The Caribbean Blogger

Urgent Public Phone Scam Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:43:00 +0000

Beware: Don't Return Calls To These Area Codes

This is vital "must know" information if you want to keep informed. It affects everyone internationally, Caribbean people have the potential to become victims of these scams.

One of our more popular post in the past has been the Caribbean Web Site Scam Alert has been read and shared over and over. Hopefully it saved one person from making a costly mistake.

Today, the focus is on mobile phone scams that are usually perpetrated by unscrupulous international con artists. It may never happen to you but at least you will be able to advise a friend of what can be done to report a scam. Read the entire post, share it with anyone you think may need to know.

The source is US Federal Trade Commission but you can report scams even if they occur outside of the US.

The information follows:

BLUF: DO NOT return any Area Code 809, 649, 284, or 876 calls, unless you are absolutely sure of the number you're calling.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently learned that an old long distance phone scam that leads consumers (mostly elderly and retirees) to incur high charges on their phone bills may now affect wireless consumers. In the past, consumers have been fooled into making expensive international calls by scam artists who leave messages on consumers' answering machines or their email accounts. The messages urge consumers to call a number with an "809," "284," "876," or some other area code to collect a prize, find out about a sick relative, or engage in sex talk, etc.

Wireless consumers are now receiving similar calls from phone numbers with three-digit area codes that appear to be domestic, but are actually associated with international pay-per-call phone numbers. While wireless companies are working to block suspicious numbers on their networks, some consumers may become victims of this scam.

The Scam Works Something Like This:
==================================

+ Your wireless phone rings once or twice and then disconnects the call. When the number appears in your wireless phone log as a missed call, it appears to be a typical domestic telephone number starting with a "649" area code; or you get an email or voicemail (on your residential wired telephone) telling you to call a phone number with an "809", "284", "876" or some other three-digit international area code.

+ When you return the call, you assume you are making a domestic long distance call - as "649," "809," "284," "876" and other area codes involved in this scam, appear to be typical three-digit U.S. area codes.

+ When you dial the three-digit area code plus the number, however, you are connected to a phone number outside the United States, often in Canada or the Caribbean, and are charged expensive international call rates, and may be charged for pay-per-call services as well. (In this case, "649" goes to the Turks and Caicos, "809" goes to the Dominican Republic, "284" goes to the British Virgin Islands, and "876" goes to Jamaica.)

+ You don't find out about the higher international call rates until you receive your phone bill.

NOTE: Many Caribbean countries can be dialed using the "1" prefix that's used to dial long distance in the US.

What You Can Do to Minimize the Risk of This Happening to You:
=============================================================

+ Check any unfamiliar area codes before returning calls.

+ Be aware that there are many 3-digit area codes (mostly in the Caribbean) that connect callers to international telephone numbers.

+ If you do not otherwise make international calls, ask your local or wireless phone company to block outgoing international calls on your line.

Filing a Complaint with the FCC in the US:
===============================

If you are billed for a call you made as a result of this scam, first try to resolve the matter with your telephone company. If you are unable to resolve it directly, you can file a complaint with the FCC. There is no charge for filing a complaint. You can file your complaint using an FCC online complaint form. You can also file your complaint with the FCC's Consumer Center by calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:

Federal Communications Commission
  Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
  Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
  445 12th Street, SW
  Washington, DC 20554.

The best way to provide all the information the FCC needs to process your complaint is to complete fully the online complaint form. When you open the online complaint form, you will be asked a series of questions that will take you to the particular section of the form you need to complete. If you do not use the online complaint form, your complaint, at a minimum, should indicate:

+ your name, address, email address and phone number where you can be reached;

+ the telephone and account numbers that are the subject of your complaint;

+ the name and phone numbers of any companies involved with your complaint;

+ the amount of any disputed charges, whether you paid them, whether you received a refund or adjustment to your bill, the amount of any adjustment or refund you have received, an explanation if the disputed charges are related to services in addition to residential or business telephone services; and

+ the details of your complaint and any additional relevant information.

Filing a Complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): International
=========================================================

If you feel that you are a victim of an international phone scam, you can file a complaint with the FTC online. You can also submit a complaint by calling the FTC toll-free at 1-877-382-4357 (voice) or 1-866-653-4261 (TTY), or by writing to:

  Federal Trade Commission
CRC - 240
600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20580.

For More Information:
====================

For information about other telecommunications issues, visit the FCC's Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau website, or contact the FCC's Consumer Center using the information provided for filing a complaint.

Print Outs
==========
Calls from "809," "649," "284" Area Codes Guide

Bureaus & Offices: Consumer & Governmental Affairs <>

Related Topics
==============
Consumers
Fraud
Telephone
Beware of Area Code Scams
809, 284, 649 or 876 Area Code Scam

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SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Web Site

You Only Need One Set of Anti Theft Wheel Locks

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:06:00 +0000

A Common Sense Savings Tip

This is a tip that I borrowed from a note post on my Facebook Page, How To Buy A Used Car In T&T. If you drive a vehicle in the Caribbean you may need this tip.

You know the anti theft wheel lock purchased so that some desperate misfit don't steal the four wheels off your car. These wheel log nuts comes in a set of four per pack and cost about $200 TTD.

ONLY BUY ONE SET OF THESE ANTI THEFT LOCK NUTS.

Too many times I notice that cars are outfitted with one set of four per wheel.

That is 3 sets of extra anti theft locking wheel nuts. The store loves this but it only makes

the vehicle owner look like a dumb dumb or overly paranoid. It does not make sense.

Here's the logic. Each tire only needs one lock nut. The other three nuts on the wheel

should be the regular wheel nuts. It's impossible for a thief to remove the tire if you

have just one lock nut. Unless of course you think the have the key and it will take them

longer to take off four nuts instead of one.

Buying 3 extra sets and bolting down your tires is overkill. And besides, you could save

about $600.

If you know of someone with four lock nuts on each wheel, wispher this tip. On the other

hand, say nothing; why should they take off 3 perfectly good sets of anti theft wheel nuts.

Your better move would be to try to prevent others from doing it before it's too late.

Share this note with your friends, if you love them. :)

If you like this tip and you are on Facebook, join the page here.

Have a great day.

Chinese People Mix like Oil in the Caribbean Melting Pot

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:37:00 +0000

Almost Every Tasty Pot Needs A Little Oil

The Caribbean is known for being one of the most diverse melting pots in the world. Here we accommodate all races without prejudice.

Maybe it has a lot to do with our history of accepting whichever super power claimed ownership of the islands. In those old Viking days the Chinese never venture in these waters so they have always been strangers to us. Now it seems that there is a covert plan to colonize the Caribbean from the inside out.

A friend related a story about a Chinese restaurateur who was constructing a restaurant

My friend is a plumber and he was hired to run pipes in the new building. According to him every piece of hardware to build the restaurant was shipped from China. That included all the tiles, lumber, sinks, pipes and fittings came down in a container. In his opinion, it seems as if the Chinese government financed his entire business.

Why would they do that? Well, speculating you would come to the conclusion that they wanted quality and the only quality they know is “Made in China”. Or maybe they could have gotten it a lot cheaper in China despite the cost of shipping. Whatever it is, it does not seem a fair deal to the host country that they expect to derive their income to take that approach.

And, while we are on the restaurant topic; have you noticed the number of Chinese restaurants on the Eastern Main Road? The last count was 22 and two under construction. Fast Chinese food is big business in Trinidad and Tobago and they are taking advantage of it.

The immigration people have cracked down on them and find that there are many illegal Chinese employed in these establishments.

OK, that’s just one thing. Here is another. If you are in the business of selling anything, the Chinese are the hardest people to sell. Maybe it is because they buy everything from China but some things they are compelled to purchase here. When they do they usually start the conversation with “What is your best price?” They consider buying things like advertisement, a book or any service as unnecessary. It’s like they went to school in China that teach them to “nat interested” .

How many interracial couples have you seen with one partner being a Chinese? Almost none in Trinidad, maybe there are one or two but have you seen them?

In this great big melting pot we call the Caribbean; the Chinese are establishing themselves without becoming attached to the communities in which they live. They are no doubt hard workers and dedicated to their work but other than that what can we gain from the Chinese? Seems like they came here for a purpose and most of us just haven’t figured out what that is yet.

Have you had any Chinese experience.

What The Hell Does China Want In The Caribbean?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 13:23:00 +0000

“We Give Them What They Want, We Will Get What We Want”

This must have been the guiding thought for the Chinese strategy makers when it came to Caribbean foreign policy.

The Chinese are a deliberate people; we must understand that while Westerners make long range plans for 3 to 5 years; the Chinese make 100 year plans.

It is no secret that China is still a communist country ruled by an autocratic government that blatantly ignores human rights and transparent justice.

Most Caribbean politicians seem to forget this little known but well publicized fact. A high school student could conclude that if a country does not respect the basic human rights of its own people, it cannot respect the rights of any people.

