Topics

1

General Discussion / Any polyglots on the board

« on: November 05, 2009, 02:52:51 AM »

I wanted to know, if yuh speak another language besides English or Spanish, how long did it take you to learn and what is the fastest way to reach conversational level.

No specific language in particular; but ideally I'd like to hear about those very foreign to ours

I not into the audio books or dvds or the long stretched out college/university courses (although I feel this is prob best in terms of thorough-ness)...anybody ever do an immersion program? what are those like.

2

Jokes / beach story

« on: October 13, 2009, 01:50:08 PM »

There were this couple on Manzanilla beach getting it on

de man touching up the girl on she calves..

then he reach she knees

he start suckin on the girl thighs

and in the heat of the moment the girl bawl out " oh yes...go higher up!"

so he start the car and gone Mayaro.

3

Quizz Time & Facts / Father <--> Son

« on: August 10, 2009, 03:29:53 AM »

Who is the only player in history to come on as a substitute for his own father in an international game?

4

General Discussion / Fear vs Love

« on: June 19, 2009, 06:44:25 AM »

Which is greater? Discuss please.

5

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Jean Paul (Trini-Canadian comedian)

« on: April 08, 2009, 07:23:31 PM »

Don't know how to embed youtube vids but this fella is real kicks. He from Grande too but daiz besides the point


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6_0WONXFQM

6

Football / Dwight Yorke brushed by Singo

« on: June 28, 2008, 02:36:31 PM »

Dwight Yorke brushed by Singo
by Chris Wilson
news.com.au


Party boy ... Dwight Yorke says he is disappointed he could not make a return to the A-League this season.

DWIGHT Yorke claims he has been snubbed by the Australian A-League as he prepares to return to "sunny Sunderland" in the English Premier League.

Yorke said his heart had been set on a return to the A-League with the Central Coast Mariners, claiming he was "hugely disappointed'' when the deal broke down last month at the final stage.

However, the Mariners maintain they never got past first base in negotiations because they couldn't afford the former Aston Villa and Manchester United star.

Known as 'All Night' Dwight during his championship-winning stint with Sydney FC, Yorke has been hitting Sydney's most exclusive bars, restaurants and golf courses over the past fortnight.

He will fly out of Sydney tomorrow and re-sign with Sunderland on more money than he could have earned in Australia.

While Yorke said friends had called him "crazy'', he was adamant Sunderland had always been his second choice.

"That would have been my ambition, to come back here,'' Yorke said.

"I felt this year would have been the year to come back and stamp my authority in terms of playing football and getting the football buzzing around Sydney again.''

Yorke was the face of the first A-League season and was prepared to come back for less than his previous $1million price tag. He said he had been in talks with the Mariners for a year and continued to drop his asking price.

Mariners benefactor John Singleton, who helped lure John Aloisi to the club last season, refused to comment on the situation when contacted by The Sunday Telegraph. But Yorke feels let down.

"My last conversation (with the Mariners) was, 'yeah, we'll get it sorted'. We looked at a figure that was reasonable for them, it wasn't great for me but I was prepared to come for that,'' Yorke said.

But Mariners chief executive Lyall Gorman said Yorke had always been "out of our realm''.

Talking in the penthouse bar atop Star City Casino, Yorke denied his return to Australia would have been all show and no go.

"Sunderland has offered me a contract because they know I can still produce it,'' Yorke said.

"I'm 36, there's no secret there. I'm coming to the end of my career, I'm looking for something with a bit more flavour - in terms of lifestyle, the weather, people and food. Sydney fits that bill.''

Unfortunately no A-League teams could match his.

7

General Discussion / Tibetan riots continue in China

« on: March 25, 2008, 08:58:38 PM »

Tibetan riots continue in China 
BBC News
 
The Tibetan government-in-exile in India says that 140 people died in and around the Himalayan region during clashes that began on 10 March.

Officials in Beijing have previously put the death toll at 19.

Neither of the figures can be independently verified.

Foreign journalists remain banned from Tibet.

In a separate development on Monday, pro-Tibet activists briefly disrupted a flame-lighting ceremony in Greece for the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer.

Protesters from media rights group Reporters Without Borders broke through the cordon of 1,000 police officers in Olympia as China's envoy spoke.

Differing accounts

Xinhua said one Chinese policeman was killed and several others were injured during the riots on Monday in Sichuan's Gaze prefecture.

It did not provide any further details.

Separately, local authorities in Sichuan said 381 people involved in earlier protests in Aba county had given themselves up.

Chinese and Tibetan sources have given very different accounts of the protests, which were started by Buddhist monks on the anniversary of a Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.

Chinese authorities have blamed the Dalai Lama for orchestrating the unrest, in an attempt to sabotage the Beijing Olympics and promote Tibetan independence.

But the Tibetan government-in-exile, based in Dharamsala, northern India, says innocent civilians were killed by Chinese troops.

China's state media has recently attacked foreign news coverage of the unrest, claiming it is unfair.

The official People's Daily newspaper said foreign journalists had misrepresented government efforts to restore order as a military crackdown.

TIBET DIVIDE
 
- China says Tibet was always part of its territory
- Tibet enjoyed long periods of autonomy before 20th century
- 1950: China launched a military assault
- Opposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising in 1959
- Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled to sanctuary in India

8

General Discussion / GIRL, 13, SNATCHED

« on: February 14, 2008, 11:50:45 AM »

GIRL, 13, SNATCHED
Trinidad Express
Richard Charan rcharan@trinidadexpress.com

Thirteen-year-old Shannon Bedasie begged the kidnappers not to hurt her sick father before she was silenced and dragged away .

"I heard her telling them don't hurt him. Don't kill. He is sickly," said Simeon Bedasie, recalling the moments before she was snatched on Tuesday night.

Simeon Bedasie, 55, begged yesterday that his daughter and only child be released.

"I have no money to give. I can pay no ransom. All I want is for my child to come back home to me. Put her somewhere safe so that she can return," he pleaded .

Bedasie, of McBean, Couva, is the owner/manager of Kenny's Driving School, a business known to many in Chaguanas and Port of Spain.

