Just A Lickle Water

Domestic Violence - Where Are We Today?

2012-01-30T14:00:00.002-05:00

When I was growing up, there was this belief that if your boyfriend, fiancé, or husband did not slap, hit or punch you, he did not love you.

Whenever he physically hurt you, he was just jealous because of the attention you were giving another guy and this made him afraid of losing you. He loved you so much that it filled him with jealousy and hitting you was his only recourse.

Additionally, whenever domestic violence took place between a man and a woman, it was their business and no one else’s. Therefore, everyone else should keep out of it. Also, if anyone was brave enough to talk with the woman about the abuse, the woman would accuse the “helper” of trying to break-up her relationship or marriage.

Therefore, what my young mind understood at the time was that love equals jealousy and jealousy equals slapping, hitting or punching. Additionally, if anyone thought that this was abuse and it was wrong, it was best for him or her to keep out of it because the woman (in most cased) would not listen to the advice.

Well, we, that is, society has come a long way in terms of publicly crying out against this destructive course.

Nevertheless, the statistics around the world where domestic violence is concern is way too high, especially among the 15 - 55 age group.

Questions: Why is society still faced with this and why are fifteen year olds in abusive relationships? Are we moving forward or, are we just spinning our wheels and getting no where?

Note: The term domestic violence is a broad term, here, I am only talking about the abuse that takes place between a man and a woman.

Take A Pulse

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, it’s the 11th January 2012, already and as usual, another year is speeding along. Well, may the Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth continue to show us His mercies.

Usually, when a new year begin, many of us take the opportunity to make some positive changes in our lives. Yes, we may decide to stop smoking and drinking. We may decide to lose weight, go to church, read a bit more and the list goes on.

Did you made any resolutions and if so, how are they coming along? Are you on target, or, have you fallen behind? Are you frustrated with your progress or are you happy with it?

You know, it can be a bit challenging to begin a resolution on the 1st of January because we are so busy enjoying the day that before we know it, the day is over and we are a day behind in our resolutions. Have you ever noticed this?

Additionally, we may find ourselves with goals that suddenly seems impossible to reach. For example, as readers, we may decide to read thirty-one books in thirty-one days, but up to this point, we are only accustom to reading five books in one month.

Well, if we find ourselves in a situation like this, now would be a good time to stop and go over our plans and if we find that we are demanding the impossible from ourselves, it would be best to take some short steps, but not too short, to reach ours goals in 2012.

Emergency On The Road

2011-11-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

I grew up thinking that it was written in the law books that when emergence vehicles has on their sirens, all road users in their path had to stop, pull over to the corner of the road, or do what was lawful to clear the driving path of these vehicles.

However, recently, I have had to do some research as to whether or not this was actually true. It appears as though some road users do not think that this is a law. Some of us act as thought these vehicles are nuisances, while others use this as an opportunity to speed, in addition to other alarming activities.

Well, in my part of the world and in many other places, the law requires that these vehicles be given the right of way in an emergency!

We do not know where these vehicles are “rushing” to, they could be “rushing” to our homes.

Therefore, the next time we are on the road and they are headed in our direction, if the law is not enough to cause us to pull over, perhaps, that thought would. Please, pull over.

Where Do Children Belong?

2011-10-18T06:00:00.004-04:00

Recently, it was televised on one of the major television stations in North America that a mother was put off of a public service bus because her baby was crying and the child would not stop.

Also, there has been an increase in the number of restaurants who have the, "no children are allowed," sign.

There is no doubt that owners have the right to decide who can and cannot walk through their doors, so, we are not going to pick this apart.

However, we will ask a question here and it is, is this a public display of the age-old saying, - children should be seen and not heard in the public domain? On one hand we say to them – we are so glad that you are here, you are our future, but with our other hand we say –you are here for the future, not for the present, so please, be quiet and wait until then.

Well, how has that been working out for us so far? Can we have them grown without them being small? Can we have one, without the other?

Well, at lease some libraries, in the children’s area are saying to them – hey, here’s a place for you to been seen and heard, in the public domain.

