Messages

1

Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs USA Game (8-Jun-2017)

« on: May 27, 2017, 12:19:31 AM »

The closed door prep has to happen. No doubt. However, it's also a bit illusory because there is NO doubt in my mind that Mastroeni will share what he sees with Bruce Arena.

I think the Rapids could video the game and even share the footage. We boy Thomas Rongen may even show up. I'm happy for the games nonetheless.

Yuh done know.

No matter, we watching for plenty years and we doh know what we go do, if they watch we video, they go be more confused than informed.   

Let dem plan...we doh even do wha we plan

So true though - video won't change much for the US.

2

Football / Re: Thread for T&T vs Barbados Game (10-Mar-2017)

« on: March 10, 2017, 06:16:41 PM »

The commentary is the worst... not describing anything that's happening. What a joke.

3

Football / Re: No time for a disciplinarian

« on: January 07, 2017, 09:53:11 AM »

Tom Saintfiet is a much better coach than S Hart but he is not a good fit for TT I know that the coach's and the TTFA thinks that's what we need to pull these players up but if Tom Saintfiet continues TT would not have a team for March 24th TT is going to need its best players for the WC it is better they bring back Z Vanes who already knows TT culture and players and would not be dropping everybody for every little offense TT does not need a disciplinarian right now.

You're an idiot

4

Football / Re: Troussier wanted US$100,000 monthly.

« on: December 11, 2016, 08:43:25 AM »

"He was offered the coaching job in Nigeria and did not pick it up because of a last-minute decision to use a local coach. I can assure that if Saintfiet is successful here in T&T, we wil not be able to hold on to him because his price tag will increase drastically."

Give me a  break. Coaches with his resumé are a dime a dozen. The TTFA is run by amateurs.

5

Football / Re: Skeene reiterates the need for community fields towards a sustainable Pro League

« on: November 24, 2016, 07:57:37 PM »

My only question is what will happen when T&T Pro League teams come up against CONCACAF teams for home games. Will  LA Galaxy play Morvant United at a community based field in Morvant instead of the Hasely Crawford Stadium? Because once you establish community fields as your home ground then people will expect you to play all your home games there.. Doh be jumping one home game from the community then the next one at a stadium against more popular opposition because then the public perception will be teams have more than one home ground. 

There is some precedent in the MLS - Montreal plays their regular league home games at the smaller Stade Saputo usually, and big games (playoffs, etc) at the large Olympic Stadium. Granted both are like a block from each other, but there's a team that has more than one home ground.

I actually think the community field / stadium setup wouldn't be such a bad thing, especially since pro league attendance is so bad.

6

Football / Re: TTFA and Hart part ways

« on: November 24, 2016, 07:41:57 PM »

We all knew that this was coming the day that DJW was elected TTFA president. This was literally an orchestrated coup by an incompetent administration and uncommitted players.

I wish SH the best for his next role, and I struggle to see myself supporting this team for the rest of the WCQ2018 campaign.

7

Football / Re: 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship

« on: February 19, 2016, 01:38:56 PM »

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/jesGFaXo9tk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/jesGFaXo9tk</a>

I watched this interview and can't see how anything the coach said is constructive. He says that mental strength is a weakness of his team, and then goes on to say if you compare the resources between the US/T&T, on paper they should be "slaughtered" and shouldn't be able to compete. If you're trying to help your squad be mentally stronger, why on earth do you think that's a smart message to take to the media?

8

General Discussion / Re: The Chinese in T&T Thread.

« on: February 08, 2016, 11:41:00 AM »

I shall respond only to the item in bold (at least for now).

Since yuh decided to narrow the category on your own ... in the face of obvious evidence to the contrary ... please leave me out of the presumption.

You are not even making sense. You said

Kudos to him for contrasting the comparative plight of fellow Caribbean citizens. Still ringing in my ear is the immigration officer I heard asking a CARICOM national, "why yuh come here for?"

