est. 2007

Barbados Underground

Bringing News and Opinions to the People

Grenville Phillips

Becoming Sane

I wrote this article one year ago on 20 January 2020. It is now applicable to other issues in Barbados. That is why, regardless of your position on: the vaccine, reparations, a republic, same sex marriage, Nelson, COVID protocols, reimbursing tourists, and any other issue, it is important to allow a discussion.Trying to shut down…

I wrote this article one year ago on 20 January 2020. It is now applicable to other issues in Barbados. That is why, regardless of your position on: the vaccine, reparations, a republic, same sex marriage, Nelson, COVID protocols, reimbursing tourists, and any other issue, it is important to allow a discussion.
Trying to shut down discussions is not helpful to us as a nation.

Regards, Grenville

The main reason given for demolishing the structurally sound 6-storey old NIS building, is that it is not compatible with the “sacred ground” of the proposed Clement Payne park.

The Government did not properly maintain the building, and several workers got ill. We are told to believe that the building is a reminder of people getting ill, which is not compatible with what Clement Payne advocated.

We are told to believe that the building is beyond maintenance, having been abandoned for so long. It may be beyond maintenance, but it is clearly not beyond repair, and it is certainly very far away from needing to be demolished. But such thoughts are considered heretical.

To oppose the demolition is to be accused of being against workers’ right to a healthy work environment. To question why a building, with the most expensive foundation system in Barbados (piled), and no apparent structural cracks, should be demolished, is to attract the wrath of political operatives.

The public relations on this matter reminds me of George Orwell’s masterpiece, ‘1984’. It was written in 1949, and shows what happens to a society when the Government does not tolerate independent thought. I will extract part of it for your interest.

‘It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of the Party. That is the fact that you have got to relearn, Winston. It needs an act of self-destruction, an effort of the will. You must humble yourself before you can become sane.

‘He paused for a few moments, as though to allow what he had been saying to sink in.

‘Do you remember,’ he went on, ‘writing in your diary, “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four”?”Yes,’ said Winston.

O’Brien held up his left hand, its back towards Winston, with the thumb hidden and the four fingers extended.

‘How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?”Four.”And if the party says that it is not four but five – then how many?

”Four.

‘The word ended in a gasp of pain.

The needle of the dial had shot up to fifty-five. The sweat had sprung out all over Winston’s body.

The air tore into his lungs and issued again in deep groans which even by clenching his teeth he could not stop. O’Brien watched him, the four fingers still extended.

He drew back the lever. This time the pain was only slightly eased.’How many fingers, Winston?

”Four! Four! What else can I say? Four!

‘The needle must have risen again, but he did not look at it. The heavy, stern face and the four fingers filled his vision. The fingers stood up before his eyes like pillars, enormous, blurry, and seeming to vibrate, but unmistakably four.

‘How many fingers, Winston?”Five! Five! Five!”No, Winston, that is no use. You are lying. You still think there are four. How many fingers, please?

”Four! five! Four!

Anything you like. Only stop it, stop the pain!

”You are a slow learner, Winston,’ said O’Brien gently.

‘How can I help it?’ he blubbered. ‘How can I help seeing what is in front of my eyes? Two and two are four.

”Sometimes, Winston. Sometimes they are five. Sometimes they are three. Sometimes they are all of them at once. You must try harder. It is not easy to become sane.

”Again,’ said O’Brien.’How many fingers, Winston?

”Four. I suppose there are four. I would see five if I could. I am trying to see five.

”Which do you wish: to persuade me that you see five, or really to see them?

”Really to see them.

”Again,’ said O’Brien.Perhaps the needle was eighty–ninety.

‘How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?

”I don’t know. I don’t know. You will kill me if you do that again. Four, five, six–in all honesty I don’t know.

”Better,’ said O’Brien.

Fellow Barbadians, it is time to evaluate your progress. If you did not know your party’s position on the demolition of the old NIS building, would your response when questioned have been, “I do not know”?

If you know your party’s position, would you automatically agree with it? Do you enjoy when your party’s political operatives try to damage the reputations of those who do not similarly agree? If so, then you have been adequately trained to actively support a totalitarian state. Wise up.

Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer and President of Solutions Barbados. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com

128 responses to “Becoming Sane”

  1. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Hal
    There was a well appointed rum shop. There might have been a very small structure or two. There was some retail activity in what will be considered the back of the building.
    In terms of the bus stand and market, when Vic Johnson (BLP) was Minister of Transport, the bus terminal was rebuilt and was quite excellent.
    The market, I am told , there is some activity out there with which I am unfamiliar.
    That entire area of Bay Street, Nelson Street and Wellington Street did have some excellent buildings , houses and business places. Nelson Street was only not about prostitution. It was a great place to hang out, especially on Friday evenings.
    The country is losing its traditional architectural character. We kind of threw out the baby with the bath water. Others are building back we are tearing down and abandoning.

  2. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, January 20, 2021

    The Treatment of Infectious Disease Using Vitamin C and other Nutrients
    by Margot DesBois

    (OMNS Jan 20, 2021) In the current fight against COVID-19, we can learn from the effective and safe orthomolecular viral treatments pioneered by a handful of discerning doctors in the twentieth century. For decades, copious clinical evidence and research has demonstrated that optimal doses of vitamin and mineral supplements can prevent, treat, and cure infectious diseases that afflict vast numbers of people today.

    Vitamin C (ascorbic acid or ascorbate) is necessary for proper immune system functioning. Anascorbemia, in which levels of the vitamin are inadequate, predisposes one to infection. [1] Ascorbic acid stimulates both the production and phagocytic ability of neutrophils, phagocytes, and lymphocytes. [2] Leukocytes use ascorbic acid to generate the hydrogen peroxide breakdown products that destroy microbial pathogens. [1] Stress on the body, such as from pathogenic load, causes it to expend vitamin C at a higher rate, lowering available amounts unless replenished through increased supplementation. Ascorbic acid is a necessary co-factor in the synthesis of collagen, which is the most abundant protein in the body and is essential for the strength of all organs, including arteries, lungs, bones, and skin. [2-4]

    Individuals with a higher intake of vitamin C produce more antibodies (IgG and IgM), as demonstrated in a 1977 study that isolated human subjects from nearly all sources of new infection and supplemented them with different amounts of this vitamin. [5] In guinea pigs, vitamin C supplementation also increases the amount of C1 esterase, the first component of the immune complement system. [3] Low vitamin C levels heighten skin graft tolerance in guinea pigs, presumably by lowering circulating, active lymphocyte levels. [5] In the 1970s, Dr. Yonemoto’s team studied five healthy human adults and found that supplementing with 5 g of vitamin C for a few days doubled new lymphocyte formation, and intake of 10 g and 18 g tripled and quadrupled the control rate, respectively. [5,6] The manufacture of some immune-regulating substances, such as prostaglandin E1, require several dietary micronutrients, including vitamin C. [5] Thus, ascorbic acid promotes parts of the inflammatory response, but it also protects against sepsis by strengthening vascular structure and regulating histamine release and breakdown and normal thrombosis. [1-8]

    Supplementation with high levels of vitamin C during a viral illness not only treats the acute infection, but it also helps prevent secondary infections that may arise within a vitamin-depleted environment. [2] Investigators such as Irwin Stone, Linus Pauling, and Thomas Levy have provided copious evidence that vitamin C acts as a potent antiviral and antibacterial substance at gram level doses. [8-10] The vitamin inactivates viruses both in vitro and in vivo, possibly through the generation of free radicals and/or the “Fenton” reaction. [1,3,11] In a 450-page volume, Dr. Thomas Levy assembled reports on high dose vitamin C treating and curing infectious diseases including polio, hepatitis, measles, mumps, viral encephalitis, herpes, influenza, tetanus, streptococcus, and staphylococcus, and significantly improving such formidable diseases as AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. [10]

    Continued here: http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v17n04.shtml

  3. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ Mr. Skinner

    The Nelson Street of this era can only be considered as ‘the slums,’……… another part of Bridgetown that’s ‘derelict and dying.’ Old, dilapidated or abandoned buildings can now be found on both sides of ‘the main’ street. Many of the remaining shops are now operated by Guyanese and Jamaicans.

    The building in the below photograph with the white roof, was refurbished/restored a few years ago, but, has unfortunately remained unoccupied since then.

    https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8142240133_eea0c301c7.jpg

    For some reason, ‘government’ has decided to build a large park, behind which is located an equally large slum area. If the Hyatt is built and the Empire Theatre refurbished, then some consideration should be given to the revitalization of Nelson Street and included in the redevelopment plans for that area of Bridgetown.

    Additionally, I agree with your comment, “The country is losing its traditional architectural character.” This is one of our unique characteristics that should be preserved. If you’ve ever visited Saba or St. Eustatius, for example, you’ll immediately notice those islands have preserved their Dutch “architectural character,” which is also a tourist attraction.

