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Miller
Interesting discussion on the Sugar industry…..the facts are that presently over 2000 acres of canelands are overgrown with weeds,bush&trees in the parishes of St.john&St.George.Smaller acreages over the island are also like this.I also recall that the acres under production presently have not had sufficient fertiliser applied according to statement in the press some weeks ago.
Anybody willing to hazard a guess as to the cost of bringing these acres back into production and by which year a viable crop of cane can be produced to fuel the new factory.
@ Vincent
Correct me if I am wrong, but I remember Castle Grant in the heyday of king sugar had a few fields of a red, hard but very sweet cane that was reported to produce some 70 to 80 tons per acre. They were nicknamed ‘Iron Canes.” With less acres or agricultural land now available for sugar production, why can’t we return to this,or similar , variety of sugar cane ?
Second question is , How relevant and useful is Groves Agricultural Cane breeding station, or wherever its done, to todays Sugar Industry.
CL Buggy
Two good questions…..with my limited knowledge,I will answer the last first which will also answer your first……
The cane breeding stn was responsible for producing the breed of cane(height,fiber&weight) that was needed for the fields to be mechanised,with the sucrose content of these new canes being less than before..
Harvesters under Colin Hudson came into being in the early 70’s……
The cane breeding stn in the past was responsible for sending breeds to Australia,possibly it is still exporting breeds…..I do not know.
..
Jack Bowman, October 7, 2014 at 6:51 PM,
Asking the question why.
“every student entering UWI have [sic] to sit an English Language exam”
Why?
Put it another way. Get a random group of Bajans and Swedes in a room and ask them to write a page of Swedish. The outcome is inevitable. It’s not something that anybody has to discuss.
Now, put a random group of Bajans and Swedes in a room and ask them to write a page of English.
The outcome is always fascinating.
How can this possibly happen?
Why do candidates for UWI have to take an exam in English?
Why?
I am surprised to learn that students at UWI have to take entrance exams in English as I worked with a number of UWI graduates who despite being intelligent never could come to grips when writing that “ed” was the past tense. And when speaking I cringed to hear their poor English.
Great Timeless Quotes on Government
Nothing has changed for thousands of years!
“In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame; two is a law firm and three or more is a government.” ~John Adams
“If you don’t read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.” ~Mark Twain
“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of government. But then I repeat myself.” ~Mark Twain
“I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.” ~Winston Churchill
“A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.” ~George Bernard Shaw
“Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.” ~Douglas Casey
“Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.” ~P.J. O’Rourke
“Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.” ~Frederic Bastiat
“I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.” ~Will Rogers
“If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it’s free!” ~P.J. O’Rourke
“In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.” ~Voltaire
“Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you!” ~Pericles
“No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.” Mark Twain
“Talk is cheap, except when government does it.” ~Anonymous
“The government is like a baby’s alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.” ~Ronald Reagan
“The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.” ~Mark Twain
“There is no distinctly Native American criminal class, save government.” Mark Twain
“What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.” ~Edward Langley
“A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.” ~Thomas Jefferson
“We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.” ~Aesop
Jack Bowman | October 8, 2014 at 5:42 PM |
“Why do candidates for UWI have to take an exam in English?”
……………………………………………………….
Tudor | October 8, 2014 at 8:02 PM |
“I am surprised to learn that students at UWI have to take entrance exams in English as I worked with a number of UWI graduates who despite being intelligent never could come to grips when writing that “ed” was the past tense. And when speaking I cringed to hear their poor English.”
………………………………………………………..
I think the comments coming from both of you are bordering on the ridiculous, especially in light of your wanting to justify criticisms of the UWI.
In an effort to display their false attribute of intellectualism, many people come to BU and make some very stupid generalizations thinking those of us who do think, will readily accept them as axioms. Would it have not been better for both of you to go to UWI’s web site to avail yourselves with the information contained therein?
Additionally, while criticizing UWI, your statements show that you lack basic comprehension skills. What I mentioned was: those students WHO DID NOT ATTAIN GRADE 1 IN CXC OR CAPE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, ASSESSMENT OF THEIR COMPETENCY IN THE SUBJECT, AND BEFORE THEY CAN DO THE 2 FOUNDATION COURSES, FOUN 1008 Rhetoric: Writing for Special Purposes or FOUN 1001 English for Academic Purposes. WHAT IS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT, unless of course, if you are trying to display ignorance.