The abduction of Shannon, a first form pupil of the Couva Private Grammar School, is the fourth kidnapping for money this year.

She was snatched around 9 p.m. on Tuesday from her home which is being renovated.

Bedasie, a diabetic, said: "I was in bed. I asked my daughter to squeeze my foot because it was swelling. Same time, we heard the dogs barking.

I was getting up from the bed when three bandits rushed in with bandannas covering their faces and with cutlasses". Bedasie said he was pushed back onto the bed and his daughter was taken to the kitchen.

"They asked me for the money I withdraw (from the bank) to fix the house. I told them I don't have any. They ask for jewelry and bank card. I said I don't have none".

Bedasie said one man decided he would behead him. "They put a pillow over my face, and say don't look. They tied my foot and hands and covered my mouth with duct tape," he said.

Just then, Bedasie said he heard his daughter begging for his life "then she just went silent. I think they taped her mouth".

The men escaped in Bedasie's Nissan B-12 car. About 20 minutes later Bedasie said he managed to free himself.

"I went around the house calling Shannon's name, hoping their just beat her and leave her. I kept bawling until a man passing on a bicycle helped me."

Bedasie said Shannon was all he had. His wife, Marion, died two years ago on December 6, Shannon's birthday.

"We were very close. And although she was mature for her age, she will be so frightened".

At nightfall yesterday, there was still no word from the kidnappers.

The Anti Kidnapping Squad is investigating.
 

Readers' comments:

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161277988

9

Football / Kenwyne Jones has relegation get-out clause

« on: February 10, 2008, 10:46:22 PM »

Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones has relegation get-out clause
Sunday Mirror
Paul Smith

Sunderland's hopes of retaining the services of star striker Kenwyne Jones depend on the Black Cats avoiding relegation.

The 23-year-old, who joined the Wearsiders from Southampton in a £6million deal last summer, has a getout- clause in his contract that can be activated if Sunderland go down.

Manager Roy Keane (right) recently said he wouldn't sell the Trinidad and Tobago striker for £50million. In fact, the Wearsiders' boss rated Jones in the very top rank of Premier League strikers alongside the likes of Didier Drogba.

Certainly, of all players Keane has taken to the Stadium of Light, Jones has been the biggest success. But the player will be able to leave for a fraction of his real value in the current transfer market if Sunderland make the dreaded drop in May.

Jones has been a revelation for the Black Cats this season despite the uphill struggle to survive. He has been an impressive, powerful front man, often asked to lead the line as a sole striker.

And while he has become a hero on Wearside, Sunderland are also well aware that the player's reputation has brought interest in him. As many as five Premier League clubs - including Liverpool and Tottenham - are believed to be keeping close tabs on him.

Obviously Sunderland will be opposed to any sale, but the option exists for him to make a speedy departure if the campaign ends in disappointment.

10

Football / Maturana targets World Cup midfielder.

« on: February 07, 2008, 10:05:54 PM »

Maturana targets World Cup midfielder.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).

WHITLEY WANTED

New Trinidad and Tobago head coach Francisco Maturana is ready to offer maverick midfielder Aurtis Whitley a return to international football in an effort to strengthen his squad before the South Africa 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign kicks off this June.
Whitley, who represents Pro League outfit Vibe CT 105 W Connection, played in all three matches at the 2006 World Cup but made just one outing in four fixtures under suspended coach Wim Rijsbergen before a Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) blacklist ruled him out of contention.
Maturana, a two-time World Cup coach with his native Colombia, pored through scores of national games played over the last three years and, according to a T&TFF source, has decided that Whitley is too gifted to be ignored.
If Whitley accepts and impresses, it will increase competition for the playmaker's role that was shared between his Hungary-based World Cup teammate Densill Theobald and 32-year-old Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA star Marvin Oliver in Wednesday's goalless draw with Guadeloupe.
However, the Colombian is understood to be well aware of Whitley's penchant for sudden absences from duty and his supposedly relaxed view on training ground discipline.
"His call-up would come with certain commitments, dedication and passion even before the football (side of things)," said the anonymous source, who hinted that some other World Cup players are also being considered.
The 30-year-old Whitley was described as "the Brian Lara of Trinidad football" by CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh coach and ex-England international Terry Fenwick in the build-up to the showcase 2006 tournament. A thigh injury hampered the gifted midfielder's contribution in Germany although coach Leo Beenhakker still started him twice.
He has not been the same since, according to who you listen to. Fenwick discarded Whitley last season citing the player's lack of motivation and Jabloteh went on to win the Pro League title. The midfielder showed flashes of brilliance as he steered Connection to the FCB Cup but he missed several key games for injury and "personal reasons".
Theobald, who emerged as a mainstay in the national midfield since the World Cup, might have enough on his mind already after being pipped to the captain's armband just minutes before kick-off on Ash Wednesday.
Maturana told the Express, on the eve of the friendly encounter, that Theobald would keep the armband for now as he was wary of making drastic changes too early. But the message did not seem to get through to striker and record goal scorer, Stern John.
John was team captain in his last outing-a 2-1 win over Panama on October 11, 2006-although his promotion over Dennis Lawrence for that fixture was thought to be ceremonial as the poacher was making his 100th appearance for the country. Lawrence is now retired from international duty.
Perhaps John assumed that he would retain the armband but the technical staff was said to be surprised when the Southampton striker strode on to the Queen's Park Oval pitch with the accessory, which is normally set down on the dressing room table by the equipment manager.
Assistant national coach Anton Corneal would not be drawn on the apparent mix-up while he insisted that the striker's withdrawal at the interval was merely to allow Swansea striker Jason Scotland an extended run rather than a signal of discontent at John's performance.
"I really prefer not to say (how John ended up with the armband)," said Corneal, "but we are not going to make an issue about that when there are so many other more important things to work on if we want to qualify (for the 2010 World Cup).
"In the end, as Francisco (Maturana) explained, the captain will show himself through his play and his ability to lead."
Neither John nor Theobald could be reached for comment on the temporary transfer of captaincy. Almost certainly, the captaincy issue pales in significance to the return of a fit and motivated Whitley.