    I’m reminded of a conversation with a friend of mine a few months ago. I mentioned to her remembering my great-grandmother and great-grandfather had banana plants; sour sop, guava, paw paw, mango, breadfruit, plum, pear, lime and golden apple trees, as well as a ‘kitchen garden’ on their land. Sunday mornings would find people going there to buy lettuce.

    Nowadays, people’s homes are surrounded by lawn grass, concrete or asphalt.

  4. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ William

    You are right. Behind what was the NIS building were a lot of small craftspeople, fruit sellers, etc. It was busy and lots of people made a living in that district.
    Streets such as Wellington Street and King William Street had a solid middle class community, many of them active in Bethel or the Cathedral. My paternal grandparents were very active at Bethel.
    As to the bus stand, in the early 1960s Barbados had a public transport system that was world class, genuinely so. It was one of the bragging rights for us little islanders settled in the UK. Fairchild Street market, as it was known, was built to bring order to the street vendors.
    I have told you before, in those days Modern boys used to turn down their socks and behave badly and we got the blame.
    On a serious note, all that area should have been bulldozed since 2008 if not earlier, but certainly since May 2018, as a massive infrastructural programme at the heart of the development of a 24-hour leisure economy.
    Tourists visit Barbados not to go to bed at 10pm, they want to be out and about all day and all night. It is a failure of vision.
    Did you see Ronnie Yearwood’s Barrow Memorial lecture last night? Bright, perceptive young men and women like Ronnie who choose to return to Barbados are often left under-employed, even if they get satisfaction from what they do.
    A developing nation needs all its talents; with respect, anyone can teach at a university, but it takes a bit more to propel a nation in to the future.

  5. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    RE: CONTROL

    How you move matters.

    Today’s central theme is not just designed to guide breath control, but to also roll out the red carpet for you to expand your mind and your relationship to the mantra Find What Feels Good.

    Think of not only WHAT we are doing, but HOW you are doing it.

    What is it like to focus not just on the what, but even more on the how?

    Quality control.

    The same way that you have to bring the breath, you have to bring the awareness of how you are doing something. You get to design how many layers, you get to pay attention to the details… or not.

    You get to decide the flavour.

    How you move matters. The art of quality control. Both on and off the mat.

    Hey yo my quality control, captivates your party patrol

    Your mind, body, and soul

    For whom the bell tolls, let the rhythm explode

    Big, bad, and bold B-boys of old

    Many styles we hold, let the story be told

    Whether platinum or gold, we use breath control

    So let the beat unfold, intro on drum roll…

    JURASSIC 5

  6. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    @David

    Your missing the point, a FAILED STATE is a FAILED STATE and all the trappings therein included, ie: professional organizations. Still the country does not have a Building OR Electrical Code passed into LAW.

  7. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Hal
    Extremely insightful post. That entire area abounded with tailors. Just on the outskirts , is a very quaint little village called Dunlow Lane, it is anchored by one of the oldest rum shops on its entry.
    Anybody who believes that tourist coming to an island, would be impressed with some thing dubbed a “ hotel corridor” knows nothing about how to market an island.
    Our three major selling points remain: climate, our personality and quaintness.
    Once there are shifts in any of the three ,the product is damaged.
    It is one thing to shout one is a Barbadian but it’s another thing to have a grasp of what really is the profile of our people and our country.
    We lack leadership and vision. It is there for all to see. There is something called critical analysis and then there is criticizing. Anybody who does not understand the difference should stay away from public discourse in any form or fashion.
    Excellent post my Comrade.

  8. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ William

    Thanks. The issue comes back to one we have played in a negative way on BU on numerous occasions. I have said about UK tourists in relation to Oistin’s that they do not want anything fancy. That is not the British way.
    I know this from living, working, socialising with them for over half a century. But, the decision-makers at home think they know best, they think they know what the UK tourists want and the result is dreadful decision-making.
    I have mentioned this in relation to restaurants; people do not come from Europe to dine in fine restaurants, or to attend classical art museums, or listen to European art music. They travel to Barbados to enjoy BARBADOS.
    The real problem is that they do not want to consult, they know best, when brains were being distributed they were the only ones to get a share, they were first in the line. To consult suggests to them that they have lost control.
    In congratulating Joe Biden, Bush 43 said something I used to tell my staff. If you are a successful president it means the US will be successful and if the US is successful, then we all are successful.
    In my case I always said if our paper won awards it mean I was an award-winning editor, that we all worked for an award-winning newspaper, that we were all award-winners. That is what team work is about. Lesson 101 at business school.
    @William, they are contemptible little midgets and I will have nothing to do with them. They prefer to destroy a nation in order to massage their egos.
    Look what they did to @PLT’s visas idea. He should have been called in as a consultant, instead they tried to s steal the idea. That is the Bajan Condition.

