Rihanna And Chris Brown Romance Still A Mystery

Rihanna and Chris Brown are still keeping fans guessing about the state of their relationship after coming up with different answers to the dating question at the BET Awards on Tuesday [24Jun08].
Just a day after Brown’s mother cooed about the Umbrella singer at a pre-awards gift lounge event, the sexy Barbados-born star was still insisting she’s single.
Speaking on the red carpet at the BET Awards, Rihanna said, “We aren’t dating; we’re very good friends.”
But when Brown was asked if he and Rihanna were an item backstage, he playfully said, “Possibly, possibly!”
And his mum hopes the two really are dating – she was overheard telling a friend, “she’s the sexiest and sweetest girl Chris has ever dated”.
The couple has become inseparable in recent weeks and rumours of a romance were sparked when the pair was spotted kissing and cuddling in a fast food restaurant last month [May08].

Source – Contact Music

• Is Celebrity Life Taking A Toll On Rihanna?
• Muchas Gracias!- Rihanna And Chris Brown $200,000 Love Jewellery
• Rihanna Launching Underwear Line?
• Barbados Rihanna New Single ‘Take A Bow ‘ And Elle Magazine Photo Shoot

 

Mugabe Sworn In As Zimbabwe Faces Sanctions From Bush

President George W. Bush called Saturday for an international arms embargo against Zimbabwe in the wake of last week’s “sham election,” and announced that the United States is drafting new economic sanctions that, for the first time, would take aim at the entire government of President Robert Mugabe.

Robert Mugabe, who recently declared that “only God” could remove him from power, have now given himself another – sixth – term in office winning by 85.51% of the total vote cast. Morgan Tsvangirai trailed behind with 9.3 percent of the total vote.

Tsvangirai, who had been expected to pit against ruling Zanu PF candidate and incumbent President Mugabe in the run-off election, withdrew last Sunday, citing various reasons, including increasing political violence and intimidation against the opposition MDC-T.

At his inauguration in Harare on Sunday, the hero of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, knows he is facing growing international opprobrium, stricter sanctions, and even calls for armed peacekeepers to be sent to Zimbabwe.

“I think,” said Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “that a very good argument can be made for having an international force to restore peace.”

The call for an international arms embargo, which Bush coupled with a proposed ban on travel by officials of the Mugabe government, is unlikely to be successful. American officials said it would almost certainly run into opposition at the United Nations from South Africa, Russia and China; South Africa’s position has long been that the Zimbabwe election is an internal affair.

Adapted from International Press Reports

• Mugabe Given 24 Hour Deadline By Tsvangirai
• Did The ‘An Yue Jiang’ Delivered Its Arm Shipment To Zimbabwe?
• Weapons For Zimbabwe May Return To China
• UPDATED – Chinese Arms Ship Destined For Mugabe Regime – Document Issued 3Days After Zimbabwe Elections!!!
• UPDATED – Mugabe: It Isn’t Over Until I Say So

$140/Barrel = Mega Profits Yet Shell Fails To Clean Gibbons Boggs Spill

Oil giant ExxonMobil will pay the equivalent of 24 hours worth of petroleum sales to the people impacted by the 11 million gallons (41.5 million liters) of crude oil spilled into Prince William Sound in Alaska in 1989 when the drunken skipper of the Exxon Valdez allowed the tanker to run aground, according to a U.S. Supreme Court decision. The ruling caps the total damages assessed to the company at $507.5 million, a fraction of the $5 billion a jury initially awarded in 1994.

“This means that corporations like Exxon can simply put a price tag on the destruction of our marine life, our oceans and, ultimately families,” says Jim Ayers, Juneau-based vice president at marine environmental group Oceana and the first executive director of the trust set up to manage the recovery and restoration of the sound. “They can estimate the value of that loss, put it into the expense column and roll forward with blatant disregard.”  Source: Scientific American

 In 1994 a jury awarded the residents of Prince William Sound in Alaska $5billion dollars for an oil spilled cause by a drunken sailor in 1989. Apparently that was too much money for ExxonMobil to pay out. The Supreme Court decided that $507.5m was the most compensation the residents could received.

