Rihanna, Barbados Still Loves You!

AP Photo/ Evan Agostini, AP Photo

Last night the news broke that Rihanna would not be able to honour her contract to perform as the opening act at the Grammy Awards ceremony. Almost immediately similar news followed that her American boy friend Chris Brown of about one year cancelled his appearance as well. Then early this morning the international news wires started to sizzle with the news of a possible domestic dispute between the two young international pop stars.

A tribute to the handlers of both stars is the fact that information about the reported incident in California last night has been kept under tight secrecy. Despite the blackout on information reports are starting to emerge of a bloodied and bruised Rihanna. The one fact known to the world which has been confirmed by American police is that Chris Brown “was booked by police on suspicion of making a felony criminal threat.”

Barbados is a small island driven to rumour easily. Last year many Barbadians heard the whispers that boy friend Chris Brown had demonstrated anger on many occasions when some of Rihanna’s male friends would visit. There is the biggest rumour of all that on one occasion the windows of her new SUV were smashed. Maybe the signs have always been there that Rihanna needed to step back.

No Word On The Future Of Graeme Hall Sanctuary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bridgetown, Barbados

MONDAY, February 10, 2009

Email Contact: graemehall@gramehall.com

Backup Letters, Art and Archives: www.graemehall.com/press.htm

An official at Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary confirmed Monday that there was still no agreement with the Government of Barbados to negotiate the means to transfer the Sanctuary and create the 240-acre National Park at Graeme Hall.

“I have been available to them, but have not heard or received any indication of what they (government) will do,” said Stuart Heaslet who represents Peter Allard, owner of the Sanctuary.

In the last two months Heaslet has made two trips to Barbados from his home in Oregon in an attempt to reach a formal agreement to negotiate with government, but with no success.

Employees who were laid off in mid December will be formally severed from the Sanctuary in early March if no agreement is reached to re-open the nature facility.

Constituency Councils And Reinventing Government

Chris Sinckler, Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Urban Development

The controversial Constituency Councils Act 2009 will be debated in our parliament tomorrow. If passed this will be the second most significant policy rollout of the government since gaining office, free school rides for students being the first. The David Thompson led government appears to be quite comfortable in  focusing on social programs.

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) eased into office on the promise of CHANGE. Also exposing corruption and ensuring that government resources were more efficiently allocated to benefit the PEOPLE by enforcing government’s financial rules to ensure transparency.

We have listened to the current debate regarding the establishment of constituency councils. Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley has been quite vocal in her criticism that the councils conflict with the role of the member of parliament which is defined in the Constitution of Barbados. Also the wide range of powers the minister is cited to have in the proposed legislation has many believing that this will just be another opportunity for the Democratic Labour Party to distribute largess.

Vote Barbados: Where In The World Is Matt Lauer

NBC Host Matt Lauer

Barbados has moved into the top two destinations which Matt Lauer of the popular NBC show, “Where In The World Is Matt Lauer.” Barbados is narrowly ahead of St. Lucia and lagging Latvia by 7%.   We suspect that the Barbados Tourism Authority would welcome any exposure on one of America’s largest TV networks.

We urge BU family members to not only cast a vote for Barbados HERE, but feel free to email this LINK to all of your friends telling them to do the same.

Can We Ever Put RACE To Rest In Barbados?

Submitted by Yardbroom

There is an argument that the nature of this submission will polarize, but I would contend that is only because the issue has not already been satisfactorily addressed.  That possibility is all the more reason for an intelligent debate.  I believe that race appears to be always just beneath the surface as evidenced in some debates.  It is only fair to state this issue of race has not been helped by a “few” in positions of authority – when it is convenient – seeking to exploit race to their advantage.  When we can discuss race in an open debate, without fear of victimization or denigration of each other, the process will start to put race to the sword in Barbados.

This is an attempt to start that process by asking simple questions on a “specific issue.”

Why are there so “few” and I mean “few” medium and large size businesses managed and “owned” by indigenous black Barbadians?  I will further make the point that business opportunities are not possible to all races in equal measure commensurate with their percentage of the population in Barbados.  If I am wrong there will be hard evidence to refute my statement.

What Is The Purpose Of Our Existence?

Comment posted by Bush Tea

Dna Helix

We are good so far ROK. In fact you are way ahead of me, for the purpose of our exercise I am willing to accept only that some more intelligent (than us) force is responsible for the design and order that we experience daily. (Forget the bible – we will get to that)

My inclination is to call that force BBE (Big Boss Engineers) based on the intricate and complex designs.

