And Still I Rise

I always tell my friends to be careful what they write in cyberspace. One rule of thumb I use is to ask myself if what I post online I would tell to the world at large. If the answer is no, then I refrain from posting it. This can be misconstrued as my being labelled a bore or worse. The truth is; I am really a very private person which seems like a contradiction given that blogging is by nature very public. However, I have no doubt the written word can come back to haunt you.

I am writing this mainly because a friend sent me an email regarding anonymity on the net which clearly outlined how we leave our prints everywhere we go on the Web. Andy Greenberg writes:You may have forgotten about Friendster, the once-booming social networking site that faded as American Web users flocked to MySpace and Facebook. But Friendster may not have forgotten about you.

It still remembers, for instance, that John Smith from Salisbury, Md., enjoys hobbies including "comic books" and "copulation." And any Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ) user can read a glowing testimonial written to Brooklynite Sam Brown, describing his habit of walking around his apartment drunk and naked, as well as his talent for using a certain part of his anatomy as a puppet.

In fact, Friendster is a ghost town of detailed personal information: The site received only 2.4 million unique visitors in the U.S. in January, but has more than 10 million American profiles, many of which publicly display information that users would probably prefer to keep private.

Friends, you see why a little discretion is not a bad thing in the long run? A commenter on this blog informed me that a post of mine was read on the radio. While, I don't particularly care; I have no doubt the writer would have been branded as anti government and others would be busy trying to get the identity. The only real solution, argues a hacker and security researcher who calls himself "Dead Addict," is to not reveal your personal information in the first place. "If you already have a history online and suddenly start caring about privacy, you're in a very tough spot," he says. "Basically, there's no easy answer."

Yesterday, was our 29th Independence and like many Vincentians I tuned in to hear the Prime Minister's address and to watch the parade-if only to see the fainters. It has become a trend to have the Prime Minister announce some goodies during the Independence address such as Christmas bonuses and retroactive salary increases. This year,to my dismay there were no such announcements and to my ears the PM didn't sound like his usual ebullient self. I wonder if the two week strike action taken by the Teachers Union was a contributory factor but our Prime Minister says he doesn't hold grudges.

I found it odd that the Police Band chose to play a Jamaican reggae song for the march past. It's not that am hating on Serrani/o(sp) but when you are showcasing your country's independence then for chrissakes play something Vincentian. It's not too much to give the Zoelah's et al some recognition. We cannot be asked to show patriotism, dress ourselves and our public buildings in yellow, green and blue and then treat our musicians as secondary. We must do better.

1. Rhode scholar...Luke Browne

2. Back to Back winners of Digicel Rising Stars

3. Jewels Rice from East Caribbean Flour Mills

4. Fourth most spectacular island paradise voted by Travel Channel

5. Fifth sexiest beach -Godahl Beach Canouan voted by Travel Channel

6. Different languages recored Beckett's Teaser

7. Wickets by Winston Davis set a then world record in the 1983 Cricket World Cup

8. Number 8 in Top 10 Caribbean Atlantic Islands of the Year

9. Nine ah we and dem launch Carolling at the Grammar school steps(87?)

10. Days in the June/July sun..that's Vincy Mas

11 Grade 1's by Kamal Wood top CXC performer in the Caribbean 04

12. Tribes of Judah representatives invited to tour Ethiopia with Pm Gonsalves

13. People including beauty Queen Donna Young die in a plane accident off Cane Garden Point

14. Th of March becomes National Heroes day


15. Year old Sophia Young leads SVG u15 team to a Caribbean title in 1989

16 .Vincy parrots bred in captivity to help their conservation

17 .Square miles of beautiful Grenadines

18 .Year old Kiokya Cruicksahnk sings her way to the top of the inaugural East Caribbean Rising Stars competion in05

19 .Year old Donna Young wins the inaugural Miss Carival

20.Yr old Luke Browne heads the Undergraduates Guild Cave Hill

21.Year old Sancho Lyttle picked fifth in WNBA draft

22. ND January no longer celebrated as the day Columbus discovered us

22 Year old Adonal Foyle picked seventh in NBA draft97

23. Year Old Kyron Baptiste successfully defends the Vincy crown in Rising Stars competition.

24 .Years of the National Lottery

25.Year old Halimah Deshong delivers Valedictory speech at Cave Hill

26 Varieties of mangoes in SVG :)

27.th October 1979,we became Independent

28.yr old Ken Browne the youngest Parliamentarian elected to office(1979)

29 .years of Indpendendence. We rock

Happy Independence SVG!


