“[…] Last month, the 27-year-old Nicholas Pooran made what turned out to be a smart decision. He made himself unavailable for the One Day International series against India, and opted to play in the first American Major League Cricket final in Dallas. His stunning 137 not out off 55 balls …
Read More »Orin: The risks of lighting them up—and pro-gun soundbites
“[…] Earlier this year, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said that 25,000 citizens have licensed firearms. Some will therefore face circumstances in which they feel compelled to use them. “What’s absent from the conversation is situational risk assessment. It’s an important part of discussions about armed engagement, but it’s easy …
Read More »Orin: T&T’s constitution leaves the cookie jar open—that’s the problem!
“[…] The T&T constitution is defective in one important respect. Too much power of nomination and appointment resides in the premiership and presidency; and therein lies suspicions of cronyism. “The Constitution effectively leaves the lid of the cookie jar unsecured. It then seems to operate on the expectation that those …
Read More »Orin: Rudder is the best of T&T; I know my favourite song—what’s yours?
“[…] In musical terms, T&T punches well above its geographic and demographic weight. Many artistes have brought great poetic, musical and lyrical richness to the global table—but none of them brings the feels like David Rudder. “[…] You’ll not find more deftly written words to describe a particular sexy woman …
Read More »Orin: Lineker scored, but the game for media integrity isn’t over
“[…] Gary Lineker, an accomplished former footballer for England, tweeted that the government set out an ‘immeasurably cruel policy being directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s’. “One sympathetic piece in The Guardian (UK) suggested that Gary can become …
Read More »Orin: White vest, sneakers and Wallabees: Bunji was the boss—but I won’t forget Nailah either
“[…] Bunji’s clever ragga-style rapid-fire toasting managed to include a range of references, from isosceles to Wallabees… Their joint ownership of Hard Fete is itself more powerful than anything either of them said in defence of it, and they had plenty to say. “[…] Nailah and Skinny’s offering is a …
Read More »Orin: Your guide to wining responsibly—from an eight-year T&T resident
“[…] The number one complaint I get from women I asked about wining protocol is about men who don’t how to take their one wine and be contented. A wine does not necessarily signify a wish for continuing engagement or a deeper bond—irrespective of vigor, intensity or degree of contact. …
Read More »Orin: ISM’s vital to Trini-Caribbean soca partnership—just ask Mr Killa!
“[…] Another response I took issue with was ‘let the market decide’ whether ISM survived or not. Some of those sentiments came from folks with a UWI education paid for by the state. “T&T as a society decided that access to higher education wasn’t going to be according to means. …
Read More »Orin: Machel Montano’s misstep; and why Soca Monarch deserves better
“[…] The main argument in defence of what’s in effect a Machel Monday redux on Carnival Friday was that ISM was dying anyway, so what’s the problem letting Monk have his way and have the day? “It’s a strikingly bad argument. If your beloved relative is dying, you don’t finish …
Read More »Orin: T&T and the executive presidency—a note of caution from Guyana
“[…] The Electoral College will meet later this month to choose President Paula-Mae Weekes’ successor, and there’s been much discussion about the presidency as it is—whether it should become an executive office, and even whether it should be abolished. “[…] With an executive president, [former prime minister Basdeo] Panday argues, …
Read More »Orin: Sports, politics and bandwagons; the 2022 W/Cup was pregnant with resonance
“[…] North versus south, developed versus developing, small versus big, rich versus poor, colonists versus colonised. Matches were pregnant with meaning and resonance outside of football. “[…] The World Cup, Olympics and sports in general are proxies for fights over politics, history and geographical hegemony… Caribbean people in the UK …
Read More »Orin: The good, bad and the ugly of the 2022 World Cup
“[…] I told someone who knows Radanfah Abu Bakr that I liked the former T&T defender’s analysis. He replied: ‘Radanfah understands that less is more.’ “[…] CNC3 […] has had good moments, but overall coverage hasn’t been good enough. Things got off to an unpromising start when analyst Jan-Michael Williams …
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