Walter Blackman Tells It Like it Is: The Importance of Collecting Data to Drive National Development
Walter Blackman – Actuary and Social Commentator
David October 25, 2015 at 10:37 AM #
@WalterInteresting intervention, the problem though is that we have a population which feels comfortable forming opinions based on a feeling and forget the cry to pressure the establishment to collect available […]data. Where can a better experiment be found than to look at the cricket data set.
David,
With all due respect to the disabled, I feel the need to pass on to you what my sister passed on to me years ago: “Feeling is for the blind”. Too many members of our population are “blind”. That explains why one-eyed men are kings in Barbados. The educated and enlightened ones know the value of using statistical data, distributions and their means and variances, along with hypothesis testing, as tools to assist with national planning and to achieve national objectives.
We have over 50 years of primary, secondary, and tertiary education data. Let us say that there is a global need for 1/2 billion doctors over the next 10 years. What is the probability that Barbados can produce 20,000 of the world’s requirement for doctors in the next decade?
How much of the world’s actuaries, engineers, accountants, investments managers are we aiming to produce in the next 8 years?
Have you ever heard a Minister of Education in Barbados bringing this sort of thinking to the table for discussion? How does the threat of cracking heads and shooting people fit into effective national human resource planning, one of the most basic and fundamental responsibilities of the Minister of Education?
We have over 50 years of political data on the performance of candidates from two major political parties in Barbados. Based on this history, what statistical distribution has been used to predict the performance of the major political parties in Barbados? What is the standard error of this distribution? What is the probability that neither one of the political parties will muster 35% of the eligible vote in the next general election in Barbados?
Have you ever heard Peter Wickham raising such issues? Instead, Peter has used pseudo science (making unscientific pronouncements and projections based on first differences (a “swing”)) to persuade and guide voters into producing an electoral result that HE wants. Attempts made in the last election to create polling results to suit HIS agenda confirm this.
For reasons known only to himself, Peter Wickham wanted the political leadership of Barbados to be controlled by Chris Sinckler and Mia Mottley. Small, and biased polls could have been easily used to start the ball rolling.
Furthermore, the first English settlers (all males) collected some African slaves (all males) and headed for Barbados. Therefore, Barbados has been experiencing homosexuality for almost 500 years. What statistical distribution should we use to predict the incidence of homosexuality in Barbados? What is the mean and variance of this distribution? What is the probability that at least 20% of Barbadians today are homosexuals? Why is Peter Wickham using the airwaves of Barbados to advance the cause and benefits of homosexuality? Did the majority of Barbadians clamour for this discussion? Again, similar to political polling, the discussion on homosexuality is aimed at producing a result that Peter wants.
And now to cricket and its dynamics. We have compiled almost 100 years of data on the West Indies cricket team. Based on the team that we are playing, we have to find the best statistical distribution, and its mean and variance, to assist us with our decision making.
For example, let us say that we know, on average, our individual fast bowlers over the past 100 years had to bowl 80 balls before they were able to break our opponents’ opening partnership. Today, we have six fast bowlers who are competing for a place on the team, and the average amount of balls each had to bowl to break an opening partnership are: 120, 78, 160, 140, 72, 200. Which two should we select? Should we be satisfied with the current batch? Or should we let everyone in the Caribbean know that we are desperately searching for fast bowlers and set up invitational clinics and training venues to attract and develop talented prospects?
Assume that we are playing against Australia. Historically, Australia has applied immense pressure on our batsmen in the 2nd innings when we are chasing runs to win. Our statistical distribution tells us that one batsman, with a higher test batting average, has a 20% chance of making 50 runs in the 2nd innings of a match. Another batsman has a 55% chance of making at least 50 runs in his 2nd innings. Only one of them can play. Which one should be selected?
Barbados Underground 
Walter, anent your point about electoral choices, the following is taken from my column today-
Of course, in ordinary times, this disinterest might have inured to the benefit of those not constitutionally charged with the creation of policy, that is the Opposition, but the present sentiment of popular political disinterest seems to be rather deep-seated, to such an extent that it may be tentatively argued that one of the more anticipated outcomes of any future general election may be an ascertainment of that percentage of the electorate that chooses not to exercise its franchise, as much as that who decides to do so in favour of either of the major groupings.
Voter apathy may win the day!
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New broke yesterday that yet another political party has been formed. Are we to expect in their manifesto, or is it unenforceable contract, a promise to create a national database to drive key strategic priorities to make Barbados the ‘BEST’ country in the world by 2025?
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Walter
Here of late, the main reason for persons entering politics in Barbados is to feather their nest. The type of analysis that you are championing does not matter to them. When we were boys the heavy hitters in politics were self made men who entered politics to improve the lot of Bajans. Today, we have persons entering the political arena in order to make a living. Most of whom could not run a snow cone cart but they are running this country into the ground.
They came in on a platform which said that they would declare their assets but when they won, they could not because most of them were not in possession ion of many assets. As a matter of fact one of them was being sought by Marshals on a warrant to commit him to prison for failure to pay maintenance (cock tax). In addition bailiffs has seized his car. But in five short years his mother ended up as a millionaire.
Building this country is the last thing on their minds.
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Caswell
Is dat a low blow?
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A lack of leadership is being seen all across the country. Young people giving their lives on the roads, shootings, littering at will. There is a lawless at play which members of the BU household have not witnessed in our lifetime. This is not imagined.
Update-Body discovered in St George
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No Georgie, that is the truth.
Sent from my iPad
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@Jeff, clearly you are or were an avid Scrabble player at some point!!
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@ de Ingrunt Word,
Jeff is just making sure we have to use google. lol
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Jeff Cumberbatch October 25, 2015 at 3:19 PM #
“Walter, anent your point about electoral choices, the following is taken from my column today-
Of course, in ordinary times, this disinterest might have inured to the benefit of those not constitutionally charged with the creation of policy, that is the Opposition, but the present sentiment of popular political disinterest seems to be rather deep-seated……
Voter apathy may win the day”
Jeff,
I agree with you wholeheartedly. However, if I were the President of the DLP or the BLP, and had any respect for the party’s members, my first order of business would be to analyze the history of the party’s voter support and use that analysis to formulate policies aimed at ensuring the relevance and sustainability of my party.
There are two reasons why I would do this.
One, especially under a first-past-the-post system, political parties face a constant threat of stagnation and death. All political parties that existed in Barbados a mere 80 years ago are now dead.
Two, If I cannot use available historical data to generate policy initiatives for my party, how on Earth will I be able to do it for my country should I ever become Prime Minister?
What policy initiatives, for either party or country, are we getting from Mia Mottley? In today’s Nation Newspaper, she ordered all members of the BLP to recognize her as the leader of 29 candidates, and to shut to hell up. “Be still, for I am God”. Really?
