Friday, August 26, 2011

Do You Think PM Kamla Should Attend The World Health Summit in September?


She Certainly Should Because Diabetes Is One of The Leading Cause of Long Term Suffering and Death in Trinidad and Tobago


Here’s what the World Health Organizations (WHO) says about diabetes in Trinidad and Tobago.  Keep in mind that this is just one of the 4 non-communicable diseases identified as the leading cause of death globally. According to WHO:
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  • T&T has the most persons with diabetes per capita in the Western Hemisphere.
  •  T&T is 5th in the world in diabetes per capita
  • Diabetes is the 2nd most common cause of death in T&T

Dead is dead.  Is there any difference between being a victim of a drive by shooting, a horrific murder, a planned daylight execution or contacting a non-communicable disease like diabetes?  


I know your first reaction is “that’s asinine” how could these cause of death be compared?  But think about it for a moment. Given the choice; which would you choose?  

That depends on your position.  Life is most times a spectator sport.  That’s until the bell rings signaling your turn to take center stage.  It is only then that it really matter.  But you know what?   

At that point, even your position here does not really matter.  


As a spectator, the thought of a violent death appalls you. I'm really not going out on a limb to suggest that most likely, you would much rather see someone die in a hospital bed after suffering four or fine years.  That type of death fits into your life style.  It gives you time to accept and digest it.  Just imagine, you can visit them in hospital or sick home, pray and utter totally useless platitudes to the dying patient and their family.  Then, quickly and quietly blend into a life of whatever.  That is more humane.


You listen in anticipation for the bell that rings for them.  All the while you don't realize that living in a State of Emergency soicety like ours the bell can ring for you long before you hear their bell.  Which is better?. 


Is it much better to see someone die from an illness than being shot with a shot gun?  Does it matter to the victim or the dead patient?


Sorry, I truly digressed.  The point of this article is to raise the awareness of the World Health Summit being organized by the United Nations.   It's a genuine attempt to reduce the pain and suffering that the world population is experiencing at an alarming rate.  For reasons mentioned above the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago should pay particular attention to this. 

This is not about any one individual but the youths, the future of every nation.  Non-communicable diseases are considered preventable lifestyle illnesses.  When a child grows up believing that its ok to eat every concievable sweet invented, drink sugar in water and smoke as soon as a parent will allow you to are all lifestyle behaviors that can be changed.  These behaviors end up as non-communicable diseases like diabetes, asthma, heart attacks, strokes, prostrate cancer and too many more to mention here.    .  



While we focus on the number of murders in our society and get “damn vexed” about the gruesomeness of many of them, people are dying by the thousands from these preventable life style diseases.  

Why should you pick up this dying cause?   If you impress on a young child the dangers of these lifestyle behaviors it will eventually save them from one of theses outcomes.   


We are all  susceptible but even if at this point you cannot save yourself.  Do you think that as an individual, a nation, a region if we bury our heads in the sand it will help the youths?  It's all starts at home but if as a nation we become aware of the dangers and we educate the youths our nation will save millions of dollars and thousands of lives.  This is a bigger threat than any two bit criminal can pose with a submarine gun. Today it is the biggest cause of death in our country.


The death toll from these diseases is projected to increase considerably in the next few years if we continue on the path we have taken and now lead our youths. The United Nations has adopted this worthwhile mission to make the world aware of these diseases, country by country.  That's the reason for the...


 Heads of Government Summit, September 2011.  

Why the heads of governments and not representatives?  

A country future health is too important to leave to representatives.  The UN has recognized that the change must begin from the top down.  They need decision maker to act and implement changes in the way we live our lives.    It's that important.  


Last word was that our PM Kamla has NOT yet acknowledged that she would attend this Summit.   

How you can vote YES for Kamla to attend this Health Summit? 

To raise the awareness of citizens and their respective Heads of Government of each country, there is now a country by country global text-in campaign for citizens of 192 nations to send a text encouraging their heads of governments to attend this global Health Summit. If they do not attend we will definitely stay on the same distructive path.  It is not for us who have lived our lives already but for the youth who will continue to live an unhealthy lifestyle.  . 

Do It Today


For Trinidad and Tobago the short code, ONLY supported by Digicel is 4325. Text YES and use the short code as the number to text.



This is a free text that registers your desire to have PM Kamla attend this summit.  They are looking for 100,000 votes from Trinidad and Tobago and at last check there were only a couple hundred.  


For more information about this local campaign join  Facebook Page  

The information cited in this article is contained in this UNDP pdf report entitled  The Diabetes Epidemic In Trinidad and Tobago.  