Aren't people of Chinese descent possibly Caribbean citizens too? It's a stupid generalizing comment that is as ignorant as the song. If that's what you takeaway from the song and give kudos for, then I feel sorry for you.

Frankly this whole topic is ridiculous in the first place and suffers the same ignorance as that song since the title says "The Chinese in T&T" and 80% of the posts are about people eating dogs.

9

General Discussion / Re: The Chinese in T&T Thread.

« on: February 08, 2016, 10:23:12 AM »

It's an incredibly racist song, you can't make excuses for someone making fun of an entire ethnic group.

What the hell is a "fellow" Caribbean/Caricom citizen? Only black and east indian people are "true" Caribbean people? Chinese people have been in T&T in numbers for over 150 years. This song is full of ignorance and blatant racism - had someone done something similar about a different ethnic group, the uproar would be tremendous.

That songs deserves no stage on a national platform.

10

General Discussion / Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration

« on: February 05, 2016, 11:10:42 AM »

Steups, is the anti-gang act even enforceable? I thought after the last SOE, it was said that the legislation as it is written is impossible to prosecute - maybe someone familiar with the legislation can clarify. Nonetheless, since 2011 it was assented, there has been a single conviction under the act.

Also, deja vu on the radar - does the 360 degree radar that Manning bought from Israel even work anymore? Once again we are spending money on technology to battle crime while ignoring the fundamentals. Also keep in mind that, according to every report done on the illegal drug trade, the majority of illegal drugs and guns that come into the country via LEGAL ports in shipping containers.

11

Football / Re: Stephen Hart Thread

« on: February 05, 2016, 11:01:37 AM »

The nepotism of this new administration is looking to be worse than the previous (maybe as bad as the JW era?).

12

General Discussion / Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration

« on: January 28, 2016, 08:16:10 AM »

I don't get why you all are arguing so much. Trying to address social issues / fix the breakdown in society is not mutually exclusive from fixing the protective services - both can be done at the same time.

The only thing I'd say is that at least having a somewhat useful protective services would help to start addressing the social issues in the ghetto areas. At this point, non-profit / non-government organizations cannot even get to these areas because they are so dangerous - even the government can't effectively operate in these areas without Guard and Emergency branch escorts (same for WASA, T&TEC, etc.). Laventille 20 years ago was always dangerous, but now it's a literal war zone. It's near impossible to operate community programs in the current state for the areas that really need it.

13

General Discussion / Re: World Turns a Blind Eye to Crisis in Venezuela

« on: January 27, 2016, 12:56:06 PM »

yeah saw this on the news in trini the otherday. highest inflation rate in the world now they say. low oil prices do all that? (or is a concerted effort by babylon a la zimbabwe)?

I don't think it would be fair to attribute it to one thing. Venezuela has for years had wealth inequality, but the measures started by Chavez to address/reverse it has over the last decade largely killed private enterprise. When the oil dollar was high, it was something they could throw oil dollars at (big welfare state, very little real economic development outside oil and gas). Now with the oil price shocks, they have no foreign currency and a completely damaged local economy. Venezuela imports most of its food (agriculture never developed) and basic goods, so with no foreign exchange, basic inflation is literally killing people.

It's very sad to see and the situation is so unstable, people in T&T need to keep their eyes on it (both from just watching your neighbours house on fire [i.e. water your own roof], but also learn from their mistakes).

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General Discussion / Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration

« on: January 26, 2016, 03:47:16 PM »

I said before the election that I was worried that Edmund Dillon would be a poor choice for Minister of National Security (based on the PNM townhalls), but people attacked me for judging the man on what he said. Couple months in, he is recycling the same shyt as his predecessors.

We have several failures, but #1 is our law enforcement. Have people actually listened to the vast majority of police officers speak? It's evident that our police our under-educated and untrained. Every single foreign partner of T&T (US, Canada, UK, etc.) have all emphasized that the fundamental problem with our law enforcement is training. The police have enough guns. Sending soldiers into Laventille is a stop-gap measure. When the murder solve rate is less than 20%, they're simply not doing the job. Even if people get arrested, the Prison Service has no control of the jails. Men are locked up and conducting business normal normal behind bars. Don't get me started on white collar crime - the T&T fraud squad has neither the political will, education, skills, nor tools (and regulatory support) to actually even deal with the real "big fish" in the drug trade.