It is easy to understand why the Chinese are firmly established in every country rich in commodities. China has the largest population and currently is the richest country in the world. They have embarked on a strategy of investing in any country by way of outright loans, direct investments and even multi-million dollar gifts.

The Chinese know that Westerners are materialistic souls. Money can buy almost anything in the West. Politicians want to make a difference in their country, they want to leave a legacy, and by ignoring everything else about the Chinese they can be successful. Their long term plans are but a couple months on the Chinese calendar. .

But here is the $64 dollar question: what does the Chinese want in the Caribbean?

Except for the oil and gas in Trinidad and Tobago the Caribbean is not big on commodities.

Why did the Chinese advance a 6.3 billon investment in the Caribbean islands last year? They are investing heavily in island countries like Barbados, Bahamas, Grenada, Costa Rica and Dominica. What do these islands have that the Chinese want?

Their investment in Latin America is even more significant. According to a China/Latin America report titled The New Bank in Town they have invested over $75 billion since 2005? In 2010 they have pledged to invest 37 billion. Why are they lending more than the World Bank, the Inter-American Bank and the US Import/Export banks combined?

In the case of Dominica it has been pointed out that as a UN General Assembly member, Dominica whenever it’s crucial that the China’s gets its way. That is the macro view; the bigger picture is that China understands the strategic importance of the Caribbean and the intangible benefits that can be derived from being a permanent partner with member states in the region.

From strictly a militaristic perspective, in his book the Art of War, Sun Tzu teaches; “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer”; China is 190 miles from the United States. Ironically there already exists a significant population of Chinese in America. How much closer can they get.

For sure, the Chinese is not revealing the details of their master plan.

According to Dennis C. Shea, Chairman of the U.S.-ChinaEconomic and Security Review Commission, “With China you have to be wary of possible policy goals behind the effort.”

OK so let’s get personal here, all we have been talking about is at the government level. Look out for the next post when we examine how the Chinese treat with the local population. You know how they stick together like white rice.

Clannish maybe but they support each other in their new homes away from home.

You wanna hear the sad part of this story. It does not matter, and they know, it does not matter that you know or I know or a million people in the world know; the plan has been executed and nothing can stop its unfolding.

Maybe, just maybe one day China will rule the world the way it now rules China. The central government will decide our official language. If they let us say anything. Our worlds are changing right before our very eyes and few of us recognize or can see the changes.

Stay tuned to the Caribbean Blogger.

From Malaysia To Trinida & Tobago - A Net Friendship That Hurts

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:45:00 +0000

If you don’t know, know now; Malaysia is a country where the sentence is death by hanging for possession of drugs. A few Asian countries do it, China, Turkey and some Arabian countries.

In the West, the death penalty for drugs no matter how much is inconceivable. The fact is that if you get caught with enough drugs and you can get so much time that it’s a slow one day at a time death penalty. If you live in the Caribbean and deal with drugs; pay attention.

This is what my young niece likes to call, a “true story”. It’s so true that it would not qualify for reality TV.

A few years ago I started using yahoo instant messenger and Skype.com. Within a short space of time I had a number of “friends” on both networks who I chatted with regularly. One of those friends was a lady by the name of Eleanor, a forty eight year old single Filipina.

She’s or maybe was (tell you why later) living in Malaysia and attending a Christian Church. My perception of Eleanor was that she was a giver. She had started a school with the help of her sister in the Philippines that catered for orphaned Filipino children. She provided financial support for the school from the work she did in Malaysia. It’s amazing how many things that can be done with a change in currency. She did not have much but that was only one of her charities.

She was a Domestic Helper working for a Malaysian family. To add to her income she arranged for other Domestic Helpers from the Philippines to come to Malaysia. She would locate jobs, contact other Domestic Helpers at home and arrange to lend them the funds to come to Malaysia. She was paid the equivalent of one month salary over a three month period and reimbursed for the cost of the plane ticket. It worked for her.

She encouraged me to help support the school financially. Mind you, I’m as suspicious as anybody else online so I satisfied my skepticism by having the school checked out by another friend in the Philippines. Further I never sent money to her but through my friend to her sister who managed the school. I did not ask but her sister took the trouble to send with copies of receipts for the items purchased for the children. Pictures of book bags, paper and pencils; I was satisfied that I was helping good cause.

She was able to get her daughter, family members and quite a few Filipinas into Malaysia to work. To cut a long story short one day she disappeared. I thought nothing of it but after a few months of sending occasional messages with no responses, I gave up. I realized that something was wrong. Not that it worried me but I was a little concerned.

Then about a year later, I got a message. Guess what she had to tell me? No, don’t. I know you would not be able to because I knew het or thought I did then bigger more serious questions came to mind. It would be too long to tell it all in this post so…

I will share it with you in my next post. It just builds the belief that life and reality is stranger than fiction. Sometimes we find ourselves in positions that there is nothing we can do but watch life unfold and accept it.

See you soon.

Take a guess at what it was if you dare.

2012 Junior Calypso King Now The 2012 Calypso Monarch Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:14:00 +0000

Few Predicted This 2012 Calypso Monarch Results

As a junior calypso performer he was a look-alike. He looked like Ian Alleyne, the popular Television crime fighter. The Calypso that won him the Junior Calypso Crown also contributed to his new win. The calypso was both witty and creative. Today he stands tall, and he is, as the 2012 Calypso Monarch Winner.

With the same rendition, The Hunt Is On” (words made popular by Ian Alleyne), this relatively unknown calypsonians came in and upset the 2012 Calypso Monarch Crown cart.

His name is Duane O’Conner who also sung “Long Live Calypso” to take away the grand prize of 1 million dollars. He beat 11 other professional, veteran and previous Monarch winners to walk away with the Crown. Here is his rendition of "The Hunt is On"

The Winner

The Biggest Loser

Also, we must mention the veteran Calypsoian, "Cro Cro" who's performance was also very witty and creative but focused on the inadequacies of Afro-Trinidadians in the government. His Calypso "Say Something" really hit them with the reality of life in the new administration. Maybe because of his hard hitting satire he won the least coveted position of all the finalist. The losing Calypso by "Cro Cro"

The results were as follows:

Calypso Monarch

1. Duane O’Connor (The Hunt is On, Long Live Calypso)

2. Kurt Allen (Long Live Calypso, When Will It End)

3. Karene Asche (Against All Odds, You Will Win The Battle But)

4. Devon Seale (One Is One, Snapshots)

5. Heather Mac Intosh (The Adjective, One Gone)

6. Dr. Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool (Shame Mr Shak, How’s Dat)

7. Michael “Sugar Aloes” Osouna (Doh Force Meh Hand, Chinese Kidnapping)

8. Dexter “Stinger” Parsons (My Reason For Being Here, Advice In Song)

9. Brian London (Not Brian, Doh Complain - Come Plain)

10. Sandra “Singing Sandra” Des Vignes-Millington (On Turning 50, Why I Sing)

11. Lesley Ann Ellis (Street Justice, Mothers and Others)

12. Weston “Cro Cro” Rawlins (Say Something, Release Them)

The Carnival King and Queen were also chosen as outlined below.

King of Carnival

1. Roland St George - Ralliez-Vous A Mon Panache Blanc

2. Gerard Weekes - Malak Yahweh, The Praying Mantis

3. Curtis Eustace - The Midnight Messenger, The Mask Of

4. Adrian Young - The Crow

5. Earl Thompson - Icarus Ascending

6. Brian Chin - Prince Siegfried, the story of Swan Lake, tribute to Wayne Berkeley

7. Zainool Mohammed - Kwak Waka Wakin, the Sacred Totem

8. Wade Madray - Flight of Conscience

9. Jhawhan Thomas - Alpha

10. Shane Philip - Tree of Life

Queen of Carnival

1. Chariss Bovell - Mother of Humanity-The Weeping Madonna

2. Roxanne Omalo - Last Dance of the Enchanted Witches

3. Rose Marie Kuru Jagessar - Wachiw-I Dream of a Bustle Dancer

4. Shari Derek - D’Woman and D’Butterflies

5. Kay Mason - Amethyst Rising

6. Lanie Lezama - Harmony

7. Cherry-Ann Patrice Valere - The Limbo Dancer

8. Laura Rampersad - Princess of the Mardi Gras

9. Patricia Bailey - Exotic Sunset on the Horizon

10. Avernell Johnson - Princess Odette, Queen of the Swans

ONE Winner - 2012 Power & Groovy Soca Monarch

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:32:00 +0000

Machel Wins It All - Power and Groovy Soca Monarchs 2012

Thousands turned up the 2012 Power and Groovy Soca Monarch Competition. It went till early in the morning and with the stipulation that the artists could not leave before the winners were announced a number of fetes were without a headliner.

