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Offline Socapro

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Re: 50 Years of Independence Series
« Reply #180 on: August 24, 2012, 01:16:44 AM »
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/featured-news/Making_our_mark_on_the_world_stage-166988926.html

Making our mark on the world stage
Story Created: Aug 21, 2012 at 11:00 PM ECT


The 'Express' continues its series looking back at some of the significant events and accomplishments since 1962 when Trinidad and Tobago became an Independent Nation. Wayne Bowman this week explores the achievements of some of our fellow Trinbagonians on the international arena in the spheres of music, acting and filmmaking.

The first name that pops to mind when exploring Trinbagonian success on the international music front is, Nicki Minaj who was defined recently by the New York Times as the most influential female hip-hop artiste ever.
 
Born, Onika Maraj in Trinidad, Minaj's parents migrated to the US when she was a toddler leaving her in the care of her grandmother. They sent for her a couple of years later and well, you know the progression from there.
 
Some Trinbagonians engage in bashing Minaj whenever she appears in the local newspapers saying her music and image are vacuous. That, however, does not change the fact that she is a global phenomenon and that her success has introduced this nation to many who knew nothing of it before Minaj began to take every opportunity to tell people about her homeland.
 
Staying in the hip-hop arena we should mention Foxy Brown who was born in Brooklyn to Trinidadian parents. Although not born here, Brown does identify with her Trinbagonian roots and has actually in the past campaigned for the role of US Youth Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago as a means of giving back to where her parents came from. Only last week, Minaj hailed Brown as a mentor and the true, most influential woman in hip-hop.
 
Moving along we come to Billy Ocean who was born, Leslie Sebastian William Charles on 21 January, 1950 in Fyzabad. Interestingly Ocean, during his heyday, was not as open about his roots as is Minaj.
 
Ocean's run of success began in 1984 with the release of the album, Suddenly from which was spawned the mega hit, "Caribbean Queen". In subsequent years Ocean made it to the Billboard Charts with hits such as "Suddenly," "Loverboy," "When The Going Gets Tough," "There'll Be Sad Songs," "Love Is Forever" and "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car".
 
Brian Green is a Trinidadian opera singer/actor who during the 1980's left here to study in London where he attended the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. From there Green ended up performing at the Sydney Theatre Company and then on to leading roles in theatre productions in places such as Sicily, Italy, Spain, New York and France where he is now based.
 
In 1969 Sullivan Walker won a trip to New York for participating in the Scouting for Talent competition. The young man from San Fernando saw an opportunity and grabbed it, remaining in the US to pursue a career in acting. He was a regular on the Cosby Show playing Heathcliff Huxtable's gregarious Trinidadian friend, Dr James Harmon. Walker also played the role of 50-Cent's uncle in Get Rich or Die Trying and Yale in the television series, Earth 2 among numerous other roles. Walker died of a heart attack on February 20 this year at his home in Los Angeles, California, USA.
 
Olun Riley is a senior lighting artist and digital artist who is considered to be among the top in his field out in the United States. He grew up in Cascade and studied fine arts at the University of Toronto before doing animation at Sheridan College. He works with Walt Disney Animation Studios and has worked on movies such as Anastasia, The Polar Express, Tangled, X-Men, Vanilla Sky, Bolt, Meet The Robinsons, Ocean's 11 and Monster House.
 
Shaun Esgayg is another Trinidadian making waves in the animation and film arenas out in the United States. He animated Bumblebee and the Worm in the Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon movie and his own short film, Fish made it to the final round of the You Film Festival 2012.
 
Heather Headley, born on October 5, 1974 is an R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She has won one Tony Award and one Grammy Award to date and her career is only really just building steam.
 
In 1997 Headley portrayed the role of Nala in The Lion King Broadway musical delivering a fantastic performance. This was followed by the title role in the Broadway adaptation of Aida, which earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress in 2000. In 2010 Headley won her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album for the CD collection titled, Audience of One on the EMI Gospel label.
 
There have been sterling achievements by other Trinbagonians on the international stage, but space doesn't allow for elaboration on everyone. We must however make mention of Geoffrey Holder whose sterling career began in 1954 – even before Independence. He won a Tony Award in 1975 for his direction of the Broadway musical The Wiz. He also worked on movies such as The Little Mermaid, Boomerang, Annie and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
 
Although he was born in the United States to Trinidadian parents, Ralph MacDonald considered himself a Trinbagonian. He was a respected songwriter of world renown and percussionist who in the early 1980s composed a song titled, "Just The Two Of Us," which is today a certified classic in the R&B and jazz arenas.
 
The song was originally recorded by Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr alongside MacDonald who would tell you that the song was a love song for this nation. He always told the story of him offering the song to the then government at no charge whatsoever to be used as a jingle promoting the twin island nation as a tourist destination, but it was rejected. Someone surely was hitting their head on a wall when the song won a Grammy Award. MacDonald died of lung cancer on December 18, 2011.
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

Offline Socapro

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Independence gift to the nation
« Reply #181 on: August 29, 2012, 10:54:00 PM »
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/featured-news/Independence_gift_to_the_nation-167785605.html

Independence gift to the nation
By Louis B Homer
Story Created: Aug 28, 2012 at 11:01 PM ECT


When the first independent Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago was inaugurated on August 31, 1962, there were 30 members in the House of Representatives, and 24 in the Senate.
 
After the swearing-in ceremony, Senator J Hamilton Maurice was elected President of the Senate and three senators were appointed as Ministers. In the House of Representatives C Arnold Thomasos was elected Speaker and nine members of the House of Representatives, including Dr Eric Williams, were appointed as Ministers.
 
After 50 years since the first Parliament was opened in 1962, only one Senator, Nicholas Simonette, is still alive. In the House of Representatives, out of the 30 members, five are alive. This number included former MPs Kamaluddin Mohammed (Barataria,) ANR Robinson, (Tobago East) Balgobin Ramdeen, (Caroni East) Tajmool Hosein, (Chaguanas) and Alexander Alexis (La Brea.)
 
Robinson was appointed Minister of Finance and Mohammed Minister of Public Utilities in the first independent Cabinet of Dr Eric Williams. Mohammed was mandated to develop the ailing utilities of the country which had become a major priority. "In offering the portfolio to me, Williams had outlined four major challenges for me to pursue. Development of an effective railway system, a policy on water distribution, a sewerage and waste water disposal system and a new policy on shipping, aviation and postal services," said Mohammed.
 
"The task was enormous", he said, "because for the first time an attempt was made to place all public utilities functions under a single portfolio."
 
