Archive for November, 2006
Sunday, November 19th, 2006
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| Larry Achong (photo from the Trinidad Express) |
“I did not have sex with that woman.” - Bill Clinton.
“What obscene language? You hear anything? What word? Of course, I have seen the clip. But what word?” - Larry Achong
Of course “sex” to Clinton meant vaginal sex.
And in that same wonderful vein of political denials, we have Larry Achong Member of Parliament for Point Fortin implying that since he never vocalized an expletive he never said it.
It doesn’t help either that he reminds me vaguely of a cross between Fat Bastard and Don Vito.
And when Prime Minister Patrick Manning labels smelter objectors as dotish or foolish, what more can we expect from the minions? If the leader is that bad, what do you expect from the foot soldiers?
And not only did he allegedly mouth an obscenity and treat everyone in the meeting with complete disdain, but he then denied the whole incident based on a technicality. He didn’t vocalize anything, so he never said anything subsequently there is no need for him to apologise for anything.
It just helps me to realize that we’re in much deeper trouble than we previously thought.
Posted in PNM, Politics | 2 Comments »
Saturday, November 18th, 2006
Click on this link. ‘Cuz when last were you completely bewildered anyway?
Posted in Miscellaneous | 2 Comments »
Thursday, November 16th, 2006
So the Soca Warriors got steamrolled on Wednesday by a gang of Austrians. The friendly ended 4-1 in favour of the Austrians who had a very good game. The game was brought live on CNC3 which was most appreciated. The last away game we played wasn’t brought live, but was aired about a week later on NCC Channel 4. We played Japan in Japan and apparently the only coverage of the game the NCC could lay their hands on had Japanese commentary. I don’t know any of this for sure; I’m just guessing.
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| Colin Samuel |
But guess what NCC did? They dubbed the game sounds from a local game over the original sound. So nothing in the sound matched up with what we were seeing on TV. So whistle blowing, crowd cheering, drum beating and nothing rhyming at all. Yuh even hearing a whole set ah Trinis ole talking during the game and yuh know it really didn’t have so many of us there.
But back to this game. I don’t know if it was our lack of fight, or if the Austrians were better than us or (God forbid) we are just not that good anymore. The games against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Panama were much better played, but whether that has more to do with us being a good team from the Caribbean or a good team period, I can’t tell.
However the one good part of that game was the goal scored by Colin Samuel. From just beyond the half Carlos Edwards lobs the ball down the field to Colin Samuel who is running towards goal sandwiched between two defenders. The ball drops right in front of him and with one touch pushes it over to his right and with the very next touch, puts it in goal. No mistake about it, it was just clinical - one of the better goals I’ve seen our team score. That was worth two ordinary goals or eight Stern John chokes.
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| Kenwyne Jones |
But Colin Samuel is one of my favourite players on this T&T side and I think he’ll be one of our top players in a few years to come. I think Kenwyne Jones will also become a great player. But he has some finishing issues that need to be addressed. But the boy has style for days.
Yesterday marked one year since we qualified in Bahrain for the 2006 World Cup. Has it been a year already? I wonder if the Bahrainians still sour that they didn’t make it? I guess that goes without saying since I know it still have people here who sour about November 19th 1989. I still sour as a matter of fact. Have no fear though, we getting a rematch with the 1989 US national team on this Sunday November 19th 17 years after the fact. Why 17 years? I have no idea. I could be that no one’s getting any younger or that November 19th 2009 falls on a Wednesday, or it could be that in 2009 there really won’t be anyone left who cares enough to watch. Whatever the reason is, goal scorer Paul Caligiuri is already here for the game, but I’m not sure who else he brought along with him. Of course some of the old Strike Squad members like Clayton Morris will also suit up. I’m not sure I care very much about this game and I doubt I’ll be watching. What’s the point really? Surely nothing that happens on that field will help the Warriors qualify for South Africa 2010 so I really don’t have much interest in looking back.
Posted in Football, Sports | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, November 15th, 2006
So one evening a few weeks ago I was sweeping my front yard and this man who lives around the corner came by and asked me to borrow $10 so that his wife could have passage to go to work.
“Boy she only harrassing meh. And ah just want to gi she de money so she go leave meh alone. Ah go bring it back to yuh on Saturday please God.”
