And Still I Rise

It's official. CMC news has confirmed that PM Gonsalves is the politician who is facing charges of indecent assault. Apparently, he is due to appear at the Family Court on April 14th. I can just imagine the throngs of supporters and sprinklings of nonsupporters come April 14th if the PM really shows up to court. Word on the street is that there are several more charges to be filed which means the country will be having quite the ride.

Once again, more publicity that this island could really do without. I am so fed up that there really isn't much more to say. Hopefully, we will learn whether this is the witchhunt of witchhunts. Meantime, views in the court of public opinion remain as divided as ever.

I missed last night's episode of Flava Flav but CaliJ told me that Shy went home. If I were Shy I don't think I would have even had the nerve to show my face this week. Last week, I watched in shock and horror as Flava pointed out to Shy that her breath stinks to high heaven. Amazingly, Miss Shy didn't even have the grace to look embarrassed but stood there quite pleased to get her clock. In fact, Miss Shy was celebrating that her hot breath self got a clock so all was well with the world.

I have to wonder how much money these women are paid to make asses of themselves on national tv. I think am even more surprised that every season there is a willing bunch ready to be humiliated. Who knew that people were so desperate for a little piece of fame/notoriety? But then again that is part of what makes Flav such a compelling watch.

Shy must be praying her agent lands her a breathmint ad. That way she could definitely have the last laugh. Much as I enjoy Flava Flav's show I hope this is the final season so please please let him find love:)

It's the night before Good Friday and visions of chicken, beef and mutton are dancing in my head. But, they say I am not supposed to eat meat on Good Friday,so what's a girl supposed to do? I am not even so clear on the reasoning behind no meat on the day since all I've heard is something about meat,blood and crucifixion. My friend has since told me the no meat issue has to do with sacrifice so I should not yield.

It really appears that we are striking on the Easter traditions because for the first time in memory there are no cross buns in the house. There is an Easter bun though, that was sent from the Jamaican family so that probably counts for something.

So far, 2008 has been going real good so am tempted to set an egg white and see what other good things are store.But eggs cost so much that I don't feel like wasting one or two. All is not lost for I will definitely be in church tomorrow morning and those weather warnings mean I will stay away from the beach.

So should I tempt tradition and give in to the meat urges? I may yet live to tell another tale and if I suddenly drop out of the blogsphere then you know am paying the ultimate price.

Happy Easter, I think am going to check out the kite flying activities over the weekend.

According to a newcast tonight on SVG TV, another politician is facing charges of indecent assault. Before the item was even finished my phone was ringing off the hook as we all tried to figure out who the accused was. So many names, so many rumours, so many possibilities-some scarier than the others.

I am feeling a bit of annoyance with this latest news. It wasn't too long ago that charges of rape and indecent assault filed against the Prime Minister were dismissed. Who knew that yet another lawmaker was going to be in the news before the dust had even settled. Never a dull moment,I tell you.

Anyway, my boys don't have too much to worry about. This is not the America of the Spitzers, Clintons et al so there is no impeachment, or whatever our equivalent is to worry about. Even though some will ask for heads to roll it will be business as usual because in the end it will boil down to nine days talk. Maybe,they would be better off if they did a Spitzer and paid then all parties would be happy. If 10 years down the line a committee finds out that government funds were used to pay the bill it's still no worries. We would pretend to do an enquiry but as usual nothing would come out of it,jsut more nine days talk.

As soon as I heard of Spitzer's escapades I thought I was in the wrong profession. Never mind Aaron insists that I can't stand the pounding no matter how much I pretend . Aaron is making the big mistake of discounting the motivation factors which basically say you can rake in the big bucks for at least an hr's work. $4000 a pop in EC or USD sounds really good to me.

But then, I live on a little Caribbean island which is not going to be very forgiving if my side or new job were known. There is no CNN, Fox, NBC etc to give me the publicity and/or understanding that I would need. SVG is not a reading public so I doubt my tell all will even get off the ground. Instead, I would be tarred and feathered and I would hear how those still waters really run deep and of the shame and disgrace I've brought to my upstanding family. The same family members will not run to the media to give undying support but will instead strike me out of the little inheritance.

Most importantly, there are no Spitzers that I know of on my island. Or,if there were they won't be paying so handsomely if at all. I can see them thinking it ought to be enough for me to be graced with their presence however fleeting it may be. So, I'm watching my early retirement plans go down the drain and reconciling my self to my regular job.

The 9th version of the Vincy Rhythm and Blues was held last weekend at the Emerald Valley Casino grounds. Yours truly was there for both nights and right now am suffering the effects of not being warmly dressed on the Friday night. No, I wasn't wearing skimpy stuff, just a halter dress which was not the brightest idea given the site.

