Click Here to read posts randomly

Additionally, please feel free to submit ideas, observations or any information of a random nature which maybe of interest to furthering the cause of humanity. Note that your submissions will be seen by the public and open to comments from visitors to BU. Confidential information should be submitted to barbadosunderground@gmail.com.

752 responses to “Submissions”


  1. @ Anon(2) // March 30, 2010 at 11:00 PM

    You gotta be joking, ha, ha, ha. For your information, Bajans helped rebuild England after the war. They worked harder than the Brits, who were living off rations, doing the heaving stuff and working long hours. In Canada and the US, Bajan workers are in high demand because of their work ethic, and climb the ladder to the upper echelons.


  2. @anon(2)
    Good one white man….the natives are lazy and shiftless and lazy….we should return and run the country better for them….haha

    The fact is that you have missed the point entirely…the issue is not that Virgin should not be allowed to bring in a manager…..

    The real issue is that no-one is above the law and there is a correct way to bring in people….Nick Parker is now in fact an illegal immigrant working without a work permit!

    There cannot be rules for some and not others…That is the real point. Your beating of the “poor black worker” is invalid here Massa!

    Get a new soapbox.


  3. Saw another interesting bit of news today. A grad student has discovered the only known copy of the original Haitian Declaration of Independence. Seems it ended up in the British Archives via the British Governor of Jamaica circa 1804

    The document is titled “Liberté ou la Mort”(Liberty or Death) and Dessalines is also reported to have shouted at the Declaration of Independence “ Vivre libre ou Mourir” which means “Live Free or Die”.

    There is no mention of a “Pact with the Devil” in the document.

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/grad-student-uncovers-haitis-declaration-of-independence/article1521036/


  4. @ Anon(2)

    “Bajans could never cut it in the North American or European work market,”

    That is absolute nonsense.


  5. Interesting approach from the Vatican priest to the Pope, in defending against the criticisms of the Church and Pope on how the sexual molestation by priests was handled. Particularly, as the Pope is also an ex-Naziformer meber of the Hitler Youth.

    ‘VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI’s personal preacher is likening accusations against the pope and the church in the sex abuse scandal to “collective violence” suffered by the Jews.

    Reaction from Jewish groups and victims of clerical sex abuse ranged from skepticism to fury.

    The Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa said in a Good Friday sermon, with the pope listening to him in St. Peter’s Basilica, that a Jewish friend has said the accusations remind him of the “more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism.”

    The 82-year-old pontiff looked weary as he sat near the central altar during the early evening prayer service before he was scheduled to take part in a candlelit Way of the Cross procession near the Colosseum which commemorates Christ’s suffering before his crucifixion.’


  6. Is the economy hitting you guys out there?


  7. While I am very sorry for the family of the young lady who unexpectedly died on the operating table, indeed if they are reading this I apologise that I feel a need to bring it up, for any feeling that it may be insensitive, but it it be said.

    But, to me there is something grossly perverted, that two doctors who, even if with very poor judgement, indeed very poor, have been charged with manslaughter of a young lady, by the same authorities, who found it suitable to also place the same charge on a scoundrel who took a piece of wood to a woman’s head and brtually killed her.

    Indeed, if the law is called an ass, I argue that it is not the law, but the people who apply it.

    Futher, there have been accidents, where via drunkeness or reckless driving, where a charge of man slaughter should have been paid, that have gone unpunished.

    Yet, the same authorities have taken the time to ‘go for’ these two doctors, albeit who used poor judgement.

    Unbelieveable.

    That said, commisserations again to her family, I do not want to cause any more heartache, but this had to be said.


  8. Kidney Cleaning by Dr. Abdullah Q Turkistani

    CLEAN YOUR KIDNEYS

    Years pass by and our kidneys are filtering the blood by removing salt, poison and any unwanted entering our body.
    With time, the salt accumulates and this needs to undergo cleaning treatments. How are we going to overcome this? It is very easy…

    First take a bunch of parsley and wash it clean
    Cut it in small pieces, put it in a pot, pour clean water over it and boil for ten minutes
    Let it cool down, then filter it
    Pour in a clean bottle and keep it inside refrigerator to cool.

    Drink one glass daily and you will notice all salt and other accumulated poison coming out of your kidney by urination. Also you will be able to notice the difference which you never felt before.

    Parsley is known as best cleaning treatment for kidneys and it is natural!


  9. A story in todays Nation online titled “Girls gone wild, a concern ” is worth discussing.

    What is happening to our young people?


