Walter Blackman – Actuary and CBC Talk Show host
For many years, pleas were made from various quarters (Gladstone Holder comes readily to mind) for Barbadians to remain eternally vigilant over the handling of our nation’s affairs. For the most part, these pleas went unheeded. Unfortunately, the brave few who stood up to highlight glaring deficiencies in our governance structure, to point out the repetitive instances of evident corruption, or to make serious suggestions aimed at promoting and enhancing productivity, efficiency, and national development, were all initially and routinely dismissed as radicals and malcontents, and then summarily ostracized and dismissed.
Some of these “pioneering rejects” exhibited extraordinary bravery and love for country by running for political office within fledgling parties and on platforms that conveyed progressive and non-traditional messages. However, their efforts and messages fell on deaf ears as too many members of our populace focused their attention on feasting upon whatever crumbs fell from the lips of the privileged few, or from the hands and promises of visionless politicians bent on selling out the country and its interests.
In reflecting upon the road that we have travelled over the last 51 years as a nation, I found myself remembering a poem which I had read as a 13-year old student at Combermere. The poem, authored by Lewis Carroll, was published in 1871.
As you read the poem, I exhort you to view the Carpenter as politicians and their handpicked cronies. The Walrus represents senior public service administrators and members of the traditional private sector, who have all mastered the very lucrative game of collusion, bribery, and kickbacks.
The Oysters are the gifted, honest, talented, industrious members of our population, our at-risk NIS and its contributions, our sense of decency and fairness, our respect for law and order, the integrity and resources of our central bank, our national bank, our development bank, and our most profitable and productive national assets.
Finally, I ask you to accept that some of our Oysters have already been eaten. The rest of them now seem to await a similar, inescapable fate.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright —
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done —
“”It’s very rude of him,” she said,
“To come and spoil the fun.”
The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead —
There were no birds to fly.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
“If this were only cleared away,”
They said, “it would be grand!’
“If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose,” the Walrus said,
“That they could get it clear?”
“ I doubt it,” said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
“O Oysters, come and walk with us!”
The Walrus did beseech.
“A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each.”
The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head —
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.
But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat —
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn’t any feet.
Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more —
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —
Of cabbages — and kings —
And why the sea is boiling hot —
And whether pigs have wings.”
“But wait a bit,” the Oysters cried,
“Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!”
“No hurry!” said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
“A loaf of bread,” the Walrus said,
“Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed —
Now if you’re ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed.”
“But not on us!” the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
“After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!”
“The night is fine,” the Walrus said.
“ Do you admire the view?”
“It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!”’
The Carpenter said nothing but
“Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf —
I’ve had to ask you twice!”
“It seems a shame,” the Walrus said,
“To play them such a trick,
After we’ve brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!”
The Carpenter said nothing but
“The butter’s spread too thick!”’
“I weep for you,”’ the Walrus said:
“I deeply sympathize.”’
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
“O Oysters,” said the Carpenter,
“You’ve had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?”
But answer came there none —
And this was scarcely odd, because
They’d eaten every one.
Nice!
Are we there yet?
The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things:
Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax -Of cabbages — and kings —
And why the sea is boiling hot — And whether pigs have wings.”…
An apt allegory, Walter..Soon that time will come.
We will all be eaten or will be so starved out that what is left will be useless unless we get a Captain new to steer this rocky boat and take us off the rocks, please God we need to have that hope.
A-w-t-y at 7 :42 PM
No. And we never will.
Inescapable Fate? Where is he coming from? Walter, you are too pessimistic. Like everybody else, wait and see.
“YOUR THOUGHTS ARE NOT MY THOUGHTS and YOUR WAYS ARE NOT MY WAYS”
Fear not!.
Dominica, Barbuda and Puerto Rico was devastated, yet they contemplate a bright future going forward.
Restitution comes.
Jeff Cumberbatch December 4, 2017 at 8:48 PM #
“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things:
Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax -Of cabbages — and kings —
And why the sea is boiling hot — And whether pigs have wings.”…
‘An apt allegory, Walter..Soon that time will come.’
Jeff,
Agreed.
You are sharp.
Many will miss what you have grasped.
Bernard Codrington December 4, 2017 at 9:10 PM #
“Inescapable Fate? Where is he coming from? Walter, you are too pessimistic. Like everybody else, wait and see.”
Bernard Codrington,
Excellent comment. You have now unwittingly established the two end points for our discussion: Too pessimistic (Walter Blackman) and too optimistic (Bernard Codrington). Naturally, our real predicament lies somewhere between these two extremes.
However, your advice to everyone to “wait and see” smacks of inaction. Precisely the recipe needed to “cook our goose” and seal our fate.
When political aspirants resort to dressing up themselves in poetry, far from displaying pedigree only an irrelavant intellectual nakedness is displayed.
