Forget Ebola get out of Brazil now.

"...  South America’s largest city, São Paulo, Brazil, is experiencing a severe water crisis. A record drought and high water demand from the growing city have severely depleted São Paulo’s main reservoir, forcing the president of Brazil’s Water Regulatory Agency to warn citizens that the city might face a “collapse like we’ve never seen before”.

The drought, the worst the city has seen in 80 years, is directly linked to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and Atlantic forest, according to leading climatologist Dr. Antonio Nobre of the National Institute for Atmospheric Research. Rainforests produce large amounts of vapor that bring rainclouds further inland, providing much-needed water to many areas of the country.

“If deforestation in the Amazon continues,” Nobre told the BBC, “São Paulo will probably dry up.

A pattern in a series of transients?

US Federal Deficit 

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate

Unemployment Rate

Personal bankruptcy filings

US New Home Sales

Spot Oil Price; West Texas Intermediate

Price of Gold and Silver 

  

Friday Night Lights

It was a spectacular night in Southeast Michigan to catch an exciting high school football game and get to watch an awesome marching band perform for the homecoming crowd at halftime.  Just a few years ago my son was quarterback of the team, now he is a college student with a part time job as assistant coach.  Go Dragons.

Chicago's Bril Barrett in HuffPo and the Studio..

Nice article about Bril Barrett in HuffPo today.
This Man Has Mad Rhythm, And His Love For Tap Dancing And Community Speaks Volumes

Bril is a great guy, an amazing tap dancer, a friend to everyone he meets a real leader and an inspiration to many.  I've known him for a few years thanks to my daughter's love for tap dancing.   

Bril was in Detroit a couple weeks ago for the Motor City Tapfest where he taught classes to rooms full of tappers young and old in the Old Main Building at Wayne State and he showed off his M.A.D.D. rhythm skills during improv sessions and while performing at the Motor City Soles show at Orchestra Hall last Saturday evening.

Old Main on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan

Bril and Molly in Chicago in August 2014

So I thought I would post a couple videos. The first is from a choreography session at the Harold Washington Community Center in Chicago a couple years ago.

And here is Molly performing that solo for the instructors at the Motor City Tapfest a couple weeks ago. Bril is sitting in the front row.   This was the first time Bril saw Molly perform the solo he taught her.

Molly's Solo at Motor City Tapfest

 
I hope a lot of good things happen for Bril and his family and his M.A.D.D Rhythms tap crew.   

Tap Improv from earlier today.

I haven't blogged in a while but Pathteacher will reach 50,000 page views tonight, so I figured I would stop by and drop in with something new.  Many thanks to all the people from around the who have stumbled across here for no particular reason and stayed to wade through some of the 300 or so posts I left back when I did this for a hobby.

Here is clip is Molly and three of her buddies from a tap class at Slide in Los Angeles earlier today doing some improv after class.  Love! the spirit.

Tap improv session at Slide in LA on 07/24/14

Found in the attic: 1983 World Trade Center Brochure

I found this in the garage attic earlier today in a box full of folders and notebooks from my freshman year in College back in 1983.  Some friends and I went to Manhattan for Spring Break and during our stay there we made it to the World Trade Center for a tour.  This brochure brings back some good memories but it's also like a punch in the gut.  I just thought I would share it for everyone who might be interested, especially those who weren't lucky enough to have a chance to see the Twin Towers when they stood majestically over South Manhattan.  

1983 World Trade Center Visitor Guide Brochure