Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Liar, liar, pants on fire! Last week the Curmudgeon tilted at several windmills whirling busily around the work stoppages by police and firemen. And Lo! And Behold! The stoppages stopped, the workers worked. Carnival was salvaged in Salvador and rescued in Rio! Post hoc ergo propter [...]
Opinion, by Shinjini Kundu RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Obama’s foreign policy has focused more on Asia than any other president in U.S. history. President Obama considers Asia to be a strategic player in the U.S. economy. The rapidly expanding Asian consumer market is a funnel for U.S. exports. The administration is also worried [...]
Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Curmudgeon assiduously follows the news about current events. Recently, what has struck him the most is the ability to lie shown by almost everybody connected with the Police/Fire/Penitentiary workers strikes (Bahia and Rio, so far). First up is Governor Jacques Wagner of the State of [...]
Opinion, by Jeremy Lovelace RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Recently, one of my oldest friends came to stay with me here in Rio. It is great to have old friends isn’t it?! Anyway, he is a super guy and we have very candid conversations. However, he grew up with a very militantly atheist father, so [...]
Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Salvador, Bahia, today, is the scene of events that remind the Curmudgeon of that old familiar Carioca football saying: “Things happen to Botafogo that even God doubts.” We have federal troops firing (rubber bullets) upon state troopers. Unarmed state troopers. State troopers who have not committed [...]
Opinion, by Antonio Brassil RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil is world renowned for its beautiful women and rightly so. Visualize Adriana Lima, Giselle Bündchen, or Alessandra Ambrósio, who all had their reign as the “All That” girl of international modeling. Now, go ahead and image any of these beauties ambulating gracefully to the beach [...]
Opinion, by Michael Kalavritinos RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – While the results of the Florida Republican primary may be pivotal to deciding the nomination, last week’s Republican CNN debate was revealing as it related the Latino vote with its significant Cuban and Puerto Rican constituencies which strongly backed Romney but also he was the only [...]
Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The entire world took note this past week that three large office buildings in downtown Rio, right across from the recently renovated Theatro Municipal, collapsed into a heap of rubble, as if they’d been imploded. A score of people have been killed, some few are still [...]
Opinion, by Michael Royster RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Fernando Lugo, Paraguay’s President, who (because he used to be a Jesuit Priest?) is much craftier than both La Presidenta (Argentina) and El Presidente for Life (Venezuela), came to São Paulo a few years ago, had his cancer treatment, is back in his home country and (apparently) [...]
Opinion, by Nathan Williams RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A gathering of world leaders for an ‘Earth Summit’ discussing solutions to everything from climate change to the eradication of poverty provokes inevitable cynicism in many people who view such summits as the vanity project of politicians out to save the world. Barely a year seems [...]
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