About the ‘Hunting of the Snark’ ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Carroll wrote
”I’m very much afraid I didn’t mean anything but nonsense. Still, you know, words mean more than we mean to express when we use them; so a whole book ought to mean a great deal more than the writer means. So, whatever good meanings are in the book, I’m glad to accept as the meaning of the book.”
Like in Carroll’s, Alice In Wonderland, would-be Caribbean politicians avoid seeking divine refuse, not in a non-existent god, but in the poetry of people like Martin Carter
Such a ‘Homecoming’ can never deliver the ‘Unmasking’ (Chinweizu) that will continue to escape them all!
Whose side are you on? -the walrus or carpenter
or oyster?
Pachamama December 4, 2017 at 9:56 PM #
“.. would-be Caribbean politicians avoid seeking divine refuse(?), not in a non-existent god, but in the poetry of people like Martin Carter…”
Pachamamum,
It’s not your fault. The system failed you.
You should never have been released from Infants C.
The Blackman slave boy
The system was never allowed to fail us
Like your Barrow said, we were not mis-educated at the public’s purse.
Walter;
Enough of the parables!
What’s your view of the headline in today’s Nation and what it discloses of the deal to sell the Hilton Hotel and its likely foreign exchange inflow and what effect it might have on the timing of coming elections? Is $35 million dollars enough to postpone the elections to mid next year? What is going to happen in the interim if the PM follows his usual strategy of waiting to act until he is so forced?
Pachamama December 4, 2017 at 9:56 PM #
“….. far from displaying pedigree only an irrelavant (?) intellectual nakedness is displayed.”
Pachamamum,
What type of intellectual nakedness is that? Where did I display it? Line 1, 2, 3…..?
If only you would spend 5 minutes per day, and read a book – any book, your spelling would improve. I have already recommended Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories, but you are “hard ears”.
In “infants school” (at Wesley Hall) we were subjected to spelling every Monday morning. A bamboo lash was received across the buttocks for every word incorrectly spelt.
If the same thing happened at your school, then your “can’t spell” backside is undoubtedly responsible for the scarcity of bamboo trees we detect today.
LOL
Are-we-there-yet December 5, 2017 at 12:10 AM #
“Walter;
Enough of the parables!”
Are-we-there-yet,
Excuse me?
You got a bloody nerve!
Are-we-there-yet December 5, 2017 at 12:10 AM #
“What’s your view of the headline in today’s Nation and what it discloses of the deal to sell the Hilton Hotel and its likely foreign exchange inflow and what effect it might have on the timing of coming elections?”
Are-we-there-yet,
What’s yours?
I find your initial groupings interesting.
As the poem may possibly be interpreted as one of exploitation, where the W&C lure the oysters to their ultimate demise, simply because they can physically do so. Similarly, it is night, so the sun is encroaching upon the moon’s time, again because it is seen as ‘more powerful’.
Then again English Lit was a “C” at ‘O’ level, so I am clearly out of my league.
NorthernObserver December 5, 2017 at 1:31 AM #
“… the poem may possibly be interpreted as one of exploitation, where the W&C lure the oysters to their ultimate demise, simply because they can physically do so. Similarly, it is night, so the sun is encroaching upon the moon’s time, again because it is seen as ‘more powerful’.”
NorthernObserver,
My reason for highlighting the poem is to make the reader think and reflect. Your interpretation should be viewed as worthy as anyone’s.
One reader might glean from the poem that it is a dangerous practice to be too trusting of persons who really do not have your wellbeing at heart.
Another might marvel at how easy it is for the “crowd” to dismiss or disregard the wise warnings and messages of one person with the correct view (in this case the elder Oyster) and rush headlong into a course of action that results in mass destruction.
Yet another, after reading the poem, might laugh at how the empty promises of a few sweet talking individuals with a hidden agenda can so easily lure and trap thousands who are “all eager for the treat”.
Finally, another reader, halfway through the poem, might find himself singing “too experienced to be taken for a stroll…”
Interpretations aside…..”Carpenter as politicians and their handpicked cronies. The Walrus represents senior public service administrators and members of the traditional private sector” remains an interesting grouping. The Carpenter being a form of artist, The Walrus being a ‘fat cat’. The jab is at the senior public servants?
Walter; Re. your 12:39 post which read ““What’s your view of the headline in today’s Nation and what it discloses of the deal to sell the Hilton Hotel and its likely foreign exchange inflow and what effect it might have on the timing of coming elections?” Are-we-there-yet, What’s yours?”
I lost my “bloody nerve”. Good to see you still have yours!
AND YET ANOTHER READER MIGHT OPINE……..’WHAT A LOAD OF SHITE’
@ Walter Blackman December 5, 2017 at 2:30 AM
“One reader might glean from the poem that it is a dangerous practice to be too trusting of persons who really do not have your wellbeing at heart.
