RIO DE JANEIRO – We’ve already spent some time covering the BP Oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, and relating that to the Brazilian Pre-Salt exploration underway. One silver-lining is that it’s given Brazil some warning and time to consider the potential consequences of a similar disaster happening here, and increase safety precautions.

Stone Korshak, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Rio Times.

Reflecting quickly, on April 20, 2010, an explosion and fire destroyed the BP-licensed Transocean drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, located in the Gulf of Mexico. Apparently a “blowout preventer”, intended to prevent release of crude oil, failed to activate.

The immediate challenge was how to stop a massive leak 1,500 meters (5,000 ft) below the surface of the water, and repair the gargantuan system of pipes and valves that sits next to the well on the ocean floor… as we know, many attempts failed for months.

This resulted in an underwater oil geyser that continued until July 15th, when it was temporarily closed by a massive cap. Relief wells to allow permanent termination of the flow are to be completed in August 2010. The spill has the potential to cause severe damage to the ecosystem of the Gulf coast and waters.

Early oil leak map off the Gulf of Mexico, image by Wikimedia/Creative Commons License.

In the worst case, the oil could affect oxygen levels in the water, cause annihilation to the food chain, seafood industries, and to life deep at sea and along hundreds of miles of coastline, requiring years or decades for the ecosystem to recover.

Now, we look at Brazil’s Pre-Salt exploration and drilling. These reserves are trapped around 4,000 meters (about 13,000 feet) under the sea floor, beneath layers of salt and rock. There is also around 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) of seawater between the seabed and the surface, further complicating the drilling process.

Pre-Salt oil fields off the coast of Brazil, image by Wikimedia/Creative Commons License.

It is impossible to calculate the impact to Brazil’s environment or economics from such a disaster. Although generally it is clear that it would be even more difficult to contain in terms of under-water depth. Not to mention the “developing” resources at the disposal of Brazil’s local and national government to combat the cause directly, and to pressure the responsible multinational businesses to react.

Reports indicate about seventy percent of the U.S. seafood industry is (was) coming from the Gulf of Mexico, and although it is not known as a global beach destination (lacking the title of being the number one sexiest beach in the world), it is still too soon to comprehend the impact on the Gulf tourism economy.

But, just image what it would do to Rio.

RIO DE JANEIRO – This week we published a story about the FESTLIP festival and it took me back to last year when I learned a new word from one of our reporters – “lusophone”. It reminded me about the infinite potential of the human language, as well as the long-gone days of Portuguese power on the high seas.

Stone Korshak, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Rio Times.

A Lusophone is someone who speaks the Portuguese language. As an adjective, it means “Portuguese-speaking”. The word itself is derived from the name of the ancient Roman province of Lusitania, which covered an area that is today Portugal.

Perhaps if you are Portuguese it is a more common term, as they recently held the 2009 Lusophony Games (the 2nd of these multi-sport events) which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 11 to 19 July 2009. This edition featured nine sports—one more than in the inaugural games in 2006 — comprising 65 events (Brazil took the most Gold and total metals).

Lusophone countries include Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, the Chinese Special Administrative Region (SAR) of Macau and others in various parts of the world, including India’s Goa and Kerala states, and the town of Melaka in Malaysia.

And I thought my hard-learned (e muito ruim) Portuguese would only be helpful in Brazil…

Learning about Lusophone was also a chance to refresh my middle-school social studies knowledge of the once mighty Portuguese empire. Between 1415 and 1542, Portugal discovered an eastern route to India that rounded the Cape of Good Hope, discovered Brazil, established trading routes throughout most of southern Asia, colonized selected areas of Africa, and sent the first direct European maritime trade and diplomatic missions to China and Japan.

I think I’ve only meet one person from Portugal, that I remember, didn’t care for her much. I’ve also met someone from Angola, here in Rio – go figure. Irregardless, I’m a big fan of Portugal because they gave us what is now known as Brazil.

Portuguese discoveries, exploration, contacts and conquests (from 1336 claim for Canary islands to 1543 Tanegashima arrival), arrival dates stated; main sea routes to the Indian Ocean (blue); Territories claimed under king John III of Portugal rule (1536)(green), image by Wikimedia/Creative Commons License.

RIO DE JANEIRO – “Garota de Ipanema” (“The Girl from Ipanema”) is perhaps the most famous bossa nova song ever, and maybe the most famous song to come out of Brazil. It became a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s winning a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965. It was written in 1962, with music by Tom Jobim and lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes, with English lyrics later written by Norman Gimbel.

