Posted in World Cup 2014 on 19. Sep, 2011
Hi all, Today marks the end of a 19-day strike by workers at Maracanã Stadium, the huge arena which hosted the 2007 Pan-American Games and will be a primary venue for the 2014 World Cup Games. Oh, we’re talking about soccer, by the way. Maracanã opened in 1950. At that time it was the largest [...]
Posted in 2016 Olympics, News, Rio de Janeiro, World Cup 2014 on 30. Aug, 2010
Hi all, Typically I write about the pleasanter things here in Rio and Brazil – and there are many to write about. But I won’t deny that there are severe problems, endemic problems. Foremost among these in Rio is crime fueled by the war against drug traffickers. The most recent battle erupted last weekend when a [...]
Posted in 2016 Olympics, Rio de Janeiro, World Cup 2014 on 23. Jul, 2010
Hi all, I hope that you are winding down a great week. My week was busy, but productive. The World Cup has come and (mercifully) gone. Rio is now looking to the next games, in 2014. And on the heels of World Cup 2014 are the 2016 Olympics. There is lots of debate about whether [...]
Posted in 2016 Olympics, Random Musings, Rio de Janeiro, World Cup 2014 on 14. Jul, 2010
Hi all, World Cup 2010 has hardly finished, the Spaniards are probably still hung over, and already doubts are being raised about whether Brazil will be ready for the next World Cup in 2014. There is a lot at stake here, beyond the obvious wheelbarrows of money. Pride figures in every bit as much. The [...]
Posted in Activities, Rio de Janeiro, World Cup 2014 on 12. Jul, 2010
Hi all, As I have mentioned, my Mac crashed, so I was not able to bring you video of the World Cup sooner. It mysteriously resurrected itself, so I’m back in business. Below I’ve embedded a video shot the day that Brazil played North Korea. I wandered around Copacabana, going first to a bar and [...]
Posted in Activities, Random Musings, World Cup 2014 on 21. Jun, 2010
Hi all, Sorry that I did not post here on Friday. As we say down here, “O negocio e o seguinte…”, which translates as “The business is the following…” Typically this expression signals the beginning of a long and involved story. Top off your beer and kick back. I´ll keep it short and just say [...]
Posted in Activities, Rio de Janeiro, Travel Recommendations, World Cup 2014 on 16. Jun, 2010
Hi all, First, my apologies to Ben Ellis and others. I shot lots of footage yesterday during the World Cup match between Brazil and North Korea, but due to some technical difficulties in trying to load the raw footage into iMovie this morning, the video isn’t yet available. Look for it in the next couple [...]
Posted in Random Musings, World Cup 2014 on 14. Jun, 2010
Hello all, As I mentioned in an earlier post, Brazilians incessant obsession with futebol (soccer) is one of the more annoying aspects of living here. So you can imagine what is happening now. Offices are closing, bus schedules have been reduced, and beer is flying off the grocery shelves. I’m trying, really trying, to get [...]
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