Human Interest

I would say. Just imagine three mega cities like Rio de Janeiro, population 11,960,000 then Buenos Aires with a population of 13,530,000 and finally Sao Paulo with the Southern Hemisphere's largest metropolitan area with a population of 19,920,000 with 2 more Mega cities to be added by 2025.

I cannot believed the size of Brazil is at this scale because we don't hear a lot about it as being a world power. It shows that even though the country is this big, most of the land is uninhabitable due to the forests and geography of the land. In addition, from history class one cannot imagine a small country like Portugal controlled a big country as Brazil from the colonial times. Seeing this map with all these European countries inside of it with some space leftover, one can see the massive size of this South American country.

In Venezuela, women are confronted with a culture of increasingly enhanced physiques fueled by beauty pageants and plastic surgery. The man at the beginning says that inner beauty does not exist and that's something that women who are not pretty invented just to justify themselves. This man happens to be the leader of the Miss Venezuela pageant. Another interesting thing he tells us is that in the rules of this contest, the girls don't have to be completely natural. They just have to be beautiful, but where that beauty comes from doesn't matter. For many people in Venezuela, beauty means perfection. Even though Venezuela's economic struggles mount, the search for an idealized and often inflated figure continues. Mannequins are being pumped up to match their outsized human counterparts. One of the workers at the clothing store says that when they had less developed mannequins, they sold less. So not only were mannequins being portrayed as busty because it was the ideal image, but because it also made them more money.

Venezuela added a whole new level to the unrealistic beauty standards that mess with some females minds. Putting these mannequins in numerous stores is just sickening. At least in the United States when we go to the mall, we don’t have a model staring us down (unless you’re in Victoria Secret). Yet, what is even worse is that the sales actually went up in one of the stores that introduced these mannequins according to the cashier. The only heartening bit of this clip was the cashier who actually went against societal norms by holding inner beauty above outer beauty.

A large part of me can’t grasp why more people don’t believe in inner beauty. As the 28 year old who looked like she was about to have surgery aptly stated, it is all due to “social pressure.” Yet, the last women interviewed about her body image caused by “social pressure” said she will never be “fully satisfied.” In fact, she already wants to get another boob job. If one realizes she will never be happy trying to chase the ridiculous standards of beauty, then why do it? The pressure will never get any better if you’re unfilled to begin with and going along the same path again is just nonsense. Yet, none of those women seemed to really ponder the norm. It’s why I wasn’t even remotely amazed that when asked “where this standard of beauty came from,” the male hand an answer and the female didn’t. At the same time though my parents raised me to understand there is more to outer beauty. So it is easy for me to pick apart their logic partly due to my social environment.     

I think it is amazing to think how much one person can stand behind the scenes and yet play such a huge role in how a whole country sets its standards for beauty. I feel sorry for the women of Venezuela, they are being sold a lie.

The squatters have made their own community complete with services and mini marts.  This tells me there is not enough affordable housing if the people of Caracas are willing to live in dangerous conditions.  Caracas government needs to build affordable housing or create better paying jobs so the citizens can spend the money in the community.  Its a cycle that needs everyone's participation to work to build a sustaining economy.  

I found this article interesting

we have talked about this in class. These people have learned to adapt and find ways to use electricity, running water. We have seen videos of other cities in countries with electrical cables and sewage water out in the open and people find ways to tap into it. The building reminds me of the abandon mills in R.I. where homeless people frequent to beat the harsh elements and sleep at night. They build small fires and use different areas for bathroom visits. The difference is our brick unoccupied mills find a way to catch fire and the city levels them to the ground. This is definitely unsafe but goes to show when you have no place to live its amazing how people find ways to survive and kind of build their own community. What I found disturbing is the people outside the neighborhood angry because the squatters took over the building. All of a sudden they complained about the safety of the squatters when in all reality they are safer because they are acting as a self community and know they need each other to survive. If the government or city officials or citizens of the neighborhood are that concerned then they can find a way to fix up the building.

For those of you soccer fans, the upcoming World Cup and Olympics in 2016 will both be significant challenges for Brazil, considering both their political, economic, and urban challenges. Brazil was a bold choice for both events, but will they meet the challenge?