Ps..I had to stick in the Grenadines,just had to. Credit to Min Of Tourism for the idea and for numbers 6,7 and 24.

I really want to write about lighter stuff but I just can't. Remember I recently wrote about a/the rapist striking again and this time wounding a man who was an occupant of the house? Since then,the man has since died and the girlfriend and alleged rape victim has been charged with his murder.

On one level,I feel relieved that my fears have been assuaged regarding safety but on another level I am filled with loathing at her alleged actions. While am not privy to all the reasons why he had to die I am certain there are other ways to resolve differences. Assuming this girl is guilty,she clearly had no idea the fear she triggered off in the hearts of many Vincentians regarding their personal safety. We empathised with her,only to later learn the joke was really upon us. For that,I say shame on her!

Was the alleged conspiracy to have him killed really worth it? Yes,he is gone but in exchange for her freedom and a baby now left without parents. What a high cost to exact! I am truly saddened.

I think it’s safe to say, that most of us here in Dominica have had enough of this steady diet of American politics – it’s like everywhere I turn, someone or something is blasting information about the US Presidential Election. In fact, I know more about Obama and McCain than my local parliamentary representative and have certainly heard more from them than him.

Read more from Chris

Like most of us I have been fed a steady diet of American politics. I can rattle off so many things about Hillary, Obama, Mccain and Palin. In fact, I know more about them than my local representative and have certainly heard more from them than him

My take

Looking on, I saw several mothers crying for their sons and I felt some sympathy for them. As I stand there, I could help noticing the absence of these children fathers –which suggests the minimal role these fathers’ play in the life of these children if any. I can’t help wondering about the level of discipline taught in these homes and if warning signs were brush aside because the parent/s could not recognize or simply cast a blinded eye – then we’re truly ‘reaping what we sow’ and it’s quite frightening

Chris

I saw several mothers crying for their sons and I felt some sympathy for them. Noticeably absent were the fathers which suggests their roles if any is minimal. I wondered about the discipline taught in these homes and if warning signs were ignored because the parent/s could not recognise them or simply looked the other way.

We are truly reaping the whirlwind and it is quite disheartening

My take

Readers, please decide. While it can be denied and it most likely will be, reasonable people should be able to tell, even you Mr Peeking,Stealing Chris.

I wonder if it means I am famous.

Addendum Chris has apologised via email

Once upon a time the fowls in my neighbourhood crowed in the wee hours of the morning. As a child terrified of the dark,the crowing was a wonderful reassurance that darkness would soon lift and blessed light would flood the entire area. I can recall waking to what was in my child's mind the black of the night only to hear my granny say it was fore(sp)day morning. I always wondered how she knew but she would say "cock already crowing". Sure enough,the pale light of early dawn or dawn would soon trickle in the room.

Lately, I have been observing that the cocks are crowing as early as 9.55 p.m in some instances. Being the idle person that I can be I set out to observe these new age/dysfunctional fowl cocks. We observed that on some moonlit nights(close to full moon in particular)the fowl cocks would indeed crow;no doubt mistaking the moonlight for dawn. However, we observed some renegade cocks who are hell bent on crowing just for the heck of it. A case in point was last night as we sat watching Rising Stars only to have the 8 pm night punctuated with loud crowing.

Could it be that the cocks have morphed into guard dogs,crowing at the sight or sound of intruders? Or,have they realised their function as alarm clocks have been seriously eroded? Another Vincy saying,one that I recently heard is that the crowing is a sign of pregnancy. If only the fowl cocks could talk,eh.

It didn't rain last night-well not in a manner that was noticeable. Yet,this morning we awoke to the news that the sea had wreaked havoc in coastal areas and town. Would you believe we got surges from Omar? On my way into Kingstown, I looked towards the harbour and the Grenadines and saw some angry looking waves and realised that peacefulness had not yet returned.

I later learnt that an entire section of shops in the Little Tokyo area (Bus Terminal) were demolished by the waves. It is ironic that the Govt was embroiled in a battle to have said shops removed only to have nature take the problem off their hands. I am still taken aback at the damage given that everyone seems to have been caught unawares.

