Like a Politician

Yesterday was like a politician, all noise and flashy, but little or no action.

The thunder and lightning looked promising, but it all fizzled out with barely any rain.

To top it all off, there were two cars with loud music in front of the botequim. Finally I gave up and went out for a BBQ rodizio dinner and got home about 9pm. 9:45 qand I was in bed.

Even my coffee was trembling

Benjamin Franklin said “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” That’s bullshit, it made me grouchy, irritable and in dire need of coffee. Benjamin Franklin just had no idea.

Today is still cloudy, and it is only a light breeze that is preventing it from being horribly muggy.

Silly Box: An American brewery has fallen foul of Indians. They produced a beer called Gandhi-Bot based on the Indian hero of independence, Mahatma Gandhi who led the non-violent resistence to British rule in India.

Gandhi-Bot

The brewery claims the beer is an “ideal aid for self-purification and the seeking of truth and love.”

Their intent is not to offend anyone but rather pay homage and celebrate a great man who we respect greatly. That’s utter crap, they were trying to engratiate the Indians to buy their beer!

Venezuelan President Maduro still doesn’t get it. He’s squealing about the low price of oil because it’s hurting the country. Oil is the major source of income. It’s not the low price of oil, it’s his continued failure to realise that he’s pushing the extinct ideology of his predessor. Of course, he’s blaming everyone else for his problems. Typical despot.

The Roma baby mentioned in yesterday’s post has finally been given a dignified burial in a nearby town. But the refusal by a mayor to bury her has caused quite a stink in France.

A Britsh farmer has had to thin his hear of Heck cattle. The cows were simply to aggresive to handle… he never met my ex-wife. Apparently, these cows were the result of a 1920s German experiement to repoduce the extinct European wild oxen (Aurochs). Some of the cows were so aggressive that they would charge to kill. The herd of 20 has been reduced to six of the calmer animals.

Aurochs – Photograph: Barry Batchelor/PA

Must admit, they were magnificent looking beasts, but an example of what happens when man tampers with nature.

The phone hasn’t beeped.

Off to see what is happening beyond my gate.

Later.

The Day was Going Fine

All babies look like frogs

I had blogged almost everywhere, I had replied to all comments, I had cleared my mail box, I had finally finshed the dishes.

The house was like an oven, the botequim still had no beer. I had Nap-fued and when I woke, the beer was being delivered; of course it was warm beer.

I took a well earned break, sitting under the trees with my neighbours enjoying beer from my freezer, and admiring their new born frog baby.

Oh, come on let’s face it, new borns look like frogs; mine did too, but I would have met a fate worse than death had I made such a pronouncement. This was the hairest frog baby I have ever seen; three days old and ready for his first trip to the barber’s.

It was about 3pm… and the frog’s father suggested BBQ.

I sat up straighter and paid more attention than I ever did in Miss Scott’s English class. “What did you say?” Was my response. Adriano looked guiltily at me, “I said BBQ.” His wife glared first at him, then at me. She thinks I am a bad influence and teaching her husband bad habits. Believe me, he needs no teaching.

Anyway, that’s when the day stopped.

The BBQ was underway, there was more beer in the freezer.

And that, dear reader, is why I didn’t post yesterday and the sink is full of dishes again.

I did get to the supermarket yesterday, so there is food in the fridge again, along with some beer.

Silly Box: The Chinese are scared of Christmas. So much so that one university banned Christmas and forced the students to watch three hours of communist propaganda films.

The French have a jobless crisis, no money, but they can find money to buy elephants. Priorities are important.

The pope condemns the persecution of minority religions. There was no mention that the Catholic church was the greatest persecutor a few centuried ago.

I read a blog last night. Some wonderful photos of some idyllic place. But the author had many photos of him in this idyllic place. Why do people have to be in their travel photos? Eleven years travelling all over South America, more than 12,000 catalogued photos, and I don’t appear in a single one. Is this some horrible form of narcism?

My passion fruit vines have had several flowerless days. None of the previous flowers produced fruit, so I am hopeful that the ones due to appear today change the course of recent history

Kim Jong-un berates Obama over the film The Interview. He doesn’t have the right to berate anybody. Many films have been made of despots, but none of them had a tantrum over it.

This is my last post of the day. It is a Saturday, my students cancelled yesterday, so I am free.

