Club Bimshire

Let The Music Wars Begin

2011-11-17T13:17:00.000-04:00

Barbados Road Safety Awareness Badge

2011-11-01T15:03:00.001-04:00

Click here for badge for Facebook or Twitter

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NYPD Getting Down On The Parkway?

2011-09-13T01:13:00.000-04:00

Video Shows NYPD Cops Dirty Dancing at West Indian Day Parade: MyFoxNY.com

Barbados + Facebook + Twitter = Club Bimshire

2011-08-18T00:32:00.000-04:00

Click here to join us on Facebook.

Click here to follow us on Twitter.

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Signs of the Times

2011-07-20T15:42:00.000-04:00

Microsoft Debunked

2011-05-27T13:47:00.000-04:00

Voodoo Sex Candles Caused Fatal Fire in Brooklyn

2011-02-27T14:24:00.002-04:00

FDNY: Voodoo Sex Candles Caused Fatal Fire in Brooklyn: MyFoxNY.com

See also this related Facebook link - here.

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Preserving a right of passage in Barbados - Globe-trotting - The Boston Globe

2011-02-15T15:02:00.000-04:00

Preserving a right of passage in Barbados - Globe-trotting - The Boston Globe

Rest In Peace Auntie Olga

2011-02-07T10:31:00.000-04:00

Dame Olga Lopes-Seale

Wednesday's Woman

2011-01-01T19:00:00.002-04:00

click image to enlarge

Merry Christmas

2010-12-20T11:21:00.000-04:00

David Thompson R.I.P.

2010-10-23T08:44:00.000-04:00

Political Wuck-Up In Barbados: Leadership Struggles In The DLP And BLP

2010-10-15T01:20:00.000-04:00

"As Prime Minister David Thompson confronts severe health challenges, both major parties are locked in fierce leadership struggles. Perhaps, out of respect for the PM`s condition, the struggle in his ruling Democratic Labor Party, (DLP), is somewhat muted. Not so in the opposition Barbados Labor Party, (BLP), where an open challenge to the position of Political and Parliamentary leader, Mia Mottley, is being mounted by a majority of the party`s parliamentary group. It is clear that this group has lost confidence in Mottley`s leadership. But did they ever accept her as the undisputed leader? ..."

Read more: CaribWorldNews.com - Global Caribbean Daily Newswire

Anti-Homosexuality Pastor Linked to Gay Romances

2010-09-23T14:48:00.001-04:00

Rihanna Waxed

2010-08-31T17:56:00.000-04:00

Rihanna's High Fashion Wax Figure Revealed! Style News - StyleWatch - People.com

More Proof Rihanna's Beating Last Year Was A Publicity Stunt

2010-08-10T17:15:00.001-04:00

"It's hard to forget the haunting photo that leaked out early last year: Pop star Rihanna, her elegant face bruised and battered after a violent assault by her then-boyfriend, R&B singer Chris Brown.
Now, she's appearing in something else shocking, though thankfully fictional: Rapper Eminem's chart-topping Love the Way You Lie, a song (and now video) that graphically depicts a physically abusive relationship.

And the debate has begun: Is the song a treatise against (or apology for) domestic violence, or an irresponsible glorification of it? Or, is it something uncomfortably in between? And how exactly to explain the role of Rihanna, who has said she aims to help young people learn the lessons of her ordeal?

One thing is not in question: The song is a hit, sitting atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart. And well before the edgy video debuted last week, the lyrics were enough to get plenty of attention.

``Just gonna stand there and watch me burn,'' Rihanna sings repeatedly, to an undeniably catchy tune. ``But that's all right because I like the way it hurts.''

As for Eminem, who raps the verses, he makes it crystal clear what the fire imagery's about. ``If she ever tries to (expletive) leave me again,'' he says late in the song, ``I'ma tie her to the bed and set this house on fire.''

In between, there's talk of love being wonderful, until it isn't. Suddenly there's pushing, pulling hair, scratching, clawing, biting: ``Throw 'em down, pin 'em. So lost in the moments when you're in 'em.''

The girl, acted in the video by actress Megan Fox, tries to leave. The guy, played by Dominic Monaghan, promises it won't happen again. But then he admits he's lying: ``I apologize even though I know it's lies.''

Rihanna wasn't available for comment on the song, her publicist said in an e-mail message. But the 22-year-old singer, who last year won a Glamour Woman of the Year award, partly for her stand on domestic violence, has been quoted as saying the song ``was something that needed to be done and the way he (Eminem) did it was so clever. He pretty much just broke down the cycle of domestic violence.''