Tudor: That is another stupid generalization, because the use of improper English is not unique to UWI graduates. In the USA, there are students graduating with Business related degrees who cannot construct a proper business e-mail. Why? They are using the computer “patios” and writing word such as b4, msg, cu to denote “before”, “message”, and “see you”.
Jack Bowman: I am of the opinion that you like to read what you write, because once again, you have written more shiite. Do you expect us to believe that Swedes are capable of speaking English better than Bajans, especially against the background that teaching English as a foreign language has it challenges?
Artaxeres
When I went to UWI, it was compulsory for all students to pass USE OF ENGLISH. I know of medical students who were denied their MBBS degrees until they had passed USE OF ENGLISH.
Jack Bowman: I am of the opinion that you like to read what you write, because once again, you have written more shiite. Do you expect us to believe that Swedes are capable of speaking English better than Bajans, especially against the background that teaching English as a foreign language has it challenges?
………………………………………………………………………………………..
There could be a little merit in what Jack Bowman is saying,and this could apply equally to many from the Netherlands who speak better English than many whose mother tongue is English.
There is Grammar and there is Diction.
Some years ago, a still very high profile CBC announcer was making a report on the CNN World programme, and they were using subtitles.
GEORGIE PORGIE | October 9, 2014 at 10:19 AM |
“Artaxeres: When I went to UWI, it was compulsory for all students to pass USE OF ENGLISH. I know of medical students who were denied their MBBS degrees until they had passed USE OF ENGLISH.”
So did I, Georgie, and the same holds true now. No student can graduate without completing the use of English course.
Although UWI is not perfect, these people make it a past-time to make unnecessary and unfounded criticisms of the university, and in doing so they are also criticizing Barbados’ entire education system.
re There is Grammar and there is Diction.
SO TRUE!
IN HIS TEXT ON HERMENEUTICS, TG EVANS CITES THIS CASE
he said he went to one church in London one Sunday morning and heard the choir boys sing PRIZE him for his GRICE and FIVER
at another church the following Sunday morning they sang
PREECE him for his GREASE and FEVER
THEY WERE OF COURSE BOTH TRYING TO SING PRAISE HIM FOR HIS GRACE AND FAVOR
There is Grammar and there is Diction.
SO TRUE!
Artaxerxes | October 9, 2014 at 10:49 AM |
WE SHOULD OF COURSE POINT OUT TO THE SCOFFERS THAT THE USE OF ENGLISH COURSE INVOLVED MUCH MORE THAN ENGLISH PER SE
Colonel Buggy | October 9, 2014 at 10:33 AM |
“There could be a little merit in what Jack Bowman is saying,and this could apply equally to many from the Netherlands who speak better English than many whose mother tongue is English.”
Ok, I take you point, but you are referring to English “SPOKEN” as opposed to being “WRITTEN”, re Bowman’s point.
However, using the Netherlands may not be a good example to substantiate your argument. Reason being, there is a tradition in the Netherlands of learning a foreign language and a significant percentage of the population can speak English fluently. If it were a situation where English was not their native language and is was not customary for them to learn it, they having to learn the language for communication purposes, I’m sure the results would be different.
If we examine the intricacies of languages we will indentify a few anomalies. For example, I know Syrians, Nigerians, Americans and Englishmen who can speak English perfectly, but can’t write proper sentences. They are some people who can speak Arabic but can’t write or understand the language in its script form.
So to “pin point” writing improper English as being specific to UWI graduates is, in my opinion, ludicrous
GEORGIE PORGIE | October 9, 2014 at 10:55 AM |
“WE SHOULD OF COURSE POINT OUT TO THE SCOFFERS THAT THE USE OF ENGLISH COURSE INVOLVED MUCH MORE THAN ENGLISH PER SE.”
Your comment is very true, Georgie.
But why do some people always try to make the UWI out to be just a mediocre university? The international accounting professional organisations, such as ACCA, DIFA, CGA, CMA and CPA recognize UWI’s BSc Accounting degrees and students can complete their professional designations in less than the normally required time.
I have a personal friend who graduated from UWI with a BEd in Education and went on to the University of London to complete her MA.
Artaxerxes
I have a personal friend who graduated from UWI with a Bsc Special Chemistry, went to the USA and in very little time had a PhD.
