This link to a NY Times is both sad and ironic. Sad that the politicisans have stolen the most of the first billion provided by Japan 20 years ago and continue to waste money instead of doing what needs to be done, whether visible to the populace or not - connect sewers to the built and in operation, but underused sewage treatment plants covering the metropolitan area.

During the report, it is mentioned the "Ilha Fundao," this is the island where the large hospital for the Federal University's Med School can be seen on the other side of the causeway when leaving the airport. What is not even mentioned is that the treatment plants in Caju, just north of centro and at Jardim Oceanico in Baja, are only operating at about 50% of capacity because the politicians are not hooking them up to the sewers.

Ironic as on my way back to the states last month, I had a very heated discussion about the bay clean-up with an American teaching English in Macae, the true center of the oil drilling industry in Rio de Janeiro state. He was definitely wearing rose-colored glasses. I'd told him I live on the bay and it is an enormous body of water with the raw sewage of millions pouring into it daily. I told him it was impossible to do the invisible work of connecting sewers to the treatment plants and cleaning the water in just two years. He kept on saying not to be so negative; if only everyone worked together, fantastic things could be accomplished. He practically told him he was full of more shite per square meter than Guanabara Bay.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/19/world/americas/memo-to-olympic-sailors-in-rio-dont-touch-the-water.html?emc=edit_tnt_20140519&nlid=65920222&tntemail0=y&_r=0

I understand part of the strategy for the Olympics is to have a fleet of 10 garbage scows patrolling the bay to pick up the larger, more obvious debris. Would that be the larger poop? How would one decide? Ah, decisions, decisions.

Olympic rowers have expressed concern over the water quality of Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon (that's the lagoa..lake bordering some of the priciest real estate in the country). Pretty from a distance but still very polluted.

The problem with Rodrigo de Freitas is different than Guanabara Bay. In the lake there is a toxic mix of chemicals. And all of a sudden, there will be masses of floating dead fish. No way to predict when it will happen. But just imagine the press if in the middle of the Cocksucked 8"s, the surface is filled with dead floaters and the massive and muscluar performing rowers can't finish themselves err, off?

I was reading that at the Beijing Games, the Chinese had a flotilla of 1000 boats skimming the water. The Brasilians plan to be more efficient(NOT!) and do the job with 10. It is really a joke. I used to live in Chicago and was in the city when the vote was televised live and Chicago was the first candidate city to be voted out. Born and raised there, experienced with the way "The City That Works'" actually works, the fix was in. Chicago's second more unofficial motto is "Where's Mine?" and Rio must have supplied quite a bit more including a neverending supply of garotas and garotos de programma to the voters.

It is marvelous to witness the changes taking place here in "The Marvelous City" daily. However, when it comes to planning, constructing and then finally running world championships in 28 or so sports, the experience will almost surely be less than "Marvelous."