PERFECT PERSON

As for Eminem, known for his turbulent relationship with ex-wife Kim Mathers -- his song, Kim, graphically fantasized about murdering her -- he has said he enlisted Rihanna because she was the perfect person to pull the song off.

But can it be a teaching tool? That depends on the context in which young people see and hear it, says Marjorie Gilberg, executive director of Break the Cycle, a group that fights violence among teens.

``The danger is that pop culture defines our social norms,'' says Gilberg. ``We don't want the message of this song to be that this kind of relationship is acceptable. So this song has to be viewed in the context of real information from adults, like parents and teachers.''

Of course, that depends on whether listeners even focus on the lyrics. Allison Churchill, an Eminem fan in Palm Coast, Fla., says she has friends who never really hear the lyrics to songs they like -- ``they just like a good beat.'' She herself listened a number of times to Love the Way You Lie before she realized what it was saying.

``I thought, 'I can't sing along to THAT,''' says Churchill, 31.

But she thinks the song could have a positive impact, ``if it can hit a nerve with a teenager and prompt them to go talk to someone about it.'' Because, she says, ``The more we talk about a subject, the easier it is to fix.''

One problem, though, says Gilberg of Break the Cycle, is that the song reflects myths about domestic violence -- myths that lead to blaming the victim. One is that women enjoy being hurt.

``Do people WANT to be abused? No,'' says Gilberg. They may put up with abuse, but that's a different story. Another myth, she says: The concept of mutual violence. (Eminem sings: ``But your temper's just as bad as mine is. You're the same as me.'' And the video shows the actors hitting each other.)

CLASSIC LINE

``That's a classic line of an abusive man,'' says Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women. ``You're as bad as me, so it's OK. The fact is, it's only 2-year-olds and violent men who use violence to get what they want.''

O'Neill thinks Rihanna really is trying to make a contribution to fighting domestic violence -- it's just that in this song, she's unwittingly glorifying it.

``She's narrating the story, and she's not judging it,'' says O'Neill. ``And so she may not intend to be glorifying it, but she is.''

Diane Maxwell, though, has a different view. The Florida mother sees the song as empowering women who've experienced domestic abuse.

``I like the lyrics because they ring true,'' says Maxwell, 35. ``I've heard things like that in my life. This gives people a voice, and tells them, `You're not the only one out there.' It's pretty powerful to me.''

And so when Rihanna sings ``I like the way it hurts,'' Maxwell says she hears: ``That's OK -- I'm tougher than you. Kind of like when two men are boxing. . . . Come on, let's go, I can take whatever you throw at me.''

Some have interpreted Eminem's song as an apology for violent moments he may have had with his ex-wife, whom he married and divorced twice. Kel Hamik, an actress in Chicago, thinks the rapper has a much more obvious motivation.

``The sheer nature of his songs mean there's buzz around them all the time,'' says Hamik, 23. ``His music is catchy, it gets stuck in your head and whether you like it or not, you'll be singing the words.'' Bringing on Rihanna, she says, ``is another way to create buzz.''

But Rihanna, she and most others interviewed think, must have had a more lofty motive. The question is whether she's achieved it.

``She's a young woman who went through a very traumatic experience in a public way, and she's trying to establish a voice,'' says Gilberg. ``But it's very important that young people realize it wasn't her fault, what happened to her.''

Still, she says, ``While I don't agree with the message in the song, it's an important conversation piece.''"

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/10/v-print/1768619/what-is-rihannas-role-in-domestic.html#ixzz0wExTdd44

Our Friend's Crop Over 2010 Video

2010-08-03T23:14:00.004-04:00

A Swim In The Right Direction

2010-07-15T03:31:00.000-04:00

Teaching participants the proper form when attempting to swim freestyle

"About 100 Barbadians have registered to learn how to swim in the 2010 Operation SOS: Save Our Selves programme.

Most of them went to Browne’s Beach yesterday for the start of the programme, which is being hosted by the National Conservation Commission (NCC) in partnership with the Barbados Fire Service.

NCC general manager Keith Neblett said the aim was to teach people to be able to save themselves if they got into any difficulty in the water, as well as to create greater respect for the marine environment.

The programme, now in its second year, is geared towards people ten years of age and older and includes lectures on how to prevent drowning; water safety; understanding currents and understanding and interpreting flags, beach signage, wind and waves.

