Topics

121

General Discussion / Minister: ESC to receive $1.5m, venue allocated

« on: July 22, 2011, 04:13:37 AM »

Minister: ESC to receive $1.5m, venue allocated
Published: Fri, 2011-07-22 21:59
RHONDA RAMBALLY
 
The paddock area in the forecourt of the Grand Stand at the Queen’s Park Savannah which government announced yesterday will be the venue for the Emancipation Support Committee’s Emancipation Village. Photos: BRIAN NG FATT The Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) is expected to receive $1.5 million dollars from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism. The committee will also receive assistance for preparations for the Emancipation Village and $90,000 from the Tourism Development Company. Speaking at the post-cabinet news briefing yesterday, Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Winston “Gypsy” Peters said he would have liked to give the money to ESC “in a more timely manner” but “we have to find the money.”

Peters said it was always Government’s intention to support the ESC and any indication it did not want to assist “was far from the truth.” He said: “The Emancipation Support Committee, as I speak, has gotten $90,000 from a promised $150,000 from the Tourism ministry, so that was to help them in preparations for whatever small things they have to do. “My ministry, the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism...we are going to be giving them $1 million which they would have any time today (yesterday) or tomorrow (today).
“They are also going to be getting $500,000 from the Office of the Prime Minister.”

Peters said the Paddock area of the Queen’s Park Savannah has been granted to the ESC and “they accepted.” He said a drainage problem at the Grand Stand had “to be corrected and that “we didn’t want to take the chance and put the Emancipation Support Committee in that particular location that they wanted to be at to carry on their activities.” Additionally, Peters said assistance for infrastructure will also be given to the ESC “to put up some of the tents and help them with infrastructure...whatever that is.”
He said he couldn’t understand what “this whole thing is about.”

He added that several peripheral organisations would receive funding up to $400,000. “The ministry cannot in any way support all of these but we are and have been supporting all the other organisations to the tune of maybe $300,000 or $400,000. “So it is quite a lot of money that we have to spend in order to keep these activities going,” Peters said. The National Joint Action Committee will receive $500,000, he said.

ESC responds: News to us
ESC chairman Kafra Kambon said Government’s funding was not even half of what it had requested.
Kambon said use of the Paddock area was unsuitable since the activities required a covered space.
He said: “It is so serious. We are going to have an executive meeting (yesterday) to decide what we do in light of all of this information.” Kambon said the ESC became aware of the “new information” yesterday.
He said no one at an “official level” communicated the information to them and now their plans will

122

Jokes / Job Seeker

« on: July 15, 2011, 03:44:51 PM »

True thing a man was looking for a job he went by a fisher man ask him if he needed anybody to work the fisher

 man said yes so the man who looking for the job ask what do i have to do the fisherman said your job would be

to bait the fishing hooks when we go fishing so the job seeker said ok i will take it so the man ask when do i

start the fisherman said today you would start as a junior baiter and when you get good like sam you would be

a master baiter  .

123

General Discussion / 8-year-old Brooklyn boy is killed and dismembered

« on: July 13, 2011, 09:29:57 PM »

8-year-old Brooklyn boy is killed and dismembered
NEW YORK, Wed Jul 13, 10:58 PM
 
 
This undated photo provided by the New York City Police Department shows eight-year-old Leiby Kletzky who was last seen near...More
An 8-year-old Brooklyn boy who got lost while walking home alone from day camp in his Orthodox Jewish neighborhood was killed and dismembered by a stranger he had asked for directions, and his remains were found stuffed in a trash bin and the man's refrigerator, police said Wednesday.

The gruesome killing of Leiby Kletzky shocked the tight-knit Hasidic community in Borough Park, in part because it is one of the safest sections of the city and because the man under arrest is himself an Orthodox Jew.

A day-and-a-half search for the Hasidic boy ended with the discovery of his severed feet inside a bloody freezer at the home of a man who had been spotted with the child on a surveillance video, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The rest of the remains were in the trash in another neighborhood.

"It is every parent's worst nightmare," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

The 35-year-old suspect, Levi Aron, implicated himself in the killing, Kelly said.

Police said there was no evidence the boy was sexually assaulted, but they would not otherwise shed any light on a motive except to say Aron told them he "panicked" when he saw photos of the missing boy on fliers that were distributed in the neighborhood. Police were looking into whether Aron had a history of mental illness.


 
Aron was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder. It was not clear whether he had an attorney. The medical examiner's office said it was still investigating how the boy was killed.

Meanwhile, hundreds lined the streets around a Borough Park synagogue for the boy's funeral service, with speakers broadcasting over a loudspeaker and intermittently breaking down in sobs. They spoke and chanted in Yiddish, stressing the community's resilience and unity after what one called an unnatural death.

"There's no greater pain than this," one said, as translated by a mourner.

Among the women, who listened separately from men, some said their children attended the same day camp. It was open today and counselors were on hand to help the children deal with the news.

"This is not human," said Moses Klein, 73, a retired caterer who lives near the corner where the boy was last seen.

The Hasidim are ultra-Orthodox Jews who live in somewhat insular neighborhoods. The streets are policed by a group of volunteers known as the Shomrim patrol. Many of the mothers who gathered outside the Kletzky family home Wednesday said the streets are normally safe enough for a child to walk home alone.

Adel Erps, like other neighbors, expressed shock the suspect was Jewish. "He's a sick person obviously, but it hurts so much more," she said.

Aron's family was Orthodox but not Hasidic, and he lives about a dozen blocks away from the Kletzky family. When detectives arrived at his attic apartment around 2:40 a.m., they asked him where the boy was, and he nodded toward the kitchen, Kelly said.

Detectives saw blood on the freezer door and opened it to discover the feet inside, wrapped in plastic bags, according to the law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still going on. A cutting board and three bloody carving knives were in the refrigerator, and a plastic garbage bag with bloody towels was found nearby.

Aron told police where to find the rest of the body; it was in pieces, wrapped in plastic bags, inside a red suitcase that had been tossed into a trash bin in another Brooklyn neighborhood, Kelly said.

Police and volunteers had been looking since late Monday afternoon for Leiby, who disappeared while on his way to meet his mother on a street corner seven blocks from his day camp. This was the first time he was allowed to walk the route alone; his parents had taken him on a practice run on Friday.

The break in the case came when investigators watched a grainy video that showed the boy, wearing his backpack, getting into a car with a man outside a dentist's office. Police said the boy had evidently missed a turn and gotten lost.

Detectives tracked the dentist down at his home in New Jersey, and he remembered someone coming to pay a bill. Police identified Aron using records from the office, and 40 minutes later he was arrested.

Police said Aron, who is divorced, lives alone in the attic, in a building shared with his father and uncle. When they arrived, the door was ajar. It's not clear how long the boy had been dead, Kelly said.

Kelly said it was "totally random" that Aron grabbed the boy, and aside from a summons for urinating in public, he had no criminal record. A neighbor told authorities her son had said Aron had once tried to lure him into his car, but nothing happened and she didn't think much of it until the news of the killing, police said.

He lived most of his life in New York and worked as a clerk at a hardware supply store around the corner from his home, authorities said. Co-workers said Aron was at work on Tuesday.

"He seemed a little troubled," said employee Chamin Kramer, who added Aron usually came and went quietly.

Aron moved briefly to Memphis, Tenn., for his now-ex-wife after meeting her on a Jewish dating website, said the woman, Deborah Aron, who still lives in the area. She said he never showed signs of violence toward her two children from a previous relationship.

"It's utter disbelief," she said from the toy-littered backyard of her home in the Memphis suburb of Germantown. "This ain't the Levi I know."

Deborah Aron said the couple was married for exactly a year and divorced in 2007. She described Levi Aron as a shy person - until he got to know someone - and said he enjoyed music, karaoke and "American Idol." She said he attended Orthodox Jewish services in Memphis.

He was "more of a mother's boy than a father's boy," who lived at home until he met her, she said.

She said she filed an order of protection against him at the time of their divorce on the recommendation of her new boyfriend. "At the time he was so hysterical about getting a divorce. He didn't want a divorce," she said of Levi.

She said Levi injured his head when he was hit by a car while riding his bike at the age of 9 and suffered problems stemming from that accident.

She said the crime Levi is accused of is "totally out of character." However, she also said she would not help him find a lawyer or help him in any way.

Leiby was last seen wearing dark pants and a short-sleeved shirt and yarmulke with the traditional long locks of hair by his ears worn by Hasidic men.

Hasidic Jews abide by strict religious rules that require men to wear plain, dark clothing that includes a long coat and a fedora-type hat. Men often have long beards. Most of the 165,000 members in the New York City the area live in Brooklyn and belong to three sects. Hasidism traces its roots to 18th-century Eastern Europe.

"This is a no-crime area," said state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, whose district includes the neighborhood. He said the boy was the only son of the Kletzky family. The parents have four daughters, and the husband works as a driver for a private car service.

"Everybody is absolutely horrified," he said. "Everyone is in total shock, beyond belief, beyond comprehension ... to suddenly disappear and then the details ... and the fact someone in the extended community ... it's awful."

The medical examiner's office released the body so that the boy could be buried promptly Wednesday evening according to Jewish custom.

___

Associated Press Writers Karen Matthews and Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tenn., contributed to this report.

124

Jokes / Mr Mack

« on: July 12, 2011, 06:30:54 PM »

One day a girl from Grenada went by her uncle in the country, his name is Mack and the nieghbours call him Mr Mack.
 So this night  the girl went to bed she took in with a belly pain , she began bawling for she sta-mack,

 me stamack, me stamack oh god me stamack ,me stamack oh god ah go ded me stamack so next day the neighbours was watching Mr Mack  with curious way like if  he was bulling the gul last night. 

125

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / TV Film Festival— Showcasing 100 per cent local content

« on: July 11, 2011, 08:08:04 PM »

TV Film Festival— Showcasing 100 per cent local content
Published: Mon, 2011-07-11 20:50
 
Popular puppet personality Santana with his creator Roger Alexis. Trinidad and Tobago TV Film festival is in full swing this month, running until  July 31. For the next four weeks, the national television viewing audience will have an opportunity to watch all local short films, documentaries, TV series, animations on six major television broadcasters—TV6, Gayelle TV, CNC3, GISL, CNMG and WIN TV. Producers for this year’s Festival include Ryan Khan, Patricia Mohammed, Sigmond Cromwell and Tracy Assing. Roger Alexis, the mind behind Lexo TV and the viral, puppet personality “Santana” also endorsed the Festival highly.

“I think it’s an excellent idea for producers, not all of us have the opportunity to have a forum as big as national TV to display our work. With the help of the TTFC and the TV Film Festival, it’s an opportunity of which every filmmaker should take advantage.” His series, “Herman’s Tales” will be featured during the Festival with Santana starring in the Herman’s Tales—Gangster episode.