I will spend the rest of the day enjoying the hot sun and cold beer.

I will do nothing,

Unless of course, someone mentions BBQ then things could change.

Later, like tomorrow…

Chatter, chatter, chatter

Never mind, it will soon be over.

A typical Sunday morning, the laundry lady and banal chatter descend and wreck the normally tranquil setting of what I call home.

I’ll need to make more coffee to overcome the trauma.

Lovely day yesterday, until it started to rain. Lots and lots of rain, it ws a real storm. Only lasted about two hours, then rained normally all night. My passion fruit vines had lots of flowers, ten in fact, but because of the rain there were no bees. But I did get a small video of one in the initial stages of opening.

Not very exciting, hardly an action movie. I would have filmed more, but my arms got tired…

However, here’s a shot of the half open flower next to it.

Half open

And the next flower…

Fully open

Fatal error at the botequim. The beer delivery was a day late and he ran out of cold beer… So the bar wasn’t its usually busy self. I ended up relaying bottles to my freezer, so I had beer. My freezer takes a bout a half hour to chill two bottles, whereas the big coolers in the bar require more than eight hours to chill a fridge full.

The pope has disappointed me. He refused to meet the Dalai Lama because of sensibilities with China. Kow towing to China is only giving the bastards strength. He rally missed a chance to show them that they can’t rule the world.

Silly Box: The Canadian Navy has banned booze from their ships.

Very cool day today, totally overcast. I have posted on all but one blog so the morning has been productive. Once I tune out the banal banter, I can get things done.

The rest of the day is another do-nothing day, at least the beer will be cold.

Oh, the sun is trying to burst through the clouds…

Later.

It’s doing the rain

And, I didn’t even dance.

I was stuck for a title until it started to rain.

It’s a do nothing day. Like all Saturdays now, it’s screwed up. Blogging interrupted by work. Home, beer and Nap-fu practice.

Most exciting thing so far, the cheese mans been, bought cheese.

Need more coffee.

I’m gpoing to make this a quick post, because when we get heavy rain like this, it often puts the net down.

So, I’ll finish here and maybe…

Later.

I have sex daily

….ah, dyslexia.

Yes, Fcuk!

I thought this was a catchy opening, guaranteed to generate a modicum of interest.

Also because I read in comments yesterday about a ‘feacesitting’ protest. My immediate thought, was now, that’s kinky. It was explained to me that it was a protest about new porn laws, and the facesitting was a simulation of oral sex… I like oral sex; I can talk about about sex as well as the next man.

5pm, Nap-fu practice is over. It was necessary to have a Nap-fu practice after an extended lunch. At noon, I decided to use the last of the meat I bought on Tuesday. I had to, because tomorrow it would have been past recognition, excpet the smell.

A foot of black pudding

So, a BBQ was necessay. The third in as many days. Oh life is wonderful; seasoned with a touch of debauchery. Rump steak, pork belly crispy, liver and herbs and a foot of black pudding. This was all washed down with copious quantities of beer. By 4pm I was ready for a cold shower and becoming horiszontal.

It is so that I find myself in front of the keybaord regaling you with today’s menu.

No classes today. One student has had his bolsa (grant) cut by his employer. Now that sounds painful, when you consider that bolsa also means sack or bag. I wouldn’t like my bolsa cut… I still use it, sometimes.

Anyway, having had his bolsa cut, has caused some problems with his fellow student who can’t afford the lessons alone. Being an English teacher, life isn’t always simple.

My cellphone hasn’t beeped, which I find is a good sign, But it does mean that the sword of Damocles still dangles by a single hair. The fact that it hasn’t beeped, means I can rest easy for tomorrow, and the weekend. ABout this I am not complaining.

Tomorrow sushi is planned. My plan is to make it at the botequim as a sort of a demo. My skills have been honed sufficiently that I feel confident about doing it in public. I just have to buy the salmon.

The question was asked in the news, “Do Australians still want Tony Idiot for Prime Minister?” The answer is a resounding “NO!” He is considered the worst incompetent in 20 years.

I got an email from WordPress about using Tabs to organise posts… Then I saw the word PlugIn…. deleted. WordPress are only interested in those who PAY for their site. Us poor plebs at the foot of the ladder aren’t even worth considering. Makes me feel like a bludger!

