The Caribbean Blogger

Things Have Not Changed In Trinidad & Tobago

2012-01-12T13:10:00.000-04:00

This Is An Opinionated Opinion

I want to say Thank You because it’s been awhile since I have written on this blog and you are still here reading it. What I like about blogging is that I say what I feel when I feel and I choose the words I want to use. No editors, proof readers or any professional input. It's all my opinion. My window to the world I share with you.

Here's what. Trinidad and Tobago went through an entire State of Emergency and very little was posted here about that event. There was this post about the right of the SoE and then this one with what locals were saying about it. That;s an event that will go down in our history book. The PP Government is still not admitting that it was a failure because they cannot fail everything they do is the right thing for Trinidad and Tobago.

Getting a foreign Commissioner of Police was also the right thing to do. He is performing as was expected by most of the people in Trinidad and Tobago. Someone pulls his strings and he moves or don't and for that we went away to find him. Anybody could do that. People say that they should make the Crime Watch Star the Commissioner. Truthfully, he is doing better than the CoP. Time for a change up there, no need to wait for the PSC to say it. Send that man back home with his deputy.

Let me be honest, to me the SoE was a long joke. It was like a drowning man grasping for a straw. What I had to say would not have made much difference in the whole scheme of things. The results speak for themselves. The good thing about it is that the country was able to see how efficient the new police commander was in reducing crime. The SoE made it legal to arrest anybody and they did. At one point seems like the state was doing a pretty good business in collecting curfew violation fines. Final conclusion, everybody go back home and do what you was doing before. OK.

I confess, when the coalition government got together to oust the power maniac I supported them 89 percent. Since then they have left a real sour taste in my mouth. I’m one of those people who still want to believe Aunty Kamla that she is for transparency and the rule of law. Lord knows we need it here.

The idea that we have to fight crime in my opinion is the first mistake we make. This is what I think.

But after a little bit, after that giving “Silk” to every Tom and Dick without them even applying as is the protocol it makes me wonder if she meant what she said. I still hope so because we still have a long way to go before we choose again.

And while we are on the topic of choose again. I don’t really look like we have much of a choice. The opposition is tainted and just playing Devil’s advocate. We know you don’t have much power in Parliament but at least get on issues that makes sense.

Maybe it’s time for a new party? A new party that can promise a difference and keep their promise, one that sees things differently from the rest of the world like in the case of Mr. Warner. I all OK for him to defend himself, he is a man and he has the right to do so but we all know. I don’t think there is one Trinbagonian who don’t. Even the government find it necessary to audit his pet project PURE because something eh right.

Ok, enough of the political stuff. This year I want a make a promise to myself that I will make at least one post a month here.

To be honest with you, some people may make millions with blogs but what I make with the few adsense ads on here hardly pays the bills. I make more from writing for other people but I don’t want this blog to die because I think a lot of people enjoy the posts. It’s funny because the stats indicate visitors come from all over the world, Europe, India and different countries in Asia. So the posts will keep coming. At least once a month or whenever the feeling or topic is interesting enough to post.

In the meanwhile you have an awesome New Year.

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

2011-08-26T12:28:00.002-04:00

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:

T&T has the most persons with diabetes per capita in the Western Hemisphere.
T&T is 5^th in the world in diabetes per capita
Diabetes is the 2^nd 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.

"GET THE MESSAGE"

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.

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

2011-08-25T07:44:00.000-04:00

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.

Trinidad and Tobago Limited State of Emergency

2011-08-21T23:56:00.000-04:00

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.

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

2011-08-07T21:46:00.001-04:00

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....

“CRIMINALS ATTACKING INDIANS”

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.

A Lighter Side Of The Caribbean

2011-08-02T22:45:00.000-04:00

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?'

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

2011-08-01T09:10:00.002-04:00

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.

51 Arrested In The Beetham

2011-07-21T21:36:00.000-04:00

Is Trinidad Law Enforcement Tactics Similar To The Middle East?

An article I read a couple of days ago had me thinking. The title of this post was a headline in the Trinidad Express.

What bothered me about it is a little controversial because I know some people here would not agree with what I have to say. I know this because today I read the Express editorial condoning what happened at the Beetham.

According to the story the 200 police officer and 60 regiment officers locked down the Beetham and searched every house in there. Fifty one persons were arrested. Question is: Was that action supported by the Constitution of this Republic? And if it is that needs to be changed. Was it ethical?

Ah know those things eh important when people getting killed but even murderers have rights. Now you and I know that most of the people in the Beetham just poor, they not all gangsters, thieves and murderers.

It reminds me of what we hear about in countries like Egypt, Syria, Libya and other Middle Eastern countries. They just go from house to house and arrest who ever for what ever. If it's not right there it's not right here.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that something should be done about lawlessness in Lavantille, the Beetham, George and Nelson Streets. The things that have been happening lately all need immediate attention. Something has to be done, and I hope the people they caught breaking the law would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Who are they protecting and serving?

The law enforcement in this country is operating like they in the fifty and sixties. This is 2011 and while we give away millions we still don't have the basic law enforcement tools to solve crimes like in CSI. What's stopping we from getting things like a DNA lab, national fingerprint system, a criminal database. This boils me, the topic was on this blog in February 2011; Guns don't Solve Crimes People do.

You know what? Is because we declare war on crime and every body know in a war all you need is some big guns bullet proof vest and plenty men. That's how you win, and still we wonder what we doing wrong.

Today, as a free society we boast of having human rights, constitutional rights, and all the other rights that don't mean squat when accosted by a police officer.

Imagine how many people's constitutional rights were trampled upon that day with no possible recourse. Have you ever seen how a police officer search for arm or drug in a house. If he do it right, when they done it looks like Katrina just pass.

Just imagine you are a law abiding citizen and just because you dumb enough to live in the Beetham police break down yuh door in the early morning and announce a search. Was a warrant issued to search every house in the Beetham? What judge would issue such a warrant? Where?

Right here. I dunno where you live but could you imagine your entire neighborhood on lock down, you can't work the next day. Your excuse to your boss. "The police search meh place this morning buh they did not find notting" What do u think your boss would say? You should move out ah Beetham.

The fact is that what the police did there was not police work. They coulda get a gang ah CEPEP workers with guns to do the same thing. Police work should be detecting, narrowing it down to maybe a few suspicious houses, not the whole dam neighborhood.

Now we paying a man $100K a month to do such nonsense and nobody saying nothing. Wah would ah happen if it was Westmooring? Nah never happen, too many people know they constitutional rights there.

Ah eh know bout allyuh buh ah shame for we. We should spend the millions we giving away for all these cultural events (one day national parties) to train we police, we go all truly benefit from it. Wuh u think?

Nah doh do that cos then you will feel like me and have to write about it.

The North Deck Nature Exploration In Trinidad & Tobago

2011-06-25T09:03:00.000-04:00

The North Deck A Breath Taking Vistas, Unique Birds, Spectacular Vegetation, Natural Ambiance

A Platform in the Forest Part 2

Is Trindad & Tobago Becoming The Murder Capital of The Caribbean?

2011-06-09T11:48:00.000-04:00

Too Much Focus on the Wrong Metric

Using the murder rate to measure the effectiveness of Trinidad and Tobago’s law enforcement performance is irrational.

That’s putting it gently; we all know that law enforcement agencies do not commit murders. At least, when they do it’s in the “prevention” of crime and not counted as murder.

What people do in their homes, in the bushes at night or more alarmingly in broad daylight is not and will never be under the control of any law enforcement agency. What law enforcement agencies do in response to a murder is the only thing they can actually control.

There are specific actions that should be monitored and measured that are never mentioned in any report on crime. For example, the response time to a crime.

How fast are the police on the scene after a crime has been reported? That number will give citizens a measure of assurance that their calls will be answered.

Another very important number to know is the conviction rate. How many crimes are actually solved? How many went to court and a conviction was obtained? Having that number would work wonders on the rate of murders.

It really is impossible to change what is not measured.

When we look at the wrong number the problem persist. There is a saying that goes "we attract more of what we focus on". In this case, is it because we focus on the murder rate?.

That is not rocket science. Any serious law enforcement effort must take these metric into consideration. Say that we had 10 less murders this year than last is what is know in public relations as "spinning"..

The people and by extention the government should not accept the murder rate as a measure of efficiency,

For the sake of public safety let’s stop calling the wrong number.

Does that make sense?

Why Is Trinidad and Tobago Stopping RedJet?

2011-05-28T09:32:00.000-04:00

Should Price Be Our Primary Concern?

A couple of months ago I posted about RedJet the new regional airline carrier with a super low fare of $10 USD coming to Trinidad and Tobago. Because of that post, I think I owe it to readers of this blog to set the record straight.

The most conscise and objective reason offered for the delay in granting RedJet a license to operate in Trinidad and Tobago was written by a regular columnist in the Trindad Express. Mr. Reginal Dumas.