It takes place every Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and at 4 to 5 p.m., and runs until August 27"

Source: NationNews.com

Exactly a year ago this blogger posted here about The Disconnect Between Black Bajans And The Beach, so this is indeed a welcome development that these courses are now being offered on an ongoing basis and many Barbadians have been taking advantage of the opportunities to reconnect with the water which surrounds us. Hopefully, they will also become more fully aware of the environmental, ecological and social issues associated with beach erosion and join the fight to rescue Barbados from the clutches of the greedy beachrow condo developers and their enablers in positions of authority.

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Bajan-Canuck/Club Bimshire Member Gets Close To Queen

2010-07-07T23:19:00.000-04:00

One of our Club Bimshire members in Toronto got close enough to the Queen who is currently touring North America to take the above and a couple other interesting photos.

Click here to join the discussion and see the other photos on our forum.

St. Lucy project launched

2010-06-20T15:38:00.000-04:00

"St. Lucy project launched

6/20/2010

The Pickering Housing and Town Centre development project launched yesterday in Pickering, St. Lucy will generate US $800 million in revenue and stimulate the social and economic development of the entire northern section of Barbados.

Delivering the feature address at the groundbreaking ceremony of one section of the centre, Pickering Court, Prime Minister David Thompson said that this project, conducted under North Ridge Development Company Ltd., will bring “enormous benefits at a time when foreign investment is desperately needed”.

“This project will generate US$800 million of which US$500 million will be from sales to non-residents. The project will employ 600 persons at the peak of construction and provide sustainable employment opportunities to support residential and business aspects of the development,” said Prime Minister Thompson.

He said that this private sector investment by local and overseas investors is one of the largest residential projects to be undertaken on the island..."

Read more - The Barbados Advocate - St. Lucy project launched

What's with Rihanna's hair ... again?

2010-06-07T08:26:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy DailMail.co.uk

"After their performances at last night's Capital FM Summertime Ball it was a quick change of clothing for Rihanna and Pixie Lott before they headed off to Mahiki for a star-studded afterparty.
But Rihanna, who wore a futuristic-looking white top over a black leotard and fishnet tights on stage, was unusually coy about what she was wearing, covering up in a large black pashmina as she arrived at the London nightclub.
Perhaps coming from Barbados, the singer was feeling the cold in London..."

Pirates Of The Caribbean: The real thing

2010-06-03T17:06:00.003-04:00

Click here =>> Fisherman held hostage by pirates | NationNews - Barbados

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Things Just Got Interesting In Jamaica & Trinidad

2010-05-17T10:25:00.000-04:00

The Breadfruit Tree Lime Forum • View topic - Things Just Got Interesting In Jamaica & Trinidad

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Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T06:05:00.002-04:00

Proud mom, Juls, shows off her Mother's Day frock next to her shiny car

"Sometimes the census man comes round to count the population,
And mother always says to him: "housewife's my occupation".
But housewife means a lot of things, at least it does to mother..."

Unfortunately, those are the only lines I can still remember from a poem I had to learn and recite for a Mother's Day Sunday School Program when I was a child of about 7 or 8 years old. It went on to list several things that mothers do as housewives, some of them quite herculean in scope. My own mother passed away several years ago but her presence is still enduring in a lot of ways. So to mothers everywhere I say Happy Mother's Day - whatever that means to you.

Click here to join our forum's Mother's Day Celebration.

Picture Perfect Mullins Beach Barbados

2010-05-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

Mullins Beach, Barbados May 6,2010 (click image to enlarge)

So, I was "liming" on the breakwater after eating my lunch at Mullins Beach yesterday and snapped the above photo of what still is for this blogger what is truly one of my favorite spots on the planet. It probably has something to do with the fact that I was born just across the road from this location on a spot now occupied by a "LIME" (the main telecommunications company on the island) - no pun intended. Back then the whole area was still called Bayfield after the sugar plantation which owned the lands. But beyond being around where my navel string was buried it always brings a sense of pride when the tour buses and cabs slow down so others from all over the world can catch a glimpse of this magical location. It remains one of the last locations on the west coast of Barbados where one can peek at the white coral sands and the world famous Barbados Blue Caribbean Sea from Route 1 which was the main "highway" on the island up to about twenty years ago.

