Because we're one week out and it's too late to abort.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016-water-pollution-virus-risk-danger-swimming-sailing-rowing-chance-of-infection-almost-a7165866.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016-water-pollution-virus-risk-danger-swimming-sailing-rowing-chance-of-infection-almost-a7165866.html) Warning - auto play video on site.
QuoteJust days ahead of the Olympic Games the waterways of Rio de Janeiro are as filthy as ever, contaminated with raw human sewage teeming with dangerous viruses and bacteria, according to a 16-month-long study commissioned by the Associated Press.
I know they've already fired all of the security force, are having boat-docks collapse, have had athlete orgy village fires start & laptops stolen from rooms, Zika, robbed/mugged paralympians, robbed tourists, and of course, the disease water.
The next 2 weeks are going to be quite the train wreck. Already reading /r/apocalympics2016 daily.
Quotecontaminated with raw human sewage teeming with dangerous viruses and bacteria
Well to be fair, this is only expected when you're killing so many people in the favelas your police officers are probably dumping the bodies in the very same water.
Bernie Eccleston's mother in law was also kidnapped from her house just outside Rio. So the kidnap for profit trade may make an appearance. Or not, since apparently the men in question are all dead or in custody now.
Are we pointing at or near eccleston for that or are security services like just to retaliate like this for the duration? Either way, fun implications.
Brazilian security forces have a reputation for brutality going back to the 60s, at the very least.
The violence jumped up a notch due to the games, but there was a hell of a lot of violence before that was even being discussed.
Quote from: Cain on August 02, 2016, 02:16:33 AM
Brazilian security forces have a reputation for brutality going back to the 60s, at the very least.
The violence jumped up a notch due to the games, but there was a hell of a lot of violence before that was even being discussed.
That's why I suspected professional pride. Reputation to maintain and that.
Though eccleston easily has the cash to solve his own problems in any matter of his choosing, really.
Either way, some groups will be making a lot of cash soon.
I usually tend to lurk around here, but since this is about the city I live in, I figure I might as well say a thing or two.
This is all certainly going to be some kind of a shitshow, although I wouldn't put any money on which kind. People also predicted the world cup would be a disaster, which it wasn't, so I'm actually a tiny (but only a tiny) bit optimistic. I'm also not following news very closely at the moment, so there's probably a lot going wrong which I don't know about. I do find it amusing how a lot of people on the internet (mainly on reddit) seem to think that the whole country is a jungle with little to no technology, but that's to be expected, I guess.
Brazillians in general have what we call the complexo de vira-lata - the feeling that everything that is made or happens in Brazil is worse by the mere fact that it's made or happens in Brazil. We also find pleasure in telling people from elsewhere that everything is terrible here; I thus expect a lot of sensationalism and inflated news. This is not to say, of course, that there isn't reason to panic. The political situation is certainly worse than at the time of the world cup, ditto on the economic side. Our mayor seems content to play the fiddle while everything around him burns. The recent australian fiasco did surprise me, though; if there's one thing the mayor cares about is the city's international status (and his, by proxy), this just underscores how much he has just given up. The water pollution problems are notorious and have been for years. The crime rate has actually been going down through decades but is still high by many standards, and it seems to have been a bit on the rise since the past month (actually not by much, as far as I know). I'll refrain from commenting on our police force because that's too depressing, fucked up and commonplace at the same time. However, following the news from europe it seems what people are mostly afraid of is someone attempting a terrorist attack.
My social circle has been mainly ignoring the fact that the olympics is a thing for a while now, specially because of the political scandals. But this has been changing and the memes are already starting.
Only 19 of the 31 orgy village buildings passed inspection: http://deadspin.com/only-19-of-the-31-olympics-athletes-village-buildings-h-1784288452 (http://deadspin.com/only-19-of-the-31-olympics-athletes-village-buildings-h-1784288452)
Hi Sano,
1 - Please do post more. That was well written and very useful. A local perspective is always much appreciated and helps provide a lot of context to shit. Also, you don't seem to be a fucking lunatic so we could do with a little more of this kind of thing.
2- This "complexo de vira-lata", I imagine this functions as something of a self fulfilling prophecy?
3 - What's your guess as to levels of corruption surrounding the event at the moment? I'm assuming "extraordinary" not because of Rio but more due to that most previous similar events in other countries have been notoriously dodgy in multiple respects. The building article has strong echoes of the recent Sochi (spelling?) fuckups.
Hi Sano,
What Junk just said, double.
Quote from: Junkenstein on August 02, 2016, 12:42:36 PM
Hi Sano,
1 - Please do post more. That was well written and very useful. A local perspective is always much appreciated and helps provide a lot of context to shit. Also, you don't seem to be a fucking lunatic so we could do with a little more of this kind of thing.
2- This "complexo de vira-lata", I imagine this functions as something of a self fulfilling prophecy?
3 - What's your guess as to levels of corruption surrounding the event at the moment? I'm assuming "extraordinary" not because of Rio but more due to that most previous similar events in other countries have been notoriously dodgy in multiple respects. The building article has strong echoes of the recent Sochi (spelling?) fuckups.
1 - Oh, thanks. Will do.