At these libraries, they are allowed to talk quietly and they are not told to whisper, and the materials are placed within their reach and many more things.

Children are not only blessings to their family, but also to the society in which they are in, yes, blessings and not burdens.

Where Are The - Say No To Drugs - Campaigns?

2011-10-17T06:00:00.005-04:00

It seems like such a long time ago when campaign against illegal drugs were a major priority in our societies. At that time, educators were visiting schools with the intention of educating us as to the dangers of using narcotics, and wherever we looked there was a poster to encourage us to keep away from them.

Where are the educators today?

It is true that a lot of things have changed since the 90’s, and many more things are demanding our attention today, but what about illegal substances?

What about previous campaign, were they so successful that everyone received the message, and because of that we do not have a drug problem in our societies today?

Now and then, trickle of information such as, the abuse of legal drugs are just as dangerous as the abuse of illegal ones, comes through the media, and if we are looking for information on this topic we could find it. Nevertheless, is this enough?

Our children, whether adults of younger, need to know that it is better to say no to drugs than yes to a possible life of destructiveness.

In some societies, it seems as though it is the norm for them to use illegal substances and if there are any individuals among them who do not use them, they are looked upon as being “strange.”

It is true that there are a lot of other things that need to be campaign about, things such as bullying, online safety, cancer, Aids… oh no, Aids, is no longer a problem in our societies, there is a cure for it, isn’t there?

Well, indeed, there are many things that we need to address, therefore, let’s not put aside any of these issues by thinking that one “thing” is more important than another.
　
　
　

Allow Them To Grieve

2011-09-08T13:50:00.000-04:00

When our loved ones are grieving, sometimes, we are at a loss as to how to comfort them.
Yes, we may say things such as, “he/she is in a better place now,” or, “at least he/she is no longer in (physical) pain,” or even, “time will heal the pain” and while these things may or may not be so, after we have said these words where do we go from there?

Well, one of the best things that we could do for them, is to allow them to grieve.

You see, the truth is, there is not much more that we could say or do to stop them from being in this state of sadness. Therefore, we should allow them to grieve.

They are sad and they should be allowed to be sad. Yes, we should not try to force happiness on them before they are ready to accept it.

Although we want them to stop hurting, usually, the best remedy for them is for them to grieve.
　

Stay On The Course

2011-09-06T19:10:00.000-04:00

The Summer Break is now behind us and our children are about to chart a new course in their lives. They may be attending a new school, or they may be entering a new grade, or they may still have a few more years of studies in subjects that they had chosen a few years ago.

Whatever it may be, some exciting times are ahead of them. Of course, this is not to say that sadness, tears, disappointment and fear is not a block ahead of them.

Therefore, whatever is ahead for our children, we should not allow them to move away for the "good" track that they are running on. If they are Christians and their school peers are intentionally or unintentionally trying to "out" their light, we need to encourage them to stay on the Christian course.

It they were planning to be more involved in sporting activities, but their best friends do not want to be involved in these activities, they may become a little discouraged and decide to "drop" this plan. If this is the case, we should encourage them to stay on their planned course.

Whatever it may be, whatever they are faced with, we need to be there to encourage them to stay on the course.

Some Labour Day Successes!

2011-09-02T18:18:00.000-04:00

With Labour Day around the corner, it is a good idea to reflect on some of the things that workers have fought for and continues to fight for because there is still much more to be done in the workplace.

It could be that some of us have taken it for granted that employers were the ones who freely offered these things to workers, but this was not and is usually not the case.

On the other side of the hand though, employers needed to agree to these "fought for terms" and thankfully, they have agreed to them.

Pension, Overtime, Benefits Coverage and Vacation Pay are some of the things that were fought for.

Enjoy Labour Day everyone!

Don’t Forget The Little Ones

2011-09-01T18:14:00.000-04:00

For many students, the final weekend of their summer break is almost upon them and as usually it is a time which is mixed with happiness and sadness for students and family members.

Some students will be moving on to another grade while others will be away from daddy and mummy for the first time.

Yes, some tears will flow willingly and unwillingly from students and parents. However, it may also flow from the least expected sources and one such source is preschool siblings.