Double murder shocks Grenadian district

2010-05-07T10:07:00.001-04:00

"A double murder, one of the most gruesome killings in Grenada in recent history, on Monday evening sent shock waves through the Balthazar area and throughout the rest of the island.
The heads of former police officer and farmer/proprietor Clyde Greenidge of Birchgrove in St Andrew's and labourer Christopher Stafford of Byeland, also in St Andrew's, were brought into the Grenville Police Station by their alleged slayer at about 6:15 p.m.
Informed sources told Grenadian newspaper New Today that Steve Gorrie rolled out the heads of the two men, from a white bucket, onto the counter of the Grenville Police Station, sending officers into shock and disbelief. A policewoman was reported to have fainted..."

Click here for entire NationNews.com article.

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Archbishop Holder: No ordaining gays

2010-05-07T05:13:00.000-04:00

"ARCHBISHOP OF THE WEST INDIES Dr John Holder has ruled out ordaining any actively gay priest.

Archbishop Holder, who is also Bishop of Barbados, made it clear to the WEEKEND NATION that he wouldn't be breaking with church tradition in the Caribbean by participating in or sanctioning such.

"I accept [gays] as children of God, but I will not encourage them; and I will not engage, I say, in any ordination of persons whom I know are actively involved in [homosexual] relationships," Holder said in an interview in New York..."

Click here for entire NationNews.com article.

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J'can to sue B'dos gov't - Western Jamaica News - Montego Bay, Negril

2010-05-06T11:33:00.001-04:00

J'can to sue B'dos gov't - Western Jamaica News - Montego Bay, Negril & The West - JamaicaObserver.com

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Killer Nuts

2010-05-03T10:20:00.001-04:00

"i tawt i was gine dead wednesday foreday morning. i had a really bad allergic reaction to almonds tuesday nite so i took some benadryl and went to bed hoping it wear off during the nite. then bout 2.00am i woke up still swollen, now the hives looking more like warts and itching from head tuh toe, and now uh seeing all kinds uh spots and stars blurring my vision, de bedroom feel like it moving, body feeling real real weak and like i got red ants eating me up, tried to open my mouth but not a sound would come out..."

Click here to continue reading this story on our forum.

Billie Miller, former Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados, in Belize

2010-03-25T17:47:00.000-04:00

Dame Billie Miller

“I say to you this morning that you have a further and a larger duty to be tireless in guiding and mentoring younger girls and women who are coming after you. What better cause to offer your passion and your commitment to than that of improving the quality of lives and building communities.”

Click link below for entire Channel5Belize.com article:
Billie Miller, former Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados, in Belize | Channel5Belize.com

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Why GDP Matters: Barbados vs. Jamaica

2010-03-16T21:32:00.001-04:00

"On today's Planet Money:
That graph up there may look boring, but it's a big deal. It shows how the economies of Jamaica and Barbados -- two countries with very similar histories -- have grown far apart in the last several decades.
That difference in GDP shows up in all sorts of ways, Planet Money's Alex Blumberg found on a recent trip to both countries. Today, we get the first installment: What schools look like in each country. A principal in Jamaica keeps her school running with help from neighborhood volunteers, a donation from a Jamaican pop star and some funding from a U.S. aid program. A principal at a similar school in Barbados says government funding does a pretty good job of meeting the school's needs.
Alex will have more on the story of Jamaica and Barbados in future podcasts. If you can't wait that long, check out this paper by Peter Blair Henry, who was born in Jamaica and who now heads NYU's business school."

Click here for the podcast.
Click here for original NPR's Planet Money article.

Why I Believe The Live Man Locked In QEH Morgue Story

2010-02-04T07:46:00.000-04:00

"Wunna remember all de hoopla last year wid de man dat claim he escape from de QEH morgue? Well, I have to say I did always give de man de benefit of de doubt but wunna know how de QEH come out and deny everyting de man say. But when shyte happening to yuh everytime yuh go to de QEH yuh cuh now see how dem cuh lock de man in de morgue fuh trute. Wunna remember de story I tell wunna bout de woman who tell me how duh lost she file and whuh I tell wunna bout de files in de rookety shopping carts..."

The Breadfruit Tree Lime • View topic - Why I Believe The Live Man Locked In QEH Morgue Story

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Free Health Care Barbados Style

2010-01-10T02:02:00.000-04:00

"Oh dear, Sofa, give muh a break (no pun intended) cause you doan want to hear me start up wid dese people bout hey and de so-called free health care again. I did feel real sorry fuh all uh dem old people standing in line fuh blood tests yesterday when de nurse come out announce "if yuh private or paying step forward..."