Thursday, August 25, 2011

10 Most Insightful Comments on The State Of Emergency In Trinidad and Tobago



The following comments were culled from the reactions of Trinidad and Tobago Citizens in response to the current State of Emergency declared 4 days ago.  The fact is that it does not matter what message you sending, listen to what people are saying and you will hear the voice of God.

The have not been placed in any particular order.

      1.  Ahhhh hahahahaha! Our Government is a darn JOKE! Go ahead 'stooges!' Bunch ah blabbering IDIOTS! Chickens without heads! Horses heads where their tails belongs! Sottish Fools! Head has no idea what tail is doing! Continue to embarrass us on the World Stage!

"Sandy and Ramlogan said that citizens living in communities in which there are NO curfew restrictions are FREE to go about their business."

"Gibbs said as far as he was aware, the curfew restrictions apply THROUGHOUT the country."

'PIANO' man RAMLOGAN! You have to be the ULTIMATE, CLASSIC FOOL! Just FIRE yourself immediately! Have you no SHAME! The thing that you do BEST, is to TRY to COVER-UP for the UNC'S LOSERSHIP!
Let's see HOW you are going to handle this one! LOL! YOU... like your 'first lady' KAMLIAR are a TOTAL DISGRACE!
Looks like allyuh give allyuh 'stoosh, BIG BOY' CRIMINALS friends and family ah 'BLIGH' to move their Stash around, by putting 'select' Communities under curfew, while THEY were free to SECURE their ILLS and ILL-GOTTEN gains! Very CUNNING indeed! Look Gibbs! ARREST BOTH RAMLOGAN and SANDY! Do us a favour and BANISH DEM from this Country! Then work your way through the WHOLE LOSERSHIP! EVERY DARN ONE OF THEM!

"Told that the statement from Sandy and Ramlogan CONTRADICTS his own, Gibbs MAINTAINED his position that the curfew restrictions will be enforced throughout the country."
WELL! WHAT ELSE IS NEW WITH THIS LOSERSHIP?

Well 'Gibbsy boi'...By any chance, Can you fill in as PRIME MINISTER for this Country, and choose a Cabinet, until we can choose someone more Worthy to Lead us! You may as well~! CLOWNS are running this Country! SMH!

2.          2.  Hi Kamla why beat the dengue drum now? you have already ran and won the race, and is now doing your victory lap. That was quite a strong performance. Great immune system. No trace of dengue, BTW, I am with you on the image issue. Who the hell cares about international image? We don't need their investments or their goods, neither do we need to export our goods to them. As for the tourist, they could go where the hell they want, they don't have to come here. We good. We could eat we asphalt and drink we oil and invest all we have now to our flourishing narco-industry, at least that brings great returns on the dollar. no talk about value for money there. By the time we get through with all this is Carnival. so go ahead. We do give a dammmmmmm about international image-e-e-e. 

3,  True to form, we eh taking care of business so good, and Kamla and Co. running like headless fowl, but is time to stop putting image over reality. Honestly we Trinis does spend too much time worrying about what the world go think. We always studying oh, it go look bad, people go talk, people go laugh, and we rather hide thing under the rug than bring out the mess and clean it up properly. So eff what the world think, we done a set of third world nowherians to them, instead of putting on a front to impress racist backsides in foreign, we should be rolling up sleeves and cleaning the place out. Is our home, who want to laugh could laugh.

4. That's what I like to see and hear coming out of your mouth Madame PM assertions don't mind you like to gallery yourself! I fully support this SoE, However as you rightly pointed out the Anti Gang Bill only covers one aspect of arrest or target group "gangs", yet its day four and no major player or players held! I am hoping that that becomes a reality within the next ten days!! You don't worry about country's image its correct the image of innocent people being slaughtered is far worse!! The World is in turmoil right now at least something here is being done to correct let's hope that this sacrifice we make now will have long term results! Don't forget we need to take back those communities !! We are watching!

5. OMG Please tell me we are beyond this stage of knowing where the curfew is in effect! This is day four and we getting contradictions !! I am so tired of the fact of bungling so many things now its not funny!! Its like watching a train wreck happen!! Please people get your statements in line before going public!!! As for the arrests I want to see some names coming up that we ALL know should be picked up including some senior Customs officials !!!

6. Not only is Comm Gibbs back, but it looks like he was not properly briefed. If he is right and the entire nation is under the curfew, some confusion will occur and innocent people may be detained.