  10. @Hants
    What is happening to our young people,

    Answer: Unlimited access to all that’s immoral. Having no VALUES. In a society that glamourise SEX , DRUGS and whatever is considered the “NORM” what do you expect. GRABAGE in GARBAGE OUT!
    It is only going to get worst.


  11. There was always unlimited access to many things. But in days gone by the young people then were shield by their family, neighbors and friends. I remember when someone was cursing and a child was close by, an adult or the curse bird would say, “child put yuh hands tuh yuh ears.” Children of yesteryear including myself were not fully exposed to many things, or had what I consider now as “unrestricted” freedom, hahaha, especially that of expression as exists today.

    Whether some of us want to admit it or not, when some of us were young we did our thing in secrecy; couldn’t dare to be in public view – too afraid to let anyone see, hear or know about it. If or when it got out, our as² would be grass. In this day and age, the young people have no fear. What you see is what you get.

    The buzz word in my day repeated over and over was RESPECT!

    @ ac // April 11, 2010 at 3:06 PM “It is only going to get worst.”

    Maybe it probably would take some time before it gets better.


  12. @EyeSpy

    In essence are you saying that Unlimited access and a combination of being fully expose to deviant behaviour contributes to the rapid decline in the way
    the youth behaves?

  13. Sir Benwood Dick Avatar
    Sir Benwood Dick

    Something light for your Friday, tribute to Beyonce and Jenny Lo and alla the Baby Got Back girls!


  14. Let’s see if anyone else noticed this interesting thing…

    On Friday 16th April just after 3:00 pm, I noticed a large white Jumbo Jet (for other airplane guys, a 747) climbing out of GAIA. Specifically, it was an E-4B, a USAF modified 747 for electronic communications and countermeasures – the same mysterious white plane seen above Washington when the cruise missle was shot into the Pentagon (oops, sorry, the “American Airlines airplane” crashed into the Pentagon). About 10-15 minutes later as I was driving along Bay St., suddenly a number of the radio stations went off-air with static, only for about a minute or so. Several others I spoke to said the same thing – but one person said that US Secty of Defence Gates has 2 PLANES here, the E-4B and another smaller plane used for transporting US Government officials.

    Now, ask yourself this – why would there be 2 planes? And why would one be the E-4B? And why would our radio frequencies go out of whack minutes after it went flying?

    Hmmm….


  15. @Islandflyer

    Tell why you think this event occurred?


  16. My theory is that Mr. Gates had something important to say/send back home, and needed a clear channel…


  17. I keep hearing the call for high rise buildings to house low and middle income families.

    High rises in Barbados should have been built for the upper income and millionaires who can afford to maintain this type of housing.

    Poor people need a little piece a land to plant kitchen garden.


  18. Islandflyer wrote “(oops, sorry, the “American Airlines airplane” crashed into the Pentagon).”

    So if an American Airlines plane did nt crash into the Pentagon, can you explain to me what happened to that plane, and moreso what happened to the people on it? Have they all gone into hiding from thier famiies these part 9 years, every last single one of them?

    I meanit may be failrly easy to hide a whole plane, but how do you hide hundreds of people? and keep them hidden and silent for almost a decade?


  19. Probably island flyer can’t explain what happened to the supposed passengers on the supposed jet that supposedly sneaked into the Pentagon through a ground floor window and vapourised itself and all its occupants, whilst all the Pentagon’s security cameras failed to catch a single shot of the “hijacked” plane.

    I must admit that I find the official conspiracy of arab fanatics theory hard to swallow too.
    Perhaps with a bit more research and a little less pooh-poohing we might get a proper investigation into this mass murder.


  20. September 11, 2001

    There have been reports of one of the planes destroyed in the 9/11 attacks seen in either Los Angeles or San Fransisco on a regularly scheduled flight. And it was photographed.

    2 of the 4 planes involved in the 9/11 attacks are still listed as active by the FAA.

    During the initial hours following the “ground-stop” order (all airplanes to land immediately), a large plane (reported to be a United 767) landed and was directed to a NASA hanger on a remote side of the airport, where its occupants were removed – noone saw where they went after that

    The damage to the Pentagon is not consistant with an aircraft impact, and certainly not an aircraft as large as a 757

    There are professional pilots that claim that it would be virtually impossible for a novice pilot to maneuver the 757 in the way that it was claimed to have been, in order to hit the Pentagon (and as a former pilot myself, I can concur)

    The paper and card passport of one of the alleged pilots was recovered on the street outside of the World Trade Centre, after the entire metal airplane, steel structure and their occupants had been vaporized in the fireball. Yeah, right.

