At last the school year has ended and once again I find myself with a bit more free time. More free to recharge batteries. More free to reflect on what has been done, what needs refining, and what needs more attention in the future. Free for more time to do things I enjoy doing for myself, like more blogging. One summer project I am very excited about and looking forward to this June is watching every single game of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, cheering my two national teams: USA and Brazil!
It is my hope that during these short two and a half months I will be able to post much more often than once a month. With that said, I’d like to ask my followers — if they have not already and understandably forgotten about me — what they would like to know, or what subjects you would be interested in me writing about. The floor is open, the mic is open; let me hear your suggestions or questions. I shall do my best to accommodate… within reason naturally.
I will also do my best to catch-up with my many other blogging friends and their posts who I have unwillingly been absent! My sincere apologies. If anyone knows of a way to add MORE hours to a mere 24-hour day, please, I beg you tell me! I have really missed blogging and reading and commenting with all of you this past school year. Let’s reconnect!
Therefore, of my followers, is there or are there any subject(s) you would be interested in me writing about or discussing? Anything at all. If not, I should be posting with my next topic shortly.
Have a fantastic summer! I plan to!
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The Professor's Convatorium 
Good to see you’re back! Should be a whole lot of summer blogging fun. Can’t think of any subject in particular, so whatever topic you come up with, I’ll be looking forward to reading, as usual. Cheers!
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Mmmm…I LIKE being given “full reign”! Thank you Vix! 😉
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Hey Professor.
So great to see you back, and no doubt you need some much needed R & R. I’ve been keeping up with what’s going on with the gangs–drug lords and drug activity just outside the stadium where the World Cup will be held. I watched a documentary about 2 weeks ago. The gangs are preparing for the biggest drug operation ever. Rather eye-opening, especially since they expect 1/2 million tourist to attend which right right next to the favelas where the gangs gather. But this 47 second clip really caught my attention. If this is what they do when someone on their team scores, I shudder to think what they might do if they lose to the US. I wouldn’t be caught dead there during that time, no pun intended, lol. For the sake and safety of the tourist, I hope Brazil wins.
Regarding your question, I can’t think of any subjects right off the top of my head. Will have to get back with you on that one. Perhaps we can discuss later what went down during the World Cup. 😉
Hope you have a fantastical summer. xx
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Not sure exactly where that “game” took place, but judging by the size of the stadium (tiny 3rd or 4th division), it looks like it is on the outskirts of a town, maybe even way into the interior of Brazil where the population (and police?) are very small. Pick-up games in tiny stadiums like that happen anytime, hence, no security or police.
However, when I was playing in Sierra Leon, West Africa in the late 80’s, that sort of crowd-control-lessness was frequent and worse — the nation went into horrific civil war a year or two later after I got down to Brazil. But those sorts of “crowds” are in many 2nd & 3rd-world countries & soccer stadiums. A different atmosphere than here in the States. Lol 😉
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Hehe, you’d have a different take had you seen the documentary. People being shot dead within a stone-throw of the stadium. As I mentioned, the favelas, where the drug lords and gangs hang out are right there in the same area where the WC will take place. 😉
Definitely a different atmosphere, as far as soccer goes in the U.S.
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I’m quite familiar with the criminal element down there — was (comically) robbed during my time there by a gang….
…a gang of prostitutes (on Copacabana Beach), who turned out to be professional lesbians “working” that part of Ipanema & Copacabana. Did you catch that post? “American Boys Are Easy”? 😉
On a serious note, yes, there most definitely will be a higher crime-rate there during the World Cup. Brazil is still a rising 2nd-world nation, with its serious corruption, crime, and Favelas. In Rio, there are only pockets of ‘wealth’ with high police forces translating to higher safety, but the rest of the city, as well as other cities throughout the nation like São Paulo, are like our slums or semi-slum pockets in our U.S. cities. And as a tourist you are at a higher risk due to your naïveté. 😦
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Professor, I will try to find that doc I shared with you. You will find it interesting that the same problems we have in our country are identically related to the same problems in Brazil. And it stems from the same source. White males from Europe back in the day of slavery.
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Still looking for the doc — you’d like it because it has to do with history, but isn’t it interesting that my friend from Denmark just sent me this image. Totally weird coincidence.
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Sounds good Victoria. Email it to me when you locate it.
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I know you have a passion for soccer, and sports in general, so I’m curious. With your *cough* love of Jerry Jones and his greed, how do you feel about the world cup, Olympics, and other events of that sort of magnitude being called white elephants? Especially considering your passion for aiding those that are less than fortunate? Have you seen this segment yet? If not, here’s what I’m talking about… https://screen.yahoo.com/hbo-real-sports-white-elephants-050000076.html
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Kitt, are you referring more specifically to the number of stadiums/venues/buildings “built” for the every-four-year events like the Olympics and World Cup? Or was there more you were curious about?
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Specifically that…along with your thoughts on the economic impacts, possibly ideas for prevention, or whatever else pops into your “always thinking” mind.
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Without being too informed about the “white elephant” stories, I can share my thoughts about the difference between the Olympics and the World Cup: the obvious being multiple sports versus one sport, the world’s most popular sport. It would seem to me that the nations bidding to host the Olympic games should consider the environmental & economic long-term impact much more seriously! Like Greece (in the video-clip) doesn’t play baseball, field-hockey, and those other sports — that interestingly enough were sports the U.S. pushed heavily for the Olympic Committee to include in the games years back — and hence should have seriously considered NOT hosting the Olympics! Yes, the 3-6 weeks of tourism revenues are temptingly attractive, BUT look at what Greece (or other poor countries) are stuck with!? Only those nations who have adequate support & popularity for those ‘random’ less-global sports (e.g. baseball, field-hockey, track-cycling velodromes) should be nations SERIOUSLY bidding for the games, and the OCC should also know this and assist! The Greek government was stupid. Now American baseball is not even an Olympic event anymore, right?
Now the World Cup is a totally DIFFERENT event. Futebol/soccer is the most popular sport in the world and just about ALL 1st and 2nd-world nations (and economies) everywhere have several divisions/leagues of soccer even throughout their youth. Naturally, they can adequately support those stadiums, clubs, fans, etc, for many decades to come. Hosting the World Cup is an excellent ROI (return on investment) for a bidding national government. Not necessarily so with the Olympics due to all the ‘weird’ random games that most nations don’t even play or know about! LOL
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