A Lighter Side Of The Caribbean

Dem Jamaicans Dem
  

Someone sent me this joke, it made me laugh out loud.  Let me know if you think it's funny.  

 

A Jamaican farmer named Ralph had an accident with  a lorry and was suing the lorry company.

  In court their hot-shot solicitor was questioning Ralph. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Ralph thanked the Judge and proceeded.

  'Well, as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite cow, into the sidecar and was driving her down the road when this  huge lorry and trailer came through a stop sign and hit me right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. 

 

I was hurt very bad and like I didn't want to move. However, I could hear old Bessie moaning and  groaning. I knew she was in terrible pain just by her groans. 

 

Shortly after the accident a policeman on a motorbike turned up.

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

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

 'Now what the Rass would you have said?'

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

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

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.

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

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.

March 29th 2011, BBC Caribbean Shuts Down

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.