The following is a reproduction of that article entitled:

The REDjet issue

By Reginald Dumas

Story Created: May 25, 2011 at 11:55 PM ECT

Story Updated: May 25, 2011 at 11:55 PM ECT

I haven't been paying much attention to the REDjet confusion; the bassa bassa at Caribbean Airlines has been much more fascinating. But the matter keeps rearing its head, so I thought I would cast a preliminary eye in its direction.

I seem to recall the representatives of REDjet telling the public here that the airline had been approved for service by the relevant Barbados authorities and that, under the Caricom multilateral air services agreement, it was, on the strength of that approval,

automatically entitled to operate commercially into and out of T&T.
There was a time when I knew a great deal about air services--I led this country's negotiating team for about 15 years--but I have forgotten much. Nonetheless, it struck me that REDjet's position, if I am correctly representing it, could not be correct. There is very little automaticity in air services matters. You have to bargain hard for what you want, and you may not get it.

The Caricom multilateral agreement can be found on the Caricom website. In its preamble it defines a Caricom air carrier as "an air carrier which is owned by a company or other legal entity constituted in a Member State in conformity with the law thereof and has its registered office in a Member State, the majority of the shares of which are owned by one or more Member States or their nationals and which is effectively controlled by such State or States or nationals thereof". The language is awkward, but you get the drift.

On this basis, is REDjet a Caricom carrier? It is certainly registered in a member state (Saint Lucia) and has its corporate offices in another (Barbados). But who owns it? Who controls it? A hallowed concept in air services is "substantial ownership and effective control". Does REDjet satisfy that criterion for Caricom carrier status?

But even if it is a Caricom carrier (and it appears not to be), Article 2 of the Caricom agreement states that such a carrier "shall not be permitted to operate within the Community unless it has been issued with an operating licence by a Member State". REDjet, Caricom carrier or not, obviously has an operating licence from Barbados, but Article 2 goes on: "(S)uch a licence does not in itself confer any rights of access to specific routes or markets within the Community." (My emphasis.) No automaticity there.

And there follow several requirements the carrier must satisfy, including Caricom substantial ownership and effective control, and provision of a business plan which must "demonstrate its ability to meet actual and potential obligations for a period of 36 months from the commencement of the proposed operations".

Did REDjet do all that before its publicity about a May 8 start-up date? If so, and in the absence at that time of an Air Transport Licensing Authority board (the entity to handle such matters), who gave REDjet the go-ahead, and on what authority?

I shall mention only two other Articles of the agreement. Article 6 says that "the carrier's application to the aeronautical authority of the other Member State" – in this case, T&T – "(must be) made at least 45 days or such shorter period as may be agreed by the aeronautical authorities prior to the proposed commencement of the service." Did REDjet (which is still to show me it is a Caricom carrier) do this? Were the aeronautical authorities of T&T and Barbados in contact with each other before REDjet's announcements on dates? If so, did they agree on anything and, if so, what?

And Article 15 speaks of tariffs, which among other things must not be "unreasonably discriminatory" (which suggests they could be discriminatory). Could a US$10 fare between here and Barbados be considered so?

The publication Barbados Today of May 16 quotes "well-placed sources" in Barbados as saying that T&T, in not having yet given the green light to REDjet, is breaching not only the Caricom air services agreement but also Articles 6 and 7 of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, the T&T/Barbados air services agreement, and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) air transport agreement. Quite a mouthful.

Article 6 of the Chaguaramas Treaty sets out the objectives of the Community, all of which, in my opinion, are constantly either violated or insufficiently promoted by all members of the Community. Article 7 deals with non-discrimination, and states in part that "any discrimination on grounds of nationality only shall be prohibited." I wonder how many Barbados immigration officials are familiar with that Article? And what is REDjet's nationality?

As for the ACS agreement (I haven't read the T&T/Barbados bilateral, which I'm told I negotiated), it too insists on substantial ownership and effective control, which must be vested in an ACS member state or states or associate member(s) and/or its or their nationals before authorisation can be granted for air transport services.

And REDjet really must tell us more about itself. What is its relationship to Airone Ventures Ltd? Who owns the latter? What is the breakdown of shareholding? What is its relationship to Digicel, for which its founder Robbie Burns used to work? Why did it seek national carrier status in Jamaica in 2007? What happened? Why? Who owns REDjet? Who controls it?

• Reginald Dumas is a former head of theTrinidad and Tobago Public Service.

Caribbean People - Be Careful - This Year’s Hurricane Could Teach Us A Lesson

2011-05-20T13:55:00.002-04:00

Don't Get Caught With Your Hurricane Pants Down

Caribbean people should be battening the hatches and getting ready for the next

hurricane season. It’s coming soon.

There is almost a guarantee that it will hit at least one island in the Caribbean.

When Katrina hit a few years ago I lived in Coral Springs Florida and I have never seen anything like it.

When the storm subsided over 50% of the houses were without roofs. Fortunately, I lived in a community where the roof was made of clay tiles.

I experienced the "what the hell" feeling when i witnessed flying off S tiles being embedded into the roofs of parked cars. Slamming into earth violently sticking like thrown knives. It was as if God was up

there somewhere with a large slingshot just shooting down tiles and everything else He could find. .

Imagine the sight of what seemed like 100 year old fichus trees that lined the side walk in Ft Lauderdale uprooted as if they were mere weeds.

Laying upturned, pointing skyward and the earth below torn open just like an earthquake; side walk and road wide open.

Wonder what will happen if the Islands in the Caribbean were hit with a category 3 or 4 hurricane?.

Roofs will go first but the way houses are built in the Caribbean it’s not hard to imagine the entire structures being blown away.

What's even more bewildering is the Island mentality. Last year when hurricane warnings were announced in Trinidad enterprising Trinis decided to have “Storm Parties”.

And yes, it is what you're thinking, regular drink, dance and make merry parties. Not held in fortified buildings but at the local bar where patrons can weather the storm out while getting wasted.

The same mentality existed with the officials. At one hurricane shutter presentation to the local Office of Disaster Preparedness Management, ODPM the attitude was "we really dont need it".. The organization had the authority to rally all the high ranking official in the protective services to hear the presentation.

The officials came listened to real reasons why all government building should be equipped with hurricane shutters. None opted to have it installed. Some were a little curious but most thought that it was not necessary, afterall "God is a Trini” they say, "He will protect us" Let's hope so.

The building material company even offered to install the shutters at the ODPM building at a steep discount but they never took the offer.

A building with large sections of glass, tasked with the job of preparing the nation for natural disaster and they are still unprepared. What good will it be for the people we supposed to turn to in time of disaster are ducking from flying glass and debris.

Unfortunately the only thing to change that mentality is a disaster of major proportions. Some Caribbean islands "have to feel to learn". It's really like safe sex, we all need the protection..

And believe it or not, but Trinidad is supposed to be more advanced than the rest of the Caribbean Islands. If that is true may God help the rest of the Islands....

US government forecaster announced yesterday that they are expecting three to six major hurricanes from an above average Atlantic storm season. As many as 18 named tropical storms may deelop during the six month Atlantic Hurricane season.

Here is some advice from the local newspaper

Are you ready for the next hurricane season?

US Seeks al Qaeda Terrorist With Trinidad Passport

2011-05-07T07:29:00.001-04:00

Have You Seen This Man?

According to an article published in the Trinidad Express yesterday the next in line to replace Osama bin Laden has a Trinidad Passport. Read the story below.

Al Qaeda 'Trini' may now be most wanted terrorist

By Richard Charan South Bureau

Story Updated: May 5, 2011 at 10:44 PM ECT

An Al Qaeda fugitive with ties to Trinidad and Guyana may rise to the top post in the global terror network whose iconic leader Osama Bin Laden was killed Sunday.

Adnan Gulshair El Shukrijumah, who is known to have lived in and visited Trinidad, was last year elevated to head Al Qaeda's external operations council—with a mission to recruit, plan and execute terrorist attacks against the United States and its western allies.

Multiple international news reported on Wednesday that El Shukrijumah, a top lieutenant is now one of the most wanted Al Qaeda. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) official website also listed him as the most wanted terrorist, with a reward of US$5 million leading to his capture.

The Miami Herald, National Public Radio, MSNBC, and United Press International reported on El Shukrijumah's rise in the ranks of the terror organisation, with one headline asking "Is this the man who will succeed Bin laden?".

El Shukrijumah is a citizen of Guyana, who lived for 15 years in the United States.Intelligence officials in the US report that El Shukrijumah, who studied computer science and chemistry in the US, came to Trinidad months before the September 11, 2001 terror attack that killed 3,000.

He is reported to have stayed on the compound of a Muslim organisation in Central Trinidad which some reports claimed was linked to a mosque in the US with ties to terrorism.

Despite a search by the FBI in Trinidad in 2003, with the assistance of local law enforcement, El Shukrijumah, 35, has not been found.
Head of the Islamic Missionaries Guild Imtiaz Mohammed said on Wednesday he and others were interviewed by the FBI who they believed knew Shukrijumah.

