Panem et circenses.

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It's k-k-k-CANADA DAY!  Stephen Harper and Tony Abbott get closer & closer, but there's no kissing (yet): Who compares with these guys? Who is their exemplar? Jacob Zuma?   Yep!   Who endorses rape AND believes that showering after sex prevents Aids. A veritable paradigm for dinosaurs.                 The Eveready Elephant is at the wall. The 'circus' part is losing some of its glow; in Brazil's case the people would prefer education & hospitals, but 'bread' is not far behind. Arab Spring f'rinstance was largely determined by the spike in wheat prices (according to Tom Friedman in 'Years of Living Dangerously') rather than unbridled enthusiasm for social networks. [But ... how could 'Years of Living Dangerously' be generally so lame?] A sidelight on social networks from tOad (and on tOad himself): There's a lot in these two images - not to mention chicken & egg stuff. Sepp Blatter is not a tall man: The FIFA rip-off artists & government freeloaders communicate well. They're on the same wavelength. The protest fizzles out because once the games are on everyone gets excited. It's Brasil ... GOOOOOOL!   And for the next event whatever it is the promoters and the government will just play it a bit softer, behind a few more closed doors. Oh well. Things are evidently changing though - Brazilians never used to protest in English. Fernanda Lima is the official World Cup 'muse'. Her tummy (a few years ago on the cover of Rolling Stone) appears photoshopped BUT it was twins so maybe not. And her impudent modesty takes me back to kinder & gentler days. Her page on Wikipedia is worth a look. She's from Porto Allegre in the south (where it gets cool in the winter if not cold). Porto Allegre is also the home of Luís Fernando Veríssimo.

 
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