CIA boss defends post 9/11 tactics… There is NO defence! Prosecutions are in order. But like the Wall Street bankers and Too Big to Fails, wiill it happen?

Greenpeace has apologised to Peru over the Nazca Lines stunt.

That about does it for today.

Going to check the beer…

Later.

Something Wonky

Not sage advice… just sage

Yes, there is something wonky. Gravatars are not showing up today, not on my blogs or any others. Annoying.

Another day off, another ‘do nothing’ day. Cloudy and windy with the prospect of rain. There is also the prospect of another BBQ; plenty left over from yesterday.

My sage plant is growing fast, it’s actually twice the height as in the photo.

On reflection, there is nothing actually to write about. Not even a Silly Box today.

America’s shame. It does look like the report on the CIA has stirred up a can of worms. There are calls from many quarters demanding prosecutions. Could be a shake up like America has never seen before. Meanwhile Obama is saying “let’s move on,” as though to sweep the dirt under the proverbial carpet.

BP has lost its latest appeal over Gulf costs. Go on, pay up you capitalist bastards, pay until it hurts!

Greenpeace activits have been naughty. The Peruvian government is not at all happy with their lates protest and are threatening to sue the organisation.

Protesters have left a message on the famed Nazca lines – Image BBC

Source: BBCNews

Must trot along and see if the beer is cold.

Later.

The Vomitorium

A vomitorium

I bet that’s got you wondering…

What’s he on about this time?

Where are you likely to find a vomitorium?

It’s not a room where you retire to purge yourself after a feast.

It’s actually an egress in a stadium, that allows a large number of people to exit quickly; hence the saying that “people spewed out of the stadium.”

So you have to find somewhere else to puke!

Oh, just a word, vomitorium has a plural, it’s vomitoria, not as the file name suggests, vomitoriums.

There a wonderful line to begin a post.

Incredibly hot yesterday. Later in the afternoon we had a BBQ at the botequim. Managed to stretch a kilo of rump steak, a kilo of pork belly and ten bread rolls into a three hour event. It was so hot that I had to pour the garlic butter on to the bread rolls and then spread it.

Apart from that, so far today has been a non-event.

I have a class at 5:30, back to the beer at 7pm.

Headline News: YouTube had to redesign its counter after a Gangnam style dancing clip exceeded the max. We really needed to know that. I am so grateful to mainstream media for being so informative. I feel a better man for knowing…

Also, the next James Bond film is called ‘Spectre’. That’s nice to know too.

The Russians not only steal things like Crimea, they also steal medals. A German article suggests that 99% of Russian athletes are guilty of doping; a point that Russia is denying vehemently, just like they did when one of their missles shot down the Malaysian airliner in the face of all the evidence.

We have been promised rain today, the cold front has been bucketing down in São Paulo which means we should get it tonight. The sky has been poised to rain all day, but after recovering from a heavy Nap-fu session, it had blued over and the sun is out.

I have had a splendid blog filled day. Emptied my mail box, replied and visited various blogs.

Can’t fin anything that merits the Silly Box, not even Tony Abbott from Australia…

So I will mosey along and be socialable at the bar. No beer, too early for that before class.

Later.

I’ve forgotten the damned title

I had a couple of ideas, but a bottle of beer and Nap-fu practice, and they have gone.

It’s Monday and so far only good things.

My fridge is fixed, it’s back in its corner fridgificating.

I can now venture out and buy food. But not at this late hour. 4pm and the supermarket will be packed. So pizza for dinner tonight.

Today was another day that started off hot. 7am and I was sitting here sweating, it was litteraly running down my face until I turned the fan back on. But it’s cooled off since lunchtime and is now cloudy.

Jungle tobacco

I am trying some jungle tobacco. I found it in the shop that sells sushi stuff. It’s cheap and it is pure leaf, no nasty chemicals.

It looks like a black thick coiled rope and they just cut off however much you want.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

I have smoked it before when in the jungle in Peru. At the moment it is damp, needs to dry out a bit.

WordPress Identicon

I had a beef the other day. Actually, it is something that has often bugged me.

I hate these identicon thingies that replace my avatar on some blogs. Why are these necessary?

I remember I had to adjust settings to make my avatar show up on my own blog.

Very annoying.