11

Football / Latapy - Keeping the bench warm and an eye on the dugout

« on: January 30, 2008, 10:51:49 PM »

Keeping the bench warm and an eye on the dugout
By Stewart Fisher



The veteran midfielder’s winter break has let him focus on coaching

BEING FORCED to take his own personal winter break has finally convinced Russell Latapy that he has arrived at the autumn of his playing career.

The Trinidadian, who will turn 40 before the end of the season, hasn't started a game since November, as a combination of the heavy pitches at this time of the season, the player's advancing years, and John Hughes's reluctance to alter a winning team has condemned him to his longest spell out of the first team since arriving at the club four and a half seasons ago.

Aside from getting on with his day job coaching the reserves, and seeing his name linked with the now-filled St Johnstone manager's post, Latapy has taken the extended stay on the bench as a hint that his next contract (whoever it is with) must see him alter the balance between coaching and playing.

"We went on an unbelievable run - in 13 games we only lost to the Old Firm - and there is an unspoken rule in football where if the team is winning you don't change it," Latapy said, in the wake of back-to-back defeats against Gretna and Aberdeen that have punctured the club's momentum a little. "I said to the gaffer at the start of the season that if I play I am going to do the best that my body is going to allow me to do. If I am playing I am going to do my best but I am not a spring chicken any more. And when the weather and the pitches are like this, it is a bit difficult to get about realistically, so he just needs to decide when is best to use me."

Whether their veteran Trinidadian is recalled against Celtic this afternoon remains to be seen but as for what happens when his current playing contract expires in the summer, Latapy is in no hurry to leave a club where he is well liked and his previous contract negotiations have always taken all of about five minutes to conclude. He will wait, however, to see what role is offered before deciding upon his future.

"Like everybody else you get another buzz when the sun comes out and it is good for you to start passing the ball again," Latapy said. "So I will only be able to answer that question fruitfully more closer to the end of the season, when get your buzz on and then your body is telling you you can do it again. I love playing, I enjoy training - even if it is a case of just playing when needed. If I am fit enough to play, I am around the club, and he Hughes wants me to play then I would without a doubt.

"It is just a question possibly of defining exactly what my role is," he added. "This season, at the start it was playing then coaching, but the next time it might be a question of defining it as coaching and then maybe just playing a little bit - of changing the balance. We have always had a good relationship so I don't foresee a problem."

Latapy was born in the Trinidadian capital of Port-of-Spain, and spent his formative years in Portugal, but at a time when his contemporaries such as Craig Brewster and Mixu Paatelainen are making a go of things, has no qualms about setting his course towards management in Scotland, whenever he finally shrugs off the comfort blanket of learning under Hughes. The laid-back Latapy is easily contrasted with the stentorian Hughes, but when the move happens, the world might discover this odd couple's footballing philosophies are closer than might be expected.

"The St Johnstone thing came up simply because I said to my agent ages ago that I would definitely like to get into management, and because he was involved with some of the people at St Johnstone he asked me at that time if I would be interested and I said yes'," Latapy said. "But I am quite happy here, and will make decisions based on what if anything is going to be offered.

"It is good to be around this club and, despite having my own philosophy on the game, you can learn off the manager which is good. I know a lot of people don't say these kind of things, but if I make mistakes with the reserves then he gets the flak for it, because he is ultimately responsible for everything which happens at the football club.

"I think at the club here we try to play football the way we think it should be played, getting the ball down and passing it," Latapy added. "But with the reality of knowing that football is a game of results, there has to be a flexibility. If the pitch is good then you pass it and try to win games that way, if the pitch is not good and it is difficult to play that way, you might have to switch it about. Keep it solid at the back, and let the attacking players try to win it for you, rather than the total football situation."

This all could make this afternoon's match a bit of a pitched battle. Having conceded four goals when attempting unsuccessfully to out-pass the champions on each of the last two meetings with Celtic, Hughes may have to alter those principles a little if conditions aren't conducive to it this afternoon. "My park's not great at the moment," Hughes said. "I think our guy won groundsman of the year, although I don't know how. He is the hide- and-seek champion of Falkirk."

12

Football / Boca Juniors vs. AC Milan - Club World Cup Final

« on: December 15, 2007, 07:07:53 PM »

forget EPL Super Sunday... this is de big game. Two big big sides in a very under-rated tournament. Live at 5 AM Sunday on FSC so set yuh alarm...or ketch a replay later on in the day

VS

Milan expect bruising battle with Boca in final

YOKOHAMA, Japan (AFP) -- Carlo Ancelotti is predicting a bruising battle when his AC Milan side face Boca Juniors in the Club World Cup final on Sunday, with both sides ready to make history.

""I think it will be a very aggressive, open game,"" the Milan coach said.

""Boca's defense line is not well controlled and not so strong but they are very aggressive overall.

""We must keep ourselves highly motivated.""

Boca coach Miguel Angel Russo said: ""We want to show Boca's style. I think it will be a very good game with both sides full of big players.

""A defensive error would cost dearly. The midfield holds the key to both teams,"" he added. ""We will just move forward with the ball.""

Both the Serie A side and Argentina's most crowned club won the Intercontinental Cup three times, more than any other team, before the traditional Europe-South America contest was merged into this veritable world club championship in 2005.

It will be a record-breaking fourth honor when one claims the mantle of the world's top club on Sunday.

And Milan have a score to settle after losing to Boca on penalties in the 2003 Intercontinenal final.

Ancelotti said that Brazilian playmaker Kaka, who set up the winning goal by Clarence Seedorf in Milan's 1-0 win over Japan's Urawa Reds in the semis on Thursday, will lead the offense again.

But the Boca coach said: ""We know how wonderful he is, but we can stop Kaka.

""They will have to stop (Martin) Palermo and (Rodrigo) Palacio as well,"" Russo added, citing the Boca frontmen.

""Anything could happen in the final, especially against Boca,"" said Kaka. ""We must be prepared.""

The 25-year-old Brazilian said here earlier about the 2003 event: ""I don't like the word 'revenge.' In 2003 Boca won and it ended there, closed story.""