The FBI in 2004 set up a permanent office in Trinidad, to continue its counter terrorism operations.

El Shukrijumah is reportedly to be likely in Pakistan, where Bin Laden was killed Sunday during a secretive US military operation that has been celebrated by many. The US Justice Department last year filed multiple indictments against El Shukrijumah, alleging he was involved in a plot to set off explosives in the subways of New York and London.
The Express reported in 2003 that the FBI had learnt El Shukrijumah was in possession of a Trinidadian passport, and that local Special Branch officers were involved in the search.

It was reported that El Shukrijumah lived with his family in Trinidad in the 1980s, and during his known visit in 2003, recorded on his immigration form that he was here to visit a friend.

Does Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaida Have a Trinidad and Tobago/Caribbean Connection?

2011-05-02T09:59:00.001-04:00

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead

The world woke up to the news that Bin Laden has been killed in Pakistan this morning.

After ten years of the entire US law enforcement, national agencies and in fact the entire US Armed services looking for this alleged terrorist hearing of is death raise a little skepticism.

If not for the credibility infused by the source, the US President the report would still be in question. .

What is questionable is that there are no pictures and although Muslim tradition require swift burial, why would the US troops in Pakistan make such a decision unless there were other motives?.

They also came up with an original. "Buried at sea because no other country would want to claim his remains". How could they if they were never given the chance.

As a people without much say in our national issues far less the international issues all we can do is ask questions about how these world events affects us. .

Recent Caribbean Terrorist

Of course you would remember the crazy fella from Jamaica who had a bomb in his shoes. How he was ever caught still begs many questions but according to the facts he did have explosives. His intent will always be questionable

On the wider, much "saner" front, the questions keep coming but the most important one for us in the Caribbean is; Does Al Qaida really have a connection in the Caribbean?

Here is a site that proposes such a connection. Click here.

The answer in a quick search determined that maybe they do. Now let me be clear my position with regards to the case of the two old Muslim men from Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana who were convicted as terrorist in New York does not count as Al Qaida connections.

IMHO I can voice the man in the street wispers that these men were railroaded into admitting their part in a plan without any substance. They were accused of attempting to blow up the airport using gas lines from NYC. The experts stated categorically that it would not work under any conditions. Be that as it may, these men will die in US prisons.

More Likely Connection

The connection that raised more questions is from a web site that identified a local mosque as being an instrumental support for an alleged suspect of Al Qaida.

The source, a Miami Private Investigator (PI) have a video posted with the suspect delivering an automotive session. Look at the Video Here.

These links are provided for your edification.

Feel free to comment.

With Global Food Shortage Looming, Trindad Destroys 40 Acres of Food Crops

2011-04-26T10:18:00.001-04:00

Is It That They Don't Believe The Food Experts At The World Bank Or Did Not Know?

Could you believe that there are still some people who are totally unaware of what is happening in the world? It is unconscionable that anyone who labels themselves as a leader would indulge in such ignorant actions.

The only conclusion that can be drawn is that these government “leaders” are totally unaware of numerous international news reports of an impending global food shortage. There's no other explanation.

Without any forethought a few Trinidad and Tobago government officials authorized the distruction of local farmers produce. Today's headlines "Food Face-Off - 40 acres of crops bulldozed to make way for houses". Read it here.

This is total madness. It was only last week that a daily newspaper headlined a story with a minister promising that agricultural squatters on state lands had full permission to maintain their crops. What made the same government destroy harvestable crops on a 40 acre plot of land? This act will soon be indelibly stamped on the minds of a hungry population if the expert predictions are correct.

A myopic decision for sure but to appreciate why the government officials took this drastic action hints at their priorities. The new People Partnership government assumed the housing development mission of the previous administration to construct affordable housing for most average Trinidadians. This is a noble initiative by anyone’s standards.

The previous government had already built thousands of homes that are still to be occupied. In cases where homes were delivered, the new administration discovered that repairs ranged in the of millions of dollars.

Now hear this logic. We have a few thousands homes with repairs to be done. Let’s go out and build a few more while we repair these empty homes. This has nothing to do with a global food crisis our mission is to build more houses. Can anyone eat a home?.

Rhetorical question ; Why not fix and complete the existing structure before embarking on breaking new ground to build more homes on prime agricultural land?

The answer to that question is even simpler. "Them people too lawless, two years ago we serve them notice to leave, they have not; instead they plant more food. It is time we be firm and teach them who run things in this country. Bulldoze them land now"”

Food crisis have nothing to do with trying to make me look bad. Whoever I may be?

Sometimes we overcomplicate people’s responses to what may appear to be an apparent defiance of authority. It’s the feeling you get when you are accosted by a police officer who thinks “he is the law”. If you have ever been stopped by one you will know and if not, maybe one day.

Can REDJET Crash?

2011-04-20T23:40:00.001-04:00

Hopefully Not If You're Flying

Recently, the Caribbean Blogger posted the announcement of RedJet Airone’s unbelievable low fare offer to islands in the Caribbean.

Later this week, Trinidad and Tobago Transport Minister Jack Warner announced in a news conference that he knew nothing about the company or who allowed them permission to fly into Trinidad and Tobago.

On face value, most citizens would think that the government minister was being over protective of their newest acquisition Caribbean Air Lines (CAL). Jamaica has already banned Airone from operating within their territory.

Below are some of the questions that arose from the research.

Remember the saying that "if it looks to good to be true it probably is"”.

One post we found asked some very unsettling questions that every passenger should get the answers to before they hop onboard a RedJet.

With respect to RedJet entering Trinidad and Tobago:

If the Transportation Minister did not authorize the airline to come into Trinidad:

What preparation did the RedJet Airline make to maintain their planes in Trinidad and Tobago?

As we all know every plane must undergo through specific safety maintenance procedures after every overseas flight.

Is the company flying their own mechanics on the jet?

What is the safety record of the MD-80 series of jets manufactured by MacDonald Douglass?

Although the first of these jets were manufactured in the 1960s, most were built between 1980 and 1999. According to one blog post:

Measured by accident data alone, the MD-80 is considered to be one of the safest planes in the sky. According to Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the plane has a fatal hull loss rate — meaning a crash involving fatalities — of 0.34 per one million departures, and an overall hull-loss, or crash, rate of 0.52 per million departures.

By comparison, the average record for all commercial jets is 0.89 fatal hull losses per million departures, and an overall rate of 1.64 hull losses per million departures, Boeing said.

The figures include today’s crash in Madrid of an MD-82, Spanair Flight JK5022, which appears to have killed more than 150 people, according to Spanish authorities.

The crash comes only a few months after American Airlines’ battle with the Federal Aviation Administration over the inspection of its fleet of MD80s, which put the plane in a spotlight with American travelers last spring.. Read More Here

But that report has to be view in light of some of other documented crashes. For a detail list of crashes documented for the MD-80 series jets. Click Here

Hopefully that would not stop you from boarding the jet for a cheap flight to Barbados. Here are some other stinging questions that were quoted directly from another blog.

Is it practical to operate MD82, old generation, aircraft on a 15 minute route structure?
Are $9.99USD fares realistic or practical?
Can REDJET compete with the heavily subsidized LIAT?
Will the FAA grant the airline access to the proposed USA market?
Why did Jamaican Government not allow Airone to set up operations in Jamaica?
Who is the major Barbadian investor listed in the USA Exception Application?
Does Barbados Government Civil Aviation organization have the expertise, experience, regulations etc. to approve, monitor and regulate a heavy commercial passenger carrier?
Are two proposed aircraft sufficient to operate an on time scheduled passenger service considering weather, mechanicals, maintenance etc.?
What Liability Insurance has Barbados demanded of RedJet?

The big question is $9.99USD or FREE would you hop on a jet that you felt uncomfortable with?

Thankfully that may not be a decision you will make because the way it looks now you may not ever have the chance to board a RedJet.

The story is still being told. .

World Food Shortages To Affect The Caribbean & Other 3rd World Nations First

2011-04-17T11:06:00.002-04:00

What Does It Mean To You?

People and governments in developing countries such as Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean should not ignore predictions the world’s food supply experts. A crisis is looming and it portends the next significant global crisis.

Food and Money

Let’s face it food is one of the basic consumables of the human species. Air and water are the other two. In a New York Times article, journalist Elisabeth Rosenthal reported that according to the IMF the food price index is “the highest in 20 years of existence”

Food however, is directly related to economics. It is not so much the food shortage but high prices for food that will create the crisis. To add to the madness some rich countries are creating a demand for biofuels and consuming a vast supply of cassava, corn, sugar and palm oil for conversion into biofuels.

How Much We Eat

How long will it take 6.91 billion people ( world’s current population) eating everyday, 3 times a day , to consume what’s on the shelves right now? This number is expected to significantly increase. See World Population figures

Best guess is a couple of days.

And that’s because as soon as the shortage is announced the hoarders rich and poor will converge on the groceries like red ants stockpiling food.

The Crisis Is Here Already

It will take a bit longer to actually see the results of the crisis globally. Soon new reports of the affects of high food prices on poor countries will begin to surface with more frequency.

