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.

What are we to do with the FARC?  The US and the EU have classified them as a “terrorist” organization that deals in drugs.  On the other hand, Venezuela’s President Chavez has said they are “Bolivarian” and have a political program. More to the point, they seem to have engendered a farce in two acts, both marginally involving Lula.

The Curmudgeon, aka Michael Royster.

Serra may have a point—there is a wing of PT that regards FARC as Bolivarian and hence a legitimate political force fighting for freedom from tyranny. In any event, Dilma (Lula’s protégé and/or place holder for the 2014 election) has admitted Serra is a gentleman.  Niceties abound, except when anybody mentions “Serra Palin” and guffaws break out all over. Lula has been kept largely under wraps so as to maintain his statesmanlike pose until we arrive at Act II.

FARC FARCE ACT II.
Colombia’s lame duck President Uribe, to be replaced August 7 by Juan Manuel Santos, his democratically elected successor, chose a meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Ecuador in which to present a dossier that “proves” that Venezuela is giving aid, comfort and succor to the FARC just across the border from Colombia. Chavez, mightily miffed, has recalled his country’s Ambassador and has accused Colombia of fabricating an excuse for attacking Venezuela, using the conveniently located American bases not far from the Bolivarian border.

Venezuela’s government first denied everything, saying the pictures could have been taken anywhere, then backtracked a little, admitting that the border with Colombia is pretty porous and that, yes, it’s possible some FARC have wandered into Venezuela, but that, far from supporting them, Venezuela tries to locate them and drive them back into Colombia, unfortunately without success.

The latter version almost makes sense. When Chavez says someone is “Bolivarian”, he means he is outspokenly against political and economic subservience to the USA. Cuba’s Fidel Castro is “Bolivarian”, as is Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa. Polity dictates that no true Bolivarian should upset Bolivarian brethren by trying to round up their soldiers, even if they strayed into your territory. Venezuela may not support the FARC, but it will never seriously try to toss the FARC out, just as Ecuador never did.

Bolivarian Rafael Correa is now the Chair of UNASUR, the neophyte Union of South American Nations, which is pretty much like OAS without Uncle Sam. The Bolivarian solution to the crisis is to withdraw the matter from consideration by OAS and call an extraordinary summit meeting of UNASUR.  Predictably, Lula will attend, and present a proposal that he be allowed to mediate the dispute, in the spirit of hemispherical solidarity and … you fill in the rest.

What’s the farce, you ask? Colombian Santos has already publicly said he wants to mend fences with Chavez, and Chavez has already publicly said that Santos is not such a bad guy at all.  So, why does Chavez engage in all this posturing about recalling ambassadors and shutting down borders and not exporting oil to the USA? And why on earth have a summit when everybody in the world knows that the Venezuelan and Colombian military are NEVER going to battle each other over the FARC? Good question, but only a Bolivarian could give you an answer, and (as you have by now guessed) the Curmudgeon may be many things, but Bolivarian he is not.

Britain and Brazil and the Olympic ideal.

We are excited. Why? Brazil and Britain have a special reason to mark 27 July. We are just two years away from the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. It is a big deal. Not just for the UK – but also Brazil. Of course, the spotlight of the world will be on the UK at that stage – but we are very conscious that once the London Games are over that we will be passing the baton to Rio looking ahead to 2016.

The London Olympic project has been embraced by the British public with enthusiasm. We want to share the experiences of one of the world’s most vibrant and exciting countries with people across the globe and Brazil is – understandably one of our key targets. We look forward to sharing with you what modern Britain looks, feels and acts like.

Our multicultural society is a defining feature of the United Kingdom. It is a highly cosmopolitan country. In particular, athletes from more than 50 of the nations competing in 2012 will be cheered on by local communities of their fellow country men and women who live Britain. This diversity ensures an enduring tradition of exploration, discovery and creativity – one that Brazilians working and studying in the United Kingdom can attest to.

Innovation is a key word to delivering the Games, and London is working hard to get it right. The Olympic Park, for example, aims to provide a blue print for sustainable living. The area is destined to become the largest urban park in Europe. Also, the whole East London area is being revitalized as part of our Olympic project. That is a legacy that will last for decades, long after the main event is over.

In Rio de Janeiro, Mayor Eduardo Paes is looking to capitalize on the 2016 Games to revamp the Harbor Area and other regions of the city. This can only mean more business and investment coming to the city. In 2016, thousands of people flocking to Rio to attend the Olympics will experience first-hand what the residents already know: that this city is much more than its beautiful beaches and landscapes. It is a bustling metropolis with unparalleled power to deliver both business and entertainment. A perfect setting for the world’s largest sports event.

On the other side of the Atlantic, we had promised as part of our Olympic bid to make 2012 more than just a great spectacle, more than six weeks of sport and more than just about London. And we are doing so. London 2012 is having a real impact on every part of British life, from culture to health, from education to the environment and from the economy to our local communities. So, of course, there is a lot of excitement as we reach the two years to go milestone.

