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PHARTFORD FILES: Of Covid-19 Contact Tracing Registers and African Embassies

Submitted by Ironside

Someone needs to help me understand why Nature’s Discount has a Covid-19 Contact Tracing Register in its stores. Help me find the Government announcement that proclaimed this!

There are at least two Nature’s Discount stores I am aware of where this contact register appears. You must sign before you enter the store!   Some stupid people obviously have done so and their names are there for the next signatory to see!  Don’t take my word for it. Here are two images that have been acquired. One from the Dome Mall store and one from the Sky Mall store.

Does Mr. Nicholas Kelly….excuse me: Dr. Nicholas Kelly think black Bajans- well, ALL black Bajans – are that stupid?  Orrrrrrrr! Is it that the recent “victory” over Representative Prescod has emboldened the White Shadows League? 

Peoples, there is no covid-19 protocol that makes it MANDATORY for ANYONE to give out your contact details BY ANY METHOD on entering a store! What Nature’s Discount is doing is illegal!  Where is the Covid-19 Monitoring Unit? Where is the Minister of Trade and Commerce or whatever? Where is the Fair Trading Commission? Where are the policemen for that matter?

Covid 19 Contact Tracing Register in use at Nature’s Discount

Using Covid-19 as a pretext to develop a direct marketing database is to say the least, unethical! What happened to our Data Protection Act?

My advice to anyone who signed his or her name in Nature’s Discount log is this: if you see any marketing messages / direct mail coming from Nature’s Discount, report it to Fair Trading Commission – and the Police! Better still, if you have any guts at all, go back to the store and BLACK OUT your name from the list!

OR… just BLACK OUT Nature’s Discount!

New Barbados Embassy

Yesterday, according to Barbados Today, Minister Bostic announced that Barbados will be opening an embassy in Ghana. Yep, that is the country where those African nurses “ah come from”! 

Let’s unpack this.   This country is in dire straits financially; NIS has been overrun, people’s salaries have been affectively cut via BOSS and we are going to open an embassy in Ghana? With one planned for Kenya in the near future?

There has got to be a lot more than “acknowledged…cultural and historical bonds between Barbados and the African continent” to justify opening an embassy at this time.

Tell me there is legit business to be obtained from Africa and that on the basis of COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, the Government expects to gain more than what it will spend on embassies.   

There are other ways to implement diplomatic representation other than by a full embassy, for example, a High Commission, a Consulate.  Have these other options been explored? An embassy means renting premises, more or less permanent staff, frequent travel etc. From whence are the funds to support this? Justify this!

If the Government is trying to get Barbadians angry they are doing “excellent” as my mother-in-law would say!

76 responses to “PHARTFORD FILES: Of Covid-19 Contact Tracing Registers and African Embassies”

  1. Ironside Avatar
    Ironside

    ERRATA
    +++people’s salaries have been affectively cut via BOSS+++ should read:
    …people’s salaries have been EFFECTIVELY cut via BOSS

  2. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    Member states of the Commonwealth do not have embassies, but high commissions. Embassies are the diplomatic offices for non-Commonwealth nations. Yet another important decision made during the prorogation of parliament.
    More importantly, where is the Czar? What is our CoVid epidemiological model? When is it going to be made public?

  3. David Avatar
    David

    The decision to open an embassy in Ghana was first announced in June last year by the prime minister at the conclusion of President of Ghana’s official visit.

    http://vob929.com/news/barbados-embassy-to-be-establish-in-ghana/

    On the question of covid 19 in Barbados, the graphs in the sidebar show that Barbados has the virus under control.

  4. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    Embassy for Ghana & Kenya has to be put into the PHOTO OP AND GUM FLAPPING category. If any there were any economics for this real or imaginary the government would have published a lengthy dissertation on the benefits. Foolish politican one upmanship at a time when country is in total economic FAILURE.

  5. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Wow!
    It is a small non-point whether so-called commonwealth countries have high commissions or embassies.

