Cancel the goddamned Rio Olympics. Now.

Don't get to talk too much Olympics, especially about the Homophobe-lympics farce in Sochi, but a comment made recently regarding the Rio Games, scheduled for this summer, finally has put me over the side on whether these Games need to take place.

There's been little secret that many Rio venues are cesspools of germs and the like, impossible to clean up in time for the Rio Games.  (The canoeing venue -- and I'd assume most of the other open-water venues -- are prime discussion targets.)

And now we enter the Zika virus.  Zika is a virus transmitted by mosquitoes which appears to be exploding all over the world.  A Major League Baseball series scheduled for Puerto Rico was scrubbed because of concerns over the virus in Puerto Rico.

It appears to have the most impact in pregnant women, leading to birth defects.  Rarely, it can lead to death, according to the World Health Organization.

Brazil is one major hotbed of concern with respect to Zika. 

So much so that Rivaldo, one of the major recent soccer stars to come out of Brazil, has asked the world to stay away from Rio de Janeiro and the Games.

From CNN, Rivaldo points out Brazil is getting uglier with social unrest, citing a death of a 17 year-old.

More ominously, when asked about the Rio Games, Rivaldo did not mince words (The Guardian):

“I advise everyone with plans to visit Brazil for the Olympics in Rio — to stay home. You’ll be putting your life at risk here. This is without even speaking about the state of public hospitals and all the Brazilian political mess. Only God can change the situation in our Brazil.”

Call it off.  The whole nationalistic circle-jerk.

Call it off, and call it off now.

With the cauldron of events which seem to be circulating in the world, you are inviting a body count if you insist on continuing these Games.