

Toronto-based dermatologist Dr. Julia Carroll of Compass Dermatology told Global News this form of skin cancer can “hide” in certain places, including the eyes, in between the toes, behind the ears or on the back.

 It's so hard to look behind my ears.

“[The back is] the most common place for melanoma in men and the backs of the legs, the calves, is the most common area for women,” she said.

Dr. Vishal Patel, assistant professor of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, told Today.com, melanoma on the nails, hands and feet make up less than five per cent of all melanomas. However, they are more aggressive.

Black, South Asian and other groups of people with darker skin are more likely to have this type of melanoma called acral lentiginous melanoma.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, this type of melanoma is not linked to being exposed to the sun.

Melanoma is a concern in our family as Georrgia's father and my grandfather died of it. Just another thing to watch for.