Click here for entire conversation.

POOR BAJAN TAXPAYERS BAILOUT UBER RICH BRITS

2010-01-03T20:49:00.000-04:00

The Breadfruit Tree Lime • View topic - POOR BAJAN TAXPAYERS BAILOUT UBER RICH BRITS

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Juls Gives To Needy At Christmas

2009-12-24T06:04:00.000-04:00

"TIMES MAY BE TOUGHER this year, but a lot more Christmas gifts are being wrapped for Barbados' needy children.

Word of this came yesterday from acting director of the Child Care Board, Denise Nurse...

While Christmas was "a time of giving and sharing", some families were short of food and their children had no toys, she pointed out.

Nurse made the comments at the board's Cheapside, Bridgetown headquarters, after receiving several toys, games and books from former St Thomas resident Julia Robinson...

Robinson, who now lives in Washington, DC, United States, said she knew how it felt to be without gifts at Christmas, being one of 13 children in a family in which getting a balloon at Christmas was an achievement."

Click here for more.

Protect historic sites!

2009-12-07T08:47:00.001-04:00

Published on: 12/4/2009.

by HEATHER-LYNN EVANSON

WITH AT LEAST one Amerindian site in danger of falling to developers and another already under the back-hoe, a noted professor has issued an urgent call for archaeological preservation legislation.

Peter Drewett, professor emeritus of archaeology of the University of Sussex, made the call after a round-the-island tour last weekend of Amerindian sites from Silver Sands, Christ Church, to Greenland, St Andrew.

The tour, dubbed Prehistoric Barbados: A Field Trip, was coordinated by the Barbados Museum & Historical Society.

Most, if not all, of the sites visited boasted major private development or had been turned into parks by Government.

"Barbados is probably now the only country in the entire world," Drewett told the WEEKEND NATION, "that has no legislation specifically to protect its archaeology."

He revealed that draft legislation was in the works for the past 25 years but "each Government in the last 25 years has promised that they would enact this legislation and for a variety of different reasons it has never happened".

"The island has lost a lot [of its archaeological sites, treasures and artefacts] but in many ways the more that is gone, means there is less and less surviving, so it becomes more and more important to preserve what you have got," he stressed.

"So it is more and more important to get that legislation through and have effective legislation. It's well overdue," he said.

Drewett, who conducted the field trip, revealed to those gathered at Chancery Lane/Long Beach, Christ Church, that there had been "endless proposals" for the area, which included caves known to hold Amerindian artefacts and a swamp, to be developed.

"But if this is developed, in terms of the environment, natural history and archaeology, you may as well write off Barbados," he said, adding that Amerindians lived at the site from around 200 AD to their disappearance in about 1200 AD.

And in the event that permission is given for the site to be developed, Drewett said a major archaeological excavation would have to be undertaken because "the whole of the Amerindian history of Barbados is right here and it is the only one left of this quality".

"If that (development) happens, this must be seriously looked at archaeologically. I mean we could have a development here but a sensitive one," he said.

Drewett also commented about the development under way at Port Ferdinand, St Peter, close to Six Men's.

Labelling the initial groundwork "that huge hole we passed", he told those on the field trip: "The whole of that was just machined out right down to bedrock without anyone doing any observation or archaeological work. It shouldn't have happened."

The professor hastened to add that Barbados was no different from any other island when it came to development.

"It's just a pity we haven't sorted out the legislation and because there is no legislation, the Museum (Barbados & Historical Society) cannot make Town and Country Planning ask the developers to submit to archaeological surveys."

* heatherlynevanson @nationnews.com
http://www.nationnews.com/news/local/LEAD-from-amerindia-with-love-copy-for-web

Domestic Abuse and Violence In Barbados

2009-11-09T03:46:00.000-04:00

"I know this is a subject most bajans don't like to talk about, but while watching the Rihanna interview the other night, I was surprised to hear her talk about domestic abuse in her home while growing up in Barbados. according to her, she used to watch her parents fight all the time, and would sometimes hold on to her father's leg and try to get between them to stop the physical abuse endured by her mother. and because of that, she used to say she would never date a man like her father...."

The Breadfruit Tree Lime • View topic - Domestic Abuse and Violence

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Who Needs Sex Anyway

2009-11-04T12:08:00.000-04:00

"Human eggs and sperm have been grown in the laboratory in research which could change the face of parenthood.

