Cariocas expected to party throughout the weekend. In other words, probably business as usual in Rio.
In all honesty, I had mixed feelings about the President rallying for Chicago's Olympic bid in Copenhagen this week. I mean....at first, I had my misgivings, but then I realized the longer the President Obama was in Denmark, the longer I wouldn't have to worry about crap-tastic legislation like Cap & Trade, Obama-care, Card Check or another stimulus being rammed through both houses in the middle of the night and signed into law. As a matter of fact I was a little disappointed that the President didn't take the entire House and Senate with him and stay an extra few weeks.
Outside of prestige, I'm not sure how this stunning development is a blow for all of America. And outside of Chicagoland, I'm not sure how hosting the 2016 Olympics would've benefitted the rest of the United States of America (same goes for Salt Lake City and Atlanta). And it's not like there was a lengthy list of Obama associates in the Chicago area who would've benefitted financially from hosting the Olympics and all the associated public works projects that come with it.
Some people also made the case that a Summer Olympiad in Chicago would've benefitted the economy- which is no doubt true. But with national unemployment rate at 9.8%, I think the 2009 economy needs more immediate attention than the 2016 economy.
Then there's always the default position of 'racism'. Apparently some feel that the International Olympic Comittee was 'racist' in passing over an ethnically diverse city like Chicago in favor of that lilly-white den of inequity and xenophobia know as Rio de Janeiro. [Give yourself a moment to let the irony and/or stupidity sink in for a moment.- NANESB]. I had no idea that Jimmy Carter held a position with the IOC.
If all this Olympiad buzz is leaving you jonesing for more Olympic trivia, then here's a little factoid for you to chew on. The 2014 Winter Olympics will take place in Sochi, Russia- some 50 miles from the border of Georgia; the tiny mountainous former Soviet republic that the Russian bear decided to sharpen it's claws on militarily last year.
Every minute he is distracted, diverted from crap and trade the better. Every aspect of our lives is affected by electricity and to raise the rates like he is talking will cripple an already shaky economy.
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