Another might marvel at how easy it is for the “crowd” to dismiss or disregard the wise warnings and messages of one person with the correct view (in this case the elder Oyster) and rush headlong into a course of action that results in mass destruction.
Yet another, after reading the poem, might laugh at how the empty promises of a few sweet talking individuals with a hidden agenda can so easily lure and trap thousands who are “all eager for the treat”.
Finally, another reader, halfway through the poem, might find himself singing “too experienced to be taken for a stroll…””
“Curiouser and curiouser!” (The disambiguation not meant for Pachamama).
Interesting Walter, rather interesting!
So you have finally seen the light after your ‘Phantasmagoric’ return to and sudden exit from the dark realm of political chicanery?
While you were there peering through the Looking Glass did you see the spectre of Devaluation staring back at you?
Did you confront the wraith of Dr. Worrell squirming with the pangs of confession while climbing the nine circles of Dante’s Inferno?
Now that the Privatization ghost-buster has arrived too late to save Barbados’s sorry ass,
what would you suggest must be done to stem the incoming tide of economic meltdown?
Here is a clue:
Why not deal immediately with the South Coast sewage situation by declaring it to be a national emergency?
Why not see it as if a category 3 hurricane had struck the island?
Is your DLP administration waiting for the toppling of the utility poles and the total collapse of the road foundation to act?
Do you really think white people would come to a country like Barbados to wade through nigger shit?
Now deal with the question posed by A-W-T-Y @Are-we-there-yet December 5, 2017 at 12:10 AM.
“The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out.” ~Thomas Babington Macaulay
Miller at 8:28 AM
“The measure of a man’s character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out”. What an apt summary of the issue?
Miller you are amazing. I like it when you are.
@ David BU:
Now that we know the ‘postponed’ position with the BNTCL and the underhand sale of the Hilton at a knock-down price what is the position with the Hyatt erection?
Wasn’t the Hyatt touted as the other game changer in the three-prong spear of economic growth and recovery in order to keep the IMF wolf called Devaluation from the electoral door of the current DLP administration?
Weren’t Bajans told a few weeks ago by no other than the MoT Sealy that construction of the Hyatt would have started in a couple of weeks? That ought to be ‘Two’ weeks in Hal Austin’s understanding of basic English.
It seems the promise to commit NIS funds to the Hyatt erection has ‘deliberately’ fallen through the cracks after the revelations of the actuarial report and Walter Blackman’s insightful commentary.
Now where is that Sovereign guarantee that Maloney was looking for?
@Miller
We wait on Hyatt, ask the MoT.
On Tuesday, 5 December 2017, Barbados Underground wrote: >
Miller at 9 : 47 AM
Did I not warn, and did not Heather warn that the Financial system may be viewed as a Ponzi scheme? Some other contributor likened it to rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic. One has to be skilled at spotting and playing these mind games. Smoke and Mirrors my boy, Smoke and Mirrors
Sell BNB. Rebuild Hilton. Sell Hilton and build Hyatt. Miller,I know that your head is not that hard.
Bernard Codrington December 5, 2017 at 10:07 AM #
At the risk of being unpopular (more unpopular) the reality is that the people r.unning the financial system in Barbados (black and white, DLP and BLP) do not have a clue. They have betrayed the people. Why sell the Hilton, apart from the government being bankrupt? If you have to sell, why not auction it internationally, with a reserve price of Bds$100m? What about the failed deal with Elegant Hotels, wha.t went wrong? Where is our financial journalism?
It is truly amazing that one is sharp because he thinks the copying of a silly poem onto the pages of BU is apt!
If one has something of worth to say, one should say it clearly and simply.
Having read a silly poem sometime in one’s life at school does not make us particularly smart or sharp, especially when the same stupid poem does not clearly communicate anything of great worth or importance.
@ Bernard Codrington December 5, 2017 at 10:07 AM
BC, you are really taking the Mickey out of (in Bajan parlance: ‘mekking laughing sport at’) this poor beleaguered administration; whether inadvertently or deliberately is left for anyone to guess.
This piss-poor set of incompetent wild boys have been from pillar to post in trying to get the economic genie back into the fiscal bottle.
Maybe they ought to hire Ali Baba to rob and rub the Aladdin’s lamp being held by the IMF.
Then they can find the perfect whipping boy to offer to the people to flagellate.
Don’t blame us, the politician.
It’s not only the return of the International Recession bogeyman but also his twin evil brother the IMF (It’s My Fault) trying to stop you from driving Mercedes and drinking Hennessy brandy while watching the shi(i)te flow on the streets from Hastings to Oistins.