Now I don’t really know the man all that well. I know his dad and his brother. He lived in Guyana for a few years before returning to Trinidad and I only just met him this year. The week before he asked me for the loan, I had asked him about his brother who had fallen and hurt his back. So I guess that’s what made him so comfortable in asking a virtual stranger for a $10 loan.
So I said ok and went to get it. So when I came back he said, “Well if not Saturday, then Sunday ok?”
Uh, wait….I’m thinking, “I thought not five minutes ago you said Saturday.”
Anyway, I said ok and handed it to him. So Saturday come and gone, no $10. Sunday come and gone, no $10. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday….in fact the whole week done and it have time come round again to Sunday. So Sunday I outside again sweeping my yard and I see him and he see me same time…and the nastiness smile. Well form the time I see that I know he coming with some cock and bull story he invent when he saw me outside.
He say, “Boy, ah was calling last Sunday and nobody came outside.”
“What time so?”
“All 6 so.”
“But I was home.”
(no reply)
“Well bang on the gate next time.”
“OK.”
So Friday of that same week reach now and he see each other again.
“Yeah boy sorry about that I get tie up dey. But bang on the gate right?”
“Yes…the gate…..bang on it” I didn’t say this through clenched teeth, although it may seem like it.
So as soon as I saw him the next time (which was the next week) I knew he was coming with some story again.
“Yeah boss, sorry about that, but if yuh have any work to give meh to do I could do it for yuh.”
Wait, wait, wait, hold on. I’m thinking, how did “please lend me $10″ turn into, “please pay me $10 for a job that we have yet to decide on and which I am yet to do”? How dat reach dey? I was like, “Nah I realy doh have no work for yuh to do yuh know.”
“(he thought about this for a moment) Oh ok. So bang on the gate right?”
“Yes….the gate….bang on it.”
People, you know the very next day I see this man walking the road with a Carib? So I thinking again, “What if I liked Carib too? I can’t even afford Carib if I wanted one. I does drink the short Busta when I thirsty. I doh even buy water, because water is $4.”
Well I decide I not lending money ever again. I doh care what sad story yuh come with.
Posted in Humour, Personal Story | 16 Comments »
Wednesday, November 15th, 2006
You know them people who does be real poor, dey doh have nothing to eat but yet they rocking out with the latest fashions? Dem so does be fighting other people for 10 days, but dem have the latest Jordans and all kinna brands your working self can’t afford to try on? If you lived just one day of your life in Trinidad, you have to know someone like that. I know people like that. In fact my cousin is their de facto leader.
How about you passing by Beetham Gardens and you seeing rows of shacks and on the shackiest of shaks you seeing big maco Direct TV dish heng up on front of the house? Yuh doesn’t ask yuhself why? You want Direct TV too and you want Jordans too, but you know you can’t afford that and toilet paper, so you choose toilet paper.
I think the scientific term for that is misplaced priorities. And you think this mentality is reserved for some people only, meanwhile our very own Government Ministers sho signs of this illness.
Enter Colm Imbert. In the wake of Monday’s flash floods, Minister Imbert has voiced his Government’s intention of ensuring that the new rapid rail system is elevated in some areas so as to avoid contact with the ground in areas that are prone to flooding. Now I’m thinking, why not fix the flooding itself?
I’m sure the rail system when it arrives will be the most complicated, technologically advanced infrastructure Trinidad and perhaps the Caribbean will have ever seen. It’s going to take all the expertise we have here as well as from foreign sources in order to get this thing started and to keep it going. So if we could accomplish that and yet remain unable to tell some rainwater, “No, you doh stay here, you go so. You go down in that drain and take a left. You set ah water, go down so and take ah right. I eh want to see allyuh liming in this area here.” What business we have building billion dollar rapid rail?
Why do we want to develop from the top go down? it’s like a caller to a radio programme said, “They want to build a houssse by building the roof first”.
It’s not like they don’t know what’s causing the flooding. They know. They just won’t deal with it.
People who live in areas prone to flooding, must accept that that’s how life is.
Posted in Development, Infrastructure, PNM, Politics | 9 Comments »
Monday, November 13th, 2006
Kamla, Kamla, Kamla, how do I despise thee? Let me count the ways. I really don’t know what to say about this woman anymore, you know.
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| Click to Enlarge |
It bothers me that Kamla Persad Bissessar has little aversion to embarrassing the entire nation for the sake of political leverage.
