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2019 Pulse Check up

The following blogs attracted the most comments based on the 1000 most recent comments. This simple measure as a barometer to gauge wider interest can be grouped by crime, economy, personality, international.

  • The number 1 issue for the BU family is concern about the high crime rate and specifically the unprecedented number of murders in 2019. The official count as at 30 December 2019 is 49.
  • A significant number of the BU family live in the USA, Canada and the UK and matters relating to the President Donald Trump and Brexit generated interest.
  • The Mia Mottley Government took the controversial decision to invoke selected default on domestic and foreign bonds after Barbados achieves one of the highest debt to GDP ratios in the world. Matters related to the economy occupied high interest on the blog.
  • Finally, BU top blogs commented confirm Prime Minister Mia Mottley as the most commented.

Most Commented blogs

  1. Crime and Credit Ratings – (707)
  2. Impeached – Donald Trump TRUMPED – (642)
  3. James O’Rourke: A Slap on the Ass – A Slap on the Wrist – (631)
  4. Prime Minister Mottley’s Father Awarded Knighthood – (624)
  5. Barbados in the BIG Picture – (570)
  6. The Rise And Fall of Brexit – (507)
  7. Barbados Government and External Creditors Announce Agreement – (502)
  8. Collusion a Crime – Judge in Mueller Case Upholds Legal Theory – (466)
  9. Carving a Hotel Corridor – (465)
  10. The Natalie Crichlow Video – (463)
  11. The Mottley Saga – A Promise of Change but More of the Same – (461)

62 responses to “2019 Pulse Check up”

  1. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    One wonders if, mindful of your statement “…Finally, BU top blogs commented confirm Prime Minister Mia Mottley as the most commented…”, whether the BU barometer might trigger you to go one step further and set up a poll to evaluate the “popularity” of the Prime Minister.

  2. John Avatar
    John

    Collusion a Crime – Judge in Mueller Case Upholds Legal Theory – (466)

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Whatever happened to Mueller and collusion?

    Scratch one!!

  3. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    Oh dear!

    Honourable Blogmaster why you gone and start up John doah?

    Heheheheh

  4. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    “Mia Mottley as the most commented”

    My personal congratulations to our beloved Prime Minister for this great victory on social media!

  5. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    My personal congratulations to our beloved Prime Minister for this great victory on social media!

  6. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    “Impeached” was the second most popular blog if the number of comments mean anything, but some of that was taken up by the introduction of Shockley and the theory of race and intelligence.

    Well looka here, a NYT columnist wrote a column about Jewish brilliance and genetic superiority of Ashkenazi Jews and linked it to a paper from 2005 that supported that theory. He failed to mention that one of the authors of the paper was a right- wing ideologue who was known for spouting racists ideas. After the predictable blow back NYT removed the link from the article and in a mea culpa tried to explain what the columnist meant. These theories about genetic superiority by some racial groups has become a cottage industry, I would surmise that a few professors are working on papers complete with data to support those theories.
    Here is the (cleaned up) article

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/27/opinion/jewish-culture-genius-iq.html

    And as a public service here is the link that was removed from the article

    https://web.mit.edu/fustflum/documents/papers/AshkenaziIQ.jbiosocsci.pdf

  7. David Avatar
    David

    @Sargeant

    Found this extract from the NYT interesting:

    Where do these habits of mind come from?

    There is a religious tradition that, unlike some others, asks the believer not only to observe and obey but also to discuss and disagree. There is the never-quite-comfortable status of Jews in places where they are the minority — intimately familiar with the customs of the country while maintaining a critical distance from them. There is a moral belief, “incarnate in the Jewish people” according to Einstein, that “the life of the individual only has value [insofar] as it aids in making the life of every living thing nobler and more beautiful.”

  8. David Avatar
    David

    This quote is extracted from the document removed:

    Some would suggest that, even though IQ scores are heritable, there are no biological differences in mean IQ between populations and that the well-known differences among ethnic groups in North America are the result of racism or deprivation or some other social cause. Similarly one might argue that high Ashkenazi scores are the result of home environments that encourage scholarship. There is scarcely any support in the literature for social effects like home environment on IQ (Rowe, 1993). A standard textbook on IQ, after reviewing environmental effects, concludes that “. . . , it is all too easy to throw up one’s hands in despair”(Mackintosh, 1998), despair presumably because there is a widespread desire to find environmental effects that can be manipulated. So far, after intensive searching, no one has found any, and the current consensus is that variation in IQ reflects variation in the underlying biology rather than in the social environment. This parallels the current consensus that mental illness is a biological phenomenon and that the folk beliefs of half a century ago about causes—harsh toilet training, aloof fathers, etc—have no empirical basis (Haier, 2003).

