Ronaldinho can't catch his breath

Ronaldinho and his Flamengo were defeated by a score of 2-1 by Bolivia's Real Potosí.

Flamengo is one of the storied franchises of Brazil. The day that it was founded is celebrated as a National Holiday. In 1981, they shut out the mighty Liverpool 3-0 to become World Champions on the back of play by the incredible Raul Plassman, Leandro, Carlos Mozer, Jorge Luís Andrade, and one of the greats, Zico. It was in that same year that they won their one and only Copa Libertadores (the top international South American tournament). But in 2012's rendition they lost a humiliating first game against lowly Real Potosí.

Real Potosí had one key advantage over Flamengo, one of the greatest home field advantages in sports. Real Potosí plays in the Estadio Víctor Agustín Ugarte. While 32,000 screaming fans would be enough to intimidate any of the Brazilian greats, its location at 3,960 meters above sea level makes it the penultimate castle upon the hill. Flamengo trained for a week at the high altitude, but it was to no avail.

Real Potosí can and should celebrate this victory as it was a true David and Goliath affair. But Flamengo gets them back home in Rio de Janiero to finish the tie. Unless Real Potosí can conjur up some incredible magic, it is likely that they will return home only with their moral victory.

Sensational Shapers 2012 - Maya Pakal

Black storm rises. That is what the glyph tells us. That is what the doomsday calendar tells us. Black storm cometh. The end of the age is upon us. December 21, 2012 is nearly nigh.

It is for this reason that one of our Sensational Shapers is none other than K'inich Janaab' Pakal, the Sun Shield, Ajaw, 8 Ahau and many other names, important to us as Pacal the Great. His sarcophagus was so ornate that it was decided by semi-scientists and pseudoarcheologists the world over that he came forth and went by way of the chariot of the gods. Some claimed that this was because of his relationship with an alien super race that came but we know differently. He is the end of the age.

Pacal is Votan. Pacal Votan, the Jaguar god of darkness has been preparing himself for the end of this cycle. On December 21, he shall come forth and bear his teeth. The earth will shake with violence and those who have no roots in Mayan religion (meaning anyone who isn't making stuff up and calling it Mayan New Age or Mormons) shall have cause to panic. The belly of the beast that is the earth will open agape and swallow the wicked step children of the sea. Terror shall flash in ways we have not seen since the Titans raged against Zeus almighty.

Wait, we have been interrupted by those who think that our blending of myth is inappropriate. Therefore, we must step back to illuminate you. Votan, the mythical god of Mesoamerica in pre-Columbian times. However, Votan shares a strange affinity with the Anglo-Saxon and West-Germanic god Woden a high god who happened to favor the Lombards over the Vandals. But as Christianity spread he was chased from end to end in Europe until he finally arrived in Phoenicia. There he set sail and came to the Americas, defeated a tribe called the Quiname and built the great city of Palenque. Palenque is the city from which Pacal the Great ruled, thus Pacal is Votan (and Woden and though we don't have the space for this, Father Christmas and the Roman god Mercury).

Considering that Pakal is set to come back and end the world as we know it, he most definitely is a Sensational Shaper for the year 2012, or the year 1 on the next Mayan cyclical circles calendar.

Clearly Unassailable Resources:

Charles Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg - a 19th century Atlantis scholar

José Argüelles - New Age spiritualist that brilliantly interlaced ancient Mayan calendar and I Ching into a numerology of note

Sensational Shapers 2012 - Henrique Radonski & Pablo Pérez

So far on our Sensational Shapers program we've profiled three of our ten candidates for who to watch for as they shape the world around them in 2012. We discussed Marine Le Pen of France, Xi Jinping of China, and the farcical menace that is Culture Club. Considering that we are now 19 days into the year we have been too slow in keeping up with our task. So we will probably blitz you with the remaining seven in short order.