Additionally, Mia Mottley “conferred” and presented the top BLP honour to Mr. Erskine Griffith, a career civil servant, and former Director of the Ministry of Finance. Barbadian taxpayers paid thousands of their hard earned dollars to send Mr. Griffith to Scotland to pursue post graduate studies in tax administration. Mr. Griffith returned and presided over an inequitable tax system which had placed an undue tax burden on a particular segment (the working class) of our population. Recently, we have all seen the IMF intervening in the fiscal affairs of Barbados in an effort to make our tax system more equitable. Barbados is a two by two island, and just last year, all Barbadians had to hang their heads in shame after reading that our Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler went begging the IMF for technical assistance in the area of tax administration. Was this confirmation that our money spent on educating Mr. Griffith was wasted?
I would like to think that this BLP honour bestowed upon Mr. Griffith was the result of prolonged, hard, dedicated work primarily done to further the interests of the BLP. As a civil servant, did Mr. Griffith obey the rules and laws of our country and treat other civil servants (DLP supporters, and the politically non-partisan) fairly? Or did he deliberately destroy people’s careers if they were not pro-BLP? Only an impartial analysis of demotions and promotions, initiated by Mr. Griffith, can answer this question. Such an analysis is warranted at this stage of our national development.
That picture with Mia Mottley and Mr. Erskine Griffith in today’s Nation should make Barbadians stop and think. How much more of this nonsense must we be forced to endure? Maybe the BLP has made another step, albeit a small one, towards death.
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Caswell Franklyn
Oh spare me the theatrics Mr. Caswell because your argument falls flat on its face as far as the motive of the politician is concerned.
The fact of the matter is most if all politicians use the power and influence of their office to advanced they personal agenda.
And whether Barrow was seeking power or Adams was seeking fame, the both of them employed the power and influence of they office to further they ulterior-motives.
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@Walter, as usual an insightful, well argued piece.
And I hope that you are thus gearing up with like minded acolytes to get an option party in gear as the king-making spoiler or ‘minority’ leader. To your point “What is the probability that neither one of the political parties will muster 35% of the eligible vote in the next general election in Barbados?” !
re the cricket stats, clearly there is a plethora of data in use today very much along the lines you say and in some cases it ‘distorts’ the sensibilities of what many oldsters would consider the purity of cricket.
One can argue (although GP would not agree) that is was very powerful ‘flailing/faltering’ stats which doomed Chanderpaul’s desire for the swan-song against the Aussies.
A purist or sentimentalist could say ‘avast, away with that he was still better than all the others combined’. But the stats painted a sad picture.
In another blog Jeff said, “…I too have heard the argument that [US] elementary school system compares unfavorably with ours…” The statistics does not support that view so he was quite accurate when he continued “I do not know on what basis that comparison is made”.
Yet the average Bajan accepts that as gospel.
So as your underlying argument asserts, data is there (sometimes spare, sometimes detailed) to review but our leaders and citizens are wont to parade commentary sans even a glance to it.
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re I too have heard the argument that [US] elementary school system compares unfavorably with ours…” The statistics does not support that view so he was quite accurate when he continued “I do not know on what basis that comparison is made”.
Yet the average Bajan accepts that as gospel.
Judging from the students I have taught in the last 13 years, I must agree with the gospel that we believe.
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@ Walter
Bushie has to agree with Dee Word that yours is an insightful and perceptive post. Barbadians could count themselves lucky and BLESSED, should this kind of brass bowlery be what it takes to convince you to get your donkey back into contention for serious national leadership …as is your OBVIOUS talent and gift.
The Arthur experiment of ‘inclusiveness’ where all kinds of JAs like Griffith, have been imposed on Bajans by clueless politicians whose only focus have been staying in ‘power’ and feathering their own nests…has been responsible for our current mess….principally by sidelining REAL talents such as yourself….
It will take REAL balls to correct the present up-sided-down brass bowlery that we have…. but it looks like you are up to the job skippa… 🙂
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@GP you are a man driven by metrics in your science and even in your theology (the endless writings and references you use) so let’s see if generalized data will support your assertion.
I contend that the students you saw in regional off-shore med schools or even online institutions would be those who did not get into the more recognized schools. No disrespect to them but it’s fair to say that they would not be your average HC or QC student who goes off to study medicine.
I would suggest that even if 50% of the HC/QC cohort applied to the best US med colleges and did not gain entry and thus settled for a 2nd tier school they would still be head and shoulders better than the avg student found there. Now note I have restricted my group to HC/QC i.e our best students.
The much greater number of US students who seek medical degrees will inevitably throw up more candidates and lesser talented candidates than seen in BIM. On an overall % level I do not believe that our average student is necessarily any better than an avg american student.
The other reason I offer is based on a snapshot of NY high schools.
There are at least eight public top schools of the caliber of HC/QC. There are others at a very high level that would equate to our other leading schools like Cawmere, St. Mic, CP etc.
Of those top school there are one or two that the best and brightest at your alma mater would gain entry but they would need to bring their A game. You need basically an A average and near perfect test admission results to enter. Very competetive.
That top groups meets and in many way surpasses our best beyond a doubt. But then there are bariffle of good, mediocre and unfortunately abjectly poor institutions upon which that erroneous premise is built.
I am sure down in Florida there are similar dynamics.
To pull the two points togeather. The US population is much more diverse than our local population and whether we like it or not racial imbalances like those below will presage issues for us also….
The top school (Stuyvesant) requring that A grade and top score for entrance with its pop of ovr 3K has this type of demographic: Asian 73%, Black 1%, Hispanic 2% and White 22%.
Now as a US resident and a man steeped in education over the years you appreciate the impact of those stats only too well I am sure.
And of course as one goes down the school totem pole there is an inverse pop demographic at the bad schools in NY and other big cities.
My brief take away.
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“For reasons known only to himself, Peter Wickham wanted the political leadership of Barbados to be controlled by Chris Sinckler and Mia Mottley. Small, and biased polls could have been easily used to start the ball rolling.”
This is a very interesting article, Walter.
You also mentioned Wickham attempting, through his polls, “to persuade and guide voters into producing an electoral result that HE wants.”
Although I know the procedures on how political opinion polls are conducted, I often wondered if there is a manipulation of the population or on what basis the statistical sample was formed (for example, because people may not want to participate in the poll, makes the process of obtaining a simple random sample somewhat difficult). Also, the larger the size of the sample usually equates to a smaller margin of error and an expensive undertaking.
We also have to consider the political environment at the time the poll was conducted
With this in mind, it may serve a “specific purpose” if a “convenience sample” is used. A convenience sample is the process whereby elements/members of the population are selected because of convenient accessibility or proximity to the pollster. As you know convenience samples do not limit bias.