The absolute winner of both competitions was; Machel Montano with the results as following:

SOCA MONARCH RESULTS
Power
1. Machel Montano (Pump Yuh Flag)
2. Iwer George (No Pain)
3. Destra
4. Prophet Benjamin (Throw Wine) & Blaxx

Groovy
1. Machel Montano (Mr Fete)
2. Kerwin Du Bois (Bacchanalist)
3. Benjai (People's Champion)
4. Nadia Batson
5. Kees Diffenthaller (Stress Away)

Power Soca Monarch Winning Selection "PUMP YUH FLAG"

CARNIVAL VISITORS - READ 8 ANTI-CRIME TIPS

Groovey Soca Monarch Winning Selection "MR. FETE"

RECENT POST - IS MACHEL MONTANO GUILTY?

Stay tuned more to come.

DO YOU THINK HE DESERVED BOTH CROWNS?

Is Trinidad and Tobago’s Machel Montano Guilty?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:38:00 +0000

Trial In The Court of Public Opinion

The answer to that question is still blowing in the wind. The raw truth is that rude boy Machel Montano influences the youths of the Caribbean. Like Michael Jackson, Machel Montano finds himself having to defend actions in his private life in the Courts of Law and Public Opinion. For the Trinidad and Tobago youths and even for the not so young, Machel Montano is an entertainment icon.

This is an icon that is facing criminal charges for battery and assault. Guilty or not, his fans has compartmentalize this from his celebrity status and continue to crave his very presence. This is Machel Montano the reigning Soca and Road March King, and we might add very well off with the millions he is raking in for appearances on shows and national cash prize awards. He has been photographed on stage holding hands and being congratulated by the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister in 2012 Carnival shows. But this is a stale issue, everyone his fans should know about.

So why bring this up now, we certainly cannot ascribe any relevance to the fact that this case has been in the court for almost 5 years; that’s a norm with the Trinidad and Tobago’s justice system. Well the reason is that for the Carnival season Machel Montano is front and center on the national stage. This provides a different perspective of Trinidad and Tobago’s national celebrity.

The Case

On April 26, 2011 Machel Montano appeared before Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor.

The fact of the case is that Machel, along with entertainers Joel “Zan” Fezeck, Kernel Roberts, songwriter/producer and son of the late calypsoian Lord Kitchener and Rodney “Benjai” Le Blanc are all charged with assaulting Russell Pollonals. In addition, Montano, Fezeck and Roberts are charged with assaulting Brandis Brown. Montano faces further allegations of assaulting Jenelle Le Chee and Gerard Bowrin and using obscene language.

Let’s Not Judge

Machel Montano based on sworn allegations in the case; we will let the Court do its job. As you know, there are always two sides to every story but in Court there are usually a third. There is the prosecutor's, the defendant's and the Court’s version. All the stories seem “sorta” plausible. Let’s assume that we knew nothing about what actually happened. Let’s review what we do know. This is a public opinion that is usually not articulated for public consumption but is ever present in the collective consciousness of the citizenry.

What We Do Know

We know that Mr. Montano is a celebrated entertainment personality with numerous local awards for the super energized live performance of Soca music over a 20 to 30 year period. Machel Montano is regarded as the Michael Jackson of the Caribbean. Most youths and many old folks grew up with him. His style of entertainment is loved, as evidenced by his local and international ticket sales.

We also know that he is not humble. It is alleged that he uses obscene language in front of his mother, who. BTW, she is his manager. That, and a lot of other “normal” personality dysfunctions can be chalked up to what’s called “the burden of celebrity status”; if there is such a thing. Like M J, he started in the entertainment business at a very early age. Yet, if we take his Facebook fans, over 45,000, as a measure of celebrity popularity he can be considered on the low end for entertainers. The now deceased Michael Jackson’s Facebook fans Page has 45 million fans. Granted most of Machel Montano’s real fans are not be on Facebook but even so it will be a long time before he will ever get there.

Now here is the big question and how you answer it indicates the type of person you are. If you met such a huge celebrity in your favorite night club; what would you do? Ask for his autograph? Figure out some ruse to get next to him? Try to dance with him? Or, pick a fight?

If you answered “pick a fight” you are exactly the kind of person that Montano has to get the court to believe. He is going to tell everyone exactly how he ended up bathed in a cold drink. You be the judge.

The outcome of the case is immaterial; what’s more important is the general reflection of what is happening to the society. There is no doubt that he will be found not guilty, the state prosecutors are working for the State. The outcome is evident. Guilty or not, he will not lose fans, the support of the government or money from his engagements.

Truth is that this whole incident could have been easily avoided if Mr. Montano was of a different temperament. In my humble opinion, which may be the only one in the Caribbean, Mr. Montano is a great performer but very short on people skills. Nothing wrong with dat.

If you are in Trinidad, enjoy the Carnival and Machel Montano’s soca hits. He stands a good chance of defending his hard earned Soca Monarch Crown this year because he is a BACANNALIST.

Who Will Be T&T's 2012 Calypso King?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:49:00 +0000

2012 Calypso King Semi Finals Are Over.

Last Saturday, February 11 2012 a total of 18 females and 24 males competed for the 2012 Calypso King semi finals in Skinner Park, San Fernando. Many of their renditions focused on political and social issues.

The new People’s Partnership Government got a heavy tongue lashing for political maneuvers especially on the State of Emergency. On the social side, songs focused on the Afro Trinidadians, advising and ridiculing pointing out their weaknesses.

Winston Scarborough, “D Original De fosto Himself” and Edwin Ayoung, “Crazy” were the only two competitors to get the traditional “shit” awards when the crowd pelted them with toilet paper rolls. All the other contenders were warmly received.

Although the Prime Minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar, attended the show she understandably kept a low profile especially with the political mood of the crowd. The eleven finalists selected to appear at the Dimanche Gras Show on Carnival Sunday night are in no particular order, they are as follows:

1. Brian London

2. Damian Seales

3. Dexter “Stinger” Parsons

4. Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool

5. Duane O’Connor

6. Heather McIntosh

7. Kurt Allen

8. Lesley Ann Ellis

9. Michael “Sugar Aloes” Osuna

10. Sandra “Singing Sandra” Des Vignes

11. Weston “Cro Cro” Rawlins

They are all going after the reigning 2011 National CalypsoMonarch, Karen Asche who will be defending her title. Although, the Caribbean Blogger is not privy to the working of the calypso minds in T&T we are predicting that Karen will have a lot of trouble retaining her crown for another year.

Word on the street is that her victory last year was a fluke. She came in from no-where and cop the title from under the noses of some veteran Calypsonians and five previous crown winners like the Mighty Chalkdust and Kurt Allen.

Like everyone else we will all know on February 19, 2012, at the Dimanche Gras show.

Keep informed.

220,000 Carnival Visitors To Land In T&T

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:30:00 +0000

One Band In Port Of Spain

Numbers Never Lie, People Do

Online research on the number of visitors to Trinidad and Tobago for the carnival season bought some interesting realities.

As natives, we call it “plenty people” “people like peas” not ever taking time to figure out exactly how many people are really attracted to the Carnival celebrations.

But when a daily newspaper reports that a government Minister, Min Gypsy Peters made a grand proclamation the number of "confirmed" visitors seemed astronomical. According to the Newsday article:

“Some 220,000 Carnival visitors will be brought to TT by Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) said Arts and Multi-Culturalism Minister Winston “Gypsy” Peters, at yesterday’s post-Cabinet news briefing at the Diplomatic Centre. He alluded beyond the CAL figure given to last week’s meeting of Cabinet’s Finance and General Purposes (F&GP) Committee, further visitors would be brought to TT by other airlines. Peters later confirmed the 220,000 CAL visitors hold confirmed bookings.” Read the article here

Now read this posted by ttgaper.com and you decide for yourself who you should believe:

For the millennium celebrations from February 17 to March 6, 2000, 42,646 visitors came to enjoy Carnival. However, the trend of fluctuating arrivals continued, when in 2001 there were 35,221 visitors. There was another decline in arrivals in 2002, when 33,487 visitors arrived. Visitor arrivals in Trinidad and Tobago for 2003 increased by 15.08 percent to 38,537 visitors. However, this year surpassed the last eight years with a record 45,492 visitors. Last weekend, Tourism Minister Howard Chin Lee expressed optimism that visitor arrivals would continue to increase since Government had plans in place to boost the tourism industry. Read the rest of the story here

Are we to believe that since 2006 when the last article was published Trinidad and Tobago Carnival celebrations have grown approximately over 400%. If true, the infrastructure to accommodate that many people would have also grown significantly with the highest recorded 45,492 visitors in 2006. Stop for a moment and think hotel rooms, food and emergency services all will be increased significantly.

The numbers just don’t add up. The 64 million dollar question in one word; why?

Is it political? The success of Caribbean Airlines corporate advertising? The Ministry of Tourism superb job? There must have been a reason for such a significant increase in visitors.

Only time will tell.

If you are visiting Trinidad and Tobago you may be interested in this local driver service. Trinidad and Tobago Concierge Driver Services.

8 Anti-Crime Tips For Trinidad & Tobago Carnival Visitors

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:59:00 +0000

Don't Let Bandits Take The Fun Out of Your Carnival Vacation

This is an advisory if you intend to visit Trinidad and Tobago for the local Carnival celebrations. Be assured that although Trinidad and Tobago is ranked next to Jamaica as one of the murder capitals of Caribbean most dangerous islands it is still a very safe place to visit.