This is our first dual portrait, but not our last. Today we will focus on Henrique Capriles Radonski and Pablo Martín Pérez Álvarez, two of Hugo Chávez's rivals to the 2012 Venezuelan Presidential Elections. Chávez will be difficult to beat as he is still incredibly popular among the poor and is reshuffling his deck ahead of the election in October. Besides the political maneuvering, Chávez is determined to rule for at least two more turns, which would see him stay in power from 1999 - 2025. Long live the king right?

Not, if Henrique Capriles Radonski has any say in the matter. Mr. Capriles Radonski is the governor of Estado Miranda, Venezuela's second most populous state. While Mr. Capriles Radonski does not have as much political experience or the vast infrastructure and machinery that Chávez has, he has defeated Chavista candidates before, once to become a mayor and then to become governor of Miranda. Mr. Capriles Radonski is a successful lawyer who has studied abroad in America and the Netherlands. With his law skills and economic theories, Venezuelans who crave a more Americanized way over the Socialist populism of Chávez may want to support Mr. Capriles Radonski.

Pablo Martín Pérez Álvarez is the governor of Estado Zulia, the most populous state in Venezuela. Like Mr. Capriles Radonski, Mr. Pérez Álvarez has proven himself capable of defeating a Chavista candidate. There are questions as to whether either of these men can really challenge for the presidency, but they have given the opposition its best and most formidable hope since Chávez took office. For far too long the rallying cries of the opposition movement have been too divisive for any candidates to garner enough popular support. Many candidates bash Chávez so forcefully that Chávez can paint them as being practical American plants or right-wing lunatics that have no regard to the poor. His labels may not be too far off for some.

Whether or not Messrs Capriles Radonski and Pérez Álvarez can defeat Mr. Chávez in the election is not as important or why we have chosen them as a Sensational Shaper for 2012. They are poised to be Sensational Shapers because of their moderate stance. That moderate stance gives them a more powerful tool against Chávez and will find them more popular with voters. Mr. Chávez has a history of silencing dissent, if he were to take on two powerful governors in Venezuela the consequences could be interesting. Would Venezuela find itself in a position of isolating its allies in Latin America if Chávez pushed too hard? Would Mr. Chávez find himself at the wrong end of voter anger if he silenced them? The possible ramifications of what could come from Messrs Capriles Radonski and Pérez Álvarez being constantly in the media nationwide is why they will be Sensational Shapers in 2012.

Nicaragua is golden

Unlike in Kyrgyzstan where the gold industry is tottering despite its potential, Nicaragua is enjoying the Midas touch of this golden age. Gold prices have been soaring in the past year and major producers are reaping the benefits. Nicaragua is one such beneficiary.

We saw in our post about the trouble in Kyrgyzstan due to the mistrust of foreign investment, the violence of the horsemen against locals who wanted the mines to come, the anger at the spillage of chemicals years ago and the general anathema to anything that smacks of Westernization. Nicaragua has its own history of foreign control and local violence. Spanish rule, American involvement and the succession of dictators under the Somoza dynasty gave way to revolution and then drug lords in Nicaragua. La Libertad, a mountaintop town had seen its fair share of violence throughout. But where Kyrgyzstan uses its history to keep foreign development out, Nicaragua is remembering what was and looking to push forward.

In La Libertad, a Canadian mining company has turned around a mine since it purchased it in 2009, doubling its output and bringing jobs badly needed to the Western Hemisphere's second poorest nation (Haiti is the only poorer nation). What's more, the reintroduction of foreign investment seems to have curbed and reversed some of the Marxist trends of the Nicaraguan government. The involvement of Canadian and American companies has eased some of the tensions that have been going on since probably the 1930's (when America became 'involved' in Nicaragua) but at least since the Iran/Contra affairs of the 1980's. But the change has not been all one-sided. Nicaragua is not simply conforming to North American style capitalism. The North American companies working in the country are engendering themselves to both the populace and the government by doing more than merely creating sorely needed jobs. They are paving streets, building houses for the miners, providing education, providing recreational activities for youths and, near and dear to the socialist agenda of Nicaraguan politicians, sponsoring health initiatives.

