Archive for September, 2006
Monday, September 18th, 2006
Festival in the Air - None, surprisingly. Not yet Christmas, Carnival or even Divali.
Weather - Hot with a touch of scorching
Hot Button Issues - Manning’s alleged Jet, Alleged Smelter Bribes
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| Isaac Blackman |
Current Media Darling - Boxer Giselle Salandy
Hot Song - Issac Blackman’s To the Ceiling
Being Lambasted - Maxi fare hikes
Fruits in Season - Mangoes still (surprisingly), Pommecythere now coming in
Car Series - PCA
Sports - The West Indies kicked some Aussie butt today in the DLF Cup one-day international
Important Events - Begining of the new Law Term
Unimportant Events - Begining of the new Law Term
Posted in Miscellaneous, Politics, Soca, Sports | 13 Comments »
Monday, September 18th, 2006
I also feel sorry for Sean Paul who can’t seem to dance to save his life. I was looking at the video for Give it Up to Me and the boy looks like a stiff turkey. What made it worse is that the song is also on the soundtrack for the dance movie Step Up so the set is crowded with people who can dance, and the boy just looking out of place.
Somebody please help him.
Posted in Humour, Miscellaneous | 8 Comments »
Monday, September 18th, 2006
No matter what side of an argument you’re on, you always find some people on your side that you wish were on the other side - Jascha Heifetz
I feel sorry for the people of Chatham. A large part of that pity I feel comes from the fact that they have to fight ALCOA as well as their own Government who want to place a smelter in their backyards. I wish that the powers that be would listen to the pleas of the Chathamites*, as well as the evidence that shows that an aluminium smelter will bring mass pollution to the people of the southwest peninsula. If the Government isn’t swayed by that argument, then I wish they would be swayed by the argument that clearing 1,500 acres of forest would be an ecological nightmare.
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However, I also feel pity for them because with this struggle and in other struggles, sometimes you just can’t pick the people who want to struggle with you. I’ve been observing Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj’s participation in the anti-smelter protests with much interest and I can’t help but feel that RLM is making a career out of riding the backs of these poor people. It seems apparent that wherever there is a cause to be championed, there is RLM in business suit or slogan-bearing T-shirt championing the cause. Actually it’s not even every cause, but surely it’s the cause of everyone opposed to some Government initiative. The Government announces plans for the reconstruction of southeast Port of Spain, Ramesh is there fighting for the residents. The smelter is coming to Chatham, Ramesh is in Chatham.
Does RLM really believe that the smelter is a bad thing, or more importantly would he be in Chatham if there were no party politics involved? I don’t know for sure, but i have a hard time saying no. They say politics make strange bedfellows, and the people of Chatham have made a strange ally in RLM.
I can’t say I blame them. Like him or not. RLM is a powerful man with a voice. Like him or hate him, people listen to him. How can they in their right minds refuse his help? If I were in deep trouble, would I refuse Ramesh’s services pro bono? Not likely. Not at all, I should say. That doesn’t mean that I would cease to dislike him.
When I began this post, my aim was to rail on RLM for popping up wherever there was a cause to be championed. But when I began to think about it, I realized there are not many other people standing up for the residents of Chatham except for the members of the Opposition and a few other people here and there. The people of Chatham have been largely ignored by the people with voices. Where are all the Trinidadian celebrities, all the cherished athletes who can lend support to the Chathamites? Instead it’s a group of men, women and children who have been left to fend off ALCOA.
Whatever you want to believe, believe that RLM is getting something back from his participation. Whenever he makes representation on their behalf, trust that it will find its way to a UNC platform for all to behold. Whether the smelter comes or not, Ramesh would have gained something. He fortunes won’t rise and fall with those of the Chathamites. (Of course, when the smelter comes, we’ll all lose, but that’s not the way in which I mean it.) And so the Chathamites will have to accept whatever voice they get and I can’t say I blame them.
*By the way I have no idea if people from Chatham are called Chathamites, but it sounds good to me.
Posted in Development, Environment, Politics | 13 Comments »
Friday, September 15th, 2006
So earlier today I blogged on how Patrick & Hazel Manning were looking into procuring a private jet. Tonight on the news Colm Imbert - speaking in an after cabinet-press conference - basically says that that report is completely untrue. Here’s a sound clip from TV’s newscast: (I missed the first few words of his statement, but I think it’s to the effect of “The Prime Minister took…”)
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| Colm Imbert at Press Conference |
So let me get this straight. Prime Minister Patrick Manning takes a joy ride in a private jet that he has no intention of buying? Exactly how stupid do they think we are?
The company, he says, just wanted to “demonstrate” the aircraft to the Prime Minister.
Right.