There are a few things that you should know if you intend to visit Trinidad for the Carnival celebrations. This goes especially for visitors who have no friends and family in Trinidad. More so if you have never visited during the Carnival. Here are a few tips that the CIA Report or travel brochures would not mention.

Let’s get this straight; “bandits” (the name given to robbery perpetrators in Trinidad and Tobago) can and will rob anyone at anytime. These tips are intended to make you aware of some behaviors that can make you less susceptible to becoming a victim on your vacation. This is no joke.

Locally “bandits” have been known to rob everyone traveling in a maxi taxi (that’s the local mode of public transportation that seats 12 or 25 passengers). The police service is not as efficient as the law abiding natives would wish. They are notorious for a low crime detection rate; currently less than 10 percent. Of course as a visitor you will get more attention but that does not amount to a hill-a-beans if you are hurt or lose your valuables. Here’s what you need to know…

1. Blend In: Visitors are more vulnerable because they have a tendency to stand out in a crowd. Natives can easily identify a tourist by the way they are dressed, their accents and what they are carrying in their hand. Unfortunately, if you are Caucasian, you stand out even more. Although there are a small percentage of Caucasians who made Trinidad and Tobago their home a long time ago even some of the natives are targeted. Regardless of your race do not do the following:

2. Dress: It is hot in Trinidad and most visitors tend to dress a lot lighter than they did in the cold climates. The warning is for women, do not wear skimpy alluring clothing be sensible you do not want to be marked out for an unforgivable sin. Everyone, men and women should not be adorned with jewels. Leave it in your hotel room or at home. And while we are on that one, also leave your passport and travel documents in a safe place.

3. Private Transportation: Do not rent a car and drive aimlessly around Port of Spain or some other areas in Trinidad which were labeled hot spots during the recent State of Emergency. In fact, if you can avoid renting a vehicle, do so because if you came to enjoy the carnival you cannot use a vehicle in the places with most of the action. If you must rent a vehicle make sure and have a native who can direct you as to where not to go.

4. Public Transportation: You are safest in the government run buses that you can board in Port of Spain. These buses run throughout the country but they are not always very reliable. It may require some wait but if you get the schedule and be patient that is the safest way to make a trip say from Port of Spain to Arima. Believe it or not the next best and safest mode of transport are the maxi taxis that were mention earlier. Yes there have been a number of robberies on these vehicles but generally they are a safe and quick way to travel. They are on a fast route from Port of Spain to Arima on what is called the “Priority Bus Route”.

5. PH Transportation: You can also use the regular passenger sedan taxi which all start with the letter “H”. Privately owned vehicles start with the letter “P” but they are also used as taxis. Locally they are known as “PH” taxis and there is no recognizable difference between a “PH” for hire and a privately owned vehicle except for the actions of the driver. They may see you standing on the side of the road and blow their horns or use hand signals to let you know that they are for hire. This mode of transportation as you would imagine is the most dangerous way to travel. There are a lot more stories of either the driver being attacked or a passenger (s) and driver robbing, sometimes raping another passenger.

6. Carnival Events: To experience the real spirit of Carnival you will want to attend a few selected events. For the music lovers, pan is the order of the day although on Carnival day you will see many large trucks with DJs playing a variety of local and foreign music. However, at the cultural show expect to hear calypso, soca and chutney. Attending these events can be tricky if you are a tourist and know very little about the island. You may be able to get transportation to the event but it is the return trip that can be scary. Avoid it if you can. This is where your only option may be the “PH” vehicles. That late at night it is unwise to rely on that mode of transport even for the natives. Always arrange how you will get back to your place before you venture out to a late night event. You should not attend a fete because it sounds like fun on the radio or television.

7. Drugs: If you do drugs and you are caught even with as little as one marijuana cigarette you will be arrested. Do not attempt to purchase drugs from strangers. There are marijuana and cocaine dealers in every city in Trinidad but unless you know someone, and you would not because you are a visitor, it would be plain stupid to attempt to purchase drugs. And by the way, if you are thinking about bringing in your own that too would land you in jail. Possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia is a serious offense in Trinidad and Tobago.

8. Drinking: Be aware that if you drive in Trinidad and Tobago that recently passed breathalyzer legislation was recently passed and you could be arrested if you are field tested as be inebriated. If you are not driving, public drinking is allowed as you will note that the locals are not shy about drinking in public.

We hope that what you read here puts things in perspective for you. This was not written to scare you off or to ruin your Carnival vacation. This is an advisory and you can enjoy our tropical paradise with its beautiful sights and sounds. You will leave with a lifetime of Kodak moments to share with your family and friends. Have a great time in Trinidad and Tobago.

This article was written by T&T Carnival Visitors Concierge Services, find out how you can enjoy Trinidad and Tobago Carnival with the help of a native and get a free schedule of Carnival fetes. Click here.

Can The Carnival Spirit Die?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:01:00 +0000

Spirit Has It's Own Expressive Momentum Flowing and Morphing Into Other Forms

Yuh know what? In the true sense of the word I have lost my Trininess. Facing the fact that many years overseas have dulled my senses to what is widely known as “catching d spirit”.

It is not like it's a stranger, at once upon a time I was one with that spirit. An intrinsic part of my being. But that was a long time ago before being away for a couple decades. I lost touch, Carnival Monday and Tuesdays became normal work days. Finding sound bites on Carnival on in the media was more painful than satisfying. .

Today, many Trinbagonians are busy getting ready for two days of frolicking in the streets of Trinidad and Tobago. I must admit as a returning native I’m out of tune with the celebrations. I may be a sense that there is nothing that I could add to Carnival it has been happening for so long all I can do is observe. I'm satisfied to find myself in one of the Mas camps on Carnival Sunday. It's like attending a fete, with the difference being that the street is the party venue.

The bands don’t matter except, no body covered chocolate or mud. I tried a band with paint a couple of years ago and it did not wash off well, so no more paint for me. Once I decide on a band I head home.

At one time I had to be out in a fete on Carnival Sunday night. No more, now I prefer to watch the Marche Gras Calypso show on the tube. During or maybe some time after I would be sound asleep. Next thing you know I’m up with the cocks early Monday morning. The loud noise that makes the cocks afraid of crowing on Carnival Monday morning. There is a constant boom boom sound in the air, the spirit is coming alive with a frenzy, a looseness fired by alcohol and the need to release, exhibit and show off.

The years I did play Mas I would make my way to Port of Spain join up with the band of revelers all outfitted in the same costume ready to play Mas. It’s strange how close you feel to people all dressed up like you and not really know anyone there. It’s like Facebook where you can get instant “friends”.

Food, drink and security surrounding the band are all I need to see to be comfortable, and I’m good. It’s the only time of the year that it makes sense to drink that early in the morning. Funny thing you can’t see Mas if you play Mas so might as well enjoy it.

I know, real Trinis must be thinking; “Dah stupid”. Many would rather go out to a fete on Sunday night and lime till Monday morning. And they not waiting for last minute to find a band that is done at least a month in advance. Maybe it's because of the gray hair I noticed on my chest, I don’t have the energy or spirit for an all nighter and expect to participate in the morning. I do enjoy the annual deviant behavior of drinking alcohol 6 AM and dancing in the streets just after having woke up at 4 AM. Only happens in Trinidad.

I never really considered playing Mas in Brooklyn Labor Days; it’s not the same as home. Mas in the US, IMHO, felt like becoming a spectacle for strangers to gawk at with no understanding of the culture or traditions of Carnival. In hindsight, I, myself did not have a real appreciation of the tradition. At home, there are no strangers, everybody understands or at least accept the madness. But it's not just the playing Mas, other aspects of Carnival, I still don’t appreciate. Pan music.

Panorama, the traditional pan competition has always been and probably still is live on. I remember as a boy I would not miss a Panorama Sunday Finals in the Savannah. I enjoyed it but even then but, I confess, it was not about the pan. Pan was the reason I was there not my purpose, my mind was only on hanging out with my boys and checking out the girls.

As a Trinidadian, I offer no excuse for my lack of appreciation; I know I somehow allowed to slip by me a genuine cultural experience. I believe that music is important in the development of man's social and cultural foundation it is a link that keeps us knitted together for our common good. To miss out on the creativity of your own music leaves a perceptible void in one’s cultural awareness. I’m guilty as charged on this count.

Unless you just knocking the pan with no rhythm it sounds good to me. I could be classified as “pan deaf”. In my head, to my ear, pan is pan. Some do sound much better they say it's in the arrangement and the sweetness of the tenor and guitar pan. From where I sit, if anyone can cause a tune to emanate from a steel pan that’s notable because they know a lot more than I do about pan music.

Carnival spirits don't die they are merely get re channeled. Religious retreats, week end or week trips to other islands are the escapes. The very diversity in carnival allows us, as a democratic society to decide how we spend this time. Leaving or become a passive spectator all celebrate and act on their particular spirit of Carnival. For myself...