Extra-judicial killings are not the solution (for airstrike advocates, etc.) - we'd be opening a big can of worms and going down a road that may have no return (you can look at our Latin American neighbours and see how well that works). Frankly I think the first step we need to do is completely blow up the existing forces. We need to completely purge/retrain both the police and prison service. They need to start with BASIC education, and basic policing (gathering evidence that can actually be used in court). Prison officers need basic training in how to actually run a modern jail. There needs to be proper oversight and controls to prevent the systematic failures that allow the jails to run like a block. 

As much as I agree that we do need to deal with the societal problems long term (trace that root cause back to slavery, fix broken families) that have all these ghetto youths and badjohns joining gangs, an effective law enforcement force can make a significant dent. Chicago, amongst the worst in the US, ain't anywhere near the craziness going on in Trinidad due to having a professional police force. Chicago's per capita murder rate is 15.1 per 100,000 persons. Trinidad is around 112 murders per 100,000 persons. If we had Chicago's murder rate, we would be talking about less than 200 murders per year.

15

General Discussion / Re: World Turns a Blind Eye to Crisis in Venezuela

« on: January 26, 2016, 03:23:03 PM »

Situation in Venezuela today is crazy and scary. Saw some relatives who had been there in November - they spent 3 hours looking for milk, bread, and meat (going from grocery to grocery, stores empty). Inflation is absolutely insane - a quote for changing a tire doubled in a space of two weeks. I feel for people who are powerless in that situation.

16

Football / Re: Oliver Camps Thread

« on: January 20, 2016, 03:37:44 PM »

Steups, people are so easy to turn an eye on white collar crime. Camps aided all the other crooks for decades, turning a blind eye and allowing himself to remain the figurehead/front for all the theft happening with both government (tax, your money and mine) as well as other dollars.

He should lose his house. Frankly he should also be in jail (along with Jack and company), but we all know nothing happens to white collar criminals in T&T (well by this story, they end up getting crowdfunded by the public). We have a real dysfunctional society.

17

General Discussion / Re: UNC Thread

« on: October 27, 2015, 03:25:33 PM »

Not by much but Ralph lil more capable of garnering wide support than coonilal, we need opposition dat actually viable, if only to keep PNM honest.

Nah, as much as Moonilal will struggle to get support outside his base, Ralph Maraj would probably be worse. That man has been in every political party I'm sure, and if I'm not mistaken was even part of that Team Unity joke with Ramesh.

He is in the political labasse.

18

General Discussion / Re: Take dat Stephen Harper

« on: October 22, 2015, 05:41:21 PM »

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/2MRPTgShdPI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/2MRPTgShdPI</a>

19

Other Sports / Re: ASATT’s audited statements overdue.

« on: October 14, 2015, 01:17:25 PM »

This is not surprising if you look at who was former president for most of that period, and also the history of the organization. If I recall correctly, Anil Roberts made a stink about them when he first got in about them misusing funds prior to the PP being elected.

No one should be shocked it's deja vu with a new government.

20

General Discussion / Re: Tobago gets billionaire visit

« on: October 14, 2015, 10:42:53 AM »

Racism perceptions / allegations against East Indians in Tobago is nothing new, and have existed since 1889.

21

General Discussion / Re: Governance under the Rowley Administration

« on: October 14, 2015, 10:38:09 AM »

at d same time Rowley need to reign in all dat "we time now" and homophobic rhetoric, appearances is everything and right now yuh NOT seeing d spirit of d victory speech playin out in parliament

dey could prosecute all d wrong doing sans d aloofness

I think he (Rowley) has been trying to keep it civil, but there are some real loosed lipped characters in his government (Imbert, Hinds, McDonald for example) that are prone to saying offensive things and using dumb rhetoric. It'll be interesting to see how he manages the message/tone of the government.