7.  Greeting all. I could not help but sadly smiled, shaking my head as I read this article. Such a serious time/situation and officials are not on the same page. The first thing that should have taken place was a meeting with Mr. Ramlogan. As a matter of fact Mr. Gibbs should have been advised (surely he could have been reached) via text, phone or email of an urgent meeting so that he could be briefed BEFORE responding to any questions from media or anyone for that matter. This man has now been placed in a most awkward position. I feel sure that he is not used to this zig zag, now for now, manner of operation. What a mess. Is the government really serious about purging the police service and ridding the country of the drug lords - (big fish), bandits, drug mules, blind bare foot knucklehead drug sellers and the like? then please allow Mr. Gibbs to do his work. He is being paid very handsomely. I really do not think this man came to Trinidad and Tobago - sanely took on this calling - and not produce.

8.  With a little bit of patience and obedience we could acheive great things. Lets give the curfew a chance and then judge the results at the end.

9.  This is surely the land of chaos.

We start off with the PM - an experienced laywer, saying it's a "LIMITED STATE OF EMERGENCY"
Next we hear "GIBBS and EWATSKY gone AWOL" (Absent Without Leave) - which turns out to be a "storm in a teacup" because the someone didn't pass on the message to the Police Service Commission.

Now we hear ( at the very same press conference) the Police Commissioner saying there's a curfew on the entire country, while the National Security Minister says something else.

It's 1:21 am by the time the sun rises we'll have more confusion to add to this list

10. I cannot think of a bigger bunch of bungling idiots who have beel allowed to run a country anywhere in the world. The Hon. Attorney General has outdone himself. He is the quintessential liar. This country could never trust this govt again. This is the beginning of the end for the PP. What saddens me is that this very Ag was the recipient of four loaded suvs full of thugs from east Trinidad the very gangleaders he is now pursuing. These thugs formed part of his campaign escort during the elections. Aniother govt official used the muscle power and thuggery of a well known central crime boss as part of his muscle during the last campaign.This was the same thug who grabbed lands at cashew gardens. We havent heard anything from that character in a long time because he got the lands and all the contracts he wants from his government friends. Who is the govt really trying to fool. Gang leaders and criminals have direct access to Ministers and govt offuicals. Same as under the PNM regime...so nothing has changed. Our people need to rise up and demand constitutional reform,recall legislation,fixed election dates and term limits. We just cant go on this way.



Sunday, August 21, 2011

Trinidad and Tobago Limited State of Emergency


Surgically Sanitizing The Country Of Gun Murderers
The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago has just declared a limited State of Emergency.   The reason is too many murders in a short time span, gun murders gone rampant.

The Limited State of Emergency means is that if you live in certain parts of the country that is considered “hot spots”  you lose all your normal constitutional rights with respect to search seizure, arrest and interrogation. 

Now this is no simple move it has far reaching and direct implications for three areas.  The previous administration had considered it but never took the steps to implement it.  See Here. 

It means an interruption of the normal economy,  a blanket power to arrest and detain, a curfew and very importantly, the international community i.e. the UN, OAS and prospective investors.  

This move seems a little premature and a little surprising seeing that the country is carrying such a hefty monthly salaried Commissioner of Police.  And is not there still a contingent of English Yardie on the country’s payroll still.  It’s either we need them or we don’t.  

The real question is what would a limited or even a full fledged SOE do that the police could not do without it.  Mr. Gibbs the floor is not yours, imagine getting to this point without a squeak from you. Well not that you squeaked about anything else except when it had nothing to do with what you are paid to do.

It was only about a month ago that you locked down the Beetham and made mass arrests.  In fact the constitutional rights of those people were the same as what is offered in the SOE.   
     
The saga goes on.  If you don’t live in a “hot spot”  you may not even notice the difference.  Let’s see what happens here.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Trinidadian Attempts to Blacklist Their Country’s Image To Live in The United States.

Repeatedly Rejected, They Are To Be Returned Home

An Indian family has been trying since 2006 to have Trinidad and Tobago labeled as "dangerous to Indians who return here from the United States".  As such, they were seeking asylum.. 

That’s bad enough but a local Trinidad and Tobago newspaper, Newsday, August 7th, Sunday Morning edition splashed the headline below.  Obviously to increase circulation but other motives can be imputed. The headline read....


You can read the rest of the story by clicking the link but consider the moral and ethical issues related to this story.  First, this is blatant sensationalism.  The headline does not support the content of the story.  This is irresponsible reporting with or without the intent to incite a particular segment of the society against another.  It could be cited as seditious.  But nobody is saying anything about it.  