Stone Korshak, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Rio Times.

The song is so famous the title precedes itself, and I’m not proud to say it was only recently I matched the song name to the melody. This month is the thirtieth anniversary of Vinicius de Moraes‘ death, and so it seemed like a good time to have another listen.

Legend goes that “The Girl from Ipanema” was inspired by Heloísa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto (now Helô Pinheiro), a fifteen-year-old girl that past by the popular Veloso bar-café on her way to the beach, attracting the attention of regulars Jobim and Moraes. It’s not hard to imagine, having spent some time people-watching on the path to Posto 9 myself.

The first commercial recording was in 1962, by Pery Ribeiro. The version performed by Astrud Gilberto, along with João Gilberto and Stan Getz, from the 1964 album Getz/Gilberto, became an international hit, reaching #5 in the United States, including number one on the Pop Standard chart.

Like a handful of great songs, it transcended the language it was written in, but it is only now that I realize the English lyrics are not as close a translation as I’d imagined.

The lyrics in Portuguese by Vinicius de Moraes:
Olha que coisa mais linda
mais cheia de graça
É ela menina que vem e que passa
nun doce balanço, caminho do mar…

Ah! Se ela soubesse
que quando ela passa
o mundo sorrindo
se enche de graça
e fica mais lindo
por causa do amor
por causa do amor
por causa do amor

And then the English language version of the song, by Norman Gimbel:
Tall and tan and young and lovely,
The girl from Ipanema goes walking,
And when she passes
each one she passes goes “a-a-ah!”

Tall and tan and young and lovely,
The girl from Ipanema goes walking,
And when she passes I smile, but she doesn’t see,
She just doesn’t see, No she doesn’t see

Of course if you don’t speak Portuguese you won’t see the differences, but try running it through Google Translate if you’re curious.

Below is one of the few videos I found with Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes performing together, recorded in Milan in 1978.

RIO DE JANEIRO – Now that Brazil is out of the World Cup, Rio is settling into winter. The season in Rio is pretty mild, but it does warrant a wardrobe change, and is a time to take measure on what’s next. In the football (soccer) culture, it means the 2014 World Cup, which of course is also big business for the Marvelous City.

Stone Korshak, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Rio Times.

We’re still waiting to hear about the Ibsen Amendment, and how that will financially effect Rio’s preparations. That’s not to say Rio will be in any worse shape than other World Cup 2014 sites,… but maybe we should let the 2010 dust settle.

Besides, Rio also has the 2016 Olympics, and so with a bit more time, and the limelight, we are getting underway with massive efforts like the Porto Maravilhosa and the Barra Metro.

Another major event to look forward to in Brazil is the 2010 Presidential Elections, which will be held on Sunday, October 3, 2010. The Presidency, and 54 of the Federal Senate seats will be contested, along with all 26 states’ (plus the Federal District) governorships and the state legislatures. Voting is compulsory in Brazil, and great steps are being made to ensure a secure and fair process this year.

At the moment though, Rio’s winter is a time for the Festa Junina (June Parties), typically termed São João (Saint John’s) as it is centered on that saint’s day. This is the name of annual Brazilian celebrations (historically related to the Midsummer and Saint John festivities in Europe) which take place from June through August.

Quadrilha dancing, photo by Joαnα Joαnα/Flickr Creative Commons License.

As Northeastern Brazil is particularly dry, the festivals not only coincide with the end of the rainy seasons, but also provide the people with an opportunity to give thanks for the rain. But Brazil-wide it is a celebration of rural life, and feature traditional clothing, food, dance (particularly quadrilha, which is similar to square dancing).

The winter season is also a time for businesses to consider what’s next, and many start counting down the days for the high season again. December through March is when many small businesses count on an influx of income to stay afloat, cashing in on tourism between the holidays and Carnival.

At The Rio Times we are using the low season to expand coverage, looking to develop a print version, and move to daily updates on the site. Of course we are dependent on Advertiser support, so we grow at a cautious, measured pace to make sure not to over-extend ourselves.

With recent additions like the Business Directory, weekly New Issue Email Reminders, and a new “ShareThis” feature, we hope to solidify our core Readership. We realize that the most important thing for us is to continue publishing regularly, providing original local news for expats and Cariocas living in Rio, and travelers planning on passing through.

We’ll also be dancing for São João’s graces.