Enter Barbados. Minister of Agriculture and Rual Develoment Hennessey Benn  like all concerns Bajans are still awaiting Shell decision as to when the oil giant will start the cleaning up process re: aviation fuel spill in  the Christ Church area in . In a Nation article entitled  ‘Oil Spill’,  it was noted that the oil giant accepted liability for the accident which occur in 1995. The matter which reached the top brass in London nearly 2 years ago has yet to come to a favourable end for both parties.

A $2m compensation package was offered . It was rejected. A paltry sum of 2 million dollars is all Shell can offer to 22 farmers. Ninety Thousand Nine Hundred and Nine Dollars and Nine Cents is the determined price tag for each farmer by Shell for farm land that is contaminated and well water poisoned. Yet “ Shell wants to see this matter settled expeditiously.”  Of course for that to happen the settlement package will have too be taken and since the farmers aren’t interested one can see that Shell has no intention to lift a finger to clean up its mess. It is a case of take it or leave it. The last administration was inept in handling this crisis. Not enough muscle was display on behalf of the farmers. Will Minister Benn make any breakthrough on this matter? Or will another government leave these hard working people to the mercy of Goliath?. If a matter as ‘simple’ as this can cause so much headache what would become of us when Barbados starts oil exploration and shipping?

Time For Barbados To Get Its Immigration ‘Act’ Together

The United Kingdom is to impose tough new sanctions that could include a hefty fine and possible imprisonment of people who fail to ensure that visiting family members leave the United Kingdom (UK) before their visas run out.

This could significantly affect the many Caribbean nationals who have close family ties in the United Kingdom.

A release from the UK Border Agency said people will have to become licensed to sponsor family members to visit from abroad under proposed changes to the visa system. The sponsors will then have a duty to ensure that their visitors leave before their visa runs out or face a ban on bringing anyone else over, or face penalties of up to $5,000 or a jail sentence.

“The new sponsored family visa is just one of the firm but fair changes being made to the short-term visa system which will sit alongside the Government’s new Points Based System introduced earlier this year. Further proposals announced include: introducing two new business visas for sportspeople and entertainers; setting the maximum leave for visitors at six months; introducing an appeal system for those coming in under the family route; a new short-term, low-cost group travel visa to promote British tourism; and a visa for people coming to the UK for one-off cultural events, such as the Edinburgh Festival,” the release said.

Border and Immigration Minister, Liam Byrne said the changes would help create a fairer Britain with fair treatment for those who play by the rules, but tough action against those who break the law.   Source: Caribbean Net News

As Barbados continue to lagged behind in its tightening up of immigration laws the United Kingdom has introduced alongside its 5 points system for selected migration, tough sanctions on persons using sponsored family visits [that is allowing  relatives outside the UK  to visit on visitor's visas] to put up a cash bond as much as £1000.

If the relative fails to leave by the time the Family Visitor Visa runs out the cash bond is forfeited. Many will be disappointed when the plane ticket fails to come. Not every can one afford a cash bond and certainity not many can afford to be place in a position like this. If the illegitimate visitor decides to run off in the countryside leaving the the poor family member to face the full weight of the law!

The vexing issue of uncontrolled migration to these shores has become a contentious point with many a Bajan voicing their concerns on the streets, blogs and wherever likeminded minds gather to discuss the issue.

The missing stamp [was it ever found?], returning deportees under a different name, outdated checks and balances, lazaire-faire attitude and many others too numerous to mention has allow Barbados to become a drawing card for the good, the bad and the ugly.

Enough with the experiment! Its CSME policies in regards to immigration needs to be revamped. With terrorism high on every sane country list, dwindling resources and the continual high cost of living, Barbados have a duty to protect its own first.  In this case less is best.