  9. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Hal
    Well, @ PLT said he doesn’t care about that so I figure to leave that alone. There are certain allegiances that do not apply to The Ivy or Brittons Hill.
    BTW I did not get a chance to listen to Ronnie Yearwood’s lecture but I have been told it was very thought provoking by several people.

  10. John Avatar
    John

    Hal AustinJanuary 22, 2021 5:14 AM

    @ William

    You are right. Behind what was the NIS building were a lot of small craftspeople, fruit sellers, etc. It was busy and lots of people made a living in that district.
    Streets such as Wellington Street and King William Street had a solid middle class community, many of them active in Bethel or the Cathedral.

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

    St. Ambrose and St. Paul as well … low church and I believe high church but I never went there.

    Grew up at St. Ambrose.

    Had family who lived in the area in the 19th and early 20th century and my mother had lots of friends there as well from St. Ambrose.

  11. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ William

    I am sure there will be a transcript. As to @PLT, acknowledgement is no longer in his hands, it is a matter of principle, the bird has flown and sends a message to those of us who will like to contribute to an improvement in life chances for ordinary Barbadians.

  12. John Avatar
    John

    Hal AustinJanuary 22, 2021 7:52 AM

    @ William

    In congratulating Joe Biden, Bush 43 said something I used to tell my staff. If you are a successful president it means the US will be successful and if the US is successful, then we all are successful.

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

    Articles of impeachment were filed in the house yesterday on Joe Biden, first day on the job.

    He may or may not be around much longer.

  13. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ Quaker John

    My father went to St Ambrose school, just behind the general hospital. In those days teachers marked children’s exercise books with red ink pens (they cannot do so in the UK anymore).
    He kept all his school books until just before he died.

  14. John Avatar
    John

    Invariably a school went with a church.

    Most children attending one would have attended the other.

    https://www.barbadospocketguide.com/barbados-attractions/churches/anglican/st-ambrose-church.html

    Materials, land and money were mostly donated by those who could afford it as education was viewed as the sine qua non for emancipation.

    That’s probably the reason for our love affair with education.

    The Church ran education until it was disestablished and the GOB took over.

  15. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    And it is that quaintness that made me love Barbados. We need to keep that and properly maintain it.

    We need to be Barbados.

    If there is any Bajan Condition it is that we don’t value what we are enough or what we have.

    Mauby became my favourite drink and still is. My son also loves it.

    Why can’t we just be us?

  16. David Avatar
    David

    We have upscale dining because it supports the international business sector. We have Oistins, Six Mens, Martins Bay, Lemon Arbor, hundreds of backyard and roadside dining to cater to the street food people. Is it perfect, no.

    Next!

  17. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Poor delusional John Knox, more delusional than many Q Anon believers who have flown the cuckoo clock!

    Time’s up! Tweety Bird has lost his tweet!

    The show is over.

    That’s all folks!

  18. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @Quaker John

    You are right. Barbados started its steady decline when this gang of lawyers took control of our politics. Church schools had discipline and order and teachers immorally failed to teach children in formal classes, then offered their parents private lessons (tutorials). That should be a criminal offence, misbehaviour in public office.

  19. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Here is an interesting ting cut and pasted from the world wide web
    [edited to jolly old British English spelling]

    “Paradigms

    Paradigms are a set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality. They are our core beliefs, our mental filter through which we view the world and make meaning of our experience. They are the culmination of our nature and nurture – they make up the sum total of who we are today. Paradigms are our map of reality – we do not see the world as it is, we see it as defined by our paradigms.

    If a person is trying to find his way around New York, with a map of Detroit, determination, persistence, and discipline will not assist him. Even strategic thinking and a keen sense of judgment will not aid his endeavours. His increased efforts will only result in more frustration and anxiety.

    Breaking through the pain to a lasting solution will require an understanding of the fundamental problems causing the pain. Since our problem lies in behaviour, that flows out of an incomplete or deeply flawed paradigm of human nature, the solution will require a fundamental break with old ways of thinking.

    At one time or another, we all wrestle with the question, “what is life about?”. Having no clear answer, and not believing an answer exists – we define our lives and our reality, based on our subjective core beliefs that make up our paradigm.