On Thursday Indian Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat came for an official visit to Trinidad and Tobago and by the time he left Saturday night, he had received an earful from Bissessar about how Indians in Trinidad and Tobago were being politically persecuted.
I mean honestly, how dat reach dey? Despite how much in denial she may be about the Panday affair, and how quick she is to jump the gun with regards to the Chief Justice matter which is still before the courts, how does she justify running to the Vice President of a country that has no and has never had any authority whatsoever in Trinidad and Tobago - a sovereign state?
Obviously as an attorney and a former Attorney General she knows that India has no jurisdiction over Trinidad and that Mr. Shekhawat will under no circumstances get involved in the affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, so why even bring it up if not to embarrass the state of Trinidad and Tobago with unproven allegations?
Let’s say for instance that there was in fact political prosecution going on in Trinidad and Tobago, I’m sure that there are international channels reserved for seeking a resolution. How does she rationalize that this is the road that she must travel, that is, to involve the VP of a state that has no real legal or judicial ties to T&T?
So Kamla had to know it was pointless, so why bring it up? What could she realistically hope to accomplish?
I keep finding more and more reasons why I’ll never vote for her…like I needed more.
I hope that everyone had a good weekend, even though the Windies are sucking salt in Pakistan.
Posted in Politics, Race, UNC | 12 Comments »
Friday, November 10th, 2006
Well yesterday I was going to blog about some judge dismissing a case because the star witness was afraid to testify. However yesterday I got tied up doing some stuff and today I can’t find the story. I thought I had read it on the Express’ website, but then I went back today it was gone. I’m trying to see whether I read the story on the Guardian website but since their site seems to be in retarded mode today, I can’t seem to access it.
But anyway, the story was about a state witness refusing to testify and I was going to remark pithily that it was a shame. I’m sure I had other comments to make about it but I can’t remember and it doesn’t help that I can’t find the story. Honestly how can a story just disappear?
In other news, I finally was able to see an episode of Dexter called Return to Sender. I actually like it a lot. I think it was the one that cb was referring to a couple days ago. Seems like Dexter is being stalked. It also had a good twist at the end.
I also watched an episode of Chris Rock’s Everybody hates Chis, which is also a good show. I never knew that super negro, Terry Crews from White Chicks was the dad….surprising. Damn, that’s a big man. By the way does anyone else think Tyler James Williams, child staring as the young Chris Rock looks like a very young Will Smith? The first time I saw him I thought so. I looked him up but he has no connection to Smith whatsoever. He even has a lot of Will’s facial expressions and mannerisms. It’s fine if you don’t agree. I’m used to seeing a lot of resemblances among celebrities that other people don’t get. But here’s a picture of the two so you can get a better look yourselves.
| Tyler James Williams & Will Smith - anyone else see a resemblance? |
At least agree with me that they share the same ears.
Posted in Crime, Entertainment, Media | 9 Comments »
Thursday, November 9th, 2006
Aye allyuh. Oh gosh, allyuh have to check this prank call out. This is real tears. Sorry if allyuh hear this one before.
Posted in Humour, Miscellaneous | 14 Comments »
Wednesday, November 8th, 2006
You know, it was never going to take much for us to crack. Our lives and conversation are centred on race. When election time comes around politicians dutifully court race as a means of securing their precious votes. And so one killing is all it takes in order for the deep seated resentment to explode.
Combine one dead black youth with one licensed firearm-holding, presumably well-off businessman - I assume to be of another race - and well, you’ll either get a Molotov cocktail or a race riot.
And this was the situation on Monday night after 21-year-old Kevin Valley (a cousin of Minister of Trade and Industry Ken Valley) was shot to death allegedly by a businessman in the area. I don’t think anyone knows for sure why he was shot or even why he was outside the home of the shooter, and yet his death has raised the ire of the residents in the area who charge that his killing was unlawful.
There are some alleging that Kevin was there with friends intent to kidnap the son of the businessman with whom he had an argument. Yet there are those who say that Kevin was no criminal. The nagging questions that bother me are: Why was Kevin really there in the first place? Was he or any of his friends armed? Was he causing trouble? And even if he was causing trouble, did it warrant being shot? Did the shooter act too hastily in firing his weapon? Is it possible that the father was provoked enough into pulling the trigger?