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Hear watching Dr Carson in action in surgery
We have produced one like him now working in Canada via HC and UWI. Steinbok, a Bajan Jew
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The problem with data – driven decisions is that there is never enough data to ensure the decisions made are wise ones. For example, we know from cricket and baseball data that bowling/pitching is more important to winning matches/games than batting, but it isn’t helpful to assess the performance of competing bowlers based on crude statistical averages. You must control for a whole host of situational factors – the abilities of the batsmen on the opposing team, the condition of the pitches, the quality of the fielding, the integrity of the umpires, etc. etc. – which is not easy to do.
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I am tired of seeing criticism on this Web site of the politicians who run this country. Fifty years ago, the political leaders and the civil servants of this country were people of outstanding integrity and conscientiousness. So what happened? Well, we tried to more fully integrate people from all social classes and backgrounds into all levels of civil society and political decision making, even though many of these people are ill-bred, impatient for financial success, or just selfish and greedy. The result is the mess we have today. We continue to operate under a Constitution and a set of laws and policies uncritically adopted from the UK even though many of these rules encourage bad behaviour. Why have an all-powerful prime minister? Why have regional economic integration that guarantees the slow death of our way of life and the eventual subordination of our people to those with higher birth rates? Why? Why? Why?
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chad99999 October 25, 2015 at 11:08 PM
“Well, we tried to more fully integrate people from all social classes and backgrounds into all levels of civil society and political decision making, even though many of these people are ill-bred, impatient for financial success, or just selfish and greedy. The result is the mess we have today.”
chad99999,
I am playing the Devil’s advocate here.
Looking through your eyes, you are against the notion of fully integrating Barbadians “from all social classes and backgrounds into all levels of civil society and political decision making..”
You assert that most of these Barbadians were “ill-bred….selfish and greedy”.
If you had your way, rather than integrating them into civil society, what would you have done with them?
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Artaxerxes October 25, 2015 at 9:48 PM #
“This is a very interesting article, Walter.”
Artaxerxes,
Remember that the article was written against the backdrop of the saying that “in the land of the blind, the one-eye man is king.”
At the risk of getting some “licks”, I have deliberately stoked the fire to drive home a point to Barbadians: do not continue to accept everything that is fed to you at face value. Be curious. Ask questions. Dig and delve.
You, Artaxerxes, have been blessed with a logical, analytical mind and, being educated, it becomes second nature for you to wonder about such things as “manipulation of the population”, the basis on which “the statistical sample was formed” (e.g which boxes in the constituency were represented, and the size of the sample from each box), the “margin of error”, and the extent of “bias” contained in the sample.
From here on, whenever Barbadians are fed polling results, they only have to focus on the few issues you raised in this discussion, demand some answers from the pollster who might not provide this information up front, and they will be surprised to see how quickly their eyes will be opened.
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@Chad99999, You may be blinded by nostalgia or what you have been fed, since I doubt that you were around at a time before we tried to integrate “people of all social classes and backgrounds into…political decision-making”. What, precisely, is your point? That property ownership or income level should have remained the qualification for exercise of the franchise?
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@Walter Blackman
You know this girl has expressed her pleasure in your ability to write the written word with some degree of clarity. However, placing gem stones like this in the public domain might be a wasted effort since conceited opinions and partisan blind folds have a lot of so called intelligent people locked in warp and twisted mindsets. Take, for instance, your brilliance in providing a few perspectives that shows the usefulness of statistics towards quantifying time-lime developmental processes and what qualitative measures will be needed for those processes to effect a best means approach. Statistics of any kind acts as the yard stick and the ‘microscope’ towards ascertaining and determining relevant outcomes as you so rightfully alluded. Any country or company determines their future base on their past collection of data. Any company or country whose data collection is fraught with inconsistencies and poor collection is like a cruise ship without its rudder. So much could be done and achieve if we ‘crunch’ the numbers and look at the comparisons.
I am convinced that a lot of the failings in Barbados and the eastern Caribbean is base on our lack of proper data collection, poor analytical or deliberate manipulation of the interpreted or, simply plain disregard.
Good food fuh eating though. Thankyou.
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We know a few years ago the Central Bank took the lead to produce the unemployment stat from the unit responsible.
http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/15651/central-bank-explains-figures
In recent weeks the MoF expressed concern about government’s inability to collect and produce timely statistical analysis, a concern of the IMF as well.
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All Government has to do is to provide the Statistical Department with the manpower that it needs to get the job done. The Government’s solution is most likely to be forming a statutory board instead and then give them the personnel.
Sent from my iPad
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@ Walter & Jeff
“….you are against the notion of fully integrating Barbadians “from all social classes and backgrounds into all levels of civil society and political decision making..”
You assert that most of these Barbadians were “ill-bred….selfish and greedy”.
If you had your way, rather than integrating them into civil society, what would you have done with them?”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Let Bushie play Chad’s advocate here… 🙂
If Chad had his way, he would ensure that ONLY Bajans who DEMONSTRATE the appropriate skills were channelled into the corresponding areas of responsibility in the country.
In other words, specific criteria (job descriptions) would have been outlined for persons interested in serving as politicians ….and ONLY those so qualified need apply…
….JUST AS WE DO FOR IMPORTANT JOBS IN BUSINESS….where unless you are the OWNER, you must meet minimum qualifications levels to be hired… Can any and everyone be Dean in your faculty…?
@ Walter
Since we are being technical, there is NO MAGICAL IMPORT to collecting data to ‘drive’ national development. As you yourself point out, data …especially statistical data, can often be interpreted to suit particular interests.
Bushie suggests that what we need to do is to focus on measuring RESULTS OBTAINED …and using this data to drive decision making. THAT is what a meritocracy is all about.
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Only people with deviou ulterio motives against the taxpayers could ever get tired seeing politians critized and put in their collective places, particularly when they refuse to look out for the complete best interest of the taxpayers who pay their salaries and for whom they work.
How quickly they forget that in the bajan culture, they were considered mere nobodies before and until given a chance by the electorate, the same taxpayers.
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That should read….devious ulterior motives
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Bush Tea,
“Can any and everyone be Dean in your faculty…?
Of course not, Bushie, but at the same time his or her “social class and background” that you so benevolently “bowdlerised into “technical qualifications” for Chad99999 would be irrelevant considerations!
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David reminded BU that the Central Bank Governor has been basically playing “political games” with this island’s economic data. Worrell dismissed the Statistical Service’s unemployment rate of 12.1% during the first 9 months of 2011, and replaced it with 11% as determined by the Central Bank.