2 - Kind of, yeah. But brazilians tend to imagine other places (mainly USA and Europe) are some kind of paradise, so they overinflate their expectations. Not to mention, of course, that they strongly oppose the measures that make them a more comfortable place to live. The nordic countries are a good example: the average brazilian will go on and on about how they're so much better than brazil, while denying their policies with a vague "it wouldn't work here".
3 - Yeah, "extraordinary" doesn't quite cut it. Anyone would expect corruption in this case, but the mayor is also corrupt - the new transportation system built for the city's economic center, VLT (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro_Light_Rail), which caused a lot of nuisance during its construction (I study there) was promised to be free, but less than a month after it opened the mayor said it'll cost the standard bus fare in a few months, which is amusing since most of its stations are so close to each other that people can simply walk. IIRC the stuff that was built for the world cup is already crumbling, and there's at least one building built on a swamp. About the only thing I'd expect to be done in a reasonably competent manner was the athletes' lodgings, and, well...
Other things going on in Brazil right now:
- The political shitshow, of course. The left is in utter disarray, the right is cheering, and even the interim president Michel Temer shows signs of starting to regret being dragged into this mess. The media, mainly newspapers and magazines, seem like a ravenous beast.
- Recently in São Paulo there has been a dislodging of poor people from the state's property; one of the left's few truly charismatic figures, Eduardo Suplicy, was arrested for trying to resist it with the people who lived there. São Paulo's mayor, Fernando Haddad, who ordered the dislodging, is actually also in the same political party as Suplicy. For this and for
litterally confiscating homeless people's blankets during winter he is losing support of the left (which has always been small in São Paulo anyway) very fast; he never had support from the right because of the other terrible, terrible things he has done such as putting biker lanes in the city.
- I seem to recall some ecologists saying that after decades of drought (which only started to become manageable after Lula) the brazillian northeast may be in for severe floods in the foreseeable future. Meanwhile the southeast has been suffering from water scarcity for maybe half a decade now.
- I actually don't remember hearing about zika for many weeks now; this indicates that at least this is under control. So there's that.
Oh, and if anyone wants to read something about brazil's current situation with lots of historical context and detail about the last decade I have to say that this text, Crisis in Brazil (http://www.lrb.co.uk/v38/n08/perry-anderson/crisis-in-brazil), is the best one I ever found.
For the love of zeus, keep this up please.
It's such a refreshing change from the racists and goat fuckers.
Sano,
Any confirmation on today's mass protests that are being reported? Is the unrest being portrayed actually accurate?
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article92947932.html (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article92947932.html)
Quote from: Da6s on August 02, 2016, 04:28:47 PM
Sano,
Any confirmation on today's mass protests that are being reported? Is the unrest being portrayed actually accurate?
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article92947932.html (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article92947932.html)
There have been mass protests basically monthly in every major brazillian city since 2013. This is a bit difficult to explain, but I'll try.
In 2013 the general economic situation was starting to deteriorate. Local mayors, in bed with the transportation industry, had basically raised the prices for bus fare almost every semester for a while. Even in the car nightmare that is São Paulo public transportation is a main way of going to work, so it affected a lot of people. In the midst of this, a leftist movement, "Movimento Passe-Livre", had small protests to gain support for free bus fares for everyone (whether this is achievable is questionable, but still), accompanied by some (also a very small number) protesting against the incredible expenses of the coming world cup while brazil's education and health systems were left aside.
The police response was brutal. Tear gas, rubber bullets, some people disappearing, some people being arrested for no reason, etc. All actually standard procedure used by the police when dealing with the marginalized, mainly black population of the favelas. But now they were being used against the mainly white, middle class, activist masses. The media, not quite knowing what would come out of it, surprisingly did a decent job of covering it, sometimes actions of police brutality being transmitted live. Summing it to the new economic and transport unrest, millions took to the streets across brazil back then, asking for better health and education services.
The media now realising its mistake started an immense campaign to delegitimize the protesters, drawing attention to the violence of some. Many of the violent protesters, however, were probably undercover policemen, and this came to light as social media became the main source of news (it had been expanding silently until then). The reaction of the population against traditional media that resulted was quite frankly probably a first in the country, and the media, now scared for its life, made the most obvious backtracking and started trying to coopt the protests, diluting it with opposition to the government (backed also by the right, but they could also point to the government support of the police as it did not want unrest so near the world cup) and some more obscure legal procceedings going on at the moment. Traditional media *still* hasn't quite recovered, but they were successful in that, with Movimento Passe-Livre itself soon withdrawing support for the next protests, while even more upper-middle class people started going to the streets, many without the slightest idea why they were doing so, except taking selfies and posting them to instagram. On this situation the left lost an incredible opportunity to broaden its reach as it was (and remains) a lot fractured, while the right was more organized and attracted more people. On this scenario some crazy new generation of libertarians who believe the government is the devil was also able to get some internet fame, and while they were initially opposed to the "old right" they quickly became coopted by them also. I actually have some left-leaning libertarian friends in São Paulo who know them personally (the political spectrum in brazil has always been bizarre; I myself know two
leftist monarchists, both of them gay men).