The pride of European football may be also at stake after Sao Paulo beat Liverpool in the inaugural Club World Cup and Internacional whipped Barcelona last year.

Kaka, who won the prestigious French Ballon d'Or award for the best player of the year just before coming here, admitted this event was seen in Europe as a ""bonus"" after the Champions' League.

But he said: ""For us South Americans it's a very important trophy, and my teammates and I shall do everything to win it.""

Milan, who have won the Champions League and Super Cup this year, arrived in here unusually early this time despite a tight schedule at home and on their continent -- a full week before their first match against Urawa.

Boca came one day later and also struggled 1-0 against Tunisia's Etoile Sahel in the other semifinal on Wednesday.

""It's a nice coincidence, perhaps unique,"" mused Milan's 30-year-old hardman midfielder Massimo Ambrosini, referring to the Rossoneri's Champions League final win over Liverpool last May which avenged their defeat two years earlier.

""It's incredible that we will face Boca and that to get there we had to beat Liverpool,"" he said.

13

Football / Yorke to anchor at Mariners

« on: December 02, 2007, 12:06:48 AM »

Yorke to anchor at Mariners
The Age Australia
December 2, 2007


Yorke, celebrating with Sydney FC teammates after leading them to their inaugural A-league victory, is planning a return


DEFENDERS and blonde bombshells, take note: "All Night" Dwight Yorke has declared his intention to relaunch himself on Australia — with the Central Coast Mariners.

The smiling face of the inaugural A-League season will meet Mariners chairman Lyall Gorman in London this week to discuss a return. Yorke, 36, has promised the club's leading shareholder, Peter Turnbull, that the Mariners will have first option if, as anticipated, he severs ties with Sunderland in June.

Former Sydney FC powerbroker Turnbull helped tempt the playmaker to the Sydney Football Stadium back in 2005, with skipper Yorke leading the club to the competition's inaugural crown with a grand final win against the Mariners.

Yorke would command less than half the $1 million he earned before reluctantly leaving Sydney to reunite with former Manchester United teammate Roy Keane at the Stadium of Light after only one season.

But money is not believed to be the driving force for multimillionaire Yorke, with his English agent Simon Bayliff declaring: "Dwight has a very good relationship with Peter Turnbull; they have kept in touch ever since he left the club and the Mariners will have first option if he leaves Sunderland."

Property developer Turnbull believes the A-League leader would provide the perfect habitat for Yorke, who has been earmarked as a player and coaching mentor to the club's junior players.

"Dwight has his UEFA coaching badge … we have 100,000 kids now linked up with the club through our ties with the Granville, Canberra, Hornsby, Woy Woy and the Ku-ring-gai associations," Turnbull said.

"It shows the quality of the man, that despite being in his 30s, he's gone back to the Premier League and taken it in his stride. But I know he'd like to come back because he loves Australia and our lifestyle."

Like Turnbull, who was hounded out of Sydney by the all-powerful Frank Lowy faction, Yorke left with few warm feelings and has ruled out a return there. A $200,000 agency fee finally was paid to his English representatives after a threat of court action.

The club demanded and received a $500,000 transfer fee before off-loading Yorke to Sunderland rather than stump up another $1 million for year two of his contract.

Despite his reputation as a party prince, Yorke astounded Sunderland's coaching staff two weeks ago by leading the mid-season fitness league table in press-ups, squat thrusts and power-lifting.

Yorke, who scored eight goals in 22 appearances for Sydney, plans to base himself on his former Sin City party patch, which means the Mariners would have to bend club rules precluding players from living outside the area.

14

Football / Spann, Scotland and Stern goals from weekend (clips)

« on: October 30, 2007, 06:38:13 PM »

Low laser strike from Spann:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/n81196

Scotty on de one-time strike at the edge of the box:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/gcznsh

Stern with the header off a nice cross:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/cybn1a


mods i will add it to Goals section later

15

Football / Basketball and Football

« on: September 05, 2007, 08:41:16 PM »

A pardner and I were discussing today which sport places more emphasis on individual effort (and thus less on team effort), Football or Basketball.

He said football places more emphasis on the individual because one man can change a game, specifically citing the example of Ronaldinho who can dribble through four defenders and score, or out of nowhere conjure up a pass that will end up in a goal. 

I rebutted this by saying that it is a team effort (using the same example of R10 and Barca) because somebody have to get the ball to Ronaldinho (e.g. Deco, Xavi) to fool his many markers, while Ronaldinho's dribbling or final pass is only good if someone is there in space to collect it and finish (i.e. Eto'o/Messi/Henry). Thus, de whole team involved.

He then said that the five men on the basketball court are usually all involved in the play until the shot and there is more tendency to pass in restricted individual space due to marking. But as a Raptors fan (only when dey good) I know when we missing Chris Bosh, man does put money on Raptors losing. Thus for me Basketball places more emphasis on individual effort.

We halted de discussion I think because we see a nice thing and proceeded to deliberate whether she could get it or not. Anyway de talk had potential to go on some more, since I understood where he was coming from and there are lot of things to take into consideration.

So I decide to throw it out to the esteemed forumites on de board and see how it could continue. NBA fellers I lookin for your input too.

16

General Discussion / For sale: $20 million Tobago island

« on: August 06, 2007, 10:11:40 PM »

For Sale: $20 million Tobago island
Trinidad Express


HOME ALONE: Goat Island off the East coast of Tobago.

MULTI-MILLION-dollar Goat Island is up for sale.

The island, situated two miles off the coast of Speyside, Tobago, was once owned by famous author and the creator of the James Bond character, Ian Fleming, and is now owned by local businessman I T McLeod.

Goat Island has been listed on the international real estate market for more than eight months for an asking price of close to $20 million (US$3 million).

Several real estate websites indicated that the island first came onto the real estate market late last year with a whopping $50 million (US$8 million) price tag.

The ten-acre private island comes with a two-storey, West Indian-style villa located next to a beach.

It includes three bedroom suites, a large kitchen and a reception area.

There are also two one-bedroom guest apartments on a small hill and it is being sold with a boathouse parcel comprising 5,598 square feet, in the nearby town on the Tobago mainland.