“Hey you there, random Prime Minister in 2×4 country, come check out our plane. No strings attached.”
This may sound retarded to you, but not to Mr. Imbert and Mr. Manning. Come on, Mr. Imbert.
Maybe this sounds more possible: “Hey baby, let me take you out for a great lobster dinner. Sex? No, of course not! I won’t ask you for sex later. How preposterous!”
When did Mr. Manning get all this time to just joyride up and down the Eastern Caribbean anyway? I mean, shouldn’t he have better things to do?
Posted in Development, PNM, Politics | 5 Comments »
Thursday, September 14th, 2006
The czar and his wife are checking out a US$50 private jet to see if they want to purchase it.
So while Junior Minister in the Ministry of Finance Christine Sahadeo comes on TV to beg the people to show restraint in their requests for pay increases, Manning and Mrs. Manning are joyriding in a US$50 airplane. And why? Because the use of private aircraft minimised the amount of time wasted in airports and waiting for flights.
The poor guy. I mean imagine the indignity of being whisked through traffic and red lights. Imagine having to watch as Special Branch officers lugged his stuff around, only to have to sit idly by in the VIP lounge like a mere commoner. Then imagine being shoved into Business Class as if he were mere cargo, wined and dined him with champagne and hors d’oeuvres. The poor, poor Prime Minister. There’s no justice in this world. *weep* There’s no justice.
What business does a 2×4 country like T&T have in buying a US$50 private jet for one man? When he was asked about the logic in securing a private jet, he said, “I can’t say. A feasibility study would have to be done.”
Of course, we all know the results of that study.
Everybody else, ban allyuh belly!
Posted in Development, PNM, Politics | 5 Comments »
Wednesday, September 13th, 2006
Remember when you were a child and you couldn’t help but pick that scab on your knee? No matter what anyone said, or despite being constantly reminded that your bo-bo will get infected and your leg will fall off, you still had that desire to lift that scab and let the bo-bo bleed?
After all it was your bo-bo. It’s on your knee, it got there through your own actions. No one was going to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do with it.
Nevertheless, you tried to leave it alone just for the sake of those who told you too. You probably placed a Band-Aid there to separate it from your fingernails. You probably tried hard to forget it. You tried to go to jail.You tried to do something else to occupy your time or you tried watching TV. But you could just never really get it out of your head that you had a scab that “needed” your attention. And no matter how hard you tried, or how well thought-out the distractions were, in the end you just had to pick that damn bo-bo again.
I’ve been trying to find a parallel in the political world for this analogy, but it’s been so damn hard. I need some help.
Posted in Politics, UNC | 7 Comments »
Tuesday, September 12th, 2006
This story* is just a reminder that there are theives in this country, and there are evil people. These are the evil ones*.
Imagine the day before school begins, you go and steal 21 HP computers with flat screen monitors, two DVD players, one server, a video player and two tape decks - a haul valued at $200,000. Man oh man.
Well it’s one of the saddest stories I’ve heard in a while. I guess I can’t be surprised that someone will do this; I mean, just look around.
*Hottie let me know that the links no longer work. Because the Guardian refuses to use permalinks, the links for story lead to newer ones. I tried to go into the archives to paste the story into the post, however clicking on the date 2006-09-12 sends me to the Express archives. Maybe it’s a hacker or a joke by the webmaster or something, I don’t know. Try it yourself. At least the last three links are messed up. One of them even sends me to some website about swimming. well I’ll try to see if I can get it later.
Posted in Crime, Education, Social Issues | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, September 12th, 2006
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| Today’s Daily Mail |
This morning I was sitting at my desk wondering what I could blog about today when I get this e-mail from a reader in England who sends me a story carried today in the Daily Mail. And what do you know, Warner is being investigated for shady deals. Now you may be tempted to think that since this is Warner, this must be an old story, however check out the date on the story.
Basically the story alleges that Warner and his son Daryan cleared a profit of at least £500,000 on 5,400 tickets for England, Mexico and Japan matches over the course of this year’s World Cup. It alleges that Jack Warner set up secret deals to sell thousands of World Cup tickets on the black market, making himself and his son millions.
This may seem a little old to us here in Trinidad & Tobago since it became known that a travel agency owned by the Warners was the sole local ticket retailer for Germany 2006. But now that Warner, Simpaul Travel and all their alleged shady dealings are headlining The Daily Mail’s Sports page, ah feeling shame, shame, shame.
The story surmises that the reason Warner did not feel the wrath of FIFA as other offenders have, is that he controls 35 crucial votes that keep FIFA president Sepp Blatter in power. And when you’re in charge of covering the boss’s butt, you know you’re in a position of power (no homosexual double meanings were intended in that very last sentence).