So now, and specially with the recent political scandals, there's always mass protests, but at the media's whim and with a lot of manipulation by it and the right.
tl;dr It's utter chaos down here.
Quote from: Junkenstein on August 02, 2016, 12:42:36 PM
Hi Sano,
1 - Please do post more. That was well written and very useful. A local perspective is always much appreciated and helps provide a lot of context to shit. Also, you don't seem to be a fucking lunatic so we could do with a little more of this kind of thing.
Yesssss so much this.
Thanks everyone!
Also, in other news, an old lady from a local tv station lit up a broom with the olympic torch and started parading it around (https://www.buzzfeed.com/raphaelevangelista/coisas-doidas-que-aconteceram-com-a-tocha-olimpica?utm_term=.sdkzOG3vjY#.doGAeXxMzG). The gifs are amazing :lulz:
Quote from: Sano on August 02, 2016, 05:26:10 PM
Thanks everyone!
Also, in other news, an old lady from a local tv station lit up a broom with the olympic torch and started parading it around (https://www.buzzfeed.com/raphaelevangelista/coisas-doidas-que-aconteceram-com-a-tocha-olimpica?utm_term=.sdkzOG3vjY#.doGAeXxMzG). The gifs are amazing :lulz:
That was kind of incredible. :lulz:
Quote from: Sano on August 02, 2016, 05:26:10 PM
Thanks everyone!
Also, in other news, an old lady from a local tv station lit up a broom with the olympic torch and started parading it around (https://www.buzzfeed.com/raphaelevangelista/coisas-doidas-que-aconteceram-com-a-tocha-olimpica?utm_term=.sdkzOG3vjY#.doGAeXxMzG). The gifs are amazing :lulz:
That look of joy is great. Definitely one for the freedom file.
Austrailian basketball player tweeting terrible village conditions using the hashtag #IOCLuxuryLodging :lulz:
http://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/sports-life/andrew-bogut-rio-2016-aussie-nba-star-rips-olympic-village-team-bosses-creates-own-shower-curtain/news-story/f9082c007d0a855b7405a380ccf0671f (http://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/sports-life/andrew-bogut-rio-2016-aussie-nba-star-rips-olympic-village-team-bosses-creates-own-shower-curtain/news-story/f9082c007d0a855b7405a380ccf0671f)
Quote from: Sano on August 02, 2016, 05:26:10 PM
Thanks everyone!
Also, in other news, an old lady from a local tv station lit up a broom with the olympic torch and started parading it around (https://www.buzzfeed.com/raphaelevangelista/coisas-doidas-que-aconteceram-com-a-tocha-olimpica?utm_term=.sdkzOG3vjY#.doGAeXxMzG). The gifs are amazing :lulz:
Dona Irene is her name, not a poorly translated nickname or something? I have a series of people who are my new hero and she belongs on it.
Quote from: Q. G. Pennyworth on August 02, 2016, 08:00:09 PM
Quote from: Sano on August 02, 2016, 05:26:10 PM
Thanks everyone!
Also, in other news, an old lady from a local tv station lit up a broom with the olympic torch and started parading it around (https://www.buzzfeed.com/raphaelevangelista/coisas-doidas-que-aconteceram-com-a-tocha-olimpica?utm_term=.sdkzOG3vjY#.doGAeXxMzG). The gifs are amazing :lulz:
Dona Irene is her name, not a poorly translated nickname or something? I have a series of people who are my new hero and she belongs on it.
She seems to be called Maria Irani
http://tribunadoceara.uol.com.br/noticias/perfil-2/conheca-dona-irene-a-anonima-que-conquistou-o-nordeste-com-seu-bordao-e-preco-pra-torar/
interesting sounding woman, I think [ ?] if the translation is anything like accurate
Yeah, her name is Maria Irani. But Irene isn't an uncommon name in Brazil. "Dona" is just "Miss".
I don't understand how Brazil, with all the money from tourism, culture and the economic boom,
somehow stayed poor and even with the subsidies they couldn't prepare anything decent (or even safe for the
athletes).
Media didn't cover all the chaos that happened since 2013, at least, where I live (even as brazilian-themed events like Rio Loco happen and get ample coverage).
Quote from: SanoRecently in São Paulo there has been a dislodging of poor people from the state's property; one of the left's few truly charismatic figures, Eduardo Suplicy, was arrested for trying to resist it with the people who lived there. São Paulo's mayor, Fernando Haddad, who ordered the dislodging, is actually also in the same political party as Suplicy. For this and for litterally confiscating homeless people's blankets during winter he is losing support of the left (which has always been small in São Paulo anyway) very fast; he never had support from the right because of the other terrible, terrible things he has done such as putting biker lanes in the city.
How is such a guy still
alive and free :x ? There's poorly-veiled-behind-law lack of respect for human life in dislodging poor people, and there's
blatant and criminal lack of such respect in confiscating blankets.
There may be a coup (or at least, the forceful overtaking of a mayoral position) after the Olympics there.
I can explain the first part easy: the contracts were given to political insiders who pocketed the difference. They said "sure, I can build your accommodation for $100 million" and then spent $10 million on it while charging the government the higher cost.