The islandwide sewerage project had preceded independence by three months. In June Mohammed announced the launch of the scheme in which the pipes to be used in the sewerage scheme would be manufactured by Lock Joint Pipe Company of New Jersey, USA, under a $30.7 million scheme earmarked for completion in 1964.
 
Mohammed said, "Initially when government first viewed the health provisions it was found that there were many inadequacies in the area of environmental health, and more specifically the disposal of sewerage. Only one sewer system existed in Trinidad at the time to serve the residents of Port of Spain."
 
The next major development was the establishment of a Port Authority. "The disorganisation of the wharves had cost Trinidad millions of dollars to Barbados Deep Water Harbour, and there was need for improved cargo handling, storing, bunkering and berthing," said Mohammed. To correct the problems at the port, in May 1962 a committee was appointed and headed by PET O'Connor, a former general manager of Kern Trinidad Oilfields Ltd, with Dr Zin Henry a consultant in Personnel Management, and members B I Lalsingh, Senator Inskip Julien, and Patrick Young Sing.
 
At the time of the appointment of the Authority the President of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers' Union, Daniel Reid, was appealing to the port workers to increase their productivity in the face of mounting challenges from the Barbados Deep Water Harbour.
 
Next came the airport development with plans to extend the facilities at Piarco by acquiring lands owned by Trinidad Sugar Estate at Maloney. The purpose of the acquisition was for the extension of the runway to accommodate larger aircraft to land.
 
Earlier in the year the runway at Crown Point Airport (renamed the ANR Robinson International Airport) was opened by Mohammed. Referring to the paving of the runway Mohammed said, "On completion the 6,500 feet long and 150 feet wide will be capable of taking aircraft up to 66,000 pounds."
 
A new terminal building was also erected at Piarco and completed in time for the arrival of Her Royal Highness Princess Royal who was the Queen's representative at the independence celebrations in August.
 
Improvement to the public transportation system was not an easy task for Mohammed. With the pending closure of the railway and the setting up of a Public Transport Service Corporation there was the need to acquire more buses to replace the intake of passengers travelling along the East West corridor and to San Fernando. The difficulties were in the area of concessions that were previously granted to several operators. Transportation in Port of Spain was run by the city transport; in Diego Martin and Carenage the system was operated by Sam's Super Service, Port of Spain to Sangre Grande by Arima bus service, Port of Spain to San Fernando and Point Fortin by the Trinidad Bus Service; San Fernando to Princes Town by Princes Town special bus service, and Tobago service was provided by Charles Mc Enearney and company Ltd.
 
The bus concessionaires had resisted any change in the existing operations, and in order for the government to take over the services previously offered by various concessionaires a Bill had to be introduced in Parliament devising a structure for a permanent national bus service. It was during that debate that Mohammed had announced the scrapping of the railway and the creation of a service to be run by government.
 
The winning and distribution of water was also a thorny issue in the 60s. There were 12 agencies responsible for matters relating to water. It was imperative that if an efficient supply was water was to be made available to the public all the agencies would have to be brought under one umbrella.
 
The Central Water Distribution Authority was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the distribution systems, the Works Department for drainage and flood control, private companies were responsible for the drilling and extraction of water, while the county councils and boroughs of Arima and San Fernando had their own water supply facilities and Port of Spain City Council was responsible for winning its own water and administering a sewerage scheme.
 
All agencies had to be brought under one management. It was decided to amalgamate all the organisations into one. To bring them under one authority was a tremendous task. "After extensive negotiations, by September 1965 the Water and Sewerage Authority was established as the sole body responsible for all matters relating to Water and Sewerage.
 
From the amalgamation of all the public utilities was born the Public Utilities Commission which was designed to regulate all utilities companies in Trinidad and Tobago.
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

Offline Socapro

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This 'great' foolishness
« Reply #182 on: August 29, 2012, 11:36:11 PM »
I guess one foolish pappyshow initiative deserves another, maybe we aiming for 50 such inititatives to mark our Independence?

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/This__great__foolishness-167785915.html

This 'great' foolishness
By Ralph Maraj
Story Created: Aug 28, 2012 at 11:01 PM ECT


To mark 50 years of Independence, the Government has decided to choose 50 great "icons" of Trinidad and Tobago. According to the chairman of the Government-appointed committee spearheading the effort, these are "people that have created Trinidad and Tobago". Really? Wow! He went on to say that "the committee went through great pains to ensure a level of equity with respect to gender and ethnicity", that "young people received much focus in the project", that there was "a balance between Trinidad and Tobago", and that "an attempt was made to select persons from diverse backgrounds".
 
My God! Is this how we determine greatness in Trinidad and Tobago, not purely on merit but with gender, age, ethnicity and place of birth as criteria? Pathetic foolishness!
 
To start with, it is itself an absurdity to want to determine 50 "great" citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. For centuries, the greatest nations combined have produced just a handful of great people. For the past 2,000 years, since Christ, humanity in its entirety, now nearing eight billion, has not produced more than 50 great minds, if so much; the calibre of Plato, Shakespeare, Einstein, Lincoln, Gandhi, Mandela. These define greatness. But this small nation of 1.2 million is looking for 50 great "icons", to celebrate in just 50 years. "One great for every year", must have been the shallowness that produced this silliness. Fifty candles for the 50th birthday cake!
 
Couldn't they have reflected a little? Who after Gandhi, can be considered great in India, a nation of 1.2 billion and one of the world's great civilisations. Sachin Tendulkar? Shah Rukh Khan? Outstanding in their fields, but do they equate with Bapu, who defeated the British Empire with his beliefs and whose message of non-violence will resonate forever?
 
Who on the entire African continent can match the beloved Madiba, who sacrificed his freedom, was prepared to give his life to defeat apartheid and who, in triumph, forgave his oppressors and later relinquished the power he could have kept.
 
What greatness has England produced since Winston Churchill, or the US, after Abe Lincoln, except perhaps FDR, or Martin Luther King, a century later? And speak not of outstanding contributions in sports, entertainment, academics, and so forth. These are merely exceptional. Greatness is greater, almost almighty. It is enduring, with a deep transforming influence on society and civilisation. Greatness takes the human species forward.
 
Have we produced any such person? Naipaul comes closest. Williams had potential and opportunity, but faltered in the politics. So call our other achievers "outstanding", "exceptional" and other superlatives. Don't call them great. Twenty five great "icons" would have made Trinidad and Tobago into the most outstanding society in human history; 50 would have made it heaven on earth. But after 50 years, what we have here is a spreading social swampland.