Now Fox Sports reports that FIFA will look into the claims of corruption saying:
“A FIFA spokesman declined to comment on the media report, but said the allegations would be discussed during a meeting of FIFA’s executive committee on Friday in Zurich.”
Does this come as a surprise to us here? Not really. After Mr. Warner allegedly grossly oversold tickets to the 1989 World Cup qualifier against the United States, nothing surprises me.
It also makes me wonder if FIFA got wind of Warner’s promise to hand over the Centre of Excellence if Dookeran were to regain his seat at the next General Election. How do you think they would feel about that?
*Please excuse my alleged overuse of the words “alleged” and all its minions. It’s a deliberate effort on my part not to be sued by Jack Warner……who is an amazing and upright man.
Posted in Crime, Football, Politics | 3 Comments »
Monday, September 11th, 2006
I take my header from Winston Dookeran’s TV and radio “Win with Winston” ad at the end of which an elderly Indian woman with hands clasped pleads into the camera for “Winston beta” to take her “fawad”. I’m sorry, I just find that funny and I spent the entire weekend repeating it to my family who somehow don’t find funny every single thing that I do.
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| Winston Dookeran |
And even though that elderly woman and I may be perceived to be on completely different ends of the political spectrum, I have to say that I’m on Winston’s side and therefore her own.
To those who don’t know, at the Center of Excellence on Sunday Mr. Dookeran officially resigned as political leader of the United National Congress and has begun his own part called the Congress of the People.
I have never voted before in my entire life. It’s not for lack of opportunity that I haven’t. I have just never had a reason to. The old people will tell you it’s your civic duty, blah, blah, blah. You should vote because there are so many people who wish they could, blah, blah, blah. Let your voice be heard, blah, blah, blah. Let me tell you something, I’ve heard every slogan in the book. And by all accounts, I am now the worst citizen in the world. My reason for not voting has been that I have never had anyone to vote for. While others wined with their balisiers and their rising suns, I sat back and perceived what I thought of as a sideshow.
Even though I was determined not to vote for the lesser of two evils, my dad was trying to convince me that voting for anyone was better than not voting at all.
Right.
I tried to reason with him by saying that not voting was just as much a statement as voting. He steupsed, looked at me disappointedly (which was the only way he looked at me anyway) and walked away. I guess I won that one.
I refused to play the voting game because it would have turned me either into a blind follower or a race traitor. And having no one of substance to vote for, I decided not to vote. I can’t say that I’ve regretted it either.
Could M. Dookeran be the bara I’ve been waiting for? Even if he were, I can’t help feeling in a way that I am choosing Mr. Dookeran because I’m so tired. I am tired of a Government that is so aloof, the concerns of its citizens don’t matter. I’m tired of the spending, the crime and high food prices. I’m tired that they just don’t seem to care anymore (if ever).
And coupled with this aloof and uncaring Government, we’ve had an inept Opposition comprised of the Divided National Congress who’ve opposed nothing but each other. I had hopes for them too. I was holding on to this hope that they could at least look like a credible threat to get the Government shaking in their boots (not that I would have voted for either), but I guess we see how that all turned out. They gave us nothing but infighting, criminal convictions, race allegations, and some of the vilest persons ever to grace T&T politics in the persons of Warner, Panday and Kamla (every time I hear her say the words “good governance” I feel like vomiting).
But most of all I’m tired of feeling like I just don’t have a say or a choice. I’m tired of feeling like Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. I’m tired of feeling that only the winers have someone to vote for. So maybe Mr. Dookeran is the bara people have been waiting for. Of course only time will tell if this is true, but it’s a good start to ensuring that the winers do not inherit the earth. And no Hottie Hottie, I don’t mean you. And despite what the vile ones may say, you know they’re paying attention.
Posted in COP, PNM, Politics, UNC | 8 Comments »
Sunday, September 10th, 2006
One of my favourite words these days is “frenin”. Doh play allyuh doh know the word. Let me use it in a sentence: She dey frenin with de teacher fella. Ahhhh, now yuh know it. In my opinion, there are few words in the Trinidad vernacular that imply as much scandal as that word. Frenin.
Of course the words comes from it’s more famous cousin “friend”. The fact that “friend” is a noun and “frenin” seems to be a verb that doesn’t exist doesn’t matter. Everyone in Trinidad knows it as a word. It’s used to describe a relationship that’s scandalous or illcit and it’s said with the maximum amount of venom.
This is kinda funny because it seems so polite yet it’s such an adult word. I still wouldn’t use it in front of my mother.
Well this is my favourite Trini word these days. What’s yours?
Posted in Humour, Miscellaneous | 13 Comments »
