Hundreds Dead in Brazil

Outside the Kiss nightclub (courtesy of Globo TV)

Early Sunday morning at the Kiss nightclub in Brasilia, Brazil, members of the band Gurizada Fandangueira were playing a gig for students of the local university’s agronomy department.

Things were going well until several band members lit flares and held them over their heads. The soundproofing along the ceiling caught fire and within minutes, toxic smoke and fire filled the venue.

In a panic, people rushed for the exits in a stampede of confusion and, eventually, asphyxiation. Some mistook the bathroom door for the exit and found themselves trapped. Others clawed through the bodies of choked and burned victims only to fall victim to the blaze themselves.

By the time the smoke cleared (no pun intended, of course), 232 people were dead and another 117 were being treated at local hospitals. And if you’re the type of person who enjoys superlatives, then chalk this up as the world’s deadliest nightclub fire in a decade.

This certainly isn’t a record you want to hold, but is also isn’t one you want to see broken anytime soon (or ever) for that matter.

Although the investigation into this terrible tragedy is still underway, some facts have come to light.

As you might expect, the club was filled to its 2000-person capacity, making it very difficult for party goers to escape. Some even believe it was filled beyond capacity, but I haven’t heard for sure yet.

The nightclub after the blaze (courtesy of The Daily Star)

Dr. Paulo Afonso Beltrame arrived at the scene later and estimated that 90% of the victims died from asphyxiation, specifically related to smoke inhalation. From what I understand, this is like choking on hot cinders that essentially cook you from the inside out. Pretty gruesome way to die, if you ask me.

It’s also not clear at this time if any of the band members were among the dead. If any survived, though, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them charged with some kind of reckless negligence. Using flares in an enclosed, tightly packed, alcohol-soaked nightclub? Give me a break.

Stay tuned to your international news sources for more about this terrible story as it develops. In the meantime, though, please keep the families of the victims, as well as the survivors, in your thoughts and prayers.

Dead Again and Again

Kelvin Santos surrounded by family

Something very freaky happened to a Brazilian toddler last June that still gives me the creeps.

2-year-old Kelvin Santos suffered cardiac arrest and respiratory failure and was rushed to nearby Aberlardo Santos Hospital in Belem, Brazil. Doctors declared him dead due to complications from pneumonia, so his lifeless body was wrapped in an airtight bag and sent to his family the next day.

While the Santos family was making funeral arrangements, Kelvin’s aunt saw his body move ever so slightly, but she assumed it was nothing. When his eyes opened, however, she simply couldn’t ignore it. Unfortunately, he lost consciousness shortly thereafter.

Needless to say, Kelvin’s family was shocked, but this was only the beginning.

During the wake a few hours later, Kelvin regained consciousness again, sat up and even asked his father for a glass of water!

People started screaming in terror, but Kelvin again fell lifeless and this time, his parents took no chances. They returned to the hospital where he was finally declared dead… again.

Kelvin was finally buried and his family brought a malpractice suit against the hospital, but this isn’t as unusual as it sounds. For reasons science and medicine can’t always explain, people are sometimes “resurrected” from the dead or considered dead before they truly are.

Is it possible this is what happened to Jesus?

Ass Men everywhere rejoice!

Some of the gorgeous contestants (property of Miss Bumbum 2012)

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. And in Brazil, feminine beauty is often judged by one impressive feature: a big, curvy rear end.

Enter the Miss Bumbum Pageant, an annual competition used to determine who has the cutest butt in the nation.

This year, contestants from all over the South American country will converge on Sao Paolo for the grand finale of this popular contest. Fifteen finalists will do battle with their luscious butts until a winner is finally crowned “in the end.”

It should be quite a show, especially for ass men like me. Too bad they don’t need more judges!