Anyway, King David Rudder rocked the grounds on Friday night. From Rally round the West Indies, to Calypso(my personal favourite),to Bahia girl, Dust, Hammer and the very lyrically conscious Haiti he had us enthralled. Fittingly, he ended with High Mas which exhorts us to give praise. We better give praise for having the brilliant Rudder in our midst. By the way, Rudder let on that his mother and grandmother are Vincentians which would explain his talent. Just kidding,Trinis:). Saxophonist Mike Phillips was brilliant but Regina Belle was a major bore. Perhaps, the organisers missed a trick by letting her end the show seeing most of us were departing very early in her performance.

Saturday night felt like Soca Monarch at Victoria Park. The flavour was heavily Caribbean so it was quite the party atmosphere. Kyron Baptiste, the Digicel Rising Star of 2007 definitely won back some of his fan base with his beautifully done renditions. Headliner Freddy Jackson proved his worth as an entertainer, trading quips with the female fan base at stage side as well as giving a strong singing performance.

Then, it was the turn of Mr Boombastic aka Shaggy aka Mr Luva Luva. I strongly believe most of the massive crowd came specifically to see Shaggy give his first performance on Vincy soil. We weren't disappointed as Shaggy,Ravon and Rick Rock had their adoring audience eating from their hands.

I am already looking forward to next year's edition. The organisers hinted that Wyclef Jean may be a headliner which is all good. I hope they try for Mattafix as well so we can see Marlon live and direct. Now, if only LIAT could be nice and give some specials then the Lucia Jazz fest may be on.

From time to time business places in Kingstown have had bomb scares. Thankfully, all of them have thus far proven to be false. Yesterday, the bomb scare phenomenon sank to an all time low when patients and staff of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital had to be hurriedly evacuated.

The scenes at the Victoria Park where the patients were taken were heartrending. Weeping relatives trying to find their loved ones, Children with IV lines cradled in their parents arms, dazed looking patients with oxygen masks, some writhng in obvious pain as they sat or lay in the stands. If the person/s behind this wanted to make a statement they surely succeeded. However, that must be one sick bastard to even contemplate disrupting an institution like the hospital,

Is it that we are so depraved that we now get our kicks from human suffering? Obviously, that creature didn't care about the persons in the Operating theatre, the ICU, those in labour, and the ones who just had major surgery. Sometimes, I swear I can't recognise my country. Outwardly, the place is as pretty as any picture but it is becoming increasingly rotten from the core. I don't care whether or not it was some person/s who had a grouse against the hospital or whether it is symptomatic of the general attitude of the population as some are saying. There just has to be a better way of resolving situations. Creating instability helps no one and the Hospital is just off limits for sick stunts.

Everytime I travel, am always reminded how lacking our bookstores are. Before some Vincy read this and label me a traitor let me point out that am talking about range. On my last trip abroad I went into several bookstores and literally felt dizzy.

Everywhere I turned were books by my favourite authors and books I wanted. The works of Maya Angelou adorned one shelf, not too far away were the autobios of people I find intriguing. Not to mention the VS Naipauls and countless other Caribbean authors that I would like to read. Of course, specially designed to torture broke pocket persons like myself were rows and rows of the latest novels by Ken Follet and others.

After a while I refused to enter any more book and shoe stores. There is only so much pain a person can endure. Thankfully, I don't have many more vices or I don't know how I would have coped. If only we were more of a reading public our bookstores would probably be better stocked and SVG would have gotten a bit more perfect.

"In the Criminal Justice System the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups. The police who investigate crime and the District Attorneys who prosecute the offenders." These words from the hit television series Law and Order took on greater significance when the accused in the Glen Jackson murder trial was set free.

Almost two years ago the island was rocked by the news that Jackson, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister had been murdered. As was expected in such a high profile case, the local police were aided by Scotland Yard in the investigations. I am totally disgusted that after all this time the case has been thrown out because the alleged confession was illegally taken. One would think that given the nature of this case the Police would have been extra careful in making sure they followed the rules.

No doubt the tongue lashing they got from the Judge was well deserved but what about the second element of the justice system. You mean to tell me that the Office of the DP( (we have no DA'S) could not see that the confession was in breach of accepted procedures? Now, all those who believed the wrong man was arrested are having a field day and theories regarding the real killer/s are all over the place. If only the Justice System could have gotten it right we would have been spared the embarrassment of such all round incompetence. One day we will get it right,meantime the Jackson case joins the list of unsolved crimes while his family yearn for justice.