• Visitor Tourist Visa And Provisions

It Has Always Been About Oil

We somewhat had given up searching for commentary on the news surrounding Western oil companies worming their way back into Iraq to exploit its oil fields again after being kicked out by Saddam Hussein. For those still brainwashed by the usual rhetoric out of Washington, the below article was taken from Barbados Underground posted by Green Monkey from Toronto Sun a previous online edition we had use in the past and forgot all about!

These wars are about oil, not democracy

By ERIC MARGOLIS
Toronto Sun

PARIS — The ugly truth behind the Iraq and Afghanistan wars finally has emerged.

Four major western oil companies, Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP and Total are about to sign U.S.-brokered no-bid contracts to begin exploiting Iraq’s oil fields. Saddam Hussein had kicked these firms out three decades ago when he nationalized Iraq’s oil industry. The U.S.-installed Baghdad regime is welcoming them back.

Iraq is getting back the same oil companies that used to exploit it when it was a British colony.

As former fed chairman Alan Greenspan recently admitted, the Iraq war was all about oil. The invasion was about SUV’s, not democracy.

Afghanistan just signed a major deal to launch a long-planned, 1,680-km pipeline project expected to cost $8 billion. If completed, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline (TAPI) will export gas and later oil from the Caspian basin to Pakistan’s coast where tankers will transport it to the West.

The Caspian basin located under the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakkstan, holds an estimated 300 trillion cubic feet of gas and 100-200 billion barrels of oil. Securing the world’s last remaining known energy El Dorado is a strategic priority for the western powers.

But there are only two practical ways to get gas and oil out of land-locked Central Asia to the sea: Through Iran, or through Afghanistan to Pakistan. Iran is taboo for Washington. That leaves Pakistan, but to get there, the planned pipeline must cross western Afghanistan, including the cities of Herat and Kandahar.

SNIP

Washington disguised its energy geopolitics by claiming the Afghan occupation was to fight “Islamic terrorism,” liberate women, build schools and promote democracy. Ironically, the Soviets made exactly the same claims when they occupied Afghanistan from 1979-1989. The Iraq cover story was weapons of mass destruction and democracy.

http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Margolis_Eric/2008/06/22/5953041-sun.php

• UPDATED – US Can Strike Any Country From Within Under New Agreement

• US Can Strike Any Country From Within Iraq Under New Agreement
• UN Any Attack On Iran Will Spark Fireball In Region

Barbados Mad Rush To Sign EPA Agreement

Ask me what the EPA is and I would be the first  tell you I have not a clue. Other than the fact it is an economic agreement between the European Union and the Caribbean and also at the end of the day it would be most advantageous to Europe than the Caribbean as is always the case I can’t begin to explain what are the benefits to be derived from an agreement with the Caribbean.

So it is with great interest to read that Guyana refuse to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement [EPA] because of legal opinion. A legal opinion not from the University Of the West Indies but from the University of Cambridge.

University of Cambridge International Law Professor, Dr Lorand Bartels have made a case that Caribbean Governments under World Trade Organisation law are not obliged to sign the agreement. Initialled text is sufficient for negotiation  yet today’s Nation highlights Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Trade Chris Sinckler pushing for a full signing of the agreement on July 23.

And what about the agreement in itself?

The minister was of the view that the agreement presented opportunities as well as challenges.

“It does have faults but when we negotiate we are not going to get everything that we ask for but you have to look at the totality,” Sinckler added, noting that there would be an opportunity to revisit the EPA in a few years.

What totality? I want to know how this agreement gine benefit me and my country. I want to know what the government is negotiating in return.? I want to know the pro and the cons of the EPA agreement.  This reminds me of that republic affair. Owen wanted to push it through the back door and keep the people in the dark. What are you not telling us Sinckler? If the Professor is right why are we cowering under threaten export tariffs if there is a case to be made on our behalf?

See – Guyana Reluctant To Endorse EPA

        Guyana President Weights In On EPA Agreement

        Labour Leaders Want Review Of EPA

        Sinckler: EPA Signing In July 

       EPA Agreement Will Benefit Both Sides, Says New EC Ambassador

Bill Gates To Exit Microsoft Today

The Microsoft co-founder and driving force in the company, spends his last day at the office on Friday.