There are so very many UWI graduates in Medicine who have gone to become Professors of Medicine in the USA (the so called greatest country in the world ever)
@ Artax
But why do some people always try to make the UWI out to be just a mediocre university?
+++++++++++++++++
Boss…you still harping on this lost cause?
It is because “some people” judge an institution by the extent to which it is able to accomplish its raisin d’être.
Even if UWI produced all PhDs and produced two graduates in every household…..and we ended up with:
-30 jackasses in parliament,
-an impotent court system
-90% of local businesses under the control of foreigners,
-90% of the few remaining local businessmen semi-literate,
-a useless media
-an increasingly corrupt collection of brass bowls
…and generally a society seemingly incapable of sustaining itself without begging/ borrowing/ and selling off its national silver (accumulated by our to poor, uneducated grandparents) to buy food…
IT HAS TO BE JUDGED AS PISS POOR.
Shiite man….we are living off debt that will sit on our grand children’s backs for DECADES…and you talking bout UWI as a success…?
Wuh …it looks like our best hope was that Hilary would go up to England …cap in hand ..begging the kindness of our past slave masters.
…of course, now that he got his big job, Bushie would be unsurprised if he done wid even that…..
Bushie
Well said. You speak (write) for us!
Canadian Brassbowls Bushie?
http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ctv-exclusive-union-led-consortium-offering-to-buy-lcbo-for-11b-1.2047579
Bush Tea | October 9, 2014 at 6:07 PM |
“Boss…you still harping on this lost cause?”
Bushie, you and Pachamama criticize EVERY possible thing that happens, operates or comes into existence in Barbados. Unlike both of you, I prefer not to indulge in your type of pessimism.
But, this is a democracy, you have your opinions, and although I may not agree with some them, I respect you. Likewise, I have my opinions and should be afforded similar respect.
@ Hants
Canadian brass bowls?
++++++++++++++=
Au contraire mon frere…
This would be one of the most forward thinking moves by unions in decades. THIS IS WHAT SHOULD HAVE BECOME THE NORM SINCE THE 70s.
Instead of behaving like parasites hanging on to the coat tails of businesses looking to extort crumbs, unions should have FORCED themselves into the Board rooms by strategic investments, by leveraging employees’ share holdings, and by political muscle.
In the boardrooms they would have been perfectly placed to look after employee (and public) interests…..
…but it would have taken intelligent EDUCATED unionists to execute such strategies…..not half wits…..
Can you imagine if the BWU controlled about 20% of Lime or BL&P shares? ….even if these were actually OWNED by employees and ordinary Bajans? …..well you also have to imagine a BWU with competent people in charge (and of course – a university that produced such forward thinking graduates)….
But…
…Forget it Hantsie…..we can’t get blood from brass…..
@ Artax
What the….?
It is because Bushie respects your opinions (and your intellect) that you are challenged so often. Bushie is no lackie. If you are looking for roses and kisses perhaps BU is not the right place for you….
Do you see Bushie challenging ac with such tough positions? …or Dompey? ….or even Mr. CAPS?
There ARE indeed many good things about Barbados.
…. But we will NOT address the many REAL and growing problems that we face by ignoring them …or by focussing on the fewer and fewer great things that we have…. Leave that for ac, CBC and the Advocate.
UWI had the potential to be THE game-changer for Barbados (Just like the Credit Unions did) but BOTH these opportunities were hijacked by blind mice who could only see their own personal benefits to be extracted……
Got Bushie blue vex…..!!!
Somebody gotta get cuss …..and you and Caswell are as good as anyone else… 🙂
@ Bush Tea | October 9, 2014 at 7:35 PM |
“Can you imagine if the BWU controlled about 20% of Lime or BL&P shares? ….even if these were actually OWNED by employees and ordinary Bajans? …..well you also have to imagine a BWU with competent people in charge (and of course – a university that produced such forward thinking graduates)”
Sounds very appealing , Bushie.
Very high-sounding altruistic socialist business strategies to leverage the workers’ financial clout and empower the workers to be treated as important partners in the capitalist world of business.
Now tell us if such strategies are still applicable to the proposed “privatization” programme soon to be embarked upon by the present administration comprised of nincompoops and educated black braying brass bowls all from working class backgrounds.