It’s snowing on my blog until 4th January. It doesn’t snow here in Rio, but our Happiness Engineer convinced me to try it. So snow it is, and snow is what you get.

I see that more accusations of corruption have surfaced over the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup selections.

Ebola has not gone away. It is still very much with us. 16,000 infected and deaths now stand at 7,000.

Uruguay had elections, the left won. So Uruguay gets to keep it’s innovative cannabis laws.

There’s nothing realy to qualify for the Silly Box, although I suppose if I looked hard enough, I could find something, but there is a cold bottle of beer calling me from the botequim and that means it’s beer o’clock.

Later.

Sushificating

Yes, I am busy sushificating. So the chances of getting something meaningtful as a post comes from the realms of obscurity.

I.E. Bugger all!

I am waiting for the rice to cool.

So I have a few moments before panic-mode.

Principally, it is my lunch, but I am always prepared to share.

Seven hours later…

Bottled again.

The sushi was well recieved, people kept buying me beer

Then I opened a bottle of Sake…

The end.

Later, um, er, tomorrow.

Bottled

Lovely green bottles

I love glass and find an ethereal beauty in a collection like this. Wine bottles and drinking glasses too.

Recently someone had the temerity to suggest wine in a box. What an obnoxious thought. Wine in a box is just the epitomy of tackiness; not a shred of class.

I am not tied to classy things, but some things just don’t ring right. I guess it is the tradition genes working. I am a traditional person.

This is NOT Zumbi – google got it wrong again

Today is a holiday… yes, another one. Brazil has plenty of them. Officially it is Black Consciouness Day in memory of Zumbi de Palmares, one of the 17th century leaders for slaves escaping and being sheltered in quilombos (slave settlements) hidden in the bush.

It promises to be hot, like yesterday, but more so; and the day before. Yes, we had two brief days with rain and back to the hot. The forecast is for 34ºC but we are expecting it to be hotter with the UV indice 11 on a scale of 10… go figure; and the humidity dropping to 20%; that’s drier than some parts of the Sahara Desert.

That’s where the bottles come in. Big brown bottles, filled with beer, chilled so that when the beer is poured it forms ice on the top, served in glasses from the freezer. The nothing that was interrupted yesterday will happen today.

Tomorrow too promises to be a nothing day. Nobody will work between a day off and Saturday. Already a good number of people in Rio and São Paulo have gone to the beach for the four days. Most left yesterday, the rodoviária (bus station) had a hundred extra buses to the beaches east of Rio, and on TV last night the highway from SP to the coast was bumper-to-bumper. Me, I wil hobble leisurely the 11 metres from my gate to the bar, no traffic. I will leave my bengala (walking tsick) at home so I can’t be accused of driving and drinking; my small contribution to road safety.

Then of course there are Saturday and Sunday to contend with.

I was up early today, morning constitutional before 7am before the sun was really up. It was so early that I heard sparrows farting. So there is some truth in the saying ‘before sparrow fart’ to denote an early hour. Once home, I watered the plants and set to blogging. Not very productive, I’ve only managed two so far.

Silly Box: North Korea is throwing a tantrum. Threatening nuclear tests if the UN goes ahead with its probe into NK human rights. What a little wanker!

I was really miffed earlier. A small local restaurant in England put up a sign that breastfeeding mothers should use the toilet rather than breastfeed at the table.

That is truly despicable.

If some of their patrons object to breastfeeding mothers, then they should retire to the toilet to eat, then their prudish sensibilities won’t be offended.

Society really does have some problems if breastfeeding mothers are considered offensive.

In my mind bottle feeding (unless by medical necessity) should be considered child abuse. These companies that make and promote baby formula need to be censored; and baby formula added to the list of prescription medicine. We do need to get our shit together.

America is really obsessed with death. Utah has now approved a return to the use of firing squads if execution drugs are not available.

Did you know that McDonald’s in India is vegetarian. More than half of Indians are vegetarian; they worship cows, not eat them.

So McD’s had to ‘localise’ their menu.

Aloo Tikki Burger

The Aloo Tikki Burger has a vegetarian cutlet of mashed potatoes, veges and Indian spices.

So, inline with Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday… this is Beersday.

I have already Nap-fued.

The hot sun and cold beer beckon from beyond my gate.

Later.