Barbados is in need of a serious spring cleaning-politically, physically and socially-starting from the very top to the ordinary man in the street.
@Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.” ~George Bernard Shaw.
@ Hal Austin @ 10 :12 AM
The Hilton is worth much more than BBD$ 100 M. It cost mucn more than that to build. The replacement cost is higher at today’s price. The fair market price including the land,therefore would be a multiple of the alleged quoted price. Do you think that when BC cries “Wuh Loss” he joking ? He is in pain.
Your upset price upsetting me more, yuh. You conspiring with WW& C to kill me or what?
Bernard Codrington December 5, 2017 at 11:28 AM #
Bernard, it is an auction, put a reserve price on the sale. No problem.
Hal Austin at 11 :35 AM
Auction? With whose permission?
WHOSE PERMISSION ARE THEY USING TO SELL?
Bernard Codrington December 5, 2017 at 11:47 AM #
If they have to sell an auction is far better than a fire sale to Kyffin. But there is no need to sell.
.
@ David December 5, 2017 at 12:50 PM
David C. was warned NOT to go the legal route to expose this imaginary project designed to scam taxpayers and NIS contributors.
All he has achieved is to give this incompetent and crooked administration a get out of jail card should the scam fall through.
Up to now none of the principals or the MoT can tell the people where the money is coming from to finance such a large project which was touted as the economic game-changing project to transform Bridgetown into vibrant regenerated city of the future with its status of a world Heritage site greatly enhanced.
The Hyatt proposal has no more integrity and chances of success than the Sugar Point Cruise Ship terminal or the Pierhead marina project under the quisling Boyce.
BTW, what has become of Alvin Cummins now that the economic shit has hit the fiscal fan and the talk of Devaluation is smelling to high heavens just like the South Coast?
@Miller
What is the latest on the Hyatt, officially?
Georgie Porgie December 5, 2017 at 8:13 AM #
“AND YET ANOTHER READER MIGHT OPINE……..’WHAT A LOAD OF SHITE’”
Georgie Porgie December 5, 2017 at 10:24 AM #
“Having read a silly poem sometime in one’s life at school does not make us particularly smart or sharp, especially when the same stupid poem does not clearly communicate anything of great worth or importance.”
Georgie Porgie,
I have repeatedly tried to make the point that venturing into the realm of public education is not a step to be taken by the weak-minded or the faint-hearted.
If one takes my complete article at face value, which you did, then one would be easily tempted to produce derogatory comments which are quite similar to yours.
So, rather than dismiss your scathing synopsis as something I expect to flow from the lips of the “swine and scum” of BU, I will let you know that I appreciate where you are coming from, and that I do not, in any way, feel offended as a result of your sincere feedback.
However, I will admit to you that this article, written in 5 minutes, was deliberately scripted to test a hypothesis which emerged from discussions related to my last article. Judged from that perspective, I am satisfied that this article achieved its objective.
Again, thanks for your feedback.
David November 26, 2017 at 12:32 PM #
“@Walter
Not to digress but are you willing to ask your colleague on the show you both host on the CBCTV8 if he settled the outstanding mobile bill at the NUPW accrued while he was president?”
David November 26, 2017 at 1:29 PM #
“@Walter
This is a serious matter. Does Walter Maloney sit on the NIS Board? Is he a talk show host on public media outlet? Personal integrity is something we need to hold people to account.”
David November 27, 2017 at 5:02 PM #
“@Walter
You promised to check if Walter 2 paid the cellphone bill”
David November 27, 2017 at 6:55 PM #
“@walter
Sorry but we don’t play games. You promised to ask Walter, a person we hazard to guess you have on Whatsapp or in your contact list.”
David December 5, 2017 at 12:29 AM #
“Games People Play
You’d think you know the rules of the game well enough
After being a master player for years on end
You’d think you pretty much covered all the grounds
But then you haven’t met the one who invented the game
…………… and the idiot took it line, sinker and all
You try to get the game back, yet you fumble with the rules
You try to get your swag back, yet you’ve lost all your moves
And all you can do, in your paralytic state
Is to watch the shattered pieces of your heart fall, coz that’s a fool’s fate
Anna Ong”
NorthernObserver December 5, 2017 at 3:11 AM #
“ ….did you mis-post that poem to WB’s article?”
I would not at all be surprised if I am the only person on BU waiting for an answer to NorthernObserver’s insightful question.
“Things get a little easier,,,,once you understand”
Think.
@Northern Observer and Walter
We have been doing this blogging thing for more than 10,000 hours read Malcom Gladwell and Tipping Point.
>
Shows how wrong Gladwell can be. 10000 hours and till can’t get it r ight.