Unfortunately, many Barbadians did not view Worrell’s actions as an “indictment” on the BSS, since this meanst that there will always be a “shadow of doubt” or uncertainty as it relates to statistics produced by the Service. Interestingly, the IMF used the BSS’s unemployment rate of 12.1%.
On June 19, 2015, the Executive Board of the IMF concluded its Article IV consultation with Barbados. The report resulting from the Consultation was made available to the public (by the IMF) on July 17, 2015, through press release # 15/342.
Recall the government delayed releasing this information to the public until after the Opposition made Barbadians aware the report existed. The IMF confirmed that this administration has been manipulating economic data, as evidenced by the last paragraph of the report:
“Directors NOTED the INCONSISTENCY in GDP data, and encouraged the authorities to quickly resolve these issues, with help from IMF technical experts.” [IMF Article IV Consultation report, July 17, 2015]
We all know the party faithful will question the IMF’s observations; however, it is important to note that the Fund makes its assessment of the Barbados economy BASED on the economic data SUPPLIED by the government.
“Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team VISITS the country, COLLECTS ECONOMIC and FINANCIAL INFORMATION, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.” [Source: IMF]
@ Bushie
“Since we are being technical, there is NO MAGICAL IMPORT to collecting data to ‘drive’ national development. As you yourself point out, data …especially statistical data, can often be interpreted to suit particular interests.”
In the absence of us being aware of the methodology used to collect the statistical data, your comments may be true.
However, producers of the data may present a “lame” explanation on how that data was compiled. I refer you to the explanation given by the Central Bank Governor relative to the methodology used by the Bank to compile the 11% unemployment rate for the first 9 months of 2011. Worrell was talking pure shiite.
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@Well Well, thanks for the correction. I was under the impression that you were pulling a “Jeff” on me i.e. flaunting your education by throwing in a big word of two (just like Don Blackman) to let me know that you are a Professor. I was always under the impression that a good communicator used language that ALL could understand and follow. My bad.
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@ Jef
Cuh dear …. mean yuh can’t grant Bushie a bit legal professional privilege? … LOL … that is what Chad actually MEANT 🙂
@ Artax
Statistics are merely convenient tools which allow crooks to sound ‘scientific’ while they do what the wanted to do anyway…
…like “Mr X captured 50 wickets while Mr Y only got 30” (but Mr Y have been bowling at openers while Mr X came on to deal with tail-enders…)
Measuring PERFORMANCE is much more specific. It compares TARGETS SET with performance achieved.
For example, the DLP promised Integrity in 100 days. …score ZERO.
Froon promised NO charges for education. ….score ZERO
A manager commits to profits 0f 5% and achieves 1%; …or 6%; …. or MINUS 2%…
All very SPECIFIC and actionable…
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A clarification:
This blog was extracted from a comment Walter made in Jeff’s essay as he like to refer to his pieces. The title is BU.
The bigger point about collecting data using established methodology is about making sure it is made public in a timely manner to allow all manner of man to eyeball, comment, draw conclusions for self. This creates an ethos / culture to facilitate the leap to meritocratic system. We are not there yet obviously.
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Bagnall Point this Friday 6:00 pm Pelican Village. The best actors in Barbados will be reading a script that exposes Political Parties for what they really are. It is free. Do not miss it. The most instructive 45 mins that you will ever spend.
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The Simplified Bush Tea Initiative will be given voice by some of the best known actors in Barbados
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@ David October 26, 2015 at 8:33 AM
Have you gotten sight of the Central Bank’s report on the economic performance for the quarter ended September 30th?
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@Miller
We are all waiting.
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@Walter, undoubtedly your invocation to Artax and co that “Barbadians: do not continue to accept everything that is fed to you at face value. Be curious. Ask questions. Dig and delve” is important.
But your assessment of Wickham’s polling methodologies go well beyond the normative and professionally managed expectations for ANY polling exercise. You are clearly suggesting that we must question his results because he is professionally ‘gerrymandering’ them.
I use that word advisedly as we all know it was made famous in the era of our long ago political heroes.
Is Wickham’s really so nefarious?
Are you really saying that the results over several election seasons and in different countries which his polling ‘predicted’ would not have been similarly offered by other competent pollsters?
Let me repeat, I readily and completely accept your comments on the nuances of polling, after-all the phrase ‘Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics’ was made by Mark Twain in the 1800s.
So maybe I am being naive about the professional bona-fides of Mr Wickham.
@Jeff, blogger Chads’ remarks are clearly blinded by nostalgia. And perhaps more painfully his views are blinded by the pernicious class discrimination that now more assaults our sensibilities than the pervasive racial differentiation of old.
It is difficult to take ‘seriously’ a comment : “Fifty years ago, the political leaders and the civil servants of this country were people of outstanding integrity and conscientiousness”, when that remark is seen against the backdrop of all the historical data we now have available.
He completely looks past the realities we now know of that generations and as outstanding as they were they were also flawed.
To suggest that we “… tried to more fully integrate people from all social classes and backgrounds into all levels of civil society and political decision making, even though many of these people are ill-bred, impatient for financial success, or just selfish and greedy” is quite insulting to us all…..
‘TRIED TO MORE FULLY INTEGRATE FROM ALL SOCIAL CLASSES’… Wow!
‘ILL-BRED’. Jeeez, whatever does that mean???
One has to take a blogger at his word, so as you suggested he would have much preferred the well to-do social plantocracy and the fair-skinned children from the union of that class and their previously owned chattel to chart our future than to see the devious, ill-bred blacks from that far-away land rise to a level of authority.
The absolutely ridiculous commentary that passes for valid remarks sometimes causes me great mirth..cause how can @Chad9999 sit, think and type such poorly considered comments unless he is preparing his comedic routines.
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@Bust Tea re BAFBFP 8:38 AM post, I hope you attend that event and even in ‘disguise’ that you can explain to the devoted listeners that the ‘simplified plan’ was actually broached by a blogger on a site called Barbados Underground as an “ACADEMIC EXERCISE’….your own words!!!
I am glad of course to see that educated Bajans as we are can take such sterling work and move it forward as a viable operational plan though.
I am full of confidence therefore the type of rigour that a Walter, Artax or Jeff would devote to updating any of their academic exercises which came to ‘national’ attention will be done with your work as well.
Well done to you and BAF.
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Will the Bagnall Point expose be streamed on BU for the benefit of the”Diasporians” ?
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@ Walter Blackman October 25, 2015 at 4:54 PM
“Mr. Griffith returned and presided over an inequitable tax system which had placed an undue tax burden on a particular segment (the working class) of our population. Recently, we have all seen the IMF intervening in the fiscal affairs of Barbados in an effort to make our tax system more equitable..”