We do not usually remember a lot of the things we did between the ages of one and five and one of the very few things that I remember from this period in my life is the first day that my older sister went to school.

Well, it was time for my sister to go to school and I remember how excited I was as I walked down the road with my mother and sister as my sister shock her lunch box as she walked.

When we finally reached the school which was surrounded by a chain link fence, the bell was ringing. Well, my sister walked through the gate and I was stepping in behind her when my mother bend down and lifted me into her arms.

Well, I thought that she was going to carry me into the yard but she just stepped out of the way for the other children to pass and then stood waving goodbye to my sister.

Well, when my little brain finally realised that my sister was leaving me, well, at least that’s how I saw it, you know what happened next.

Yes, I begun to cry and cry and cry. My poor mother, I don’t think she was expecting it.

So, don’t forget, it is a good idea to prepare younger siblings for this stage in their older brothers' and sisters' lives.

Nevertheless, if they do cry, do not be too surprise.

Cooking by James Peterson

2011-06-14T15:34:00.001-04:00

This is an excellent book to add to add to your kitchen whether or not you are a seasoned or new cook. Have you ever tried to bake bread and it did not bake the way in which it should? Well, this book takes you through the process step by step. Additionally, it includes different types of bread such as basic white, sourdough, pumpernickel and others.

The numerous recipes which include seafood, meat, pizza, pies and vegetables are easy to follow and the overall information is presented in an easy to read and understandable manner and with its many photos, they help to capture the beauty of food.

The Fox and the Stork and The Man, His Son and the Ass

2011-06-14T14:20:00.000-04:00

As the titles would attest, there are two stories in this twenty-three page book and they are told in a long and short version. Both stories teach timeless lessons in a manner in which children would enjoy.

The fox surely learnt how he should treat his guest while the man and his son found out where “people pleasing,” could lead and the illustrations are quite fitting.

Those White Lines

2011-05-21T05:12:00.003-04:00

There was a time when we as pedestrians felt safe whenever we were using the crosswalks on the roads and in fact, we were very happy just to see those white lines.

However, in this day of age, this sense of safety has become tampered and the lines have become a cause for anxiety and the culprits behind the change appear to be careless drivers.

Although these potions of the roads are intended to keep us safe, careless drivers are hitting pedestrians while we are in the act of using them.

As a result of this we may be tempted to jaywalk on the roads but before we do, we could keep in mind that since there may be danger on the lines, how much more dangerous it may be where there is no designated safety.

Advertise Wisely

2011-05-21T03:12:00.000-04:00

It has often been said that carpenters tends to have the worst kept houses on the blocks, while architects are said to have the worst designed houses and landscapers the worst kept gardens and the list goes on.

Nevertheless, to be fair, their property is said to be in this state because they are so busy taking care of others that they do not get the opportunity to take care of themselves.

However, if this is truly the case, whether they realize it or not, they are advertising their crafts and although they may be the best in their line of work, because of poor promotion, they may lose out on potential businesses.

In spite of this, it is not to say that they must be perfect in this form of advertising, nonetheless, the better they become at it, the more their business may grow.

What Would You Do?

2011-05-20T16:53:00.000-04:00

We are living in an age in which we are told by family, friends and strangers that if our children do not want to participate in a particular sporting activity, we should not force them. In the general scheme of things, this is good advice.

Therefore, I have a question for you. What would you do if your child, who had happily put in the required practices and was really excited about a particular sport, shortly before the event, announced that he/she did not wanted to do it.

Would you shrug your shoulders and say, “okay?” Would you ask him/her “why not”, and take it from there, or would you say, “Honey, you will be doing it and that’s that?

What would you do in a situation like this?

Travel Documents

2011-05-19T13:09:00.002-04:00

Many of us look forward to going on vacation during the summer seasons and we may choose to do so with family, friends and sometimes even by ourselves. Whether we choose to go close to our home or far away from it, it is usually filled with wonderful memories that tend to stay with us for a very long time.

However, sometimes we may miss out on taking this trip because we would have realized a little too late that our travel documents were not in order.