We never nurtured greatness. We did not capitalise on the optimism after Independence when, for about two decades, a national soul was emerging. There was patriotism, respect for the humanities including West Indian literature and history, the quest for "peace, bread and justice" that culminated in the February Revolution of 1970, and considerable activity in the performing arts: music, dance and drama. We even made movies. But the political directorate of the era tragically failed to seize the moment. We have not stopped paying.
 
It has been mainly mediocrity since then and generations lost. Ruinous deficiencies persisted in the education of the young, in and out of school. In the adult world, they found little but corruption, decadence, divisiveness, materialism and selfishness. Generations of youth matured in a rudderless society woefully impoverished and downright corrosive in its political and cultural life.
 
And in our education system, every year we churned out thousands. And where are we? Where are they? To this day, a small percentage attains academic excellence, whilst the vast majority are either ordinary or dysfunctional. The proficient enter the professions to be wealthy; the mediocre remain middling, struggling to survive; the dysfunctional are trapped by inherited parameters. Nothing happens. And we look for greatness?!
 
Our education system does not develop the social conscience in Trinidad and Tobago. This is a national tragedy. Young people emerge with certificates but no burning passion to make the world a better place. Where is the idealism of youth that matures into a commitment to a just society? What is the nation's reward after so many billions spent on its young?
 
Not much. Citizens remain unmoved by Independence. The national mind grows increasingly distant from its history. Few now can still speak of colonialism, Cipriani, Butler, Gomes, Rienzi, Bhadase, Capildeo, Weekes; or of the Literature: Naipaul, Selvon, James, Walcott. Worse still, how many have even a smattering of the origin of the species, ancient civilisations, the Renaissance, the enlightenment, the scientific revolution, the British Empire, the French and Haitian Revolutions, American Independence and Civil War, all of which have shaped our lives? We live in vacancy, without context.

And now this Government will increase the vacuity with its trademark superficiality. Looking for great "icons"! Your great citizens either live in your hearts or don't exist. But to create a show, sustain the façade, live the lie, as we do with annual national awards, we will reward outstanding achievements as well as mediocrity or less, just to make up the number and call them all great. In the process we devalue the idea of greatness. We corrupt the concept and therefore sin against the children. We continue to make this society a suffocating space for youth where most eventually experience the inner strangulation that kills the capacity for magnificence. This way, we will still be looking for great citizens when we attain 100.
 
• Ralph Maraj is a former government minister
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

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Our first 50 years
« Reply #183 on: August 29, 2012, 11:42:33 PM »
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Our_first_50_years-167785905.html

Our first 50 years
By Tennyson Joseph
Story Created: Aug 28, 2012 at 11:01 PM ECT


Unbeknownst to many, between August 20 and 25, an opportunity was provided by the University of the West Indies' (UWI) Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) for reflection on the experience of 50 years of independence in the English-speaking Caribbean.
 
Occurring in a moment when younger Caribbean people, completely cut off from the deeper rationale and purpose for the initial impulse for independence, continue to harbour strong doubts about our statehood, the gathering could not have been timelier. 
 
And, oh, what a gathering it was. Three generations of Caribbean academics, politicians, regional public servants and the wider society gathered to reflect on past experience and to discuss the challenges of the way forward.
 
From Kari Levitt, Sir Alister McIntyre and Owen Jefferson of New World Group fame at one end, to the likes of Norman Girvan, Chancellor Sir George Alleyne and Trevor Munroe in the middle, to the thirty-something Jamaica Opposition Leader Andrew Holness and his generation of Caribbeanists, including people like myself and other UWI colleagues, to the final group of twenty-something current students of Caribbean society, all were gathered in the name of taking stock of the national and regional independence enterprise. 

An important feature of the meeting was the opportunity to listen to the perspectives of regional and international prime ministers, members of parliament and public servants on past and current challenges confronting Caribbean society. 
 
Among the highlights were the addresses by Minister of Finance Peter Phillips of Jamaica, Girvan, governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Sir Dwight Venner, British MP Dianne Abbot and the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves. 
 
Girvan, Venner and Gonsalves in particular provided critical reflections on the past experience and suggested concrete ways in which Caribbean sovereignty could be advanced and deepened in the future.
 
Of course, no such gathering could take place without being impacted upon by the external ideological and economic shifts taking place in the wider global arena. In this regard, the strong tensions of two unsurprising fault lines could be palpably felt. 
 
One such tension was that between a younger group which, intoxicated by the wine of neo-liberal ideology, repeated western notions that sovereignty was dead and outmoded. In response to this group was the view of Gonsalves that sovereignty was an important asset that Caribbean governments should not be afraid to use in the advancement of the goals determined by themselves and not others.

The other significant tension was between those who, like the young leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, steadfastly held on to the idea of single territory independence and, on the other, those like Venner who, using the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States example, advocated a more mature regionalist option.   
 
Undoubtedly, the future politics of the Caribbean will revolve around the resolution of these tensions. The SALISES reflections provide a useful, though only a small, start.

• Tennyson Joseph is a political scientist at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, specialising in regional affairs
• Courtesy Barbados Nation
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

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Dr Williams in T&T's Independence
« Reply #184 on: August 29, 2012, 11:44:43 PM »
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/Dr_Williams_in_T_T_s_Independence-167785925.html

Dr Williams in T&T's Independence
By Rickey Singh
Story Created: Aug 28, 2012 at 11:01 PM ECT


AS the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago celebrate half a century of political independence from British colonialism this Friday, even the sharpest critic of Dr Eric Williams would find it extremely difficult to ignore the tremendous intellectual and political contributions that have inscribed him on history's page as "Father of the Nation".
 
Three weeks ago, the government and people of Jamaica were also occupied in similar celebrations. And Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was there, standing shoulder to shoulder with her Jamaican counterpart, the irrepressible "Sister P" (Portia Simpson-Miller) to demonstrate that infectious West Indian bond of friendship that binds us as the peoples of "One Caribbean".
 
Sadly, the degrading dimension of colonialism that partly explains the failure of the West Indian Federation that was buried in the ballot boxes of a myopic Jamaica referendum 51 years ago, continues to haunt us in different ways.
 
Most notably, perhaps, it shows itself in the persistent negative attitudes and policies that keep Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago — the first two to shed the yoke of colonialism — tied to Britain's Privy Council as their final appellate court.
 
Fifty years after securing political independence, both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago continue with an endless word game about accessing the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
 
This is not a legacy that Eric Williams would have wanted to perpetuate, but it remains the political burden, sustained by the "politricks" of the People's National Movement and the current "People's Partnership" administration which, basically, is the United National Congress (UNC) in new clothing and struggling, against the odds, to make its own contributions.
 
