once divided there’s nothing left to subtract
Saturday, March 26, 2005 • Posted by jcb
He’s outta here Tuesday. Take care of him USA and send him back to me in one piece. Now, what the hell kind of trouble can I get into ALONE in Rio for 10 days…
Oh, kiss the mountain air we breathe
Good-bye it’s time to fly.
Over the seas in all degrees
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 • Posted by jcb
Some 300,000 people turned out for the rain soaked Lenny Kravitz concert on Copacabana beach last night. With strictly journalistic intentions, your editors turned out for the festivities and somehow managed invites to the Copacabana Palace terrrace. Life sucks right about now. Obrigado Vaz. Eu espero que a gente nao tinha te envergonhado ontem noite. A gente se divertiu muito. M.d.S.
Carolina and the editors. She might be regretting inviting the likes of us at this very moment. If not now, then ten minutes later when Witzy took a header into a planter. No Beam was spilled during filming of these stunts
Footnote
AMERICAN WOMAN … who knew this song was such a hate anthem. I guess I just realized it when he belted out the lyrics and 300,000 people erupted in mass hysteria.
Get away from me
American woman
Mama let me be
Don’t come hanging around my door
I don’t want to see your face no more
I got more important things to do
Than spend my time growin’ old with you
Good Grief Charlie Brown
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 • Posted by jcb
Alison and Witzy packed themselves a lunch and headed to the stadium for a leisurely day of soccer this past Sunday. Not even an hour later the two cocksure American’s kicked in the apartment door suspiciously blanched. After some initial inquires on my part the story is still sketchy at best. The story includes tales of rioting soccer fans, armed police intervention, several gunshots, and a prescient warning by a friendly Brasilian. “You people don’t belong here. Leave now.” So they did.
One of the world’s largest stadiums, Maracanã was built for the IV World Cup of Football that happened in Rio in 1950. Brazil unfortunately lost to Uruguay that year, but today it’s the only nation in the world to hold 5 titles. Soccer is the national sport in Brazil, and the stadium is often filled to capacity with more than 90,000 people when there is a major match, and the official record is of 183,341 spectators in 1969. This is where Pelé made his 1,000th goal.
Alison. The lone woman in the 90,000 strong crowd.
Valhalla I have arrived.
Friday, March 18, 2005 • Posted by jcb
Maybe not the land of the midnight sun… but certainly Confeitaria Colombo is impressive. It’s a great example of the belle epoque architecture seen mainly in the older sections of the city. Since 1894 Confeitaria Colombo has been serving up cafe, sweets, and lighter fare to the tourists, locals and workers who populate the downtown area. C.C. is located right around the corner from our attorneys’ offices so needless to say we are frequent visitors.
In other news items.
We have a Swedish friend who travels to a nature preserve in Sao Paulo to catch snakes and then he sells them to freak show snake collectors in the States. So don’t worry Mom, if the hotel thing doesn’t work out we can always catch snakes.
The cooked half of seeingfurther.com is planning a brief but jarring early spring US tour. Swinging through Chicago, Denver, Boulder and Miami, maybe you can catch him on his ten day jaunt. If you miss him this time the whole seeingfurther.com team is planning a six week extended US tour in May and June. Soes Bandit/Blogging brother KTB has already generously offered to promote the NYC dates with his trademark aqua vitae so watch your locale outlets for tickets. OMG if MT catches wind of these rumblings seeingfurther.com might be sent back to Brasil in a bag.
The picture kept will remind me.
Sunday, March 13, 2005 • Posted by jcb
We have a charming and perfectly behaved house guest staying with us. Try as we might to corrupt her, she is so far resisting our nefarious influences. Making her way solo through Peru, Argentina and now finally Brasil, Alison is reveling in the sights and sounds of Rio before heading north to Bahia. We could all stand to take a page out of this plucky adventurer’s book.
Alison.
Favor a conta pronto!!! Wha’d I say ???? I know where you were last night.
try and mimic what’s insane…
Sunday, March 13, 2005 • Posted by jcb
Costume party. Nuff said.
MORE PICTURES FOLLOW THE LINK ….
Witz and JCB Glamour shot. Jay WTF??!
Jara’s weapon.
Tuesday, March 8, 2005 • Posted by jcb
Gladys Marín died two days ago.
SANTIAGO, Chile, March 6 - Gladys Marín, the longtime leader of Chile’s small Communist Party and a leader in the fight against the 1973-90 military dictatorship, died Sunday. She was 63 and had been treated for a brain tumor.
While her party was never powerful, Ms. Marín pressed on with the battle against the former president, Augusto Pinochet, even after he stepped down. She became a well-known human rights advocate and a leader in the effort to bring Mr. Pinochet, 89, to trial for abuses under his military government.
Read the full NY TIMES article here
I would guess to some Ms. Marín is simply a footnote to a history long since forgotten and better left that way, and they may be correct. However I disagree. I believe her story is the story of struggle over domination and oppression, for freedom and TRUE self determination. This story is ongoing not only for Latin America but also for America and the Greater World. Nevertheless Ms. Marín’s historical estimation is without question. After the many great leaders in her country were brutally tortured and murdered, including her husband Jorge Muñoz and the incomparable Chilean folk singer Victor Jara, she persisted. Not only did she persist, her help succeeded in ending the oppressive regime of Augusto Pinochet and in the process secured a better future for her country without the help of many of her fallen male compatriots.
I have an amazing Chilean friend who is one of the most remarkable men I have ever met. He exudes an inner strength that is oddly commanding and at the same time peaceful. He would sometimes tell me stories of the rage he felt as a young man living under the Pinochet regime. Several times he risked his life just to throw rocks or bottles at the government troops who tortured his friends and relatives while they marauded his country. It feels good knowing he is in this world.
Is fighting for what we all know is right, dead to my generation? Who will stand up and question?
You plant a demon seed
You raise a fire of flower.
Outside, is America.
Why does forever have to take so long
Thursday, March 3, 2005 • Posted by jcb
One of our favorite South Florida readers is mounting a campaign to change our domain to mustbenice.com. Well my furry friend have a look-see at the 48 hour rain event that is currently deluging our beautiful city.
Holed up in our new digs with mountains of work, Witzy and I are on fire despite the rain. Our attorney told us this week we are the first foreign individuals he has seen or heard of trying to start their own company down here. Trail blazing just got fun. All corporations before us. Corporations … sissies. Another government attorney looked at us like we had two heads this week after she heard about our progress since arriving. So after thinking we hadn’t accomplished anything in two months, we are starting to get encouraged. I swear the highs and lows of this game are borderline manic. Apparently mustbenice.com is in the running with gettingshitdone.com.
tree top view from our apartment of the Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz.
View from our balcony. mmm trees.
Try imagining a place where it’s always safe and warm.
Tuesday, March 1, 2005 • Posted by jcb
Exiting a frosty cool internet cafe the other day in Buzios, I thought the heat was getting to me when I looked up to see these scenes. Most are going to miss the significance of this post, but to anyone who spent time with me from 2000 to 2002, certainly you’ll feel it. It didn’t really feel the same, the energy was changed and maybe I’m different. We left after a beer. Either way, it was nice to see Nikki again.
Published under a Creative Commons license.
I was a fighter, I could turn on a thread. Now I stand accused of the things I've said.