    There were a staggeringly huge number of inconsistancies to the official version of events, from the reaction of the Pres and other officials, to the almost uniform word-for-word coverage by the major networks.

    The collapse of the Tower in such a short space of time is inconsistant with what would be expected from either an aircraft collision, or the “uncontrollable fires that weakened the steel” position, given that several other high rise buildings built to lesser standards have all survived raging infernos for considerably longer timeframes.

    Sure, there is someone who can ‘explair’ each of these, and more. But isn’t it just a little unnerving that ALL of these highly unlikely events all happen AT THE SAME TIME?

  21. Green Monkey Avatar

    From the Toronto Star:

    U.S. skeptics to speak of 9-11 cover-up at three Canadian universities

    MONTREAL—Three Canadian universities will be used as a venue for a speaking tour by prominent 9-11 skeptics who believe controlled explosions — not airplanes — brought down the Twin Towers.

    Americans Richard Gage and David Ray Griffin dispute the conventional wisdom that foreign terrorists linked to al-Qaeda destroyed the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

    They are scheduled to give lectures titled “9/11: Explosive Evidence and the War in Afghanistan” at the University of Toronto, Carleton University and the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) over the coming days.

    The Ontario Association of Architects is inviting students in its continuing education program to take in the event for extra credit.

    SNIP

    Gage’s organization believes the World Trade Center — the two towers and a third 47-storey building — collapsed from the controlled detonation of explosives, not the impact of two airplanes.

    Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth ( http://www.ae911truth.org ) wants the U.S. Congress to launch an “independent” probe into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and disputes the results of official investigations so far.

    Griffin is a retired theology professor and author of several books on an alleged 9-11 coverup.

    His discussion will focus on the legal and moral aspects of the war in Afghanistan, which was a response to the Sept. 11 attacks.

    An organizer for the Toronto event says the bestseller, “American Conspiracies: Lies, Lies, and More Dirty Lies That the Government Tells Us,” by former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, has re-ignited interest in the issue.

    http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/803231–u-s-skeptics-to-speak-of-9-11-cover-up-at-three-canadian-universities

  22. Green Monkey Avatar

    The peak of oil production is passed
    by Dr Michael Lardelli

    Dr Michael Lardelli from the University of Adelaide looks at how the bulk of the world’s oil production comes from a relatively small number of very large fields discovered decades ago. The rate of world oil production has been maintained at current levels only by finding and bringing on line an increasing number of smaller fields, but the financial cost and the energy required to find and develop these new fields is constantly increasing. According to Dr Lardelli the so-called peak of oil production was actually in 2008.

    snip

    On the 27th August last year the world celebrated 150 years since the first commercial oil well was drilled by Colonel Edwin Drake in Pennsylvania. The oil industry has now seen over a century of massive investment and astonishing technological development. The modern accomplishments of the oil industry sound more akin to science fiction than reality. The latest discoveries of oil off the coast of Brazil are a good example. Amid huge ocean swells a gargantuan exploratory oil rig costing nearly $1 million per day to lease, floats two kilometres above the seabed. Its drill-bit descends through the ocean depths, then grinds its way down through another five kilometres of seabed before finding oil trapped for millions of years under a two kilometre thick layer of ancient salt. This oilfield, named Tupi, is the biggest discovery in the past decade. One day its yield may total 8-billion barrels although extracting it will require a huge amount of investment and a great deal of time. The first well drilled into Tupi cost almost a quarter of a billion dollars. Subsequent wells have cost $60 million each.

    Every time a so-called ‘giant’ oilfield is discovered – and ‘giant’ means anything over half a billion barrels of oil – our media trumpet it as the solution to any concerns we may have over future oil supplies. But what most people don’t appreciate is that the rate at which humanity is using oil almost beggars belief – we consume 1,000 barrels of oil per second, which amounts to almost 30-billion barrels per year. So half a billion barrels from a ‘giant’ field could supply the world for about one week, and the Tupi field might eventually yield enough oil to supply the world for less than four months at current consumption rates.

    Herein lies the problem. For the world economy to grow current consumption rates are not enough. To grow the economy we need to increase the rate at which we use energy. Economic growth simply cannot be separated from energy growth. Even the world’s highest advisory body on energy, the International Energy Agency, acknowledges this. Indeed, for most of its history the economists at the IEA have actually predicted future increases in the rate of oil production based on the rates of economic growth they were expecting. This ‘economy-based’ method of predicting future oil production worked fairly well until, in 2005, our finite planet Earth stopped co-operating. After 2005 it refused to yield ever increasing flow rates of oil to power the economic growth. In response to growing scepticism about its predictions the IEA then changed its methodology, and in 2008, it published a so-called ‘bottom up study’. It no longer used anticipated economic growth to predict oil production growth. Instead, it predicted future production based on an oilfield-by-oilfield analysis of what it thought individual oilfields could produce.