In fact, it has already showing up globally. Most people don’t even realize that the overthrow of the Tunisia government in the Middle East was prompted by high food prices. Or that soaring food prices caused riots or contributed to politacal turmoil in Aleria, Egypt and Bangladesh so far..

The world is still recovering from an economic crisis many countries will be affected by any shortage in the world’s food supply. Here is what the leaders of the IMF and World Bank had to say:

"Food prices worldwide have surged 36 percent since a year ago and disproportionately hit developing countries. The rise in prices comes even as 44 million people around the world have been thrust into poverty since June last year.

"We are one shock away from full blown crisis," said World Bank Group President Robert Zoellick at a press briefing in Washington on Saturday.
The region's poor often spend half of their income on food. Having to use more of that income on feeding their families means fewer funds are available for families to save or invest.

"If the Food Price Index rises by just another 10 percent, we estimate that another 10 million people will fall into extreme poverty when people live on less than 1 dollar 25 cents per day," he said. "And a 30 percent increase would add 34 million people to the world's poor, who number 1.2 billion."
Read More here

You Have Been Warned

These predictions are all coming from credible sources and are serious enough that any forward thinking government must prioritize it. It should not be ignored. The global trumpet has been sounded it is up to the individual nations to begin to put some sort of contingency plan in place.

What Can You Do?

Let’s face it, if you are reading this, you most likely not in government. Fact is that even if you are you would be more interested in what you can do to forestall the crisis at an individual and family level.

The most obvious answer is to begin to hoard now. Stockpile your food for a rainy day. What is more important is understanding the extent of the problem. There is only one way to do this…

First educate yourself. Find out what is really happening in the world with respect to the food shortage. Don’t take the words you read here as truth. Do your due diligence.

Don't Stick Your Head In The Sand

Next, you need to come up with a plan after you have looked at your disposable income. Determine the quantity of food you will need to stockpile for a specific period of time. This will be based on the size of your family and relatives you wish to include. Don’t guess, your life may depend on it.

Earmark a percentage of your disposable income for food that you can afford. Make plans within your family for the impending crisis. As you will discover, it is not if but when the crisis will begin affecting you. Then, identify the type of foods that are not perishable and are potent enough to sustain you on a daily and monthly basis.

A Comment Get You A Free EBook.

Here is my contribution to the impending food crisis.

Post a comment on here with your email address and get a free copy of "36 Potent Foods to Lose Weight and Live Healthy". This valueable report will tell you exactly what foods you should concentrate on stockpiling.

Do It While You're Not Hungry

Stay blessed.

A World Leader Most Embrassing Moment

2011-04-13T10:57:00.000-04:00

Thankfully, This Is Not Caribbean News, Just A Flaw In Human Nature

Why would the leader of a country stoop so low?

This is a question only he can answer but even if he did to someone satisfaction, it raises other questions.

He's obviously suffers from kleptomania. We say "suffer" because the embrassment is enough to make anyone squirm, moreso someone who at the time was repesenting an entire country. When you think about how bad our Caribbean leaders behave be glad that they never do something like this. It can bring shame to an entire nation. But here are the questions...

After you view the video ask yourself:

Why did he do it when all he had to do was ask?

How did he feel when he saw himself on the news?

How would you feel if it was your Prime Minister?

Isn't this the stupidest thing you have ever seen?

Unless you speak Czech you will not understand a word in the video but you don't need to; the pictures tells it all.

Wah you think?

Redjet, The Cheapest Caribbean Airfares As Low As $9.99 - $49.99

2011-04-12T15:29:00.001-04:00

Defying Economic Hard Times For Airlines

While Caribbean Airlines (CAL) is sacking employees left and right a new player has come on the scene.

Redjet the newest airline based in Barbados has airfares that’s has never been offered in the English speaking Caribbean.

In an announcement made last Monday, April 11th tickets will go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday April 13th for the amazing price of $9.99 to $49.99 US.

According to the announcement by the company executives:

“This truly will be a REDvolution as we aim to lower fares even further and open more routes across the region. Join us on our mission to end high fares so that everyone can fly! Get online on Wednesday and get your hands on the lowest fares ever seen in the Caribbean and let’s turn the Skies RED!” he further enthused.
This announcement comes almost a month after Redjet and regulators exchanged views in the Barbados media over what was the hold-up for the granting of an air operating certificate for the four-year-old carrier.

When questioned in early March about the start-up of the low-cost carrier, Gabrielle Springer, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of International Business and International Transport, said: “We have to comply with international standards and go through all the relevant processes. If we don’t comply, we would hear from the tourism sector and the general populace that we did not ensure that the particular carrier was safe and secure to carry our local people and visitors throughout the region.”

REDjet was founded in 2006 by Burns’ father Robbie with the intention of becoming the Caribbean’s first low fares airline in the mould of the Irish Ryanair or US Jet Blue. However the carrier, which is registered as Airone Ventures, has had a rough start to the enterprise after initial attempts to set-up in Jamaica ran aground despite having spent US$1 million on the start-up process in Jamaica. Speculation at the time was that authorities were reluctant to allow the airline to register in Jamaica, putting it in direct competition

Go see their launch site. Click Here.

Was It Right To Fire Nizam Mohammed?

2011-04-06T11:02:00.000-04:00

Was He a Sacrificial Lamb?

He was not fired for what he did but how and where he did it.

Nobody drops their pands and take a crap in the middle of Fredrick St at noon; not even a vagrant. And you certainly would not get away with it if you was recently found pissing on yourself on the Promonard.

To be honest red flags started flying from the minute the public found out that he would be appointed as the head of the Police Service Commission. The objection; he came with a party bias because he was a long standing member of the ruling UNC party. In fact, during the party’s previous reign he was appointed Speaker of the House.

Despite all objections he was nominated. The party stood by him. Prime Minister refused ot budge on his nomination and he was eventually appointed. The opposition maintained to call for his removal with very little affect. Then the incident with the police officers occurred in Port of Spain.

Is he a racist now? IMHO, not hardly.

Remember the saying: “people who live in glass houses should not throw stones”. Or the verse in the bible when Jesus said “Let he that is not guilty cast the first stone”.

Take a look at the world from Nizam’s Mohammed’s perspective. Forget that he is a loyal UNC man or that he is a distinguished lawyer in Trinidad and Tobago. Understand the man for a minute.

He is an Indian man who worked hard to attain his stature in the society. He had reached the point where he felt that people, in fact, every police officer should know “who he was”. If they didn’t they were dumber than they looked.

So when the officers stopped him he was aghast that they did not recognize him. Afterall he was also the former Speaker of the House. They either didn’t know or didn’t care. Incidentally, both police officers were afro Trinidadians. They did not make his day.

Word on the street is that he was trying to get back at them for slighting him especially since the incident caused him so much trauma. That's just the word of people who need to add fuel to the fire.

Although a sitting Ministers and the Attorney General had voiced a similar concern about the Indo/Afro race disparity in the police service no one paid any attention to them. It would have been foolish of them to pick up that mantle.

But they had a top dog in the Police Service Association (PSC); Nizam Mohammed. He could comfortably broach the topic, or so he thought. According to him, most likely without checking, he had a “constitutional mandate” to make it right.

There is nothing wrong in making anything right.

All he wanted to do was “help his people”. Should he be labeled a racist and be vilified because he took up a just “at least to him” cause? The statistic he quoted was inaccurate but his motive was to say the least idealistic.

Here is the $65 million dollar question:

Would you try to help “your people” if you was placed in a position such as the one he had and the same conditions existed?

If you answered no, I’d say you are lying to yourself or you are just an extraordinary human being.

He must have been totally shocked when he started getting feedback from his public statements. The opposition he expected them to object but they were not in a position to do anything. What must have thrown him for a loop was the reaction of his fellow commissioners, prominant Indians "his people" and almost every Minister in the UNC party. He must have felt a tremendous sense of betrayal.

Words like racist, reckless, insensitive, splitting the society apart assaulted his consiousness. All through it he remained cocky and defiant.

Even after President Max Richards fired him, his arrogance remained evident. According to him “I did nothing wrong”.

With that, this writer totally agrees. He did nothing that any of us in Trinidad and Tobago, no matter what race you belong to, wouldn’t do.

Unfortunately, he painted the government into a corner; they had to act. It could not be ignored like the other two instances. They assumed that if they did nothing they would be viewed as supportative of his position. Doing that, they rationalized could divide the society, the worst case scenario trigger a race war in Trinidad and Tobago.

That was the unstated but outlandish hidden assumption.

He certainly should not have been appointed and all this fuss would have been avoided. But I do not agree with the reason he was fired. He did, in essence, what any of us would have done given the same circumstances.

You may not have done it exactly in the same way but you would have done something, to help our people get a better life. You would not be able to help it if you are human. Unless of course you are so blended you do not ascribe yourself to any race then you may decide to help friends, family or acquaintances. That's how we are; especially in T&T.

