Friday, May 27

Just about two months to get it sorted

The Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will begin in 69 days.
I love the Olympics. Brian loves the Olympics. We're trying to teach our daughter to love the Olympics.
But this year, I'm conflicted. I keep tabs on the events running up to the Olympics, and the news from Rio isn't good. Let's put aside the Zika virus for a moment (which we shouldn't, because it's a HUGE concern, but for argument's sake), and pay close attention to all the other problems. The water pollution is a huge issue, since if someone ingests only three teaspoons of water from the bay they have a 99 percent chance of contracting a disease. Also, from what I've heard, all the construction is delayed and running late, giving the people in charge heart attacks, I'm sure, when it comes to having venues and arenas ready for the Games. And then the general shape of the country and its finances, and the morale of the people. They're not happy about all the money that's going to the Games, according to news reports.
So, here I am. Loving the Olympics and so wanting them to succeed. Knowing that this is the first time the Olympics will be hosted by a country in South America, I want them to succeed. Wanting to reinforce a love of the Olympics in Sydney, I want them to succeed.
But then the devil on my shoulder gets all chatty. She wants to see what a train wreck this could be. She wants to know what an Olympics that is not perfectly pulled off looks like. She wants to see history in the making with the first clusterfuck Olympic Games.
The devil on my shoulder is a horrible creature, but could she be right?

But then let's talk potentially infecting hundreds of thousands of people with bad mosquito-ness, and then sending them back to their home countries to possibly infect so many more. Let's talk realizing that the Games really should be postponed or moved elsewhere. It's not pride at this point, Rio, it's safety.

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