Those are the questions that need answering. Riots don’t accomplish much else than to draw the attention of the police away from the investigations into the matter. And of course adding to all the hysteria is Minister Valley lamenting that his cousin was the victim of a crime. The crime has not yet been investigated, the facts have not yet been collected, but instead of appealing for the people’s good sense to prevail Mr. Valley bewails the “crime” that took place. Who has determined that any crime took place Mr. Valley? Armed with as little information as most of the rioters, Mr. Valley flies off the handle and implies that there was a murderer and a victim.
This is the sort of thing that fuels riots. Of course the media has stopped short of describing the events that occurred after the shooting as racially motivated, but it’s a little obvious.
And of course I know that Minister Valley might be saddened at the killing, but still, he’s been in the spotlight for years now and should know better. He should know that there is a process to everything.
In any case I’m hoping against hope that the rioting witnessed in Felicity is not indicative of where we are as a society to where we see race and class in every incident. I’m hoping, but deep down I feel that we’ve only witnessed the first of other incidents like this to come. I’m always afraid for Trinidad when it comes to issues of race. Despite what other may say about how well we get along, I know that in Trinidad and Tobago we have serious issues with race. You can hear it in among your friends, family members and even snippets of conversations you get walking the streets. So don’t be fooled, the potential for something like this to happen has always been there, and from the looks of it, doesn’t need much for it to rear it’s ugly head.
*I feel I need to write something happy now to cancel this post.
Posted in Crime, Politics, Race, Social Issues | 15 Comments »
Monday, November 6th, 2006
Woeful Windies
Well the autopsy result on this ICC Champions Trophy defeat would read “Death by Batting Collapse”. It’s actually the leading cause of death among West Indies teams. Now I have to go eat the words I gloated so willingly to my Aussie friends after we beat Australia in the group stage of the competition. I hate eating my own words. The night before the game I dreamt I was walking through my old neighbourhood and asked a guy I knew what the score was and he told me 449/1, which was completely bizarre because I would never really talk to the man under any circumstance.
I ended up getting up too late for the game and I ran down stairs as soon as I got myself together. I put on the TV and I though I was watching a between-overs commercial break. However the third commercial in a row told me that it wasn’t between overs, but innings. One of the sides were routed cheaply….hmmm I wonder who. Turns out it was the Windies - 138 all out. Needless to say, we couldn’t restrict Australia to under three runs an over. So we lost and handed the Aussies their first ICC Champions Trophy victory ever.
Breathalyser Law
Well the breathalyser bill was finally laid in Parliament donkey years after citizens and lawmakers alike started calling for it. Alcohol has had an unrestrained hold on Trinidad for a long while. It’s against the law to drive drunk, but there are no means by which to detect drunk drivers who aren’t falling over themselves. The introduction of the breathalyser into Trinidadian law is a welcome addition. The law itself will allow a .08 alcohol limit. The express reports that limit translates to 80 milligrams of alcohol out of 100 milligrams of blood. Let me tell you something, if 80% of your blood is comprised of alcohol, driving is not your biggest problem.
I’ve mentioned before how I feel about seeing people popping open beers at 7am, which seems like nothing in Trinidad. I even saw a policeman one day driving a dump truck downing the last of a Carib while behind the wheel. Can you believe that? I report he so fast eh, but I doubt his friends did anything more than talk to him.
But sometimes you really have to wonder about the lawmakers themselves. When asked by Opposition Caroni East MP Ganga Singh how many alcohol drinks this .08 alcohol level translated to, Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert said:
“That is between two and three beers, about three beers. When I return I will give you in terms of puncheon rum, in terms of whisky, so people will know. After three beers you will be over the limit that we have prescribed in this legislation.”
Hasn’t he done enough research to know that alcohol tolerance differs from person to person and hinges on factors such as body weight, gender, body fat percentage and even genetics? Of course not.
Parang Death
On Saturday night Kenneth Subero was shot and killed by a man as he limed at a Parang fete in Tabaquite. And yes, the crime spree continues. You used to think that if you didn’t cause trouble, drink a lot, smoke weed, hang around with bad friends or anything our parents told us not to do, you wouldn’t die a gruesome death. Well it hasn’t been that way for a long time now. And honestly you really can’t be shocked that this man died because he was at a Parang fete. You don’t have to do anything bad to die these days. Whether it’s getting into a taxi, helping out a friend or sleeping in your own bed at your own house, murder in Trinidad has no modus operandi.
Posted in Cricket, Crime, Infrastructure, PNM, Politics, Sports | 16 Comments »
