Rio de Janeiro Buildings Collapse and Media Worries About Games

Photo from: http://www.nst.com.my

Reuters has a thing or two to learn about class and holding their tongue. Rio de Janeiro had 3 buildings collapse last night next to the principal plaza Cinelandia. Thankfully it was later at night and thus the building and downtown area were generally empty in comparison to how it is during the day. The things that killed me was the first paragraph of Pedro Fonseca and Rodrigo Viga Gaier online "article" about what happened. Check it out:

A building collapsed in downtown Rio de Janeiro late on Wednesday, according to local media, in the latest incident highlighting the failure of authorities to improve the city's infrastructure amid preparations to host soccer's World Cup and the Olympics.

Seriously?! It just shows the lack of preparations because the swimming competition was obviously going to held in those buildings right now. And the fact that Rio de Janeiro hasn't just demolished all building, seeing that it is a 3rd world country and therefore everything is dangerous, and built the entire city from scratch is just ridiculous. The honor of hosting the World Cup and the Olympics should be stripped from this damned country and brought somewhere else!

Screw you guys. If office buildings collapsed in London 2 years before the World Cup the first response wouldn't be that they are unprepared for the games. You would focus on the efforts of the firemen, the distressed families, and the history of the area where it happened. I doubt anyone would ever say, "Look at that. This tragedy is a sign that London (or Athens or wherever) is unprepared."

I understand that there is an infrastructural issue with the games coming here and that people are concerned. I get it and it is a reasonable fear. But seriously, your stupid little games do not get to cast a shadow on everything that happens in this country. Get your head out of your ass, those are games and this is life. Buildings collapsed and people were injured. Many were rescued and there is fear that some are still trapped. Just a tad too early to be taking this and making it about your games.

And just to mention something that is quite obvious, you knew what you were getting into when you chose Brazil. It's not like the country appeared out of nowhere a couple of days ago. You made your bed, now lie in it and look pretty. 

Brazilians Lose Home for the Sake of the Olmypics

This kind of situation breaks my heart! A favela near Maracana is being destroyed and members of the community removed to make way for buildings for the World Cup and Olympic games. Rumor is that they would like to build a parking garage.

In true form of lack of planning, the city of Rio de Janeiro has been knocking down houses here and there and everywhere. They have essentially made the entire area unlivable without providing proper homes for those they have expelled.

It has been acknowledged that some people may have "slipped through the cracks" of bureaucracy. I'm sorry but I believe that to be an extremely LARGE understatement. It seems more like the members of this community have all been shoved into a hole the size of the Grand Canyon.

Check out the video below posted by the Guardian. Not the best translation nor timing of subtitles but you get the picture. It is very powerful in Portuguese.

The most amazing thing to me is that this can be done in the first place. There is a law here stating that people have the right to the land in which they live if they have lived there for 5 years without being asked to move. Something tells me that said law could be applied to practically all the favelas in Rio.

Rio de Janeiro Olympic Logo

Thank the heavens of everything holy above us, there is a logo for the Olympics that doesn't make me want to cry!  I checked out Jim's blog this morning, per normal morning activity, and I had a dance party, I was so freakin' happy!  By the way, he also has the cool intro video posted on his page.

Anyway, I tried to come up with something sarcastic and sassy to write about it but, I actually like it.

And in comparison to the World Cup logo...

it's like a golden child of design.  Seriously, my children could have designed the world cup logo... drunk.  I don't know who paid who to get that chosen, but sometimes you really need to let your step-children find success on their own.

So gold star to the Olympics.  The more I look at it, the more I like it.

Out of Control

My son's school is totally out of control. I know Brazil is playing. I understand canceling morning classes and starting afternoon classes a little late. I get that. But to close for the entire day, I don't think so! 

The excuse is that they can't say if there are going to be penalties. The game could go longer.  It's an important game.

Say what?  You are closing the school just in case the game goes to penalties?!  They also said that not as many students come on a Friday afternoon after a game.  Mine would go.  I pay R$1000 a month and, ideally, he'd actually get to attend.

I can't even imagine how bad it'll get when the world cup is here in 2014.

I will have to be prepared. The obsessive nature of the Brazilian soccer fan will make life as we know it end during World Cup Rio de Janeiro madness.  Brazil will be going to soccer war and will only return once we are champions.

Shopping centers and grocery stores will be closed. The only liquid available will be beer or cachaça.  No maids. No nannies. No schools or garbage men. 

I will stock circa World War II in Berlin.  The cabinets will be stocks. The fridge full, the fever packed.  It'll be lock down mode. 

We will fill the bathtub with beer in case of shortage... what am I talking about!  There will never be a shortage of beer in Rio de Janeiro. We'd sooner run out of oxygen.