This seems to be a great and fun way to get kids involved in learning something new.  It uses multiple ways to get kids to learn and remember at the same time while keeping it fun and interesting.  This could be used for many major sporting events around the world, including men and women world cups and the olympics.  It could also be used domestically to learn about different cities in America, specifically cities or regions that host the Super Bowl, World Series, or any other major sporting event.  Great geography and social studies tool.

ESPN is covering this topic only because of the upcoming Olympics, but underneath the veneer of a sports article are some weighty geographic issues that loom large for Brazil.  

As we all know when the Spanish came in and barbarically took over people who didn't have the technology to defend themselves. They were searched high and low for the necessities that the king and explorers were looking for. Now after many years Columbia was looked at as a poor country in need, glad to hear thats not the case. 

It was refreshing to read about Colombia's improving economy and the growth of its middle class, although I am uncertain of how "real" any of this progress really is. Although the article talked up the growth of Colombia's industry and business, raw materials still constitute 72% of its exports as I read in another article, meaning that much remains to be done in terms of investment and diversifying the nation's economy. It was interesting to see how the continent is plagued by many of the same problems- poor infrastructure and government corruption, both the legacy of hundreds of years of colonial domination. It was this combination that allowed for the domination of national politics and the economy by the narcotics trade for much of the late 20th century. For the sake of the Colombian people, I hope that their nation's economy continues to grow, allowing unemployment to fall and the poverty rate to drop. It will be interesting to see how the Chinese recession affects this growth.

Columbia is well on its way to being a thriving economic powerhouse. They left the past behind with the violent and drugs now transformed by bringing businesses in and integrate western technologies. It shows that any country can rebuild and change itself if it has the potential and remove the on going problems that is bringing the country down.  Progress happens slowly and when it down it will take off toward a new direction.

In today's world, we often run into situations where preservation and advancement are at odds with one another. Instances where sites or areas are protected by historical or cultural heritage societies is just one such example. As a result, these places are often barred from making improvements or changes that would improve the quality of life for the people living there. Some places, however, also possess a natural geography that is significant and culturally valuable to the people living there. To change or mar these geographic landmarks is considered incredibly disrespectful and inconsiderate, as is the case with this Greenpeace blunder in Peru. 

The incident described in this article also seems to represent a kind of disconnect between the developed and developing worlds. Many times, developed nations feel it is there job to police the practices and beliefs of their less developed neighbors. This, of course, is a very insulting and elitist approach to enacting change that these countries see as positive. Often, the cultures and practices of these places are scorned for the sake of "progress" or "advancement", when in reality, these powerful countries are using their almost unquestioned influence to get their message across using the context of smaller, less powerful countries. Organizations and countries that are truly proponents of change and progress must strike a balance between cultural respect and effective methods. 

People make mistakes with the best of intentions, and this is certainly a case of just that. Greenpeace hoped to make a lasting impression on world leaders by creating a powerful symbol illustrating the need for the world's leaders to embark on a policy of environmental conservatism; instead, they insulted the Peruvian government and desecrated a national heritage site. I feel like something like this would never have happened in a powerful Western nation; could you imagine the outrage if a historical site like the location of the Battle of Gettysburg or Jefferson's home of Monticello had been altered in such a away? Or if this sign had been hung from Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower? I feel like this group completely disregarded the sensitivities of the Peruvian government because it is only a "middle power," a nation that could easily be trumped by the group's ambitions- in short, that the nations concerns did not matter because it was "only" Peru. I find that train of thought extremely insulting and dangerous within the context of international relations- if smaller nations can be disregarded so easily in Western circles, what does that say for the future of global politics? An apology and, more importantly, a restoration project are in order, and Peru is right to demand them. I, too, would be insulted by Greenpeace's actions.

an environmental group disturbing on of the regions where man has been banned from going is insane. how do you justify defacing one of the last truly pristine places on earth, where people haven't walked for centuries, for the sake of some Eco-terrorism. did you not think through the response that this act would inspire, and if so, how did you become so dense?

This article discusses how there is a chance that the capital city in Argentina can change from Buenos Aires to a smaller city called Santiago Del Estero which is in the middle-north of the country. Many say this move can heal the divide between the two cities but the bigger picture it that it'll make it a lot worse. I wasn't aware that moving capital cities is actually a more common thing than we think. Buenos Aires is very over populated which is one of the reasons for wanting to move it. The major problem is an outcry from the people living in those cities and rebelling against this which could cause the government more problems. 

