Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The protests continue apace, and the protesters seem to be growing in number. Brazilian media of all types are having a feast day if not a feeding frenzy. Why all this tumult over an increase in bus fares that is one twentieth (1/20 or five percent) [...]
Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Elections will be held in October 2014 throughout Brazil, with contenders for federal Congress, Senate and President. Although that seems like quite a distance away, it is more than clear that the Presidential campaign has already started. There are four quasi-declared candidates, and one undeclared candidate. [...]
Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Curmudgeon confesses: he has been to Singapore, and he liked it. The Curmudgeon thinks that Hizzoner, aka DuDu, Lord Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, must have been there too, and liked it. Hizzoner’s decided to try to make Rio over, into a form of Singapore. [...]
By Fiona Hurrell, Senior Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Saturday May 25th, the American Society of Rio de Janeiro (AmSoc Rio) will host their annual America’s Day celebration at the Escola Americana (American School) in Gávea. As always, the event promises a range of fun family activities to entice both adults and [...]
Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Curmudgeon wonders why. Why, oh Why? He gets up every morning and walks some 300 meters to the newsstand where he buys the daily newspaper (the number is significant, read on!) The thought “Why oh why?” comes from the paper’s front page. There’s always something [...]
Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Curmudgeon is tired! Football is the opium of the masses, everyone knows this; if not, no “major” club in Rio would still exist, because they owe, totaled up, about US$100 million to the governments of Brazil, federal state and municipal. They don’t pay, and … [...]
By Ben Tavener, Senior Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The State of Rio High Court last week approved so-called “direct authorization” of same-sex civil marriages, making Rio one of eleven states which have approved gay marriage in Brazil, including São Paulo and the Federal District. However, there is uncertainty over whether judges in [...]
Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – There is a Brazilian statute, abbreviated “ECA” which provides that anyone under the age of eighteen who commits a crime, no matter how heinous, cannot be punished by anything more drastic than spending three years in a “socio-educational center”. That’s right! Even if you cold-bloodedly murder [...]
Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – ¡Habemus papam! Or, rather, perhaps, given that Roman Catholics are a minority among the world’s seven billion people: ¡Habeunt papam! [¡You/They Have a Pope!] Or, rather, perhaps, given that Benedict XVI is now Pope Emeritus, ¡Habemos papam et emeritum! There’s apparently no plural for Pope in [...]
Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – God may be Brazilian, but Marx certainly wasn’t. He famously stated that “religion is the opiate of the masses” when, here in Brazil, all know that “futebol” is the true opiate, as addictive to Marxists and Socialists as it is to autocratic generals. It makes you [...]
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