Neither Norman Manley nor Eric Williams — national heroes of their respective nations — can be accurately described as "freedom fighters" for political independence, in contrast, for example, to Dr Cheddi Jagan, with whom they often locked horns on regional political issues, including a political federation with dominion status.

But if Jagan, undoubtedly the "father" figure of Guyana's independence struggle was, as often unflatteringly labelled the "enfante terrible" of British colonial politics in the English-speaking Caribbean, Eric Williams would forever be remembered for his admirable political battle against the US in retrieving for Trinidad and Tobago the Chaguaramas naval base.
 
And consistent with the pan-Caribbean vision that kept him committed to regional cultural and economic cooperation, Dr Williams had sufficiently recovered from the trauma of the failed West Indies Federation (remember his famous political arithmetic of "one from 10 leaves nought"?) to host the inaugural summit of the Caribbean Community at Chaguaramas —where else!
 
Though at times quite disagreeable, Williams was to be a prime mover, along with Barbados' Errol Barrow, Guyana's Forbes Burnham, Jamaica's Michael Manley and Antigua and Barbuda's Vere Bird, in the anchoring of Caricom with the promise of transformation into a seamless regional economy. This remains, in 2012, a work in progress that needs to be completed.

Williams perhaps did more than quite a few in his time to promote so much of what's positive about our "oneness" as a Caribbean people and in firmly anchoring independent Trinidad and Tobago as a sub-region of the so-called Third World, as Caricom nationals continue to impact the global family with their intellectual and cultural contributions.
 
An independent Trinidad and Tobago owes much to Eric Williams' vision and commitment to the educational and cultural advancements that distinguish this region. Yes, that commitment, as ironic as it may now seem, is also rooted in the nation's robust identification with press freedom and freedom of expression.
 
On this 50th independence anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago, homeland also of a section of my own family, please allow me a parting note to recall my moment as one of the few (I have been told perhaps one of three) journalists of the Caribbean to have had the privilege of a full-length interview with the author of Capitalism and Slavery and "Father of the Nation".
 
Happy 50th anniversary, Trinidad and Tobago.
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

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Celebrate everyone, not a 'top 50'
« Reply #185 on: August 29, 2012, 11:51:07 PM »
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/Celebrate_everyone__not_a__top_50_-167505635.html

Celebrate everyone, not a 'top 50'
Story Created: Aug 26, 2012 at 10:52 PM ECT


The entire build-up to the 50th Independence celebrations has been nonsensical. The propaganda machinery rains praise on a top 50 citizens. Does that mean that all other citizens did not contribute to T&T's development over the last 50 years?
 
It's as if T&T's other 1,299,950 citizens do not exist and their forefathers did not exist, hence there is nothing of them to highlight or mention. This is how the history books are recording this milestone — the Independence celebrations in which the contributions of common people were not worthy enough for acknowledgement, not colourful enough for mention, were excluded because theirs were not sufficiently impacting on nation-building.
 
At 50 the nation's stewards are still caught up in notions of superiority and inferiority; greater and lesser citizens. They still undervalue the contributions of the common citizen in nation-building.
 
It is like attending your school's graduation and witnessing all the praise and honour going to a select few well-liked graduates. Only their contributions are worth talking about. For 50 years only certain people's lives were archived and now only their stories are told. This national graduation ceremony (50th Independence celebration) is supposed to be a celebration recounting the triumphs of all 1.3 million citizens and those who went before, not hero- worshipping the top 50 citizens.
 
What is the unit of measure for determining national influence? Is frequency of reminder of greatness, "highness", sweetness, creativity, innovative gusto, selflessness, worldly admiration as sculpted by media propaganda useful standards for measure of national influence?
 
Come on, a top 50 people that made T&T what it is today? Just 50 in 50 years? What were the millions native to Trinidad and Tobago doing while the 50 heroes were shining their light with fuel provided by the nation?
 
It took informed ideas from many quarters to sculpt present- day Trinidad and Tobago. Some basked in artificial limelight of acclaim or are imputed as the genesis and momentum of these autonomous thinking and doing movements. Not so fast media-hype hero.
 
The average Hollywood movie's credit list does better at acknowledging contributors to movie creation than the organisers chosen to highlight persons who have helped define T&T as an independent nation from 1962 to 2012.
 
Celebrating Independence should be about showing gratitude for the contributions of everyone, not just raining praise and honour on a few pin-up names and faces. Many unfamiliar names and faces gave and do give to the country with unyielding zest, so where is their limelight?
 
I'd presume that the Independence celebration was about the common breakage of colonial bonds that oppressed every disenfranchised person. Since then no top 50 but millions have contributed to the best of their ability and resources to making T&T what it is today. Where are the faces of the millions, from Cedros to Toco, from Charlotteville to Bon Accord, who collectively contributed from the 1960s to present toward creating T&T?
 
Where are the faces of the housewives, teachers, preachers, healers, builders, farmers, fishermen, firemen, protective services officers, vendors, mechanics, inventors, plumbers, environmentalists, scientists, engineers, transportation workers, factory workers, commercial service workers etc that every day keep, sustain and expand T&T?
 
Independence ought to be about celebrating the independence of all citizens and the strength of interdependence of all nationals, not picking a few to perch on pedestals above the commoners. At 50, T&T should have dropped such colonial practices that focus the largest share of honour and gratitude at a few poster children at the top, while downplaying the roles played by the mass of the population in T&T's deliverance from colonialism and its progress as an independent nation.
 
B Joseph
Via e-mail
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

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Route to real independence
« Reply #186 on: August 29, 2012, 11:55:08 PM »
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/Route_to_real__independence-167505625.html

Route to real independence
Story Created: Aug 26, 2012 at 10:52 PM ECT


FIFTY years ago we were given our Independence from the United Kingdom and we were entrusted with the responsibility of running our own affairs under the leadership two of the greatest men our country had produced, Dr Eric Williams and Dr Rudranath Capildeo.
 
They were the twin collaborators of our Independence.

While Dr Williams seemed preoccupied with the politics of Independence it was Dr Capildeo who preached development of education and agriculture, food production and the development of our energy and educational resources.
 
Dr Capildeo called for the development of education as a virtual industry that could produce technocrats and middle managers among other highly trained individuals to assist in the overall development of the new nation. We all laughed at him and scoffed at his suggestions for solar energy and agriculture and to control in a meaningful way our destiny.
 
So today we are politically independent but we have to rely on other countries for our food supplies over which we have no control, while thousands of acres of fertile lands lie fallow and thousands of people are unemployed.
 
