‘My prime minister,’ writes Wired868 columnist Dennise Demming, ‘is talking to me about not jackassing the thing.’ I couldn’t disagree more. Now I am not suggesting that Dr Keith Rowley’s choice of language has always been appropriate. In the instant case, however, Demming is barking up the wrong tree. Dr …
Read More »MSJ: AG gave too much power to police commissioner; amend SoE regulations!
“[…] The police are to ensure that laws are adhered to. The police cannot make laws. If we go in that direction we are creating a police state. “This SoE was explicitly proclaimed by the president to deal with a health crisis… The restrictions—including the hours of curfew—should therefore be …
Read More »Demming: Language and respect are connected; don’t popularise profanity
It was January 2001 when then President ANR Robinson addressed the nation and quoted his mother as saying: ‘Bad habits are gathered at slow degrees, as streams running into rivers, and rivers into seas.’ This statement was subsequently modified by a friend who reminded me that: ‘it begins with raindrops’. That’s what crossed …
Read More »NLCB: No gaming until further notice, due to state of emergency
The following is a press statement by the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB): All Lottery Centres will be closed from 17 May 2021 until further notice, as per the updated legal notice issued on 16 May 2021. We apologise for any inconvenience caused, however this is a necessary measure in …
Read More »Jackassery aside; is T&T being served during the pandemic? Do we deserve to be?
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley called a state of emergency yesterday afternoon based on the health catastrophe that is the Covid-19 pandemic. The people who were not at his side to explain how we arrived at that momentous decision and what comes next were: the chief medical officer, the attorney …
Read More »MSJ condemns Israel’s ‘continued oppression of Palestinians’, urges Caricom and TT gov’t to take a side
“[…] Not content with this massive assault on Palestinians’ rights to self-determination, the state of Israel has been continuously expanding its land and reducing the areas in which Palestinians have been living. “[…] On top of this has been the systematic oppression of Palestinians whose economy and even water supply …
Read More »Devaluation in time of Covid; should TT stoke its own economic Soufrière-like eruption?
Here we go again! In the Business Guardian of Thursday 8 April 2021, Joel Julien reports on the virtual Demas/Rampersad Seminar Series under the aegis of The UWI St Augustine Department of Economics. ‘Foreign Exchange Challenges in Trinidad and Tobago: What are the real implications?’ the title asks. Let us …
Read More »Demming: Gov’t vaccination cards need tens of thousands of sheets of paper; why not digitise?
An official in another country laughed when I presented my driver’s permit because it was a simple laminated card which could be made at any print shop. That was about 15 years ago and things have only improved slightly. I thought of this when I received my vaccine card which …
Read More »‘A client called me the grim reaper before!’ Day in the life of a bank repossession officer
“[…] Borrowers are aware that repossession is possible if payments are defaulted over an extensive period of time with no attempt or guarantee of repayment. It’s noted in the contract signed when applying for a vehicle loan. Yet, if it happens, clients feel targeted and think that I am personally …
Read More »‘Workers became more laid-back’: Day in Life of a standards officer
“[…] I had set goals for the south division—one of which was that our service would be excellent so that no one would complain about us. “I have this goal in my head; but when they decided to station all workers closer to home, the workers became more laid-back. Sometimes …
Read More »‘T&T’s the breeding ground of horning; I just live my truth’: Day in the life of an outside woman
“[…] The way I see it, I relieve [those men] of the boredom in their marriages and relationships with good company and great sex, and in return I’m rewarded with money, gifts and an exciting lifestyle. This career is a bit different from others though as I am both boss …
Read More »Daly Bread: A bouquet of humanity; the power of community spirit
A discerning reader, well experienced in the issue of diversity, responded with appreciation to last week’s column dealing with police profiling of a certain socio-economic class. The message asserted that we should say Akiel Chambers’ name when we say the names of Duante Wright and other fatally-profiled victims currently in …
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