It’s an opportunity to learn and enjoy what is produce from a mix of cultural diversity representing global cultures. Carnival can easily be perceived as deliberate organized madness. Self expression harnessed only by the imagination where surreal thoughts find legs to walk the streets of Trinidad and Tobago to be seen and see. Orderly chaos?

I love the satirical picong of meaningful calypsos, and soca tunes that pluck at the rhythmic spirit stimulating involuntary body movements. That’s a topic for another post. I must mention that the Caribbean Blogger also gets a ton of visitors for carnival. My editorial comments on the 2011 Calypso competition had this blog hopping literally all year long with first time search engine visitors.

That’s it for today. All the best to anyone playing Mas on Monday and Tuesday. Don’t know who I will be joining this year for Jourvert but I still have lots of time to decide. Don’t I?

More commentary on pieces of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival coming soon, stay tuned.

Till then

Things Have Not Changed In Trinidad & Tobago

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:10:00 +0000

This Is An Opinionated Opinion

I want to say Thank You because it’s been awhile since I have written on this blog and you are still here reading it. What I like about blogging is that I say what I feel when I feel and I choose the words I want to use. No editors, proof readers or any professional input. It's all my opinion. My window to the world I share with you.

Here's what. Trinidad and Tobago went through an entire State of Emergency and very little was posted here about that event. There was this post about the right of the SoE and then this one with what locals were saying about it. That;s an event that will go down in our history book. The PP Government is still not admitting that it was a failure because they cannot fail everything they do is the right thing for Trinidad and Tobago.

Getting a foreign Commissioner of Police was also the right thing to do. He is performing as was expected by most of the people in Trinidad and Tobago. Someone pulls his strings and he moves or don't and for that we went away to find him. Anybody could do that. People say that they should make the Crime Watch Star the Commissioner. Truthfully, he is doing better than the CoP. Time for a change up there, no need to wait for the PSC to say it. Send that man back home with his deputy.

Let me be honest, to me the SoE was a long joke. It was like a drowning man grasping for a straw. What I had to say would not have made much difference in the whole scheme of things. The results speak for themselves. The good thing about it is that the country was able to see how efficient the new police commander was in reducing crime. The SoE made it legal to arrest anybody and they did. At one point seems like the state was doing a pretty good business in collecting curfew violation fines. Final conclusion, everybody go back home and do what you was doing before. OK.

I confess, when the coalition government got together to oust the power maniac I supported them 89 percent. Since then they have left a real sour taste in my mouth. I’m one of those people who still want to believe Aunty Kamla that she is for transparency and the rule of law. Lord knows we need it here.

The idea that we have to fight crime in my opinion is the first mistake we make. This is what I think.

But after a little bit, after that giving “Silk” to every Tom and Dick without them even applying as is the protocol it makes me wonder if she meant what she said. I still hope so because we still have a long way to go before we choose again.

And while we are on the topic of choose again. I don’t really look like we have much of a choice. The opposition is tainted and just playing Devil’s advocate. We know you don’t have much power in Parliament but at least get on issues that makes sense.

Maybe it’s time for a new party? A new party that can promise a difference and keep their promise, one that sees things differently from the rest of the world like in the case of Mr. Warner. I all OK for him to defend himself, he is a man and he has the right to do so but we all know. I don’t think there is one Trinbagonian who don’t. Even the government find it necessary to audit his pet project PURE because something eh right.

Ok, enough of the political stuff. This year I want a make a promise to myself that I will make at least one post a month here.

To be honest with you, some people may make millions with blogs but what I make with the few adsense ads on here hardly pays the bills. I make more from writing for other people but I don’t want this blog to die because I think a lot of people enjoy the posts. It’s funny because the stats indicate visitors come from all over the world, Europe, India and different countries in Asia. So the posts will keep coming. At least once a month or whenever the feeling or topic is interesting enough to post.

In the meanwhile you have an awesome New Year.

Do You Think PM Kamla Should Attend The World Health Summit in September?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:28:00 +0000

She Certainly Should Because Diabetes Is One of The Leading Cause of Long Term Suffering and Death in Trinidad and Tobago

Here’s what the World Health Organizations (WHO) says about diabetes in Trinidad and Tobago. Keep in mind that this is just one of the 4 non-communicable diseases identified as the leading cause of death globally. According to WHO:

T&T has the most persons with diabetes per capita in the Western Hemisphere.
T&T is 5^th in the world in diabetes per capita
Diabetes is the 2^nd most common cause of death in T&T

Dead is dead. Is there any difference between being a victim of a drive by shooting, a horrific murder, a planned daylight execution or contacting a non-communicable disease like diabetes?

I know your first reaction is “that’s asinine” how could these cause of death be compared? But think about it for a moment. Given the choice; which would you choose?

That depends on your position. Life is most times a spectator sport. That’s until the bell rings signaling your turn to take center stage. It is only then that it really matter. But you know what?

At that point, even your position here does not really matter.

As a spectator, the thought of a violent death appalls you. I'm really not going out on a limb to suggest that most likely, you would much rather see someone die in a hospital bed after suffering four or fine years. That type of death fits into your life style. It gives you time to accept and digest it. Just imagine, you can visit them in hospital or sick home, pray and utter totally useless platitudes to the dying patient and their family. Then, quickly and quietly blend into a life of whatever. That is more humane.

You listen in anticipation for the bell that rings for them. All the while you don't realize that living in a State of Emergency soicety like ours the bell can ring for you long before you hear their bell. Which is better?.

Is it much better to see someone die from an illness than being shot with a shot gun? Does it matter to the victim or the dead patient?

Sorry, I truly digressed. The point of this article is to raise the awareness of the World Health Summit being organized by the United Nations. It's a genuine attempt to reduce the pain and suffering that the world population is experiencing at an alarming rate. For reasons mentioned above the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago should pay particular attention to this.

This is not about any one individual but the youths, the future of every nation. Non-communicable diseases are considered preventable lifestyle illnesses. When a child grows up believing that its ok to eat every concievable sweet invented, drink sugar in water and smoke as soon as a parent will allow you to are all lifestyle behaviors that can be changed. These behaviors end up as non-communicable diseases like diabetes, asthma, heart attacks, strokes, prostrate cancer and too many more to mention here. .

While we focus on the number of murders in our society and get “damn vexed” about the gruesomeness of many of them, people are dying by the thousands from these preventable life style diseases.

Why should you pick up this dying cause? If you impress on a young child the dangers of these lifestyle behaviors it will eventually save them from one of theses outcomes.

We are all susceptible but even if at this point you cannot save yourself. Do you think that as an individual, a nation, a region if we bury our heads in the sand it will help the youths? It's all starts at home but if as a nation we become aware of the dangers and we educate the youths our nation will save millions of dollars and thousands of lives. This is a bigger threat than any two bit criminal can pose with a submarine gun. Today it is the biggest cause of death in our country.

The death toll from these diseases is projected to increase considerably in the next few years if we continue on the path we have taken and now lead our youths. The United Nations has adopted this worthwhile mission to make the world aware of these diseases, country by country. That's the reason for the...

Heads of Government Summit, September 2011.

Why the heads of governments and not representatives?

A country future health is too important to leave to representatives. The UN has recognized that the change must begin from the top down. They need decision maker to act and implement changes in the way we live our lives. It's that important.

Last word was that our PM Kamla has NOT yet acknowledged that she would attend this Summit.

How you can vote YES for Kamla to attend this Health Summit?

To raise the awareness of citizens and their respective Heads of Government of each country, there is now a country by country global text-in campaign for citizens of 192 nations to send a text encouraging their heads of governments to attend this global Health Summit. If they do not attend we will definitely stay on the same distructive path. It is not for us who have lived our lives already but for the youth who will continue to live an unhealthy lifestyle. .

Do It Today

For Trinidad and Tobago the short code, ONLY supported by Digicel is 4325. Text YES and use the short code as the number to text.

"GET THE MESSAGE"

This is a free text that registers your desire to have PM Kamla attend this summit. They are looking for 100,000 votes from Trinidad and Tobago and at last check there were only a couple hundred.

For more information about this local campaign join Facebook Page

The information cited in this article is contained in this UNDP pdf report entitled The Diabetes Epidemic In Trinidad and Tobago.

10 Most Insightful Comments on The State Of Emergency In Trinidad and Tobago

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:44:00 +0000

The following comments were culled from the reactions of Trinidad and Tobago Citizens in response to the current State of Emergency declared 4 days ago. The fact is that it does not matter what message you sending, listen to what people are saying and you will hear the voice of God.

The have not been placed in any particular order.

1. Ahhhh hahahahaha! Our Government is a darn JOKE! Go ahead 'stooges!' Bunch ah blabbering IDIOTS! Chickens without heads! Horses heads where their tails belongs! Sottish Fools! Head has no idea what tail is doing! Continue to embarrass us on the World Stage!

"Sandy and Ramlogan said that citizens living in communities in which there are NO curfew restrictions are FREE to go about their business."