The property is generator-powered and has a 35,000 gallon water storage tank under the Main House.

Goat Island is surrounded by a world class coral reef.

It has been said that when Fleming bought Goat Island he became interested in the neighbouring island, which was called Bird of Paradise Island, now called Little Tobago.

It is believed that the birds here inspired Fleming, and he then acquired a copy of Birds of the West Indies by the author Terence James Bond.

Many believe that these incidents motivated Fleming's creation of the James Bond character and other characters in the series.

The island's new owner McLeod, grew up in Tobago, furthered his education in the United Kingdom and returned to Trinidad and Tobago to embark on a very successful entrepreneurial career in real estate and investments.

He is popularly known as the promoter of the McLeod annual all-inclusive charity fete held during the Carnival season at Salybia.

A public notice in the press yesterday said that the island and the buildings on the island would be up for public auction today.

The auction was reportedly postponed last night.

Officials at RBTT Bank (which is offering the property for sale), would not comment when contacted.

17

Football / Sydney signs Juninho Paulista (journalist takes some cheap shots at Dwight)

« on: August 04, 2007, 01:48:24 PM »

Samba rhythm is sure to quicken every heartbeat
Sydney Morning Herald

Well done, Sydney FC. It's not often I've had the opportunity to utter that phrase in the first two seasons of the A-League, but their signing of Juninho Paulista will have far-reaching ramifications for our domestic game.

Juninho is the most exciting name recruited to the fledgling competition - the most successful player ever to commit himself to more than a few games in this country.

Sure, Adelaide's signing of Romario last year was a bold move and made for great marketing. But given little time to understand his new teammates, who play an entirely different style of football, the ageing legend was always going to find it difficult to cope.

Romario left these shores complaining about the physicality of our game, saying that a culture which does not properly value skill and technique does not suit Brazilian coaches and players.

This points to one reason why Juninho is an outstanding signing - he has played successfully in the English Premier League, another culture in which a tackle is more celebrated than a beautiful pass.

So he comes here well aware of how we play the game, well aware that we like to play as fast as possible and always go forward.

Although 34, he until recently produced wondrous displays of skill for Middlesbrough. This indicates his transition into the A-League will be smooth.

And, with the greatest of respect, his signing bears no comparison to that of Dwight Yorke. Yorke was a Champions League winner - this bloke won a World Cup. While Yorke played alongside Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, Juninho played with Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Romario.

Yorke's presence brought a championship and much needed promotion to the league, and credit to him, but Juninho brings pure quality.

What is more, this signing is not just the perfect tonic for the club - after Australia's fizzer at the Asian Cup it should excite all fans.

Slowly, but surely, we are moving to a better vision of the game.

At last we are importing a player who can help lift the standard of our game, and there should be longer-term benefits as tens of thousands of kids and coaches, players and spectators, through watching one of the most gifted players to grace these shores, start to know the artful side of our game rather than the merely industrial.

For those of us who have been around too long, I wonder what would have happened had we, as youngsters, been able to watch such a player week in and out in the flesh. How fundamentally would our view of the game have changed?

Having a Brazilian star here can only further, or more accurately begin the process, of building strong ties with our South American football-loving community, and we hope Sydney will extend an olive branch to those who most understand and respect the beautiful game, and who surely were most offended by the football of the Terry Butcher era.

And should we see Brazilian dancers and drums before every home match and a new samba style on the pitch, then Sydney FC will show they have woken up to a major advantage football has as a form of entertainment - its ability to tap the infectious joy other cultures have in our game.

So, at last, although it has taken three years, samba has come to the big city. Which means our South American community, with all its passion and love of football, might be enticed to add its joyous flavour to the mix that is Sydney FC.

The glamour is back, but this time hollow bling will be replaced by soulful samba.

18

Football / Spann's chance to show the Cats.

« on: July 22, 2007, 11:50:19 PM »

Spann’s chance to show the Cats.
By: Paul Gilder (The Journal).
  
Roy Keane is considering increasing Sunderland’s Carribean connections after inviting Trinidad and Tobago international Silvio Spann for a trial on Wearside, writes Paul Gilder.
The midfielder arrived in the North-East last week and, although he did not feature in Saturday’s pre-season defeat at Scun-thorpe, Spann was at Glanford Park to watch the Black Cats in action.
Keane, who used his side’s second summer fixture to run the rule over New Zealand Under-20 international defender Jack Pelter, is determined to add ‘three or four’ players to his squad prior to the club’s forthcoming Irish tour.
But, although he is casting his net far and wide, the Sunderland manager remains keen on targets closer to home and is hoping significant progress can be made this week.
With Leighton Baines understood to have expressed a reluctance to sign a contract extension at Wigan, Keane will hope that a breakthrough is imminent in a long-running saga in which three seven-figure bids have been rejected.
And, although he will not increase his £8m bid for Craig Gordon, Keane retains an interest in the Hearts goalkeeper, despite last week suggesting otherwise.
“I wouldn’t go as far as saying that the interest is over,” said the 35-year-old, who has made it clear to the SPL club that he will not match their £10m valuation, a move he hopes will persuade Hearts to lower an unrealistic asking price. “We took it as far as we could. The club (Hearts) have been made aware (of the interest). “The agent has gone through the media, but we like to keep stuff like that private.”
Keane and his squad last night travelled to Portugal for a short training camp, but the Black Cats boss will continue to pursue his leading targets in an attempt to add make further signings before this weekend’s fixture at Bohemians.
“We’re working hard to add maybe three or four players to the squad and we’re hopeful things will happen this week,” explained a manager who is expected to make a fourth attempt to prise Baines from the JJB Stadium this week. “We hope to have another few faces to add to the squad to challenge the players who are already here. I’m confident we will get those players and I’ll be delighted if we do.”
Spann will be determined to showcase his talents to the Black Cats boss having joined up with Sunderland on Dwight Yorke’s recommendation. A player who can count Perugia and Dinamo Zagreb as his former employers is keen to continue his career in England and has been given permission by W Connection, his Trinidadian club, to pursue his ambitions.
Spann has spent two weeks on trial at Sheffield United, although work permit complications have prevented him from travelling with the Blades on their pre-season trip to Ireland.
That has enabled Keane to appraise a player who has won 28 senior caps for the Soca Warriors and who shone at this summer’s Gold Cup in the United States.
The Black Cats boss was also keen to evaluate Pelter, who captained New Zealand at the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Canada. The 19-year-old played the second half against Scun-thorpe at the weekend and earned the Irishman’s praise for his performance in a testing environment.
Keane could soon have a decision to make on an existing Sunderland player with Hull City boss Phil Brown keen to sign striker Stern John.