Animated shorts will also feature heavily in this year’s Festival from animators such as Stefano Caines, Rene Holder, Kevin Bhall and Animae Caribe’s founder Camille Selvon Abrahams, who wrote to the TTFC with high commendations, “I feel extremely honoured to have my shorts screened on local TV and on top of that to be paid for it. This is a first I think for Trinidad and I think it shows great promise for the future. 

“I think Trinidad and Tobago is very fortunate to have a company like this in their midst. I have been to many islands and when I talk about the support that the industry gets from you guys they are often amazed. I thank you again for the continued support.” For a detailed programme of the films in the 2011 TV Film Festival, please visit the website www.trinidadandtobagofilm.com and the Film Company’s Face Book fan page (Search: Trinidad and Tobago Film Company). Information on advertising with the 2011 Festival is also available by calling the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company on 625-FILM (3456).

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126

General Discussion / No more abuse

« on: July 11, 2011, 09:03:20 AM »

No more abuse
Published: Mon, 2011-07-11 20:39
Bobie-lee Dixon
 
Sherna Benjamin, right, with members of OABI. Photo: Nicole Drayton Embarrassment and fear are the two main reasons behind the silence by millions who are being abused. The cases that do make it to the fore are usually horrific stories that sometimes have a tragic ending, with some of them happening in our own neighbourhoods. This year alone, to date, there have been over 100 reported cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse made to various police stations. And between January and now, 13 women have been killed as a result of domestic violence. Even as I write this, others are also becoming statistics.

What can we do?

Sherna Benjamin, a former victim of abuse, believes she may have the answer. Spearheading the Organisation for Abused and Battered Individuals (OABI), the 38-year-old, who said she endured sexual abuse for years as a child, will launch a nationwide campaign in August to bring awareness to domestic violence and abuse.

Abuse is everywhere

“Abuse can be physical, sexual, psychological, emotional or verbal. Many don’t know this,” said Benjamin, adding that abuse can take place anywhere, not only in the home. “I can recall a teacher at school who would touch us. So imagine being abused at home and when you go somewhere else looking for an escape–you meet the same thing. “Abuse is taking place in the school system, religious organisations, orphanages, prisons and other institutions, and we cannot keep turning a blind eye to that fact,” she warned.

Support is major

Benjamin is now married with children, but said it took her a very long time to accept that what happened to her was not her fault. “I spent many years being angry and I often lashed out at people. I couldn’t trust anyone, let alone foster a relationship with a man. It was very hard for me during courtship to tell my husband what had happened to me.

“You see when you have been abused, your identity is stolen from you and you spend the rest of your years being angry at yourself and the people around you, because no one stopped what was happening to you,” she explained. Benjamin said had it not been for the spiritual support that she received, she would not have been able to allow herself to heal. “Abuse is something that literally haunts you, so support is paramount. You must be able to feel beautiful and worthy of good things again,” Benjamin said.

The Government must step in

In her quest to sensitise the public on this evil, Benjamin has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Education requesting the introduction of proper sex education and counselling in schools. She also proposed the invention of a code system, whereby children could feel free to talk about their abuse without being afraid.

“More has to be done on the part of the Government with regards to sex education in school. Everyone should take interest in fighting domestic violence and abuse. “No one should have to deal with any form of abuse. And no child should have their innocence ripped away from them. There is something we can do. We have the media and other tools to crack down on child molesters and domestic violence offenders. “We are going to penetrate this country with our campaign. We will be travelling through towns, cities and communities spreading the message—that domestic violence and abuse will not be tolerated any longer.” To contact OABI, call 667-3751, 640-7263 or visit them on Facebook by typing in “I am saying no to abuse.”

MORE INFO


According to information from the Central Statistical Office (CSO), the following were reports made to the police for the period 2005-2008 stemming from domestic abuse situations.

Murders/Homicide: 2005:26, 2006:33, 2007:18, 2008: 37

Sexual Abuse: 2005:53, 2006:43, 2007:42, 2008:60

Wounding with intent: 2005:7, 2006:12, 2007:34, 2008:50

Assault by beating: 2005:491, 2006:421, 2007:545, 2008:669

Malicious damage: 2005:1, 2006:1, 2007:18, 2008:19

Threats: 2005:379, 2006:498, 2007:437, 2008:392

Verbal Abuse: 2005:18, 2006:15, 2007:3, 2008:0

Emotional and Psychological Abuse: 2005: 33, 2006: 25, 2007:0, 2008:0

Child Abuse and Abandonment; 2005: 31, 2006:5, 2007:2, 2008:3       

Breach of protection order: 2005:19, 2006:13, 2007:72, 2008:780

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127

General Discussion / No one who can fly, No one who transforms

« on: July 09, 2011, 06:13:47 PM »

No one who can fly, No one who transforms
Published: Fri, 2011-07-08 21:30
ATTILLAH SPRINGER
  Just dragonflies, Flying to the side. No one gets hurt, You’re doing nothing wrong. Slide your hand,
Jump off the end. The water’s clear and innocent. The water’s clear and innocent. —Codex, Radiohead

They scream for Optimus Prime in Globe. In a way that I have never heard screaming before for a superhero. As if he being a machine means they can feel unbridled love for him. He has no human flaws. He is not prone to moments of doubt like the rest of us. There is a cautionary tale hidden away in this Transformers 3, past the pyromaniac porn and the distracting beauty of that pointless heroine who miraculously manages to make it through the entire film with flawless make-up and unbroken heels.
Can you transform yourself? Or are you stuck in a cinema wishing that you could? Oh the noise is deafening in Globe. The joy of people who are easily entertained. And while I am a non-believer and take a dim view to this kind of cinematic lack of script and weak soundtrack, even I find myself making tanka-lanks at the screen. For Optimus Prime. For Bumblebee. The humans are unnecessary. The machines are the real stars. In that willing suspension of disbelief there is something to save us from ourselves. From all the self-fulfilling prophesies of being young and black in Trini-dad. We love those moments of transformation. We love his sleek big truck and trailer. Bumblebee is the real scenes, all black and yellow and sexy one minute and big and powerful and menacing the next.

Meanwhile in Chaguaramas, Trinis can’t seem to fly. Their crafts fail, fall into the sea, cannot soar above the bay for more than 30 feet. Sinking like the body of Nicho-las Simmons into Yemoja’s deep blue embrace. We cannot transform it seems, from our wining selves into beings who can fly. We spend a lot of time on the performance but not on the actual mechanics of flight. This is no Mr Uncle Minsh studying the physics of the Bat man to make Callaloo dance tic tac toe down the river. Oh no, this is shiny mas with feathers that do not, cannot fly. We. Us here in these islands seem to have one way of being. Even the Carnival is no longer a point of transformation for us anymore. So now we need new superheroes to do it for us. To do the transformations so that we can sit back and watch. You have to be brave to transform yourself. You have to know yourself to be able to transform yourself. Flying is for others. We will never learn to fly here. And in Globe men scream for Bumblebee transforming himself, to save America, land we love. The air is electric with the stench of their own inability to transform. Into Trinis who can fly. Who can rise above class and race para-digms. But this has been bred out of us. We are machines of parties. We, like Optimus Prime , believe in a race of beings that will not save us.

I wonder why Optimus Prime chose to fight for the humans? In a way Sentinel Prime is right. Humans are an ignorant stupid race. We are naturally predisposed to notions of colonisation, enslavement, oppression of races of people based on who has the per- ceived powe. So we can do it to each other but it’s not acceptable when it’s someone from another planet. Like it’s okay for PNM to disenfranchise African people but the People’s Partnership is somehow far less justified, because they’re mostly Indians. In this non-movie realm, only politicians have the power to transform. From being for the people to doing their best work against them. From working for the greater good to ensuring the security of the wealthy few. The rest of us hiss and boo from the audience, screaming our anguish at the screen. But they   can’t hear us and we can’t get to them. Balcony vibrates and I am for a minute concerned that if something happens I will be trapped up here. There is no emergency evacuation plan. No one to save me from drowning in a sea of bodies. But I chose this. You can’t play mas and fraid powder.

Enjoy it. This feeling of insecurity. Like a whole-day fete in the traffic. To see people who do not, cannot fly.
The good side always wins in the end. In the movies anyway. I wonder who the good side is on this side of the silver screen. Good people are dying. Good people are stuck in traffic jams for hours. Good people get their homes flooded. Good people are robbed and raped and killed everyday. Good people’s children drown. Sentinel Prime is the badjohn police profiling your son. Sentinel Prime is the Ministry of National Security always coming up with some next scheme to save this country from crime. Sentinel Prime is a show called Crime Watch wallowing in the tragedies of families to make one man feel like a hero. Sentinel Prime is a state-run organisation charging you for a security service when the police don’t have enough resources. No one transforms for the greater good. No one transforms to save this place. All we have is Decepticons for leaders. And people who do not, cannot fly.

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128

Other Sports / The lightning behind the bolt

« on: July 09, 2011, 05:02:48 AM »

The lightning behind the bolt
By By Renée Cummings
This brings to mind ,what happen to our own Hasley Crawford
Story Created: Jul 9, 2011 at 1:02 AM ECT

(Story Updated: Jul 9, 2011 at 1:02 AM ECT )

SHE'S the woman behind the fastest man in the world; the lightning behind the bolt. When a teenage Usain Bolt had little interest in track and field, it was Lorna Thorpe his physical education teacher, at William Knibb Memorial High School, in Jamaica, who recognised his extraordinary potential and gave him a powerful push that propelled him on to the track and into a public consciousness, positioning him for record breaking world class success. Bolt didn't disappoint. That first push was all he needed to sprint ahead of some of the best and all of the rest to snatch a piece of history, in 2008, at the Beijing Summer Olympics

He demoralised the world record. Bolt is a three time world champion and Olympic gold medalist. He's the world record holder and Olympic record holder in the 100m, 200m and the 4 x 100m relay with his Jamaican team.

Thorpe was so nervous for him that she covered her head with a towel to hide her face. But the towel wasn't enough. She also closed her eyes. She just didn't have the courage to look at the race. The moment was way too overwhelming. "After the race, when I looked up, I was moved to tears." She was in charge of an Olympic village set up in Bolt's hometown of Trelawny where friends and family, members of the community and the media came together to watch the games on television. "When he won I started to jump for joy, celebrating and crying and jumping, crying tears of joy." Every emotion she felt on that unforgettable day came back in her voice as we spoke. "When I looked at him all I could see was one of my students, one of my sons that I loved. I didn't speak to him immediately after the race but I did get to speak to him before the 200m." His management team had called from Beijing. 'Miss everything will be okay,' that's what he told me.' For her, that was reassurance enough, she knew he would pull it off and he did with another gold.