Therefore, if this is one of our plans for the summer, now would be a good time to check and make sure that our travel documents are in order.

We could make sure that our passport is valid for at least six months from our departure date and if we need a visa to enter a particular country, that we have it or would be getting it in time.

Additionally, if we are a permanent resident of a country and not a citizen, we should make sure that the relevant “papers” to re-enter the country is in order. Yes and other things along this line.

Illegal Adoption?

2011-05-17T03:11:00.000-04:00

In China, in certain areas and under certain circumstances, it is illegal for a family to have more than one child and this law came into effect in 1978. The government of China is said to have passed this law to help in the controlling of its population, among other things.

However, intentionally or not, laws are broken and this would beg the questions, “What would happen when someone breaks this law? Indeed, who would suffer the most, the children or the parents and what would become of the children?”

Well, the orphanages are one of the places in which the children are placed and according to Yang Li Bing, a fourth-seven year old father in China, even when citizens are obeying this birth control law, their children could still be taken away from them. He stated that this is what had happened to him in 2004.

If you are thinking that the authorities had made a terrible mistake and have since apologized and returned the child, this is not the case. He was told that his child was adopted by a family in America.

Was this an illegal adoption, due to kidnapping? What should we make of this?

You could read a bit more about this story here: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/chinese-baby-trafficking-leaves-farmers-forlorn-090833300.html

Cricket News

2011-05-12T00:53:00.000-04:00

Cricket, cricket, cricket. If you are a fan of this spectacular sport, you may be able to catch the two Test Matches of Pakistan verses the West Indies beginning on the 12th May to the 16th in Guyana and on the 20th to the 24 in St Kitts.

They have already played the scheduled five One Day Matches which ended with Pakistan winning the series with three and the West Indies taking the other two. They played in St. Lucia, Barbados and Guyana.

They had also played one T20 game on the 21st April and the West Indies won this game.

Additionally, India, the 2011 International Cricket Council (ICC) champion is schedule to tour the West Indies next month (June).

Monument Gets Some Attention

2011-01-13T13:51:00.000-05:00

On the 9^th September 2010, I mentioned the pamphlet/book named, A Brief History of the Jewish Settlement in Barbados.

Well, on the 13^th January 2011, today, the Barbados Daily Newspaper reported that Angel Santiago – Torres, who is a monument conservator, has been working on the Montefiore Monument, in Barbados.

This monument is a water fountain that was given to the people of Barbados by John Montefiore.

It was given in memory of his father who was a Jewish settler in this island. He died as a result of cholera.

Remembrance Day

2010-11-08T03:00:00.000-05:00

On the 11^th November, Canada, United States, England and several Commonwealth countries will be observing Remembrance Day. On this day, men and women who had given their lives in service for their country, is publicly remembered.

The Seventh Book of Remembrance

The Veterans Affairs and other Federal Departments in Canada has created the Seventh Book of Remembrance and it was dedicated on the 11^th November 2005 to honor Canadian Forces who died for their country.

It is available to Canadians who desire to add the names, along with a photo and other information of their loved ones. It is also accessible to those who are searching for someone.

The record of those who died, begins on the 1^st October 1947 and to date, it has a recorded more than 1700 men and women. However, those names that have been recorded in the Korean Book of Remembrance will not be recorded here. With this said, it could take as little as a year, to about three years, for someone's name to be added.

From the 5^th - 11^th November, Veterans Affairs Canada, celebrates Veterans' Week and this year they are asking the question, "How will you Remember?"

Indeed, how will you Remember?
　

God's Care

2010-11-02T15:48:00.000-04:00

It is reported today in Paris, that an 18-month-old baby boy, who was left in an apartment with his three-year-old sister, while their parents went for a stroll, fell out of a window.

The baby was on the eighth floor when he fell. He fell through the window, bounced off the awning of a restaurant and landed in the arms of someone who was walking by.

The baby did not seem to have suffered any physical injury.

Wow.