Brazil and the United Kingdom share a world of things in common and we will keep working hard to foster a robust and fruitful partnership between our countries. And let us not forget that England is bidding to host the World Cup in 2018. As we mark 27 July on our calendars as two years to London 2012, I’d like to celebrate this unprecedented opportunity lying before us: that we might just be heading into a decade of sports between Brazil and the United Kingdom. This is our time. This is your time. And the whole world is invited.

Tim Flear – British Consul General in Rio de Janeiro

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 – Just last week ANTT, the Brazilian Land Transportation Agency, published the public invitation for bids for the TAV or “Trem de Alta Velocidade”, generally known in English as HSR, short for High-Speed Rail. Designed to hurtle passengers from Galeão to Guarulhos and Viracopos airports at over 250 km per hour, TAV will provide an alternative to those who previously used airplane travel to avoid day-long journeys.

The Curmudgeon, aka Michael Royster.

But we digress, for you can read all about current efforts in this week’s Rio Times.

Modern history buffs will recall that, from 1994 to 1998, there was a train running between Rio and São Paulo, called the “Trem de Prata” or the Silver Train. Note that it was not called the Silver Bullet (after the Japanese Shinkansen), nor something funny such as Silver Streak for a very good reason—it took nine hours to cover the 450 kilometers of its route, or fifty kilometers per hour. Ah! But wait! There is always a Silver Lining! In this case, you got to travel overnight!

The Silver Slumbership left every night at 8PM and arrived at 5AM the following morning, chugging sluggishly through countryside you mostly didn’t want to see anyway. Boring, you say? Not at all! It had a restaurant and lounge car, complete with video entertainment. Included in the price were dinner and breakfast, served on china with silverware, flowers and liveried waiters. Best of all, it had Pullman suites, with double beds, closets to hang suits or dresses, showers and other amenities. And you didn’t have to leave the train until 8AM.

What did this mean? First, if you had a fear of flying, you could still get to São Paulo and back comfortably, without rumpling your clothes on the bus. Second, you could get a good night’s sleep, wake up, shower, put on your unwrinkled shirt and jacket and head off to an early morning meeting refreshed, without having had to worry about whether the airport would be socked in with early morning fog.

Better yet, the price for the Pullman suite (for two) was exactly the same as the price of an air ticket (for one) on the Ponte Aérea between Rio and São Paulo—which served neither dinner nor breakfast, let alone offer a lounge car. So, best by far, you could take your wife along—two for the price of one—and the Curmudgeon did, often.

Why did this wonderful train come to a screeching halt? Blame it on CADE, the Brazilian antitrust agency. A CADE Commissioner discovered that all the airlines charged exactly the same prices for the Ponte Aérea, and that they did so because DAC, the then Civil Aviation Board, had prohibited them from granting discounts. The Caped Crusader from CADE told DAC it couldn’t do that, and DAC quietly caved.

In late 1998, the airlines, having been offered the opportunity to compete with each other, did so. The price for the Ponte Aérea fell by fifty percent. Alas, that was the Silver Bullet for the Silver Slumbership. After a few months of almost no passengers it packed up its silverware and shut down. But, by 2016(?) the trains will be back! If so, in the immortal words of Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet band: “Roll Me Away!”

SILVER LINING:
The Curmudgeon and his wife, as noted above, had ridden the Silver Slumbership regularly during 1998. Many of the laid-off train porters in Rio went to work at Santos Dumont Airport in 1999. Thereafter, upon disembarking at SDU and heading for the taxi stand, my wife and I and our baggage were frequently greeted by our former train porters, reminiscing with silver tongues about the good old days. Ah, saudades!

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 – At the start of the World Cup a television appeared in the house. As well as facilitating a thorough viewing of the Cup’s proceedings (which have been emotional), it has become a near-constant distraction and a window into the wonderful world of Brazilian television.

Silvio Santos and his iconic microphone present the popular daytime quiz show "Roda a Roda Jequiti", image recreation.

With no knowledge of the story lines, I left the famous soap operas alone and instead have found myself glued to a blurry mix of game shows, news and at a low ebb, trashy American films dubbed in Portuguese.

The big, bright studio lit bonanza of “ordinary” people winning prizes is a prime time standard the world over. Inane, cringe worthy and of seemingly little cultural value, Brazilian game shows are like game shows everywhere. But in their unique peculiarities, they really aren’t.

Following the World Cup final on Sunday, I tuned in to SBT’s Roda a Roda Jequiti, Brazil’s answer to the Wheel of Fortune where vendors and customers of Jequiti products get the chance to compete for prizes of up to R$100,000. Hosted by eighty year old television legend and station owner Silvio Santos and assistant Patricia Salvador, Roda a Roda Jequiti works the guess a letter, guess the word format at 7PM every Sunday evening.