Walter Blackman December 6, 2017 at 11:03 AM #
SIR I DO NOT KNOW YOU………BUT I DO HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR YOU AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
I BELIEVE HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE SINCERE AND MEAN WELL
SINCERE= SINE CERE= WITHOUT WAX I.E GENUINE
@Blogmaster
I read the book, though many moons ago. Thinking…..what in David’s assessment has reached the critical mass of tipping…..economic, social or ?????. Maybe the whole RH lot of them?
@Northern Observer
Actually it is as basic as ministers bathing and tourists and locals alike walking in ‘shitty’ water in our premier tourist strip.
To the point.Was the large outstanding cell phone bill repaid into the coffers of the NUPW?Two,why was Akanni McDowell disinvited a place on the NIS board?Was it not the norm to have the NUPW President aboard?And they ask “what is in a name”.
Gabriel at 4:56 PM
It is the practice for the General Secretaries of the unions to be the representatives on the NIB. They are permanent, relative to the elected union officers. Continuity is important.
David December 6, 2017 at 1:51 PM #
“@Northern Observer and Walter
We have been doing this blogging thing for more than 10,000 hours read Malcom Gladwell and Tipping Point”
David,
“Have to record that your response to a simple inquiry whether ‘you mis-post that poem to WB’s article’ is strange but it is your right. We will pursue the matter via other channels.
LOL
“BTW, what has become of Alvin Cummins now that the economic shit has hit the fiscal fan and the talk of Devaluation is smelling to high heavens just like the South Coast?”
I have had so many little demons running around attacking me on BU for months…ah forgot all about Alvin…lol
David December 6, 2017 at 1:51 PM #
“@Northern Observer and Walter
We have been doing this blogging thing for more than 10,000 hours read Malcom Gladwell and Tipping Point.”
Hal Austin December 6, 2017 at 2:08 PM #
“Shows how wrong Gladwell can be. 10000 hours and still can’t get it right.”
Hal Austin,
Building Barbados Underground into a forum where we can all discuss ideas aimed at making us better as a people, and making Barbados better as a country, is an evolutionary and Herculean process.
By any yardstick, measuring rod, or metric, the blogmaster has done exceptionally well in opening our eyes to the diverse issues that confront us on a daily basis. Many bloggers have come and gone, but he has remained and has steadfastly exhibited a selfless and focused devotion to an extremely arduous and thankless task. For that reason alone, he is deserving of our commendation and respect.
Given the current structure of Barbados, we will never find his name among the list of national awards, and we will never see him gliding into any lofty political office. Nevertheless, we must pray that the Lord (the atheists can substitute a name of their choice here) will always continue to bless him, and keep him, and make His face shine upon him, and be gracious unto him, and give him peace,
Georgie Porgie December 6, 2017 at 2:26 PM #
“Walter Blackman December 6, 2017 at 11:03 AM #
SIR I DO NOT KNOW YOU………BUT I DO HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR YOU AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
I BELIEVE HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE SINCERE AND MEAN WELL
SINCERE= SINE CERE= WITHOUT WAX I.E GENUINE”
Georgie Porgie,
Thanks.
The feeling is mutual.
PS: Just in case Pachamamum decides to rush off with your Latin words and try to impress the voices in his head, I think I should bring his attention to a typo. The phrase is “sine cera”. LOL
@Walter Blackman at 7 :29 PM
I concur with the views expressed. Yes ,it is a thankless task. I admire David’s grit and perseverance. Maybe ,who knows ,his efforts will be rewarded. Early days yet.
@ Walter Blackman December 6, 2017 at 7:29 PM
“Nevertheless, we must pray that the Lord (the atheists can substitute a name of their choice here) will always continue to bless him, and keep him, and make His face shine upon him, and be gracious unto him, and give him peace..”
You said it Walter, and made it ‘shining’ brightly clear.
Now we can all agree on who or what this “Lord” thingie is.
Even Bushie’s BBE can’t shine on his brass-bowls so bright.
Gabriel December 6, 2017 at 4:56 PM #
“,,,why was Akanni McDowell disinvited a place on the NIS board?”
Gabriel,
If my memory serves me correctly, Akanni McDowell was disinvited from the Severance Payment Tribunal of the NIS,
Officially, a clerical error had to take the fall for the mistake,
Bernard Codrington December 6, 2017 at 6:01 PM #
“Gabriel at 4:56 PM
It is the practice for the General Secretaries of the unions to be the representatives on the NIB. They are permanent, relative to the elected union officers. Continuity is important.”
Bernard Codrington,
You are absolutely correct.
Roslyn Smith, the current General Secretary of the NUPW, sits on the NIB.
Bernard Codrington December 6, 2017 at 7:41 PM #
“@Walter Blackman at 7 :29 PM
I concur with the views expressed. Yes ,it is a thankless task. I admire David’s grit and perseverance. Maybe ,who knows ,his efforts will be rewarded. Early days yet.”