    There are some people that believe life is a deck of cards. That we are just pawns in a world that lacks rhyme or reason. Unable to shape our destiny we become cynical, bitter, and dissatisfied. This mindset of feeling negative, victimised and hopeless, is called the ‘FEAR PARADIGM’.

    To others, life is a game. To them, the main thing is to have fun. Always looking for a new form of entertainment – from movies, sports, and vacations to the latest electronic gadgets, there is a myriad of distractions guaranteed to numb the heart and mind. This mindset, where distractions become necessities, is called the ‘PLEASURE PARADIGM’.

    Then there are others that experience life as a treadmill. To these people, life is about burden and responsibility. Lacking a high level of self-esteem, these people are always looking to conform to other people’s expectations. Life becomes dull, boring, and lifeless, as routine occupies centre stage. This mindset, where we submit to rules, play it safe, and life lacks spirit, is called the ‘DUTY PARADIGM’.

    Others believe that life is a marathon. To these people, the only thing that counts is coming in first. These people pursue success at all costs. Characterised by discipline, hard work, and goal-directed activities, these people keep running, content to crush all those who stand in their way or neglecting those that need them most, all the while feeling justified because life is a marathon. This mindset, where life is good when we perform well, is called the ‘ACHIEVEMENT PARADIGM’.

    Once in a while, life gives us a break from our chosen metaphor. It is during these quiet moments, that we sense a void in our lives – that something is missing, even though we don’t quite know what it is. We feel lonely, restless, and confused. Not knowing what to do or where to turn, we immerse ourselves back into our chosen metaphor, hoping it will provide us with the relief we so desperately seek. Instead of embracing this emptiness and using it as a springboard to find truth and inner meaning, we cover it up with our favourite metaphor as life passes us by.

    From the Torah’s perspective, life is not about what we amass, but what we give; it is not having more, but being more; for in the end our lives we are judged not by the businesses, houses, and portfolios that we built, but by the lives we touched. Once this realisation becomes part of our psyches, our entire attitude towards life will be altered. Instead of being consumed by competitiveness, serenity will set in, a serenity that will enable us to say thank you for the life we have been given.

    This mindset, where we are alive and happy, where we believe in ourselves, yet care deeply about others, where our strength and inner moral compass allow us to be bigger than the circumstances and challenges of our lives, where we subordinate our lower self in order to do what is right, and where the world feels like a good and friendly place to live is called the ‘INTEGRITY PARADIGM’.”

  20. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    William Skinner and Milluh
    Rest me!

  21. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Sanity is a nebulous concept.

    Madness is gladness! LOL

  22. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ John
    “St. Ambrose and St. Paul as well … low church and I believe high church but I never went there.

    Grew up at St. Ambrose.

    Had family who lived in the area in the 19th and early 20th century and my mother had lots of friends there as well from St. Ambrose.”
    It must have been quite lovely to visit such a nice place as a youth. My brother’s tailor was on Wellington Street. I used to enjoy going down there , sitting in the tailor shop, waiting for 2/3 hours for his pants. I have said often that Barbados at that time and up to about 1970 was a real paradise. Still a paradise, but these days we seem hell bent on destroying it. I know of cases where people spent their entire working lives in England; returned home and was back in England after a year. They no longer understood the country they had left. Sounds like a joke but it happens more often than we think.
    @ Donna
    We are losing that battle. Not only with mauby. In this morning’s papers, our egg producers have millions of eggs they can’t sell because the bakeries are importing liquid and powder egg. A friend told me she bought apple pie, at the super market, and discovered it was not made locally but imported frozen. Who is making golden apple pies ? What about all the cherries falling to the ground. Best cherry in the world(highest vitamin C content) going to waste. Last time I was home, travelling in the country, I stopped and asked complete strangers if I could pick a few cherries. One woman tell me : Skipper I would n’t mind if yuh carry long the whole tree, only I does eat dem. De children don’t even look at them. A few years back in St. Andrew I saw more mongoes on the ground than sand at Greaves End beach !
    These are the things we need to loook at.