And they'll get away with it, because that's the whole point of the Olympics nowadays, as a way for politically connected insiders to make huge amounts of money. I used to work for a company, whose chief investor was one of these types of people. He made tens of millions during the London Olympics, and even more afterwards because the government arranged the sale of land from the Olympics at suspiciously low prices, which another of his company's bought up.
Air quality is apparently worse than the water quality? :?
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016-rios-air-more-deadly-than-its-water-study-finds-a7169371.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016-rios-air-more-deadly-than-its-water-study-finds-a7169371.html)
Quote from: Acuddle on August 03, 2016, 12:53:17 PM
Quote from: SanoRecently in São Paulo there has been a dislodging of poor people from the state's property; one of the left's few truly charismatic figures, Eduardo Suplicy, was arrested for trying to resist it with the people who lived there. São Paulo's mayor, Fernando Haddad, who ordered the dislodging, is actually also in the same political party as Suplicy. For this and for litterally confiscating homeless people's blankets during winter he is losing support of the left (which has always been small in São Paulo anyway) very fast; he never had support from the right because of the other terrible, terrible things he has done such as putting biker lanes in the city.
How is such a guy still alive and free :x ? There's poorly-veiled-behind-law lack of respect for human life in dislodging poor people, and there's blatant and criminal lack of such respect in confiscating blankets.
There may be a coup (or at least, the forceful overtaking of a mayoral position) after the Olympics there.
You'd be surprised at how much of a minor issue that was when it happened. Disregard for the poor is rampant in Brazil and in São Paulo in particular. We're not at the level of the Philippines but there's a lot of hate going on.
Also, what Cain said. And it's important to remember that the average brazillian now has a way more comfortable lifestyle than in the nineties.
And, well, depending on who you ask a coup is already taking place, as many think the impeachment procceedings going on are basically unfounded.
Quote from: Da6s on August 03, 2016, 06:17:25 PM
Air quality is apparently worse than the water quality? :?
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016-rios-air-more-deadly-than-its-water-study-finds-a7169371.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016-rios-air-more-deadly-than-its-water-study-finds-a7169371.html)
That's because the Guanabara Bay is what's polluted and we don't get our water from there as far as I know. As for air pollution it depends on where on the city you are, but I haven't seen anyone think it's a major deal recently. But again I'm a bit out of the loop.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-36971906
QuoteThe Olympic torch has arrived in Rio de Janeiro by boat after a three-month tour of Brazilian cities.
The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, carried the torch on its first few laps through the city centre.
Quote from: Cain on August 04, 2016, 05:41:20 AM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-36971906
QuoteThe Olympic torch has arrived in Rio de Janeiro by boat after a three-month tour of Brazilian cities.
The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, carried the torch on its first few laps through the city centre.
:spittake:
Paes! Explain yourself!
Quote from: Freeky on August 04, 2016, 07:34:23 AM
Paes! Explain yourself!
While he's at it, he can explain tickling too. Enquiring minds need to know.
1.3 million tickets to the games left unsold.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-tickets-idUSKCN10E21H (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-tickets-idUSKCN10E21H)
Quote from: Cain on August 04, 2016, 05:41:20 AM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-36971906
QuoteThe Olympic torch has arrived in Rio de Janeiro by boat after a three-month tour of Brazilian cities.
The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, carried the torch on its first few laps through the city centre.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/08/02/3803298/rio-olympics-eduardo-paes-sustainability/ (http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/08/02/3803298/rio-olympics-eduardo-paes-sustainability/)
Quote from: Sano on August 02, 2016, 05:08:34 PM
Quote from: Da6s on August 02, 2016, 04:28:47 PM
Sano,
Any confirmation on today's mass protests that are being reported? Is the unrest being portrayed actually accurate?
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article92947932.html (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article92947932.html)
There have been mass protests basically monthly in every major brazillian city since 2013. This is a bit difficult to explain, but I'll try.
So now, and specially with the recent political scandals, there's always mass protests, but at the media's whim and with a lot of manipulation by it and the right.
tl;dr It's utter chaos down here.
Found an article full of pics from Tuesday's protest: http://www.voaafrique.com/a/rio-olympics-protest/3447177.html (http://www.voaafrique.com/a/rio-olympics-protest/3447177.html)
Edit: Voir Plus? on that site expands for the rest of them.
In general olympics news today (as I'm religiously reading this stuff the next 3 weeks), skateboarding is an official sport for 2020 Tokyo, which is fucking AWESOME. As a devout snowboarder, I say it should've been all along.
I wish they would make the Olympics go back to once every four years. With the summer and winter split up, it just feels like it's Olympics all the damn time. I don't even know anyone who cares about them anymore.
Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on August 05, 2016, 03:17:07 AM
I wish they would make the Olympics go back to once every four years. With the summer and winter split up, it just feels like it's Olympics all the damn time. I don't even know anyone who cares about them anymore.
The only thing I care about in these games is that for the first time there's a refugee team, nationless and representing the global refugee crisis.
It's gutwrenching.
This morning we have a child prostitution ring near the village being broken up, flooding in a village hotel, media being robbed INSIDE their rooms in media village, GB's swim team having all their kits stolen & now being without olympic swimwear. All just a few hours before the opening ceremony.