Thorpe has been a PE teacher for over 30 years and a sports lover all her life. She was also an athlete, competing in both high jump and long jump. She took her love of sport, from the field to a formal high school curriculum at William Knibb Memorial High where she earned a reputation as a Jamaican gold weaver. "I do what I do because of the love of sport," she tells me. "At the moment, Usain is number one but he isn't the first." Retired 100m Jamaican sprinter and record holder Michael Green was also her student at William Knibb Memorial. He graduated, in 1989, as one of the fastest men in the world. Green is also from Trelawny, Bolt's hometown. Marvin Anderson and Lerone Clarke the 2010 Commonwealth Games 100m champion were also her students. "They are too numerous to name," she laughs with pride. "And it's not only track and field, its netball, cricket and football." She holds safe the combination to the vault of Jamaican sporting success; it's a winning formula that empowers and promotes power. And it's simple. "You have to be there for them."

"I was Usain's PE teacher and his form teacher. We shared a special relationship, more like a mother and a son. Once I identified the talent, I had to make him work on it," she says, reminiscing. "I had to make sure he went to training. Whatever he needed, I had to make sure he had it, like if he needed track shoes. I also had to make sure he went to his classes because the academic is very important." She remembers a young Usain who loved competing and winning more than he loved running. "He was always out there trying to win." She first heard of him through another teacher, Colin Campbell, who gave her a heads-up on his primary school prowess and told her to keep an eye out for him at the "parish" finals. "I saw this exceptionally lanky young man," she says, laughter punctuating each word with a delightful pause. "Everything about him was just right. So we offered him a scholarship. He was 12 years old."

Bolt first made history, in 2002, at 16, at the World Junior Championships, as the youngest ever gold medalist. At the CARIFTA Games, two years later, he soared in 20 seconds under, with a time of 19.93,s breaking the previous world junior record. Faster than fast, but not so long ago he wasn't that quick when it came to deciding that track and field would be his career of choice. Playing professional cricket for the West Indies was on his youthful mind but Thorpe had lifetime plans for his legs; big, bold, brave plans. "I had to get him away from cricket and serious about the track programme. I had to get his priorities straight." It took some convincing. "I couldn't let anything happen to his legs. I had to be very careful. I had to talk to him every day. I had to make sure he concentrated on track and field. When you have a goldmine in your legs, you can't give it up for anything." Thorpe wasn't prepared to let anything happen to those legs.

The minute she saw him she knew it. "I had no doubt. I knew with hard work and dedication he would do it. I was always in his corner." A woman who has dedicated her life to teaching and nurturing the mind, body and spirit of her students, Thorpe sounds a cautionary tale to all teachers. "You have to believe in your students. You have to give them the time they need. You have to work with them. You can't give up on them even when they have a down day. You also have to accept them for who they are and you also have to remember that kids are mysterious." This advice must be worth something. If gold is the measurement Thorpe's words have a lot of currency. An island of three million people Jamaica has won 13 Olympic gold medals. That's a world class achievement. Jamaica, historically, has been a powerhouse of the sprinting world and that's a house that Thorpe helped build.

"You also have to accept them as one of your own. And once you treat them as one of your own, you will make much of them," Thorpe says with a passion that penetrates the core of your being. "You have to let your students know you are proud of them. Whether they win or lose, they have to know that you are in their corner. You just can't give up on them." According to Thorpe, giving up on Bolt was never an option because of his pertinacity and irresistible charm. "That's Usain, he's very charming. He can't get rid of that. He's just full of smiles and he can't keep still. He's also loving and very humble. He's also very caring and it goes back to his home, his parents, they taught him well. No matter where on the island he was competing, if both of them couldn't make it, one of them was always there. It didn't matter where." For a teacher, that level of support coming from the home,was an extra motivator. For Bolt, she always pushed herself just a little bit further. Bolt recently told the BBC he was "indebted" to Thorpe. Little did he know that he paid it back the day he focused on track and field and forgot about cricket.

"He loves to give back. He has built a lunch room for the students of his school. The PTA started it and for years and years, they were trying, but he took it over and it has been completed. It will be officially opened in September when Usain is available." She's elated by his generosity and always moved by his kindness and the consideration he continues to show for others. But, that's off the field, on the field, she's yet to decide what excites her more, his past victories or those to come. She couldn't curb her enthusiasm or contain her exuberance when he won gold, years ago, at Jamaica's most popular school sporting meet called "Champs." For Jamaicans, to win a "Champs" gold medal is like winning a world championship. It is the Inter Secondary School Boys and Girls Championships, a massive annual school sports, in Kingston, that religiously draws a crowd of over 30,000. In 2001, at 14, he didn't win but two years later, at 16, he broke both the 100m and 200m records. The rest is now history. And his past performance predicts the making of more history for a man the world media lovingly nicknamed "Lightening Bolt." Thorpe contends, "Usain is raw talent. When I first saw him I knew the best was yet to come. We still haven't seen the best of Usain Bolt."

129

General Discussion / Strengthening Your PC Muscle

« on: July 06, 2011, 09:04:52 PM »

Strengthening Your PC Muscle
A Strong PC Muscle Has A Variety Of Sexual Benefits
 

You've probably already heard of PC muscle exercises, also known as "Kegels."  If you haven't, we'll help you understand this small muscles role, and why you might want to give it some special attention.  The benefits of a strong PC muscle include:

•better orgasms: stronger orgasmic contractions

•gain complete control of premature ejaculation

•increase the distance you can "shoot" your semen load

•control your erection - make your penis "bounce" up and down

•improved urinary health & control


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Overview & Medical Facts
 

Everyone has a PC muscle - both men and women.  The muscle resembles the shape of a hammock, and it stretches from your tailbone to your pubic bone.  The main purpose/function of the PC muscle is to control urine flow, however it also is responsible for the pleasurable contractions you feel during an orgasm....so exercising it can have wonderful benefits.

 


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"How Do Stronger PC Muscles Help Me Ejaculate Farther?"

During a male orgasm your PC muscle rhythmically contracts and relaxes.  It is part of the system of muscles that propel semen from your body, along with your prostate, perinial muscles, and penis shaft.

 

By strengthening the muscles involved in an orgasm, your orgasms will feel better and you will also have stronger ejaculations.  The PC muscle is only a single part of the ejaculatory system, but it is one of the major parts.  It's common for male porn actors to perform PC exercises on a daily basis in order to ensure their ejaculations distances (aka "cumshots" or "moneyshots") are most impressive.

 

It MUST be noted that although you can increase your ejaculation power with PC exercises, you CANNOT increase your semen volume by exercising your pubococcygeus.  The PC muscle has nothing to do with semen production....we recommend a product like Volume Pills for men looking to shoot MORE semen.  Read our Volume Pills review here.

 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


How To Find Your PC Muscle
 

The easiest way to find your PC muscle is to take a pee and try to stop urinating mid-flow*.  When you stop your urination, you're flexing your PC muscle - that's it.  Actually, that's one of the main things that the PC muscle is for - control of urination.  It can be a little tough to find on a regular basis when you're beginning, but once you've found it you'll have no problems.

 

*Try not to make a habit of stopping your urine mid-flow....this can potentially lead to urinary tract infections.

 

"Learn How To Strengthen Your PC Muscle With Exercises"
 

The overview of Kegels is simple - find/locate your PC muscle, and learn how to contract and release it....much like working-out any other muscle in your body.  These exercises are simple to do - and you can perform them throughout your day: anyplace, anytime.  You can be doing your PC workout routine while you're sitting at your desk at work, or standing waiting for the bus, or watching television.  Don't worry, nobody will be able to tell!

 

So now we're down to the good stuff....learning how to make your PC muscle stronger for better orgasms and increased shooting power.  We should pay tribute to the man who discovered these techniques - Dr. Arnold Kegel.  Dr. Kegel was a leading gynecologist in the early 1900's and he was responsible for a small number of medical inventions, but his most notable legacy is arguably Kegel exercises for men and women.

 

Women are often told to do Kegels by their doctor/gynecologist, usually for a number of health reasons...however, most men who perform PC exercises do them for sexual reasons.  Men can benefit from Kegels in the form of better orgasms, control of premature ejaculation, and an increased ability to "shoot" your semen load farther.

 

We have compiled a collection of the most effective Kegel exercises for men here.

 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
 


Copyright 2004-2010  -  www.biggerloads.com
 
 
 
 

130

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Through the Wormhole

« on: June 30, 2011, 08:21:03 PM »

Through the WormholeFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
Through the Wormhole
 
Also known as Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman
Genre Documentary
Created by Geoffrey Sharp
Starring Morgan Freeman
Narrated by Morgan Freeman
Country of origin United States
Language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 18 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time 44 minutes
Production company(s) The Incubator
Revelations Entertainment
 
Distributor Discovery Communications
Broadcast
Original channel Science
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
 
Original airing June 9, 2010 (2010-06-09)
External links
Website

Through the Wormhole, also known as Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, is an American science documentary television series narrated by American actor Morgan Freeman. It began airing on Science in the United States on June 9, 2010.[1]

Contents [hide]
1 Development
2 Episodes
2.1 Season 1
2.2 Season 2
3 References
4 External links
 

[edit] DevelopmentScience has been highlighting what VP of Production Bernadette McDaid calls the "Rock Stars of Science",[2] such as Michio Kaku and Brian Cox "We wanted to merge our 'Rock Stars of Science' and merge that with the superstars of pop culture".[2] When Deborah Myers, the Science Channel's general manager, heard that Morgan Freeman was very interested in things to do with the universe and space and "asks the big philosophical questions",[2] she approached Freeman and his producer and proposed making a series together.[2]


In February, 2011 Sean Carroll confirmed on his Twitter page that he has started shooting Season 2 of Through the Wormhole.[3] On May 17, 2011 Discovery confirmed the second season will be premiering on Science on June 8, 2011.[4]

[edit] Episodes[edit] Season 1# Title Original air date
1 "Is There a Creator?" June 9, 2010 (2010-06-09)
Is the universe just a coincidence or was it created by a God who looks after us?
 
2 "The Riddle of Black Holes" June 16, 2010 (2010-06-16)
Nothing in the universe is more powerful than black holes.
 
3 "Is Time Travel Possible?" June 23, 2010 (2010-06-23)
To travel through time you have to break the speed of light. Is it possible?
 
4 "What Happened Before the Beginning?" June 30, 2010 (2010-06-30)
This episode explores where the universe came from.
 
5 "How Did We Get Here?" July 7, 2010 (2010-07-07)
The creation of life and where we came from.
 
6 "Are We Alone?" July 14, 2010 (2010-07-14)
Are we alone in the universe or is there other life somewhere out there?
 
7 "What Are We Really Made Of?" July 21, 2010 (2010-07-21)
Protons, electrons and neutrons are just a small portion of what we know about the world we see.
 
8 "Dark Matter: Beyond the Darkness" July 28, 2010 (2010-07-28)
The exploration of dark matter.
 


[edit] Season 2# Title Original air date
1 "Is There Life After Death?" June 8, 2011 (2011-06-08)
In the premiere episode of the second season, Morgan Freeman dives deep into this provocative question that has mystified humans since the beginning of time. Modern physics and neuroscience are venturing into this once hallowed ground, and radically changing our ideas of life after death. Freeman serves as host to this polarized debate, where scientists and spiritualist attempt to define 'what is consciousness,' while cutting edge quantum mechanics could provide the answer to what happens when we die.

