No need to search. Just ask yourself why there is clamour for freedom of information, integrity and accountability legislation. If it were already in place then one could argue about the level of public scrutiny. Even the Public Accounts Committee does not function correctly (see AG’s report for 2008).

May I suggest a little less myopia. The world is really very large–nearly 8 trillion people (o/w Barbados 280,000–rounds to no significant figure as a %), and Jamaica should hardly be thought of as a yardstick (except perhaps in track and field), given previous comments about that country’s ‘failed state’ standing.

You may have to think about

True that, we shouldn’t bash Jamaica on account of LIB, I don’t think they would much see him as one of them.

@Veritas
There is more to scrutinizing politicians than dealing with rumours of their sexual activity or problems in their private lives. Misusing public money and goods and services, I would say, is much more important. If it’s only the sex and sordid stuff that bothers you then what can I say?

Is that what you heard at tennis about the PM – that he is corrupt? Well say so. Corruption and wife beating – do you put them in the same jar?

You equated what you heard with the salacious stories Royalrumble/Sylvan Greenidge tells about some fanciful Guyanese woman. Read what you wrote. Those are two very different things – misusing public money is one thing in my book. Gossip about who is a homo or who has an outside woman is another.

Again, I say, do you just string words together? Or do they have a context or meaning?

But you equated Sylvan/Royalrumble’s rumours with what you heard about the PM, not me. Therefore it is you who are guilty of the context.

You are chatting foolishness, man.

Yes Adrian, I want you to ‘grinddddd’ he Ja’makie clutch.

Just a heads up. Tomorrow I will be at the doctors (who knows whom I will meet). Then I have to meet a graduate student from the UK. Then I hope to get a CD of Sunday’s Brass Tacks and review that–internet coverage was lousy, so I did not bother to strain my ears.

Then I will play tennis either late afternoon (with two retired guys from CDB, plus up to three others who drop in occasionally) or evening with the man from LIME again (he used to live here so maybe knows a thing or two about local affairs). I really have no clue what we will discuss during the day, but if you want to know I will bear that in mind.

Now, I’m off to bed, and thinking about whether financial markets are carving out a new bottom or will fall further.

Agreed bns; was also discussing fx mkt elsewhere and had tn in head. Point still valid, though.

Again, being no lawyer, I do not know (but have an idea) how courts view intent and its origins. I think “Harassing people? you have not seen anything yet. lol!” could be construed as intent. It certainly leaves a clear marker.

One would also think that the issuance of a threat to document and disseminate would at the least be met by similar action by any party/parties that feel they may be wronged. That latter group can and should include any who have not yet been explicitly targeted.

@Veritas
If I did not know better, and maybe I do not, I’d say that you were spying on me. I had drafted a piece last night about how people despise certain things about other people and it revolved around tennis, which some see as an elite sport. I learnt it in the dirt poor country of Guinea where the net’s were optional and the courts were like Jamaica’s roads. A few lucky kids got to play on the bauxite company’s courts–but they were 2 hours drive away. My coach got US$2 a lesson. But with some work myself and a French man got him to go to France and get a licence so that he could command a much higher fee–important in a country were US$ 1 a day is the level below which most people live. He can now go freely to France each year and play and train and coach and earn Euros, not Mickey Mouse Guinean currency.

I am a 50+ year old and tennis is my latest sport (5 years now). It helps keep the pounds down and I hope my health in good stead (my doctor will tell me later today). I help a few coaches, as I have coaching qualifications in other sports, but most things are transferable. I work with Barbados’ elite teenagers (13-18 year olds) 3 days a week–not easy on the legs. But I try to teach them about heart and strategy and confidence (you may call it arrogance) and sprinting/running (sorry, I also did track).

I get to meet a lot of people at the courts, and I must say that I think it’s a good cross section–not better but relevant. I have the pen of a BLP MP who savaged me about IMF policies while we watched his kid practice. I have the wounds inflicted by Bajans who took me to task similarly. I also have the sweat of boys who are fat and lazy and I told needed to get in shape and do it fast; and we worked on doing that.

I guess none of the kids should be called high falutin. Nor the MP.

I met some of Barbados’ Junior Davis Cup team and had them put me through it and laugh as they made the old man wilt. I’ll give them that.

But I’ve bumped into a bunch of people from all walks, just by chance. I do not like or play golf and have no networking through that. Tennis is good as a substitute, and not too expensive. I can now think about helping my kid if she wants to improve at the sport.

So, I am taking my soundings of things Barbadians from others who feel they are good patriots but have no time to blog, like me or you, but are busting their chops waiting for parents to bring kids, and arrange what financing they can to take the kids to a higher level. Trying to see if they can give goods and services for fund raisers, etc. Want to buy some raffle tickets?