  23. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Interestin read.

    https://scholarworks.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1690&context=honorstheses

  24. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Enuff
    You can never defend your positions outside of a narrow perspective. Answer my questions. I’m not in code with @ Miller or anybody else. Ah waiting in slips for yuh all de time. Lol

  25. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ William

    As so often, you are absolutely right. Growing up in the environs of Nelson Street in those days was so civilised that young people of today will not believe it.
    I had my first tea in its formal sense (at 4pm) at a family called the Cobhams (the corner of Nelson and King William Streets) when I was a toddler.
    We have a number of well-known professional names whose family homes were on Nelson Street. You also talk about the advantages of local produce.
    I once played cricket in Grenada and we had Golden Apple juice at lunch. It was delicious. Every year I will visit Barbados and see apples falling from the trees or being eaten by birds. We have had a marketing board before independence.
    As a nation we are just do not take advantage of the things we have.I notice that Pine Hill Dairies also makes its juices from concentrate.
    As a regional man you will know that our neighbours were citrus producing nations, now being forced out of business because of the big central American producers.
    Why can’t PHD import the oranges, grapefruits, mangoes, etc from down the islands to produce their juice; then kame marmalades and jams from the residue and carry out research on what is left over.
    In this way we will keep farmers down the islands in work, keep Bajan in work and no need for tourists, unless as guests in hotels.
    But our decision-makers, in their shiny suits and bri-nylon shirts do not want this; it is too industrial. They want to be at the cutting edge of finance and technology, even if they do not understand it. They want to be world class.

  26. BAJE Avatar
    BAJE

    @ Hal

    THE 2 X 3 ISLAND CULTURE IS A GIMME CULTURE.

    CREATIVITY AND THINKING OUT OF THE BOX IS NOT ENCOURAGED IN THE SCHOOLS, UWI OR LOCAL SOCIETY.

    THAT IS WHY HAVE SO MANY ROBOTS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.

  27. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    William Skinner
    There is nothing to defend. Why should I waste my time defending the appearance of a building, especially when your understanding of my post is non-existent? It is 2021!

  28. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ Baje

    It is not only at that level of agriculture, but also on others. We import T-shirts from South Africa. The trouble with discussing ideas on BU is that people with the funding can steal your ideas. So all you are doing, in effect, is making those people richer.

  29. David Avatar
    David

    Steuspe

  30. Donna. Avatar
    Donna.

    William,

    Golden apple juice is sold in small outlets mainly but I have never seen pie. Innovative use of local produce is done quite expertly at the BADMC Food Innovation Unit and sold at their Carmeta’s stores. The idea was for some business person to pick up the innovations and run with them but not enough of that seems to be happening.

    I have a friend who roams about Barbados and gathers all the unwanted local fruit she can find, including gooseberries and guavas to make her sweet treats. She has done very well for herself doing so. February 14th will be one of her busiest times but really whenever we talk, regardless of the time I can hear the pots and pans banging. Going to see if I can get my best friend’s daughter interested in more of the local fruit treats. Got a cousin who makes apple pie for sale. Her 9 yr old daughter also makes sweet treats for sale. Gonna ask them if they ever considered golden apple pie. The 9 yr old would be open to it, I think.

    Strange thing is that they will sell. Not many people willing to pick the fruit. Supermarket fruit is easier even if more expensive. My friend says that oftentimes when she is doing the picking people are surprised that she would be willing to do it.

    On the upside, more and more people are seeing my garden and requesting the assistance of my Rasta cousin. People are literally cussing themselves for the lawn and concrete. Got a whole batch of healthy seedlings, too many for me to handle AGAIN. Will give some away again.

    Take heart! BADMC is looking into agri-processing AGAIN.

    Of course, last time all they did is build a processing factory with equipment that came to nothing.

    Let us hope that this is not just way to pay out some consulting fees to the investigator!

    As for those bakeries who use imported egg powder. They should be boycotted! I buy from a man who comes out with a van from a small bakery. I already asked him if they use the egg powder. Not sure if he was honest with me but next time I plan to trick him instead of asking outright.

    I see Barbados Today published an article by Commissiong about a Caricom resurgence in response to the economic quagmire of the pandemic. A flurry of committee meetings.

    Dare we hope?

  31. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Donna
    We need to throw serious money into these cottage industries. There is both new and second hand processing equipment sitting all over the world. They are retired experts both at home and abroad who will freely do the necessary training.
    It’s really refreshing to hear from you on these matters. Imagine if we were giving these industrious citizens the help they deserved for the last forty years. We would not be scrambling about at this stage. A whole generation would have grown up using our own produce.
    First thing – get rid of Paul , he is impervious to new ideas.
    Just think about it. One producer has 2 million eggs in storage and consumers eating the same egg powder and liquid egg that Americans eating in fast food outlets.
    At least you are not in that crowd.
    Keep the message going. Eat right or die wrong.