Bernard Codrington,
Your comments caused me to momentarily reflect and ponder, Then it suddenly dawned upon me that I do not know David’s real name,
Could it, by chance, be Anthony Bryan?
millertheanunnaki December 6, 2017 at 7:43 PM #
“@ Walter Blackman December 6, 2017 at 7:29 PM
You said it Walter, and made it ‘shining’ brightly clear.
Now we can all agree on who or what this “Lord” thingie is.
Even Bushie’s BBE can’t shine on his brass-bowls so bright.”
millertheanunnaki,
Admittedly, I am in a jovial mood.
However, when it comes to Bushie, I have learnt to tread very carefully, “Mekking mock sport ” at Bushie calls for some skill and ingenuity. The trick is not to worry about the whacker he displays at the bed head. He bought it new, but he never put any gas or nylon in it.
The danger lies in the brass bowls that he always keeps close at hand. Legend has it that Bushie’s brass bowl never misses its target. That’s why they call him the King of Brass Bowls.
Anyhow, I have a little kerosene in a Vicks pan, and a box o’ matches. Right now, he is inside sleeping. Yuh hear how hard he snoring?
I am going to put on a helmet for protection. Just in case he pelt a brass bowl at my head. You don’t need a helmet. Your head hard,
Go and pour a little bit o’ kerosene in he back pocket and den light de match. I gun stand here by the door and mek sure it doesn’t close and trap you inside.
Just walk easy. We gun get a big laugh outta this. Hee Hee Hee. Murdah.
The McDowell issue is as stated by Walter and Bernard’s point is factual.It boggles the mind and begs the question….why the RH is Maloney loitering on the people’s premises? under the guise of a clerical error? Does he have no shame?Is the Minister of Labour not ashamed?Walter, are you associating with the shameless?Is this unlikely mix a means to an end?Any port for a storm?
Yes an odd response, but even odder, is the “we” as in ‘We have been doing this blogging thing’. While common for Pacha to use “we”, never do I recall, seeing the Blogmaster use it.
Must be the moon. Ever’body asking who the next body is. Even the very insightful Jeff C was bowling wides to John.
@ Walter
It is best NOT to follow Miller to talk shiite….
A word to the wise is enuff.
BTW – the whacker is tuned, gassed, primed and ready… and the nylon has been upgraded to an even BIGGER grade…. in anticipation of Hal coming home for Christmas….
Keep an eye on your donkey…. 🙂
@ Northern O
David has always been a ‘WE..’
No way any single human being could have maintained such high quality work, …. for so long, … dealing with such brass bowls, – and maintained his sanity as David seems to have done.
In any case, it becomes clear when the REAL boss is running things – SHE tends NOT to suffer fools as ‘gladly’ as do our goodly optimist blog master….
LOL
ha ha ha
Thanks for the kind words, BU demands a lot of time. Some will tivilize what is BU but there are many cases on record where we have contibuted to improving the Barbados landscape- for a little blog.
Northern Observer dont we refer to the bU household i.e. those who manage the blog not to be confused with the BU family which is all of you who contribute. Walter does Anthony Bryan (Sir) know what is a blog? Appreciate the contributions from all of you.
Gabriel December 6, 2017 at 9:12 PM #
“Walter, are you associating with the shameless?”
Gabriel,
Barbados is a country full of shameless hypocrites.
You would want us to believe that you go nowhere near the shameless, but many minds have observed an unnatural eagerness, on your part, to be associated with the shameful.
Bush Tea December 6, 2017 at 10:59 PM #
“@ Walter
It is best NOT to follow Miller to talk shiite….
A word to the wise is enuff”
Bush Tea,
You got it wrong on both fronts.
1. I was leading Miller
2. To make mock sport
You see the amount of skill and ingenuity required to handle you?
LOL
@Blogmaster
It was merely an observation…it could be accurate or inaccurate….the memory is getting more miles on it. WE, meaning, all of we, can only have appreciation and gratitude for the forum known as BU.
Walter Blackman December 6, 2017 at 7:29 PM #
I am a big fan of BU. It has one serious problem: David must learn to be objective and not join the fights. He is the r eferee. .
And this is your subjective view?
If BU posits a positiondo we prevent dissenting positions?
How have you able to become a fan of BU and separate the work of the blogmaster? Can you refer the forum to the blogger’s manual you have referenced to support your positions? Do you understand what is a blog?
David December 7, 2017 at 1:24 PM #
You just would not understand.
Hal Austin December 7, 2017 at 1:05 PM #
“Walter Blackman December 6, 2017 at 7:29 PM #
I am a big fan of BU. It has one serious problem: David must learn to be objective and not join the fights. He is the referee. .”