    Certainly the former was in ‘bogue” during the colonial days and for sometime thereafter.

    However, these days its usage has correlated with empire’s decline.

    That some here would want to assert some rightness about their englishness or seek the continuance of a dead empire speaks to a profound vacuousness.

    We never seem to see these cultural demands in relationship to African heritage.

    What a ‘little englishman” is he!

  6. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    “Someone needs to help me understand why Nature’s Discount has a Covid-19 Contact Tracing Register in its stores.”

    There is also a “COVID-19 Contact Tracing Register” in the Rubis gas station outlet at Kendal Hill, Christ Church, in which customers must write their names, addresses and telephone numbers, upon entering the store.

  7. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    There are other ways to implement diplomatic representation other than by a full embassy, for example, a High Commission, a Consulate. …(Quote)

  8. Ping Pong Avatar
    Ping Pong

    RUMOUR has it that a Tony Olton is to be Barbados High Commissioner to Ghana and Gline Clarke will be the High Commissioner to Canada (replacing Reginald Farley who will be President of the Senate AND executive Chairman of the NIS).

  9. Critical Analyzer Avatar
    Critical Analyzer

    We bajans like too much complaining and telling people how to run their businesses.

    If you have a problem with signing the people book, tell the clerk/manager your opinion and go somewhere else. If everybody that disagreed shopped with their feet, they would decide if it makes sense or not.

  10. ks Avatar
    ks

    Contact Register at UWI too….. & a few other places I went…can’t remember now….

  11. groslyn Avatar
    groslyn

    Contact Registers are about. One has many options re these, eg., enter false details; enter minimum details or don’t enter the establishment. One can’t fault a business owner for using a gift horse to hawk his goods. It would be interesting to ascertain what the Data Protection Act says about hard copy data.
    I’ve opted out of entering non financial bodies such as Cave Shepherd that requires one’s picture be taken before entering the store and am thankful to these establishments for allowing me to save money i might otherwise spend.

  12. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    @critical analyzer
    @groslyn
    Brilliant ideas. Why did not the average Barbadian think of this for himself/herself

    A drop-off in sales would be noticed and acted upon.

  13. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    If Farley is going to be executive chairman of the NIS, is this simply to provide him with a legitimate salary while he presides over the Senate? Does the NIS need an executive chairman? Where is the CEO?

  14. Critical Analyzer Avatar
    Critical Analyzer

    @Hal Austin September 5, 2020 8:40 AM
    I guess I will now have to listen to the throne speech; thought it would have been alot of highfalutin talk but now it sounds like it will be that plus a little bit of restructuring announcements.

  15. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    Desperate times call for desperate messages, some establishments where I live have these “contact registers” and recently a strip club employee came down with the illness and the powers that be were able to track down some of the patrons who were in the bar during the time that the employee was at work but I don’t know if these are operated on the honour system because someone may not want anyone to know that they have visited a place where the ecdysiasts (learned that word at a speed reading course that the back in the day when I was a student) ply their trade and may enter e.g. “Joe Blow” as their civilian name. On the other hand, we received an email from a major supermarket because one of us shopped at one of their outlets and an employee subsequently tested positive for the illness presumably that employee was at work on the day that we shopped. How did they get our information you asked? We have a loyalty card that was used during the shopping foray.

    One of the people who call me Dad downloaded a Gov’t sponsored app that will notify them if they have been in the presence for at least 15 minutes of another individual who subsequently test positive for the virus but the other person must also have the app on their phone for it to work, the Gov’t claims that there is no invasion of privacy but yuh never know and so far the app has been poorly subscribed by the public.