Manning had a very autocratic style, and micro-managed his cabinet / controlled the message. Rowley has campaigned on the opposite, so it'll be a test to reign in the personalities without completely muzzling them.

It ain't an easy job.

22

Football / Re: FIFA News Thread.

« on: October 14, 2015, 10:29:47 AM »

Is it just me that will *not* be surprised if, as soon as Blatter's suspension is lifted, he finds a moral reason to run again in next year's election?

23

Football / Re: John Williams laughs off Hart critic tag as he run for TTFA hot-seat.

« on: October 14, 2015, 10:27:37 AM »

Were his comments about Hart's team selection for the World Cup the only reason he has been labelled as a Hart-Hater?

It's an honest question. He alludes to that, but was wondering if he has said other things beyond this incident.

24

Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs Panama Game (8-Oct-2015)

« on: October 08, 2015, 09:31:53 PM »

Good to win and play together, but lots to work on. Conditioning is questionable, and whoever is our left back needs some help. but  for the win.

25

Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs Panama Game (8-Oct-2015)

« on: October 08, 2015, 09:15:16 PM »

What is the score?

T&T still up 2-1 but Panama has almost all the possession for the last 15 mins

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Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs Panama Game (8-Oct-2015)

« on: October 08, 2015, 08:55:30 PM »

Goal for Panama

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Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs Panama Game (8-Oct-2015)

« on: October 08, 2015, 08:25:53 PM »

Quality of this game is overall pretty poor. Field looks difficult too.

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General Discussion / Re: Caribbean Airlines Thread.

« on: October 07, 2015, 01:32:08 PM »

My thoughts may not be popular, but I'd prefer to see the following happen:

• Disband CAL - very few government run airlines are successful, and CAL/BWIA haven't been one. Forgetting the national pride of a state carrier, the airline industry is incredibly volatile and high risk. We've tried fully state run and partial privatization in the past, both of which have failed.
• Tobago Express should be maintained and solely operating the Trinidad/Tobago routes. It is likely of national strategic importance we maintain our domestic air bridge.
• Money currently spent on CAL should be diverted into the two airports. We should reduce landing fees and taxes to make both Crown Point/Piarco more attractive for airlines to add to their destination lists. We can also use these funds to offer incentives to carriers for specific routes that support our national/strategic interests. This is pretty common in major cities where they reduce specific landing fees, offer tax rebates, rebate fuel purchases, etc. Often this incentives are associated with specific conditions, including flight frequency, capacity, and ticket costs on specific routes.

There's a lot of flexibility using government incentives to promote and attract airlines to come here, and I'm not convinced from a cost/benefit basis, actually operating our own airline is the best solution. I know this is difficult as many see national pride in our own airline (and that was the reason Eric Williams bought BWIA in the first place), but there are more cost effective methods of achieving the same result (i.e. having strong international transport options for trade, tourism, pleasure, and diaspora) without having to maintain our own airline.

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General Discussion / Re: Jack Warner General Section Thread.

« on: October 07, 2015, 01:13:31 PM »

I don't think we will see Jack's actual political retirement until Kamla loses the UNC internal elections - I'm sure that's his next goal.

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General Discussion / Re: The Future of (the economy of) T&T

« on: October 02, 2015, 02:35:29 PM »

The cocoa industry would need a complete overhaul to became a significant economic contributor. The video quoted us as being 3rd largest in the world, but I can't find anything to support that. The industry collapsed locally in the 1920s and never recovered since. I went to a Cocoa Estate last year in Santa Cruz and, while a nice trip down memory lane for old time Trinidad, the techniques are not conducive to large scale production.

Angelo had a nice write-up on the Cocoa industry history here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=886224021462234&set=a.768916753192962.1073741831.100002239346760&type=3

Certainly has some potential, but it would need serious investment (with probably some government incentives) to build up / mechanize harvesting Cocoa as well as beef up the post-production industry so we aren't just exporting the beans.