The funny thing about us as human beings is that we abhor ourselves. We demonstare it by loudly pointing out the same fault in other humans. It is as if by doing so others will not figure us out and our secret would stay with us forever.

Inately we are all racists by nature. Many of us have transcended the vagaries of racism but it never really leaves us. There is something about having commonality with others.

Is it not so?

Wah yuh tink?

March 29th 2011, BBC Caribbean Shuts Down

2011-03-27T23:02:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago people in the Caribbean were told that the BBC was closing it offices in a number of countries; including the Caribbean.

D Day is finally here, the station is actually shutting down its Caribbean Services within hours.

There are literally thousands of people in the Caribbean who will miss this station. It's the only radio station in the western hemisphere that provided news from a global perspective. A yesteryear CNN.

If you ever needed to keep abreast of what's happening in any part of the world, the BBC had a correspondent there or would get one in as soon as humanly possible. The Briish lost there influence on many parts of the world in the last fifty years but the BBCs became a staple for people of many countries.

Human interests and breaking news from the Caribbean, Korea, Africa, the Middle East, Libya, or Afghanistan, they are have covered stories in countries whose names I cannot pronounce, .

They provided almost instant news of people, events, catastrophes and even conspiracies in government or business. It was as though they were everywhere at the same time. Even the final shut down was done professionally done. .

During its final week the BBC's Caribbean Service was busy as ever finding time to bring us breaking Caribbean news.

Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar made exclusive comments on Britain's Privy Council and the Caribbean Court of Justice.

They were even scooped the official enquiry into support by Jamaica's ruling party for strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.

For your listening pleasure and prosperity the Caribbean Blogger presents the final broadcasts of each BBC Caribbean presenter during the final week of operation. Click on the link to listen to the presenters:

Hear Caribbean Report with Ken Richards

Hear Caribbean Report with Neil Nunes

Hear Caribbean Report with Bertram Niles

Hear Caribbean Report with Marie-Claire Williams

Hear Caribbean Report with Patience Chinwada

Hear Caribbean Magazine with Mike Jarvis

Hear Caribbean Report with Debbie Ransome

A brief history of BBC Caribbean

Excerpt from BBC site


	It all started with WW2 Calling the West Indies'

The origin of the Caribbean Service was a programme called Calling the West Indies.

The programme began in 1939 featuring West Indian troops on active service during World War Two reading letters to their families.

From 1943 to 1958, the output became a programme called Caribbean Voices, highlighting West Indian writers.

Its producers and contributors included VS Naipaul, George Lamming, Andrew Salkey and Samuel Selvon.

In 1949, We See Britain was introduced as part of the programming for the Caribbean under the management of cricketer-turned-producer Ken Ablack.

Over the next three decades, the Caribbean Service nurtured producers and presenters, including Trevor McDonald who became one of the best-known newsreaders on British television and Jones Madeira who returned to the Caribbean to work with Caricom and many regional broadcasters.

The Service closed in the mid-1970s, but in 1988 it re-opened as a news and current affairs department.

It started with a 15-minute evening drivetime programme BBC Caribbean Report which then grew to a short morning drivetime news edition and a weekly BBC Caribbean Magazine programme which dealt with cultural issues and the human face of the news agenda.

By the 1950s, the programme 'Caribbean Voices' allowed producers the room to work for the BBC and write their early novels.

From now on people in the Caribbean can still connect to the services on the Internet but sadly the news will not be about events in the Caribbean unless it is of global significance. This link is to the current BBC Caribbean page, it may change shortly.

I think we can all agree that we hate to see it go.

GOODBYE BBC CARIBBEAN, WE LOVED YAH.

An Amazing Story Out Of Jamaica, Rasta Yam

2011-03-22T12:27:00.000-04:00

More Unbelievable Than Any "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" Story

Is that a mummified child in the picture?

This story was so unusual that I had to be shared. Reported in the Jamaica Gleaner and is posted on the Caribbean Fever Community.com page. Here's the story.

It was a cool November afternoon and 81-year-old Gervin Henry had just returned to his home in Struan, Manchester, Jamaica after an early-morning trip to Kingston.

He decided to walk down to his farm located just behind his house where he grows potatoes, bananas and yam. It's the place the sprightly golden-ager spends most of his time and he was eager to reap some bananas he had deemed ready the night before.

While he was there he decided dig a piece of yam for his niece
"I dig out one piece and then I move to another side to dig another. I tell you, I get the shock of my life!" he said.

Out of the ground, Maas Gervin pulled a roughly four-pound piece of yam like no other piece of yam he had ever seen before.

"Never in my life! Never see anything like that in my life!" Maas Gervin exclaimed.

The yam had a long split halfway up the middle and a bump at the very top. To the seasoned farmer, it looked like a man wearing a tam, on his knees, praying.

"It clear, man. Is a Rastaman kneel down and praying. I couldn't believe it. Still can't believe it," he said.

Maas Gervin spent only a moment alone on the farm examining the tuber before rushing up to the house to show his niece.

"She frighten so till she nearly fall down. I hang it up on a pole outside the house and she just stand up there staring at it," said Maas Gervin.

"She say she don't want that piece. She say I must dig another piece for her," Maas Gervin laughed.

The Yam has since been on show at a local shop in town and Maas Gervin has plans to show it at the annual agricultural show in Denbigh, Clarendon.

Could it be obeah, voodoo or whatever it's called in Jamaica? Whatever it is, it boggles the mind.

Stay blessed.

Drama in Trinidad and Tobago Medical Profession

2011-03-21T09:58:00.000-04:00

Spin With Circles, Not Blocks

As the muck thickens on the issue reported in my last post "Commonwealth Day Observance for Women, A blessing for Trinidad".

Since that post, the head of the union representing the nurses, the president of the Public Services Association PSA, Watson Duke, demanded an apology from the un-elected Health Minister Cornelius Baptist.

According to Mr. Duke, not one of the nurses had received a suspension letter. He charged that the Minister’s announcement had traumatized all the nurses involved.

The Minister responded by instructing the Chairman of the Board of the Health Authority to fire the CEO of the hospital. The Chairman, held a press conference to let the “dum-dum” people of Trinidad and Tobago know that the termination was effective immediately and the reason was “change in strategic direction”. What a bunch of crap.

Let us not mince words. Is it not obvious that when an organization concocts a far fetched reason for termination it hurts the organization credibility? These people shot themselves in the foot before they cut their noses to save face. .

Apparently the Board was backed into a corner, their options limited. How could they announce that; "she was fired her immediately because we were told to do it." or in other words "we are puppets for the government" Instaed they opted to feed the public with nonesense. .

There were many other options available but the action was harsh and intended to produce the greatest extent of hurt.

"Hang them", says Mr. Ramlogan and Jack Warner, "we can determine later if they are guilty"

Such a harsh, poorly scripted response reflects badly on the Board and has tarnished the government’s image. Quite the opposite of what they would have preferred. The dumbest child in school knows that the board acted on instructions from the government. No amount of “strategic lies” will change that. But who is really listening?

The general population’s concern revolves around proper care and attention at the hospital. The hospital authority and by extension the government is more focused on how the minister looks to the public.

The union, Medical Professionals Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT), is coordinating a march today. Is it that they are validating the dues they collect?

Their position is that the proper procedures were not followed prior to the suspensions. They do readily admit that the proper procedures were not followed in the case of the deceased patient. Please spare us the stupidity.

Very few people will sympathize with highly paid doctors who almost all have private practices or are employed by for profit private medical institutions. Bringing down to the level of laborers by marching for their rights degrades the profession.

They are protesting the suspensions of the doctors. Who they think they are; the police? It’s only the police in this country who can be caught in possession of controlled substance and be transferred to another station.

Whether the right people were suspended is questionable. The fact is somebody had to answer for the death of the young lady and the many others that have been in question.

Everybody has an opinion and that’s mine.

Stay blessed

The Most Dangerous Facebook Action You Can Take

2011-03-19T09:02:00.003-04:00

Avoid Facebook Applications Like The Plague

In a previous post we pointed out how Facebook has penetrated the lives of at least a third of the Trinidad and Tobago population. (Facebook invades Trinidad and Tobago) High usage does not mean that most users understand the dangers of subscribing to applications on Facebook.

Trinbagoians are the proverbial “babes” in the electronic woods. Dangers lurk in seemingly innocent applications and games. They appear so safe and “cute” that we may even invite our friends to participate thereby exponentially increasing its credibility and penetration.

Hackers and spammers know this and rely on human nature to complete the loop of deception.

Have you noticed that almost every application on Facebook requires you give permission to access your personal data before participating? Your information includes one single piece of information that would allow access to much more than information on your Facebook account; your password.

It’s a fact of human nature; we are lazy. We are all looking for the easiest, quickest and pain resistant way to do everything. Some of us however, heed the advice of experts and take some very deliberate action to avoid future losses.