  32. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    There was a time
    Hey hey I feel alright

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7rL2Pks8Cs

    There was a day, there was a time
    When I used to play
    There was a time when I used to play
    But take me now, baby, don’t worry about later
    Teach the dance I used to do
    They call it the Mashed Potato
    There was a day, now dig this
    There was a day, they call it the Jerk
    Everybody relax and watch me work
    In my hometown where I used to stay
    The name of the place is Augusta, GA
    Down there we have a good time
    We don’t talk
    We all get together in time, for rhythm with you
    So come and walk
    There was a day that I used to do
    The name of the dance
    They call it Boogaloo
    I may not do the dance as well as you
    But baby, you can bet your bottom dollar
    That you never hear me holler
    I do the best that I can do
    There was a time, sometimes I dance
    Sometimes I dance, sometimes I clown
    But you can bet you haven’t seen nothing yet
    Until you see me do the James Brown

  33. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sirr18IIP8

  34. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ Donna,

    Truper Fruit Picker Head sold at Carters

    Get a bamboo pole and you can pick golden apples, mangoes and pears.

  35. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    “The trouble with discussing ideas on BU is that people with the funding can steal your ideas. So all you are doing, in effect, is making those people richer.’

    That’s a hoot, a holler and a highfalutin laff, truly.

    That matter of ideas being stolen is so clichéd that @Austin is right and so laughably wrong at the same time.

    We all have great ideas but bringing them to operational manufactured products or deliverable services takes a lot more than an active mind.

    Of course there are the many instances where the idea is prepared into a solid business plan and that is stolen at the investment meeting after being dismissed as unworkable…. but that’s not the case here now, is it!

    Anyone offering an idea in public fora is clearly aware that it can be monetized by a reader thus the offering is clearly made to display some intellectual heft and allow for subsequent “yah see, that was my idea” 😂.

    Consider too that in a world of over six billion brains it’s uncanny (😂 maybe) that it’s VERY, VERY likely that the wondrous idea has ALSO been conceptualized by at least a million other smart persons who may read similar books, have similar experiences and thus perceive similar needs !

    Thus if one is ‘sold’ on a concept monetize it yourself (there are LOTS of avenues to do that these days) … otherwise be very contented with the “I told you so…”!

    And in that regard this quote below brought me to the fact that either this bro STOLE @Austin’s idea, Austin stole his or that the idea was never either of theirs 🙈😎 … ah well, that’s an idea: any original *idea is only as good as the patent you have – and THAT only last so long too before its copied fully”…..

    “Brown has been advocating for a competing candidate, law professor Mehrsa Baradaran, an expert on the racial wealth gap who has called for the delivery of banking services through the U.S. Postal Service.”

    I gone.

  36. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ William

    You raise an interesting point about the importation of second hand equipment. I also often wonder about this when I see how Chefette dominates the fast food market in Barbados in a market with a very low barrier to entry.
    There are any number of second hand chicken frying equipment going for a sound in the UK, the problem with this is that the people in customs often try bullying importers and put their own prices on the equipment (they usually do a Google search).
    It is the same with high-performance cars. One car dealer sells second hand BMWs at such high prices that I could buy good quality cars and ship them to Barbados at a fraction of the price. But I doubt if Customs will allow this.
    The entire state functions in a hostile way against poor people advancing. It is a Failed State,

  37. John Avatar
    John

    Hal AustinJanuary 22, 2021 11:00 AM
    .
    I had my first tea in its formal sense (at 4pm) at a family called the Cobhams (the corner of Nelson and King William Streets) when I was a toddler.

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

    We got to know the Chenery’s on River Road well and I remember being invited to tea at 4:00 pm often.

    Two sisters served on the council of St. Ambrose along with my mother so often got an invitation.

    A third sister attended St. Paul’s.

  38. John Avatar
    John

    Also remember Ms. Browne just at the entrance to Wellington Street.

  39. John Avatar
    John

    They were serious women!!!!

    All about discipline and high expectations.

    Lucky to have known them.

    Full of life.

  40. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Artax January 21, 2021 9:21 PM

    “………NIS building which was opened by Q E 2 in 1977)……”

    @ Miller

    There’s a plaque affixed to the old National Insurance building, which clearly states, “This building was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 20th February 1975.”
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Thanks Artax, for the correction to my ‘genuine’ oversight.

    At least you do read my contributions as eagerly as I certainly look forward to read yours in the interest of making the “BU” a top-of-the line social media platform worthy of great intellectual admiration.

