Brazil mired in recession, with the 2016 Olympics less than one year away

Today, many news articles on Brazil is what came to me as great reading material. Brazil is the second largest economy in the western hemisphere, and the country has produced a negative gdp for the past two quarters. The country's currency, Brazilian real, is plummeting. The country's unemployment is rising quickly. Also, the country's president, Dilma Rousseff; has an approval rating of 8%. With all of these debacles happening in the country, how will the 2016 Olympic games be affected? If you are an optimist, then you hope the Olympic games will not endure the recession or further distress. Brazil is associated with BRIC, and it's an emerging market economy. Yet, China and Brazil are going through tough times. So, is the BRIC the right area to invest in? Furthermore, one of the main reasons for Brazil's recession is the major corruption in the country. Petrobras, Brazil's state-run oil company, is going through a major money laundering scandal. Electrobras, a large Brazilian utility company, is going through a major money laundering scandal too. In addition, the people of Brazil are protesting for Rousseff to be impeached. Finally, let's look at this experience from a foreign traveler's viewpoint. Would you want to travel to a country where your life could be in economic jeopardy? As a traveler, you could be exposed to the protests plus a falling currency, etc. In the end, think before you spend. Business travel will decrease to this nation, and other South American countries economies could lose steam. In closing, let's hope the Brazilians can turn the tide before the 2016 olympics start. Hope you enjoy the picture above, of the Brazilian flag. It is a cosmopolitan symbol for the author, and it should remain one of strength and resilience.

Quick trip to Cincinnati, OH for WR$G appearance

Over the past three days, Cincinnati has been my quick getaway trip. There was a tv show called WKRP in Cincinnati, in early 1980s. This trip to Cincinnati, OH to see my cousins is for 'WR$G in Cincinnati' cameo. First, the reunion with Kumthekar, Mehta, and Kulkarni families has been fun and reminiscent. It is great to see three generations of family, from my mother's side. RSG is visiting Cincinnati, after three years. Today, the ATP/WTA Western and Southern Open is my destination. Roger Federer defeated Novak Djokovic in the men's final. Serena Williams defeated Simona Halep in the women's final. It was great to see both matches. During the women's final, the talented Mr. Rahulio Greenleaf spotted Drake. Drake is a renowned hip-hop musician. Drake is a major supporter of Serena Williams. Getting a picture of 'Drizzy' was the appropriate thing to do. After the matches, Roger Federer was on my radar. The Swiss Maestro came very close to me, and it was great to see the Grand Slam champion. That's all for me to write for this edition of 'WR$G in Cincinnati' chapter. Hope you enjoyed another vignette by RSG. Check out the picture above of Roger!

Google's new reorganization into Alphabet

In the past few days, Google announced that it would reorganize itself under a new parent company. Alphabet is the new parent company, and it serves as a holding company for all of Google's separate businesses. Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Eric Schmidt will hold the top leadership positions in Alphabet. Sundar Pichai is the new CEO of Google, and used to be a product chief to Larry Page. Pichai is the head of Gmail, Android, and Google search products currently. As a conglomerate, Alphabet will be the holding company for Nest and Google Glass. Alphabet will let Google continue to innovate, and to pursue projects that may or may not come to fruition. Alphabet will report financial information separately for each of its companies. Financial analysts and investors will understand better how the different pieces of Google operate. Hopefully, the conglomerate will bring some revolutionary products to the tech. society. On the other hand, renaming Google may not have an immediate impact on consumers. Self-driving cars is another product line, that will be under Alphabet. Yet, this product line has not quite taken off. The future for Google remains bright. Android and YouTube are two familiar products, which will be under Alphabet too. Hope you like the picture of Larry, Eric, and Sergey (the brilliant triumvirate) above. What will be the new products under Alphabet? It is yet to be determined, as the future brand of Alphabet will be marketed superbly.

One year away from Rio, Michael Phelps makes the right decision

One year from today, the Summer Olympics will be held in Rio De Janeiro. The Brazilian public is ready to see Michael Phelps compete in his fifth Olympics. Will he win more gold medals? Outside of winning medals, the Maryland based US swimmer made a great decision recently. Michael Phelps is saying no to alcohol, and he wants to be sober throughout his Olympic training and Rio's summer Olympics. For the swimmer with the most gold medals ever, the decision is monumental. Michael Phelps received a DUI in September 2014, in Baltimore. Michael Phelps got a speeding ticket on that same day, which changed his life tremendously. Due to the citations, Phelps entered himself in Alcoholics Anonymous. Finally, he entered himself in a 45 day inpatient treatment facility to get through the debacles. In the end, Phelps will come out on top. Phelps retired after the 2012 London Olympics, but he came back to swim in 2014. He shocked many people and fans that had no idea. Phelps wants to add to his 18 gold medals, and he will do it in Rio. The 2016 summer Olympics run from August 5 to 21, and the global public will watch Phelps shine again. Be Resilient, MP!