Most people use one password to access all their web assets. It’s easier to remember and they never have to go through the trouble of retrieving it. Prior to the emergence of social networks hackers and scammers had to spend thousands of hours developing programs that identified your password; now they get it just for the asking.

Many of theses applications are legitimate but to be safe, you should establish a policy to refrain from using them. The benefits far outweigh the risks.

Here is an example of one such application, the original version may have been innocent enough but hackers are constantly improving their strategy and it has become easier to duplicate and modify software.

Have you seen the application that says?

Your friend (Mary) just answered a question about you!

The question is usually one that the friend could not possibly answer about you, especially a “Facebook Friend” whose knowledge about you is limited. Don’t go down that rabbit hole.

If you do, you must first give access to your personal information where the developers can now access your:

· Name,

· Profile picture,

· Gender,

· Networks,

· User ID,

· Friends

· Information you shared with anyone

You are also granting them permission to:

· Send you email ...

· Post to your wall ... and ...

· Access your data you or your friends post at any time

Add the fact that there is no way for you to unsubscribe and you will understand the extent of the problem. Visit the face book page “People Who Hate 21 Questions on Facebook” 1400 plus people cannot be wrong.

The point is that because a third of the Trinidad and Tobago population is actively using Facebook does not mean it is safe. The best decision you could make is to resist invitations to access these games. Your first and immediate benefit is that you save yourself tons of time. More importantly, you will safeguard your information.

Leave that to the people who think it takes to long to read an article like this. They deserve it.

If you are a parent, advise your child(ren), they can become the conduit for hackers to access your personal information. Limit or better yet, eliminate the use of the Facebook applications. Visis your Facebook privacy settings usually found in the dropdown box under your account and adjust your Facebook privacy settings immediately.

Be safe online, offline and stay blessed.

Join me on BrotherKeepers on Facebook

Has Corruption Become “Normal” In Trinidad & Tobago

2011-03-16T13:06:00.000-04:00

Crime in Trinidad and Tobago appears to be pandemic. But it’s not. T&T is not an island of criminals. With one point three million residents less that 25,000 make this country unsafe.

We are. however, victims of our own education raised with a corruption mentality. We accept it as "da is how it is".. Very few of us question it or realize that it is so because we accept it. We are a society that understands the need for "a man to eat ah food"”.

The means, they say, justify the end.

As individuals we accept errant and criminal behavior; first in schools. We admire the bullies and potential bandits and scamps. Actually, "admire" is not the right word, it’s more "tolerate" because it's all about "my safety"”

Secretly we wish they would disappear, die or go to jail forever.

Our youths grow up with a militaristic mentality choosing fashion to express our need to be secure. The government actually enacted legislation to prevent individuals from wearing camouflage outfits.

As adults we know the military looking security guards with pant tails tucked into boots. All things military intrigues us.

It is against this backdrop of security that corruption is so pervasive. It starts at the top.

The new government, elected on a ticket of transparancy, there have been instances where valid questions have been raised in the media' still without adequate answers.

And, if you live here and do not personally know of at least one individual who have gained favors because what can be rightly described as "government corruption" then you have not been living here for long.

The next level is at the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) with its own special blend of corruption. And here we do not refer to the individual police officer but a systemic corruption. How else would you explain the treatment of criminal activity in the service.

A transfer is the harshest penalty an officer will get unless of course it's public murder which has already happened. The more discreet are not so openly emotional.

We do not need sophisticated polls or surveys to know that the level of trust and integrity of the TTPS is very low.

Similarly, there is no need for a commission of enquiry to come up with obvious problems. The system as it exists today gives officers a tap on the hand, "don't do that again ok" and they are transfered to a new station or division. Maybe they are protected by the union but there are cases where even a union would agree on suspensions. At least until all the facts of the case are known. .

When a police officer breaks the law and is not immediately and severely reprimanded the result is rippled through various segments of the society corrupting and instilling a feeling of insecurity in the citizenry.

Think one bad apple. Even the "good ones" tend to go bad because they become "unwilling accomplices" due to their failure to report known criminal behaviors.

Ultimately, the Chief of Police is responsible.

Read this true story, an article buried on page 27 of today's Trinidad and Tobago Express. .

When you read it you would be amazed that this is still happening in a democratic society and that's with a Chief of Police from Canada.

Comments? Suggestions?

$1,000 offered to 'kill' charges

Commonwealth Day Observance For Women, A Blessing For Trinidad

2011-03-15T22:28:00.001-04:00

"Women As Agent For Change"

Yesterday we had two first. Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar addressed the Commonwealth Day observance ceremony.

For the first time in history a woman Prime Minister, representing Trinidad and Tobago gave her contribution to such a distinguished organization.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has made a plea for a review of the Commonwealth action plan to include pressing issues which affect women.

She said; "The time has come for us to acknowledge the growing recognition and importance of women's participation in leadership across the Commonwealth.

Together, the people, societies and organisations of the Commonwealth, the world's oldest political association of sovereign states, with 54 independent member states, can change the fortunes of women for the benefit of all,"

It was also the first time in history that immediate investigations were ordered in the deaths of anyone at a medical facility in Trinidad and Tobago.

On March 4^th Carnival Friday, Carapichaima housewife Chrystal Boodoo Ramsoomair, perfectly pregnant young woman died at the hospital after she gave birth by cesarean section. An investigation is also being conducted in the still birth of a baby boy, by a pregnant mother Simone Critchlow Taylor last Saturday.

Five doctors and four nurses were suspended because of this one death.

Overkill. Both you and I know that no normal patient gets five doctors and five nurses to attend to them in no hospital in Trinidad, especially Sando General. People does die waiting to see one doctor; they’re investigating five? Why would one case involve so many doctors and nurses?

The "shut up" battle axe, Health Minister Baptiste-Cornelis, declared Government will "no longer tolerate the untimely demise of our patients who have been put into our care".

Add to that what Minister Mary King, the only Minister with a title that has two "ands" had to say” “Trinidad and Tobago is the third best country in the commonwealth for a girl to be born. New Zealand is first and Barbados second. And by the way, Mary King’s title is “Minister of Planning, Economic AND Social Restructuring, AND Gender Affairs.

She did not say how they arrived at that conclusion but we could assume they took into consideration socio-economic lifestyles, availability of services including medical and career opportunities.

PM Kamla primary concern, however, was clear when she said that the “Commonwealth action plan of 2005-2015 should include gender equality and areas of concern such as climate change, trafficking of women, food security and the impact of the global financial crisis on women”.

I'm a little confused as to how women's issues would include climate change, trafficking in women and food security? Seems like they all relate to men too. But maybe that's because I'm a man. Duh?

She never mentioned the dangers women face in the delivery of medical care in developing countries.

Timing is everything, these events may appear unrelated but they are connected by a common tread. Why the sudden concern for the quality of health care for women now?

Is it mere coincidence that attention to these unfortunate events is all crammed into one week of ministerial announcements?

Thank God for the observance of Commonwealth Day for women. Too many unusual things happen at our local hospitals; not only to women.

The suspended medical personnel must still be reeling in shock. But here is something you may not have thought about; with five doctors and four nurses suspended, how are the emergency patients fairing now?

For more details on cases mentioned here, follow the links below to the local newspapers.

5 doctors suspended

Why did a health baby die in the womb?

TT best place for girls

Trinidad Cricketers Arrested For Marijuana

2011-03-13T20:05:00.003-04:00

The End Of A Cricketing Career

"Put it out. Out it now", he screamed as he turned the curve on the Lady Young Road. "Is ah road block"

"Just be calm and hide the ganja". It was too late.

Those words or something similar was the beginning of the end of so so careers for two West Indian cricketers in Trinidad.

Trinidad batsman Runako Morton (played for the T&T team but not a Trinidadian) and Leewards Island all rounder Tonito Willet were arrested in Port of Spain for possession of over 500 grammes of marijuana.

Exactly what 500 grammes looks like is a mystery but it had to be much more than a couple of joints. There's no way they will be charged with selling "ten and twenty pieces" because they were gainfully employed.

This is hearsay but according to the rumors, Runako was the cricketer who left an international game to return home because according to him his mother had died. It was learned later that that was untrue but it was quitely swept under the cricket mat. But this is worse.

Don’t know if Runako expected it but theT&T Team manager, Omar Khan, quickly distanced himself from him. by giving the press the following statement.

"Unfortunately Runako Morton abandoned the team last night [Friday night] against team guidelines and team rules and he left the team hotel at Cascadia and did not return and when we were leaving the hotel this morning [Saturday morning] at 8.15 am there was still no sign of Morton. We tried to call his cell phone but he could not be contacted.

"This morning [Saturday morning] at around 11 a.m, we got a call from the manager of the Cascadia Hotel indicating that the Police has just reported that Morton was held last night together with Tonito Willet of the Leeward Islands and they found marijuana on them."

Sorry Runako, yuh cricketing days over boy. Yuh done gone an break the law, get ready to pay a big fine. Dey does fine yuh bigger than if it was cocaine. Hope yuh have another skill besides playing cricket.