It paves the way for a cure for infertility and could help those left sterile by cancer treatment to have children who are biologically their own..."

The Breadfruit Tree Lime • View topic - Who Needs Sex Anyway

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Diasporas Knock Bajan Hospitality At Home

2009-08-19T04:29:00.000-04:00

"You have become a typical bajan now! dem does come up here to your house and spend not one week but weeks at a time and don't contribute a thing (not that they should) does take all their money and buy up de whole uh North America but when you go to bdos, they don't even invite yuh over to breadfast, lunch or dinner..."

The Breadfruit Tree Lime Forum • View topic - "Hi Wunna"

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The Disconnect Between Black Bajans And The Beach

2009-07-15T05:34:00.001-04:00

"I have to say though (and this is something I’ve observed over the years and raised elsewhere on the Internet) that there does seem to be a disconnect between blacks and the beach/sea here in Barbados that did not exist when I was a kid, at least not to the extent that it does today. And, I am saying this as a black man myself. The beach/sea is seen as something they probably did as kids, is best left up to the tourists, but not necessarily something to make time for as adults..."

Click here for entire comment on Barbados Underground

S&P Downgrades Barbados 1 1/2 Yrs. Into Thompson Adminsitration

2009-06-16T10:28:00.002-04:00

S&P cuts Barbados rating to BBB as economy shrinks | Markets | Bonds News | Reuters

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Tale of Two Islands

2009-03-17T18:13:00.002-04:00

"Stanford University economists Peter Blair Henry and Conrad Miller recently published an interesting NBER Working Paper in which they compare economic policy and economic performance between Jamaica and Barbados.
Henry and Miller point out that in Jamaica, the People's National Party rose to power in the 1970s with the promise of "democratic socialism." Unfortunately, the PNP delivered, nationalizing companies, taxing trade, and imposing exchange controls. The PNP also distributed income through job-creation programs, schemes for housing development, and subsidies on food. Government spending rose from 23 percent of GDP in 1972 to 45 percent in 1978. The government financed much of its huge deficit by printing money, leading to 27 percent inflation by 1980.
The government of Barbados, by contrast, avoided nationalization and opened the country to trade. It also kept government spending under control although, unfortunately, Henry and Miller don't present data on government spending as a percent of GDP.
The economic results: between 1960 and 2002, real GDP per capita grew by an annual average of 2.2 percent in Barbados but only by 0.8 percent in Jamaica.
Henry and Miller pitch their study as a critique of the Douglass North view that institutions are crucial for economic growth. They point out that both countries were British colonies until the 1960s and, therefore, had a two-party political system, a free press, constitutional protection of property rights, and the English common law. The difference in performance, they say, was not due to different institutions but to different macro policy. But aren't such big differences in macro policy--nationalization and distribution of wealth in one case and not in the other--themselves a difference in institutions?"

Source: http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2009/03/tale_of_two_isl.html

Juls At Obama's Inauguration

2009-01-27T20:28:00.010-04:00

Click here for more.

(Our) Rihanna does it for Royalty!

2008-12-17T18:26:00.001-04:00

"I just watched our lil bajan girl Rihanna perfom live at the Royal variety Performance at the London Palladium. Man I telling wunnuh..among the galaxy of stars present, she shone as brightly as anyone else!!
My mouth did fall open a bit when after the show, she and the rest of the performers got to meet Prince Charles and his Camilla Parker Bowles.....
I ain care whuh nuhbody else say.. we have a proper genuine Bajan star... and I say, all the best to her."

Click here for discussion.

Juls Offers Her Suburban DC McMansion For Obama Inauguration

2008-11-11T20:09:00.001-04:00

"The first person to sign up with their family can get my master suite, however, you can bring your sleeping bags and blankets for the floor. Breakfast on Inauguration Day is included..."

Click here to join discussion.

Hiking Barbados

2008-10-25T11:11:00.000-04:00

"While Barbados can be enjoyed without ever leaving West Coast Highway 1, which is fringed with beaches and hotels, a local passion for walking has created opportunities to explore more than 800 miles of roads at little or no cost. Our trek was one of 45 rambles offered free by Hike Barbados, a program of the Barbados National Trust. No reservations are necessary: Simply meet Sunday morning or afternoon at the designated location, break into groups according to pace, and experience a 6-to-14-mile slice of the island that you might not otherwise see..."

