Sinusitus, The Great Affliction

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Whither Our Small Hotels?

Submitted by Adrian Loveridge

Dennis Tull, Chairman of the Intimate Hotels of Barbados, - Credit: The Advocate

I read with interest some of the many comments attributed to the long serving chairman of the Intimate Hotels of Barbados at the organisation’s AGM recently. Frankly, I agree with most of them, but sadly, I have heard most of them before over prolonged periods of time and until there is a fundamental change in thinking, I doubt little will change.

Regrettably, consecutive Governments have not recognised the contribution made by our more than 120 small hotels. Yes! the Intimate Hotel Group was established under a previous Government and is given substantial annual grant assistance. But in reality, a staggering 29%, or nearly one in three of their members do not even meet our national legal definition of what a hotel should be.

1. Around 70 of our small hotels do not fall under any national marketing policy at all, and you really only have to ask one simple question. What proportion of the annual budget (around BDS$90 million) allocated to the Barbados Tourism Authority is spent on promoting our small hotels?
2. To highlight this almost indifference to the small hotel sector is who is representing them on the current BTA/Ministry of Tourism delegation to China?
3. What are we really saying here?

There’s A Time And A Place For EVERYTHING

Hartley Henry - DLP Political Strategist

I understand the rationale but I am not sure I agree with those who call for a removal of so-called “smut” from soca or calypsos. What really is the “smut” persons are referring to? Are we talking about sexual connotations? If so, then why pick only on the calypsonian?

Seventy per cent of the songs I hear on non-gospel stations in Barbados include some element of implicit and explicit sexual reference. Indeed, I marveled a few weeks ago in the midst of the Movado/Vybes Kartel hullabaloo, when, in banning two Jamaican artistes from coming to Barbados to sing smut, our society then authorized a radio station to send two probable teenagers to the United States to see smut. This writer has a fundamental problem with that!

I was all for the banning of the Jamaican duet because I objected philosophically to the notion that they had a role to play in helping to shape the thought processes of our youth. There are far too many role models in Barbados for me to accept that a Jamaican dance hall artist is required to point out right from wrong and lead our youths along the straight and narrow path. I also have a difficulty in these tough economic times, of our encouraging low income earners to assign hard earned resources each week to what, to my mind, is low level entertainment. I therefore supported the ban on Movado/Vybes Kartel.

Cynical Reporting And Hidden Agendas

Credit: The Advocate Newspaper

Submitted by George Brathwaite

First of all I would like to commend the various media houses in Barbados for doing a reasonable job in reporting information to the public. However, there can and will be always room for improvements.

For some time now, I have become aware of a seeming change in traditional standards (i.e. declining) wherein the trend in news reporting in Barbados draws merited scepticism. Newspapers, for instance, protect their turf with an uncanny attachment toward their undeclared political interests and expect the general public to assume neutrality. To a large extent, the Barbados Advocate newspaper appears foremost in this indefensible circumstance.

After noticing the headlines of Wednesday 14 July 2010, which in bold typeface, communicates that Barbados Int‟l Reserves Increase, I felt heartened and confused simultaneously. This attention-grabber was coming on the heels of another electronic version, Barbados Today, in which that headline courted the notion that things were UNCERTAIN in the economy; this was substantiated in the Barbados Daily Nation appearing under the caption Gloomy Outcome and for which the first sentence states, “Central Bank Governor Dr Delisle Worrell says the outlook for Barbados‟ economy is uncertain.” Certainly there are mixed (i.e. different) messages being conveyed to the reader between the reporting of the Advocate and the two news carriers alluded to in this paragraph.

Governor Delisle Worrell Delivers Half Year Review Of The Economy

Governor of the Central Bank, Delisle Worrell - Click image to read PDF report

Governor, Dr. DeLilse Worrell’s Review of the Barbados Economy for the first six months of 2010 – Click link to watch video

We Live In Interesting Times – Google’s Intrusion, Precedent Setting Libel Laws On The Cards

Mail Online

The rapid advance in Internet and cellphone technology coupled with its deep market penetration has given wings to the cliché, we live in interesting times. The technology exposes a cellphone user’s position within feet relative to the nearest cell tower. Does the average citizen understand that by acquiring the cellphone there is a quid pro quo to be considered? John Citizen enjoys the convenience of being connected but a blip appears on Big Brother’s radar.

Recently in the United Kingdom, the largest search engine Google is alleged to have been caught with its hand in the cookie jar. In a widely reported story in the Mail Online…the search engine giant mapped every wireless internet connection in the country and now uses the data to make money. Google staff in specially adapted cars collected the signals from inside residents’ homes as they toured the country for the company’s Street View project. They were able to record the location of every router and wireless network without telling anyone because wi-fi signals spill out from inside homes on to the street.

Rat Bait Needed At Town Planning Department

Barbados Town Planning Department

The name of former Town Planner Leonard St. Hill came up on another blog recently. He use to be a regular contributor to the talk shows and a frequent letter writer to the daily’s. Although we have seen a few sightings of his letters to the editor, his contributions to the talk shows have been very few and far between. BU wishes him well; his vast knowledge accumulated over many years as Chief Town Planner should be valuable at a time when Barbadians are seriously questioning government’s land use policy.