Even thousands of acres of citrus planted by Caroni lie abandoned while our fish farm in Valsayn is overgrown with grass, and in the meantime we import our fish and citrus juices from the mighty US.
 
We have to get off our behinds and chart a new course which would make us truly independent and become masters of our own destiny.
 
Dr Clifford Ramcharan
St Augustine
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

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Stand and sing the anthem
« Reply #187 on: August 30, 2012, 12:00:48 AM »
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/Stand_and_sing_the_anthem-167639355.html

Stand and sing the anthem
Story Created: Aug 27, 2012 at 10:59 PM ECT


It is not enough to stand in silence and listen to our country's National Anthem.
 
I have been struck by the fact that people simply stand and listen to the music played solemnly by various means — especially our wonderful steelband, as was the case the other night with the marvellous playing of the anthem by the Defence Force Orchestra at the Military Tattoo.
 
I think that everyone, when called upon anywhere, should stand and sing the words and be conscious of the meaning of these words which are prayerful, melodic and inspirational.
 
I am sure that no one listening to the voices of the Olympic audiences singing the national anthem of Great Britain – "God Save the Queen" – could miss the fervour and pride that resulted from the resounding chorus.
 
We, at this point in our nation's life, need to use whatever means possible to instill pride and respect for ourselves and for our past and hope for the future.
 
The words of our anthem are soul-stirring and moving. They constitute a national, hopeful, optimistic prayer.
 
Currently, when an announcer asks people to "stand for the National Anthem" the implication is that they should stand and listen to it. He should say instead: "Stand and sing the National Anthem" – for we need publicly to express our boundless faith in our destiny, as side by side we stand.
 
We need to promise that, despite the sometimes awful reality, our ideals are above question and we thank God for reminding us of them.
 
Marlene Davis
Cascade
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

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Re: 50 Years of Independence Series
« Reply #188 on: August 30, 2012, 01:43:17 PM »
Just a note to say thanks to Socapro for his posts, both during the Olympics and for the 50th Independence anniversary. World Class. Thnaturally good. :beermug:

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Trinidad and Tobago Independence Thread
« Reply #189 on: August 30, 2012, 08:41:21 PM »
Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago

It is with great pride that I extend best wishes  on the nation's 50th anniversary.  I have lived  prior to nationhood and blessed to see  our nation grow to such heights. Despite the ills which plagues us, the hardships, the crime, I am reminded of the struggles that many of us endure in our personal lives,These said struggles we witness at times with our nation. May those entrusted with stewardship do so in a manner to dignify those who came before. May we all seek some  solace  through the following tribute from a daughter:

                                    Are we favoured or forever lost?
Published:
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Anthony Wilson

For many people, especially as they get older, birthdays are days of both celebration and reflection. For special birthdays, such as 30 or 40, there should be a period of increased introspection— a weighing of positives and negatives, assets and liabilities, pros and cons. As it is with individuals, so should it be with nations. First of all, it must be said that, as a country, T&T has much going for it. We live in a country in which, generally, the rule of law prevails and in which government action—or lack of action—is subject to judicial review by a fiercely independent judiciary. We live in a country that has enshrined in its Constitution the right of the population to review the performance of the government every five years or so. What’s more, we live in a country in which all of the political leaders since Independence have had an interest in ensuring that the population gets an opportunity to share in the nation’s wealth. I have used this space on a number of occasions to make the point about the linkage between the creation of wealth offshore and the distribution of that wealth onshore. Still, many people do not get the point that when the Government subsidises the provision of education from nursery to tertiary that that is a means by which the Government ensures that the country’s wealth gets to trickle down to the poorest of the poor and everyone else.

 

The ability of this country to afford free education on the scale that it does is not only a huge investment in building up the country’s human capital, it also saves the working mothers and fathers from having to pay out a significant percentage of their take-home pay in ensuring that their children are properly educated. There is very little appreciation of the fact that free education is the primary means through which the population shares in the wealth of the nation and, I suspect, that there is little communication by parents and teachers of how fortunate today’s generation is in being able to attend school without the payment of school fees by their guardians. There are still people in this country who are critical of past administrations—of both political complexions—for not sharing the nation’s wealth. I am not sure this population appreciates how much of the nation’s wealth they share. While there are many people who see wealth in terms of cash, shares, property or hard assets such as gold and silver, there are very few people who see the Government’s provision of free education and free health—among other services that are heavily subsidised—as the distribution of wealth.

 

As T&T celebrates its 50th anniversary, one of the things that every citizen—whether living in Trinidad and Tobago or outside of it—should do is to reflect on their contribution to making this country a better place for all of us to live. There are not enough of us who ask what we can do for our country. In comparing the performance of nations, much attention is placed on the role of leaders and in this magazine Erica Williams-Connell, the daughter of T&T’s Independence Prime Minister, Eric Williams, places a great deal of emphasis on the role that her father played in building T&T into a great nation. Erica has made keeping the Eric Williams flame burning in the consciousness of the T&T citizenry a significant part of her life’s work and is the driving force behind The Eric Williams Memorial Collection. In discussing her contribution to this magazine, she sent this private correspondence that she had received from Rachel Manley—who has the rare distinction of herself being the daughter and granddaughter of Caribbean prime ministers (Michael Manley and Norman Manley). (See Erica’s contribution on Page 12) In an e-mail to Erica in 2009, used with the permission of both women, after she visited The Eric Williams Memorial Collection—which is housed at the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies, Rachel Manley wrote:

 

“Dear Erica I just wanted to drop a line to tell you how utterly moved I was by the permanent exhibition of your father's papers and mementos at the library in St Augustine. I was there for a week teaching and Funso Aiyejina kindly arranged for me to see the room. I felt so many memories flood over me. Federation was a like a magic Kingdom when I was a child watching your dad and my grandfather and the other members around our dining room table. I always wondered if your father knew how it broke NW's (Norman Washington’s) heart..his sense that he had failed your father and that brave band of national warriors who each in their own territory established our new futures. We have been planning for ages to have a memorial for NW...since then my grandmother died and Dad, and now the plan is to have a combined museum at their small house Regardless (their retreat after NW lost in 1962). I felt so ashamed when I saw what a lovely job you have done and how much it evokes of your father and that time. It has spurred me on to see that we get our mission accomplished. Thank you so much for doing this for Trinidad and the Caribbean...for our history. For your beloved and precious father. He would be so proud; well he always was of you! Rachel (Manley)”

 

I have chosen to republish the Rachel Manley email in full because it says something about the country and its people. This is an example of a proud Jamaican—the daughter of a prime minister and the granddaughter of a prime minister—lavishing praise on a proud Trinidadian— who is the daughter of a prime minister— for the work that the Trinidadian has done in keeping the memory of the country’s first indigenous political leader alive. This is one example of someone honouring the country’s past in a way that the T&T population is often criticised for not doing
Business Guardian

« Last Edit: May 22, 2015, 05:52:16 AM by Flex »

Offline weary1969

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Re: 50 Years of Independence Series
« Reply #190 on: August 30, 2012, 08:50:17 PM »
Just a note to say thanks to Socapro for his posts, both during the Olympics and for the 50th Independence anniversary. World Class. Thnaturally good. :beermug:

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #191 on: August 30, 2012, 10:39:39 PM »
Trinidad & Tobago celebrates 50 years of independence
Neki Mohan blogs from Trinidad & Tobago

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 5:37 p.m. Thursday

It's surreal to be on the ground in the capital of my youth on assignment. Photographer Bob Palumbo and I are in a busy Port of Spain, which is draped in red, white and black -- the national colors.

