I congratulate the Minister of Tourism, Randall Mitchell MP, for his reported admission that Carnival has failed as a tourism product. In 2015, I had already described “the acceleration of the decline of Carnival into a minority sport”. Only last week I complained again that our rich and varied musical …
Read More »Tribute to Professor Ken Philmore: the steelpan pioneer T&T never fully embraced
“Professor Ken Philmore should have been one of our immortal monarchs and champions… Without assistance, without adulation, without even our cursory attention, Professor went about spreading the gospel of our sound and our instrument. “He would continue to push the international profile of pan further appearing with giants: Tito Puente, …
Read More »Demming: Requiem at Angostura; Bharath is the chief celebrant…
You are cordially invited to The Daily Requiem for all victims of sexual harassment at Angostura Holdings Limited and indeed throughout Trinidad and Tobago. The chief celebrant will be Mr Terrence Bharath Chairman, Angostura Holdings Limited. In anticipation of his sermon here are two quotes from previous sermons. On July …
Read More »No school on Friday 12 Oct; gov’t approves time off for teachers convention
The Ministry of Education confirmed that all schools—at primary, secondary and ECCE level—will be closed on Friday 12 October 2018. This is to facilitate the 2018 National Convention of Teachers, which will be held from 9am to 3pm on that day. Harrilal Seecharan, chief education officer of the Ministry of …
Read More »Young: Sankat will be treated like normal deportee; returns to Trinidad after US$909 fine
“I wish to state that all arms of our law enforcement that deal with returning deportees have been notified and are prepared to receive Mr Sankat, in the usual course of a returning national who has been deported…” Minister of National Security, Stuart Young, issued the following press statement on …
Read More »Daly Bread: We came again; the Big 5 and the future of steelpan
The second edition of the Big 5 concert, comprising prime bands in prime time, took place on the eve of Republic Day. This column is about what such an event demonstrates regarding leadership, management, positive development and self esteem. The event was promoted as We Comin’ Again. The Big 5 …
Read More »Dear Editor: “We hold up a mirror to society…”; MFO responds to Baldeosingh on ‘gay rights’
“Mr [Kevin] Baldeosingh’s confusion may be caused by his desire to correlate the findings with the cited comment by Inglehart. Our position is not that our country’s values have changed but that these values are changing. A world of difference.” In the following Letter to the Editor, MFO (Market Facts …
Read More »Gilkes: Republic reflections; pondering difference between ‘de-colonial’ and ‘post-colonial’
“Politics is a game of fear. Those that do not have the ability to frighten power elites do not succeed. “[…] The platitudes about justice, equality and democracy are just that. Only when ruling elites become worried about survival do they react. Appealing to the better nature of the powerful …
Read More »Daly Bread: A tsunami of grief; moving on from Petrotrin
Two weeks ago, I asserted that the proposed closure of the Petrotrin refinery was a socio-economic earthquake attributable to the State enterprise fault line that runs right through our economy. That earthquake has produced its tsunami. It is a tsunami of grief. The question is this: Do we understand that …
Read More »Police hold “Snake”; Beetham resident charged for assaulting Hinds during “Operation Strike Back”
Beetham Gardens resident Richard “Snake” Marcelle, who shot to prominence last month after kicking flood water on to Laventille West MP Fitzgerald Hinds, was charged today for “assault by beating and use of obscene language” against the Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General. The Police Communications Department confirmed …
Read More »MOWT: Light vehicles can use PBR between Mt Hope and POS
The Ministry of Works and Transport wishes to advise the general public of the partial opening of the Priority Bus Route (PBR) to light vehicles ONLY between the intersections of Abattoir Road, Port of Spain and the Mount Hope intersection, until further notice. This has become necessary due to roadworks …
Read More »Dear Editor: Oil and gas is “a waste of the future generation’s patrimony”
“This notion that ‘we have oil’ is a gross misrepresentation of what it cost to get a bbl of oil out of the ground to the point of sale—not to mention that the price you see quoted via international media is not what our oil sells for…” The following Letter …
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