Hal Austin,
I understand the point you are making here.
However, David has shown tremendous tolerance for comments made by irritants and nuisances who many felt should have been banned, so I believe that you can express your feelings, like the one you are making here, without fear of reprisal.
You made a swipe at David earlier which I thought was unjustified and unfair. I brought it to your attention in the hope that it would cause you to pause and think for a moment.
Deep down inside, I believe that you have done that. Hopefully, we can all move along with a greater sense of appreciation for each other. The seriousness of the problems which beset our country demands that we do.
In the same vein, I would like to this opportunity to castigate and excoriate, in the strongest possible terms, all of those ignorant persons who hurl personal, insulting attacks at you for expressing your thoughts and beliefs. The use of these tactics should be denounced by all.
Peace be unto you, my friend.
Walter Blackmanaa December 7, 2017 at 1:39 PM #
You are most kind. I cannot remember making a swipe at David, apart from his lack of objectivity, which leads to him making lots of logical errors ie that the vandalising of the Nelson statue should somehow be tolerated because it is civil disobedience. He must learn to ignore the baying mobs.
I appreciate he may not have given much consideration to socio-legal issues, but he is the referee and should remain impartial.
But I am never intentionally rude or offensive, not even when David thinks age should disqualify me from contemporary thinking.. I have just got in from attending a class on contemporary issues.
@ David Mr Blogmaster, your blogger @Hal makes some of the most curious observation for a former journo and editor of a major publication.
A blog in the main is generally an opinion or editorial page in thrust, intent and scope so your query viz, “Do you understand what is a blog?” speaks directly to his obzocky commentary.
Of course blogs (like yours) provide very real breaking news with your various leaked documents or informed essays from insiders but that is invariably the appetizer and the main course becomes the commentary thereafter.
It befuddles me therefore that @Hal expects to establish rules and standards associated with the balanced fact of a news page, for example.
That is not the intent of the average blog and surely a blog master like EVERY editorial writer does can also stake out an opinion…he/she need not be a neutral moderator. That is just impractical.
@Hal, respectfully senor, unfortunately you are indeed sometimes rude and offensive. And frankly for a man of your nous one can surely surmise that in fact you are intentional about it.
But like all the Type A personalities here (Walter, GP, Bushie, Pacha, Artax et al) you do make great contributions even as you roast other bloggers or citizens rather royally at times.
Do you, for example, expect to convince sensible folks that your oft repeated reference to the former DPP’s national origin was not a deliberate and snide broadside from you as a result of your strong views on immigration and its impact here in Barbados and too in UK.
Some of us here apparently must bow to our superiors like you, according to one of BU glitterati…but beg my pardon if we don’t kiss you’all butts when we have a valid different opinion or you guys are talking one side of bovine doo-doo.
And yes David…I did turn the other cheek as the good Book says but still got a slapped imprint there “Bird Brain” …LOLL. So wha must I do but suffer graciously.
I was a great fan of Walter but he damaged himself in my eyes after he was kind to Hal..
Wuhloss
Mih belly
Ya killing ma
It is extremely difficult for a blogmaster to be a very successful moderator under the current format. I must say that I have personally enjoyed the efforts of the BLPDLP apologists over the last couple of weeks. They really enjoy putting their foot in their mouths trying to prove that six is not half dozen. After elections, I would miss them greatly because I would be forced to return to the TV for comedy that is greatly inferior to what they offer on BU.
What I do not like is the constant reference to them as yard fowls. The yard fowls we had, usually went to bed rather early and awaited the cock to awake them after a good night’s rest. They were never so active for such long periods of time: all day all night.
@William
Will repeat the question posed to Hal which is outstanding- please cite your source for the definition of what is a moderator. On what basis have you determined that a blogmaster is a moderator. You start wrong in your thinking, your old ass thinking, and you will end wrong.
The Gazer December 7, 2017 at 10:07 PM #
“I was a great fan of Walter but he damaged himself in my eyes after he was kind to Hal.”
The Gazer,
December 7 – a day that will live in infamy.
Licks like peas on BU, in all directions, and on every blog, from sunrise to sunset. With two hours in the day to go, although feeling drained and exhausted, I managed a smile and congratulated myself for surviving the day unscathed. Then out of the blue, a great fan of mine just breathed heavily on me, and I collapsed into a crumpled heap. The official result will show that I retired hurt.
LOL
David December 7, 2017 at 3:14 PM #
How have you able to become a fan of BU and separate the work of the blogmaster? Can you refer the forum to the blogger’s manual you have referenced to support your positions? Do you understand what is a blog?
@David,
Interpretation is important. The original thinking behind a blog was the democratisation of ideas, allowing people of various views, who normally would not have access to the traditional media to express their ideas. It is a free market of ideas.