    The bulk of the world’s oil production comes from a relatively small number of very large fields discovered decades go. Most of these very large fields now show declining production. The total rate of world oil production has only been maintained at current levels by finding and bringing online, an increasing number of smaller fields. The financial cost, and the energy required to find and develop these new, smaller fields is constantly increasing. In 2008 the IEA looked at the production from all current fields and how rapidly it would decline. They also predicted how much oil would be produced in future years from as yet undeveloped fields and fields that might yet be discovered. The result? They saw less future oil production than their previous estimates but, nevertheless, oil production in 2030 would be higher than today, so there was a little room for economic growth.

    But was the IEA correct? This is where the story gets very interesting and Professor Aleklett in Uppsala re-enters the picture. Professor Aleklett heads a group of research scientists called the Global Energy Systems group at the Angstrom Laboratory of Uppsala University. In recent years these scientists have been developing mathematical models of oil production from individual oil fields. They re-analysed the numbers in the IEA’s field-by-field bottom-up analysis. They found that they could agree with most of what the IEA predicted – namely the decline rate of existing fields and the volumes of accessible oil in known but undeveloped fields and in fields that might yet be discovered. However, they found a glaring error. The IEA had predicted future rates of oil production from undeveloped and yet-to-be-discovered fields that were far, far too high. When they took the IEA’s data and imposed rational but nevertheless extremely optimistic limits on future production rates, they saw to their astonishment, that the maximum rate of oil production that the world would ever achieve was in 2008. That’s right – the so-called ‘peak’ of oil production was actually two years ago and we have now begun the long downward trend in oil production that will characterise the second half of humanity’s oil era.

    http://www.energybulletin.net/52667


  23. Industry leaders seem to be showing more openness to energy descent issues
    by George Mobus

    This is a guest post by George Mobus, who is an Associate Professor of Computing and Software Systems at the University of Washington, Tacoma. His blog is Question Everything.

    I’ve spent the last two days at the Institute for the Future’s Ten-Year Forecast retreat in Sausalito, CA. The attendance list for the retreat reads like a “Who’s who” of corporations (and a number of vice presidents from those companies), but includes governmental officials from all over the world who have a hand in strategic planning.

    There were a few of us academics as well. At this retreat, I introduced ideas relating to peak net energy, and the possibility of major changes in the years ahead. I found industry leaders much more open than I had expected to listening to and understanding our energy predicament, and talking about what may be ahead. In this post, I would like to tell you about my experience.

    snip

    I was prepared for what I assumed would be the typical blow back from a crowd who I presupposed were committed to profits, growth, and the whole western capitalism ideology. As I watched the group gather for my breakout session, I grew nervous. The size of the growing group led me to think I might be in for a real show down.

    As the questions started to come in, I realized that nothing could be further from the truth. The overwhelming sentiment seemed to be one of grasping the principles followed by concern for the implications. I had told them that society would soon run out of energy to keep the kind of consumer-oriented, high powered economy going and they were acknowledging that they basically got it. Incidentally, one of the client companies is one of the world’s largest cruise ship enterprises. Another is a major ground delivery service company. Fuel is an important issue to them as you might imagine.

    Companies like these are concerned with international business and profits from sales all over the world. Governments are concerned with revenues that they get from taxes on incomes of companies and individuals. All have developed their revenue generation models based on cheap energy, so my message was not welcome. But it was also not rejected (actually there was an investment banking representative who was a bit dismissive, telling me his analysts had assured him there would be no problem until 2030 to 2050). Instead the prevailing attitude was one of “OK, so what can we do to plan for this?”

    Of course there were the usual questions about alternative energies replacing fossil fuels; I didn’t raise their hopes with my answers to that. There was some discussion about natural gas filling the demand vs. supply gap for fuel; I explained some of the important caveats on the developments of natural gas wells. But by and large there seemed to be an overall sense of acceptance of the predicament. I even saw a number of heads nodding in agreement when I explained how the financial crisis of 2008 to the present was triggered by the oil price spike and that the bubbles that existed had been driven by the growing gap between real wealth and paper (phony) wealth based on declining net energy flows vs. gambling on our future ability to pay back all the debt we’d been creating trying to keep BAU afloat. (BAU = business as usual). I think most of them got it.