It is ironic that the Town Planning Department (TP) is charged under the laws of Barbados for the orderly and progressive development of land resources in Barbados yet suffers from a lack of resources. No wonder successive government can with impunity manipulate the ZONES at a whim even when it conflicts with the will of the people. A drive along the West Coast and to a lesser degree the South Coast should convince those who are not blinded by political affiliation – the disfigurement of our coastline is enough to make a grown man cry.

The undermanned Town Planning Department was placed under the microscope after the tragedy at Arch Hall, Britton’s Hill. The furore generated by that tragedy has abated and the reputation of Barbadians to perpetuate a 7 day wonder remains intact. Recently BU had reason to question an archaic practice of the TP Department. If a member of the public wants to inquire the status of public applications submitted for TP approval they have to scan a very thick register where the applications are recorded in long hand. It appears TP officers have access to the information in electronic format but they are very selective about sharing with the general public. Members of the public who demonstrate impatience at the 19th Century arrangement i.e. having to turn the several pages of a very thick register are directed  to a private individual. It appears from BU’s best research the private individual has taken the time to transfer the information from long hand to electronic format. Here is the catch, members of the public have to pay the private individual to gain access to the information. BU applauds the private individual for capitalizing on the opportunity which he has been presented. The issue for BU is the willingness of the TP officers to direct members of the public to a private citizen to access information which is public.

BU smells a rat!

Quality Of Bajan Life Must Not Be Compromised At The Altar Of CSME And Freedom Of Movement

Wikipedia

The Immigration Debate has abated because of a combination of a stagnant economy, Barbadians loudly voicing dissatisfaction at the open door immigration policy practiced by the former government and a new government whose politics is built on a hybrid ideology of socialism cum populism.

In October 2009 the government disseminated a Green Paper on Immigration which sought to stimulate discussion on these issues which drive our immigration policies and which are critical to both national security and national development. It is anticipated that on conclusion of this extensive dialogue the White Paper will therefore reflect Government’s position on this important issue in addition to the views of the people.

True to its word the government of Barbados facilitated feedback from the public by staging town hall meetings, receiving letters and emails etc. Prime Minister David Thompson promised at the final town hall meeting in March 2010 that  in a matter of a few months, a white paper setting out a new immigration policy will be completed. The last time we checked about two weeks ago our parliament had not received any notification the White Paper on Immigration was ready for debate. It is interesting to note because of the illness of David Thompson Fruendel Stuart has been appointed acting Prime Prime Minister, he is on record declaring that Barbados is not ready to become the warehouse for unskilled workers in the Caribbean. He is now in a position to drive the amendment to the Immigration Law to give meat to his pronouncement.

THE FOURTH REICH: Masking The EU “Working Time Directive” – A Pretext To Enforce Global Catholic Religious Observance As the Ancient Issue Of “Sunday Sacredness” Takes Center Stage

Submitted by Terence Blackett

There has never been better slaves, never worst masters – Tacitus

The Pope

For the past [212] years, the deadly socio-political and religious wound inflicted on the Papacy by Napoleon Bonaparte’s General Jean Baptiste Berthier on the 20 February 1798 has now healed to the point where this institution will once again usurp her authority as she did during the 1260 years of the Dark Ages (538 AD -1798).

The entire world still pays obeisance to this earthly religious government. Its power is greater than that of kings. Its might has been wielded for over 3000 years, shape-shifting throughout past ages taking on diverse Satanic forms while masking and masquerading as a “godlike” entity. Time and again it has resurrected itself. In the past, (just like today), it is “the ‘Beast’ that sits on many waters” –

Aptly called “The Fourth Reich” it seeks to bring world powers under its allegiance – culminating in enforced religious “laws” where all the inhabitants of earth will be obliged to adhere to – regardless of geography, religion, ethnic group, class or creed.

Social historians and anthropologists agree that most definitional interpretations of “Reich” is “German State” – but the conceptual place from which this notion originates does not infer a relation to what is today the country of Germany, but rather an ancient allusion to the Germanic Lands occupied by the Goths, Ostrogoths, Franks, Heruli, Bavarians, Alamans, Saxons and other barbarian people. The “Reich” is then best described as a crossbreed between a State and a confederation based on religious grounds – except for the latter, (not being unlike the EU of today).

Update – The Secretive World Of Peter Andrew Allard Part V

Peter Allard

BU recently updated on the Nelson Barbados Group matter which was recently concluded in the Canadian Court. The Honourable Justice B. Shaughnessy who presided was very scathing in his closing comments directed at the Plaintiff. The transcript of the windup makes for interesting reading. Of note to the BU family is the likelihood this matter will continue in the Florida Courts and possibly Cyprus!

Here is the transcript – 36 pages of the closing (BU Library) which is recorded in easy to understand prose.