‘Allyuh come een!’ If you like soca and calypso, Blaxx (Dexter Stewart) has made you happy, jump, wave, sing, laugh, knock a glass, hug a stranger, tap your feet or spread your hands and let go at least once. In an industry with an insane annual refresh rate, quick to …
Read More »Early Bird: Lyricsing in Parliament; how Rodney Charles’ Mia Mottley remark resurrected Explainer
“Have you seen the ad everybody on Facebook seems to be talking about?” “Yuh want to spoil my morning!” Bobby grumbled, making a long face behind his mask. “Too early to be talking about Facebook, bro! And anyway, I’m not on Facebook! “And I want to talk about serious business. …
Read More »Noble: The Public Service and norms—the case of the AG versus the CPC
God has a sense of humour. In 2017, Reginald Armour SC defended the Government in a Judicial Review case brought by a public servant seeking to establish the bounds of authority that the Prime Minister had on his ambassadorial posting. By 2019, in the Court of Appeal, he won with …
Read More »Demming: Order in the House! Is Prime Minister Rowley a tone-deaf role model?
“Order!” shouted the Speaker of the House Bridgid Annisette-George. “Order!” “Prime Minister,” the Speaker had already said three times while on her feet. Ignoring her, the Prime Minister continued his rant in response to what seemed to me to be a reasonable question from Naparima MP Rodney Charles. The Speaker …
Read More »Noble: Forget KFC condiments and Cabinet reshuffle, new IMF Report affects our future way of life
This week, the most important business news story was not the $2 that KFC wants to levy for their condiments, nor the shenanigans surrounding the Cabinet reshuffle. The week’s critical story was the release of the IMF 2021 Article IV Consultation Report. To reduce the Report to a sound bite, ‘our …
Read More »Lisa Allen-Agostini: A stitch in time; sew it begins…
When the Pandemic started and the world stopped, like everyone else, I was thrown into a whole new mental space. Unlike everyone else, I did not learn to bake banana bread or grow marijuana. But in mid-2020, I did feel called to learn to sew—buying a basic Brother sewing machine …
Read More »Demming: Open letter to Bliss Seepersad on ‘hidden hand of power’ that manipulated CoP Merit List
Dear Bliss, On behalf of the Prime Minister and the people of Trinidad and Tobago, I apologise for any anxiety and pain you have experienced over the past six months because our Prime Minister refused to admit that he was the official who, on 12 August 2021, intervened and diverted …
Read More »Noble: Defaming Mr Tiah; why Persad-Bissessar’s ‘unwarranted aspersions’ weaken T&T
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is being played out in our tiny country. We are goose-stepping in blind obedience and submission as we embrace a post-truth existence. We have crucified another contributor to our nation. Where do we think this continuing charade will land us? Who will volunteer in the future? …
Read More »Noble: Paria’s plight is rampant in T&T—First World salaries without First World leadership
Stephen R Covey, the American author of First Things First, said: ‘We are free to choose our actions… but we are not free to choose the consequences of these actions.’ As a nation, we need to contemplate this as we mourn the loss of the four men in a recent …
Read More »Noble: Wheels within Wheels; how crime flourishes with a malnourished public sector
Nobody wants to live in fear. Nobody wants to lose a loved one to crime or be victimised. The pain ricochets through the community as others experience the wrenching loss that descends on us in sudden ways. Most believe that the government is responsible for public safety. But our reactions …
Read More »Noble: We, the greedy people; how we deprive young entrepreneurs and destroy communities
This week’s blackout taught us a great lesson: the street windscreen wiper boys at the West Mall traffic lights are human! Not only are they human and not freaks intent on mischief, but they are also brave entrepreneurs. Who would have thought? When anxiety levels were rising, they, who reportedly live …
Read More »Noble: ‘The black masses win elections, but the oligarchy wins the govt’—the elites and T&T society
Gabriel Faria, the past CEO of the leading local business chamber, had an insightful interview in this week’s Business Express. He discussed the formation of a new business advocacy group. He quoted a Dr Terrence Farrell 2011 article on the need for responsible elites in our society while admitting that …
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