    So the good news for me was that so many high level executives, thought leaders in major companies, and governmental officials charged with thinking about the future were open to the possibility that the collapse scenario (of the economy as we know it) would be brought about by the decline in net energy flow. Of course this was a small group compared with the number of companies still out there, presumably planning on futures based on growth and increased profits because they think the world will just go on as it has forevermore. These people were presumably at the retreat because they already understood that the world was changing in fundamental ways, and they were looking at the Institute to help decipher the signs.

    http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6419

  24. Straight talk Avatar
    Straight talk

    Green Monkey:

    It seems we have been spotlighting this Peak Oil Scenario for the last three years or so, and because the received wisdom from the brain dead MSM correspondents was “we are up to our ears in oil for the next 60 years at least” we got pooh-poohed.

    Now the IEA has finally come to its senses and acknowledged that a supply shortage will occur in less than 5 years. The crazy reserve estimates of the OPEC countries have finally been debunked and we are heading for a world of hurt.

    China has scooped up the only viable increases in supply and we are left to the good graces of our Trini partners.

    Recovery from this recession depends on energy, cheap energy.
    We cannot get it, and the world cannot supply it.

    I sincerely hope we have a Plan B at the ready.


  25. So, the 1000 point dip in the DOW is due to ‘erroneous trading’?

    How exactly does one sell millions of shares ‘erroneously’? Particularly in such a company as P&G? And the professional commenters say that some of the other drops ‘could be’ for the same reason?

    Do the trading systems not have checks and balances, even when making trades? Of course they do.

    Lol. What a load of bollocks.

    There are some who are tyring to hoodwink the public when the market dips i.e. trying to boost the market, artifically.

    As said before, the markets do NOT reflect true net asset values nor future earning streams of companies, the current prices are artificial.

    This view is particularly bolstered by references such as above, which identify the coming oil supply issue and thus pricing and product costs, inflation, standard of living etc.

    One big smoke and mirrors to hide the train coming at us. Why have we not heard about the problems in the trading systems that would allow such ‘erroneous trades’ before, after all these years of trading?

    Wuh loss.

    That said, why is our Government taking more loans to finance operating revenues (fiscal deficit)? Insanity.

    As I said before, only raising more tax i.e. VAT and Capital Gains, can we address this issue, together with cost rationalisation.

    Any person half versed in finance and economics knows that one does not fund operating costs by long term debt. i.e. Debt and the purpose of finance must be matched, as long as an alternative exists, which it does, as noted previously.

    Absolutely crazy.

    Piper going want a lot of payment.


  26. Bush 9/11 Inaction (video):

    News clips detailing George W. Bush’s 9/11 inaction, including his post-attack foot dragging on establishing an independent investigation into the worst attack ever on United States soil. Bush was clearly negligent in his duty on 9/11, not only as President, but also as our Commander in Chief. His inaction alone is reason enough to re-open the 9/11 investigation. Don’t just ask for a new investigation. Ask for a real 9/11 investigation.


  27. David

    BU is always trying to tackle issues on moral grounds. I mean every month there is some thread on homosexuality but I don’t see any threads on infidelity but perhaps many don’t see infidelity as a moral issue.

    The following is a story about infidelity with a twist because the woman who was caught is suing the media Corporation who let the cat out of the bag.. The story in a nutshell ( I am attaching a newspaper article) is the woman had her cell phone in her maiden name and received her cell phone bill separately. The husband decided to “bundle” the internet, cable, home phone and his cell bill together which saves a whole whack of money. The next month when he receives the bill his wife’s bill is included with all the numbers that she had called including several calls of lengthy duration to one number. The hubby suspicious calls the number and discovered that his wife has been making the beast with two backs with the individual who is at this number. The husband picks up and leaves, the wife is devastated and spends her time all weepy at work, couldn’t perform her duties and in time is terminated from her job which pays $100,000 pa (she claims).

    She subsequently discovers that her husband found out about the affair because of the bill and is suing Rogers Corp to the tune of $600,000.00 for “ruining her marriage”. Perhaps what her husband didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him and Rogers let the secret out.

    Did Rogers breach her contract? Was it a case of “just deserts”? The courts will decide, in the meanwhile BU lawyers, would be lawyers, pseudo lawyers, moralists etc. can chime in.

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/globe-on-technology/rogers-and-the-other-woman/article1572831/


  28. A real third party is what is needed in the Barbados to shake things up. The DLP and BLP all play the waiting game like musical chair, nothing gets done.

    Somethings happening! BU don`t deviate from your responsibity of providing a voice for the voiceless. This is the mouth piece for those who want to address an audience but don`t have media spend.