We are in the Port of Spain to cover Trinidad and Tobago's 50th anniversary of independence. A big deal in the twin island republic which so many South Floridians claim as their native homeland.

Ten of thousands of Trinidadians and Tobagonians live in the State of Florida. Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll is a native of the country. Chances are you have a neighbor, a friend or a co-worker that hails from the twin island republic.

Trinidad and Tobago is very unique as Caribbean islands go because of its natural resources. It's vibrant industry of petroleum and petroleum products, making it a vital supplier to the region, including the United States. Lt. Gov Carroll just led a trade delegation to T&T this summer to build a stronger economic link between the two places.

Signs of the culture here in South Florida are everywhere. The steel band, which was created in Trinidad, is part of the soundtrack for our Caribbean lifestyle and tourism industry. Every year, Miami Gardens plays host to the hundreds of thousands who come in to town for the annual Carnival in October. In almost every city in South Florida, there are Caribbean markets and restaurants. Even groceries stores are stocking their shelves with more imports to keep up with demand to satisfy their Caribbean clientele.

I was born in New York to two Trinidadian-born parents who were struggling to find opportunity in their new not so tropical homeland that had many job opportunities. Caring for a child was not easy without family support, so at 3-years-old, I went to live with my grandparents in Port of Spain until it was time to go to college.

My story is one of thousands of similar experiences shared by Caribbean Immigrants in South Florida. We have embraced American culture and lifestyle but there will always be a feeling inside that makes T&T our home, too.

This is a big day for T&T, and I am honored to cover it for Local 10.

At midnight Friday, they will reenact the lowering of the British Flag and hoisting on Trinidad and Tobago's red, white and black flag for the first time 50 years ago. We are here on the ground to bring this special time to you.

 

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #192 on: August 30, 2012, 11:06:16 PM »
Yeh, 50 fackin yrs of incompetence and total mismanagement of ah little arse county (in size and population) with trillions of dollars @ their disposal over two and a half oil booms!

happy what mdcnt birthday allyuh talking bout, there's nothing happy about T&T, especially trinidad!! allyuh really believe that we was ever free of colonialism?? these black skin white boys who took over the reins from the colonial oppressors are all neo colonialist!

them boy is the new slavers!! them fackers stay there and steal out the treasury, not just once or twice but from the time the british got on the plane till the present day, bringing the country to it's knees! what they didn't manage to steal they squandered! in reality they didn't have a solitary facking clue how to nurture and build a nation, let alone prepare for the future.

imagine, after such a big oil boom these ppl barely could have brought the country through it's first post independence recession? and after two and a half oil booms, 25% of the population is "still" living under the poverty level, with the highest level of violent crime and corruption from the inception of the country!

to think that hundreds of thousands of the brightest and ambitious minds flooded out your nation bc of the lack of employment opportunities, when you had hundreds of billions with a miniscule population and relatively small land mass, now that my friend is unheard off!  only in trinidad and tobago!

IMO this is why the standard in the country dropped so drastically, and i attribute that to the life blood of your nation running out for fear of stagnation, especially the young exuberant enthusiastic and in some cases, bright citizens who filed out your land looking for a brighter more hopeful future, leaving only the most mediocre citizens, then what else is expected??

i really hate these ppl, and i will never celebrate with ah nation of crooks, dunces, gluttons for money, spineless civil servants and bribe takers! fack that!! they shoulda leave the white people with the place, @ least we would have been able to walk down the street in peace not worrying for our safety, instead of living as a prisoner in your own home surrounded by burglar proofing. 

 "and may god bless our nation"  :cursing: :pissedoff:
« Last Edit: August 30, 2012, 11:26:00 PM by just cool »
The pen is mightier than the sword, Africa for Africans home and abroad.Trinidad is not my home just a pit stop, Africa is my destination,final destination the MOST HIGH.

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #193 on: August 30, 2012, 11:27:09 PM »
 JUST COOL YUH BEAT MIH TO IT. (and I probably would not have been as articulate.)

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE NAYSHUN
4 murders in 5 hours
By ALEXANDER BRUZUAL Friday, August 31 2012

ON THE EVE of the country’s 50th anniversary of Independence, four more young lives were brutally snuffed out in shooting incidents in Laventille, Chaguanas and La Horquetta, pushing the murder toll to 283 according to Newsday statistics.

Dead are Daniel Boudree, 18; Akile Reveillac, 25; Juanza Jones, 30, and Kerron Atwell, 33.

All four were killed in separate incidents between 10 pm on Wednesday and 3 am yesterday.

The first two murders occurred in Enterprise, Chaguanas.

Police reported that at about 10 pm on Wednesday, Atwell of George Street, St Madeleine and Boudree of Taradale, were both sitting in the front seat of a Nissan B14 Sentra car which was parked along Tobago Road in Enterprise. Residents later heard several loud explosions.

Upon investigating, residents found both men dead in the car with gunshot wounds to their heads and upper bodies.

A party of officers from the Central Division Police and the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, including Senior Superintendent Deodath Dulalchan, Superintendent Johnny Abraham and Inspector Wayne Lawrence, visited the scene.

The area was cordoned off as Crime Scene Investigators searched the scene for clues, following which, the two bodies were ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre, St James. Next, Reveillac was killed by bandits during a robbery in La Horquetta.

Police reported, at about 2 am yesterday, Reveillac was walking along Slinger Francisco Boulevard in La Horquetta, when he was approached by a group of persons who demanded his jewelry.

The young man, who was said to be a bartender working on the Treasure Queen pleasure cruise sea vessel, resisted and was shot multiple times.

Residents found Reveillac on the road in a pool of blood with gunshot injuries to his face and upper chest.