For more on this check TECH/NEWS MEDIA

Mugabe Given 24 Hour Deadline By Tsvangirai

 

Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has issued a 24-hour deadline to President Robert Mugabe to negotiate or face being shunned as an illegitimate leader responsible for the killing of civilians.

Mugabe, 84, who trailed Tsvangirai for the presidency in a first round election in March, has dismissed international condemnation of violence against the opposition and has vowed to extend his 28 years in power.

Tsvangirai, who withdrew from Friday’s run-off and has taken refuge in the Dutch embassy in Harare since Sunday, said in an interview with Britain’s Times newspaper, the time for talking to Mugabe would end if he went ahead with the election.

“Negotiations will be over if Mr Mugabe declares himself the winner and considers himself the president. How can we negotiate?” said Tsvangirai, who insists Mugabe must go so Zimbabwe can end its political turmoil and economic meltdown.

If Mugabe approached him afterwards, Tsvangirai said he would have this message: “I made these offers, I made these overtures, I told you I would negotiate before the elections and not after – because it’s not about elections, it’s about transition.

“You disregarded that, you undertook violence against my supporters, you killed and maimed, you are still killing and maiming unarmed civilians, the army is still out there.

“How can you call yourself an elected president? You are illegitimate and I will not speak to an illegitimate president.”

Tsvangirai said it was too early to say when he would leave the Dutch embassy.

“I am the prime target. I am not going to take chances with my safety. It’s not just about Mr Mugabe, it’s about the people out there who could take the law into their own hands. There is no rule of law here,” said Tsvangirai.

His Movement for Democratic Change says nearly 90 of its supporters have been killed by militias loyal to Mugabe.

FULL STORY- Tsvangirai Gives Mugabe 24-Hour Deadline

See also – Zimbabwe’s Neighbours Warn Against Vote

101 Ocean Rowers To Its Shores Earned Barbados Guiness World Record

Row row row your boat gently down the stream, merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream.

For others ocean-rowing could be a matter of life and death.  From its 1997 inception  the Atlantic Rowing Race have seen many a brave souls row across the ocean to these shores.  That 1997 [ The Port St Charles Barbados Atlantic Rowing Race] race generated some interest  but  many would recall Barbadians Phil Als and Randel Valdez dubbed Team Rowing Home entering the 2003 rowing race gave it a more personal touch. 

Now Barbados – the destination of the 2010 Atlantic Rowing Race - have seen 101 ocean rowers  touched its shores. The most for a country. That achievement earned it a Guiness World Record.

The Ocean Rowing Society Int’l  which billed itself as the offical adjudicator of ocean rowing records for  Guinness World Records presented the award to Perta Roach, European Vice-President of Marketing and Sales at the Barbados Tourism Authority.

FULL STORY – Barbados Gets Guiness World Record

Air Jamaica On The Auction Block

Continual financial losses, rescue plans and packages over recent years have led the Jamaica government to decided enough is enough. Air Jamaica has come full circle with the Golding administration placing it on the auction block ultimately into private hands after accumulated losses of $1 billion dollars, losing $100m yearly. The question is would the Jamaica government still have a stake in the airlines?. It would be a serious matter to be place at the mercy of foreign airlines who have slashed air seats to the region by 50%, rising oil prices and a volatile American economy which is one of the region largest markets.

The Jamaican Government has confirmed that it will have to absorb one billion US dollars in losses accumulated by the national airline.

The latest round of losses for Air Jamaica was disclosed Monday night by Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

The airline’s string of losses has resulted in the government now placing it on the auction block.

The airline has been a source of irritation for Jamaican tax payers at the end of each financial year.

Prime Minister Golding says Cabinet has approved plans to sell the cash strapped airline by March 31st next year.

He confirmed that after Air Jamaica is placed in private hands the country will be left with the huge task of clearing off its debts.