    Anyway, this will soon be over, the Russians claim that they have a vaccine, and the man in the WH claims that they will have a vaccine before US Thanksgiving and I have found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

  16. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ Critical

    Go back to first principles. The president is the smartest person in parliament, she can run rings round all those in the House and Senate. She does not make false moves, every step is planned. A long prorogation tells me that she has something up her sleeves.
    A reshuffle and re-hiring of some of those sacked, reshuffled or simply moved, is more than a correction, it is strategic. Why such a long prorogation, especially at a time of crisis?
    If Farley is so important to her project, why bring him home to sit in the Senate? And if the report about Gline Clarke is true, why risk a by-election? In the meantime, she neutralises her opposition.
    What is the master plan?

  17. Critical Analyzer Avatar
    Critical Analyzer

    @Hal Austin September 5, 2020 9:23 AM
    She always has something up her sleeves. I really don’t see a further reshuffle unless some minister wants to take a less active role for personal reasons since the ink on the last one ain’t dry yet. I do expect more details to be announced on the non-ministerial positions since that takes more time for the people to accept and start making the necessary moves.

    My only concern is if this speech is announcing true change or the usual motivational speech full of promises they start breaking before the day even done.

    RE: “If Farley is so important to her project, why bring him home to sit in the Senate? And if the report about Gline Clarke is true, why risk a by-election? In the meantime, she neutralises her opposition.”

    Wunna too miss the B/D political debates in Parliament nuh. I so glad Joe do what he did, DLP got what they worked for and deserved, not one seat to talk nonsense under parliamentary privilege… Farley probably wanna get home before winter cold start… What by-election risk what, I could run my chair under BLP and it would win any by-election.. NO opposition to neutralise and when it does come, it will not have no chance of winning anything until after another two elections.

  18. David Avatar
    David

    The word is Kaye McConney has been courting St.George North, stay tuned.

  19. Critical Analyzer Avatar
    Critical Analyzer

    @TheOGazerts September 5, 2020 8:39 AM
    “Brilliant ideas. Why did not the average Barbadian think of this for himself/herself”

    Simple answer, we have been educated and fooled into believing we have little or no personal responsibility, no say in the decisions that personally affect us and all decision making powers must be delegated to our politicians and lawmakers.

  20. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    Gline Clarke is no stranger to Canada he was the Farm Labour Liason officer here many moons ago, Kay McConnie also served as Consul General in Toronto. What about Adams? What is Mia keeping him for?

  21. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ Sargeant

    You mean the man she changed the constitution for. The expert on crypto-currency, the former UK Treasury chief, with an MSc in political sociology from the LSE?

  22. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    @ David September 5, 2020 5:43 AM

    Embassies in Africa are a wonderful thing. It creates lots of jobs for our naive masses. So it’s better to spend the money right away. I already have a suitable ambassador:

    Dear Mia, to you PERSONALLY: Please appoint Presscott as the first ambassador to Africa for at least 10 years. Your great plan has already worked for OSA. With Presscott, it will only take a month until he comes back in a black container in lying position.

  23. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    @HA
    I agree with the Constitutional change, the Gov’t is trying to lure people with bajan roots to assist with the development of the island and if bajans who live abroad can be integrated into the country at any level without a legislative block that’s a good thing.

    The original beneficiaries were McConnie and Adams and at least McConnie is being utilized in a productive capacity while Adams is keeping his seat warm in the Senate, we probably shouldn’t use him as an example of how Barbados has gained from the change in legislation but it’s still early days.

  24. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @Sargaeant

    What was the constitutional block to Mr Adams? There was a delay in his joining the senate, of a few weeks/months. Why couldn’t he wait. Or was the abuse of her vast majority worth it. Tell me how.

  25. David Avatar
    David

    @Sargeant

    The constitutional amendment also created the opportunity for another BARBADIAN Independent Senator Althea Wiggins to serve.

    https://www.barbadosadvocate.com/news/necessary-amendment

  26. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Rawdon Adams was born in Barbados. Why would legislation have to changed for him to become a Senator?

  27. David Avatar
    David

    @Hants

    Until the amendment was passed the person had to be living on the island for 12 consecutive months.

    >

  28. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Thanks David.