Oh, and everyone is also prohibited from making gif's of the olympics (http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/4/12379224/olympics-rio-2016-gifs-rules-policy) :lulz:
Quote from: Da6s on August 05, 2016, 04:25:09 PM
This morning we have a child prostitution ring near the village being broken up, flooding in a village hotel, media being robbed INSIDE their rooms in media village, GB's swim team having all their kits stolen & now being without olympic swimwear. All just a few hours before the opening ceremony.
Oh, and everyone is also prohibited from making gif's of the olympics :lulz:
:lulz:
:lulz: :lulz: :lulz:
Way to guarantee a metric fuckton of gifs get made!!
I'm looking forward to it.
Seriously though, what were they thinking? Everyone is just going to do what they want just because?
We have a shitload of spies running defense, apparently. (http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-rio-summer-olympics/more-1-000-u-s-spies-brazil-protecting-rio-olympics-n623186?cid=sm_tw)
Quote from: Da6s on August 05, 2016, 09:33:04 PM
We have a shitload of spies running defense, apparently. (http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-rio-summer-olympics/more-1-000-u-s-spies-brazil-protecting-rio-olympics-n623186?cid=sm_tw)
QuoteThe classified report outlines an operation that encompasses all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies, including those of the armed services, and involves human intelligence, spy satellites, electronic eavesdropping, and cyber and social media monitoring.
We are the worst police state ever. All the other oligarchies laugh at us. :sad:
Quote from: Da6s on August 05, 2016, 04:25:09 PM
This morning we have a child prostitution ring near the village being broken up, flooding in a village hotel, media being robbed INSIDE their rooms in media village, GB's swim team having all their kits stolen & now being without olympic swimwear. All just a few hours before the opening ceremony.
Oh, and everyone is also prohibited from making gif's of the olympics (http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/4/12379224/olympics-rio-2016-gifs-rules-policy) :lulz:
wat
...wow.
http://shanghaiist.com/2016/08/05/rio_roadside_shoot_out.php (http://shanghaiist.com/2016/08/05/rio_roadside_shoot_out.php)
QuoteThe 2016 Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin today, but for some it has already began with a bang.
Upon their arrival in Rio, a bus full of Chinese basketball reporters was caught in a roadside gunfight. Six locals were killed in the exchange, but no Chinese casualties have been reported.
It's too late to cancel the games, right? Fucking hell. Might as well have sent our athletes and reporters to Syria.
Alright, it starts. Commence the next 2 weeks of cesspool swimming and boating coverage with a side of a global Zika Pandemic because why not.
:drama1:
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on August 05, 2016, 09:35:12 PM
Quote from: Da6s on August 05, 2016, 09:33:04 PM
We have a shitload of spies running defense, apparently. (http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-rio-summer-olympics/more-1-000-u-s-spies-brazil-protecting-rio-olympics-n623186?cid=sm_tw)
QuoteThe classified report outlines an operation that encompasses all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies, including those of the armed services, and involves human intelligence, spy satellites, electronic eavesdropping, and cyber and social media monitoring.
We are the worst police state ever. All the other oligarchies laugh at us. :sad:
This is what happens when the people want a warhawk police state but also want a transparent government.
America: We demand policies like we order from restaurants.
"Fuck it, I'll have both. Extra fucking mayonaise."
This post is going to be edited & is just going to be my running live commentary of the opening ceremony.
Those ocean/bay swimming aerial shots are a fucking lie. As was the clean beach sand with no garbage or needles or open sewage drains.
That tinfoil blanket segment gave some poor japanese kid a seizure.
Some cool effects in the rainforest. I liked the tree going. Natives dancing with hanging ropes had potential but they didn't live up to it. China's drums were way better.
Take off those stupid ass hats.
Parkour buildings were cool.
Claiming the wright brothers were liars and some brazillian no-name was first in flight pissed me off when my nationalist pride is high. Not cool.
More stupid ass hats.
How sad is it when your country's major international figure to recognize for your ceremony is a vapid model? FFS. I get Aesthetics are a moral imperative but COME ON. Sports or GTFO.
Take off those stupid ass string shirts.
Soapbox derby is something to celebrate? Yeah, ok.
This is a terrible opening ceremony. Like, worst I can ever remember. And I remember stupid salt lake city and their mormon dinosaur.
Yes our stupid monkey species is fucking the planet, we know.
Rio I'ma let you finish, but Spaceship Earth in EPCOT had the best Judi Dench voiceover narration of all time.
Carnevale segment with the samba for closing was cool. Should've led with it. Shots over the shoulder of Cristo showing fireworks in the background were awesome. Cauldron left much to be desired.
Totally lackluster opener. That was 5 hours of my life I won't be getting back. But hey, that's the only 5 hours we as a stupid species come together in peaceful unity every 2 years.
Quote from: Da6s on August 05, 2016, 04:25:09 PM
Oh, and everyone is also prohibited from making gif's of the olympics (http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/4/12379224/olympics-rio-2016-gifs-rules-policy) :lulz:
WHAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA?!!! OMLOL
LADLETS AND GENTLEMENSES, LET US REJOICE IN THE SUMMER OLYMPGIFS!