"Gibbs said as far as he was aware, the curfew restrictions apply THROUGHOUT the country."

'PIANO' man RAMLOGAN! You have to be the ULTIMATE, CLASSIC FOOL! Just FIRE yourself immediately! Have you no SHAME! The thing that you do BEST, is to TRY to COVER-UP for the UNC'S LOSERSHIP!
Let's see HOW you are going to handle this one! LOL! YOU... like your 'first lady' KAMLIAR are a TOTAL DISGRACE!
Looks like allyuh give allyuh 'stoosh, BIG BOY' CRIMINALS friends and family ah 'BLIGH' to move their Stash around, by putting 'select' Communities under curfew, while THEY were free to SECURE their ILLS and ILL-GOTTEN gains! Very CUNNING indeed! Look Gibbs! ARREST BOTH RAMLOGAN and SANDY! Do us a favour and BANISH DEM from this Country! Then work your way through the WHOLE LOSERSHIP! EVERY DARN ONE OF THEM!

"Told that the statement from Sandy and Ramlogan CONTRADICTS his own, Gibbs MAINTAINED his position that the curfew restrictions will be enforced throughout the country."
WELL! WHAT ELSE IS NEW WITH THIS LOSERSHIP?

Well 'Gibbsy boi'...By any chance, Can you fill in as PRIME MINISTER for this Country, and choose a Cabinet, until we can choose someone more Worthy to Lead us! You may as well~! CLOWNS are running this Country! SMH!

2. 2. Hi Kamla why beat the dengue drum now? you have already ran and won the race, and is now doing your victory lap. That was quite a strong performance. Great immune system. No trace of dengue, BTW, I am with you on the image issue. Who the hell cares about international image? We don't need their investments or their goods, neither do we need to export our goods to them. As for the tourist, they could go where the hell they want, they don't have to come here. We good. We could eat we asphalt and drink we oil and invest all we have now to our flourishing narco-industry, at least that brings great returns on the dollar. no talk about value for money there. By the time we get through with all this is Carnival. so go ahead. We do give a dammmmmmm about international image-e-e-e.

3, True to form, we eh taking care of business so good, and Kamla and Co. running like headless fowl, but is time to stop putting image over reality. Honestly we Trinis does spend too much time worrying about what the world go think. We always studying oh, it go look bad, people go talk, people go laugh, and we rather hide thing under the rug than bring out the mess and clean it up properly. So eff what the world think, we done a set of third world nowherians to them, instead of putting on a front to impress racist backsides in foreign, we should be rolling up sleeves and cleaning the place out. Is our home, who want to laugh could laugh.

4. That's what I like to see and hear coming out of your mouth Madame PM assertions don't mind you like to gallery yourself! I fully support this SoE, However as you rightly pointed out the Anti Gang Bill only covers one aspect of arrest or target group "gangs", yet its day four and no major player or players held! I am hoping that that becomes a reality within the next ten days!! You don't worry about country's image its correct the image of innocent people being slaughtered is far worse!! The World is in turmoil right now at least something here is being done to correct let's hope that this sacrifice we make now will have long term results! Don't forget we need to take back those communities !! We are watching!

5. OMG Please tell me we are beyond this stage of knowing where the curfew is in effect! This is day four and we getting contradictions !! I am so tired of the fact of bungling so many things now its not funny!! Its like watching a train wreck happen!! Please people get your statements in line before going public!!! As for the arrests I want to see some names coming up that we ALL know should be picked up including some senior Customs officials !!!

6. Not only is Comm Gibbs back, but it looks like he was not properly briefed. If he is right and the entire nation is under the curfew, some confusion will occur and innocent people may be detained.

7. Greeting all. I could not help but sadly smiled, shaking my head as I read this article. Such a serious time/situation and officials are not on the same page. The first thing that should have taken place was a meeting with Mr. Ramlogan. As a matter of fact Mr. Gibbs should have been advised (surely he could have been reached) via text, phone or email of an urgent meeting so that he could be briefed BEFORE responding to any questions from media or anyone for that matter. This man has now been placed in a most awkward position. I feel sure that he is not used to this zig zag, now for now, manner of operation. What a mess. Is the government really serious about purging the police service and ridding the country of the drug lords - (big fish), bandits, drug mules, blind bare foot knucklehead drug sellers and the like? then please allow Mr. Gibbs to do his work. He is being paid very handsomely. I really do not think this man came to Trinidad and Tobago - sanely took on this calling - and not produce.

8. With a little bit of patience and obedience we could acheive great things. Lets give the curfew a chance and then judge the results at the end.

9. This is surely the land of chaos.

We start off with the PM - an experienced laywer, saying it's a "LIMITED STATE OF EMERGENCY"
Next we hear "GIBBS and EWATSKY gone AWOL" (Absent Without Leave) - which turns out to be a "storm in a teacup" because the someone didn't pass on the message to the Police Service Commission.

Now we hear ( at the very same press conference) the Police Commissioner saying there's a curfew on the entire country, while the National Security Minister says something else.

It's 1:21 am by the time the sun rises we'll have more confusion to add to this list

10. I cannot think of a bigger bunch of bungling idiots who have beel allowed to run a country anywhere in the world. The Hon. Attorney General has outdone himself. He is the quintessential liar. This country could never trust this govt again. This is the beginning of the end for the PP. What saddens me is that this very Ag was the recipient of four loaded suvs full of thugs from east Trinidad the very gangleaders he is now pursuing. These thugs formed part of his campaign escort during the elections. Aniother govt official used the muscle power and thuggery of a well known central crime boss as part of his muscle during the last campaign.This was the same thug who grabbed lands at cashew gardens. We havent heard anything from that character in a long time because he got the lands and all the contracts he wants from his government friends. Who is the govt really trying to fool. Gang leaders and criminals have direct access to Ministers and govt offuicals. Same as under the PNM regime...so nothing has changed. Our people need to rise up and demand constitutional reform,recall legislation,fixed election dates and term limits. We just cant go on this way.

Trinidad and Tobago Limited State of Emergency

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 03:56:00 +0000

Surgically Sanitizing The Country Of Gun Murderers

The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago has just declared a limited State of Emergency. The reason is too many murders in a short time span, gun murders gone rampant.

The Limited State of Emergency means is that if you live in certain parts of the country that is considered “hot spots” you lose all your normal constitutional rights with respect to search seizure, arrest and interrogation.

Now this is no simple move it has far reaching and direct implications for three areas. The previous administration had considered it but never took the steps to implement it. See Here.

It means an interruption of the normal economy, a blanket power to arrest and detain, a curfew and very importantly, the international community i.e. the UN, OAS and prospective investors.

This move seems a little premature and a little surprising seeing that the country is carrying such a hefty monthly salaried Commissioner of Police. And is not there still a contingent of English Yardie on the country’s payroll still. It’s either we need them or we don’t.

The real question is what would a limited or even a full fledged SOE do that the police could not do without it. Mr. Gibbs the floor is not yours, imagine getting to this point without a squeak from you. Well not that you squeaked about anything else except when it had nothing to do with what you are paid to do.

It was only about a month ago that you locked down the Beetham and made mass arrests. In fact the constitutional rights of those people were the same as what is offered in the SOE.

The saga goes on. If you don’t live in a “hot spot” you may not even notice the difference. Let’s see what happens here.

Trinidadian Attempts to Blacklist Their Country’s Image To Live in The United States.

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:46:00 +0000

Repeatedly Rejected, They Are To Be Returned Home

An Indian family has been trying since 2006 to have Trinidad and Tobago labeled as "dangerous to Indians who return here from the United States". As such, they were seeking asylum..

That’s bad enough but a local Trinidad and Tobago newspaper, Newsday, August 7th, Sunday Morning edition splashed the headline below. Obviously to increase circulation but other motives can be imputed. The headline read....

“CRIMINALS ATTACKING INDIANS”

You can read the rest of the story by clicking the link but consider the moral and ethical issues related to this story. First, this is blatant sensationalism. The headline does not support the content of the story. This is irresponsible reporting with or without the intent to incite a particular segment of the society against another. It could be cited as seditious. But nobody is saying anything about it.

As far as the story goes, this family overstayed their time in the United States. When challenged, they decided to seek asylum, the reason; "they will be targeted because they are Indians and they lived in the United States.

The case has been in federal court since 2006 and each time it was rejected by various immigration court. Each time it was rejected, it was re-filed with a higher authority. Eventually, it reached the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) who also rejected their claim.…

“The BIA concluded that while the Poorans had presented evidence that kidnapping was a problem in Trinidad and Tobago, they had not shown that individuals were targeted due to their race or membership in any protected class,”

The not spoken aspect of this case is that now that they have been firmly rejected and must return to Trinidad; how do they expect to live in a country where they expect to be kidnapped? and

Would the people they know here readily accept them back after they have for years had the country blacklisted internationally as “beset with violence”?

It would be indeed unfortunate if something was to happen to this family when they are returned to Trinidad. They will always be known as the family that was willing to sacrifice the reputation of an entire country so that they could live in the United States.