If you are already one of the supporters, forgive me. See how much it costs to train a player–Hadyn Lewis’ bills are huge.

I also find that tennis allows a lot of racial cross over. I have never played at the Yacht Club, and would decline an invitation. But their players are part of interclub tennis. Wildey is more mixed. So to is the Hilton. When there was a final BBQ for the teams, it was the best display of Bajans mixing freely despite race that I have seen. It also had a lot of ages, though too few youths–but it was a Saturday night.

There are foreigners who come and go and slip into tennis along the way–one day, few weeks, few months–and come back to play with people they’ve me. As with me last night. They get a good impression of Bajan hospitality from that (though I have to correct them and say I am Jamaican)–their views and experiences are mixed.

I have been startled how many tennis courts there are in Barbados–many are hidden away; some are exclusive (Sandy Lane, Sugar Hill); some are derelict (Folkestone). Kids play basketball on the surface instead or skate board.

I am also surprised how little interest corporate Barbados seems to have in bolstering youth sport. I find that government policy toward youth sport is confused and lacking focus. I have found Jamaica is different there and it is showing up in results. Dare I say “To the world!”?

When people glibly dismiss what others do, one needs to understand why. Were they denied chances? Did things go wrong? Do they feel it represents an issue that is at the core of problems?

Who knows? I notice that few girls play tennis and given the scholarship opportunities and the fact that the women’s game is much more open at an early age, I wonder why that is. I coached girls soccer (sorry, multifaceted me) and it was an easy door to university including all the Ivy League schools–four of my girls went on to play varsity at university. I think it’s a route not travelled enough in Barbados.

So, I will let you see who really fits “You are positively small-minded and dangerous.”

That’s it for observations here today–first come, first served. Feel free to visit me on my blog. The welcome mat is always there.

LIB
You begging like a dog to come ‘visit me on my blog’. You and your ‘blog’ go take a leap off de ‘Brooklyn Bridge’. Asshole humbug.

@Veritas
As you wish. I am not contracted but fell into a group of tennis people. I know the kids are Wildey are a different bunch to those at Hilton, but I am not scouring the sport. That’s as useful as saying that kids who play soccer in the suburbs are somehow likely to be the kids from urban downtown. It costs time and money to move around. But, as you are a player–you suggest–you tell us more about what you do and how it differs. I’m willing to learn. I see very few different kids in the tournaments–that could reflect skills nothing more.

Why not tell me where to find the ‘deserving’ masses and I will point it out to the coach at Hilton. Please, he’s your country’s former national player, not me. He should have a better idea.

For sure, the kids at Combermere for Soccer Academy camps were different, but it was mainly soccer (plus a bit of road tennis, cricket, tennis [BTW the coach never showed, so I did the sessions], and soccer [what I was contracted to do–I wont say by whom]), and I cannot say how that really matters.

Rather than pull down what I do build up what you do. Let the people see a broader picture, man.

I guess some people do not know the difference between invitations and orders. Some have analysed the legacy of slavery and how it has skewed notions of choice.

It’s hard to interpret the words in ‘…’. But I have no intention of heading to NYC this week.

I fear making a faux pas, but may I call you Miss Bonny Peppa?

You should recall that I have an date of sorts if I want it, from someone who occasionally calls himself “Tall_Boy”: “The next time you visit Boston or any other north east US city I will visit with you.”

I am looking into the visit and hope to make it. I may have to see if it’s best around the Third G20 summit to be held in Pittsburgh, September 24-25, 2009.

I will then have to decide if the Hudson is better than the Charles or Three Rivers Stadium area–all are too cold all year round, for my taste. Is that ok?

I need to check with the man concerned in Boston if I should try to get tickets for World Series/Playoffs (of course Red Sox will be in the hunt) or Steelers game. I have no clout but am good at begging.

LIB
Bile on a pile. Simply irritating and all out of Preparation H. Torturous.

Why is everyone so paranoid?
Why is this even a political debate.
This is about Hartley Henry and his dubious moral standards…have you ever MET the man?
The PM should distance himself and somehow make this go away – and quickly.

PLUMBING can be a art. I love plumbing. Blogging could be an art too and I am attracted to blogging.Politicking is turning out to be art too and there seems to be a fair amount of artists on this blog.

Sorry Anon. It has already happened. Next task is to see him having to leave Barbados. Does he have a work permit? I waiting to see if any newspaper publishes his articles for a fee. Indeed we should find out if he as been paid for his contributions to radio.