Walter that’s a rather scathing attack and ‘heavy’ charged leveled against (according to you) a “career civil servant”.
Where is the evidence to support your charge? Which tax did the Director imposed on the “working class” that created undue burden? Wasn’t there a Minister of Finance and a Cabinet when these heavy taxes were imposed by an unelected bureaucrat?
Presumably, you are referring to the VAT regime which was recommended by Public Finance consultants, Due & Friedlaender, to the Government of Barbados long before Mr. Griffith was ‘appointed’ Director.
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@FearPlay, I would hope that your view “I was always under the impression that a good communicator …” is not to suggest that using ‘a big word or two” prevents us learning from or understanding the serious commentaries here on BU.
It is poor form to suggest “a good communicator used language that ALL could understand”. We understand from context. A word here or there that we have to look-up does not negate that.
The term you quote refers to situations where the communicator is figuratively speaking French to an audiences of Bajans…that is, the overall use of words, phrases and jargon are absolutely not familiar to the audience.
To speak specifically to BU’s commentators: the use of ‘prolix’ or ‘ennui’ or ‘anent’ all words not seen or used in regular day-to-day discourse of the average Bajan did not or does not take away from understanding the pieces.
How did you learn at school or on the job if you were unable to move pass the ‘big word’ and get to the context before you got to the dictionary?
BTW, they say that active brain exercise can help stave off Alzheimer’s and some other degenerative diseases- I am not a doctor – but certainly there is absolutely no harm in keeping the brain synapses firing by looking up a few ‘big words’.
Nowadays it’s as simple as ‘highlight’, ‘right click’ and ‘voila, search & define’!
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@ Dee Word
Bushie is disappointed that you have chosen to be so disingenuous with Chad’s contribution. To seek to ascribe and extract scientific terminologies directly from the blogger’s post is unfair and unwelcoming….
Of course bloggers such as Bushie and Miller deserve and warrant such scrutiny, but surely we can seek to try to UNDERSTAND what Chad is seeking to convey …rather that what we understand him to have said technically….
To Bushie, Chad is making a reasonable and debatable argument which, while it may need some refinement to meet the typical vocab of most bloggers, does deserve to be explored.
An accused fellow once went to an old lawyer and explained that the victim for whom he was charged for wounding “won’t stop interfering wid him … so he bust his ass with a big rock”.
The lawyer took careful notes, and was able to explain to the Court that, “…in the face of constant and intense intimidation, threats, and occasional unprovoked assault from the victim, the accused was finally, reluctantly, forced to resort to robust self-defence in order to preserve himself from serious bodily harm, …and his family from severe financial strain and hardship.”
The ‘Victim’ received a CRD… 🙂
You need to understand the ‘language’ of those with whom you interact…
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Bushie I accept your rebuke of possible “… extract scientific terminologies directly from the blogger’s post”. Maybe my interpretation of ‘ill-bred’ is more than he intended. However, I was certainly not being “disingenuous … unfair [or] unwelcoming”.
If Chad9999 is not of your and Miller and others’ intellectual and forthright standard to “deserve and warrant such scrutiny” then let him say so. He also has every right to respond and refute my remarks, cuss me or clarify his comments.
You speak incessantly here of how we have allowed ourselves to essentially be made stupid under this Broken Trident: you call it summarily Brass Bowlery.
Why does a blogger who obviously has the intellect and forthrightness of purpose to compose and present comments get to slip and slide with obviously badly presented, insulting notes?
Do YOU have different versions of ‘brass’: high polished bowls, standard bowl and dully polished brass bowl?
Just wondering sir!
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@ de Ingrunt
Seems to me that your reaction to my comments are emotional and defensive but essentially without content. Where is the beef? Most historians and political scientists would not contest the claim that there was a steady downward trajectory in integrity, decency, and ethical standards as we moved from Adams to Barrow to Adams to Sandiford and to Arthur. Then we fell off a cliff with Thompson and have recovered only slightly with the current PM. Address the facts instead of puffing yourself up into a state of indignation about being ‘insulted;.
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@ Dee Word
WHY…?
++++++++
….because as you well know, there are many different types of ‘intelligence’. While some may have great linguistic skills and the ability to talk sweet as shiite (like Minister Blackett) they can also be as dumb as a rock….(like ……)
On the OTHER hand, some of the most incisive and deep thinkers can have serious difficulty in expressing their brilliant thoughts.
….then of course we have AC and Dompey – who are not only dumb as rocks, but who also articulate like rocks…. 🙂
Wunna bright fellows who can always find some fancy new words to impress wunna “highty tighty” friends should NOT expect that everyone makes judgements by how fancy wunna sound…. not everyone is a Dompey…
You remember Gladstone Holder? …de man could write sweet as shiite … but you remember how he talked?
Give the man a chance … Bushie has a sneaky feeling that Chad has a lot to offer…
LOL…and this coming from a bushman that David (BU) blames (unfairly) for chasing ‘way Dictionary AND Peter Wickham…. 🙂 GP too … but he keep coming back …. ha ha ha
ha ha ha LOL
Bushie loves to put the whacker in wunna so-called ‘bright boys’ donkey ….
BTW
You is a fairly resilient fellow too yuh…..
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@Chad9999, if you can earnestly and practically describe my scribblings as emotional and defensive and respond to your original remarks which included : ‘…. we tried to more fully integrate people from all social classes… even though many of these people are ill-bred …” with the standard fare comments of your 2:45PM post then clearly we have nothing more to debate.
There were two other much more learned and erudite bloggers (Jeff and Walter) who also questioned your ‘use of English’ and highly charged language so maybe you can respond to them more solidly. I’ll sit back and enjoy your update.
@Bushie, you sir are a true ‘devil’s advocate’. I am absolutely no ‘bright fellow’.
Mr Chad9999 by his loose remarks which you parsed so benignly came across as one of the higher social class looking down his nose at we the ill-bred trying to climb up that social ladder.
But maybe it’s just me…as you admonished in another blog, maybe I need to ‘grow up’ with you big boys!
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Fearplay…you are welcome, only the Fruendel Stuarts throw around 50 dollar words when they seek to deceive.
Politicians have not yet learned that the simpliest form of comunication is the most effective.
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Big words have their place in certain situations, of course a small word would also suffice, but when speaking to an electorate, the simpler the oration, they easier to process information.
Of course on BU we have those who articulate better and as they were trained, to use certain words, I also fall into the habit, but it depends in the situation. There is always google at or finger tips for translation even if in Russian. That is how small the world has become.
A relative doing some remote work this morning received an assignment and it was in Russian, the youngster does not speak Russian but no biggie, she just googgled and translated. A very small world.
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Bush Tea
Bushie, must I remind you once more that the memorization and regurgitation of knowledge beholding to others, does not equates to intelligence sir.