 
2 "Is There an Edge to the Universe?" June 15, 2011 (2011-06-15)
It is commonly theorized that the universe began with the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. But since we can only see as far as light has traveled in that time, we can't actually make out the edge of the universe. Could it be that the universe is infinite? Is there any way to find out what the shape of the universe really is? Can we find the edge, discover what might lie beyond it, and perhaps even discover a universe next to ours?
 
3 "Does Time Really Exist?" June 22, 2011 (2011-06-22)
It is a question that has vexed philosophers and scienti
sts for centuries; 'What is Time?' Exactly how is our past, present, and future connected by that arrow of cause and effect that we call Time? Is time simply another dimension, just like the dimensions of space we know? Can you run time backwards just as easily as it runs forward, just as left-to-right can swap for right-to-left? If other universes exist, then what is time like in them: could their Time be different from ours? And we'll probe the biggest question about time: Is our future determined? Do we exercise free will? Or, is time merely a dream?
 
4 "Are There More than Three Dimensions?" June 29, 2011 (2011-06-29)
We move and live in three dimensions: length, width, and height. However, Einstein revealed what was once unimaginable: time is actually a dimension and linked with space itself. To reconcile the massive cosmic and miniscule quantum worlds, physicists are realizing four dimensions may not be enough. They're unraveling up to eleven dimensions. How could this be true? Where could these dimensions be?
 
5 "Is There a Sixth Sense?" July 6, 2011 (2011-07-06)
Can we perceive objects and events beyond the world detected by our five senses? The true limits of our human brain remain a scientific mystery. New studies in neuroscience are showing that our minds can really detect events and objects that our conscious selves know nothing about. Can we predict events in the future? Is there such a thing as a global consciousness? Could physical laws on the cusp of being discovered be at the root of all this?
 
6 "Are There Parallel Universes?" July 13, 2011 (2011-07-13)
Imagine you will die tomorrow morning in a horrific car crash. Somewhere far, far away, there's an exact version of you that got in the same car, drove the same route, and collided with the same commuter. But this other version of you survives to drive another day. It may sound like science fiction, but it's looking more and more scientifically likely. Somewhere out there, beyond the cosmic horizon, inside a black hole, or as close as an atom's length away, there could be a parallel universe. If this is the case, how could we ever know? And would we ever be able to pay this universe a visit?
 
7 "Is There an Equation of Everything? (TBD)" July 20, 2011 (2011-07-20)
It was Einstein's famous unfinished project - to find one law that unites all of physics, and explain everything in the universe. It's still an unfinished project, and today hundreds of physicists from CERN to NASA to the Ivory Towers around the world are struggling to find this holy grail of science. Is there one theory, one equation that governs every single event in our universe? An overarching structure to reality? This episode of THROUGH THE WORMHOLE attempts to journey into an understanding what the universe is made of, and how we got here.
 
8 "Can We Travel Faster than Light? (TBD)" July 27, 2011 (2011-07-27)
It's called the speed limit of the universe. Einstein blew all of our minds when he worked out the Theory of Relativity, and showed that space and time were malleable substances. He also theorized that we as humans can never travel faster than the speed of light, which leaves the stars and other galaxies almost impossibly out of our reach. But the dreams of Star Wars and Star Trek are not dead. In fact, there could be ways to travel faster than the speed of light - and some of them are already being tested in labs around the world.
 
9 "Can We Live Forever?" August 3, 2011 (2011-08-03)
Medical advances have doubled human life expectancy in past centuries. But can humans ever beat death altogether? Can we control and fix the errors that build up in our DNA over the years? Can we find a way to replace the chemistry of life with something more durable? This episode wonders into the mystifying definition of 'eternity' as it relates to human lifespan.
+
 
10 "What Do Aliens Look Like?" August 10, 2011 (2011-08-10)
Science fiction writers have always had their little green men. But these humanoid aliens were based soundly on Earth-based life, not any extra terrestrial evidence. Today, we've discovered hundreds of planets around other stars. As we learn what some of these alternative Earths might look like, science and imagination have allowed us to use real science to imagine the biology of their inhabitants. Will they have two eyes? Two legs? What color will their skin be? Which species on Earth can give us clues about likely biology of aliens? And what can we learn from how life on Earth developed to help us understand what ET really looks like? 

[edit] References1.^ Neil Genzlinger (8 June 2010). "Asking the Big Questions in a Dignified Manner". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/arts/television/09wormhole.html.

2.^ a b c d Halterman, Jim (9 June 2010). "Interview: "Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman" Executive Producer Bernadette McDaid". The Futon Critic. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant/2010/06/09/interview-through-the-wormhole-with-morgan-freeman-executive-producer-bernadette-mcdaid/20100609_throughthewormhole/.
 
3.^ Sean, Carroll. "Sean Carroll mentions Season 2.". Twitter Page. http://twitter.com/#!/seanmcarroll/status/38268104739917824.
 
4.^ "THROUGH THE WORMHOLE WITH MORGAN FREEMAN Returns for an Awe-Inspiring Second Season this June on SCIENCE". Discovery Corporate. http://corporate.discovery.com/discovery-news/through-the-wormhole-wht-morgan-freeman-returns-fo/.
 
[edit] External linksOfficial website
Through the Wormhole at the Internet Movie Database
‹See Tfd›Through the Wormhole at TV.com
Through the Wormhole at epguides.com
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through_the_Wormhole"
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131

General Discussion / Wanna cash in on gay marriage? NYers say 'I do'

« on: June 27, 2011, 05:23:38 PM »

Wanna cash in on gay marriage? NYers say 'I do'
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y., Mon Jun 27, 07:10 PM
Click To Enlarge 
 
Amy DeGiulio owner of Sugar Flower Cake Shop decorates a white cake with strawberry buttercream filling and chocolate buttercream...More
New York legislators had voted just hours before to legalize same-sex marriage, and already the phone was ringing at the Falls Wedding Chapel. It was a lesbian couple in central New York, looking forward to an August wedding after 28 years together.

"They were literally giggling over the phone," owner Sally Fedell said.

Fedell and others in the wedding business in this careworn city once famous as a wedding and honeymoon destination hope the change last week will provide an economic spark once the unions become legal July 24, a month after the law was signed. And the buzz is statewide.

From Niagara to New York City and Watertown to White Plains, retailers are predicting an upswing in wedding sales and services once the state joins Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington, D.C., in offering same-sex weddings. Caterers, hotels, florists and banquet halls all could benefit, experts say.

Richard Crogan sees the new law from two perspectives: He's president of the Main Street Business and Professional Association in Niagara Falls - and he and his partner, Michael Murphy, are thrilled to finally be able to marry at the falls.

He's envisioning a homecoming for gay people who left to marry elsewhere, including across the river in Canada.

"Those gay kids that moved out to be accepted can come back," he said. "New York state is their state. They can come home and be themselves."

 
Weddings are big business: The average cost of a U.S. wedding is $26,500 - part of an $84 billion nationwide market, according to Conde Nast's Brides magazine's 2011 wedding study.

An analysis by the New York City comptroller in 2009, the last time gay marriage was debated in New York, found that the practice would push $210 million into the state's economy over three years.

"This could be a real windfall for stores to take advantage of. The gay population in metropolitan New York is as affluent as you get," David Wolfe, creative director at The Doneger Group Inc., which advises stores on fashion buying.

The Michael Andrews Bespoke, an appointment-only tailor shop for men in Manhattan's upscale NoHo neighborhood, was already seeing an uptick in phone calls and inquiries.

"Clearly this is going to be a real benefit for the wedding industry," said owner Michael Andrews, predicting the state would become a destination for gay weddings.

He expects to see 10 to 20 percent growth in his business because of the new law, he said, especially because two grooms will need double the formal wear.

"It's a real boon for us," he said.

But is there something blue in the cards? Tiffany & Co., famous for its blue gift boxes in addition to its high-end jewelry, was coy.

Along with housewares seller Williams-Sonoma, Tiffany helped pioneer a change to gender-generic wedding registries. It declined to say how it was girding for what could be a boom in gay wedding sales, stating only that "Tiffany has always been there to help out all of our customers celebrate their life's more important occasions."

Mary Ellen Keating, spokeswoman at Bloomingdale's, said she expects an upsurge in the retailer's registry business in Manhattan. The department store changed its site from "wedding registry" to just "registry" in the 1980s.

David Paisley, senior projects marketing manager for Community Marketing Inc., a San Francisco-based marketing firm that tracks the gay market, however, believes the first surge of initial celebrations will be small because the larger ones will take longer to prepare.

In Niagara Falls, the benefits could be as wide as the famous falls themselves in a town that would like to revive its gilded identity as a romantic getaway.

"It has this brand that existed from the 1800s, when we were the only place you could get to from the East Coast for a long-distance wedding or long-distance honeymoon," said John Percy, president and chief executive of the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp. "Then the states exploded and Las Vegas appeared and Orlando appeared and all these other places appeared that became honeymoon destinations, as well."

"I'd love to bring it back," he said.

Tourism officials there suggest they can capitalize on the city's already-established rainbow theme. It's an ode to the rainbows that appear in the falls' mist, but the rainbow is also recognized as a symbol of gay pride.

The Rainbow House Bed and Breakfast on Rainbow Boulevard is already attracting attention from gay couples wanting to marry, said owner Laura Lee Morgan, who booked her first gay wedding, for an Ohio couple, at the inn's wedding chapel Monday morning.

The business was started by her gay brother, who died of AIDS-related causes 21 years ago. She thinks he quietly intended the name to have a dual meaning, though it's always attracted heterosexual couples, too.

"He had a good sense of humor," Morgan said. "It's like it's come full circle."

The city is also still to places like the Bridal Chapel of Niagara Falls, Hanover House Weddings and A Romantic Wedding Chapel, and ancillary businesses such as Harris and Lever Florists, which supplies many of the bed-and-breakfasts that cater to newlyweds.

"If it benefits them, it'll benefit us," said Dominique Rubino, behind the counter of the shop on Main Street.

Crogan, anticipating a renaissance in Niagara Falls almost as much as marrying his partner, predicted good things.

"The city will be amazed at how it will change," he said. "It's going to force change. It's starting already. There's so much buzz."

___

Associated Press reporters Anne D'Innocenzio and Cristian Salazar in New York City contributed to this report.

132

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / MACHEL MONTANO TO PERFORM AT THE WHITE HOUSE

« on: June 22, 2011, 09:43:09 PM »

MACHEL MONTANO TO PERFORM AT THE WHITE HOUSE ON JUNE 24TH ,2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Got this in my email .

President Barack Obama has declared June 2011 as National Caribbean American Heritage Month. In the form of a Proclamation dated JUNE 2011, the Obama administration has recognized the integration of Caribbean nationals into the American society while still maintaining their cultural identity.