Click here for entire Boston Globe article.

Juls Reports On Her Bus Trip To Atlantic City

2008-10-08T14:22:00.000-04:00

Not even the economic downturn and failing banks can stop the thousands from flooding into Atlantic City from the eastern seaboard area. Our intrepid Juls boarded a "bus" last weekend for the glitz and glamor of "America's Favorite Playground." Read her report here.

Juls Reports On Her Labor Day Weekend Getaway To The Bahamas

2008-09-05T03:28:00.000-04:00

We should have known this would turn into a pilgrimage to the graveside of Anna Nicole Smith. Move over Atlantis! Given the exposure the recent famous tragedy had in the gossip and even the mainstream media that infamous Minister of Tourism may have unwittingly snagged the Bahamas ultimate man-made tourist attraction.

Click here for the full trip report.

Gaulin on the Rocks

2008-08-22T18:59:00.001-04:00

What’s Behind Trinidad’s Sudden Initiative To Unify The Eastern Caribbean

2008-08-20T07:01:00.000-04:00

We can safely assume that the urgency and suddenness of the recent Trinidad and Tobago movement towards a political union involving St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenada didn’t come about because of any epiphany on the truths of regional integration. Up until last week when they initialed an agreement for political and economic union with the above mentioned states Trinidad was largely still of the mindset that killed the last federation nearly fifty years ago declaring "1 from 10 = 0," namely that the smaller islands of the eastern Caribbean were Mendicants - not the sort company for an oil-rich state like Trinidad & Tobago. We know that from the way they treated Barbados over the fishing/maritime boundary dispute. To this day they have not concluded a fishing agreement with Barbados its so-called Caricom and potential CSME partner even though the matter was dragged before international courts. Clearly, Trinidad does not see Barbados nor any of the islands of the eastern Caribbean as equals, and consequently do not deserve that respect.

It is doubtful too that it has anything to do with the PetroCaribe agreements these smaller nations have signed with Venezuela, and/or Trinidad with moving to protect its traditional oil markets. The fact of the matter is that Trinidad for decades has been getting out of the oil business simply because it just does not have the oil reserves to be a significant player in the market anymore, and certainly not enough to compete with Venezuela on that score. Besides, with Caricom and CSME the region already had the mechanisms in place to protect Trinidad’s dominant role in the region in oil. It was these mechanisms that former Prime Minister of Barbados Owen Arthur appealed to when his government refused to join the PetroCaribe initiative.

So, what could it be that is driving Trinidad into union with mini-states it does not like? In a word - demographics. Nothing happens in Trinidad outside of the prism of its race-based politics. It is sad but it is true. After several recent elections some of which were lost to the Indo-based parties, and some narrowly won, including the most recent, because the Indo-based parties were split, the traditionally Afro-based party - the PNM - has finally come to the conclusion that the only way to maintain its dominance in the future is to get more people of African descent in the polling booths. And, the only way to do that in a country that has a sizeable and growing Indo-Trinidadian majority already is to tap into the votes of the neighboring Afro-centric islands. There is no mystery to this initiative - Patrick Manning woke up one day, took a look at the Guyana situation, and did the Maths; if you add the ¾ million blacks in the eastern Caribbean (including Barbados) to the ½ million already in Trinidad & Tobago, there is no way Indians would ever rule Trinidad & Tobago again.

Admittedly, this is a very cynical scenario, but look at the man at the helm - a man who is now being described as a “dictator” in his own country by some of the people who were closest to him for decades in and out of government. But, of course, all the blame is not Patrick Manning’s, you have also the sorry situation of small states in the eastern Caribbean that are basically on the take, you give - they take. How else can you describe a socialist firebrand of the ‘70s and ‘80s like Vincentian Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonzales maintaining relations with Taiwan at the expense of the Peoples Republic of China in this day and age? And, it gets worse all up and down the island chain. They are all on the take and Patrick Manning is exploiting it in this cynical maneuver that will destroy Caricom and the regional integration movement for the next fifty years. To it’s credit, the new Barbados government has decided to sit on the sidelines and watch, at least for now. They must not have forgotten how Trinidad’s last elected dictator, Eric Williams, unceremoniously kicked one of its national heroes, Grantley Adams, out of Chagaramas and Port of Spain when his perceived usefulness to them was over.