2 Killed near olympics site. Double the number of police & soldiers deployed as London. (http://www.breitbart.com/sports/2016/08/06/two-shot-dead-rio-olympic-sites/)
Serbian rowers fall into adenovirus waters (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/06/serbia-rowers-sunk-capsize-rio-olympics)
Suspicious package/Bomb detonated by Rio police near cycling finish line. "Live" Bullets rain down on media. (http://asia.eurosport.com/cycling/loud-blast-heard-near-rio-olympics-cycling-course-bomb-squad-operating-behind-press-tribune_sto5710114/story.shtml)
False security of the opening ceremony is over. Now, the real shitshow starts. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-06/rio-olympics-returning-to-reality-with-a-thud/7697574?section=sport)
Andddd it's only day 1.
Sorry for the absence, but pokemon go got released here and... well...
Anyway, I actually loved the opening. I'm not going into the Santos-Dumont/Wright Brothers dispute, but they technically didn't say he invented the airplane in the opening, he was only celebrated. We learn the "brazilian no-name"'s name at school, every single one of us (and probably also at least in France), so, you know, might not be the most sensible thing to say near brazilians.
I haven't seen the beginning but if the shots were of Copacabana and/or Ipanema beaches you bet they are actually that clean. The not-really clean beaches are the ones facing the interior of the bay (specially on Ilha do Governador), the sea-facing ones are clean if not crystalline.
The choice of person to lit the torch (Vanderlei (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanderlei_Cordeiro_de_Lima)) was great.
People here at first were polarized about Anitta singing with Caetano and Gil, but after William Waack tried to trash her in an interview and she stood up to herself opinion is coming around to her. But there are certainly other singers like Alcione who would be better for the occasion, I feel.
The ecological message was felt to be particularly hypocritical since there's been an ecological reservation destroyed to build a golf course for the olympics. But the athlete's garden was a nice idea.
Lea T (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lea_T) being the first transgender person to participate in the opening was also a very nice touch.
Now, there's been a change in attitude in general about the olympic games. The same thing happened once the world cup started and I suspected would happen now also, but not so fast. It's the other side of the inferiority complex, I think; now that it's actually happening and it's placing Rio (and Brazil) in the world map so to speak people are resigning themselves to watching it and hoping for the best. And cheering the athletes, of course.
Quote from: Sano on August 06, 2016, 10:42:21 PM
Sorry for the absence, but pokemon go got released here and... well...
Anyway, I actually loved the opening. I'm not going into the Santos-Dumont/Wright Brothers dispute, but they technically didn't say he invented the airplane in the opening, he was only celebrated. We learn the "brazilian no-name"'s name at school, every single one of us (and probably also at least in France), so, you know, might not be the most sensible thing to say near brazilians.
I blame the shitawful today show american commentators then. They're the ones that gave the nod that "Brazillians believe he was the first man to achieve powered flight, and that the wright brothers had no witnesses".
Quote from: Da6s on August 06, 2016, 10:48:07 PM
Quote from: Sano on August 06, 2016, 10:42:21 PM
Sorry for the absence, but pokemon go got released here and... well...
Anyway, I actually loved the opening. I'm not going into the Santos-Dumont/Wright Brothers dispute, but they technically didn't say he invented the airplane in the opening, he was only celebrated. We learn the "brazilian no-name"'s name at school, every single one of us (and probably also at least in France), so, you know, might not be the most sensible thing to say near brazilians.
I blame the shitawful today show american commentators then. They're the ones that gave the nod that "Brazillians believe he was the first man to achieve powered flight, and that the wright brothers had no witnesses".
We really are thaught that on schools (we are also taught he invented the pocket watch, but I don't know much about that). However, being interested in the history of technology I tend to think "the first to do/discover/invent x" are usually bad questions to make.
Just saw the news you posted, going to edit this to answer. From a cursory look it appears that some of it is simply sensationalism
Edit:
Quote from: Da6s on August 06, 2016, 10:36:01 PM
2 Killed near olympics site. Double the number of police & soldiers deployed as London. (http://www.breitbart.com/sports/2016/08/06/two-shot-dead-rio-olympic-sites/)
Not unusual at all for the city's standards, I think. I do understand how it'd scare people not from here though.
Quote from: Da6s on August 06, 2016, 10:36:01 PMSerbian rowers fall into adenovirus waters (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/06/serbia-rowers-sunk-capsize-rio-olympics)
The Lagoa IIRC is actually one of the only areas where they did a nice job cleaning the pollution for the olympics and it really wasn't that polluted before. You'll notice the main problem complained about was the weather.
Quote from: Da6s on August 06, 2016, 10:36:01 PMSuspicious package/Bomb detonated by Rio police near cycling finish line. "Live" Bullets rain down on media. (http://asia.eurosport.com/cycling/loud-blast-heard-near-rio-olympics-cycling-course-bomb-squad-operating-behind-press-tribune_sto5710114/story.shtml)
The (one) bullet thing is actually very strange. I have not the faintest idea why the police thinks it's a nice idea to explode things people leave behind.