In an excerpt from the Proclamation, the Obama Administration states, “The fabric of our Nation has been woven together and enriched by the diversity of our people.

Our legacy as a Nation of immigrants is part of what makes America strong, and during National Caribbean American Heritage Month, we celebrate the rich history and vibrant culture Caribbean Americans have brought to our shores.”

This has undoubtedly given Caribbean nationals worldwide a reason to proudly celebrate their heritage.

As part of this celebration, King of Soca, Machel Montano, son of Trinidad and Tobago and renowned Caribbean Recording and Performing Artiste who is also well loved as an ambassador of Caribbean Culture in North America has been carded to perform at the White House on June 24th, 2011 from 11.00am-12.30pm.
 

133

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / 'Big Man' Clarence Clemons recalled in NJ haunt

« on: June 19, 2011, 05:24:35 AM »

'Big Man' Clarence Clemons recalled in NJ haunt
ASBURY PARK, N.J., Sun Jun 19, 02:35 AM
Click To Enlarge 
 
Clarence Clemons, shown in this July 3, 2004 photo provided by the Stone Pony, performs at the Stone Pony. The larger-than-life...More
Clarence Clemons, the larger-than-life saxophone player who helped catapult Bruce Springsteen to rock fame, was known as "The Big Man," a nod to his physical size as well as his stage presence and booming sax notes.

Outside The Stone Pony, the legendary Jersey shore rock club where Clemons, Springsteen and other E Street band mates cut their musical teeth, Clemons loomed large as ever hours after his death Saturday from complications of a stroke.

"It's a sad day for music and for Asbury Park," said Caroline O'Toole, the club's general manager. "He was huge here at the Jersey shore. He was `The Big Man,' but he was an even bigger man here. His presence was just enormous and unbelievable. No one who has ever played at our club in all the decades was ever like him."

The Stone Pony will open its doors at noon Sunday to let Clemons' fans gather and reminisce about his storied career.

Within hours of his death, fans were slowly stopping by the club, which was hosting an unrelated act catering to a younger crowd Saturday night. Flowers, a candle and a handwritten sign saying "RIP Big Man" sprouted outside the building.

Phil c**tz stopped to place a small yellow flower on a decorative white fence at the club entrance. Nearby, someone taped a handwritten sign that read simply "RIP Big Man."


 
"I'll never hear `Jungleland' played live again, and that's a bummer," said c**tz, 51, who had seen Clemons perform with Springsteen in excess of 200 times.

Brian Gay, 37, of Fair Haven, was watching a roller derby show at Convention Hall two blocks away when Clemons' death was announced, and he, too, went to the Stone Pony to pay respects.

"You knew it was coming but it still hits you like a ton of bricks," he said. "It just hurts. As a kid some of my earliest memories were of listening to his music. It feels right to be in Asbury Park tonight."

John D'Esposito, a talent buyer for the concert promoter Live Nation, also stopped by The Stone Pony to honor The Big Man.

"Asbury Park is crying right now," he said. "It's like the whole city is one big teardrop. Our Pied Piper is gone."

Kyle Brendle, the house promoter at the Stone Pony, said Springsteen and Clemons played routinely at the club in the 1970s - but usually as unannounced acts.

"They never performed here as The E Street Band," he said. "It was usually that they'd jump up on stage, unannounced, and rock out, `cause they were here so often."

The last time Clemons played the club was at a solo show in the summer of 2006, Brendle said. O'Toole laughed as she recalled having to find a masseuse for Clemons, who complained of an aching back that night.

"It was a Saturday night in the middle of the summer, and not exactly easy to come up with a masseuse on short notice," she said, "So I called this woman I knew, who wasn't a masseuse. I told her, `If he asks if you're really a masseuse, just say yes.'"

O'Toole said Clemons, Springsteen and the E Street Band helped rebuild Asbury Park from a struggling, faded seaside resort in the early `70s to a rebounding, hip culture center. His raucous sax solos helped define the Jersey shore sound of the `70s and `80s, a genre that also included Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and occasionally, a young Jon Bon Jovi.

"He played a huge part in making this city what it is today," she said. "Losing part of our musical and personal history, well, it really, really hurts."

___

Wayne Parry can be reached at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC



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134

General Discussion / DUMAS ON ASSAULT CHARGE

« on: June 16, 2011, 06:33:09 AM »

DUMAS ON ASSAULT CHARGE
Former minister accused of beating Tobago man with gun
By Renuka Singh

Story Created: Jun 15, 2011 at 10:43 PM ECT

(Story Updated: Jun 15, 2011 at 10:43 PM ECT )

Former government minister Rennie Dumas is expected to be charged today with common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Assistant Commissioner of Police for Tobago Franklyn Edwards said the charges were expected to be laid yesterday, but "hiccups" at the Scarborough Magistrates' Court prevented the charges from being filed.

"The process will be instituted tomorrow (today)", ACP Edwards said in a telephone interview yesterday.

Martin George, attorney for the alleged victim, Roger Simon, had complained on Monday to Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard and Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs about the failure of the police to act.

Simon claimed that Dumas accused him of stealing materials from his family's land near Arnos Vale in Plymouth, Tobago. Dumas contacted Simon on his mobile phone and they agreed to meet to discuss the misunderstanding on June 1. At that meeting, Simon claimed Dumas accused him of stealing materials, a charge Simon denied.

Simon claimed Dumas allegedly used racial slurs against him. Simon said Dumas asked his companion to get his pistol and pushed the gun against his face, demanding to be taken to where the stolen materials were being kept.

Simon said when he denied it once more, Dumas began to beat him about the face with the pistol. Simon said he was left with two broken front teeth and other injuries to his face. After the beating, Simon said he picked up his teeth and ran. He said he visited the police station to report the incident and was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

George said he wrote to Dumas three days after the incident, but received no response.

George said his client also returned to the police station to enquire about the investigation but was told that "they cannot go about locking up a government minister just so".

This police inaction prompted George to send the letter to Ramlogan, Gaspard and Gibbs.

Ramlogan last night confirmed receiving the letter and said he sent a letter to Gibbs suggesting "an urgent investigation" into the act of "apparent police bias in light of the facts and circumstances of the alleged assault on a private citizen by a former senior government minister", Ramlogan said in a telephone interview. "It is difficult to understand the inaction and delay in properly responding to a person's cry because of political interference," the Attorney General said.

George said it was only after he sent the letters to Ramlogan, Gaspard and Gibbs, out of frustration over the slow pace of police action, did the police act on the report.

George said he did not want to engage the State in costly legal action but saw no other choice to defend his client's rights.

135

Jokes / The Sheer Nightgown....

« on: June 15, 2011, 03:25:08 PM »

The Sheer Nightgown....

 
A husband walks into Victoria's Secret to purchase a sheer negligee for his wife. He is shown several possibilities that range from $250 to $500 in price -- the more sheer, the higher the price. Naturally, he opts for the most sheer item, pays the $500, and takes it home. He presents it to his wife and asks her to go upstairs, put it on, and model it for him.

Upstairs the wife thinks (she's no dummy), 'I have an idea. It's so sheer that  it might as well be nothing.  I won't put it on, but I'll do the modeling naked, return it tomorrow, and keep the $500 refund for myself.'
 


She appears naked on the balcony and strikes a pose.


The husband says, 'Good Grief!   You'd think for $500, they'd at least iron it!' 


He never heard the shot. 

Funeral on Thursday at Noon.   

136

General Discussion / Airlines collected $3.4B in bag fees in 2010

« on: June 13, 2011, 07:31:18 PM »

Airlines collected $3.4B in bag fees in 2010
NEW YORK, Mon Jun 13, 08:30 PM
Click To Enlarge 
 
Christian Noriega of Hayward Calif., with an umbrella on his side checks in at the Philadelphia International Airport Monday...More
Passengers hate them, but airlines can't afford to give them up - those aggravating bag fees. U.S. airlines collected $3.4 billion for checked luggage last year, according to a government report issued Monday. That's up 24 percent from 2009 and a big reason the industry made money again after three years of losses.

In 2010, the major airlines made a combined $2.6 billion in profits, less than they collected in bag fees. The fees - typically $50 round-trip for the first piece of checked luggage and $70 for the second - allow the industry to navigate between rising fuel costs and customers who expect rock-bottom airfares.

"If it weren't for the fees, the airlines would most likely be losing money," said Jim Corridore, airline analyst with Standard & Poor's.

That's little comfort to fliers who have increasingly felt nickel-and-dimed by the airlines and now face a summer of higher airfares and packed planes.

"I feel like I am constantly being hit by little things by the airlines," said Lauren DiMarco, a stay-at-home mother from Wenham, Mass. "We're already paying so much money."

Delta generated the most revenue from bag fees - $952 million - followed by the combined United and Continental at nearly $655 million. American collected $580 million and US Airways $513 million, according to the Department of Transportation. None of those fees are subject to taxes.


 
Airlines aggressively raised ticket prices early in the year. But those increases couldn't keep up with the price of jet fuel, now 37 percent more than last year. Some more recent attempts to raise fares have failed because passengers balked at paying more.

So instead, the airlines focus on fees.

"Unfortunately, for the airlines when they try to roll $50 into the ticket prices, people stop buying tickets," said Rick Seaney CEO of FareCompare.com.

Earlier this month, Delta and United raised fees to check a second bag to Europe. Delta also added a fee for second bags checked to Latin America and ended its $2 discount for paying fees in advance online. Last week, several airlines did remove excess-baggage fees for the military after Delta charged a group of 14 soldiers returning from Afghanistan $200 each. A YouTube video of two of the soldiers complaining was viewed almost 200,000 times in one day.

American Airlines introduced fees for the first checked bag in 2008 as the price of oil skyrocketed. The other airlines, except JetBlue and Southwest, have since followed and progressively increased those charges. Southwest has used its refusal to charge fees as a marketing tool.

Many fliers are still unaware of the fees or don't realize how much they have to pay until they arrive at the airport ticket counter.

"They find out very quickly when they are asked to pull out their credit card," Seaney said.

The airlines aren't alone in charging fees that irk customers. For instance, banks charge customers to use out-of-network ATMs and levy fees for insufficient balances. But there is something especially irritating about paying a fee just before you board a plane for your long-awaited vacation.

Buoyed by the success with bag fees, the airlines are charging for all sorts of extras.

They are now selling passengers the option to board early, get more leg room and to earn extra frequent flier miles. There are also fees for oversized bags, changing tickets, making a reservation over the phone and - on some airlines - reserving a seat in advance.

Fees for changing reservations or placing them via phone generated $2.3 billion for the airlines in 2010, down 3 percent from the year before. The Department of Transportation expects to release more figures on the other fees at a later date.

All of these fees add up to about 6 to 7 percent of overall airline revenue.

For families looking to book a vacation, the fees can add up. That $98 round-trip fare on a discount airline like Spirit isn't such a deal when you tack on $45 each way for a carry-on plus $20 to get an assigned seat and $3 for a bottle of water.