Score 1 For Canada

2008-08-19T05:01:00.000-04:00

"All-rounder Manoj David helped lead Canada to a 25-run victory over Bermuda in the opening match of the Canada Cup Tri-Series at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Ontario on Monday.
Sri Lanka-born David top-scored with a well-paced 48 as Canada made 260 for seven in their 50 overs after Bermuda opted to field first..."

Click here for entire article.

Echoes of CWC2007 In Beijing Olympics 2008

2008-08-18T08:57:00.000-04:00

It is now common knowledge that the a lot of the stands at the current Beijing Olympics are half-empty or more most of the time. This is a big surprise for a nation of over 1.3 billion people even though the vast majority of them are too poor to afford the tickets. The explanations for the empty stands are at best murky even for a still regimented quasi-communist state that has spent a huge fortune to look good for the rest of the world for two weeks of the games. Coincidentally, a lot of foreigners have been left in the lurch on the tickets fiasco.

The whole enterprise reminds this blogger of the Cricket World Cup last year in Barbados with all the hype, the half-empty stands, and the ignominious finale in darkness no one can forget. It is doubtful whether things would have been much different were India and Pakistan not eliminated early. One of the outcomes of the debacle is that governments of the day which spent big for the event (with the notable exception of Trinidad & Tobago) have subsequently tumbled across the region, including Barbados.

China may appear to have everything under control right now but as we saw last year in CWC2007 one unplanned for event (after all these are games - things happen) can set in motion dramatic changes down the road. That event may have already happened in Beijing.

Barbados Tourism Authority developing tourism prospects through the Diaspora

2008-08-17T08:03:00.001-04:00

"Barbados: The Barbados Tourism Authority will soon unveil a programme that will compensate Barbadians living overseas for driving visitor business to the island.

This was revealed by Prime Minister David Thompson, during a breakfast session and trade show for members of the International Association of Barbados Organizations..."

Click here for story and discussion.

Reports from a Bajan family summering in Bankok

2008-08-13T04:03:00.003-04:00

"Pon dah topic, travel from Bangkok tuh Phuket by coach. We did plan tuh use de train but is a holiday w/e & dey din nuh mo 1st class sleeper leff. So 10 hrs pon a coach tuh Surat Thani den 5 mo pon a lil minibus tuh Phuket.....& de police stop de minibus. Dey wass doing sum kinduh checks & had a lil issues wid de driver. Tek a pic of de bus & ting. Still ent know wuh um did bout..."

Click here to join the discussion in our forum.

Will Chavez Tryout His New Russian Arms On Barbados First

2008-08-11T05:30:00.003-04:00

"Similarly, it has to worry the small Caribbean island, Barbados, that Venezuela claims that a recent offshore oil bidding round by Barbados violates the maritime border with Venezuela. Venezuela is a not a signatory to the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea. The Barbados Foreign Ministry has said that the bid does not infringe on the rights of any other state.
Chavez may be helping some Latin American and Caribbean countries through the crunch of high oil prices with his PetroCaribe arrangements, but his military build-up will cause them great unsettlement as well."

Read entire article here.

Also of note:

Crop Over 2008

2008-08-07T17:24:00.002-04:00

Things are still winding down in Bim but the big day has come and gone again. Now all that is left to be done is to reminisce and plan for next year. Join the discussion here.

Small World

2008-07-28T08:18:00.002-04:00

Two BTL members living hundreds of miles apart accidentally run into each other over the past weekend.

Click here to read post.

Tornado

2008-07-25T17:34:00.001-04:00

Report on tornadoes affecting New England this week'

Click here to read post.

What Your Space Says About You

2008-07-22T18:23:00.001-04:00

Crisis In The Anglican Church

2008-07-20T02:57:00.001-04:00

Anglican Communion undergoing a 21st. century schism over homosexuality.

Click here to read post.
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Enoch Powell: The Great Lie

2008-07-20T02:49:00.002-04:00

Adrian tries to defend 1960s racist British MP Enoch Powell.

Click here to read post.
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Why I like To Stay In A Hotel When I Travel

2008-07-20T02:43:00.001-04:00

Why when traveling staying in a hotel can spare you the abuse of "relatives."

Click here to read post.

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Great for Will and Jada

2008-07-20T02:38:00.001-04:00

Juls is enthralled by the sex lives of the stars again.

Click here to read post.

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My Big Day

2008-07-20T02:33:00.000-04:00

LadyJ is celebrating her ??th birthday and is inviting you to the party.

Click here to read post.

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