The length our people are willing to go in pursuit of personal comfort. It’s amazing.

A Lighter Side Of The Caribbean

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 02:45:00 +0000

Dem Jamaicans Dem

Someone sent me this joke, it made me laugh out loud. Let me know if you think it's funny.

A Jamaican farmer named Ralph had an accident with a lorry and was suing the lorry company.

In court their hot-shot solicitor was questioning Ralph.

Solicitor: 'Now didn't you say to the Police at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine?'

Ralph: 'Well , I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite cow Bessie into the...'

Solicitor: 'I didn't ask for any details, just answer the question. Did you not tell the police officer at the scene of the accident, "I'm fine!"?'

Ralph: 'Well, I had just got Bessie into the sidecar and I was driving down the road.....'

The solicitor interrupted again and said,
'Your Honor , I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident this man told the police that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.'

By this time, the Judge was fairly interested in Ralph's answer and said to the solicitor:
I'd like to hear what he has to say about his favorite cow Bessie.'

Ralph thanked the Judge and proceeded.

'Well, as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite cow, into the sidecar and was driving her down the road when this huge lorry and trailer came through a stop sign and hit me right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other.

I was hurt very bad and like I didn't want to move. However, I could hear old Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible pain just by her groans.

Shortly after the accident a policeman on a motorbike turned up.

He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her and saw her condition, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes.

Then the policeman came charging across the road, gun still in hand, looked me up and down, and said, 'How badly are you hurt?'

'Now what the Rass would you have said?'

Why Did PM Kamla Visit The Crashed CAL Plane In Guyana?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:10:00 +0000

She Stunned The Country By Personally Visiting The CAL Crash In Guyana

Prime Minister Kamla impromptu decision to visit the down Caribbean Airline in Guyana positioned her as an attention seeking, news hound.

Unfortunately, there was no diplomatic advantage or even a guanine sense of compassion that was demonstrated here. Express Story

In fact, as far as diplomacy was concern, her position was the air craft should not be moved to which the Guyana PM objected and insisted that it will be moved. Wonder who had the last word on that issue?

It brings back memories of a serious accident on the Churchhill Roosevelt Highway where people just stop to look causing a massive pile up in both directions? Credit it to human nature to gawk at others misfortunes and simultaneously be grateful that “it’s them not me”.

This was a case of a country, represent by Prime Minister Kamla gawking at an accident personally.

Our government also took the responsibility to fly ONE member of an injured pilot to Guyana to be at his side, even though there were no serious injuries. All this, in a country where three citizens lose their lives under questionable circumstances, presumably innocent citizens are detained in Venezuelan waters are still languishing in a caboose with no government assistance.

OK, if the rationale is that Trinidad and Tobago owns Caribbean Airlines and as head owner it is important to seek the interest of the Airline. Then why did Nicolas go without the entourage of Ministers? What would happen if RedJet crashed.

Maybe, just maybe it is because the price of an airplane is more important than one life snuffed out in “normal” circumstances. Personally, I don’t know how the rest of the country would view it but in my humble opinion that trip to Guyana by PM Kamla was a bad public relations decision. It added no value to the country, the victims or the Caribbean Airlines.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

51 Arrested In The Beetham

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 01:36:00 +0000

Is Trinidad Law Enforcement Tactics Similar To The Middle East?

An article I read a couple of days ago had me thinking. The title of this post was a headline in the Trinidad Express.

What bothered me about it is a little controversial because I know some people here would not agree with what I have to say. I know this because today I read the Express editorial condoning what happened at the Beetham.

According to the story the 200 police officer and 60 regiment officers locked down the Beetham and searched every house in there. Fifty one persons were arrested. Question is: Was that action supported by the Constitution of this Republic? And if it is that needs to be changed. Was it ethical?

Ah know those things eh important when people getting killed but even murderers have rights. Now you and I know that most of the people in the Beetham just poor, they not all gangsters, thieves and murderers.

It reminds me of what we hear about in countries like Egypt, Syria, Libya and other Middle Eastern countries. They just go from house to house and arrest who ever for what ever. If it's not right there it's not right here.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that something should be done about lawlessness in Lavantille, the Beetham, George and Nelson Streets. The things that have been happening lately all need immediate attention. Something has to be done, and I hope the people they caught breaking the law would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Who are they protecting and serving?

The law enforcement in this country is operating like they in the fifty and sixties. This is 2011 and while we give away millions we still don't have the basic law enforcement tools to solve crimes like in CSI. What's stopping we from getting things like a DNA lab, national fingerprint system, a criminal database. This boils me, the topic was on this blog in February 2011; Guns don't Solve Crimes People do.

You know what? Is because we declare war on crime and every body know in a war all you need is some big guns bullet proof vest and plenty men. That's how you win, and still we wonder what we doing wrong.

Today, as a free society we boast of having human rights, constitutional rights, and all the other rights that don't mean squat when accosted by a police officer.

Imagine how many people's constitutional rights were trampled upon that day with no possible recourse. Have you ever seen how a police officer search for arm or drug in a house. If he do it right, when they done it looks like Katrina just pass.

Just imagine you are a law abiding citizen and just because you dumb enough to live in the Beetham police break down yuh door in the early morning and announce a search. Was a warrant issued to search every house in the Beetham? What judge would issue such a warrant? Where?

Right here. I dunno where you live but could you imagine your entire neighborhood on lock down, you can't work the next day. Your excuse to your boss. "The police search meh place this morning buh they did not find notting" What do u think your boss would say? You should move out ah Beetham.

The fact is that what the police did there was not police work. They coulda get a gang ah CEPEP workers with guns to do the same thing. Police work should be detecting, narrowing it down to maybe a few suspicious houses, not the whole dam neighborhood.

Now we paying a man $100K a month to do such nonsense and nobody saying nothing. Wah would ah happen if it was Westmooring? Nah never happen, too many people know they constitutional rights there.

Ah eh know bout allyuh buh ah shame for we. We should spend the millions we giving away for all these cultural events (one day national parties) to train we police, we go all truly benefit from it. Wuh u think?

Nah doh do that cos then you will feel like me and have to write about it.

The North Deck Nature Exploration In Trinidad & Tobago

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:03:00 +0000

The North Deck A Breath Taking Vistas, Unique Birds, Spectacular Vegetation, Natural Ambiance

A Platform in the Forest Part 2

Is Trindad & Tobago Becoming The Murder Capital of The Caribbean?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:48:00 +0000

Too Much Focus on the Wrong Metric

Using the murder rate to measure the effectiveness of Trinidad and Tobago’s law enforcement performance is irrational.

That’s putting it gently; we all know that law enforcement agencies do not commit murders. At least, when they do it’s in the “prevention” of crime and not counted as murder.

What people do in their homes, in the bushes at night or more alarmingly in broad daylight is not and will never be under the control of any law enforcement agency. What law enforcement agencies do in response to a murder is the only thing they can actually control.

There are specific actions that should be monitored and measured that are never mentioned in any report on crime. For example, the response time to a crime.

How fast are the police on the scene after a crime has been reported? That number will give citizens a measure of assurance that their calls will be answered.

Another very important number to know is the conviction rate. How many crimes are actually solved? How many went to court and a conviction was obtained? Having that number would work wonders on the rate of murders.

It really is impossible to change what is not measured.

When we look at the wrong number the problem persist. There is a saying that goes "we attract more of what we focus on". In this case, is it because we focus on the murder rate?.

That is not rocket science. Any serious law enforcement effort must take these metric into consideration. Say that we had 10 less murders this year than last is what is know in public relations as "spinning"..

The people and by extention the government should not accept the murder rate as a measure of efficiency,

For the sake of public safety let’s stop calling the wrong number.

Does that make sense?

Why Is Trinidad and Tobago Stopping RedJet?

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Sat, 28 May 2011 13:32:00 +0000

Should Price Be Our Primary Concern?

A couple of months ago I posted about RedJet the new regional airline carrier with a super low fare of $10 USD coming to Trinidad and Tobago. Because of that post, I think I owe it to readers of this blog to set the record straight.

The most conscise and objective reason offered for the delay in granting RedJet a license to operate in Trinidad and Tobago was written by a regular columnist in the Trindad Express. Mr. Reginal Dumas.

The following is a reproduction of that article entitled:

The REDjet issue

By Reginald Dumas

Story Created: May 25, 2011 at 11:55 PM ECT

Story Updated: May 25, 2011 at 11:55 PM ECT

I haven't been paying much attention to the REDjet confusion; the bassa bassa at Caribbean Airlines has been much more fascinating. But the matter keeps rearing its head, so I thought I would cast a preliminary eye in its direction.

I seem to recall the representatives of REDjet telling the public here that the airline had been approved for service by the relevant Barbados authorities and that, under the Caricom multilateral air services agreement, it was, on the strength of that approval,

automatically entitled to operate commercially into and out of T&T.
There was a time when I knew a great deal about air services--I led this country's negotiating team for about 15 years--but I have forgotten much. Nonetheless, it struck me that REDjet's position, if I am correctly representing it, could not be correct. There is very little automaticity in air services matters. You have to bargain hard for what you want, and you may not get it.