RIO DE JANEIRO – This town is getting cleaned up, and not everyone is happy about it. As a (relatively) long-time New Yorker, I’ve seen how over-policing and gentrification can wear the charm off a place. Of course, comparing the two cities is a stretch, and Rio has such a big gap in social conditions, it’s not fair to complain.

Stone Korshak, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Rio Times.

My history with Rio only goes back to 2004, but with the oil discovery and the World Cup and Olympics on the way, it feels like things are changing quickly, real estate is spiking and tourism is booming.

Since we started publishing in March of 2009, we’ve seen a progression of civil laws enforced for what sometimes appears to be a superficial solution to the sever problems of poverty and crime that burden the Marvelous City.

It’s hard to connect the extremes, although it seems a deliberate emulation of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s “no broken windows” approach to cleaning up New York City. To the point that Rio almost hired Giuliani to consult for the city, but apparently the price tag was too high, and again, Rio is not New York.

Here are some of the articles that tell the story over the last year or so:
- Shock and Order Prefeitura Cracks Down
- Removing Illegal Street Vendors
- Prefeitura Closes Copacabana Clubs
- Building Walls Around Favelas
- Operation Dry Law on Rio’s Roads
- Smoke-Free Law Takes Effect
- Help Closed, and Rio Moves On
- Health Fears Close Rio Bars and Shops

Now I’m all for progress, and the fact that I’ve never seen a vehicle even slow down for the stop sign where Avenida Rainha Elizabeth da Bélgica runs into Ipanema’s beach-side Avenue Vieira Souto, indicates we’re a ways from all out fascism.

But I’ve also seen the down-side to cleaning up too much – like what’s happened in New York. You can barely go two blocks without seeing a national chain store selling conformity, and too many closet-sex-in-the-city, trust-fund-hipsters parroting a spirit of adventure.

And at the end of the day, who doesn’t like being able to buy a beer at the bar, and walk out onto the street drinking it? … If you wanted to… I’m just saying.

The serious question is who do these frivolous laws help, and where does it fit in the policies of more important social challenges? The fact that over 15 percent of the Rio’s population live in favelas, a number which has grown almost four times as fast as the total population, gives a stark contrast to the increase in cost of living.

RIO DE JANEIRO – This week we are launching a new feature in The Rio Times, a Business Directory. It is a free service for local Rio and International businesses, anyone can submit a listing using a simple form, and it will be reviewed and added within 24 hours.

Stone Korshak, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Rio Times.

There are already several English language business listings in Rio and Brazil, but it seemed they are either targeted towards tourists or expats, and we wanted to combine the two. Another aspect is that we can keep it current, and provide new tools to make it more useful and easier to use (for example our new “ShareThis” feature at the bottom of every page now allows instant email or social network forwarding).

The other advantage for small business owners here in Rio, is that publishing in our directory is free. Now some smaller, independent service providers will be able to be listed; from Portuguese language tutors to tour guides and pousadas. We’ll also be looking to list local branches of multi-national companies as well; oil, cell phone networks, airlines, and professional services among others.

At launch the business directory includes our current (highlighted) and past Advertisers, but we hope our Readers and supporters in the business community will start entering listings, and it will grow organically. Of course we have our staff to build it as well, and we’ll make sure to review all listings to validate the information.

So please help us grow it quickly by adding a business you know, and forwarding this article on to a business owner of marketing representative that may want be listed. Please let us know if you have any questions about it, or suggestions on how to make it better.

Launch of The Rio Times Business Directory.

RIO DE JANEIRO – It’s like Carnival has come back, except this time with more yellow and green patriotic fervor. If you aren’t much of a sports fan, or American, you might wonder how Brazil can fit in yet another month-long holiday. But it can, and it will, as long as Brazil is in this 2010 Copa do Mundo, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup.

Stone Korshak, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Rio Times.

The championship has happened every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when the World War II put the kibosh on it.

This year, the 2010 South African World Cup will see 32 teams competing for the title over a period of 31 days – this phase is called the World Cup Finals. Again, for those unfamiliar with “soccer”, don’t forget there was the qualification phase that spanned the last three years.

Apparently, the FIFA World Cup was watched by 715 million people during the final match of the 2006 World Cup (in Germany), and is the most widely viewed sporting event on earth.

The brief history is that after FIFA was founded in 1904, there was an attempt made to arrange an international tournament outside of the Olympics 1906, although reportedly a failure. However watching the success of the Olympic football, FIFA, relaunched plans for its own international event outside of the Olympics in 1928.