As far as the story goes, this family overstayed their time in the United States. When challenged, they decided to seek asylum, the reason; "they will be targeted because they are Indians and they lived in the United States.  

The case has been in federal court since 2006 and each time it was rejected by various immigration court.  Each time it was rejected, it was re-filed with a higher authority.  Eventually, it reached the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) who also rejected their claim.…

 “The BIA concluded that while the Poorans had presented evidence that kidnapping was a problem in Trinidad and Tobago, they had not shown that individuals were targeted due to their race or membership in any protected class,” 

The not spoken aspect of this case is that now that they have been firmly rejected and must return to Trinidad; how do they expect to live in a country where they expect to be kidnapped?  and

Would the people they know here readily accept them back after they have for years had the country blacklisted internationally as “beset with violence”?  

It would be indeed unfortunate if something was to happen to this family when they are returned to Trinidad.  They will always be known as the family that was willing to sacrifice the reputation of an entire country so that they could live in the United States.

The length our people are willing to go in pursuit of personal comfort.  It’s amazing.  


Tuesday, August 2, 2011

A Lighter Side Of The Caribbean

Dem Jamaicans Dem
  
Someone sent me this joke, it made me laugh out loud.  Let me know if you think it's funny.  
 
A Jamaican farmer named Ralph had an accident with  a lorry and was suing the lorry company.

  In court their hot-shot solicitor was questioning Ralph. 

  Solicitor:    'Now didn't you say to the Police at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine?'

  Ralph:    'Well , I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite cow Bessie into the...'

  Solicitor:    'I didn't ask for any details, just answer the question. Did you not tell the police officer at the scene of the accident, "I'm fine!"?'

  Ralph:   'Well, I had just got Bessie into the sidecar and I was driving down the road.....'

  The solicitor interrupted again and said,
  'Your Honor , I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident this man told the police that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.'

  By this time, the Judge was fairly interested in Ralph's answer and said to the solicitor:
  I'd like to hear what he has to say about his favorite cow Bessie.' 

  Ralph thanked the Judge and proceeded.

  'Well, as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite cow, into the sidecar and was driving her down the road when this  huge lorry and trailer came through a stop sign and hit me right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. 
 
I was hurt very bad and like I didn't want to move. However, I could hear old Bessie moaning and  groaning. I knew she was in terrible pain just by her groans. 
 
Shortly after the accident a policeman on a motorbike turned up.

He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her and saw her condition, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. 

Then the policeman came charging across the road, gun still in hand, looked me up and down, and said, 'How badly are you hurt?' 

 'Now what the Rass would you have said?'

Monday, August 1, 2011

Why Did PM Kamla Visit The Crashed CAL Plane In Guyana?

She Stunned The Country By Personally Visiting The CAL Crash In Guyana

Prime Minister Kamla impromptu decision to visit the down Caribbean Airline in Guyana positioned her as an attention seeking, news hound.   

Unfortunately, there was no diplomatic advantage or even a guanine sense of compassion that was demonstrated here.  Express Story

In fact, as far as diplomacy was concern, her position was the air craft should not be moved to which the Guyana PM objected and insisted that it will be moved.  Wonder who had the last word on that issue?   

It brings back memories of a serious accident on the Churchhill Roosevelt Highway where people just stop to look causing a massive pile up in both directions?   Credit it to human nature to gawk at others misfortunes and simultaneously be grateful that “it’s them not me”.   

 This was a case of a country, represent by Prime Minister Kamla gawking at an accident personally.  

Our government also took the responsibility to fly ONE member of an injured pilot to Guyana to be at his side, even though there were no serious injuries.  All this, in a country where three citizens lose their lives under questionable circumstances, presumably innocent citizens are detained in Venezuelan waters are still languishing in a caboose with no government assistance.  

OK, if the rationale is that Trinidad and Tobago owns Caribbean Airlines and as head owner it is important to seek the interest of the Airline.  Then why did Nicolas go without the entourage of Ministers?  What would happen if RedJet crashed.

Maybe, just maybe it is because the price of an airplane is more important than one life snuffed out in “normal” circumstances.  Personally, I don’t know how the rest of the country would view it but in my humble opinion that trip to Guyana by PM Kamla was a bad public relations decision.   It added no value to the country, the victims or the Caribbean Airlines. 

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. 

Is T&T Carnival Still The Greatest Show On Earth?

In Defense of We Carnival Recently, a situation has arisen where differing perspectives prompt contemplation.   I am referring to two inst...