Source – BBCCaribbean.com

Related articles – Air Jamaica Woes

Air Jamaica Limited

Is Celebrity Life Taking A Toll On Rihanna?

The above photo from People.com website has a story on Rihanna thoughts on love. For instance when questioned on what does love mean to [her], her replied was

 “I am tired of being depressed and I’m exhausted sometimes, so I need a picker-upper.” 

I can understand exhausted but DEPRESSED!! What do you have to be depressed about? Does this have anything to do with you being homesick? That I can understand. If not woman get a gripe on yourself. Using love um friendship can be a great antidote. However if it is more than friendship, sex is definetly not your antidote.

And what’s dis thing about a new tatoo. Are you planning on scaring yourself for life?.

UN: Any Attack On Iran Will Spark Fireball In Region

The United Nations nuclear watchdog has warned that a military strike on Iran to prevent it developing atomic weapons would turn the region into a “fireball”.

Mohamed ElBaradei said unilateral military action, which has not been ruled out by Israel or the US, would push the Islamic republic into a “crash course” of developing nuclear weapons and threatened to resign if an attack took place.

“What I see in Iran today is a current, grave and urgent danger,” said Mr ElBaradei. “If a military strike is carried out against Iran at this time … it would make me unable to continue my work.”

Bombing Of Iran Imminent

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday warned against the use of force on Iran, saying there was no proof it was trying to build nuclear weapons.

He made the statement when asked to comment on Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz’s statement earlier this month that Israel could attack Iran if it does not halt its nuclear program.

“I hope the actual actions would be based on international law,” Lavrov said. “And international law clearly protects Iran’s and anyone else’s territorial integrity.”

Lavrov said Russia had asked both the United States and Israel to provide factual information to back their claims that Iran was working to build atomic weapons. “So far we have seen none, and the same conclusion was made by the International Atomic Energy Agency,” he said.

FULL STORY

Time To See Some Action From The Tripartite Social Parternship

However, the World Bank said, the slow work of customs in some countries also affects the price of goods.

“Food products entering a Caribbean or Central American country often are subject to multiple delays, unnecessary direct costs, and losses and damages that further harm consumers,” it said.

“According to the Bank’s logistics performance index, customs clearances are particularly poor in the Caribbean, typically taking three to five days, compared with one day for Chile and three days for all of Latin America,” it added.

“The lead time needed for imports that have been unloaded to reach the consignee, also is high in several countries in both sub-regions, particularly Costa Rica, Haiti, Jamaica, and Panama. Clearly, shipping efficiencies stop at the dock.”

The World Bank said that this, exacerbated by port labour strikes, contributed to recent food shortages in Haiti.    Source:   Caribbean360.com

FULL STORY

As Barbadians look forward to the PM David Thompson Budget speech on July 7 where he propose  bringing  initiatives to deal with the rising cost of living, the World Bank has identified one key area that Caribbean governments seemly fail to address – getting goods out of the ports in a timely manner.

Whether it is a case of staff shortage, indifferent attitudes or sweetening the pot a bit more, regardless it’s the consumers who always have to foot the bill. Which brings me to this VAT thing. At the recent national consultation on the cost of living held Wednesday at Sherbourne Centre representatives from the private sector neglect to make mention of port delays but together jump on the bandwagon of VAT.

Look at VAT. Review VAT. Reduce VAT. Lower VAT. Review existing process for paying VAT returns. VAT-free month. Hey I have an idea. Why not abolish VAT all together? The current VAT system was implemented to reduce the complexity of the country’ indirect tax system. Along with consumption tax, stamp duty and import duty there were over 40 other taxes which compounded the complexity. Since then the VAT which has yet to translate in the expected lowering of costs to consumers [it was also to help reduce high levels of duties/taxes on extra regional goods] I doubt very much a lowering, reducing and reviewing of VAT will assist consumers in the long run. For the simple reason that merchants prefer to keep every red cent in their pockets.