The jewelry he gave up his life for, was stolen along with cash and a cellular phone.

The police were notified and a party of officers from the La Horquetta Police Station and the Homicide Bureau of Investigations visited the scene.

A mere 45-minutes later, Homicide Bureau investigators received yet another report of a murder — this time along Church Street, Laventille — walking distance from Dorata Street where last weekend, four murders were committed.

Police reported, at about 2.45 am, residents of Church Street heard several loud explosions and upon investigating, saw Jones lying in a pool of blood on the roadway.

They notified the police and a party of officers from the Besson Street Police Station as well as the Homicide Bureau visited the scene. All four bodies were ordered to be taken to the Forensic Science Centre, and investigations into to each of these killings. No arrests have been made.

All of the bodies are now at the Forensic Science Centre in St James.

With today being a public holiday, the Centre will be closed and with police expecting a brace of murders and fatal accidents over the long weekend, the scene could be set for major chaos and a pile up of bodies at the centre all awaiting autopsies.


From Eric to Kamla, successive vampires that feed and destroy this nation
« Last Edit: August 30, 2012, 11:33:07 PM by fishs »
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Offline Socapro

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #194 on: August 31, 2012, 02:28:22 AM »
Quote
From Eric to Kamla, successive vampires that feed and destroy this nation
But is the people who vote these vampires into power!
We can't keep blaming the vampires for their behaviour when its the common people who keep voting them into power and supporting them. As you make your bed is so you have to lay down in it.

PS: I don't agree with Eric being a vampire though not when compared with these recent T&T politicians.
Since Eric died in March 1981 however it has become more and more of a sucking spree between these vamperial T&T parties in power trying to out do each other. The current PP government seems to be one of the most clueless yet. Is like PP stands for the People's Pappishow and not much else.  :-\
« Last Edit: August 31, 2012, 02:39:23 AM by Socapro »
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

Offline just cool

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #195 on: August 31, 2012, 03:27:31 AM »
Quote
From Eric to Kamla, successive vampires that feed and destroy this nation
But is the people who vote these vampires into power!
We can't keep blaming the vampires for their behaviour when its the common people who keep voting them into power and supporting them. As you make your bed is so you have to lay down in it.

PS: I don't agree with Eric being a vampire though not when compared with these recent T&T politicians.
Since Eric died in March 1981 however it has become more and more of a sucking spree between these vamperial T&T parties in power trying to out do each other. The current PP government seems to be one of the most clueless yet. Is like PP stands for the People's Pappishow and not much else.  :-\
Socapro the man right !! eric was ah fackin vampire too! fack dat father of the nation bullsh!t, our parents and grandparents full we head wid ah set of fairytales and fantacies, but in reality they didn't know any better bc they held the man in high esteem like ah demi god, but in reality he was just another political product of his day, same as barrow, gairy, manley and forbes burnham, socialist minded bright boys without a plan.

eric perpetuated ah whole lot of fackry, and is responsible for the lackluster attitude you seeing today amongst trinis. this ten days business was madness, man liming from 7 am to 10 am and no one lift as much as a shovel or a cutlass, not even a supervisor to come and make sure that things were getting done, just free money for the badjohn foreman and dem that were running the dewd project.

IMO that was ah bad example to set for the nation. ppl in the civil service would work from 8 am to 3 pm and in some instances till noon. by 4pm the rum shops was full to capacity, especially on ah friday evenings where if yuh pass down charlotte st, prince street or curepe junction is only saga boy in they fancy dandans and iz iron knocking and liqor swilling till the wee hours of the morning.

eric caught his ministers taking bribes and running racket and instead of reprimanding them, he reshuffle his cabinet and it was business as usual. i not saying that he was ah bad fella, all i'm saying is rather, he facked up big time, bc he had the capacity to do much much better, but instead opted for a good time!

BTW, eric was one of the biggest rum drinking womanizing leaders we ever had, no wonder he was cool with the anyhow attitude of the poor ppl especially behind the bridge.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2012, 03:33:01 AM by just cool »
The pen is mightier than the sword, Africa for Africans home and abroad.Trinidad is not my home just a pit stop, Africa is my destination,final destination the MOST HIGH.

Offline just cool

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #196 on: August 31, 2012, 03:42:53 AM »
fishes, i was preparing this in my head for @ least ah week. i was like goat sh!t on ah hill, waiting for any one to even utter those words "happy 50th" to me so i could blow them out, but no one bit, so i have tuh vent on here. 

fack dem lazy anyhow shameless people, they facked up what could have been a real paradise on earth, one of the best and progressive little nations on the planet, ever!! bc we have the talent!

ah go tell yuh dis, one thing no body could ever say is that God never bless us with talent and skill! but our monkey leaders didn't know how to recognize it and nurtured the ppl and the nation into something phenomenally great! 

trust meh, trinidad and tobago had soooooo much to offer the world, and still do, but these monkeys who wielding the stick eh care bout that, bc their minds small, and they seriously lack facking pride, ambition and genuine patriotism.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2012, 03:48:58 AM by just cool »
The pen is mightier than the sword, Africa for Africans home and abroad.Trinidad is not my home just a pit stop, Africa is my destination,final destination the MOST HIGH.

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #197 on: August 31, 2012, 06:55:32 AM »
fishes, i was preparing this in my head for @ least ah week. i was like goat sh!t on ah hill, waiting for any one to even utter those words "happy 50th" to me so i could blow them out, but no one bit, so i have tuh vent on here. 

fack dem lazy anyhow shameless people, they facked up what could have been a real paradise on earth, one of the best and progressive little nations on the planet, ever!! bc we have the talent!

ah go tell yuh dis, one thing no body could ever say is that God never bless us with talent and skill! but our monkey leaders didn't know how to recognize it and nurtured the ppl and the nation into something phenomenally great! 

trust meh, trinidad and tobago had soooooo much to offer the world, and still do, but these monkeys who wielding the stick eh care bout that, bc their minds small, and they seriously lack facking pride, ambition and genuine patriotism.

 Everything yuh express dey is how I think.

Soo much potential jus obscenely blown away by self serving blood suckers.
Still corrupt to the core and what so goddamn depressing is no end of it in sight

Ah want de woman on de bass

Offline ProudTrinbagonian

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #198 on: August 31, 2012, 07:15:22 AM »
Happy Independence Day TnT!

50 years strong!
whey boy!