19

General Discussion / Trini killed in Iraq

« on: July 07, 2007, 11:19:28 PM »

Trini killed in Iraq
Trinidad Express
by Darryl Heeralal


AMONG TWO KILLED: Trinidad-born Private Le Ron Wilson who was killed while on patrol in southeastern Baghdad, Iraq, on Friday.

WHEN Le Ron Wilson was seven, his father hugged him and said that the time had come for him to sleep in his own bed, to start learning to become a man.

Four years later Wilson left his father in Trinidad and went to live with his mother, Simona Francis, in Queen's, New York, USA.

Wilson, the only child of his parents, grew up to be the independent man his father wanted so much, that Lawrence Wilson was unable to convince his son not to join the United States Army.

Wilson always wanted to be like his dad-a Cadet Force major-to proudly wear a military uniform. It was his childhood dream that killed him: His life was snuffed out by a roadside bomb in Iraq on Friday.

Even more sadly for Lawrence, his son left for the killing fields of Iraq on his father's birthday, May 7, this year.

"This feels like falling with nothing to hold on to. I don't know what next to do. You're just falling, falling, hoping for some ground, some answer to this whole thing," Lawrence said yesterday during an interview at his San Juan home.

"Look at this boy's face. The baby milk still there. I never wanted this for him. I don't know what to feel, what to say. It is one thing to bury your parents, but your son..."

Lawrence is a Cadet Force major and the longest serving adjutant in the history of the force in Trinidad and Tobago.

Private Le Ron Wilson, in the army a mere months, became one of the latest US casualties in Iraq, killed when an explosively formed penetrator exploded near his patrol taking him and an Iraqi interpreter.

Wilson died around 2 a.m. on Friday in southeastern Baghdad and was one of nine US troops killed on the day.

Explosively formed penetrators are high-tech bombs that the US believes are provided by Iran. A charge the Iranians have denied.

Wilson died four months shy of his nineteenth birthday.

It was his second brush with death in the three months he was in Iraq.

Two weeks ago a roadside bomb exploded near his patrol, luckily for him that time the armoured Hummer protected his life.

Like any other parent, Lawrence said when he spoke to his son as he was about to leave for Iraq he supported him but hoped that he would come back home.

He never got the chance to speak with his son while he was in Iraq, though Wilson was able to send a few e-mails to his mother and call her on a couple of occasions.

"I never thought it could be my son. You always feel that bad things don't happen to good people."

Wilson is the second Trinidadian to be killed in Iraq since the start of the war in 2003. The first was Pte Kendell Frederick, 21, who died while awaiting his citizenship papers.

"Le Ron was always a little soldier. He reached the age to make his own decisions so I could not talk him out of it," Lawrence said about his son joining the US Army.

"I could not even convince him to join as a commissioned officer, his dream was to go through the ranks."

Wilson enlisted after graduating from high school and was promoted twice during pre-training.

"By the time actual training had started he was already the senior man in his unit at seventeen and a half," Lawrence said.

Wilson was shipped to Iraq right after his training ended.

Ironically, when he enlisted Wilson was told that he would not be sent to Iraq.

Instead Wilson trained as a weapons specialist and was supposed to replace someone at another security agency.
During his training Wilson placed top in a battalion of over 600 and twice won soldier of the month.

"I don't know how he end up in Iraq," Lawrence said.

In less than two months in Iraq Wilson became the scout for his squad.

"I felt it was a bit too early. Le Ron was a bit too green for that duty."

Lawrence feels that the Americans should pull out of Iraq as they have lost more soldiers than the total number of people killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers.

Over 3,600 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the start of the war.

So far Lawrence said that the military has not released much information about his son's death and that his body is expected to be flown back to the United States in two weeks.

"Le Ron was bright as a bulb, always topping what he did. He could have been the next Colin Powell. He joined the army because he felt he was being of service to humanity. That was the kind of person he was."

20

Football / Copa America - Chile vs Brasil

« on: July 07, 2007, 02:02:43 PM »

8:30 PM on Gol TV and Gol TV Canada.

Let we hope Brazil doh subject we to dat brand of sh*t they playing lately.


Collin Samuel & Toronto FC vs Chicago fire playin at the same time as well.

21

Football / Collin Samuel scores winner for Toronto FC

« on: July 04, 2007, 10:13:11 PM »

Off a well-taken penalty 

He had an open run on goal and was brought down in de box. What make de goal significant was not only it was de winner, but it was Toronto FC's first away win of the season.

Still, overall I have to be critical because I find he could hustle more and stop trying to beat men so much. Maybe since he new he trying to stand out, who knows. Big up Sammy and good luck in the upcoming games.

22

Football / Memories: Latas taking Hibs to the SPL (clip)

« on: June 30, 2007, 10:21:46 PM »

Scorer of the only two goals in the match.

Check de danger


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB5MtKqrOdU


L A T A P Y
     1 0

23

General Discussion / A disturbing situation..sorry no Cliff notes

« on: June 28, 2007, 11:32:57 PM »

I have been dealing with this fuh some time - largely by ignoring it - but it has been bothering meh and I want to try to get it off meh chest.

To put a long, long story short, I discovered dat my friend is a White Nationalist/racist. I put either/or because - in dis case at least - it more or less de same.

Anyway I know dis feller since I start school here (Grade 11) until now, so dat is about over 7 years now. I eh lime with him much for de past four years or so but I saw him now and den. He was still considered part of de 'regulars' I does lime with despite that.

All the while before he would make suspect remarks about jewish ppl and non-white people...subtle and short. So I was always left with a lingering thought "what dis fella scene really is..?". Let we call him "Eric". He from Russia, immigrated to Canada as a small man.