  9. Chris Halsall Avatar
    Chris Halsall

    Happy New Years Barbados, and the world!

    Let us all /please/ try to make 2020 awesome!!!

    Working together we can do far more than working against each other. For the betterment and furtherment of all.

    Disagreement is healthy; it’s how errors are found, and advancement happens. Disagreement is the fundamental process of the Scientific Method.

    Namaste.

  10. John Avatar
    John

    “Impeached” was the second most popular blog if the number of comments mean anything,

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Might have to scratch this one too.

    For the moment Trump doesn’t seem to be impeached until the fat lady (not so fat) lady sings and has her articles of impeachment delivered to the senate.

  11. David Avatar
    David

    On behalf of the BU household the blogmaster extends best wishes to the BU family for 2020.

  12. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    To what avail really these polls other than to create angst and more stuff for debate…

    So what if there is another poll “to evaluate the “popularity” of the Prime Minister”?

    What would it truly tell about any future possibilities.

    A year end US poll has established a statistical tie for the ‘Most Admired Man’. The winners who tied: Barack Obama and the Dali Lama.

    Oh wait that’s a lark … The winners for most admired man in US are Donald Trump and navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher

    Ahh…not true either… I was totally confused so just look it up.

    So these polls that push out these ‘odd’ results can be perplexing and suggestive of confused citizens …. would a Bdos government popularity poll prove much really!

    Good morn all.

  13. David Avatar
    David

    Have listen to the 31 December 2029 Podcasts with host David Ellis.”, Avinash Persaud, Aiden Rogers.

    http://vob929.com/downtobrasstacks/

  14. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    @ David December 31, 2019 4:51 PM

    Your posting supports what I stated under the impeachment article: either one has or one hasn’t the genetics for high IQ .

  15. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    My birthday is next Friday. At my age one contemplates mortality at times. I normally do not spent much time brooding on the topic. I am all for the jettisoning of the old and replacing with the new; maybe this is as a result of being a new year person. To all of the BU contributors I wish a healthy new year. Note a healthy not happy: one, if healthy should be reasonably happy. If unhealthy. the odds of being reasonably happy recedes in proportion to the seriousness of the health problem.

  16. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ Robert

    Don’t be afraid of death. Treat it as an imposter. Health, not wealth, is the key to a happy life. May you live long and healthy.

  17. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    @Hal

    I don’t particularly worry about death. It is inevitable. healthy new year to you.

  18. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Happy New Year

    Have a great day Barbados.

    Have a great New Year.

  19. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Trying to get my head around ‘most commented’.
    If all were not positive then it represents a vigorous debate instead of a convention of fans.

  20. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Rightwing Racism Populism is making a comeback in the white world and resonates with toxic white folks like Rubber Johnny

  21. David Avatar
    David

    https://www.facebook.com/steven.a.j.williams/videos/10163101542250727/

  22. gp Avatar
    gp

    we definitely punching above we weight in debt

  23. john2 Avatar
    john2

    @ David, BU family and all of Barbados

    HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

  24. David Avatar
    David

    Post Card weather in Barbados today, perfect for those gatherin by the Bay. The BU household does not intend to trade places with any other geography for the world.

    #wegatherin

  25. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    David BU

    I think we should have as our no1 resolution for 2020: No publishing of unverified information. Where is the USA on this chart? Are these figures comparable i.e defined in the same manner?

  26. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    The US as you know is privileged to own the worlds reserve currency. Do you hear the printing press?

  27. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    Happy New Year to the BU crew. I look forward to my continued battles with the usual suspects.🤣🤣

  28. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ David Bu

    Yes. I am hearing it . Where there is a demand there will be a supply. Just remember that those who demand US dollars make it a reserve currency. The US is not responsible for being a reserve currency. But it benefits.

  29. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    Thanks for the clarification, this blogmaster was of the mistaken view its geopolitical policies created a demand.

  30. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    There are many papers. And many writers with agendas.

  31. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @Vincent, I might as well start the new year with a riff off your post…

    You mentioned “No publishing of unverified information.”

    Well senor based on your well demonstrated grasp of issues of finance, global economic news and the like then one can add: ‘no publishing of naive sounding information from knowledgeable pundits’.

    When you say: “The US is not responsible for being a reserve currency” I choked on my cinnamon flavored coffee.