It underlies how really vulnerable we are to natural disasters. In the twinkling of an eye everything can literally fall down around us and we are powerless to stop it. Mother Nature, when not showing her softer side can be one deadly woman that we would be well advised to steer far from. I guess the events of last night are a reminder that we really should shed our lackadaiscal attitudes to disaster preparedeness.

Last night the news reported yet another rape but with a more sinister end. This time the rapist attacked the woman's boyfriend,reportedly dragged her to an abandoned house and raped her. All this while the couple's baby lay sleeping in its crib. Meantime, the injured man lies in the ICU fighting for his life.

This is so disturbing because there is a tendency to believe that there is safety in numbers. This rapist is making a mockery of everything we hold dear. What next should persons do? The rapes continue and the police are unable to apprehend the criminals which means people will be forced to take matters into their own hands. Given the number of illegal guns here; it is not farfetched to think that people will protect themselves by any means necessary.

I wish I could figure out what is fueling these rapes. My friend and I agree that there are some angry men walking around in St Vincent but couldn't be conclusive about the cause. I,for one would love to read the research findings if such a study were to be conducted.

Still,it's time for these rapes to stop. Just when I was lulled into a sense of security the uneasiness is once more taking centre stage. Judging from conversation with my female and male friends there are many uneasy heads trying to get a restful night. Something's gotta give.

No,not all forwards because some are really encouraging and uplifting. However, I absolutely dislike the ones that threaten you with death or worse if you ignore the fwd button. Pornography is another that I could do without receiving but these days a lot of people are intent on sending me some hardcore porn.

Lately, the in thing is forwarding pics of road fatalities and murders. I usually tell my friends not to send me any pictures of persons bleeding out but my pleas fall on deaf ears. It never ceases to amaze me how persons are so quick to photograph these images and quickly pass them around. Right now,there are some pictures making the rounds of some young man whose throat was supposedly slashed. According to those who have sen them it appears as if they were taken with a cell phone. I really do hope that phone was used to call for help before those pictures were taken since from all reports the subject is still alive.

I know it is nigh impossible to prevent persons from taking photographs. Can't we at least offer the dead a little dignity and not photograph and display them in what is not their finest moments?

Maybe,it is just me but am not feeling this year's Rising Stars competition. First up,the local leg was poorly handled. Noveecha James and Tonne Edwards were announced as winners of the local leg only to see Tamisha Nichols and another young lady in the newspapers being congratulated by Digicel as country winners. Despite the fact that people spent money on their favorites Digicel didn't see it fit to offer an explanation. At least they could have put a note on their newspaper ad explaining why there were now two different persons representing St Vincent. Way to go Digicel!

Even worse, one of the original picks learnt about the changes in the newspapers. According to her, a relative then called Digicel to enquire and was told the votes were wrongly tabulated. If true, how even more disrespectful of Digicel. Even though, I didn't cast a single vote I called the office for clarification but the person who answered was as much in the dark as were the callers.

Not a single text is leaving my phone this season. Treat patrons with a little respect and not as if they are incidental to the show. By the way, Vincie judges you can keep it real without throwing in humiliation,ok?

Last Saturday, I was watching local programming and saw a feature on the Liberty Lodge Boys Training Centre. To my non Vincie readers the Centre is an institution for boys whose parents/caregivers are no longer willing to take care of them. In local parlance, it's a place where bad boys are sent. Please note;there is no such place for the young girls which probably means girls are really made of sugar and spice or the tasteless ones find refuge elsewhere.

Watching the programme was disturbing to me especially when I saw faces of boys below 10 years old. Something has to be terribly wrong when a parent/caregiver cannot handle a seven or eight year old. As far as I am concerned the parents should be the ones institutionalised for relinquishing their responsibilties under the guise of "di pickney dem bad".Regardless of the positive spin the authorities give to the centre the stigma still remains. The child who is an occupant knows exactly why he was sent.

The more I think about it the more inclined I am to believe that there are no bad children but bad parents. Children do not become "bad" overnight. Someone,somewhere lapsed in their upbringing and then concluded that making them wards of the state was the way to go. I feel so sorry for these children who are paying the price for parental and societal neglect. There used to be a time when grandmothers or other older relatives were closely involved in child rearing. Nowadays,that is fast becoming a relic as grandmothers are younger than ever and others are busy with their own lives.

My heart aches for those children slain in Jamaica. More innocents who have lost their lives because of the depravity of adults who in a saner world would have been their protectors. We must save our children since the alternative is just too grim.