Diabetes Awareness Month

2010-11-01T03:00:00.003-04:00

November is International Diabetes Awareness Month and it is worth mentioning one of the persons who were instrumental, to say the least, in the fight against this disease and this person is Frederick Grant Banting.
He was born on the 14^th November 1891 in Alliston Ontario, Canada and one night, while lying in bed, several days away from his twenty ninth birthday, that is, on the 31^st October 1920, he came up with the idea of insulin, for those who had diabetes.
Then, in 1922, the first successful test of this mediation was performed in a human being.

Mr. Banting was knighted in 1934 and he died in February 1941 in Newfoundland, Canada.

Presently, in the country of his birth, more than 9 million citizens are living with prediabetes or diabetes and this is according to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Tropical Storm Tomas

2010-10-31T03:00:00.025-04:00

At 2:00 a.m. 30^th October 2010, the Tropical Storm Tomas, passed through Barbados. The storm was later upgraded to a category one hurricane, as it was headed for St. Vincent.

The storm took off the roofs of several homes and structures across the island. Albeit, some parishes were more severely affected than others were.

As would have been expected with this type of weather, the electrical supply has been affected and this is mainly due to the trees that have fallen across the island.

However, workers have been busily clearing the roads and working to restore the electricity. A flood warning is also in effect at this time.

The Journey of the Body of the Late PM of Barbados

2010-10-31T03:00:00.019-04:00

The funeral of Barbados' late Prime Minister, the Honourable David Thompson, will be held on the 3^rd November 2010, at the Kensington Oval in St. Michael. The service is expected to begin at 8:50a.m and the burial will be in St. John.

The Oval could accommodate about 11,000 people and according to the 2009 Census count, this little island of 166 square miles has 275,719 people, therefore, tickets, will be made available to the public. That is, on first come, first serve basic.

Additionally, for those desiring to pay their last respects could have done so at the Parliament building in Bridgetown, Combermere School, the headquarters of the Democratic Labour Party and St. John's Parish Church, on Sunday. His body was in state from the 28^th until the 31^st October.

Barbados’ Prime Minister Died

2010-10-25T00:09:00.000-04:00

Barbados’ sixth (6^th) Prime Minister, the Right Honourable David John Howard
Thompson, died at 2:10 am, on the 23^rd October 2010, at his home in Mapps, St. Philip.

Earlier this year, he revealed to the country that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Mr. Thompson was the leader of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and he was elected Prime Minister of Barbados, in January 2008.

He was born on the 25^th December 1961, in London, England, but grew up in Barbados. He was 48 years old at his death.

Married to Marie – Josephine Mara nee Giraudy, they had three daughters, Misha, Oya and Osa – Marie.

His parents, Margaret Knight and Charles Thompson, who are both alive, are Barbadians.

Condolences to his family and friends, the country of Barbados and everyone whose life he has touched.

Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. (Lamentations 3:32-33 KJV.)

Pick It Yourself

2010-09-22T02:58:00.000-04:00

We should not wait until we are financially strapped, before we decide to shop for food more economically. No, this should always be our aim.

Therefore, if a farmer's market is within your reach, check it out first before heading elsewhere.

Additionally, do not forget that some farmers sell their produce even more reasonably when you go to pick the foods yourself.

I am not talking about spending an entire day working on someone's farm. No, I am talking about spending about thirty minutes or less, depending on what is grown and how much you want.

By using this avenue, you will spend a bit less, get a lot more and of course get fresher fruits and vegetables.

However, let me add that this may not be happening in every corner of the world, but it does happen in many corners.

So, if you were not aware of this, now that you are, what are you going to do about it?

PS Don't worry that you may be cutting someone out of a job because you will not be. There are various reasons as to why this opportunity is made possible and two of them are that the perishable foods are too much for the workers to handle in a given time and on the other hand, the crops are not enough to hire employees for.

Here are some links to farms, just to get you started.

Abers Acres
http://www.localharvest.org/abers-acres-M16970
British Columbia
http://www.welcometobc.ca/vanmarkets/index1.html
Orchalaw Farms - Ontario
http://www.orchalawfarms.com/
Various Places Across the USA (a mixture of farms are here) http://greenpeople.org/OrganicFruitVegetables.html