    So you really non-smirkingly suggest that there was no direct, concerted and deliberate plan by US admins to install the green back as the world reserve country and thus BENEFIT big time!

    That’s a real funny one to start the year.

    I gone.

  32. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ dpD

    Are you sure that you are not allergic to cinnamon or coffee. ? Enjoy your laughter. It is good for body and soul, unless you have a cerebral/ vascular problem. GP, please correct the latter statement, if I am wrong. I am no medical scholar.

    Central Banks in Emerging and other Developed Economies choose, of their free will, to invest their surpluses in US government bonds. Travelers and traders prefer to use US currency and to denominate prices in US dollars hence the demand for US dollars.
    The role can be destabilizing to the US economy; as it did in the recent financial meltdown and recession.
    So enjoy your laughter dpD.
    Did you come here to learn something or to drink conspicuous consumption coffee?

  33. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    Why do they invest in US instruments of their free will?

  34. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ David BU at 11:19 AM

    They hold these papers/securities for same reason you, as an individual, prefer to hold a small stash of US dollars. You have confidence in the US economy.
    They believe that US will not default and that if their debts are denominated in dollars their exchange risk of loss would be lower or nonexistent.
    The bottom line is stability of the reserve currency and the trust that investors have in the US Economy. The day that trust is loss then we will have problems.

    Free will = choice. No body forces a country to purchase US liabilities . Currency is a liquid liability of the US government. They state it is legal tender.

  35. GP Avatar
    GP

    VINCENT
    RE unless you have a cerebral/ vascular problem.

    YOU AINT WRONG SIR…..VERY GOOD
    DPD DOES HAVE AN ISSUE WITH HIS VASCULATURE TO HIS CEREBRUM AND CEREBELLUM
    HE ALSO CLEARLY HAS A SENSORY APHASIA AND A DISABILITY TO PROCESS INFORMATION WELL AS IS EVIDENCED BY THE RUBBISH HE EFFLUXES IN A MOST CONVOLUTED WAY

    HOWEVER , HE IS AN EXPERT ON CERVICAL INJURIES AND EMERGENCY POST MORTEMS. FOR WHICH I LAUD AND APPLAUD HIM

  36. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Still trying to get my head around ‘most commented’.

    Do you realize that the “garbage truck issue “was closed out around 300 comments; then reopened and now has 439 comments.

    Do you realize that when the “garbage truck” issue was closed out the count for “time in a bottle” jumped about 15% to 20%?

    Don’t just post. Observe. Make mental notes. Keep your eyes on everyone. It is not a one-dimensional fight …

    The count means nothing if when a post begins to “rock” and “roll” it is closed out.

  37. David Avatar
    David

    You need to read with understanding. As stated above the blogs posted were the most commented at posted. This information was extract3d from the BU dashboard, it was not fabricated by the blogmaster. If some of you do not trust the blogmaster that is fine too.

  38. TheOgazerts Avatar
    TheOgazerts

    🙂
    Help me to understand closing and reopening and the difference between 300 and 439.

    🙂

  39. John Avatar
    John

    Do you realize that the “garbage truck issue “was closed out around 300 comments; then reopened and now has 439 comments.
    Do you realize that when the “garbage truck” issue was closed out the count for “time in a bottle” jumped about 15% to 20%?

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Somebody just drove in the back of one of the new garbage trucks in Paynes Bay!!

    Ten little Indians

    … and then there were 9.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2019/12/21/ten-new-ssa-compactor-trucks/

  40. John Avatar
    John

    Vincent Codrington
    January 1, 2020 9:36 AM

    David BU
    I think we should have as our no1 resolution for 2020: No publishing of unverified information.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    The press has been doing so in the US regarding Trump for the last 4 years!!

    It isn’t going to stop now.

    … and if it can do that with Trump you know it will do it with any subject.

    That’s why its credibility is so low.

  41. GP Avatar
    GP

    john
    you will get banned for saying dat
    and DPD, the expert in cervical injuries and emergency post mortems, will tell you about Trump’s inability to quote Bible verses, and how Grenville Philips has published books on Theology, and similar cow’s wallop
    DPD, the expert in cervical injuries and emergency post mortems, will tell you that is a right wing talking point and that only left wing talking points are even to be considered
    as you know he has a FACS and the FRCS in cervical injuries and emergency post mortems

  42. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    TheoGas (hot air)
    And most of the NEW trucks are now on the road. So what if the garbage trucks blog would have racked up 500 comments? 🤔🤣

  43. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    As I said then; the whole thing was a charade. The Unions were playing the ass. Left to me, I would do like Eric Williams when the Oil fields workers union under George Weekes was playing the ass. Pass the industrial court act: and empowered the army to take over the assets of the union by . vi et armis,( force of arms).