    Even our ‘mutual friend’ Hal Austin- in his true Scrooge-like fashion-must confess to his unmitigated agreement that BU is his first love in his old age.

    It was just a genuine slip of the memory since the official opening of that ‘old’ NIS building occurred during the same occasion Queen Elizabeth 11 visited Barbados in 1975 to knight our greatest hero Sir Garry Sobers and not on her third visit in 1977.

    Again It may have been just a slip for a senior moment since a ‘less old’ miller made an ‘exact’ date reference to the HM QE 2 unveiling in an earlier post when the ‘condemned ‘old’ NIS was a popular topic of discussion about 1 year ago.

    We do support your proposal(s) regarding the ‘alternative’ use for the demolished site of the NIS et al building(s) since the ‘small’ City of Bridgetown already has its own park and relaxation spaces like the Queen’s Park and the Independence and Heroes Squares even if dominated by the homeless and vagrants.

    Why not honour the memory of Clement Payne through the economic enfranchisement of black people in Barbados as envisioned by Marcus Garvey (and his Bajan-born disciples in Clifford Bourne, Arnold Ford, Mignon Inniss, James Yearwood, Lionel Greenidge et al) in his visit to Barbadoes by making that ‘demolished’ site an emporium with adequate facilities catering to ‘visitors’ basic needs and as a place to relax occasionally and reflect on their journey from West Africa reminiscent to what the eponymous Jews underwent from Egypt to the promised land?

  41. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=469545497564551

  42. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    Miller January 22, 2021 1:31 PM #: “Thanks Artax, for the correction to my ‘genuine’ oversight.”

    @ Miller

    No problem.

    We’re all human beings and will make mistakes from time to time.

  43. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ Quaker John

    Those were very good days. Children never addressed adults by their first names and even if your parent s had a row with someone you still had to pay your respects.
    They were also days when people went to bed and left their doors unlocked or with just a latch to keep them closed. Now people need anti-burglary bars, burglary alarms, bolts and double-locks and even guns.
    The most serious street fights we had were boys throwing stones at each other, and the worse theft was stealing breadfruits or coconuts from a neighbours back garden.
    I remember Rev O.C. Haynes at St Barnabas, who would walk from Gittens Road, where he lived to the church every evening without fail and all the little kids will pay their respects.
    Whatever happened to that Barbados?

  44. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Hal
    I have no idea what reps do in places like Miami. When I used to be busy , I sent dozens of second and barely damaged equipment into some Caribbean islands.
    We seem so content with a bottle here and a bottle there. All the major fast food outlets started extremely small. Big businesses like Amazon started in a garage. I remember when Cheffette had one outlet on the Harbour Road. On the other hand Grannies was happy with one establishment. The Workman family had about 3 or four rum shops and create the famous body line bread.
    We have gone backwards in many ways. However, I blame the black political class for allowing manufacturing to die; not pumping money into small auto repair and body shops etc.
    Man, it’s Friday. Have a drink on me. Sometimes even writing about these things could make a big man cry.
    One step forward two step backward development.

  45. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ William

    I will settle for two lead pipes and a Martineau. Why can’t we export Conkies?

  46. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    The first Chefette was opened in Fontabelle sometime during 1972, opposite what was then know as Motor Services Ltd.

    Granny’s opened another outlet in Spry a few years ago, but, unfortunately, it did not ‘last too long.’

    Chicken Barn Ltd. began in a small restaurant on Bay Street. It subsequently moved to a new location a few yards away from the first one. They subsequently opened outlets in Worthing, Warrens, Coverley, Wildey, and Black Rock.

  47. John Avatar
    John

    You keep forgetting Dr. Donawa!!

    Brown Sugar, Pisces, Witch Doctor, Beefeater and God knows what other business venture.

    Eventually he retired to Canada where he recently passed.

  48. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    T.R.O.Y. They Reminisce Over You

    You live as long as the last person who remembers you

    When I remember you
    You will live again

    If I ruled the world I would ban all Bajans from reminiscing

  49. John Avatar
    John

    … all sorts of kitchen equipment.

    Knew him from the time I was a boy.

  50. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Artax
    You are correct about a second Granniesin the city. Like you said it did not last too long.
    There was also a restaurant called the Birds Best opposite the Esplanade. That was a real night opener. Very interesting joint after basketball etc.
    Would you agree we are losing or have lost our charm/ quaintness ?
    Have we succeeded in blending the old with the new?

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