  29. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ Hants

    The case of Senator Wiggins revealed the confusion in the constitution. She was out of the country working for Barbados, not domiciled in the UK. Technically and legally, she was out of Barbados working on Barbadian soil.
    In any case, what was the urgency of having to change the constituency. Why could Mr Adams not returned to Barbados and lived for 12 consecutive months (excluding holidays and short trips abroad) to qualify. Nothing since has told us he was urgently needed.

  30. David Avatar
    David

    You are always nitpicking. Speculating about Adams living in Barbados to serve the 12 month qualification is moot if McConney is factored. The point is all agree the amendment was a progressive change that allows Barbadians in the diaspora to serve the island.

  31. Critical Analyzer Avatar
    Critical Analyzer

    @Tron September 5, 2020 2:25 PM
    “Embassies in Africa are a wonderful thing. It creates lots of jobs for our naive masses. So it’s better to spend the money right away. I already have a suitable ambassador:

    Dear Mia, to you PERSONALLY: Please appoint Presscott as the first ambassador to Africa for at least 10 years. Your great plan has already worked for OSA. With Presscott, it will only take a month until he comes back in a black container in lying position.”

    How can you not offer David Comissong first. Shouldn’t he get first pick at any ambassador post in Africa. i sure he would jump at the opportunity.

  32. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David
    Why have you becomed sooo defensive of this guvment, on even moot points.

    It should always be questionable when laws are changed to suit any individual or group regardless to how well cloaked.

    And if that is alright for Adams and ilk, why not do a radical land reform by the same means. Former slaves are owed this for centuries.

  33. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    A Case Fatality Rate is not the same as an Infection Fatilty Rate. The UK doctor, Malcolm Kendrick, (see below) wrote in a blog post that there was a very fundamental and egregious error in the computer model used to predict a disastrous death rate from Covid-19. Consequently, the world never needed to go on pandemic alert/lockdown in the first place, as ultimately the number of Covid-19 deaths would turn out to be no more than what we might have in a bad flu season. Dr. Kendrick’s blog post claims the computer modelers used as a projected Infection Fatality Rate what was really a projected Case Fatality Rate. In so doing the models overestimated the Infection Fatality Rate by at least tenfold (Case Fatality Rate is usually significantly higher than the Infection Fatality Rate). Therefore, the models incorrectly predicted there would be an extremely high number of deaths from Covid-19 infections, high enough for the WHO to issue a worldwide pandenmic alert and lockdown.

    Dr Kendrick gives credit for the discovery of this very significant mistake to Ronald B Brown, author of the paper Public health lessons learned from biases in coronavirus mortality overestimation published in the journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness of Cambridge Univerity Press. A link to Brown’s paper is in the references at the bottom of Dr. Kendrick’s blog post. From there, the paper is free to download as a PDF.

    COVID – why terminology really, really matters
    [And the consequences of getting it horribly wrong]
    by Dr. Malcolm Kendrck

    Previously, in the world of infectious diseases, it has been accepted that a ‘case’ represents someone with symptoms, usually severe symptoms, usually severe enough to be admitted to hospital. Here, from Wikipedia…. yes, I know, but on this sort of stuff they are a good resource.

    ‘In epidemiology, a case fatality rate (CFR) — sometimes called case fatality risk or disease lethality — is the proportion of deaths from a certain disease compared to the total number of symptomatic people diagnosed with the disease.’ 1

    Note the word symptomatic i.e. someone with symptoms.

    However, now we stick a swab up someone’s nose, who feels completely well, or very mildly ill. We find that they have some COVID particles lodged up there, and we call them a case of COVID. Sigh, thud!

    A symptomless, or even mildly symptomatic positive swab is not a case. Never, in recorded history, has this been true. However, now we have an almost unquestioned acceptance that a positive swab represents a case of COVID. This is then parroted on all the news channels as if it were gospel.