Intelligence from the conventional standpoint, is the faculty of knowing and reasoning, and you have demonstrated neither here on BU thus far Bush Tea.
An egotistical nimcompoop like you have the audacity, the temerity, and the unmitigated-gall to put another person’s intelligence upon public scrutiny.
You must be on a new kind of crack cocaine which benumbs your thinking or someting Bushie?
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Walter Blackman October 25, 2015 at 4:54 PM
“Mr. Griffith returned and presided over an inequitable tax system which had placed an undue tax burden on a particular segment (the working class) of our population.”
millertheanunnaki October 26, 2015 at 10:05 AM
“Walter that’s a rather scathing attack and ‘heavy’ charged leveled against (according to you) a “career civil servant”.
Where is the evidence to support your charge? Which tax did the Director imposed on the “working class” that created undue burden?”
millertheanunnaki,
You are “playing down the wrong line.”
If you read my statement very carefully, you will realize that I am arguing that we had “an inequitable tax system” before thousands of taxpayers’ dollars were spent to educate Mr. Griffith.
After our tax dollars were spent, hopefully to be repaid by some improvements to the system, Mr. Griffith returned and presided over the same inequitable tax system. No change. And 35 years later, we are shamelessly begging foreigners, who are no smarter than we are, to use their brains to improve our tax system and rescue us. Was our money well spent? Just asking.
Why are we taking up taxpayers’ money and training people, if the level of inefficiency and inequity that existed before we train them continue to flourish after the training? Does this make any sense to you? It certainly doesn’t make any to me. Just saying.
I am not making any scathing attacks, or leveling any charges here. I am simply seeing things with my two eyes wide open. Just observing.
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Caswell Franklyn October 25, 2015 at 3:33 PM #
“Walter
Here of late, the main reason for persons entering politics in Barbados is to feather their nest. The type of analysis that you are championing does not matter to them.”
Caswell,
There are only 30 of them “in the nest”. Maybe a time will come when our analyses and discussions might matter to the rest of Barbadians, leaving them isolated as “dinosauric” outcasts. Who knows?
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@ Dompey
You are talking shiite…and articulating it like a rock….
BTW
Be careful, word is that one of your sons have been seen buying matches again…. 🙂
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@ Walter
You have to forgive Caswell.
He is an unapologetic pessimist who has resigned himself to the belief that all is lost…
probably as result of his involvement in the ‘system’, under the misguided belief that he could have effected change from within..
In reality, it will only take two or three good men – with BALLS, …to upset the whole shiite applecart that is our parliament.
ANY TWO Bajans who can stand up and SPEAK THE TRUTH PUBLICLY, and who are able to gain the TRUST of Bajans ….WILL, without any great effort, set the bunch of JAs there on the run…
Unfortunately, in order to be able to stand up and ‘cast the first stone’, those “few good men” must be men of CHARACTER …and not ‘closet’ lackies and pimps.
Also they must be beholden to NO ONE…. and be in fear of GOD ……ONLY!
The rest is cake….
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Sunshine Sunny Shine October 26, 2015 at 5:34 AM #
“@Walter Blackman
You know this girl has expressed her pleasure in your ability……”
Sunshine Sunny Shine,
After reading those few opening words from you, the “cockles of my heart” (thanks Wild Coot) got so hot, that I could not go a step further.
Although “Piece” is at church throwing furtive glances at Sister Headley, whilst the Madam is collecting the offering, I am sure that he has his ears “pricked”. Therefore, I will say no more.
But know ye this, my ability thoroughly enjoyed every ounce of your pleasure that you have expressed in it.
LOL.
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de Ingrunt Word October 26, 2015 at 9:47 AM #
“@Walter,
You are clearly suggesting that we must question his (Peter Wickham’s) results because he is professionally ‘gerrymandering’ them.
Are you really saying that the results over several election seasons and in different countries which his polling ‘predicted’ would not have been similarly offered by other competent pollsters?”
de Ingrunt Word,
I am not employing any techniques of subterfuge or skulduggery here. Up front, I have openly declared that I am deliberately stoking the fire with my comments in an attempt to open Barbadians’ eyes further. I have also said that I run the risk of getting some “licks”for doing so. However, for every pound of flesh that I surrender, the flogger also has to pay a price. In the process, Barbadians will become much, much wiser.
You are not sharing any lashes, so let us reason together on a few scientific aspects of polling.
Pretend that I am conducting a poll to determine which political party in Barbados is more popular. I poll 5000 persons from St. John, 1000 from St. Peter, and 1000 from St. Joseph.
I tell you that, after having polled 7,000 persons, the results are: DLP 65%. BLP 35%. What have I done to you? I have given you “biased” results in an attempt to make you believe they were representative of the whole of Barbados. What more information should you have demanded from me?
I am conducting a poll to determine who are the more popular leaders among Owen Arthur, Mia Mottley, Chris Sinckler, and Freudel Stuart in Barbados. I pick 2000 from Chris Sinckler’s strongest boxes, 3000 from throughout Mia’s constituency, 1000 from Noel Lynch’s strongest boxes, 500 from the Speightstown area, and 500 from Marchfield.
I tell you that after having polled 7,000 persons, the results are: Mia Mottley 40%, Chris Sinckler 30%, Owen Arthur 20%, and Freundel Stuart 10%. What have I done to you? What more information should you have demanded from me?
The point I am making here is that for polling results to be fair and meaningful, “bias” must be minimized in the sample. Once you inject bias into the sample, you can employ as much professional techniques after that point as you like. The result is already flawed.
To minimize bias and provide results with a given level of confidence, a random cross section of respondents, of at least a given size, must be obtained. To achieve that objective, additional costs have to be incurred. A point made by Artaxerxes.
At the political level, cheating and “nasty” tricks invariably reach the highest levels in situations where contests are very close.
The 2013 general election in Barbados was the closest in recent history. If ever there was a good time to put pollsters under the microscope, the 2013 election was it. This is where their inherent and latent biases would most likely reveal themselves.
How did our pollsters do in the 2013 general election? Did any unusual or strange acts of behaviour manifest themselves? Was there any sudden, last minute change in projected polling results foisted on the Barbadian electorate to influence the vote as the election date grew nearer? Did any new pollsters jump in the “ling”? Which side did any strange polling behaviour tend to favour? If questionable tactics were adopted then, who is to say that there were not adopted before?
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Who is to say that “they” were not adopted before?
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Bush Tea
Brother, put the crackpipe down because you’re too vale of years and ought to know better.
How dear you besmear another person’s intelligence when you yourself haven’t a proper understanding of the word intelligence?
