For those of us who have never lived in a city with a population base over a few million - cities like San Paulo Brazil seem uncomprehensible.
18 million people live in San Paulo.
It’s difficult to understand how a city that size is manageable.
Elections are being held in Brazil in October and this lively BBC peice looks the uniqueness of a mandatory voting system, over 30 parties, thousands of candidates and one of the most sophisticated and effective voting systems in the world. Brazil is a country of over 184 million people, and the most economically stable in South America. Disparity remains a hugh concern, but Brazil has shaken off a half century of military intervention in it’s political process.

I’m trying to mentally picture 100 kilometer long traffic jams, or overpasses so close to buildings you can see what people are watching on TV. I didn’t know Canada’s fomer Rhinoceros Party took it’s origin from Brazil.

Olympics
The 31 year old Canadian who jumped into the pool at the Olympic diving event reminds me of the old pastime of streaking. At 31 years of age, aren’t there better ways to get attention? And, as typical in this kind of stunt, it took officals awhile to get the guy out of the pool. My first thought was he sounded like a hockey fan pulling a stunt, but that isn’t fair to hockey fans.
This is a world wide event, and with all that money spent on security it doesn’t make sense to risk your life, tutu and true love aside.
What I haven’t been able to find out is why he had a gambling website URL on his chest. Gives question to the ‘true love’ excuse.

UPDATE: The Canadian fool in the pool is getting off lucky. Ron Bensimhon, could have been charged with trespassing at an Olympic venue and terrorizing the Olympic Games - which carries a three to five year sentence. He is facing 5 months in prison and paid a fine pending appeal, which could take a couple of years. I won’t dignify the Quebec casino he was advertising with a mention - apparently he pulled a similar stunt in Germany at the World Figure Skating Championships. And, quelle surprise, this company has used these kind of gimmicks before. Now they deny involvement?

During an appearance before a three-judge tribunal, Bensimhon said he didn’t “do the stunt for money.” Instead, he just wanted to be famous. “I never thought it would be this bad,” he said.

Bensimhon, who had a black eye and bruise on his face, also told the court he was beat up by police and that he had “suffered enough.”

Bensimhon was charged with a misdemeanour of violating the normal running of the Games. The maximum penalty was five years in jail, but many had expected a 30-day sentence.

You are 31 years old buddy. Grow up. The 1972 Munich massacre really happened.
A 3 metre belly flop could give you that black eye, but I tend to believe you were roughed up. What you did was wrong, and if the police roughed you up, what they did was wrong. You are very lucky to get out of this with a fine, some jail time and a black eye. Since when is a casino worth all that? I wonder why people engaged in ambush marketing, don’t understand the social nuances of fame and infamy?

And speaking of international er, games the linking policy for the official site is quite lengthy. Opps. I’m supposed to use the term Athens 2004 if I embedd the link in copy. And I didn’t ask the Internet department if I could link. But, I didn’t deep link. Man, by the time you read all the rules, it will be time for the winter games.
It’s easier to go to the um, games blog run from LivingRoom.
They are running about 15 minutes ahead of the the official site and the media anyway if that is your cup of tea.

International other things
I’ve been enjoying the blog connexions lately. I think that is because Mike, who is a student in the UK has been in India working with Tibetan refugees. He is on his way home. Richard, who lives in Wales is returning from a trip to the US.
And Joel is from the US is posting from the US. And I haven’t posted hardly at all.:^) It’s just been good reading what everyone else has to say. And the refreshing international flavour aside, there hasn’t been any kerfuffles about politics. That could be subject to change, but I kind of doubt it.