Then the report from the IMF- Barbados economy projected to slow to 2.25% this year down from 3.25% last year. Can the government reduce VAT at this time when its needs all available revenues? What it does need to do however is to speed up the process of VAT returns to stop small business especially from folding under.

At least Mr Trotman who has somewhat temper his call for wage increases is leading out front by meeting  with port management to enhance productivity with the view to passing on savings to the public. We’ll see. Still it is initiatives like these that gets the ball rolling. Hot air can fill a balloon but it’s of no use for someone struggling to make ends meet.

With egos aside, the private sector, trade unions and government can ride this economic storm out as long as possible and still keep Barbados afloat.

See also – Millions Strarve As Tonnes Of Food Rots In Hataitians Ports

Government Officials Denied Elderly Man The Right To Own A Piece Of The Rock

Theophilus Barrow  represents a segment of our population who know doubt wish to see themselves resting comfortable in their golden years. Even more so when a man have a home to call his own a sense of accomplishment is achieved even if there is nothing else to laid claim to but when that opportunity is denied through no fault of his own one can never been in a relaxed state of mind not with so many promises coming ones way.

Such is the case with Theophilus Barrow highlighted in today’s Weekend Nation. The gentleman’s  home was damaged in a 2004 Hurricane. He is still  to receive the promise rebuilding of his house. Yet $4m of of taxpayer’s monies found its way out of the coffers of the Ministry of Home Affairs by the previous government in an emergency funding exercise to facilitate homes identified damaged by Hurricane Ivan yet Theophilus Barrow whose house was on the list was left out in the cold.

We are not going to hammer out the ITAL [ Integrity, Transparency, Accountability Legislation] issue here. There is a blog dedicated to that already. It is their pet subject. Suffice to say that the checking up on scrupulous goingons in the last 14 years [if so far back] by the present government have seen a mad rush to finish the gent’s house in record time faster than a speeding bullet. Four years after the fact. After the monies already pocketed or went building  someone  house elsewhere. Maybe the corrupt officials were hoping Mr Barrow would passed away in oblivion but alas that was not the case as evident in the news report. Now what about the other houses that are still waiting to be built?

If a government whose job is to protect the less vulnerable cannot take care of the elderly it has no business telling the populace that it should. These folks are the backbone of our economy today. [Unlike a comment on another blog where we were told GUYANESE INDIANS ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR ECONOMY. I have never heard so much folly in all my years and I though I have hear them all. Where is that reflected in our National Anthem? Were the repatriations sent in from Panama, America, Canada, England etc from Guyanese or Barbadians?] Methink to much rum punch have gone to that person’s head.

The government should lead by example if the country mind set is to change. That’s the step in the right direction. This locking up. Is it ever going to happen? Exposing corruptions in all forms is okay but when will citizens see charges laid? Which government would be brave enough to take such a bold step?

Life Support Lawsuit Cause Doctors To Resign From Hospital

The right to take patients off life support have always be and continues to be a source of concern as families faced the prospect of coming to terms that their love ones make never return to them again.

Should doctors take patients off life support with or without the patient’s family consent? What if there is conclusive evidence that the patient would never recover, who should make the judgement call? Should religious views play a part in the decision process?

The below story [news.org] is such a case where a man’s family is going all out to prevent their love one from being taken off life support.

News Story

A Canadian hospital is facing a shortage of doctors, who are resigning rather than continue to care for an elderly man on life support.

Samuel Golubchuck, 84, has been on life support since last fall; physicians say his brain functions are minimal and his chances of recovery are slim.

This, along with destructive surgery to remove infected ulcers that one doctor likened to “torture,” have prompted a wave of resignations Winnipeg Grace Hospital, CTV.ca reports.

Golubchuck’s Orthodox Jewish family says it is against their religion to hasten death, and successfully sued to block doctors from taking him off life support.

Further reading- More Doctors Resign From Winnipeg Hospital

Adrian Loveridge Got It Right, Ralph Taylor Got It Wrong

He [Adrian  Loveridge] supported a call by Taylor at the annual general meeting of the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association for Barbados to “earmark what is left of its existing coastline” for tourism development.