    I note that, at last, some people are beginning to question how it can be that, whilst cases are going up and up, deaths are going down, and down.

    SNIP

    At this point, you may well be asking. Why the hell did we lockdown if COVID was believed to be no more serious than influenza? Right from the start by the most influential infectious disease organisations in the World.

    It is because of the mad mathematical modellers. The academic epidemiologists. Neil Ferguson, and others of his ilk. When they were guessing (sorry estimating, sorry modelling) the impact of COVID they used a figure of approximately one per cent as the infection fatality rate. Not the case fatality rate. In so doing, they overestimated the likely impact of COVID by, at the very least, ten-fold.

    SNIP

    If the INFECTION fatality rate truly were 0.9%, and 80% of the population of the UK became infected, there would have been/could have been, around 500,000 deaths.

    0.9% x 80% x 67million = 482,000

    LOCKDOWN

    However, if the case fatality rate is around 1%, then the infection fatality rate will be about one tenth of this, maybe less. So, we would see around 50,000 deaths, about the same as was seen in previous bad flu pandemics.

    DO NOT LOCKDOWN

    What Imperial College London did was to use a model that overestimated the infection fatality rate by a factor of ten.

    SNIP

    I would like to thank Ronald B Brown for pointing out this catastrophic error, in his article ‘Public health lessons learned from biases in coronavirus mortality overestimation.’ 6

    I had not spotted it. He did. All credit is his. I am simply drawing your attention to what has simply been – probably the biggest single mistake that has ever been made in the history of the world.

    https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2020/09/04/covid-why-terminology-really-matters/

  34. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    And since we are on Adams, was he not to be some guru on bitcoin et al.

    And if so, what has him inconvenience to this government earned the country?

  35. groslyn Avatar
    groslyn

    I’m apolitical but am thankful the BLP is in power in 2020. It has shown smarts and strategy handling the pandemic and issues therefrom. The DLP couldn’t handle economic issues pre 2018 and it’s certain wouldn’t have been able to handle a pandemic. What is annoying is that neither party seems to understand they are just running a leg of Barbados’ economic performance, that their performance impacts on the country’s success and that they’ve been given a privilege to represent Barbados. But I digressed. I am sometimes bemused by the BLP administration tendency to operate at the extreme ends of the management spectrum. Government’s tone is either participatory with a persuasive tone or dictatorial with a dismissive one. The fear is where on the spectrum it will settle.

    The advertisement fronted by McConney is slick but from my perspective more in line with the roll out of a major electronic change. If I’m to believe what’s being mooted in this thread, then it’s a boss move in promoting McConney.

  36. David Avatar
    David

    @Pacha

    This blogmaster endorses Sargeant’s position, Barbadians living in the diaspora should not be prevent from serving the land of their birth.

  37. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    @ Critical Analyzer September 5, 2020 3:27 PM

    Might be true … Then Presscott might follow the Comrade in Guyana. That is another hellhole where people are lost very fast.

  38. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “OR… just BLACK OUT Nature’s Discount!”

    why are Black Bajans even spending money with that joker, Mia’s friend whom it’s said funded her election campaign, who when the police were chasing down people for selling CBD oil was allowed to stock his shelf without a license until the oil started giving people the runs, because they did not and still don’t know what they are doing re marijuana, they just jumped in front to make sure the Black population can never benefit from the oil nor any associated wealth….they own the house negros in the parliament, but if Bajans stop spend their money with them, they will have to shut shop and leave, when will the people learn..

    “There has got to be a lot more than “acknowledged…cultural and historical bonds between Barbados and the African continent” to justify opening an embassy at this time.”

    there is absolutely no reason for the Diaspora to open any embassies in Africa while the AU is actively discussing granting Africans in the DIaspora automatic citizenship….that is another scam to siphon off taxpayer’s money, systems are being put in place for the people in the Americas which includes Barbados and the Caribbean for the fowl slaves who don’t know, to deal directly with their African counterparts, no one needs any small time shitehound colonial governments to do any of this…we ARE AFRICANS…and if she is getting it in her head that she can use those unnecessary embassies to ROB Africa to support and promote tiefing minorities in Barbados, well she is shit outta luck..