Very interesting article on capital city moves in this century. It also works for capital cities in the US that are rural in nature and away from the bright city lights. The plus side is that capital cities located within the most populated areas of a country or state will be under intense scrutiny to do the right thing and politicians will be held accountable for their actions. Doing business in the place where you live usually has this effect.

The negative aspect of moving to a rural area is that politicians can govern in relative anonymity away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. There is also a fear factor in South American countries that we in the US don't face; coups that will overthrow governments if they don't do the right thing. A protest in Buenos Aires for instance will carry much more weight than a protest in the rural setting of Santiago del Estero.

National capitals are symbols of identity for countries, and moving them constitutes altering said symbol dramatically. It is a decision that should not be made lightly, as it does have consequences, and this should be kept in mind by Argentine legislators as they debate moving their capital. I did not agree with the author's assertion that shifting the capital away from major population centers decreases the government's ability to effectively lead; look at the United States, Brazil, Canada, Australia, etc. All of these nations are enormous in size, with urban populations scattered in all corners of their borders, yet their governments are still able to govern faraway urban centers effectively. I think his claim is right within the context of Argentina's history and the reality that Buenos Aires is a "super city" in much the same way that Mexico City is; to move the government away from the nation's only enormous urban center would be to suggest that the government is scared of its own people, and would almost undoubtedly lead to increased corruption. However, to make a blanket statement that this is true for all countries is absurd. I, for one, and interested in seeing if the move takes place. Perhaps the move would do the nation some good. However, I have a feeling that the problems the Argentine government are trying to run away from, and that the populace are protesting about, will only get worse with increased space between the ruling body and its constituents.

Indigenous peoples across the world are beginning to take pride in their heritage once again, after being told by the forces of the imperialism in their countries, that it was not as good as European culture.  This article shows how in Bolivia, the Aymara people, a native group of the country, are rising to political, economic, and social prominence in the country.  Even the country's leader is from this group.  The architecture of this new rich class reflects native heritage but has elements of globalization.  The "castle" mentioned in the article has indoor soccer pitches (originally a European Sport) but it has so much popularity in South America, that the region is known for it today (look no further than Argentina's Lionel Messi or Brazil's Neymar).  The ballrooms also have European chandeliers, but so strong is the native influenced expressed in the houses, that they take these global factors and make them their own.  I believe this is a beneficial fact, the indigenous people across the world should be proud of their heritage and diverse backgrounds.

I should not have seen the squatters video first. I know this is a different location but its just amazing economically how you have people, mind you humans who live like the squatters just trying to survive and not because of things they did wrong after all in the other video the gentleman trying to support his family had a job in a state bank but just because they can't catch a break or the way the system is set up. In this video everything is rich and people have no worries about a roof over their head or food in their stomach. I know this happens across the world but just imagine everyone enjoying the same rich benefits and having no economic classes.

this is a magnificent example of a new style of architecture sprouting up almost overnight, and a style which is inspired by new ideas. its fantastic to see none traditional architecture becoming big.

Violent government protesting is on the rise and its mostly led by students. The citizens of Venezuela are protesting the socialist government, led by president Nicolas Maduro. Since his election in April 2013 he has been blamed for violent crime, high inflation, product shortages and repression of opponents, like a dictatorship.  protesting has escalated causing Venezuelan security forces to create burning barricades in the streets. over the last week there has been 5 recorded deaths.

I remember first reading about the Venezuelan riots while taking a course in Latin American history, and it saddens me to see the violence taking place in Caracas and in other urban areas. However, the demonstrations continuing to be made by students in the face of violence from their government is incredibly inspiring. These educated young men and women are dying for the simple right to be governed fairly and responsibly within the framework of a larger democratic society; I say "simple" in the sense that this is something I take for granted everyday. However, the history of the world has shown that achieving this standard of living is anything but simple, and Venezuela's government crackdown is just the latest on a lengthy list of such conflicts between a government and its own people. My heart goes out to those rebelling against the current system, one where those in power cling to power in any means possible in order to continue the corruption that brings them so much wealth. What these students are fighting for is admirable, and I hope that the government hears their voices and realizes that it is fighting a lost cost. 

if this was going on in the us there would be pretty constant gun battles in every street. it seems to me that if the people in this country are opposed to their government and the government is insistent that nothing be done then the country is going to go even more to hell then Venezuela already has.