    The below is taken from Stabroek News.

    Politics has very little to do with personality. It is the mandate and destiny of country rather than fulfilling individuals aggrandizement.
    Fortune favours the brave and in fulfilling the common good and equality, global economic trends determine the political destiny of a country.

    It is not about following the crowd, a leader of a pack is one who has a planned destiny- a wise crowd is a collective- whilst this may be your ultimate objective, visionaries set the stage for progress.


  29. If you are interested, Van der Sloot of ‘Natalie Holloway’ association has just been arrested in Chile, on suspicion of involvement in the murder of a girl in Peru.


  30. I know that de old brain don’t work as well as it used to but in today’s Nation there is a story about Sir David Simmons and it states that Simmons won Neville Maxwell’s seat after Maxwell’s death. I seem to remember Maxwell ( who was Speaker of the House) resigning his seat after being declared a bankrupt ( I think he was sued for a large sum of money and lost).

    Could someone help me out here? Is my memory playing tricks on me or does The Nation need a fact checker?

    http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/sir-davids-political-run/


  31. @Sargeant,

    You are right on point. In fact I can remember attending those meetings very well. The event led to the BLP winning a 2nd by-election (Billie Miller) in the City of Bridgetown, which brought about momentum for a change of government in the General Election of 1976.

    What is frightening, Gercine Carter seemed to have been interviewing Sir David, and he didn’t feel compelled to correct the record.

    I posted this link “The Ministry of Truth:” A mass experiment in altering political memories. http://www.slate.com/id/2254054/ in another place on this site a few days ago about Slate’s experiment on erroneous political reporting.

  32. Straight talk Avatar

    David:
    I note you had a valiant attempt to resurrect the Swine Flu blog in the light of some unimpeachable findings from an industry respected journal.
    May I respectfully request you repost the blog in the light if incontravertible evidence that Big Pharma paid for the skewing of evidence, which influenced WHO to upgrade the outbreak to pandemic status .
    This is a massive story and has cost Barbados millions of useless dollars.
    I know you want to get to the bottom of this story, but it cannot gain traction if it keeps being swamped Kiki’s disco and GP’s ambivalence between Hippocracy and hypocracy. Repost.


  33. Looks like somebody has grown some balls….this should be sport.

    From the Nation News:

    WIBISCO suing Sagicor, NIB
    Close[X] Your Email: Your Name: To: Subject: Message: by Stacey RussellWEST INDIA BISCUIT Company Limited (WIBISCO) has slapped Sagicor Financial Corporation and the National Insurance Board with a civil suit over the sale of Sagicor’s shares to the NIB in a private placement last December.According to the claim form filed in the Supreme Court last Monday, WIBISCO is seeking, inter alia, a declaration that the issuance of the 11.76 million new shares, issued to NIB “was contrary to and in breach of [Sagicor’s] restated Articles of Incorporation and the rules of the Securities Exchange of Barbados 1987, and is accordingly null and void”.On December 29, 2009, Sagicor closed the deal with the NIB issuing the shares at $3.32 per share, 18 cents below the then trading price of $3.50 per share. The document said WIBISCO was also seeking a declaration, under Section 228 of the Companies Act, that the transaction was “oppressive and/or unfairly prejudicial to and/or unfairly disregarded the interests of [WIBISCO] as a shareholder of [Sagicor].WIBISCO, the holder of 2.73 million shares in Sagicor, was pursuing an order setting aside the private placement and directing the secretary of Sagicor to amend its register of shareholders accordingly, the claim form stated.Alternatively, WIBISCO was seeking an order directing Sagicor to hold a shareholders’ meeting within 60 days of the date of such an order for the ratification of the private placement to be discussed; and either “in the event that the majority of the shareholders of [Sagicor] resolves to ratify the private placement, an order directing [Sagicor] to apply to the Barbados Stock Exchange [BSE], within 60 days of the date of the meeting at which the private placement was ratified, for its approval and acceptance of the private placement”.The claim of the manufacturer of cookies and crackers included another alternative for an order setting aside the private placement and directing Sagicor’s secretary to amend its shareholders’ register accordingly if the majority of Sagicor’s shareholders did not approve the private placement or the BSE failed to approve or accept it.WIBISCO is also seeking damages, an injunction restraining Sagicor through its “directors, officers, servants or agents or otherwise howsoever from initiating or completing any further transactions for issuance of shares by private placement”, payment of its “costs of and incidental to” the court action by Sagicor, and any other relief that the court considered appropriate. (SR)
    http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/wibisco-suing-sagicor-nib/


  34. From the CBC News (Barbados) Website we see a news item that the NUPW may call industrial action at the principal healthcare institution the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, next week.