Quote from: Da6s on August 06, 2016, 10:36:01 PMFalse security of the opening ceremony is over. Now, the real shitshow starts. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-06/rio-olympics-returning-to-reality-with-a-thud/7697574?section=sport)
I know how seeing a dead body might be very upsetting, but I'm not placing it in the "shitshow" category yet.
The thing is, most events seem to be happening without any inconveniences. I'm more optimistic today of the olympics being as much of a shitshow as the world cup, that is, no shitshow whatsoever.
Quote from: Sano on August 06, 2016, 10:42:21 PM
I haven't seen the beginning but if the shots were of Copacabana and/or Ipanema beaches you bet they are actually that clean. The not-really clean beaches are the ones facing the interior of the bay (specially on Ilha do Governador), the sea-facing ones are clean if not crystalline.
Makes you wonder why the hell they aren't having any of the water based sports there, where the water would actually be safe. I mean, Vancouver was the host city 6 years ago & they held all events at Whistler, like 2.5 hours by bus away. Piss poor planning.
Done.
Quote from: Da6s on August 06, 2016, 10:53:10 PM
Quote from: Sano on August 06, 2016, 10:42:21 PM
I haven't seen the beginning but if the shots were of Copacabana and/or Ipanema beaches you bet they are actually that clean. The not-really clean beaches are the ones facing the interior of the bay (specially on Ilha do Governador), the sea-facing ones are clean if not crystalline.
Makes you wonder why the hell they aren't having any of the water based sports there, where the water would actually be safe. I mean, Vancouver was the host city 6 years ago & they held all events at Whistler, like 2.5 hours by bus away. Piss poor planning.
Are you sure there won't be any? I haven't checked, but I believe only some sail events will be on the bay, the rest will be on the Lagoa and on sea-facing beaches.
Quote from: Sano on August 06, 2016, 11:05:36 PM
Done.
Quote from: Da6s on August 06, 2016, 10:53:10 PM
Quote from: Sano on August 06, 2016, 10:42:21 PM
I haven't seen the beginning but if the shots were of Copacabana and/or Ipanema beaches you bet they are actually that clean. The not-really clean beaches are the ones facing the interior of the bay (specially on Ilha do Governador), the sea-facing ones are clean if not crystalline.
Makes you wonder why the hell they aren't having any of the water based sports there, where the water would actually be safe. I mean, Vancouver was the host city 6 years ago & they held all events at Whistler, like 2.5 hours by bus away. Piss poor planning.
Are you sure there won't be any? I haven't checked, but I believe only some sail events will be on the bay, the rest will be on the Lagoa and on sea-facing beaches.
Should've said all* of the water events.
QuoteI know how seeing a dead body might be very upsetting, but I'm not placing it in the "shitshow" category yet.
I guess I have never noticed media reporting violence in close proximity of the games until now. Can't recall any bombs, shootings, robbings, muggings, or murder at any Olympics since I've been watching - namely Sochi, London, Athens, Vancouver, Salt Lake City, Beijing. Nagano & atlanta I was too young to really remember at all.
I mean, sure all cities have violent parts. It's the amount of spillover into patrons of the games in all facets for why I refer to it as a shitshow. Sochi was probably the shabbiest I can remember, and even though their village was rushed to completion, they didn't have half the shit happening that Rio is. Might be par for the course there, which if so, games should never have been held there regardless. I mean, all for the first games ever in South America, just put em somewhere where busloads of international media 2 miles from the airport aren't going to be in the middle of gunfights (https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1562182/chinese-olympic-delegation-and-journalists-caught-up-in-gang-gun-crossfire/).
From that last article:
QuoteEveryone arriving for the Olympic Games from the international airport must pass along the Red Line motorway which is lined in large parts by Mare community, one of the most dangerous shanty-towns in the capital, in the grip of heavily armed drugs gangs.
Two years ago, just before the 2014 World Cup games, Rio sent in the hundreds of soldiers to clean up the no-go zone, using tanks, scores of army officers and heavy weaponry to try to wrest back control of the sprawling lawless slum.
But it's evident these major security measures haven't worked.
Quote from: Da6s on August 07, 2016, 02:14:03 AM
I guess I have never noticed media reporting violence in close proximity of the games until now. Can't recall any bombs, shootings, robbings, muggings, or murder at any Olympics since I've been watching - namely Sochi, London, Athens, Vancouver, Salt Lake City, Beijing. Nagano & atlanta I was too young to really remember at all.
So you missed the whole mass-stabbing thing at Beijing?
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on August 07, 2016, 04:22:39 AM
Quote from: Da6s on August 07, 2016, 02:14:03 AM
I guess I have never noticed media reporting violence in close proximity of the games until now. Can't recall any bombs, shootings, robbings, muggings, or murder at any Olympics since I've been watching - namely Sochi, London, Athens, Vancouver, Salt Lake City, Beijing. Nagano & atlanta I was too young to really remember at all.
So you missed the whole mass-stabbing thing at Beijing?
Apparently.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Beijing_Drum_Tower_stabbings (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Beijing_Drum_Tower_stabbings)
Reads like it was one unhinged psycho & he killed himself afterwards. I'll put that alongside the Atlanta bombings for psycho acting alone.
