Brazil was the name of a strange and wonderful film by Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam. Whenever I think of that name, however, I think about the famous song of that name. It has a melody and rhythm that keeps repeating in one's mind. The full name of the song is "Aquarela do Brasil" ("Watercolor of Brazil"). It was written in 1939 and it began a new form of the samba called the samba-exaltação (exaltation samba) which was considered very patriotic. Some claimed it was literally pro-fascist (this was at the very beginning of World War II, a time when fascism was considered by many to be just an alternate political system and not a fountainhead of evil), although its composer, Ary

I live in Southern California, about 30–45 minutes from the City of Pomona. Pomona was founded in 1888 on a trade route used by indigenous Americans. In the 1700s it was known as the Rancho San Jose. Later, it became known as the Mission San Gabriel Grazing Lands. It was later "given" (albeit not by the rightful inhabitants or owners) to two Spanish soldiers. By the 1800s it became known for its rich citrus crops, and when train transportation arrived in the 1870s, its future was set. Today, Pomona is highly urbanized. Its big money maker is the Los Angeles Fairgrounds, known as the "Fairplex," which includes a horse racing track. My wife Holly and I are planning on going to the Los