    “Simple answer, we have been educated and fooled into believing we have little or no personal responsibility, no say in the decisions that personally affect us and all decision making powers must be delegated to our politicians and lawmakers.”

    that is why they steal from the people and island…the people were socialized not to get engaged in questioning those crooks about why so many billions are always missing from the economy, we are yet to hear why 1 billion dollars in VAT which was stolen by minorities who should have been jailed for grand theft, was written off, why noncompliant tax cheats had half-million dollars written off, obviously they don’t think the people deserve an answer because they are not asking hard enuff…

    “That some here would want to assert some rightness about their englishness or seek the continuance of a dead empire speaks to a profound vacuousness.”

    Pacha…it’s all a bid to keep the dirty, corrupt colonial system alive as a weapon to utilize in Africa, but she will not get away with it…she is already seen for what and who she is on the CONTINENT….i said from day 1 that no embassy or anything else was needed there because of the systems now being put in place for AFRICANS with ancestral birthrights to RESIDE in AFRICA…..one does not need a colonial embassy for any of that, there is something else very dirty at play…they are trying to turn the RIGHT OF RETURN to ancestral lands for Bajans into something NASTY AND CORRUPT….to benefit themselves and the trash they continue to help steal from the people.

  39. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David
    That was also our position until recent years.

    Until, a country asked that certain activities be engaged in their interests.

    These matters are never as simple as presumed.

    Adams, benefited from a legislative process which has neen deployed historically to also benefit poor Whites, for example. These thing are highly selective and never seem to be in the interests of Bajans anywhere.

    But tell us how has all this for Adams benefited Barbados?

    Is he really the financial, bitcoin, Massiah as billed? Where is the evidence that this Adams has any unique financial capabilities as hyped?

    And if so, why the oil and gas imbroglio?

    Together these appear to be two sides of the coin. Two cheeks of the same backside! A government flailing in the wind.

  40. David Avatar
    David

    @Pacha

    Do we know where Rawdon fits into the puzzle?

    >

  41. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David

    Given all the pronouncements that this Mahdi had come, over two years ago, instead of trying to figure out where he fitted in, we should be enumerating the abundance of blessings as delivered by the Saviour – Adams incarnate.

  42. David Avatar
    David

    @Pacha

    In the realms of the estate the people are always kept ignorant.

    >

  43. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Very good point… It appears the deliverables are unknown and do not match the hype

    Just waiting for one of the resident Ada-mites to jump out and bite you.

  44. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David

    But national financial matters cannot be hidden.

    If Adams was turning brass into gold somewhere in Barbados, Sam Puche and duppy would know.

    That is not the type of land one could hide and wuk.

  45. David Avatar
    David

    The fact Rawdon who up until he accepted the senatorship was apolitical means he maybe party to a Mia plan. We are left to speculate.

  46. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David

    No. There is no need for speculation. Observations are iron evidence on which accurate conclusions can be drawn.

  47. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Over the years, we wandered down many paths.

    I seem to recall a discussion around performance evaluation for employees. We moved the mountain to suit Mohammed, but we have no metrics to measure Mohammed’s performance.

    We can wave our hands, guess and assume, but no one can really state what Mohammed did.

    Perhaps he is head of the the top secret BIA. Not Barbados Bitts Intelligence Agency.

  48. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David

    You really think that the son of the greatest politician, arguably, Barbados has ever seen, given party tribulism, could be anywhere near apolitical.

    That must be a joke, no?

  49. David Avatar
    David

    @Pacha

    By his public interventions it was a reasonable conclusion up to now.

    >

  50. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Well, we’ll have to add – grandson of Grantley Adams, pantheon member and father of both the BLP and the Dems, by extension.

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