  44. David Avatar
    David

    @Dr. Lucas

    If you judge the quality of life in Trinidad compared to Barbados how did that move workout for Trinidad?

  45. Bajan in NY Avatar
    Bajan in NY

    @DavidJanuary 1, 2020 1:21 AM

    On behalf of the BU household the blogmaster extends best wishes to the BU family for 2020.

    Thanks David (BU), much appreciated and heartily reciprocated.

  46. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    I wish our beloved Prime Minister a happy new year! After she has pushed through a lot of good things for Barbados in 2019 against all criticism and resistance, we can also expect great deeds in the New Year.

    I welcome how firm our government is with Butch the slave driver. Very good. Every day our government is repairing more roads and restoring dignity to the country after the blue syndicate raped people for 10 years.

    Here is my personal wish list to the government for 2020:

    To sow discord among the opposition,
    to send evidence against Inniss to the USA,
    to fire the DPP,
    to get the lazy civil servants to work,
    to reduce the land tax,
    to cut social spending.

  47. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    @ David January 1, 2020 4:08 PM

    It worked out great. The OWTU held the country to ransom; there was no delivery of oil to the gas stations. Commerce came to a halt until the army took over at the point of the gun. I was sorry that actual force was not used; left to me I would given carte blanche to use force. They would never have tried that ploy again. In certain parts of Trinidad , the standard of living is on par or better than Barbados. In the case of democracy, Trinidad can teach Barbados a thing or two.

  48. David Avatar
    David

    New Court of Appeal Judges are ready to serve

    Article by
    Marlon Madden
    Published on
    December 31, 2019

    The local judiciary received a further boost on Tuesday, when two new Court of Appeal Judges, Francis Belle and Jefferson Cumberbatch, were sworn in.

    They took the oath of office before acting Governor General Kenneth Hewitt, family members, Attorney General Dale Marshall, Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson, and other witnesses.

    The planned appointment of Belle and Cumberbatch was first announced back in September, preceding the appointment of Court of Appeal Judge Rajendra Narine; two temporary High Court Judges Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell and Carlisle Greaves; and four High Court Judges Barry Carrington, Cicely Chase, Christopher Birch and Cecil McCarthy.

    New Court of Appeal Judges Jefferson Cumberbatch (left) and Francis Belle (right) are joined by Attorney General Dale Marshall, acting Governor General Kenneth Hewitt and Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson.

    Following today’s latest swearing in, AG Marshall told journalists the appointments “complete the composition of the Court of Appeal”, adding that the two High Court judges who were acting as Court of Appeal Judges would now revert to their substantive posts.

    In the case of the High Court, the Attorney General said the swearing in of Belizean Madam Justice Shona Griffith would complete the composition of that Bench.

    She is expected to arrive in Barbados later this week and will be sworn in soon after.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2019/12/31/new-court-of-appeal-judges-are-ready-to-serve/?fbclid=IwAR3bzw9lKG7CTeM18MwesK_zgCXIVAyy8XPl5nPM4sQkWtYk7PTGrqnP-JU

  49. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @ Vincent absolutely I learn … I am alive. I stop the former when the latter stops being valid!

    Thus if u want to contend that the US economy suffers more upheaval with the green back as reserve because of issues like the financial crisis of 08 than it benefits due to that reserve status then you are offering a fallacious learning.

    I am not here to butt heads with you ….and nor am I allergic to cinnamon or coffee… I merely had a hiccup reaction to what I read which caused the choking.

    Dr GP.. the resolution remains intact.

  50. GP Avatar
    GP

    DPD

    WHAT RESOLUTION
    DID I NOT TELL THE TRUTH WHEN I SAID THAT DPD DOES HAVE AN ISSUE WITH HIS VASCULATURE TO HIS CEREBRUM AND CEREBELLUM
    HE ALSO CLEARLY HAS A SENSORY APHASIA AND A DISABILITY TO PROCESS INFORMATION WELL AS IS EVIDENCED BY THE RUBBISH HE EFFLUXES IN A MOST CONVOLUTED WAY

    HOWEVER , HE IS AN EXPERT ON CERVICAL INJURIES AND EMERGENCY POST MORTEMS. FOR WHICH I LAUD AND APPLAUD HIM

    YOU KNOW I TRY MY VERY BEST TO BE ACCURATE

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