"It makes it very difficult for comparison shopping," said Anne Banas, executive editor of travel advice site SmarterTravel.com.

New rules from the Department of Transportation will require airlines, starting Aug. 23, to "prominently disclose all potential fees" on their websites prior to a ticket purchase. In the meantime, fliers just need to do their research before heading to the airport.

Henry Harteveldt, an airline analyst with Forrester Research, said airlines have done a poor job of explaining the fees to customers. Still, despite the bad publicity, if given the chance to do it all over again, Harteveldt said the airlines certainly would.

He expects more charges in the future. A checked-bag fee based on distance flown is one possibility. Or fees could be cheaper if a ticket is purchased months in advance but much more expensive if paid on the day of travel.

___

Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott

137

General Discussion / lying about lewd photo, won't quit

« on: June 06, 2011, 08:48:18 PM »

lying about lewd photo, won't quit
NEW YORK, Mon Jun 06, 09:26 PM
Click To Enlarge 


Is he a Trinbago politician oh what ? in time you will go .
 

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., addresses a news conference in New York, Monday, June 6, 2011. After days of denials,...More
A tearful Rep. Anthony Weiner on Monday admitted sending a lewd photo of his underwear-clad crotch to a young woman over Twitter and then lying repeatedly to protect himself. In a flash of defiance, Weiner refused to resign even as Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi called for a House ethics investigation into whether he broke the rules.

The extraordinary confession at a packed Manhattan news conference was a remarkable turn of events for the brash Weiner, who conceded to a "hugely regrettable" lapse in judgment. House Democratic leaders tersely expressed disappointment and embarrassment, reflecting an erosion of support for the 46-year-old New York congressman and casting doubts on whether Weiner could hold onto his House seat let alone turn a once-promising political career into a 2013 bid for mayor.

Weiner insisted he had done nothing wrong and said he would fully cooperate with a House inquiry.

"People who draw conclusions about me are free to do so," Weiner said. "I've worked for the people of my district for 13 years and in politics for 20 years and I hope they see fit to see this in the light that it is."

But in a new twist, the married Weiner also acknowledged that he had engaged in inappropriate contact with six women over the course of three years through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and occasionally over the phone. He said he had never met or had a physical relationship with any of the women and was not even sure of their ages. He also said he had never had sex outside of his marriage.


 
The news conference, unusually blunt even by New York standards, went on nearly half an hour and capped a week of double-entendre, tabloid-headlines and late-night jokesters' snide comments. With eyes welling and voice breaking, Weiner fielded questions from dozens of shouting reporters as the cameras clicked.

Weiner said over and over that he had made "terrible mistakes" and done "a very dumb thing" for which he alone bore responsibility, and he apologized repeatedly to his wife, Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"My wife is a remarkable woman. She's not responsible for any of this," he said. "I apologize to her very deeply."

Abedin did not attend his news conference, but Weiner said they would not be separating over the scandal.

Among the women Weiner contacted, Meagan Broussard, told ABC News that Weiner "friended" her on Facebook after she commented on one of his speeches posted online on April 20. They exchanged more than 100 messages, and Weiner constantly tried to steer the conversation toward sex.

"I don't think he's a bad guy. I think he's got issues just like everybody else," Broussard, 26, said in an interview aired Monday night.

During Weiner's news conference, the lawmaker confirmed that Broussard was one of the women with which he had exchanged messages.

The scandal began more than a week ago when a conservative website reported that a photo of a man's crotch had been sent from Weiner's Twitter account to a college student in Seattle.

For days, Weiner claimed that he hadn't sent the photo and that he was the victim of a hacker. But he caused guffaws when he said that he couldn't say with "certitude" that the underwear shot was not a picture of him.

The scandal escalated Monday when the website, BigGovernment.com, run by conservative activist Andrew Breitbart, posted photos purportedly from a second woman who said she received shirtless shots of the congressman. The site said the pictures were in a cache of intimate online photographs, chats and email exchanges the woman claimed to have. The website did not identify the woman.

One photo showed Weiner on a couch with two cats nearby. The website said Weiner sent the photo using the anthonyweiner(at)aol.com account with the subject line "Me and the pussys."

Also, the celebrity website RadarOnline.com said a woman claimed to have 200 sexually explicit messages from Weiner through a Facebook account that Weiner no longer uses. It was not clear whether the woman who claimed to have the new photo was the person who claimed to have received the text messages.

At Monday's news conference, Weiner said he sent the underpants photo as a joke and called it a "hugely regrettable mistake."

"I haven't told the truth and have done things I deeply regret," he said. "I brought pain to people I care about."

Genette Cordova, 21, the intended recipient of the crotch photograph, is a college student in Washington state. Weiner said he and Cordova had exchanged a few messages before he sent the photo May 27, which he said was intended to be "a joke."

In a strange twist, Breitbart attended Weiner's news conference and spoke to reporters before Weiner appeared. He claimed to have another photo of Weiner which he described as "X-rated" but would not say if he planned to release it.

"I would like an apology from him. I'm here for some vindication," Breitbart said. Weiner did apologize to Breitbart.

Weiner said he used his home computer and personal Blackberry, not government computers, in his exchanges with the women. But that may not protect him from House rules that say a member "shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House."

On numerous occasions, the House ethics committee has cited that general rule in finding that lawmaker violated standards of conduct.

In her brief statement, Pelosi said she was "deeply disappointed and saddened about this situation." She mentioned Weiner's wife, his family, staff and constituents, but pointedly did not mention the congressman.

New York's senior senator, Chuck Schumer, said in a statement that he was "deeply pained and saddened by today's news. By fully explaining himself, apologizing to all he hurt and taking full responsibility for his wrongful actions, Anthony did the right thing. He remains a talented and committed public servant, and I pray he and his family can get through these difficult times."

Weiner succeeded Schumer in the House district that includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens.

The picture showing Weiner shirtless was reminiscent of a photo of former Rep. Chris Lee, a New York Republican who abruptly resigned from office earlier this year after a shirtless photo he sent a woman on Craigslist became public. A Democrat, Kathy Hochul, was sworn in to replace Lee last week after winning a special election May 24.

Weiner gained a national profile during the debate over President Barack Obama's health care plan when he outspokenly professed support for a government-run "single-payer" program for everyone and later a "public option" to compete with private health insurance. He got the notice of liberals even though both proposals failed to make it into law.

___

Associated Press writer Andrew Miga and Matthew Lee in Washington and Chris Hawley in New York contributed to this report.



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138

General Discussion / 2011 now deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950

« on: May 28, 2011, 04:27:28 PM »

2011 now deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950
JOPLIN, Mo., Sat May 28, 06:14 PM
Click To Enlarge 
 
Unidentified friends of Will Norton console each other before a news conference with family members at Freeman Hospital in...More
The numbers look increasingly bleak for families hoping for the best after a monster tornado that devastated the town of Joplin, as the city has raised the death toll to at least 142 and state officials say 100 people are still missing.

Thousands more people far beyond Joplin had been waiting for good news about a teen believed to have been ejected or sucked from his vehicle on the way home from graduation. Several social-networking efforts specifically focused on finding information about Will Norton. But his family says he, too, is among the dead - found in a pond near where his truck was located.

"At least we know that he wasn't out there suffering," his aunt Tracey Presslor said, holding a framed portrait of her 18-year-old nephew at a news conference. "Knowing that he was gone right away was really a blessing for us."

The tornado - an EF-5 packing 200 mph winds - was the deadliest since 1950. More than 900 people were injured. Tallying and identifying the dead and the missing has proven a complex, delicate and sometimes confusing exercise for both authorities and loved ones.

Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr said Saturday during a news conference that the death toll rose by three to at least 142. Mike O'Connell, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Public Safety, told The Associated Press on Saturday that he could not confirm the city's updated death toll number.


 
That makes this the deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950, based on an assessment of figures from the National Weather Service. The tornado death toll for 2011 is now 523. Until now, the highest recorded death toll in a single year was 519 in 1953. There were deadlier storms before 1950, but those counts were based on estimates and not on precise figures.

The state has been working to pare down the list of people missing and unaccounted for in the wake of the deadliest single U.S. twister in more than six decades.

Missouri officials said Saturday that the number of people unaccounted for stands at 100. The Missouri Department of Public Safety said that within that number, nine people have been reported dead by their families, but state officials are working to confirm those. A temporary morgue for tornado victims has 142 human remains, deputy director Andrea Spillars said earlier Saturday, but that includes partial remains.

"Some of those remains may be the same person," she said.

Newton County coroner Mark Bridges said most, if not all, of the people brought to the temporary morgue could be identified this weekend. He described officials there as "making real good progress."

After a mistake immediately after the storm - four people thought they had identified one person's body, only to be wrong - authorities are relying instead on dental records, photos and unique tattoos or piercings, Bridges said. They've also used DNA tests in a handful of cases, he said.

"We learned the hard way at the start," he said. "It's bad for the families."

Asked about calls to open the morgue to all families of the missing, Bridges said doing so would be impractical. He described the site as a number of dark, refrigerated trailers holding body bags.

"There's no place to let them into," he said.

There have been 1,333 preliminary tornado reports in the U.S. through May 27, officials said, while the average number of confirmed tornadoes in a single year during the past decade has been 1,274.

Presslor said Saturday that the family received confirmation of his death late Friday night. She said her nephew's body was not found sooner because there was so much debris in the pond.

Family members had previously told The Associated Press that Norton and his father were still on the road when the storm hit. Mark Norton urged his son to pull over, but the teen's Hummer H3 flipped several times, throwing the young man from the vehicle, likely through the sunroof.

Mark Norton remains in the hospital and is "having a really tough time" after being told his son's body was found, Presslor said.

About a dozen of Norton's classmates stood in the back of the room as she spoke. His funeral arrangements are pending.

Presslor thanked the thousands of people who posted good wishes for Norton on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, and thanked all those who helped look for him. She urged those volunteers to keep looking for other people still missing.

"Please don't give up," she said.

139

General Discussion / plenty leaks: Subhas Panday

« on: May 28, 2011, 05:35:00 AM »

 
plenty leaks: Subhas Panday
 
  $.25m spent on SIA lying tests
By Julien Neaves

Story Created: May 28, 2011 at 12:56 AM ECT

(Story Updated: May 28, 2011 at 12:56 AM ECT )

More than a quarter of a million dollars was spent for six polygraph experts to ascertain the source of leaks to the media of sensitive information from the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA).

This was revealed yesterday by Minister in the Ministry of National Security, Subhas Panday, but he declined to reveal whether the source had been found.

"There was an unprecedented level of continuous leakage of sensitive information concerning the internal affairs of the (SIA), now subsumed in the Strategic Services Agency, the SSA. There were several internal classified matters of the SIA that formed part of media reports and open discussions on radio talk shows," he said.

He noted that from research some parts of the media report "could only have originated from disclosure by an employee of the SIA or persons privileged to such information outside the agency but within the confines of national security".

