Anyone Planning On Visiting The Summer Oympics In Rio?

[dales]

In this week's edition of "What problems does Rio de Janeiro have to deal with leading up to the 2016 Summer Olympics," we have a fun new guest: super bacteria.

According to CNN, Brazilian scientists have discovered evidence of drug-resistant bacteria growing off the shores of some of Rio's most spectacular beaches, most notably in Guanabara Bay, where the sailing events for the Games will take place. Beaches were also flagged, such as Flamengo and Botafogo, which border Guanabara Bay and are popular destinations for tourists.

Lead researcher Renata Picao said, "We found that the threats occur in coastal waters in a variety of concentrations and that they are strongly associated with pollution." She believes that sewage from local hospitals was channeled into the bay, either sparking or strengthening the growth of this new super bacteria.

Picao blames the city's poor sanitation system for the emergence of the super bacteria that is resistant to drugs. According to Cedae, Rio's water utility, however, the city is following the guidelines set out by the World Health Organization. "Fifty one percent of the city's sewage is now treated," production director Edes de Oliveira told CNN. "Seven years ago it was only 11%."

Plain and simple, Rio de Janeiro has serious problems on their hands, both safety-wise and financially, and with a month left until the beginning of the Games, the situation only seems to be getting worse. Perhaps Rio mayor Eduardo Paes said it best in an interview with CNN: "[Rio's] completely failing at its work of policing and taking care of people."

[rubato]

I don't really like tropical climates all that much.

I love brazilian music but the climate ... Not so much.


Yrs,
Rubato

[Scooter]

I find it interesting to see how many people are rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect that the Rio Games will turn into some colossal failure. I'm sure that the fact that it is a developing country of brown-skinned people has absolutely nothing to do with it.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Answer to subject:

No

[BoSoxGal]

I'm frustrated by the stories coming out of Brazil only because as a developing country it has much better things to spend money on than the Olympics; I think the whole Olympics rotating locations is fundamentally stupid and we should have them every time in the same place. Athens for the summer and probably someplace in Canada or Scandinavia for the winter and just leave it at that. The ridiculous expenditures by new host cities every time is wasteful and ultimately hurts the poor of every host city whose needs become even less a priority while money is squandered on facilities that never get utilized again as pipe dreams project in the planning stages. I'm proud of Boston for just saying no to being considered for host city.

[Jarlaxle]

I expected it would be a clusterfuck...and it is.

[Long Run]

I'm frustrated by the stories coming out of Brazil only because as a developing country it has much better things to spend money on than the Olympics; I think the whole Olympics rotating locations is fundamentally stupid and we should have them every time in the same place.

I don't think that people wish Brazil ill, but they are fed up with the IOC and its mismanagement/poor-stewarship of the Olympics. Sochi, Beijing, Rio were all bad choices. Given the huge undertaking, they should be limited to a few cities in stable countries that have the infrastructure and resources to handle the event, and Athens isn't one of them. Los Angeles, Tokyo, London and Sydney, all have the facilities (now), housing, transportation, decent weather, and ability to safely host the event, and might even make money on the event as opposed to the financial disasters of so many editions. The Winter Olympics are much easier, since they are a fraction of the size of the summer games, but rotate among a few solid cities that can handle them. However, not going to happen -- there will always be cities/countries chasing after the event for a variety of reasons.

[wesw]

I like the idea of holding the summer Olympics in Greece every cycle.

the initial expense is great but once the facilities are established , the games should be a profitable endeavor in succeeding cycles....

...and god knows that Greece needs a boost.

put the winter games near the arctic circle, somewhere....

and never let an opportunity to call people racists pass, eh , scooter?

nothing to do with shrunken headed babies, raw sewage in the water arenas, super bacteria or the fact that the favela gangs are hi jacking whole truckloads of camera equipment from media entities...

nah, it s just because some of the people are brown...., and some are darker..., and some are paler...

I need to smoke a doobie....

damned govt won t let me grow it tho....

...bastards would rather import the crap.

dammit, we are America!!!

we can grow our own damned reefer!!!!!

I think that I ll make a small still next year.....

I wonder what kinda corn works best......

[rubato]

I find it interesting to see how many people are rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect that the Rio Games will turn into some colossal failure. I'm sure that the fact that it is a developing country of brown-skinned people has absolutely nothing to do with it.

I haven't heard anyone personally or in the media who is happy about the problems in Brazil. Most people I know like the Olympics and want them to be successful and the Zika virus problem is not just Brazil but a hemispheric problem rapidly becoming a world-wide problem.


Now the fact that the Russians are getting slapped down for systematic cheating, that is a different kettle of fish.


yrs,
rubato