The Nicaraguan model shows that not only can capitalism create sustainable growth, but socially responsible capitalism can make lives better. As Americans fret over socialization of health care it might be good to remember that businesses can be a part of the solution if business leaders work for the good of the community and politicians don't work to do nothing but vilify the people that keep the population employed.

Junk Food Tax

The Peruvian Deputy Health Minister Enrique Jacoby has claimed that unhealthy eating has cost Peru $8 Billion dollars per year. Considering the GDP of Peru is $153.84 Billion that's a big chunk at just over 5%. Jacoby claims that if anything can hamper the growth of this South American nation it is the loss of human capital due to diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. So, the government is now considering on imposing a tax on junk food.

This has some people up in arms including a Peruvian chef by the name of Gaston Acurio. Gaston, when he was a lad ate four dozen eggs every morning to help him grow large. Now that he's grown he eats five dozen eggs so he's roughly the size of a barge. He claims that the tax will be applied arbitrarily and confusingly. He opines that fried chicken in a restaurant will get taxed but the fried chicken sold in the market won't. Regardless though anyone who has ever tasted a Butifarra in the barrios of Huacho will be more than willing to pony up the extra cash to continue to enjoy this delicious sandwich. Ah my mouth is watering just thinking about it...

Operation: President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is undergoing surgery today for thyroid cancer today in Austral University Hospital in Pilar, about 60 clicks from Buenos Aires. Doctors think she should have a full recovery and she hopes to be back in office on January 24. In the meanwhile Vice-President Amado Boudou will run the nation. There have been a rash of Latin American heads of state who have suffered from cancer recently and Hugo Chavez has an interesting theory on it. Regardless, we wish her the best and a speedy recovery.

As she recovers though we should do a quick synopsis of her for those of us who are not up on what it is to be Argentinian, let alone porteños. She was the first ever elected female president of Argentina and was Argentina's first lady when her late husband Néstor Krchner ran the country. There is still hope Mrs. Clinton.

After a rocky start on foreign relations due to a Venezuelan suitcase full of cash that caused the Americans to cry foul she has done much on foreign policy to improve Argentina. She has signed numerous trade agreements with countries from Venezuela to Egypt so as to create a better economy. She has also done a lot of glad handing with dignitaries from all over. President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng of Vietnam, President Sebastián Piñera of Chile and Hillary Clinton have all made state business trips to Buenos Aires. Importantly though she repaired the fractured relationship between Argentina and Ecuador on account of Argentinian weapons being sold in Ecuador in the 1990's.

While there is still some skepticism of the leftish leaning president in America, there is no such worry at home. She was reelected in a landslide. For years she has been touted as one of the most powerful and influential women in the world by various sources. It is our prayer that she is feeling better soon and able to continue her influential work in Argentina.

Thoughts on drugs

Saxony Line I-X

The last time we left the Saxony Line we were relishing in the sardonic phoenix that came from the ashes of the supercouple of yesteryear, Bennifer. Whilst traversing the quondam hollywood pop culture we took a look at where the former members were these days in churlish fashion. Upon review we stumbled into the underbelly of society and touched on mobsters. So, it is from the frivolity of hollywood copulations that we move to the more serious matter of organized crime. One can only hope that we can combine them as well as Growing up Gotti.

Organized crime though is no laughing matter, especially in Latin America. In assessing the year 2011, El Salvador has shown a spike in the murder rate that marks the highest since the civil war in 1992. There were more than 4300 murders, many attributed to drug trafficking and street gangs. Over 12000 were left dead on account of the drug cartels in Mexico. Victories over the gangs can seem joyless in Latin America The Urabeños leader, Juan de Dios Usuga was killed by Colombian forces this week. But, as with many organized crime rings, the Urabeños are well poised to continue their control of the drug trade without Usaga under the leadership of his brother. Even the most stable of the Latin American nations are facing issues due to the drug traffickers. Costa Rica possess no standing army and its police have not caused a major issue for stability since 1949. But, recently its president, Laura Chinchilla recently stated that the surge in organized crime creates the biggest threat to democracy the country has ever seen.