Santos is a lovable old smoothy with a deep mahogany tan, enhanced face and bumbling charm, while Salvador is the quintessential lovely assistant that sparkles prettily on screen. So far, so standard. Things get unusual when certain technical issues (such as Santos leaning over the podiums to see the contestant’s score) lead us to the shocking conclusion that the well-preserved octogenarian is presenting prime time TV without an ear piece or autocue. There is also the curious, clunky great silver microphone attached to his tie, although this could be explained by a disease on his vocal chords he suffered in the late 1980s.

Going against the dolly bird game show grain, Santos and Salvador alternate roles between asking the questions and revealing the letters. Just as I was welling up with excitement that the Brazilian Wheel of Fortune was giving it a “you go girl!” in the game of gender roles, a camera shot of the whooping audience knocked the wind out of my right-on sails. They were all, without exception, female. Cut back to the contestants and the same goes. The realization dawned that Santos is the only televised man in the room.

But why? In the early 1980s, the young SBT station didn’t allow men in the audience for fear the boyfriends and husbands of contestants would get uncontrollably jealous of the hot male celebrity guests on the shows. It’s a weak reason that has somehow allowed a norm of feminine only audiences to continue on the station to this day.

While Santos and Salvador swap places, Santos is never less than the anchor of the show, and as the audience performs Mexican waves on his command and the contestants blush and giggle nervously at his mild flirtation, it all starts to look like a thinly veiled harem set up with Santos as lord and master to an adoring lady clan.

Roda a Roda Jequiti is by no means the only show on Brazilian television with this kind of dynamic; its most obvious manifestation is the bounty of mute bouncing dolls that accessorize much of the light entertainment programming. This is nothing new and it is certainly not unique to Brazil, but in a country with a very real possibility of a woman president, it’s disappointing to see the hugely influential TV networks continuing to pander to a distinctly male ego.

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.

After their exit from the World Cup last week, here are exactly seventeen Curmudgeonly reasons why Brazil lost to Holland.

The Curmudgeon, aka Michael Royster.

1) The prefix “hexa” comes from the Greek word for six, so “Hexacampeão” was the word on everyone’s lips in Brazil. But in English, to “hex” someone means to jinx them, by witchcraft. Merriam-Webster says the word “hex” comes from “Pennsylvania German”—but everyone in America calls it “Pennsylvania Dutch.”

2) All the “garis” (rubbish collectors) in Rio de Janeiro wear bright Orange uniforms, AND all the rubbish bins in Rio are Orange—what did they know that we didn’t?

3) The Dutch had a badge on their jerseys with both countries’ flags, thus ensuring the Fifa Fair Play award. Brazil did not play fair.

4) Agent Orange defoliated the heart of Brazil’s defense (Julio César, Lúcio and Juan), which went limp in the second half.

5) Snow White bewitched Dunga, alias Dopey, who played Grumpy (Felipe Melo) and Sleazy, Wheezy, Breezy, Cheesy and Easypeasy, all singing “Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! It’s home  from work we go!”

6) Julio César wore a chlorophyll Elphaba green uniform, forgetting that in “The Wizard of Oz” the Wicked Witch of the West melts down in the end.

7) The Brazilians had to play, simultaneously, against 3 different teams—the Dutch, the Hollanders and the Netherlanders.  Three on one just ain’t fair!

The Germans call the Dutch language a “Halskrankenheit” meaning throat disease; Robinho was infected in his first half swearing bouts with Robben and played rubbish in the second half.

9) A Dutch spy (codename NED) in the Brazil dressing room at halftime surreptitiously removed the accent from the final syllable of Kaká’s name so he played eponymous rubbish in the second half.

10) The 1600’s were notable for battles between Spain and Netherlands; ergo, those of us who have forgotten that history will be compelled to repeat it in the World Cup final;

11) Holland shares its Orange and Black uniform colors with many Universities whose teams are called Tigers, the most successful mascot in college sports (think Auburn, Grambling, LSU, Missouri).

12) Mick Jagger, having earlier put the evil eye on both the USA and England, watched the Quarter-Final Brazil/Holland game with his Brazilian son Lucas. As one might say in Portuguese, “all pé frios are equal, but some pé frios are much colder than others.”

13) The vests used by the Uruguayan reserves against Ghana were Orange. Clearly the Uruguayan Orange were meant to face the Dutch Orange. BUT all the seats at Soccer City Stadium are colored Orange; the celestial blue Guays will have to face that if they reach the final game.

15) Several of the South Africa soccer stadia are located in the area formerly known as the Orange Free State. Wink, wink? Nudge, nudge?

16) The State of Bahia produced the first navel Orange (the seedless one) which spread by grafting around the world, all the way to Holland.

17) Local bars in Brazil continued to serve beer in “tulipas” during the game, little realizing they were honoring the tulip, Holland’s national flower.

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.