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #199 on: August 31, 2012, 07:31:06 AM »
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/BJbXvESgJ5s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/BJbXvESgJ5s</a>
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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #200 on: August 31, 2012, 07:32:19 AM »
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/LJJCfqHBkMY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/LJJCfqHBkMY</a>
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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #201 on: August 31, 2012, 07:37:05 AM »
Independence Parade live on C

http://www.ctntworld.com/livestream/
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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #202 on: August 31, 2012, 07:43:56 AM »
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/K_ItBb6GqNI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/K_ItBb6GqNI</a>
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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #203 on: August 31, 2012, 08:29:27 AM »
I echo some of socapro and just cool sentiments. I am of the opinion that the citizens of t&t should enjoy the wealth of the land however, this is not the case while the politicians continue to rape the country.

Happy 50th to T&T.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2012, 05:00:31 PM by davyjenny1 »
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Offline dinho

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #204 on: August 31, 2012, 08:37:15 AM »
Allyuh wet blankets need to cool allyuh self..

Today we celebrate 50 years as an independent nation, in effect our 50th birthday.

On our Golden Jubilee, let us celebrate all that is good about our nation, what we have accomplished and how far we have come. It is not every day that we as a nation could come together on a momentous occasion like this to celebrate everything that is inherently great about Trinidad and Tobago.

The cry down and the lambast could wait till tomorrow.

Happy 50th Independence Day to one and to all.
         

Offline gawd on pitch

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #205 on: August 31, 2012, 12:23:16 PM »
Quote
From Eric to Kamla, successive vampires that feed and destroy this nation
But is the people who vote these vampires into power!
We can't keep blaming the vampires for their behaviour when its the common people who keep voting them into power and supporting them. As you make your bed is so you have to lay down in it.

PS: I don't agree with Eric being a vampire though not when compared with these recent T&T politicians.
Since Eric died in March 1981 however it has become more and more of a sucking spree between these vamperial T&T parties in power trying to out do each other. The current PP government seems to be one of the most clueless yet. Is like PP stands for the People's Pappishow and not much else.  :-\
Socapro the man right !! eric was ah fackin vampire too! fack dat father of the nation bullsh!t, our parents and grandparents full we head wid ah set of fairytales and fantacies, but in reality they didn't know any better bc they held the man in high esteem like ah demi god, but in reality he was just another political product of his day, same as barrow, gairy, manley and forbes burnham, socialist minded bright boys without a plan.

eric perpetuated ah whole lot of fackry, and is responsible for the lackluster attitude you seeing today amongst trinis. this ten days business was madness, man liming from 7 am to 10 am and no one lift as much as a shovel or a cutlass, not even a supervisor to come and make sure that things were getting done, just free money for the badjohn foreman and dem that were running the dewd project.

IMO that was ah bad example to set for the nation. ppl in the civil service would work from 8 am to 3 pm and in some instances till noon. by 4pm the rum shops was full to capacity, especially on ah friday evenings where if yuh pass down charlotte st, prince street or curepe junction is only saga boy in they fancy dandans and iz iron knocking and liqor swilling till the wee hours of the morning.

eric caught his ministers taking bribes and running racket and instead of reprimanding them, he reshuffle his cabinet and it was business as usual. i not saying that he was ah bad fella, all i'm saying is rather, he facked up big time, bc he had the capacity to do much much better, but instead opted for a good time!

BTW, eric was one of the biggest rum drinking womanizing leaders we ever had, no wonder he was cool with the anyhow attitude of the poor ppl especially behind the bridge.

Just Cool, you seem like a very conscious brother ..i.e Africa, home for Africans...
I do not agree that Williams was a vampire. But being a child of history and knowledge, I will certainly change my position and agree with you if you can provide some reliable sources (evidence) that leads to the conclusion that Williams was a vampire. Because, many sources exists that prove otherwise regarding Williams. Please do not take this the wrong way, I have read many of your posts... You seem like a knowledgable brother. Please share any links to reliable sources so we can read. All the best. Happy 50th

Offline kaliman2006

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #206 on: August 31, 2012, 01:09:47 PM »
Allyuh wet blankets need to cool allyuh self..

Today we celebrate 50 years as an independent nation, in effect our 50th birthday.

On our Golden Jubilee, let us celebrate all that is good about our nation, what we have accomplished and how far we have come. It is not every day that we as a nation could come together on a momentous occasion like this to celebrate everything that is inherently great about Trinidad and Tobago.

The cry down and the lambast could wait till tomorrow.

Happy 50th Independence Day to one and to all.

I agree. While Socapro and Just Cool have made some very valid points, I think that one is still justified in extending the very best wishes to our country on the occasion of its jubilee anniversary.

Of course, problems abound, but which country does not have problems?

So on this occasion, I would like to wish Trinidad and Tobago a happy jubilee and all the best for the future.

Offline Deeks

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #207 on: August 31, 2012, 04:03:14 PM »
Happy 50th TT.God Bless Toute Moun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :beermug: :beermug: :beermug: :beermug: ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :wavetowel: :wavetowel: :wavetowel: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :applause: :applause: :applause:

Today I will celebrate. No recriminations. from tomorrow I will start back cussin from Eric to Kamla

Offline zuluwarrior

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #208 on: August 31, 2012, 04:19:42 PM »
TOGETHER WE ASPIRE  TOGETHER WE ACHIEVE that is true ?  sometimes i wonder if  the next 50yrs would be any. different ]INDEPENDENCE GREETINGS TO  ALL TRINBAGONIANS
 
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good things happening to good people: a good thing
good things happening to bad people: a bad thing
bad things happening to good people: a bad thing
bad things happening to bad people: a good thing

Offline pecan

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Re: Happy Birthday Trinidad and Tobago
« Reply #209 on: August 31, 2012, 04:38:27 PM »


Well I get vex today.

I living in Canada and just today, I found out that some neighbours down the road spen 3 weeks in Trinidad back in June/July 2012. We talking about the children and travel and they happen to mention they just returned from Trinidad. So naturally, we have a common subject to talk about, the food (she like currants role, curry goat but doh care for roti,) etc, etc. So finally, the question why she and she husband went to Trinidad came up. Vacation? business?

Well get this.  She and the husband and others from their church went down there on frigging missionary work.  To feed the poor and conduct bible classes!

Why de hell the country eh taking care of their own?

I know that poverty exist in all countries and disparities exist in even the wealthiest nations, but these neighbours of mind perceived a need that compelled them to help out. She said she was feeding the poorest of the poor somewhere in Chaguanas.  A country with Trinidad's resources should not have to rely on foreign aid to take care of its poor. Is Trinidad a third world country that need this type of help?

So while I can say Happy Independence, you sometimes wonder what's been going on over the last 50 years when people still traveling from Canada to do missionary work.




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Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

 

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