Moving forward people have put up a number of ideas. The first and most visible involve the war on drugs. Many people have claimed this to be a failure because of the high percentage of incarcerated men and women for simple possession crimes. While this may cause a burden on the State it does not mean that crime should go unpunished. Others have suggested that the border wall will do wonders in the fight against drug trafficking. New sophisticated tunnels will prove this option fruitless. Also, the Great Wall in China didn't manage to keep invaders out and there is little hope that we'll get it right this time. But, the most destructive suggestion in my opinion is to legalize the drugs and remove the incentive for the crime groups. Legalizing drugs however would only create different problems. Drugs are harmful. Marijuana may not cause as many problems as alcohol, but this is not a good argument. It just deepens our understanding of the problems with substance abuse.

Obviously something has got to change. Creating more viable lives in the countries where the drugs are grown and trafficked would be a start. However, free trade does not solve all problems. Nor does Education. They do however help. Giving people purpose and resources to achieve that purpose will bring about, albeit slowly, culture shift. The allure for easy money is too great to stop. But, the legalization route will only push the crime groups into new fields and then there will be people suffering from substance abuse that might not have otherwise. Drugs are a global problem, not a Latin American one. The countries that use the vast majority of the drugs must do more to stymie the desire for them in their countries. They must also work with the governments of the countries that produce the drugs. The countries that produce the drugs must have governments willing to work with more developed countries to stop the production. Of course this is all vague, but each case has to be handled based on its own variables. A simple solution does not exist. The more time wasted looking for such an answer will only cause the problem to grow. But a collective effort by all interested parties could slowly work to change hearts and minds whilst overpowering the gangs.

An interview with Hugo Chavez

Leibniz: Mr. Chavez, I am very honored that you have accepted my request for an interview and am pleasantly surprised you've brought along your parrot.

Hugo: Thank you for having us.

Leibniz: Before we get into any policy questions, how are you feeling? Are you recovering from the cancer since your last treatments in Cuba?

Hugo: Yes, I am doing much better. Thank you for asking.

Leibniz: On the subject of medical treatment in Cuba...

Hugo: Wait, one second. Do you mind if I interrupt. I didn't think so. There has been a recent rash of cancer among us Latin American leaders. Have you noticed that? I mean there is me, Argentina's Cristina Fernandez, me, Paraguay's Fernando Lugo, me, Brazil's Dilma Rousseff, me, Lula da Silva and I have all come down with cancer. Don't you think that is weird? Abnormal, and slightly conspiratorial?

Leibniz: That does seem to be a pretty high cancer rate. Do you think that this has anything to do with...

Hugo: What do we all have in common? We are successful leftward progressives who have looked at the evil empire and smiled while flouting our defiance and taking aid. We have stood up to America and her minions. Don't you think that this is odd? A little atypical? Maybe a little like a cabal?

Leibniz: I think it is highly coincidental and there must be some...

Hugo: ...link between the cancer and something extraordinary? Something uncommon? Maybe a little bit of intrigue? Some contrivance, no?

Leibniz: I'm sorry Mr. Chavez but your allusions have left me a little bit lost.

Hugo: Firstly, I'm not accusing anyone, merely pondering aloud. So, do not get the wrong impression or I will shut your blog down like I've shut all the media down in my country.

Leibniz: I'm not sure I'm widely read in Venezuela as I publish in English.

Hugo: All the same, do not twist my words. I am merely building castles in the air. I do find it curious that all the of us socialist, care for the people not corporation type leaders, have come down with cancer. I mean America, for all of its faults is incredible at producing technology. Maybe they have created some technology that has injected us good fellows with the cancer. Fidel has been telling me I need to watch what I eat.

Leibniz: I'm sorry. Are you accusing America of infecting you and other Latin American heads of state with cancer?

Hugo: I make no such claim! How dare you insinuate such a thing! I am only constructing the air castles! Little towers. A drawbridge over a moat. All in the air. But, if you are tying those two things together you see my thoughts may not be far off...

The interview ended abruptly when armed guards came out of his air castle and stole my notes.