Canadian Times

Editorial

RIO DE JANEIRO – After growing up in Vermont (a small state in north eastern USA), just about two hours from Montreal, Canada, I’ve always felt a kinship towards the people there. They have great beer, hockey, skiing (out west), comedians, and lot of other things I’m sure.

This week with the Canadians have been in the news around the world with the Vancouver Olympics, and especially here in Rio de Janeiro where a study-at-sea ship sank leaving 64 people stranded off the coast of for forty hours.

The Rio Times had the opportunity to refer a couple of our contributing reporters to the Calgary Herald, for a few days of coverage. It was a great chance to work with some larger publications, and hopefully we can continue to offer services to various international news publishers.

The Winter Olympics is on the TV a lot, and the skiing and skating variations remind me of the cold days growing up. Despite the record breaking heat wave we’ve had in Rio, I still wouldn’t trade it for the six-months-sub-zero-winter I grew up with (I love Vermont).

Another thought about the Winter Olympics; curling. It has only been an official sport in the Winter Olympic Games since the 1998, but apparently there had been exhibition games during the Olympics since the 1920’s. The “sport” is thought to have been invented in late medieval Scotland… it’s hard to understand still.

In local Rio sports Vasco da Gama fell short of winning the Taça Guanabara, the first leg of the seemingly endless Futbol (soccer) tournament. Most Cariocas as Flamengo fans but for some reason I’m drawn to the Vasco jerseys.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I’ve read this week is the creation of the largest Biofeul (ethanol) firm, and considering the future of the industry, and the impact on the environment. That and Guns N’ Roses is coming to Rio soon, although it’s really just Axl… and we’re getting old.