“[…] This feeling of always being uneducated influenced me when I became prime minister. There were always about 6,000 children thrown on the social dump heap because they failed their Common Entrance exam. “I realised the Common Entrance was not to determine who went to school but who wouldn’t… If …
Read More »Vaneisa: Branding and brainwashing—the good, the bad and the ugly of advertising
What is a Crixism? That was the latest campaign for Crix, regional stalwart for a hundred years, according to its manufacturers, Bermudez Biscuit Company. In its first appearance, it was simply called salt biscuits. I remember my paternal grandfather, who squatted on the chair that was part of a beautifully …
Read More »Noble: Massy’s 9-Day Wonder—can a company’s chief lawyer be a whistleblower?
“When you play the Game of Thrones, you either win or die. There is no middle ground.” Cersei Lannister, Game of Thrones, season one, episode seven. At the annual general meeting (AGM) celebrating Massy’s 100th anniversary, an employee used her shareholding rights to disrupt the commemoration. Two days later, the …
Read More »Dear Editor: To Basdeo “Silver Fox” Panday—his positives outweigh the negatives
Trade unionist, actor, attorney at law, politician and Trinbagonian legend, Basdeo Panday has passed. He was well known for his silvery-white hair, charisma and sharp wit and was someone many loved to hate politically and ideologically for his style of leadership over the years—his outspokenness and his skilful use of …
Read More »Orin: Parisot-Potter vs Massy; why I’m inspired yet unconvinced by tales of bizarre rituals
“[…] It’s not hard to see where (ex-Massy Holdings general counsel) Angélique Parisot-Potter is coming from. She considers the training to be waste-of-money mumbo jumbo. “Delphi Sphere can counter that it has a strong client portfolio. Its website lists Ernst & Young, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, British Gas and McKinsey. …
Read More »Noble: God is mindful of the humble but scatters the proud
Ancestry © is possibly the most extensive software package that helps us to develop our family tree. Knowing your family history enables you to appreciate your identity. The story of Jesus in the New Testament begins with a family tree. In a strange twist, the genealogy by which Matthew attempts …
Read More »Noble: Sojourner’s truth: Ain’t I a Woman?
At the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, a former enslaved woman, Sojourner Truth, delivered a famous speech. The contents of the actual speech have been contested, with mainly two versions still reported. The more popular version is called “Ain’t I a Woman”. That one has the narrative written …
Read More »Vaneisa: Pork, Daisy, and country vibes—how Scrunter conquered Christmas
I’ve been on a Scrunter loop, studying lyrics, music, the melodies, the distinctive raspiness of his voice—and it made me want to pay tribute to this one of our outstanding West Indians. I’d interviewed him way back in 1998, and the article said much of what I wanted to say …
Read More »Venezuela and Guyana presidents choose peace, in Argyle declaration
“[…] Guyana and Venezuela declared as follows: 1. Agreed that Guyana and Venezuela, directly or indirectly, will not threaten or use force against one another in any circumstances, including those consequential to any existing controversies between the two States. “[…] And that any controversies between the two States will be …
Read More »Orin: Caricom’s stance on Guyana-Venezuela dispute is a study in spinelessness
The following guest column on the relationship between the governments of Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana was submitted to Wired868 by Orin Gordon, a Guyana-born, T&T-based media consultant who publishes at oringordon.com: The much bigger, stronger brother has the smaller one in a painful choke hold. Little brother can’t breathe. He’s wriggling …
Read More »Dear Editor: Has anyone examined Exxon’s role in Essequibo conflict?
The once-dormant border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela can potentially destabilise the entire region if not hemisphere—most definitely this country—and yet I don’t think our media is analysing this with nearly the depth it deserves Listening to the more mature radio talk shows and going through certain articles and news reports, one …
Read More »MSJ: Venezuela-Guyana must not go to war for sake of “foreign interests”!
“[…] The Caribbean has, since the 15th Century, been a region of imperial contest and a theatre for wars between European colonial and imperial powers, and then later for US colonial and imperial military intervention. We cannot and must not allow this to be continued. “The God-given resources of the …
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