Since then, the event has grown larger-and-larger, with a wider-and-wider international appeal. The results of the finals are as follows:
1930 - (in Uruguay) – Uruguay 4-2 Argentina
1934 - (in Italy) – Italy 2-1 Czechoslovakia
1938 - (France) – Italy 4-2 Hungary
1942 not held
1946 not held
1950 - (in Brazil) – Uruguay 2-1 Brazil
1954 - (in Switzerland) – Germany 3-2 Hungary
1958 - (in Sweden) – Brazil 5-2 Sweden
1962 - (in Chile) – Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia
1966 - (in England) – England 4-2 Germany
1970 - (in Mexico) – Brazil 4-1 Italy
1974 - (in Germany) – Germany 2-1 Holland
1978 - (in Argentina) – Argentina 3-1 Holland
1982 - (in Spain) – Italy 3-1 Germany
1986 - (in Mexico) – Argentina 3-2 Germany
1990 - (in Italy) – Germany 1-0 Argentina
1994 - (in U.S.) – Brazil 0-0 (3-2 penalty kicks) Italy
1998 - (in France) – France 3-0 Brazil
2002 - (in Japan / S. Korea) – Brazil 2-0 Germany
2006 - (in Germany) – Italy 1-1 (5-3 penalty kicks) France
2010 - (in South Africa) – TBD

In case you didn’t notice, or still wonder why Brazil treats the Word Cup as it’s own national holiday, they hold the record for most championships.
- Brazil – 5 (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
- Italy – 4 (1934*, 1938, 1982, 2006)
- Germany – 3 (1954, 1974*, 1990)
- Argentina – 2 (1978*, 1986)
- Uruguay – 2 (1930*, 1950)
- France – 1 (1998*)
- England – 1 (1966*)
* = hosts

This legacy in a place where a girl friend of mine literally cried when Flamengo lost to Botafogo in the last Campeonato Carioca (State Championships), and well, passions are ablaze. So why fight it? Face paint, take off work (unless you work at The Rio Times), and enjoy it while it’s here.

And of course, Brazil will be hosting the 2014 World Cup.

RIO DE JANEIRO – Some prisons are worse then others, and some places are especially scary. As a child I saw “Midnight Express” (1978) when I was way too young, and “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (1985) was also memorable – set in a South American prison.

Stone Korshak, Managing Editor and Publisher of The Rio Times.

Like so many public and social services, developing countries struggle to uphold “humane” conditions in their prisons. Although I have a friend in Rio with a brother in jail (for minor drug distribution), and she was sending him a small TV for his birthday along with white TShirts.

I didn’t ask too many questions, for fear of the answers, but was a little surprised about the TV.

For most of history, apparently, imprisoning was a way to confine criminals until punishment was administered. Dungeons were used to hold prisoners; waiting to be killed or sometimes left to die. In other cases debtors were often thrown into debtor’s prisons, until they paid their jailers enough money.

It was in the 19th century, beginning in Britain, when the notion of prisoners being incarcerated as part of their punishment and not simply as a holding state until trial or hanging. The first “modern” prisons were sometimes known by the term “penitentiary” – as the name suggests, the goal of these facilities was that of penance.

As of 2006, it is estimated that at least 9.25 million people are currently imprisoned worldwide, although it may be much higher considering the under-reporting and a lack of data from various countries, especially authoritarian regimes.

The United States currently has the largest inmate population in the world, with more than 2.5 million, or more than one in a hundred adults in prison and jails. Although the United States represents less than 5 percent of the world’s population, over 25 percent of the people incarcerated around the world are housed in the American prison system.

In 2002, both Russia and China also had prison populations in excess of 1 million. By October 2006, the Russian prison population declined to 869,814 which translated into 611 prisoners per 100,000 population.

In March 2007, the United Kingdom had 80,000 inmates (up from 73,000 in 2003 and 44,000 in 1985) in its facilities, one of the highest rates among the western members of the European Union (EU) (a record formerly held by Portugal).

The high proportion of prisoners in some developed countries, especially U.S., is related to drug use – where over 50 percent of inmates are drug related, according to U.S. Department of Justice.

In many undeveloped countries, rates of incarceration are often lower, having less goods to steal and less judicial law-enforcement. Also let’s face it, incarcerations is a wealthy society’s solution to punishment.

According to the American Corrections Association, the average daily cost per state prison inmate per day in the U.S. is $67.55.

There are more than 420,000 prisoners in Brazil, in 1,050 institutions built to hold a total of 262,000 inmates.

World map showing number of prisoners per 100,000 citizens, image by Sbw01f/Wikimedia Creative Commons License.