Panday was responding to a question from Arouca/Maloney MP Alicia Hospedales on the cost to the taxpayers for these polygraph experts at yesterday's sitting of Parliament at the Red House in Port of Spain.

He gave some of the consequences of the leak:

• the identity of the SIA's corporate cover was leaked to the media which exposed the staff, particularly the intelligence operatives, to risk

• names and photos of intelligence officers appeared in the media

• staff morale was negatively impacted

• concerns were expressed about personal safety and security of members operating covertly against criminal targets

• these continuous leaks were "destabilising efforts" to return the organisation to "normalcy".

Panday stressed this "runaway situation" could threaten key long-standing relationships central to the nation's intelligence gathering capabilities and the confidence of local, regional and international partners, noting the damage done by the US WikiLeaks incident.

He reported the total cost of the services of the experts was $265,692 and they had the responsibility to test 161 people over a seven-day period. He also gave the breakdown of the costs:

Examiner fee 161 tests —

$154,560

Airfare — $23,112

Accommodation — $61,140

Expenses — $26,880

He noted the experts were certified by the American Polygraph Association, had backgrounds in law enforcement, military and federal government, in excess of 20 years each, and have conducted a combined total of over 10,000 polygraph examinations in and outside the US.

He said it would be an "unacceptable breach of protocol" to disclose their names, as requested by Hospedales.

Panday reported that the experts were in the country from March 13 to March 21, with the exception of the lead examiner who left on March 23 to facilitate the debrief with the SSA director.

Diego Martin North East MP Colm Imbert questioned if the leaks were occurring before the May 24 general election, but Panday said that would require additional research.

Diego Martin Central MP Dr Amery Browne questioned whether the polygraph testing had identified the source of the "alleged leaks".

"This is a matter of national security and as such it would be inappropriate to make such sensitive information public," Panday said—an answer which some Opposition members scoffed at in response.

140

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Destra’s making tongues talk

« on: May 23, 2011, 10:40:28 AM »

Destra’s making tongues talk
Published: Mon, 2011-05-23 03:57
Aba A Luke
 
Destra Garcia laughs in the face of publicity that she’s allegedly kissed another woman. This past Carnival season, soca diva Destra Garcia came back to the fore with some fierce tracks and the attitude to match. She strutted her stuff in the tightest body fitting cat suits and pushed the envelope with the Mohawk inspired hairstyle that added to the ensemble.

Destra or not?
Two months after the season became but a memory, the Proppa singer’s name is at the tips of every man and woman’s tongue in T&T, as a photo surfaced last week inciting that one of Soca’s leading women was getting a little too friendly with a fellow female. The image of two women, both donning what appeared to be Mohawk hairstyles and erotically interlocking tongues, spread across the Internet and via Blackberry messenger like wild fire. One of the women, alleged to be Garcia, wore red lipstick and her face was tilted so that all that appeared was a facial bone structure that mimicks that of Garcia.

Sure looks like me
“It’s not me,” confirmed Destra in an interview with the T&T Guardian on Friday. She laughed at the fact that the image had been creating such a buzz and thanked the person in the picture for giving her so much publicity. “My phone was ringing off the hook yesterday. BB was going crazy, Twitter and all that,” said the soca diva. She admitted having seen the photo just one week after Carnival and being blown away by how strong a resemblance the person in the photo had to her. “The side profile shot really makes her look like me. It was funny to me then and I really didn’t take it seriously.” Destra said when the image re-surfaced last week, she said to herself, it was old news and thought how ironic it was that even though she told folks it wasn’t her, they still believed she had locked tongues with another girl.

Never a dull moment
“In this business called show business, there’s never a dull moment. You have to deal with the good, the bad and the indifferent. It’s not me and I have nothing to prove, comment on or defend,” she said with a laugh.
Amid all the hype, Destra, who placed third in this year’s Play Whe Groovy Soca Monarch competition, is riding the wave of success, having produced a number of hit singles in 2011, among them On Somebody, Welcome Back, Feel To Wine with Super Jigga TC, Cool It Down and Middle of de Road with Swappi. She started her touring season at Jamaica’s Carnival, has been to the Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands for Carnival celebrations, and next week, she told the T&T Guardian she’ll be flying to Toronto for a fete out there.

“I’m in the studio recording as we speak,” she informed excitedly. “I’m getting ready for Crop Over and other carnivals and even though it’s tough balancing all of that with my daughter, I’m getting it done. I’m getting a lot of help,” she admitted. Never a softee, Destra Garcia’s voice bore no semblance of regret, fear or shame as it related to the image of a woman bearing her resemblance, kissing another. “I have a lot of fans—both gay and straight—and I love them all. “It’s not my intention to disrespect anyone but that’s not me,” she affirmed.

.

141

General Discussion / Outdoor Smoking Ban Effective Monday

« on: May 22, 2011, 01:22:52 PM »

Outdoor Smoking Ban Effective Monday
Below:
 Related
 
Advertise | AdChoices


By Katherine Creag
NBCNewYork.com
updated 17 minutes ago
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The city's outdoor smoking ban officially goes into effect Monday, and violators who are caught puffing away at parks, plazas and beaches could get fined $50.
Smokers were getting their last puffs in at Union Square Park Sunday, though some were skeptical the new law would be effective.
"A lot of people smoke," said Michael Deleon DeJesus. "What are you going to do, hand out a million tickets in one day?"
Dennis White, also a smoker, told NBC New York, "I think in restaurants, in stores, everything like that, it's a good law because you're in a building. But outside, I mean, you got all the smog. What's a cigarette gonna do?"
City health leaders say it will protect New Yorkers from secondhand smoke in what they call family-friendly places.
Mohamed Hussein said he and his 7-1/2-month pregnant wife support the smoking ban.
"We just don't like smoking in public," he said. "I have a baby right now. I don't like my wife standing near a smoking person."
The city plans television and print ads to get the word out about the ban but for the most part is relying on the public to enforce the law.

142

Football / Team Trinidad and Tobago NYC

« on: May 20, 2011, 10:12:51 PM »

Team Trinidad and Tobago
Participation in the Cosmos Copa Soccer NYC
To all clubs and players,

The Cosmos Copa Soccer NYC tournament will be starting on June 18th. There will be twenty qualifying teams competing on this day for a ONE SHOT. However, Team T&T has received a BYE to compete in PLAY OFF SUNDAY on June 19th in which, we have two sixty minute games for us to move on to the qualifying rounds.
In preparation for this tournament, we are asking all clubs to have their players available for selection with the following requirement.
18 years of age minimum.

1st or 2nd generation descendents to the heritage of Trinidad and Tobago.
Our first open try outs will be at the Brooklyn Tech HS on June 6th at 6pm. We are excited for this opportunity to show case our talents in the greater metropolitan area, and recapture that respectability we once had.
Any contribution from your organization to make Team Trinidad and Tobago a success will be welcome.
For further information, please contact the following members listed. And thanks in advance for your participations.


Andy Haynes (917) 374-5118 Marvin Haynes (917) 856-4746 Earl Carter (646) 500-2495 Brian Griffith (917) 858-1691 Sherwin O'Neal (917) 426-5867 Todd Willis (347) 302-1390

143

General Discussion / Sweet talk: How Mungal Singh plans to revive the sugar industry

« on: May 19, 2011, 08:07:01 AM »

Sweet talk: How Mungal Singh plans to revive the
By By Sue-Ann Wayow

sugar industryStory Created: May 18, 2011 at 1:04 AM ECT

(Story Updated: May 18, 2011 at 1:04 AM ECT )

ALMOST eight years after State-owned sugar producing company Caroni (1975) Ltd was closed permanently, the sugar industry is being revived.

For the past two years, entrepreneur Mungal Singh has been building a mini-sugar mill near his home at Rochard Douglas Road, Barrackpore.

By next month he plans to produce his first supply of sugar for sale.

Singh has invested $8 million to buy the production equipment from India.

The 42-year-old said he always wanted to produce sugar.

He said he was introduced to the estate just after leaving secondary school.

"I am from a cane farming background I grew up in the sugar cane industry in Barrackpore and I always had this special likeness. There is something that is in your blood and it is something that could make money."

After the closure of Caroni, Singh said he did research on the internet.

"After doing some research I realised the economies (of scale) in it were good according to my formula and arithmetic. I am seeing that there is money in it, that it is feasible and it is sustainable and it has a more than one facet to it," he tells the Business Express.

"It allows the lands that I have to be utilised and then when I looked at sugar on the whole on the world market, there is a big demand and the supply keeps going down so as all businesses, there is a good equitable market for it. I decided all these little things put together gave me a picture of a profitable and sustainable form of income."

The mill is named Mookram Sugar Mills Ltd, after Singh's deceased father who began working on the estate at age 12.

It is co-owned by Singh and his two brothers.

Singh said he had the support of local cane farmers who were still willing to be a part of the sugar industry.

"All these farmers put together who had the sugar cane already, they came to me and were offering their crops and I gladly accepted it. I will be buying per tonne. We average at the moment around $200 to $220 per tonne we can be paying farmers."

The factory will be able to produce 100 tonnes every 12 hours and therefore will only be able to accept a limited amount of cane from farmers, Singh said.

He says he can't say how much sugar will be produced from the cane because he does not yet know the sucrose level.

He admitted there were problems in setting up the equipment of the factory.

Singh said: "The majority of the equipment came from India and our local boys assembled it using the schematics from India. When we had completed our assembly, we got visited by the Indians. They sent a technician to just run through the mill so that we set it in the correct format and they sent a next guy for a month to actually show us how sugar is made using their process, this plant."

He said the steam boiler that was purchased locally had to be adjusted to accommodate 100 tonnes instead of the original 50 tonnes per 12 hours.

Fifteen people will be employed on each 12-hour shift.

The first set of sugar was produced approximately seven weeks ago and Singh said the quality was very good.

He said the wholesale price for sugar is estimated at about $2.50 per pound.

"We are trying to target the local market. We can export but we can try to satisfy the local market. Our capacity from our research, we know we cannot supply it because the local market demands over 70,000 tonnes per year. We will not be producing that. We cannot have that capacity but whatever way we can input into the local economy and the local community we are willing to go that way."

He says the company will not be selling the sugar retail.

"We do not have that in any planning stage at the moment we are more or less going to sell to a dealership that will either do the packaging or there are smaller agents who have the entire infrastructure to handle raw sugar into packaging."

144

Entertainment & Culture Discussion / .Home.South African trumpeter Masekela features in Pan Jazz

« on: May 19, 2011, 06:34:05 AM »

.Home.South African trumpeter Masekela features in Pan Jazz
Published: Wed, 2011-05-18 23:46
 
Hugh Masekela Following the success and response to last year’s production of Folklore Tales of the Caribbean, the producers of Pan Jazz are continuing down the path of showcasing musical talent from the Caribbean along with a touch of Carnival tapestry for what will be a culturally rich format. Former Miss Universe and current Pan Jazz ambassador Wendy Fitzwilliam will again serve as this year’s host. Heading this year’s Pan Jazz 2011 Festival is legendary South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, and also returning to Pan Jazz saxophonist is Arturo Tappin from Barbados. Other highlights will also feature Carnival designer Brian MacFarlane who will again provide an abstract visual representation to complement the musicians’  repertoire.