This might be begging the question, but;. If yuh wasn't selling weed, why yuh travelling with so much?

Well, guess the police asking the same questions too.

Hope yuh have a satisfactory answer.

Read the rest of the story from Cricinfo

Stay Blessed

The Biggest International Currency Crisis Ever; The US Dollar

2011-03-12T09:10:00.001-04:00

The Failure Of The US Dollar Will Affect Every Country In The World

If you are wise, you will not ignore what you are about to learn.

This information is so crucial to your future that passing it by perils your future.

Sounds like I'm trying to sell something but I'm not, I have no financial interest in this project..

I am sharing it solely because I believe that it will help whoever takes the time to listen.

People pay for what you will get free.Your price today is a few minutes of your time.

If you are not living in the America share the link with anyone you know there. Only do so if you agree with what is said.

What you will learn will shift your paradigm. It does not matter if you live in Trinidad and Tobago, the smales island in the Caribbean, Italy, Japan o Greece, this information, the information is that potent.

Look at the video then come back and make a comment here.

OK, thats enough Go here

Remember come basck and comment.

Can Trinidad & Tobago Withstand An Earthquake Like Japan's?

2011-03-11T21:16:00.003-04:00

WAKE UP TRINBAGO

You're due for another major earthquake and we are not prepared for it.

There is not much preparation you can make for an earthquake , it's not like a hurricane with hours of time to alert everyone.

It is an instant, unpredictable disaster with immediate consequences during and after it hits. The scope of destruction depends on its intensity and duration. Tsumanis are very predictable and with certainty could de large enough to devastate an entire island if not a very significant portion.

Here is a youtube video of the aftermath of a tsunami caused by an earthquake.

Typically major earthquakes in the Caribbean measure in the range of 6.0 to 7.0 on the Richter scale. Here is what happens.

Pressure builds up in the earths’ crust along a fault line. After many decades of pressure, like a rubber band stretched to it’s limit, something gives, the result is a shift in the earth’s topography; an earthquake. The only way that scientists have found useful is the time in-between earth quakes. Here is a history of all recorded earthquakes

There have also a theory that animals can sense when an earthquake will hit. One local article with quote by our local earthquake expert provides great insight into this idea. Read it here.

Although there have been a number of minor earthquakes in recent times, they have not caused much damage. The signs have been there, but we are not prepared. Most notable, unlike Japan, there is no regulatory agency to over see construction of home and large buildings. Here is how prepared the Caribbean is right now.

Remember when we talk about an earthquake hitting Trinidad and Tobago, that includes anywhere in the Caribbean with sufficient magnitude. Thank God we were not hit with a tsunami when the earthquake destroyed Haiti.

The last time we in Trinidad and Tobago felt the earth shake uncontrollably was…

On October 21, 1766 at 10:65 Saint Joseph, Trinidad and Tobago was destroyed by a 7.9 earthquake. The city has been rebuilt but was one of the reasons why the government at the time to relocate the capital to Port of Spain. The other reason was that Port of Spain was accessible by sea.

To answer the question whish is the subject of this post is a flat out NO.

We are not ready. We need to get ready before it’s too late.

We will never be able to predict when it will happen. Our building suck and many people will be crushed by them but at least we know the urgency of evacuating any large building or at least how to react when an earthquake hits.

We can predict how we are going to react. Instead of looking at hanging people we could lobby for legislation that addresses this issue in a holistic manner. That is just in case an earthquake wakes us up, which according to the people that know, is a certainty.

This is a quake up call Trinidad and Tobago. Heed it.

Stay Blessed.

Carnival Cool Down and Wrap Up

2011-03-10T16:02:00.001-04:00

Putting It In Perspective

The day after Ash Wednesday is always a day most Trinis want to stay home from work. Is the cool down after the cool down on Ash Wednesday at the beach.

My cousin in New York told me a few years ago that Trinis have a tell tale characteristi. It's like how you know a zebra. Trini he said; "like to party". I know that Black Americans like to party just as hard and even harder if they can. Like peas in a pod.

I attended more than one exclusively Black American birthday party in Boston for one to there years olds who were dead asleep before the party started. I wondered how in the world a baby could sleep comfortable with the loud music and shouting. We do that too.

I know one thing, we all like money the same, it does not matter the colour; blue, green, white, black, brown or gold. This Carnival had some embrassing moments because of the money. More than one group acted like...

Crabs in a barrel mentality.

Ravi B gone mad on stage, soca stars throwing words like jammets , a band leader insulted, everybody want 2 million. And the government is smiling. Does Carnival have anything to do with culture?

Like we say in Trini “So wah go happen when d money done?” That is the 2 million dollar question now. Everybody want a change to do what they been doing for years for nothing or next to nothing. The PP Government has raised the financial expectation standards for artists in this country.

Notice, it is financial expectation and not qualitative. Very few of the 2 million winners left an enduring message for the people to adopt or emulate. Even when they did it was lost in the Carnival noise rarely to be recalled.

Safety

Let’s leave them new rich people for a minute. Ah hear Gibbs say that this was a quiet Carnival considering how many people were in the streets. The police did an excellent job in keeping crime at bay. He shoulda read the Express first.

That man must be mad. Either that or he was not on the job. Over the Carnival weekend over 12 ah we gone to we maker. A dozen Trinis bite the dust and the man say all went well.That's not well in Canada and its certainly not well here.

He wants it to be 2 dozen before he gets off his lil ass and do something.

OK, I done before ah open meh mouth here. You could agree, disagree or feel indifferent?

Cya

Stay Blessed.

Games Night In Santa Rosa

2011-03-10T12:34:00.000-04:00

ALL INViTED AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS

All Fours In Santa Rosa

Call for directions if you cannot find it.

Las Lap: Who Will Be Road March King?

2011-03-08T09:21:00.001-04:00

Looks Like Machel Will Take That Too

A writer on the Trinidad Express felt that the 2011 Road March King will be either Machel Montano or Iwer D Boss George. Both are heavy favorites, in the Soca Monarch competition Mr. Montano with Mr. George following in a close second.

The tunes that are expected to win are "Advantage" by Mr. Montano and "Come to Me" by Mr. George.

Yesterday in the Savannah it was Advantage leanding by 15 to Come to Meh being played 9 times.

On YouTube Mr. Montano's Advantage is leading with 54,586 views to Mr. George's "Come to Me" with 18,589 view.

MACHEL MONTANO "ADVANTAGE"

UpDate Trinidad Guardian: Machel takes Soca Monarch crown

IWER GEORGE "COME TO ME"

With the Parade of Bans to conclude today the people choice will determine the winner.

Interesting note, some people in the Carnival industry have suggested that the People’s Choice of bands are now being determined by the radio DJs and pre= Carnival fete DJs. They say it gives the appearance that the people chose when it is actually the DJs.

People they say are conditioned like Pavlov dog when the tunes are played frequently by the local stations.

They could have a point but… are not the DJs people too? If we view the People Choice process from the time the tunes are released. Can the DJs be considered experts in catchy carnival rhythm? If we were to view holistically the people will still eventually choose.

Here is the short list of the other favorites to watch for third and forth place:

Trini by Benjai
Wotless by kess
Fretting for Days by Xavier

That’s the short list for this Carnival Road March.

Seems like last year’s Road March Kings are not even contenders this year.

That is mas.

The Winner Trinidad 2011 Calypso Monarch Competition

2011-03-07T08:58:00.007-04:00

How It All Turned Out

Below are the results of the carnival Sunday night Calypso Monarch, King and Queen Competitions.

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D Road March Competition Post

QUEEN KARENE

"UNCLE JACK"

"CAREFUL WHAT U ASK FOR"

OK, I'm back. Just had time to post this before I went to Port of Spain. Want to put my two cents in on the competition.

Let me start by saying that I eh no calypso judge, I never made up a calypso before so I know I cannot be a judge.

I'm a consumer of calypso lyerics but I tried going to the grand stand one Carnival and had to spend so many hours on those hard seats that I decided the best place to take it in is at home.

Good thing too, I did not see the entire show. But this is what I saw before I went into la la land. Cro Cro song was decent, a little controversial but a decent calypso. Don't think it was good enough for first prize.

The Winner Is The Loser Because...

What got me was the last year monarch, Kurt Allen, he must be feel that because he was the winner last year he could come and give we a speech.

Yes he delivered a speech.

And that elaborate prop he came on stage with was so not calypso. I know this is the future but the praying hand thing did not work, in fact one of the golden hands fell over. IMHO he should have spent more time on the song than them props and the judges thought so too. I like when I right.

Old Man Eh Giving Up...

Then there was Chalkie, at first I was; why don't he leave that for the youths? I think his calypsos were good too very imformative to people who don't know. An old historian to end, he managed to immortalize a number of distinguished Trinis. I particularly liked his lyeric that says "Trinis good at everything except being able to run a police force". I think that was halirous but so true. We have always had a problem with that.

But when you think of it even I, who never sang a calypso before, woulda come out of retirement for a chance at 2 million. He did not make it but I bet with the "lil change" he get for third prize is more than he ever win for first. Money like peas flowing.