Anyway I shame to say now I used to let these subtleties from him pass, because dey were few and far between - although it doh seem so now-  he otherwise seemed fine (b/c most of de rest of us are 'minorities') and as a meek Trini youth now coming to Canada, I grateful to make some friends.

My friendship with these other fellers have solidified but with Eric I always detached myself and he detached himself from the rest of we over de past three years especially.

Anyway about a week ago we all met up again, gorn fuh some Hakka Chinese food (W. China, usually does give yuh shittings). It was about five of we, I in de car with Eric and another Korean friend who ah thought was ah friend too. Eric and dis particular Korean feller are good friends and saw each other a lot during the times the rest of us didn't

Anyway I can't remember what inspire it but Korean feller start talking about black ppl except he wasn't referring to them as dat if yuh feel meh. Earlier in de day he was talkin about indian ppl and wasn't referring to dem as dat either (de 'p' word). In both cases it was real racist talk.

Anyway I ask him whaz he scene and he give me a setta bullshit, initially I thought he was joking but den again yuh doh make joke so and he was serious. He looking to Eric (in de front seat) fuh support but Eric wasnt' saying anything like a real coward. He jess nervously kinda laughing, he call me "PC" and upon further pressing by the korean feller, say he refuse to say anything else.

Now dem two does lime and I suspect Eric influence dis korean feller this way. I also recently discovered Eric was/is a frequent poster at Stormfront White Nationalist community, which is a message board for dem. I see some of he posts and for de sake of humanity, it hurt meh. He is an avid believer in de white supremacy and inferiority of others. It IS him posting so don't wonder otherwise. Me eh even know why I bother going to dat site, I guess I was too suspicious...

Anyway back to de scene in the car.

After all dat, I tell myself I had enough and come out from de car. They knew why. When I reach where all of we was going, I eh say 2 words to them.

I went because the other two fellers are my good bredren, and I doh want Eric and he puppet to twist de story if it arose.

So dat is de summary.

I know fuh myself I eh going to have anything to do with these fellers again.

But as a young person still with a sense of ideals these incidents (esp when de mentality does last, i.e Eric) does shake up yuh sense of stability and hope in society, and does leff yuh feeling dejected. Especially since Eric is de first or one of de first 'friend' I make in Canada...it does have meh thinking, what are de chances of dat, or exactly how many ppl does think like he?

Eric invite them fellers (my two bredren) to a bbq by he house dis weekend, he eh tell me nuttin. My dilemma is, is it my place to inform these my close friends of Eric and his puppet's mentality (because my bredren seem clueless and consider them friends), or should I let dem find out themselves and they will react however dey see fit.

A strong part of me want to do the first option and plans to do so

I like my shyt talk but I go appreciate some serious, rational insight please...like Filho/Kicker-esque ting

24

Football / Trinidad & Tobago players to sue over pay claims

« on: June 20, 2007, 06:47:36 PM »

British press slowly but steadily taking note...

Trinidad & Tobago players to sue over pay claims
By Nick Harris
The Independent (UK)

21 June 2007

A group of 16 Trinidad & Tobago players who represented their country at last year's World Cup, including seven based in Britain, are preparing to sue their national federation in a bitter battle over bonuses with the Fifa vice-president Jack Warner.

The players include Sunderland's Stern John, Southampton's Kenwyne Jones, Coventry's Chris Birchall, Raith Rovers' Marvin Andrews, and Shaka Hislop, now with FC Dallas in America's MLS. All 16 have been blacklisted by their country's FA and effectively forbidden from representing their country again.

Their legal case is based on the fact that they did a deal over bonuses with the Trinidad & Tobago Football Federation - for which Warner is officially a "special adviser", but effectively in charge - before the World Cup. The players were to receive 50 per cent of profit on six pre-tournament friendlies, plus 30 per cent of commercial and sponsorship revenues arising directly from qualifying for the World Cup. The 30 per cent part was later raised to 50 per cent in a deal brokered by Warner.

The players have no idea how much they are owed - the crux of the case - because of what the players believe are incomplete accounts provided by TTFF. But deals were done on the back of qualification with companies such as adidas, Kentucky Fried Chicken and eBay. The players feel they may be due as much as £200,000 each, but have been offered less than £500.

Warner, who accused the players of greed, said "they will stay outside the pale of organised football" until they drop their legal threats. Their lawyer, Michael Townley, said: "The players are not pursuing a set figure, they're pursuing transparency of the accounts."


Warner accused of failing to pay T&T bonuses
Paul Kelso
Thursday June 21, 2007
The Guardian

Jack Warner, the Fifa vice-president, is again at the centre of controversy over Trinidad & Tobago's World Cup campaign, this time because of a players' revolt over unpaid bonuses. The former West Ham United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop is leading the Soca Warriors in legal action against the T&T Football Federation, for which Warner is a special adviser, alleging that promised bonuses were not paid.
Warner has effectively blacklisted 16 players, including Hislop, Stern John and Chris Birchall, and accused them of being "consumed by greed" after they demanded that a pre-tournament contract to share 50% of World Cup commercial revenues should be honoured.


The federation did deals with Adidas, Ebay, British Gas and KFC before the tournament, with some estimates putting the total value at more than $11.5m (£5.8m). The players claim they have been offered only £400 each, with items including travelling expenses and hotel fees, all of which were covered by Fifa, deducted.
In a letter to Warner, Hislop accuses him of a "slanderous attack" and makes it clear that he will be called to give evidence when proceedings begin in the next week. Last year Fifa's ethics commission ruled that Warner had abused his position by making a £500,000 profit on marked-up World Cup tickets sold through his family travel company, but he hung on to his influential Fifa post.

25

Football / Yorke: Keane can be like Sir Alex

« on: June 18, 2007, 10:20:06 AM »

Yorke: Keane can be like Sir Alex
icc.Newcastle.co.uk

 

Dwight Yorke believes Roy Keane has already shown the managerial talent to go on and emulate his long-time mentor Sir Alex Ferguson.

And veteran Yorke is vowing to play on for another two years to help his former Manchester United team-mate realise that destiny.