Well they did put London under effective military occupation. 13500 soldiers, an addtional 20,000 private security contractors, the Metropolitan Police given firearms, SAM launchers put on people's roofs, and that was just the British response. Don't forget most Olympic teams had their own security people as well, and then throw into the mix that London has the biggest CIA presence west of Moscow and north of Mexico, and that the US military had rapid response teams, a destroyer and likely at least one nuclear submarine parked off our coastline.
The Maré certainly is a dangerous place, but it still isn't like there's gunfights there every day or indeed every month - I used to have to pass through there once a week (and many friends every day) for many years and without anything happening.
If it really was that bad, Rio's tourism wouldn't be what it is today because as the article says anyone leaving that airport has to go through it.
Is it true that a kayaker ran into a sofa in the water?
My source is sketchy.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on August 08, 2016, 07:45:08 PM
Is it true that a kayaker ran into a sofa in the water?
My source is sketchy.
If it's not, it's still a great rumour for future boating events elsewhere. I'll be using it after the next Oxford/Cambridge bullshit thing for sure
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on August 08, 2016, 07:45:08 PM
Is it true that a kayaker ran into a sofa in the water?
My source is sketchy.
Answer appears to be "no-one knows for sure, but if that's the worst of what you run into in the waterways of Rio, you should consider yourself quite lucky (http://www.slate.com/blogs/five_ring_circus/2016/08/07/did_a_rio_games_kayaker_get_capsized_by_a_runaway_sofa.html)."
Vice reports food & drink at venues is running out/low, just 4 days in. (https://munchies.vice.com/en/articles/the-olympics-food-and-drink-situation-is-a-complete-and-utter-mess)
"Greenest" games ever. (https://twitter.com/TimPeachBBC/status/763018974565203968)
Terrorism suspect fled house arrest, not seen since July. Ties to Al Qaeda & ISIS. (http://oglobo.globo.com/rio/suspeito-de-ligacao-com-terrorismo-procurado-no-norte-19882678)
Kayak sofa article, now with more pollution pictures. (http://www.sfgate.com/olympics/article/Report-Olympic-kayaker-capsizes-sofa-kayaksofa-9127435.php)
More robbing with a car hijacking to boot. (http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/montenegro-officials-robbed-at-gunpoint-in-rio-08-10-2016) You'd think such an event would have proper security where it matters.
Medalist beaten up while celebrating on copacabana beach. (http://sports.yahoo.com/news/judo-medalist-beat-up-while-celebrating-on-copacabana-beach-234727753.html)
Russian Swimmer posts pics of kids with guns robbing him. (http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/olympian-evgeny-korotyshkin-posts-terrifying-image-of-heavily-armed-children-who-robbed-him_uk_57ac5090e4b0b3afa75d3bb0)
Quote from: Da6s on August 11, 2016, 08:09:16 PM
Russian Swimmer posts pics of kids with guns robbing him. (http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/olympian-evgeny-korotyshkin-posts-terrifying-image-of-heavily-armed-children-who-robbed-him_uk_57ac5090e4b0b3afa75d3bb0)
Kids seem pretty chill.
Is the one in blue wearing a Rolex?
American Swimmer douchebag Ryan Lochte robbed at gunpoint in cab by men "impersonating" police officers. (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37077172?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_breaking&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=news_central)
Notes from the above bbc article:
Quote5 August - Two rowing coaches robbed at knifepoint on Ipanema beach, the Australian Olympic Committee says
6 August - Security co-ordinator for the opening ceremony targeted in attempted robbery as he left the Maracana stadium the morning after - his guards opened fire on the assailants, killing one of them
6 August - Portuguese education minister robbed in Ipanema as he was coming back from a cycling event
11 August - Russian swimmer Evgeny Korotyshkin (not a competitor) posted a photo on Instagram of two armed men who robbed him near Ipanema - the photo has since been taken down
Ryan Lochte's a liar fugitive for attention, not surprising.
Corruption abounds with boxing medals. That was the last thing I paid attention to. Burnt out on the perpetual mess. Volunteers quitting and striking over work conditions & lack of provided food. Paralympics scandal where all the budget money was used by corrupt officials & not put towards events. Some other shit.
This Ryan Lochte situation is actually worth discussing, especially if the gas station tapes are true. Reminds me of some entitled douchebag athletes that went on rampages in breck/keystone.
Latest is Brazil let his 2 homies go. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/brazil-stops-two-us-olympic-swimmers-from-leaving-country-over-robbery-case/2016/08/18/5bfdee66-6540-11e6-96c0-37533479f3f5_story.html (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/brazil-stops-two-us-olympic-swimmers-from-leaving-country-over-robbery-case/2016/08/18/5bfdee66-6540-11e6-96c0-37533479f3f5_story.html)
QuoteIn the video, released by Brazilian police, gas station employees observe the athletes, then escort them out of the bathroom. In another clip, from a different camera angle, the athletes quickly seat themselves on the ground and raise their hands, as if ordered by a person with a gun. Veloso confirmed that one of the security guards produced the weapon to "contain" the swimmers so they could not leave without paying for the damage. "The firearm was used in a situation in which they were contained. When they were contained the firearm was put away," he said.
So they were held at gunpoint briefly by security guards, giving some validity.