Benjai Come To The Wrong Competition

Last comment, I think that the man who come last deserve that place. He come in a calypso competition and trying to win with a soca song. Like going to a gun fight with a knife. He loss too bad.

All yuh done realize that we spend, according to my calculations about 7 million just in prizes to about 20 people in the country. Like I say money like peas here.

That's a subject for another day. I not going to comment on the King and Queen costumes I even worse with that.

In the meanwhile, lets enjoy the Carnival. The results are below.

The results - Calypso Monarch:
1. Karene Asche
2. Michael Osuna, Sugar Aloes
3. Dr. Hollis Liverpool, Chalkdust
4. Devon Seales
5. Dexter Parson, Stinger
6. Kurt Allen
7. Brian London
8. Tamika Darius
9. Kizzy Ruiz
10. Joanne Rowley, Tigress
11. Weston Rawlins, Cro Cro
12. Rodney Le Blanc, Benjai

D Road March Competition Post

King of Carnival:
1. Wade Madray - Pacific Tsunami - 421 points
2. Owen Hinds Jr - Battle of the Marabuntas - 420 points
3. Curtis Eustace - Bozo-D Legend Lives On - 416 points
4. Marlon Rampersad - Bedazzled - 394 points
5. Lionel Jagessar Jr. - Wakinyan-Quest Of The Feather Seeker - 387 points
6. Roland St George - Pan On Fire - 386 points
7. Gerard Weekes - In The Beginning Good And Evil - 382 points
8. Glenn Dave Lakhan - The Jewel Spider - 371 points
9. Fareid Carvalho - Mr Carnival-The Return Of The Fire Man - 370 points
10. Leroy Prieto - Mukasa- The God Of Water - 350 points

Queen of Carnival:
1. Peola Marchan - "D Jeweled Chandelier" - 416 points
2. Gloria Dallsingh - "Splendour of Lights" - 414 points
3. Kay Mason - "Island Queen" - 407 points
4. Roxanne Omalo - "Serpent Sorceress" - 389 points
5. Gayle Marcano - "D Ruby Brooch" - 387 points
6. Cherryann Valere - "Forest Blossom" - 374 points
7. Patricia Bailey - "Diamonds Are Forever" - 373 points
8. Jenna Marie Andre - "Botanica-A Floral Extravaganza" - 372 points
9. Avernell Johnson - "Chia The Goddess" - 357 points
10.Sevell Nicholls - "In The End, Dance And Rejoice" - 356 points

The individual competitions are over. Today and tomorrow bands will be represented in every major city in Trinidad and Tobago.

Take a look at a historical video on Trinidad Carnival 1957.

D Road March Competition Post

What's yuh think?

DON'T MISS THIS POST - IT WILL SHIFT YOUR THINKING

THE US DOLLAR IN CRISIS

Is Facebook Making People In Trindad And Tobago Lazy?

2011-03-06T00:12:00.002-04:00

The Darker Side Of Facebook For Developing Countries

In the last post we saw how Facebook has invaded the minds of at least 33 percent of the population.

For most of the Trinbago population online, Facebook has become as important as the Internet.

Today lets look at Facebook from the aspect of time and the value it brings to the Trinidad and Tobago as a country.

The fact is that Facebook is a useful social network where people are able to meet and interact with each other. It’s universal because people are instinctively social animals and Facebook is an ideal meeting place.

According to the latest statistics there are now over six hundred million people on Facebook.

They view an estimated total of 770 billion Facebook pages every month. Registered users typically visit the site 40 times per month. Users spend and average of 23 minutes each visit.

That calculates to 9.3 billion man hours used on Facebook in a month.

Simply speaking Facebook kills productivity. Most progressive employers have recognized this for a long time now, they ban its access for precisely this reason. But what about a developing country like Trinidad and Tobago?.How does Facebook affect its productivity?

Consider this. What happens when 403,860 local registered Facebook accounts users visit the site 40 times a month and spend an average of 23 minutes per visit?

If you are familiar with the concept of “man hours” i.e. the number of hours it will take one man to complete any task, you will begin to appreciate the problem.

Let’s make a bold assumption that only 20 percent of the people in Trinidad and Tobago waste productive hours on Facebook. Guess how many man hours Trinbagoians waste every month on Facebook?

The number of hours is stupidly big. In this case, “man hours” become incomprehensible. It’s easier to understand that when we look at only 20 percent of the Trinbagoians registered on Facebook and calculate their estimated unproductive time; it’s 154 YEARS.

That’s just 20 percent of the number of registered Facebook users living in Trinidad and Tobago.

And there is more. We have not even considered the time Trinbagoians spend on mobile devices.

Globally, there are more than 100 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices. These users are two times more active on Facebook than non-mobile users.

These mobile devices are becoming increasingly more popular in Trinidad and Tobago.

Do you think that Facebook is increasing the productivity of Trinidad and Tobago?

I don’t...

But there's a good reason that I’m on there and I encourage other businesses owners to be there. It is the largest, easily accessible internet pool of potential customers, clients, alliances and opportunities.

You are either on there as a seller identifying clients, and building relationships or as a potential prospect. Understanding who you are on Facebook is essential to how you will continue to use it.

One social critic put it this way "there is no need to wake up the sheep". That is the masses of people in the world who follow others unconsciously and in most cases blindly.

Fact is that even when you attempt to "wake up the sheep" they insist on being left alone to sleep. Some sheep will even become angry or violent if you tried.

In the same way, there is no point in trying to convince Facebook users in Trinidad and Tobago that time could be more creative and productive.

Let them sleep.

They enjoy it and should be left to build cities, farms, send hugs, kisses and wage mafia wars. It's an outlet and a potential deterrent to dysfunctional and maybe errant behavior. Facebook is a good thing.

Its real value is primarily for businesses. Where else the Internet can you access 600 million potential customers and clients at no or very little cost?

Whether you represent business large or small, political party, NGO or CBO it dictates that you begin your web presence by establishing a page on Facebook.

If you classify yourself as a potential client and you enjoy it, Don't stop or delete your account. There are "things" on Facebook that you absolutely cannot live without.

Just do it with at least one eye half open.

Facebook is a soft addiction. Manage the doses you consume. Track your consumption in terms of your time and activities.

Later we will post a list of actions you can take to curtail your Facebook use.

Till then,

Stay Blessed.

P.S. Join me on Facebook here

Or if you have a different point of view, lets hear it.

Facebook Invades Trinidad and Tobago

2011-03-02T21:12:00.001-04:00

The #1 Reason Why People In Trindad & Tobago Should Use FaceBook

Facebook has become synonymous with the Internet in Trinidad and Tobago.

In fact, when you put meaning to the statistic generated within Facebook the numbers tell an interesting story.

Here are some findings with interpretations.

As of March 2nd 2011 there are:

Exactly 403,860 people 13 to 64+years old registered on Facebook who actually live in Trinidad and Tobago. With a census population of just over 1.228,691 according to World Stats, it means that approximately a third of the population in T&T are registered on Facebook.

The total internet usage in Trinidad and Tobago is reported to be 485,000 representing 39.5 % of the total population now get online.

Eighty three percent of the people on the Internet in Trinidad and Tobago are registered on Facebook.

Compare the 33% of the total penetration on the Internet in T&T to the 77% penetration in the United States.

Would you imagine that there would be a greater percentage of people in the US registered on Facebook?

Not so, the US penetration is only 43% compared to T&T 83% Facebook penetration.

Facebook has penetrated the psyche of Trinbago culture almost as much as the Internet.

Here are some other interesting Facebook statistics on Trinidad and Tobago. Facebook calls this the "estimated reach", i.e. the number of people in a particular age group in Trinidad and Tobago that Facebook reaches:

There are 218,040 people on FB who live in Trinidad and Tobago between the ages of 18 and 25 inclusive
There are 275,740 people on FB who live in Trinidad and Tobago between the ages of 25 and 50 inclusive
There are 36,000 people on FB who live in Trinidad and Tobago between the ages of 50 and 64 inclusive.

These are interesting statistics because now it can be concluded that Facebook has a reach, in the 18 year olds and above, of 529,780 Trinbagoians.

That is more than the Express (45K), Guardian (40K) and Newsday (40K) a total circulation of 125,000 daily. Facebook reaches five times as many Trinbagoians. .

What does all this mean to businesses, NGOs, CBOs, political parties and the government in Trinidad and Tobago? It means that all these entities cannot ignore this social network. It means that they must find a way to leverage it to accomplish their missions. Facebook is not fading away.

Some of the early adopters will be the first to maximize the Facebook potential but many will continue to see it as just another social network. It is a social medium but it’s also a communication medium with the pre-requisite infrastructure to support any type of communication.

Users have the ability to use email, instant chatting and sharing information all within the network. It’s the ideal medium to maintain constant contact with any group, company, organization or a significant segment of the Trinidad and Tobago population.

Ignore it at your own peril.

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