The Caricom multilateral agreement can be found on the Caricom website. In its preamble it defines a Caricom air carrier as "an air carrier which is owned by a company or other legal entity constituted in a Member State in conformity with the law thereof and has its registered office in a Member State, the majority of the shares of which are owned by one or more Member States or their nationals and which is effectively controlled by such State or States or nationals thereof". The language is awkward, but you get the drift.

On this basis, is REDjet a Caricom carrier? It is certainly registered in a member state (Saint Lucia) and has its corporate offices in another (Barbados). But who owns it? Who controls it? A hallowed concept in air services is "substantial ownership and effective control". Does REDjet satisfy that criterion for Caricom carrier status?

But even if it is a Caricom carrier (and it appears not to be), Article 2 of the Caricom agreement states that such a carrier "shall not be permitted to operate within the Community unless it has been issued with an operating licence by a Member State". REDjet, Caricom carrier or not, obviously has an operating licence from Barbados, but Article 2 goes on: "(S)uch a licence does not in itself confer any rights of access to specific routes or markets within the Community." (My emphasis.) No automaticity there.

And there follow several requirements the carrier must satisfy, including Caricom substantial ownership and effective control, and provision of a business plan which must "demonstrate its ability to meet actual and potential obligations for a period of 36 months from the commencement of the proposed operations".

Did REDjet do all that before its publicity about a May 8 start-up date? If so, and in the absence at that time of an Air Transport Licensing Authority board (the entity to handle such matters), who gave REDjet the go-ahead, and on what authority?

I shall mention only two other Articles of the agreement. Article 6 says that "the carrier's application to the aeronautical authority of the other Member State" – in this case, T&T – "(must be) made at least 45 days or such shorter period as may be agreed by the aeronautical authorities prior to the proposed commencement of the service." Did REDjet (which is still to show me it is a Caricom carrier) do this? Were the aeronautical authorities of T&T and Barbados in contact with each other before REDjet's announcements on dates? If so, did they agree on anything and, if so, what?

And Article 15 speaks of tariffs, which among other things must not be "unreasonably discriminatory" (which suggests they could be discriminatory). Could a US$10 fare between here and Barbados be considered so?

The publication Barbados Today of May 16 quotes "well-placed sources" in Barbados as saying that T&T, in not having yet given the green light to REDjet, is breaching not only the Caricom air services agreement but also Articles 6 and 7 of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, the T&T/Barbados air services agreement, and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) air transport agreement. Quite a mouthful.

Article 6 of the Chaguaramas Treaty sets out the objectives of the Community, all of which, in my opinion, are constantly either violated or insufficiently promoted by all members of the Community. Article 7 deals with non-discrimination, and states in part that "any discrimination on grounds of nationality only shall be prohibited." I wonder how many Barbados immigration officials are familiar with that Article? And what is REDjet's nationality?

As for the ACS agreement (I haven't read the T&T/Barbados bilateral, which I'm told I negotiated), it too insists on substantial ownership and effective control, which must be vested in an ACS member state or states or associate member(s) and/or its or their nationals before authorisation can be granted for air transport services.

And REDjet really must tell us more about itself. What is its relationship to Airone Ventures Ltd? Who owns the latter? What is the breakdown of shareholding? What is its relationship to Digicel, for which its founder Robbie Burns used to work? Why did it seek national carrier status in Jamaica in 2007? What happened? Why? Who owns REDjet? Who controls it?

• Reginald Dumas is a former head of theTrinidad and Tobago Public Service.

Caribbean People - Be Careful - This Year’s Hurricane Could Teach Us A Lesson

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Fri, 20 May 2011 17:55:00 +0000

Don't Get Caught With Your Hurricane Pants Down

Caribbean people should be battening the hatches and getting ready for the next

hurricane season. It’s coming soon.

There is almost a guarantee that it will hit at least one island in the Caribbean.

When Katrina hit a few years ago I lived in Coral Springs Florida and I have never seen anything like it.

When the storm subsided over 50% of the houses were without roofs. Fortunately, I lived in a community where the roof was made of clay tiles.

I experienced the "what the hell" feeling when i witnessed flying off S tiles being embedded into the roofs of parked cars. Slamming into earth violently sticking like thrown knives. It was as if God was up

there somewhere with a large slingshot just shooting down tiles and everything else He could find. .

Imagine the sight of what seemed like 100 year old fichus trees that lined the side walk in Ft Lauderdale uprooted as if they were mere weeds.

Laying upturned, pointing skyward and the earth below torn open just like an earthquake; side walk and road wide open.

Wonder what will happen if the Islands in the Caribbean were hit with a category 3 or 4 hurricane?.

Roofs will go first but the way houses are built in the Caribbean it’s not hard to imagine the entire structures being blown away.

What's even more bewildering is the Island mentality. Last year when hurricane warnings were announced in Trinidad enterprising Trinis decided to have “Storm Parties”.

And yes, it is what you're thinking, regular drink, dance and make merry parties. Not held in fortified buildings but at the local bar where patrons can weather the storm out while getting wasted.

The same mentality existed with the officials. At one hurricane shutter presentation to the local Office of Disaster Preparedness Management, ODPM the attitude was "we really dont need it".. The organization had the authority to rally all the high ranking official in the protective services to hear the presentation.

The officials came listened to real reasons why all government building should be equipped with hurricane shutters. None opted to have it installed. Some were a little curious but most thought that it was not necessary, afterall "God is a Trini” they say, "He will protect us" Let's hope so.

The building material company even offered to install the shutters at the ODPM building at a steep discount but they never took the offer.

A building with large sections of glass, tasked with the job of preparing the nation for natural disaster and they are still unprepared. What good will it be for the people we supposed to turn to in time of disaster are ducking from flying glass and debris.

Unfortunately the only thing to change that mentality is a disaster of major proportions. Some Caribbean islands "have to feel to learn". It's really like safe sex, we all need the protection..

And believe it or not, but Trinidad is supposed to be more advanced than the rest of the Caribbean Islands. If that is true may God help the rest of the Islands....

US government forecaster announced yesterday that they are expecting three to six major hurricanes from an above average Atlantic storm season. As many as 18 named tropical storms may deelop during the six month Atlantic Hurricane season.

Here is some advice from the local newspaper

Are you ready for the next hurricane season?

US Seeks al Qaeda Terrorist With Trinidad Passport

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Puckerin) — Sat, 07 May 2011 11:29:00 +0000

Have You Seen This Man?

According to an article published in the Trinidad Express yesterday the next in line to replace Osama bin Laden has a Trinidad Passport. Read the story below.

Al Qaeda 'Trini' may now be most wanted terrorist

By Richard Charan South Bureau

Story Updated: May 5, 2011 at 10:44 PM ECT

An Al Qaeda fugitive with ties to Trinidad and Guyana may rise to the top post in the global terror network whose iconic leader Osama Bin Laden was killed Sunday.

Adnan Gulshair El Shukrijumah, who is known to have lived in and visited Trinidad, was last year elevated to head Al Qaeda's external operations council—with a mission to recruit, plan and execute terrorist attacks against the United States and its western allies.

Multiple international news reported on Wednesday that El Shukrijumah, a top lieutenant is now one of the most wanted Al Qaeda. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) official website also listed him as the most wanted terrorist, with a reward of US$5 million leading to his capture.

The Miami Herald, National Public Radio, MSNBC, and United Press International reported on El Shukrijumah's rise in the ranks of the terror organisation, with one headline asking "Is this the man who will succeed Bin laden?".

El Shukrijumah is a citizen of Guyana, who lived for 15 years in the United States.Intelligence officials in the US report that El Shukrijumah, who studied computer science and chemistry in the US, came to Trinidad months before the September 11, 2001 terror attack that killed 3,000.

He is reported to have stayed on the compound of a Muslim organisation in Central Trinidad which some reports claimed was linked to a mosque in the US with ties to terrorism.

Despite a search by the FBI in Trinidad in 2003, with the assistance of local law enforcement, El Shukrijumah, 35, has not been found.
Head of the Islamic Missionaries Guild Imtiaz Mohammed said on Wednesday he and others were interviewed by the FBI who they believed knew Shukrijumah.

The FBI in 2004 set up a permanent office in Trinidad, to continue its counter terrorism operations.

El Shukrijumah is reportedly to be likely in Pakistan, where Bin Laden was killed Sunday during a secretive US military operation that has been celebrated by many. The US Justice Department last year filed multiple indictments against El Shukrijumah, alleging he was involved in a plot to set off explosives in the subways of New York and London.
The Express reported in 2003 that the FBI had learnt El Shukrijumah was in possession of a Trinidadian passport, and that local Special Branch officers were involved in the search.

It was reported that El Shukrijumah lived with his family in Trinidad in the 1980s, and during his known visit in 2003, recorded on his immigration form that he was here to visit a friend.