    The reason given, according to the news article, is that the QEH Management has failed to meet a June 16 deadline of meeting with the National Union of Public Workers, to address job appointments at the institution.

    The article further notes that the QEH Management is reported to have expressed disappointment at the action, noting that the union failed to accept a mediation by the Chief Labour Officer.

    My question, is why the QEH Management refused to even meet with the NUPW, even as a preliminary action, in order to establish some discussion and points of contention, prior to seeking a mediation by the Chief Labour Officer.

    I suggest that if these are the facts, then the QEH Management is not addressing the situation with practicality, efficiency nor really, a sound moral base.

    One must accept that the QEH is a national institution, paid for by the taxpayers of the country, not a private institution.

    While management of an organisation acts within the scope of the best interests of stakeholders including, to varying degrees, the shareholders, note that the shareholders in this case are the taxpayers, the same individuals as the clients of the institution.

    As such, management should accept that it is in the interests of the stakeholders to accomplish the goals of the organisation via amicable means, refraining from means that seem combative and merely for the purpose of adhering to ‘rules’.

    While we must follow due process, there should also be some flexibility involved and means that appear combative can only be detrimental to the stakeholers of the institution, leading to further decline in perceived status of the institution and the service offered.

    We must note also that this perception is not isolated to this situation, but can be seen in many areas.

    Areas such as cost overruns, contract tendering, discipline of minibus drivers etc, can all be seen to be handled in terms of strict ‘legal terms’, but unfortunately, while ‘satisfying’ matters in from, has not addressed the issues in substance.

    The missing factor appears to be one of transparency and accountability, in some cases of buckpassing, of doing what is permitted and required, without addressing the underlying issues and achieving a real solution.

    Is this what our society has come to, a nation of paper-pushers, insensitive to the real issues and real solutions?

    We must focus on bridging gaps in expectations wherever they may exist, between voters and those to be elected, between employees and employers, between representatives of authority and the average citizen.

    To do this we first need transparency and accountability, which will facilitate understanding, because without understanding by all parties, there can be no agreement.

    Most of all, we must answer two related questions.

    Is our motive ‘true’ and is our subsequent action ‘right’?


  35. errata ‘ matters in form, has not addressed the issues in substance’.


  36. I am concerned that a 16 year old “Youth” who has been charged with a very serious offence – not convicted – has his photograph displayed in a national daily, Nation News Thurs, 17th June 2010.

    Is the way “youths” are treated in the Court process in Barbados.

    The merits of the charge whatever they are and the seriousness of them; will no doubt be adjudged in due course; but to have a youth’s -16 years – photograph, pre-conviction in a national daily, surely we can do better than that in Barbados.


  37. @Yardbroom,

    Seen, I also had thought that it was the practice as determined by the Law, to ensure that ‘juveniles’ were treated in a more subtle manner, with appropriate guidelines, just because they are juveniles.


  38. @ Crusoe
    You are right, I can think of jurisdictions when on first appearance before the Court, the Magistrate would have given a directive – particularly to the Press – that the youth or his family should not be identified.

    Even on conviction a Judge would not allow the youth to be identified; unless he thought it was in the Public interest to do so.

    This is a fundamental point in dealing with “Youths” in a court system; it is what we should expect in our society. It is too fundamental a principle to be discarded for sensationalism.


  39. I thought I was the only person who saw this discrepancy. I think this is wrong. Why is Bjerkman not locked up why has this child’s face been plastered all over the PAPER. I think it was irresponsible.

    Can they be sued!

    Not good enough.

    Please note that if he did indeed kill the youngster that he was wrong but how many of us have known friends who have ‘lick down’ people????????/


  40. @ JC
    I am delighted that both you and Crusoe – and perhaps others – are aware of what appears on the surface to be small things; on closer examination are manifestations of larger problems we have in our society. If we can highlight these there is a possibility of a better ordered and caring society.

    In dealing with “youths” in the court system, we must always be aware of what they are, “youths” and that must be taken cognizance of. I know that their behaviour can be exasperating at times, but within the system there must be a transition from being youths to adults and the severity of penalties imposed and treatment accorded in the system, should reflect that.

    I concur, we are not speaking of innocence or guilt in this particular case, neither of the circumstances or magnitude of the alleged offence or offences. What we are discussing is a general approach to youths in the court system and the part the Press should play in that approach, they have a responsibility to be responsible.