However, he said construction had to be pleasing to the eye, had to make allowances for green areas and recreational areas, and must not block out views of the sea.

He complained that the West Coast was turning into a “concrete coast”
with huge condominiums blotting out the view of the sea.

“People do not want to come to Barbados and see every inch of the coastline under concrete,” he told the WEEKEND NATION. “They want to see some green areas, areas for recreation, jogging and so on.”  – 13/06/08

Lest we forget Barbados is a tropical island. Tropical islands are known for their aesthetic beauty. Climate, beaches, landscapes etc played a large part in attracting tourists to our island. Repeat visitors coming from concrete jungles [no insult here] to tropical islands especially one well developed always appreciate the harmony between a tropical look and the sound infrastructure of the country. If one is to follow Ralph Taylor line of though, the North and East Coast of this inland should follow the way of the West Coast. The constant complaints from beach access to blotting out views of the sea will find its way of what is left of our existing coastline if not resolve soon.

Persons may be familiar with recent news that there are plans to have the British coastline accessible to the public. It would involve talking to landowners so the progress would be a slow one nevertheless it is a committed effort on the English part. There is no reason why it shouldn’t happen here. 

Land selling to the highest bidder and depriving Bajans a chance to own a piece of the rock even on the coastline marginalised locals who foreparents sacrifice to call ‘these fields and hills beyond recall [are now] our very own.’

 

                                                                                          

 

Can Cars Run On Water?

Rally Barbados 2008 saw 89 crews entered in this year’s event which is usually billed as the region’s biggest annual international motor sport event . As exciting as motor sport is I sometimes wonder about the gas bill of de fellas cars especially now subsidies have been removed off the gas and diesel.

Which brings me to the above caption. Many of us would have seen on various websites ‘car run on water’ ads which after a curious look was all the attention it got from me. Until I came across a Market Watch video about a Japanese entrepreneur converting a gas driven car to a water driven one and looking to venture into mass production.

Now I don’t know how well that would go down with the oil companies. Not with those billions of dollars of pouring in. I ain’t one of those that think we running out of oil either. Still mass production is a brilliant idea after all green is the buzz word today right?. Oil hitting $200/barrel in the future is enough to make me cringe. Government policy to offer free public transportation giving bajans the chance to put their vehicles down and use only necessary, maybe a long term strategy on DLP part to reduce the import fuel bill. But it would not work if the same buses have to ferry schoolchildren across the island. Then there are routes inadequately served. Need I say more?

Now will Barbados import any of these cars? One certainly may not see these cars in the traditional market but there is always room for the entrepreneur to capitalize in this niche area.

For the DIY souls there are links below and an accompanied video of the water run car.

Now who is brave enough to start the process or let the mechanic do the job for you? Don’t forget to post your results here.

 

Bush ‘May Convert To Catholicism’

First it was Tony Blair. Now President Bush may follow suit. The rumours are flying left, right and centre that President Bush may convert to Roman Catholicism from his Methodist roots.

The Independent  states that Bush was given the royal tour around the Vatican grounds by the pope instead of the usual greeting in the papal library. Also noted is the fact that President  Bush brother Jeb converted to Catholicism on marrying his wife Columba, a Mexican.

I wonder what the atheists have to say about that one.

Aruba Self Service Check-In First For Caribbean Airport

The Common Use Self Service [CUSS] is a check-in kiosk allowing passengers to check in and print their own boarding passes.

Passengers from different airlines are able to share a single kiosk for check-in themselves.

According to aruba.com

The start screen shows the logos of all participating airlines. The passenger selects his airline on the touch screen to start the check-in software of that airline. He then identifies himself with a passport or credit card and performs the check-in. After printing his boarding pass, he can proceed to a baggage drop-off point where his boarding pass is scanned and the required number of baggage tags is printed and attached to the luggage.

Although many airports and airlines all over the world have implemented self service check-in kiosks, Aruba’s airport is the first airport in the Caribbean to have this service.