Brazilian police attack Alemao favela

I read about this operation in the book Brazillionaires. The police flushed out the local gang and it was all televised. The police hardware is pretty diverse, from old VW vans to Huey helicopters to APCs. By the way, what is that black SUV?

Larry David and Kramer sketch about US intervention in El Salvador

I am reading Seinfeldia, a book about the TV sitcom Seinfeld. Apparently, ABC had a show that competed against SNL from 1980 to 1982 called Fridays. Larry David (co-creator of Seinfeld) and the actor who played Kramer were on it.

This is a sketch the two did. Its theme was quite shocking. A civil war was taking place in El Salvador and Reagan was sending arms and military advisors to the cruel right-wing government to fight the Communists. Larry David impersonated Bing Crosby and Kramer played a Salvadoran soldier. It's not really funny, but it is just bizarre to know this was once on American network TV.

Rio by Duran Duran

I am going to blog like a fiend this weekend. A lot of ideas accumulated over the week. First, let's start with what should have been the official anthem of the 2016 Olympics-- Rio by Duran Duran.

Car racing in Syria today

I assume these are all regime loyalists.

Eating the Globe: Update

Here is the latest map of countries conquered:

53 countries thus far.

Best meal so far: Eritrea
Worst meal so far: Samoa

A Russian place and a Honduran place are on calendar. A new Mongolian place in Downtown Oakland replaced the old Mongolian place. Let me know if you want to grab lunch there.

Refugee Olympics team

This is an awesome idea. 10 refugee athletes from South Sudan (5), Syria (2), DRC (2), and Ethiopia (1) will be competing as a "country". It will use the Olympic flag. Let's root for them!

The only food stall to receive a Michelin star

This is a very endearing story. A simple man selling $1.50 chicken in Singapore.

Trump and nukes

I am doing my best to not post Trump stuff here because I don't want to depress you all, but this clip is scary. Hayden was the former head of the CIA.

Trump asked about nuclear weapons 3 times in a 1-hour foreign policy briefing months ago, @JoeNBC says @Morning_Joe https://t.co/7h3TikCb6f

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) August 3, 2016

Airport in Angola at independence

From the LA Public Library photo archives.

Scandinavian Airlines, 1969