RIO DE JANEIRO – The A word, Abortion, there are few more emotionally charged issues in society today. It has been a divisive flash-point in the U.S., legal since the 1973 Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision. Abortion is currently illegal in Brazil, except if the pregnancy puts the life of the woman in danger, or if the pregnancy is the result of a rape.

Stone Korshak, Managing Editor and Publisher of The Rio Times.

The punishment in Brazil for a woman who performs an abortion on herself, or consents to an abortion performed by another is based in one to three years of detention.

A 2007 poll found that 65 percent of Brazilians believe that their country’s current law “should not be modified”, sixteen percent that it should be expanded “to allow abortion in other cases”, ten percent that abortion should be “decriminalized”,… and five percent were “not sure”.

It is not a new concern fueled by modern sin, induced abortion can be traced to ancient times. Evidence to suggest that, historically, pregnancies were terminated through a number of methods, including the administration of mysterious herbs, the use of semi-sharpened implements, the application of abdominal pressure, and other crude techniques.

Abortion is a global issue (along with war, famine, and the destruction of our environment) involving the opposing “pro-life” and “pro-choice” worldwide social movements. Thankfully it seems, incidence of abortion has declined internationally, presumably because access to education and contraceptives has increased. The abortion incidence in the U.S. declined 8 percent from 1996 to 2003.

A 1998 report from 27 countries, on the reasons women seek to terminate their pregnancies are less sensationalistic then proponents would suggest. The report concluded that common factors cited: desire to delay or end childbearing, concern over the interruption of work or education, issues of financial or relationship stability, and perceived immaturity.

A key point to abortions is when they can occur, and in the U.S. it is determining when the fetus is “viable” outside the womb as a measure of when the “life” of the fetus is its own (and therefore subject to being protected by the state). Apparently this is placed at about seven months (28 weeks). In Europe, abortion is usually only allowed up to twelve weeks (eighteen weeks in Sweden, 21 weeks in the Netherlands, 24 weeks in Great Britain).

It strikes me odd that so many men have such strong feelings about it, as although it is a team effort, a woman’s role in the ordeal seems dramatically more involved. While there is a point in which an abortion is clearly more gruesome, and potentially immoral, in the early stages it seems a humane and socially beneficial option. But then again, I’ve never had one.

Global map of abortion laws (black indicates state-by-state differences), image by Vardion/Wikimedia Creative Commons License.

Global map of abortion laws, legend by Vardion/Wikimedia Creative Commons License.

RIO DE JANEIRO – Seasons change, even in Rio. The winter weather has cooled to a brisk mid-70′s F (low-20′s C), and the long-sleeve shirts have reappeared along with a pants, boots, some jackets, and I even saw a scarf the other night. Growing up in Vermont, this is like our summers.

Stone Korshak, Managing Editor and Publisher of The Rio Times.

A lot of Rio residents welcome the change, relieved for a reprieve from the repressive heat. I don’t understand this. Even in New York, where I’ve spent most of my adult life (and considered sub-tropic by most Vermonters), I’ve always welcomed the summers. I like the heat… that’s one of the reasons I’ve made it to Rio.

Now that Rio is suffering from a cold snap, it’s time to find warmer pastures, and I’ll be heading back to NYC for a few months. It’s actually to do some consulting work, and explore investment options to help us move to a Print, but the timing is not a coincidence.

Honestly I welcome the heat, the steamy concrete streets, the sweaty-legged walk-about past outdoor late-night tables abuzz with summer. It would be my preference to never leave Rio, but for this short season, at least my destination is the greatest city on earth.

Three months, that’s how long the season lasts, and we’re really excited to have a great person fill in as Editor while I’m gone. We’re lucky enough to have someone available that is experienced in journalism, as well as a three-year resident of Rio.

Doug Gray has been with us at The Rio Times since the beginning, and not only is a weekly work-horse, and a talented writer, but a trusted adviser. Doug has been helping with operations and the Sub-Editing over the last six months, and is also the creator of the Nightlife Guide, our most popular section.

While in New York, I’ll stay involved in planning the weekly news schedule and continue writing the Editorial articles, but Doug will be running the day-to-day management of the News Team and publish the weekly issues. Please join us in welcoming him into the role.

One other note about the weather, we hope you’ve noticed our new weather feature on the top of every page. It is a simple addition but something we hope our readers will find useful.

Rio de Janeiro average monthly temperatures, provided by weather.com.

New York average monthly temperatures, provided by weather.com.