Guest Columns

The Black Butterflies: Chapter two December 8, 1992. It started to rain around the fifth of December, and kept at it for some days well. By the eighth it had slowed considerably, but the cold, dark atmosphere still hung around. In fact as I stood with my black parka zipped …

In my last blog, published on 5 June 2014, I suggested that our political situation was not unlike George Orwell’s Oceania, which was the fictitious setting for his timeless novel, “1984”. On 11 June 2014, within a week of my post, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar declared that we must “unleash …

Wired868 concludes Chapter One of The Black Butterflies: A Trinidad crime novel My car was rammed from behind again, and this time I screamed out, more in frustration than fear. I could not lose these guys I thought as I took another corner. I had now lost count, as all …

“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.” – 1984, George Orwell I was probably 15 years old when I first read George Orwell’s 1984. At the time I had only conceived of Winston Smith’s dilemma as doing the right thing because …

“Sometimes I think my friends, like death, are all that I am sure of. And I have thought about it a lot. Will I die for them if I have too? Will they do the same for me? Is there any sacrifice, that might be too great? The answers I …

One year to go. Take comfort. This week should have been the week to redefine the political landscape once and for all. There was ample room for it too. Is not often that Ministers involve in illegal activities and happen to allow accompanying video too, with audio intact. That is …

The following column was written by Dr George Simon, PhD for the Counselling Resource.com website: Gaslighting is a sophisticated manipulation tactic which certain types of personalities use to create doubt in the minds of others. Here’s how it works and what to watch out for. In a stage play and …

Corporal punishment is clearly the most popular method of punishing children who misbehave. While there are other forms of punishing youngsters such as “being grounded” or denied certain privileges, a beating is the most immediate, swift and effective way to put a stop to undesirable behaviour. And, even though the …

The words that I’ve heard used to describe Therese Mills over the last week have not been surprising. Grand Dame. Iron Lady.  They are descriptions that seek to wrap the achievements of a strong-willed and determined woman in the armour of a fighter and crusader. That’s one way of seeing …

Acting Prime Minister Errol McLeod told the Trinidad Express yesterday that the national community should observe a minute’s silence for former two-time World Youth Cup player Akeem Adams, who passed away yesterday in Budapest, Hungary. Unquestionably, the Trinidad and Tobago Government has taken the lead on this initiative. There were …

When a global think-tank announced to the world that Trinbago is now, for all intents and purposes, in the hands of criminal gangs, I feel pretty certain that I was not the only one thinking that the country has been in the same hands for the last 50 years. At …

Independent Liberal Party (ILP) interim leader and ex-FIFA vice president Jack Warner sued me for substantial damages, a retraction and public apology as well as legal costs but he ended up offering an apology instead, via a legal document lodged in the High Court. Here is second and final part …