The role of the moderator is to set the rules of debate, no punches below the belt. In other words, he is the Speaker of this digital parliament. That is why under the Westminster model the Speaker is not challenged by any other candidates during a general election. It is to maintain fairness.
When the moderator expresses a view, it means contributors must either agree with it or oppose it and keep quiet. That very act defeats the notion of aw market of free ideas.
What makes it worse is when the moderator is clearly wrong in his/her views. The challenge is that you keep quiet out of politeness, or oppose him/her. To oppose is to be in conflict with the moderator.
In the culture of BU, that opens the door for a group of vicious predators to join in on the attack like wild dogs. What Jean Blondel called the baying mob. I can go on, but the essence of what I am trying to say is there.
A moderator that joins the fight can expect to be punched. About appreciating BU, in the context of Barbados, it is a reflection of the awful journalism of the dominant press (preint and online). our journalists badly need training.
It is this vacuum that BU fills. @David may recall that |I suggested to him sometime ago that if he carried news he would kill the existing press.
A blog is about sharing opinions, most important those of the blogmaster. A blogmaster is NOT a moderator in the tradition definition.
Finally, as blogmaster- this including the BU household (not family)- can characterize how we want the blog to operate. We have done so for 10 years and based on feedback received and our judgement at this time we see little merit in your position. Please continue to post your comments, if there are blogs out there you feel like recommending as a basis for benchmarking please do so.
@ David
Boss… you are beginning to piss Bushie off yuh!!!
Arguing with a KNOWN idiot…..?
Bushie knew Hal as a schoolboy – he was an idiot then!!
…he then spent 40 YEARS wandering in the desert of England…
THINK ABOUT IT!!!
…even sensible people who spend more than five winters in England turn foolish.
What the hell would you expect of someone who STARTS OUT as an idiot
…and THEN spends 40 years there…??
Just ignore the damn man, and thank God that he can actually manage to read -even if NOT to understand…and to press ‘send’
Steupsss..
Only a jackass could want to tell someone how to run their damn blog….
If he don’t like it he can SCRAM…. or LUMP it.
…and to think that you entertain him…!!!
Bushie woulda just put his donkey on permanent moderation….
…but then again, that is why Bushie is no longer ‘at large’…..
LOL
Muh belly!!!
@ David
You obviously saw the word moderator in a very narrow sense and proceeded to expose my age and status in the animal kingdom. I thank you for that. May you always remain a young lion. And if by chance you grow older may your skin become thicker.
My dear man, I never deemed you a moderator. Of course, in this current trend of effortless hostility , reading and interpretation take a firm last place. This obviously leads to what is now being exposed on our beloved South Coast.
I invite you to read my comment again:
” It is extremely difficult for a blogmaster to be a successful moderator under the current format.”
Note a again I said “a” moderator . Quite frankly it was not attempt to be personal. I never said “the”.
William Skinner December 8, 2017 at 7:04 AM #
We are playing at words. Remember Humpty Dumpty, when I use a word it means what I say it means.
Blogmaster, moderator, chairman, referee, it simply mean the guy in charge.
@ Hal
You are absolutely correct. Here is a definition of moderator from a modern dictionary:
“a member of an online message board or electronic mailing list with privileges and responsibilities to approve or reject messages and uphold the terms of service.”
@ David
F Y I :
noun
1.
a person or thing that moderates.
2.
a person who presides over a panel discussion on radio or television.
3.
a member of an online message board or electronic mailing list with privileges and responsibilities to approve or reject messages and uphold the terms of service.
4.
a presiding officer, as at a public forum, a legislative body, or an ecclesiastical body in the Presbyterian Church.
5.
Physics. a substance, as graphite or heavy water, used to slow neutrons to speeds at which they are more efficient in causing fission.
Explore Dictionary.com
source: http://www.dictionary.com
@William and Hal
William Skinner December 8, 2017 at 12:33 PM #
The moderator sets the standards. When the moderator uses vulgar terms and irrational arguments it empowers the predators and fraudsters.
We cannot talk about integrity and ethics when we are doing the same thing. That is the correct meaning of the word hypocrite.
.
@ David,
Thanks for creating and maintaining BU.
Your tolerance for people who insult you knows no bounds. lol
Hope you will be watching WI vs NZ starting at 5pm.
I will also be watching Toronto vs Seattle ( soccer ) tonight.
Now I can get back to reading about all the shite going on in Hastings.
The MLS cup final is pun Saterduh.
@NorthernObserver,
correct. Toronto FC in MLS Cup, Saturday 12/9 at 4pm ET on TSN & TVAS.
u penned “tonight”….ya mean u en gine watch it live? or does the ice fishing hut now have satellite?
Surprised to lean some folks watch MLS. Would not surprise me if they also watch cricket 🙂