Most scholars my friend, are remarkably gifted in a given area of academics, but are in want of the necessary knowledge and intelligence to confabulate in an area apart from their expertise.
So the question then become Bushie, is it fair to judge another person’s intelligence devoid of a specific criterion or criteria?
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@ Mr Blackman.
You know that you have my vote WHEN you and Jeff Cumberbatch start to run.
On another note. Only to yourself.
Like Icarus I see that you are being encouraged to do bad things by the Lawson Crew, even outdoor not encourage you in this, wunna gots to lef certain peeple alone.
When SSS says ” pleasure in your ability…” Dots of continuity noted, she was clear whu she talking bout… doan leh we has no commotion.
En de nex ting I wants to know is dat de body dat you got at me church commenting bout Sistah Headley who Dem is?
I hope dat de Blogmaster refuse to post any purported picture uh Dem glances causing I does only be mekking sure she pun de nex side uh de church cause I fraid dem sisterly hugs dat she like giving me..
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@ Bro Bush Tea
I said I would send this article to you alone since you alone would appreciate its implications vis a vis you know who
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-12309654
Given that ** has offspring is it possible that charges might be brought against the other party, I was just asking.. But then the Devon authorities might have to make Murica a colony to prosecute..axe one uh you lawyer people’s dem..
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@ Walter Blackman
How easily you misconstrued a compliment. Does being a woman means that everything she says is a come on? I leave you to my sweet piece; he does not take it likely when men of your stature, and christ there have been a lot of high flyers in Bim and here, trying to get it on with me. Over to you piece – TAKE HIM OUT!!
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May I speak on Chad99999’s behalf? ( just event back to copy and paste some more of Chads comments and low and behold there is Bush Tea talking de same ting as de ole man! Bush Tea I gine just go to start opposing you fuh opposing you sake doah, I jes cyan be agreeing wid eveyting dat you saying!,)
Anyway Chad did say “…even though many of these people are ill-bred, impatient for financial success, or just selfish and greedy. The result is..”
Blanket statements have a way of getting people rankled
“Women are too emotional”, “men are dogs…”
While his leader sentence was a “politics of inclusion” comment Chad does speak a truth when he says “many of these peeple are ill-bred” or ent got no broughtupcy or are not of the intellectual ilk to be representing our peeple in parliament…
Examples? You muddah scvnt William Duguid pun national TV, Minister of SideWalks and Gutters Patrick Todd, Trevor Prescod, Denis both of Them, 007 or is that 0.07 Stinkliar, need I go on?
Had Chad used a comma instead of his “even” he would have attracted less ran our to the truth he uttered in his sentence construct that while not similarly parsed like DIW makes the germane point dat they have no breeding and are intellectually deficient.
And if wunna doubt wuh de ole man saying in gine pull my leg iron, no not dat one, de udder one like whu PittBull David Estwick did was pull pun Dale Smiley Teets Marshall while dese peeple who are ill bred misinterpret Parliamentary Privilege
Write on Chad, write on…
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And @Pieces, as you are doing such an excellent job as Chad9999’s advocate, as your blog mate stipulated with his solicitor joke, please for my sake in this BU court clarify his remarks re the social class ting.
I must concede that expectations and experiences can be an ‘itch’ at times particularly as I said earlier when one reads remarks from a blogger which if emanating from the mouth of one of these we take to task would cause a virtual ‘kadooment’ of licks.
Break out that “Well, we tried to more fully integrate people from all social classes and backgrounds into all levels of civil society and political decision making…”
I am still leaning to convict this perp as guilty for careless and inane commentary; you are a great advocate and another sterling defense would leverage me to acquit.
@Walter, OK sir I get you above and got you first up too.
On that leadership ting for example I would expect (or is that hope) that the average Bajan – even though unfamiliar with pooling to your or Artax’s technical level, or mine which would be several notches below but sharp enough – would understand intuitively how easily that could be shewed depending on the address of respondents.
Polls can be as predictive as they can be actual opinion shapers so shenanigans do abound.
The ‘Huck Finn’ man noticed that a 100+ years ago, so hope springs eternal that we Bajans are a lot less ‘rural’ and more savvy now.
Your point is well made though; absolutely well made. It certainly made me stop and reflect on the one pollster I considered as professionally above aboard.
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Sunshine Sunny Shine October 27, 2015 at 6:20 AM #
“@ Walter Blackman
I leave you to my sweet piece; ….. Over to you piece – TAKE HIM OUT”
Sunshine Sunny Shine,
Before your sweet piece, your “hit man”, comes to take me out, can you find it in your heart to forgive me? In Bajan parlance, can you give me a break? If so, then I promise not to “do it” again.
LOL
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de Ingrunt Word October 27, 2015 at 8:01 AM
“so hope springs eternal that we Bajans are a lot less ‘rural’ and more savvy now.”
de Ingrunt Word,
As a people, we are now waking up. In fact, we have been forced to.
Without gloves, we have endured some vicious left hooks from BLP-sponsored ministers of government. Now that we have turned the other cheek, we have been rewarded with some bone-crunching right crosses from the DLP-backed David Thompson gang.
These “advantage takers” have morphed into a political class and are now punching “in combination”. Uppercuts, “body searchers”, and low blows (rather than call “foul”, the referee tells them “hit them again”) have now become our daily diet.
However, as we converse and argue with each other daily on BU and other social media, some of our ideas are beginning to take root. As a people, we are beginning to develop gloves.
One day, hopefully soon, we will all raise gloved hands and begin to fight back. The Barbadian Spring would have arrived.
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Interesting there is a regional conference currently taking place in Barbados and the lament from the Director of the BSS Aubrey Browne is lack of resources and stakeholders not collaborating with the NIS to ensure quality data extraction. We have a problem. On the flip side the manager of the resources is also complaining, MOF.
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“These “advantage takers” have morphed into a political class and are now punching “in combination”. Uppercuts, “body searchers”, and low blows (rather than call “foul”, the referee tells them “hit them again”) have now become our daily diet…
One day, hopefully soon, we will all raise gloved hands and begin to fight back. The Barbadian Spring would have arrived.”
FIRST CLASS!!!
@Walter, If you are as effective a politician as you are a wordsmith den…look out!!!
And you gotta get impartial referees, so that when the pols get their ‘ass exposed’ you can make then crow!
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chad99999 October 26, 2015 at 2:45 PM #
@ de Ingrunt
“Seems to me that your reaction to my comments are emotional and defensive but essentially without content. Where is the beef? Most historians and political scientists would not contest the claim that there was a steady downward trajectory in integrity, decency, and ethical standards as we moved from Adams to Barrow to Adams to Sandiford and to Arthur. Then we fell off a cliff with Thompson and have recovered only slightly with the current PM. Address the facts instead of puffing yourself up into a state of indignation about being ‘insulted;”
chad99999,
Again, I am playing the Devil’s advocate here.