But he admits he still doesn't know the man behind Keane the manager.

Yorke lifted the treble under Ferguson in 1999 and was a key factor in the dramatic turnaround that saw Sunderland win the Championship last season.


And the Trinidadian, who is convinced he can play in the Premiership until 2009, is convinced Keane is developing the traits that have marked Ferguson as a legend.

"Roy is proving a top-drawer manager," said Yorke. "Only time will tell how good he can become. What he has brought to the table, his way of thinking and what he is trying to do to progress this club has impressed everyone.

"I see a lot of Sir Alex in him. Roy Keane is his own man, but he has taken some of the great man with him into management.

"He has learned from him. You can see that in the way he deals with situations. You can see similarities between them. As a player, you don't want to cross either of them.

"They are winners. They expect to win."

Yorke added: "Was Roy the most driven player I ever played with? Definitely, even in training. He could give you it like never before and you would think: `It's only training.' But he would say: `If you train well, you'll play well.'

"You might not be doing it and he would still be driving away at you. He would have a moan - he was a great moaner - but with good reason.

"When you look back now you realise it was all to do with bettering yourself. He has instilled that same attitude here at Sunderland now that he is a manager.


"It doesn't matter what it is - five-a-side, table tennis or golf - you must want to win everything. That is what he is trying to instill into the players here.

"And you can see them changing because of what he is asking them to do. He has their respect."

Now, Yorke - Keane's first signing - is bidding to win the Sunderland boss's respect all over again as he looks to prove himself worthy of a place in the Premiership in his mid-30s.

"I am 35. There's no two ways about that," said Yorke. "But I keep myself in shape. He knows exactly what I do. I don't have to go bragging about it.

"People know how seriously I take my football. I might have a laugh and the odd day out, but it is about football. I take it seriously.

"I would say I have two years left. I'm back in the Premiership. It's where I belong. I have spent most of my career here."

But Yorke confessed: "I don't really think I got to know Roy Keane as a player. You would socialise off the park but he never got quite close. "People say you must be big mates, but we're not. He has always kept his distance at a certain level.

"Don't get me wrong, if he likes you, he asks you for a drink sometimes. If he doesn't, there's no problem with him. You just press on the same way.

"We just have an acquaintance, a kind of mutual respect. I have a lot of respect for him. He really is top drawer."
 

26

Jokes / Dog pleasures itself

« on: June 08, 2007, 04:23:13 PM »

Hahahaha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNF7hnsi2Do

he get brace so he take matters into his own...paws   

27

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Looking for Extempo videos

« on: June 06, 2007, 06:34:55 PM »

From recent or from years past...like Big B, Lady Africa, Black Sage, I think Sprangalang competed too

28

Football / T&T vs Honduras goals/highlights

« on: June 03, 2007, 02:51:28 PM »

Jan didn't have a clue for de 1st goal boy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLN9hkXyF_Y

29

Football / Rivaldo signs for AEK Athens

« on: May 30, 2007, 07:05:33 AM »

Rivaldo signs for AEK Athens
World Soccer News

Greek first division club AEK Athens announced on Tuesday that it had signed Brazilian football legend Rivaldo on a two year contract where he will paid reportedly 1.3million euros a year.

The 35-year-old had been playing for Olympiakos the last three seasons but quit the team earlier this month saying he had been asked to stay for a fourth year with a 50 percent reduction in his pay which he rejected.

No financial details of the deal were revealed by AEK, which finished in second place this past season and will play in the Champions League qualifying round next season.

However Greek press reports said Rivaldo will be getting 1.3 million euros a year for playing with AEK plus bonuses if the Greek team does well in the Champions League or wins the domestic league crown.

Rivaldo had been receiving 1.9 million euros annually at Olympiakos, it was reported.

"I am here in order to help AEK win the championship," Rivaldo said after signing his contract and then leaving for a vacation in his native Brazil.

30

Football / Dennis Lawrence quits international game.

« on: May 29, 2007, 10:26:12 PM »

Lawrence quits international game.
T&T Express Reports.

Trinidad and Tobago's Swansea City defender Dennis Lawrence has decided to put an end to his seven-year international career.
His decision comes amidst the current impasse between the T&T World Cup players and the T&T Football Federation (T&TFF) over promised reward payments from their participation in Germany last year.
The 32-year-old Lawrence, home on vacation after a hectic season with League One club Swansea, believes he is not yet at retirement age but thinks leaving is the best choice for him at this stage.
"Basically, I have a lot to offer still but under the current circumstances it's not possible."
Lawrence, a key member of the recently-established Football Players Association of T&T (FPATT), made it clear that he was in no way backing out of supporting the players' stance with the T&TFF, but said there comes a time when a player has to look after his own needs.
"I've always been a team player, but at this moment I think I have to look after my needs and that of my family, which is trying to get the best out of myself for my club."
He added: "A lot has happened over the last ten months since our last game in Germany, and it has been very frustrating for me and many others involved in football.
"I have had a lot of time to think and discuss with my family, friends and agent about my position on the matter at hand. For the record, I will like to say that I fully support my teammates in their stand for what we believe is right.
"Having said this, however, I must add that I do not support the legal action taken against the T&TFF, because I feel that between the players and the T&TFF, we had a good enough relationship to deal with our issues behind closed doors. It is sad to say now that this is not the case.
"However, I do hope that for the future of T&T football, both sides will soon resolve the matter," he said.
Lawrence, who scored the vital goal for T&T to beat Bahrain 1-0 in Manama on November 15, 2005 to qualify for the World Cup Finals in Germany, added: "I had a lengthy discussion with my agent, family and my close friends and at the moment I think it's the best move.
"I'm 32 going on 33 and it's not what I wanted to do, but it's in the best interest of me right now."
Looking back at his own international career, Lawrence said the current dispute with the football federation is surely the low point.
"I was hoping that after the World Cup we would have improved our international status and we would have been able to pass on that experience to the younger players, but at the moment that's not possible.
"But I'm still hoping that it can be resolved. I'm looking forward to wearing the national colours of red, white and black maybe in the near future as a supporter," Lawrence said.