The seventh annual presentation in celebration of Caribbean American Heritage Month will take place on June 18 at Frederick P Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th & Broadway, New York City. It commences at 7 pm. The steelpan talent featured this year, Victor Provost and Leon Foster Thomas, are meticulously collaborating with Masekela for something very special. Also appearing will be Etienne Charles (who is no stranger to the Pan Jazz stage), bassist Emanuel Chulo Gates, drummer Damon DueWhite, percussionist Gezim Sherifi, and pianist and musical director for Pan Jazz 2011 Rashid Lanie. Jazz Tales from the Silk Cotton Tree, a spin-off from the 2010 production, will feature Cebia, the enchanted silk cotton tree comes to life and shares the folklorish tales the world over.

Producer Ralph Ramsey says, “The message is in the music, bringing the music to life visually was a hit in 2010 and it’s been extremely fun working with all the creative talent musically and culturally to create this year’s production.” Preceding the show will be a complimentary Taste of the Caribbean Festival, from 4.30 to 6.30 pm in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Atrium. Sponsors for this pre-show bonus feature South African Tourism Board, Trinidad and Tobago Development Corporation, Tropical Paradise Restaurant, Sugarcane, Negril Village, Spoonbread, Allan’s Bakery, Jazz Beer, and Soco Restaurant.

• Tickets may be purchased at Jazz at Lincoln Center (212-721-6500) or online at: www.panjazz.com.
• Pan Jazz 2011 is a production of Abstract Entertainment Inc. For more information, call Toll Free 855-PAN-JAZZ.

145

General Discussion / Pitbulls in T&T Thread.

« on: May 09, 2011, 05:41:58 PM »

Mauled to death by pitbulls

Mon, May 09, 2011 - 3:03 PM
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – A 46-year-old security guard was mauled to death by four pit bulls as she made her way to work today, police have confirmed.

They said Denise Rackhal, a mother of two, was attacked by the dogs as she walked along a street in Edinburg 500 in Central Trinidad.

Initial reports indicate that the dogs were able to escape from their owner’s residence because the gate to the premises had not been fully secured.

The owner of the dogs is said to be a police officer.

This is the third occasion that dogs have attacked and seriouisly injured persons here within the last four months. A four-year-old boy is now recovering in hospital after he was attacked by two dogs.

Trinidad and Tobago parliament has approved of the Dangerous Dogs Act, but the legislation has never been enacted. (CMC)

146

General Discussion / Mothers Day Greetings

« on: May 08, 2011, 07:27:07 AM »

To the lady warriors, Queen,Weary ,Trinacana, Brownsugar and the othe ladies that i did not mention i wish you all a happy day . 

147

General Discussion / Sex offender teacher busted by his pupil

« on: May 02, 2011, 05:42:12 AM »

Sex offender teacher busted by his pupil
By Akile Simon

Story Created: Apr 30, 2011 at 11:54 PM ECT

(Story Updated: Apr 30, 2011 at 11:54 PM ECT )

The teacher was also a soccer coach ,caught before he began his old tricks good one girl you saved a lot of your friends you should be given a medal. Min of Education should be given a cobo award for not checking out this feller. 


PUPILS at an all-girls prestige high school busted a biology teacher who took up duties last week, revealing that he was convicted in the United States a few years ago, on charges of sexually assaulting five of his female pupils.

The sex offender managed to slip through the cracks and landed himself a temporary job at the prestige school after a female biology teacher went on maternity leave.

He was hired for a three-month period after he was interviewed and the school's management was very impressed with his credentials.

The school teacher, who is 32, but was 25 when the offences were committed, according to the New York Times, was convicted and sent to jail for four years after he pleaded guilty on charges of sexually assaulting five pupils of the Cathedral High School, Manhattan, between 2005 and 2007.

The teacher, who was deported back to Trinidad after serving his sentence in a Manhattan jail, was busted by a Form One pupil at the prestige school who decided to Google his name through the internet. To her amazement, several stories, including images of her school teacher, popped-up, indicating that he was convicted of crimes against female pupils in the US.

The pupil immediately printed some of the documents and took them to the principal who did her own internet searches before summoning the teacher to her office. He was later told that his services were no longer required and escorted out of the school's compound by the principal.

The Sunday Express understands that the teacher was hired last Tuesday and sent packing by the school's principal two days later.

In 2008, the teacher pleaded guilty on January 8 to second-degree rape, third-degree rape and sexual abuse involving pupils at the all-girls US school.

He admitted in court that he assaulted the pupils between 2005 and 2007 after school hours in his car and at a movie theatre. The victims were all under 17. Police began investigating after one of the girls alerted a school guidance counsellor.

According to the New York Times, after the teacher was charged by prosecutors with the offences, he began to harass his victims and enlisted other pupils to help him.

The report added that the teacher attempted to thwart the police investigation into his after-school antics by calling his victims directly and "begging the girls not to say anything because it would get him in trouble", Assistant District Attorney Donna Marie Golia had told the court during the trial.

Richard A Brown, of the Office of the Queens District Attorney in 2008 is quoted as saying, "This teacher destroyed his pupils' trust and will now pay the price for his crimes in prison."

Shortly before his arrest and conviction, the teacher received a Manhattan Media Blackboard Award for being an "outstanding teacher" and was featured in two local newspapers, the Catholic school's Website said.

He also started his own Website where pupils could check class notes and review test material and homework assignments.

In his last note on the site, he wrote: "The exam on Monday will contain material on only the female reproductive system and associated material."

Commenting on the incident involving the teacher, one pupil said on a teacher-rating Web site: "He's all right, he can be funny and helpful, but he also uses sarcasm. It's just funny. He's a real good teacher."

The teacher was also a soccer coach at the school.

148

General Discussion / Bin Laden dead

« on: May 01, 2011, 08:49:19 PM »

CNN just reported Osama Bin Ladin is dead and they the US have his body .

149

General Discussion / Bush rum lands dental technician in hot water

« on: April 30, 2011, 04:34:31 AM »

Bush rum lands dental technician in hot water
By Innis Francis South Bureau

Look what we trinbago police  lockingup man for ,eh ah kah believe this shit but they cant even solve a simple murder case waste of the court time .


Story Created: Apr 29, 2011 at 11:44 PM ECT

(Story Updated: Apr 29, 2011 at 11:44 PM ECT )

A dental technician on Thursday confessed to having a drinking problem when he appeared before a San Fernando Magistrate charged with possession of an illegal spirit.

Azim Aziz, 55, was charged with having an unlabelled soft drink bottle containing a quantity of bush rum.

Aziz, of California, Couva, admitted to having a problem with alcohol to Fourth Court Magistrate Alicia Chankar.

The charge was read by Sergeant Russell Ramoutar. Aziz pleaded guilty.

The court heard that on April 27, Aziz was seen walking along Pleasantville Terrace, near Born Free Recreational Club, by police officers on duty.

When Aziz saw the officers he quickly turned in the opposite direction.

The officers searched Aziz and found a plastic soft drink bottle containing a clear liquid in his pants pocket.

Aziz told the officers: "Boss is just a little babash, give me a chance." He was taken to the Mon Repos Police Station.

He was represented by attorney Ainsley Lucky.

Lucky said: "Mr Aziz works at Pleasantville Avenue as a dental technician. He has no previous convictions and after some prodding he admits he has some drinking problem. He was offered it (babash) by a watermelon vendor and he accepted it."

Lucky requested that Chankar delay sentencing and that the accused sent for help.

Lucky said: "He is married with two children; ages 25 and 23 years old and two grandchildren."

Chankar responded: "The first step is admitting that you have a problem. I will defer sentencing. Alcohol is not good, if you have a problem, we will help you and make you a better person. Mr Lucky, I am assigning you as his guardian. I know where you work, so I can go and check up on you there as well."

Aziz was granted $5,000 bail and ordered to reappear on May 19

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Entertainment & Culture Discussion / Khan: Market Ramleela as cultural tourism

« on: April 26, 2011, 08:26:16 PM »

Khan: Market Ramleela as cultural tourism
By SEETA PERSAD Tuesday, April 26 2011

I could be wrong but i do not think this would attract any  tourist not even the Trinibago indian people going home for this again i could be round .

To mark 160 years of Ramleela celebrations in TT, producers of the ten-day drama recently attended an elaborate programme at the Palmiste Park, San Fernando, hosted by members of the south-based Pandavas Cultural Organisation.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism Nela Khan, who is the Member of Parliament for Princes Town told Ramleela producers that this celebration can be used to bring in foreign revenue. “Ramleela can be marketed and promoted internationally along the lines of cultural tourism,” she said, noting that cultural tourism is expanding worldwide as foreigners are attracted to TT culture. Khan went on to say in addition to being a highly religious event, Ramleela portrayals depict the creativity and talent of this country. This, she says, could be used as a form of cultural tourism.

Khan told producers, who came from 26 venues across the country, the characters of Ramleela are colourful, with each having its own distinct personality and costuming which clearly identifies them. “Why can we not make simple dolls portraying these characters and make them available in the markets?” Khan asked. This she said will act as a reminder of the unique cultural experience of Ramleela.

Khan said the marketing of Ramleela can be successfully implemented without compromising the integrity of the festival, and can bring earnings to the Ramleela groups and to the country. “This increased income can also assist in expanding the scope of the festival and provide opportunities for many individuals associated with the event,” Khan said. She urged promoters and designers of Ramleela to be creative and allow their work to bring in necessary revenue.

President of Pandavas, Chimandath Maharaj, revealed the dates for Ramleela this year will be September 30 to October 10. He told the audience the event holds sentimental value as the early indentured labourers who were kept in private barracks used this festival to meet and greet their relatives in the sugar cane plantation.

“Reading the Ramayan in Hindi and the portrayal of the characters of the Ramayan is not just another religious event but it holds great significance for us here in this country,” he said. Maharaj emphasised that the early immigrants used the name of ‘Ram’ as a means of showing respect for each other. Today Hindus still greet each other by folding hands and saying Sita Ram which means “I see God in you.”

The Ramayan which contains the original script for the Ramleela drama is popular in TT. There are Ramayan Yagyas (prayer meetings) held at homes in many areas throughout the country. Here pundits and philosophers sing verses from the Ramayan which describe the life and times of Lord Rama. They then translate the events into the English language and draw references in today’s world.

The Ramayan is a more than 6,000-year-old work of literature which was originally done by Saint Valmiki of India and later translated by Swami Tulsidas. Raja Gopalachari is one of many writers who have translated the Ramayan into English. It is available at book stores throughout TT.