You have drawn a historical line of demarcation (1953) separating the rule of the Governors (white and foreign) from the rule of the locals (black and Barbadian). You have looked forward from the time that internal self government started in Barbados and have asserted that “there was a steady downward trajectory in integrity, decency, and ethical standards…”
If you want to be fair to your readers, you simply cannot draw a line, look forward only, and dump conclusions in their lap.
To give us an idea of where our national standards related to integrity, decency, and ethics were before 1953, you have to give us an insight, for example, into how the trajectory was trending as we moved from the “Governors” rule of Sir Eubule Waddington (1938 – 1941), Sir Henry Bushe (1941 -1947), Sir Hilary Blood (1947 -1949), and Sir Alfred Savage (1949 -1953).
As the baton of Governorship was relayed by these men, did the trajectory in national integrity and decency trend upwards? Remain consistently high? Move up and down? What?
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Cuh Dear Walter
Those Governors never claimed to be our ‘leaders’….. they were representing our owners…. we were colonies…. to be disposed at our master’s whim.
Surely any ‘Beginning’ against which we must measure decline MUST have been once we assumed responsibility for our own affairs.
Basically Chad is saying that after a brief spurt from Grantley, Barrow and Tom, dealing with what were REALLY low hanging fruit, we have not done shit….
…and that far from the glowing display of national pride and industry that SHOULD have been the outpouring from a people freed after 400 years of animal-like treatment, we have instead sought and followed a steady trek BACK into slavery ….THIS TIME WILLINGLY LED BY A SET OF DUMB, JACK ASS POLITICIANS FROM AMONG US….
…are you not insulted?
…would you not question the ‘class’ and ‘breeding’ of such leaders?
Shiite man!! …in Bushie’s book, Chad has been quit circumspect and restrained in his description of the brass bowl jackass lackies that have been calling themselves ‘leaders’ in Brassbados….
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“ANY TWO Bajans who can stand up and SPEAK THE TRUTH PUBLICLY, and who are able to gain the TRUST of Bajans ”
Bagnall Point, 6:00 pm dis Fridy …. a cast of the best actors/public performers in Barbados will completely dismantle the elections process and political parties. It Free and it’s the start
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@ BAFBFP ,
Record and post on BU.
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@ Walter Blackman
I would forgive you if you make me one promise. Promise me that you will do all in your intellectual power to make Barbadians aware of the madness that is going on in the island and that you will run for election. Promise me that and I will come home and support your campaign with a kiss.
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Sunshine Sunny Shine October 27, 2015 at 12:42 PM #
“@ Walter Blackman
“Promise me that you will do all in your intellectual power to make Barbadians aware of the madness that is going on in the island and that you will run for election.”
Sunshine Sunny Shine,
I met with Errol Barrow for the first time in my life in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in November 1984. After that, he scheduled a meeting for me to see him again at a flat he occupied on the compound of Paradise Beach Hotel, and after that, at a bungalow in Enterprise near Oistins Beach (I remember a white woman serving me tea, I think her name was Jeannine, just before we started talking).
Early in 1987, he summoned me to DLP Headquarters, and asked me to undertake an assignment, for the future development of the DLP.
Just before I left him, he made me promise that I would use all of my knowledge and skills to better Barbadians and Barbados. I hesitated, reflected for a while, and then said to him: “I promise”. That was the last time we spoke a word to each other.
Your request has brought those memories flooding back. The last words I said to EWB, I now say to you: “I promise.”
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So wait….
You made a solemn promise to the Dipper ….and still over in the states playing de ass…?
What the hell Bushie hearing at all….?
Boss …. how soon will you be here….?
Up then….
Truest flame lies in high endeavour
…..
Foes in plenty we shall meet
Hearts courageous scorn defeat
So we press with eager feet
Up and on, Up and on
Ever upward to the fight
Ever upward to the light
Ever true to God and right
Up and on, Up and on.
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Walter Blackman
I met Errol Barrow as a teenager bagging groceries at Home Center Limited back in the early 1980s; Mr. Barrow was a regular shopper at Home Center during those years when the BLP was in power.
I remember with great admiration on a particular occasion, I asked Mr. Barrow to carry his groceries to his car, and this giant of a man politely refused my request.
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@Walter Blackman
I hope all this praise being heaped on you do not swell your head and make you believe that you are some all knowing oracle immune to the ideas of others. You sound like the stuff integrity is made of. We have a serious lack of that coming from both political parties. We need people who understand country and the importance of managing it well. Not shites with ambitions base on get rich schemes. Plus we want people who are not afraid of going after the despicable thieving status quo and who will not be easily brought by suitcase wielding money business. Are you that man Walter Blackman.
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I make my living as a statistician in the USA, so please accepts my compliment on your recommendation that we use more statistical modeling in making our decisions.
However, I want to comment on two of your statements.
I may be a bit over my head on the homosexual issue, but I believe that homosexuality of today cannot be explained by the homosexuality of yesterday. I wonder if with sexual tourism and with hard and difficult times if these acts are practised only by homosexuals.
I like your venture into the use of statistics in selecting the WI cricket team. I see even some Bayesian thinking where you use suggest the use of historical data in making your selection, but I suspect that such thinking is already being employed.
Part of Bayesian modeling is adjusting your probabilities when new data become available. So if your primary selection makes a few ducks he will be off of the team as his probability is adjusted downwards. The pressure to perform, the continual changing of the team would wreak havoc on team spirit and teamwork. I agree that our decision making (selection process) needs some improvement
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What an interesting observation by Cheryl Willougby, head of substance abuse – she claims if one wants to do research to establish link with crime and alcohol for example, said person has to request data from several departments. How are we to describe ourselves as education having sunk billions in education only to find we can’t access the data to improve our lot?
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@ David who wrote ” said person has to request data from several departments.”
So these departments are located in Iceland, Antartica and the Kalahari desert.
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Hants
We have government departments operating on disparate systems. The fact there is no motivation to integrate or share platforms is an indication of the level of ignorance that abounds.
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@ David
You playing that you don’t understand what she is saying…?
People have to BRING that data and hand it to her…. She won’t be running around anywhere searching for it…. think she got a masters degree fuh sport…?
…think these women easy nuh…?
What the hell is wrong with a research department making it THEIR business to GET OUT THERE and collect the needed data – by whatever means required – to achieve their mandate?
What the hell else do they actually DO anyway? …sit around counting how many people got shot, stabbed and choked? ….yuh mean the police don’t do that BY DEFAULT?
Steupsss…. the money being paid to them could REALLY be redirected to hiring a few more damn policemen or real real judges….
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