  41. An Incompetent and Uncaring DLP Betrays the Youth of Barbados

    In its 2008 Youth Manifesto, the Democratic Labour Party said: “In Barbados we have a situation in which some young people find themselves adrift after 11-12 years of compulsory education.

    The cost of living, rising on a daily basis, makes it difficult to satisfy basic needs; Our tertiary educational Institutions can only accommodate a limited number of secondary school leavers who are desirous of continuing their formal education. There is inadequate access to employment opportunities by persons seeking their first job. Barbados needs to provide better opportunities for young people to realize their potential.”

    All of that accurately describes the Barbadians society under DLP rule – but having already launched a Youth Manifesto in 2008 – in which it said: “This Manifesto is therefore a Contract between this great Party and the young people of Barbados,” and that: “This is our promise to you…and we intend to begin delivering from 16th January,” and having not delivered as promise, it cannot be as simple as the DLP now holding a FETE and a re-launch of its original launch.


  42. Thanks YB at least we are being REAL about life and its ‘ups and downs.’

    Going off topic, I was reading a speech given be the Right Hon. Errol W. Barrow and he said:

    If there are two things that poor people should never find themselves caught up with is

    BEING CHARGED IN COURT
    OR
    DEBT!

    Ya know now that I am older I sorry to say but the man was RIGHT!!!!!!!

    These 2 things are’nt for poor people!


  43. @JC –

    As for debt and Court, I for one believe that if debt is taken before the court, it should be dealt with by an order of the Court for repayment, together with relevant stipulations for employers, whomever they be, to ensure repayment over time.

    On no account should anyone be incarcerated for debt, it is ludicrous.

    That said, in my opinion I think that persons should only be incarcerated for ‘crimes against the person / threats of or actual violence’. I would include burglary and robbery in this as that is an act that could reasonably be foreseen to result in injury.

    All other crimes should be dealt with by community service, payback of monies etc.

    Jail should be a last resort, not only is it irrelevant in cases where monies needs to be repaid, as the individual should be working to repay funds, but it sost the country money to keep people in jail.

    Let them work and report to the Police station weekly, together with reporting to the Payroll officer or relevant Police station where monies are to be repaid.

    Archaic systems cannot deal with current situations.

    Only persons who are a danger to society should be incarcerated should be locked up.

  44. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    JC
    You old?
    I thought you was a young yam. And juicy like one of WalMarts turkey legs. Wuh old you talking bout?

    I notice since I threaten to kiss you till you got diabetes in Ch Ch church yard by de pipe dat you done wid me one time But i gwine still mek it a point to check ya out next time I come home.


  45. @JC
    What words of wisdom from the Right Hon. Errol W. Barrow.
    “There are two things that poor people should never find themselves caught up with is:

    BEING CHARGED IN COURT
    OR
    DEBT”

    “Ya know now that I am older I sorry to say but the man was right!!!!!!!”

    With regard to the court system the poor are almost always at a disadvantage because:
    (1) The best lawyers are not cheap.
    (2) Those with connections know the best and most honest lawyers to act for them in a particular specialism of the Law.
    (3) They are less likely to be taken advantage of and their phone calls will be returned and appointments not cancelled at short notice.

    I am not suggesting there are not many good lawyers, because that is manifestly not the case however, one should be wary of going to court unless there is no reasonable alternative.

    When you are hooked into the system, sometimes it is more difficult to get out than to obtain justice. I am often amused when people say with some authority: “I will take them to court”. Even with learned Judges there is a “subjective component” in their interpretation of the Law…people often forget that.

    @ Crusoe
    Perhaps I could only add: “Poor is the man in debt.”
    I cannot disagree with what you have written.

  46. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    @ Yardbroom

    In addition to what you say If or when you win these folk can APPEAL and more time and more money must be expended.

    POOR FOLK AND EVEN NOT SO POOR FOLK MUST AVOID THE COURTS

  47. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    One lawyer told me IT IS ONE THING TO WIN A JUDGEMENT but IT IS ANOTHER THING TO HAVE IT EXECUTED.


  48. @ Georgie Porgie

    How right you are the intention often is to grind you into submission by delaying tactics such as constant appeals and other means: regular adjournments on spurious grounds. Magistrates and Judges – not all – will allow leading counsel and silks adjournments…seniority has some sway.
    ***********************************
    On a lighter note no hooking up with JC, just enjoy the sunshine in Bim.


  49. Tetrack ~ “Judge and Jury”
    they just take what they want
    because they are so strong
    they don’t care at all
    what they do is wrong
    they make the laws and the reasons
    the judges and juries too
    now we got to fight for our rights
    that’s all we can do

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

Trending