Or is it too late Bushie? Has the die been cast and a line drawn in the foreign sands of privatization that would see the return of the black middle class to the cane fields including those of Marchfield to reminisce of the days of a broad-nose boy growing up stupid under the Union Jack?
look forget professor brass bowl (bush tea) that little munchkin up to his tired ole bag of tricks .,repeat the same sh,,t long enough and some body would belive,kiss nuff a.ss and sound like u making sense, the same shit he been saying foreverrrrrr,
check bu archives if u want to know the two faces of MR BUSH TEA,
miller i got a proposal for u …listen up bro,,How about CUTTING off your private parts and selling them to the to the highest bidder ?
Bushie you did know that the Ontario government is selling a profitable asset to pay down the deficit.
“The LCBO pulls in $1.75 billion in profit to Ontario each year.
“Ontario government would receive $11 billion cash up front in exchange for 75 per cent ownership in the LCBO”
Seems like the Barbados Government is trying to do a similar thing with BNOCL.
@ Miller
Obviously we cannot expect people who would agree to buy an abandoned hotel for millions, pay to knock it down, borrow $500m to build it back …and then GIVE it to a Jamaican……
…to understand such concepts.
They will just have a fire sale – raising enough funds to buy us lunch until Christmas…..
Bush Tea | October 9, 2014 at 7:48 PM |
Ok Bushie…….. doan cuss muh, ah ‘fraid a them brass bowl words…. lol
Point taken, Bushie, and respect due.
Bushie @ Oct 9th 6.07p
I couldn’t agree with you more.Well said!
@ ac | October 9, 2014 at 8:02 PM |
“miller i got a proposal for u …listen up bro,,How about CUTTING off your private parts and selling them to the to the highest bidder ?”
So you want to witness a repeat of the Sandals ‘bassa bassa’ when the 10,000 of those BLP laid off workers turned up for a few picks dangled by foreigners; one from Jamaica a country only 3 years ago Bajan. used to look down their nose at (remember Ms Myrie?).
Jamaicans can now see the real Bajan at their best making Ms Myrie look like St. Theresa.
It is said Jesus fed 5,000 with 2 fish and five loaves of bread or whatever miniscule amounts but the miller only has a foot to share among the thousands looking for Ms Myrie type work.
How can she ever get a job before you, ac, a Bajan experienced in every aspect from blow jobbing to scrubbing.
ac | October 9, 2014 at 8:02 PM |
miller i got a proposal for u …listen up bro,,How about CUTTING off your private parts and selling them to the to the highest bidder ?
…………………………………………………………………………………
ac . ….Cheap puss and now hot dogs ? What business are you in?
You ain’t operating a Chinese knocking shop?
@Miller …………….. but the miller only has a foot to share among the thousands looking for Ms Myrie type work.
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Is that Foot as in Size 12 medium or Foot as in 12 Inches long. No wonder ac wants to put it on the a(u)ction block..
Sugar cane production:
Measure a furrow.
Measure the machines tyre width each side of the furrow.
Just about the same as the total of the furrow.
Only half of the land available is planted.
Mechanisation,drawback.
Don’t wonder why sugar production dropped.
Work it out.
Factories.
Bulkely(as was) could recover MORE sugar than Andrews from a given amount of cane.
Tough luck if you had Andrews as your processor.
A lot less “bread” also.
Barbados cane factories,disallow burnt cane after 6 days. Refuses it, at the factory..
Guyana regularly uses fire as cleansing for the cane of snakes and crocodiles for a start.
They use the burnt cane after 6 days.
Barbados NOW has ALL Guyana sugar.
Don’t seem to be so much wrong with it. Strange logic.
Plantations get paid enough to pay workers at crop time, and wait for months for the balance and have to pay the bank HIGH interest, for the pleasure of waiting.
Then get ; a lot of the time; LESS than what the cane cost to grow and care and harvest.
Any worker with a grudge would burn the cane at a Bank holiday or holiday time and the time for disallowed cane being 6 days. The acreage became useless. totally or could be only partially cut before the 6 days expired..
Managers, regularly used Plantation Labour for building private houses, theirs and families.
Gave them selves Tenantry plots used plantation Labour and materials to build thereon.
Sold fertiliser, Diesel and “poisons”, in fact anything that was saleable..
Who knew if the products were used on the cane or for the cane care or sold?
Grew vegetables and fruits on plantation Land and were the SOLE collectors and accountants of the sales cash. Nice work if you can get it.
I am only surprised we have ANY plantations in production still.
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