Now here is the question…

Why would an intelligent BBE create the reality that we experience all around us with it’s great beauty but also great suffering and sorrows?

What is the OVERALL objective?

…and if the answer is more than one paragraph, I won’t buy it….

Is There Link Between Moral Deflation And Rise In Use Of Sexual Enhancers?

Stone

As if non and communicable diseases were not inflicting enough of a dent on our national budget, we are now told to watch-out for another malady to add to the list. Word on the ground supported by media reports paints a sad story that many of our young males are going to the grave in their quest to sexually satisfy their partners. While it is true that young Barbadian men have always had access to sexual stimulants through the years, can we agree that there seem to be an over reliance of late on enhancers to boost sexual performance.

We understand that two of the more popular sexual enhancers on the market are Coffin and Stone. Common sense should dictate that the negative feedback about the use of Coffin and Stone causing users to die would negatively affect sales, not so according to media reports. We see a parallel to tobacco use. Despite all the negative reports and the high price of the product because of government taxes sales remain high.

Why would our young men risk their life by ingesting or applying substances to improve sexual prowess?

What Says Ye, Mr. Albert Branford?

Hartley Henry - DLP Political Strategist

Try as I might, I cannot disguise what is generally referred to as my “writing style”.  Irrespective of whether my name is withheld from an article or I absent myself from the delivery of a speech, they are those who, with a tremendous degree of accuracy, can declare “that is a Hartley Henry” speech, column or opinion.

That comes, I guess, from several years of writing, where persons have become familiar with a particular turn of phrase or use of language. I am sure other leading writers in Barbados experience the same, where persons say, “I look forward to reading you every week. I like your style”. What they are in effect saying is that ‘you have a trade mark’ or that ‘you are consistent in your line of thinking’. That is very flattering for a writer.

I am an avid reader of most newspaper columns in Barbados and I too have come to recognize and appreciate certain styles and approaches. I know Stephen Alleyne’s style. I know Leonard Shorey’s style. I know David Cuke’s style. I know… By the same token I know the styles of Tony Best, Robert Best, Peter Wickham, Clyde Mascoll, Peter Simmons, Harold Hoyte, Al Gilkes and the like. All their styles and nuances have been established and have become entrenched over the years. You read them weekly to know what they are saying, because you like the way they are likely to say it.

The same goes for most reporters and social commentators. Their styles are consistent. The only frequent writer whose style I cannot track is Albert Branford.

When Will Barbados Rollout Economic Stimulus Package?

Prime Minister of Barbados David Thompson

The BU household continues to struggle to understand some of the tactics being used by some developed countries in the tizzy of the prevailing global financial crisis.  The United States remains the mother of all free markets and in the thrust to sustain its thirst for profits it created the trade phenomenon, globalization.

BU family members maybe aware that there is an initiative on the way in the USA to entice Americans to buy local which Obama intends to attach to his stimulus plan: how ironic!

Among the world’s financial analysts there is the majority opinion that the USA is responsible for triggering the economic tailspin the world finds itself, yet they seem so willing to implement protectionist measures as a strategy to stimulate homespun industries. Conversely developing countries like Barbados and others have had to expose themselves to the brunt of WTO policies, EPAs and all, by dismantling national trade boundaries.

Where is the logic?

Where is the equity?

Is There An End To The Meltdown?

Submitted by Bush Tea

It seems to me that the real challenge being faced with this “global economic downturn” is not about good management ‘gone bad’, but rather, it is all about a new social and economic reality that has presented itself to this world.

This is a particularly dangerous situation, since it appears that our best managers (those who knew how to succeed in the old reality) now appear at a loss as to how to proceed and we all know what happens to the people where there is no vision….

The first to be exposed will of course be the speculative fields such as banking, insurance, real estate etc. What house in Barbados should be valued at $40 million dollars? And how does a 3 bedroom 2-bathroom home on 8,000 square feet of land get to have an asking price of 2 million?

Only because greedy speculators were allowed to impose their selfish will. Greedy managers over the last two decades manipulated the system to create ‘wealth’ for everyone (but especially themselves) by over valuing assets, ignoring risks, and breeching rules of common sense. These are supposed to be the people who are our ‘great Gurus of management’. However, as the old folks used to say, “Day does run ’til night catch it….”. All it took was one spoilsport ratings expert to blow his whistle, and the whole scheme is in rolling collapse.