The talk in the Caribbean blogosphere · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

I'm writing this post on December 1st, which is also World AIDS Day. There were 24,000 AIDS-related deaths in the Caribbean this year, and as Abeni of St. Vincent & the Grenadines pointed out, “in the Caribbean the infection rates are second only to Sub Saharan Africa.” Here are a few other World AIDS Day acknowledgments from the Caribbean blogosphere:
- Bob Green in Anguilla posted a reminder of the island's 3rd annual Race Against AIDS on November 27.
– Guyana-Gyal devoted one of her dialect vignettes to the media response in Guyana.
– Caribbean Free Radio ran a World AIDS Day badge and cited statements issued by the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre.
– Over at Flickr, Kendrick Brinson posted a powerful image of a Belizean AIDS patient, noting that “Belize has the highest incidence per capita of HIV in Central America”.
And in other Caribbean blogosphere news. . .
Bahamas
– At the group blog Bahama Pundit, which reproduces articles by “top Bahamian newspaper columnists”, Sir Arthur Foulkes is concerned about the incursion of religion into local politics, while Larry Smith considers the impact of tourism development on the environment and challenges readers to point out genuine differences between the country's political parties.
Barbados
– Neil Benn and Jdid note that Barbados celebrated the 39th anniversary of its independence from Great Britain on November 30.
Belize
– Nyashazasha attempts to define the meaning of the word “creol” in the Belizean context.
– Escribbler submits another update on the Jungle Dome Web project and showcases some of the graphics from the web site.
– Simone Elgeln posts Part 3 of her “Moving to Belize Guide”.
Bermuda
– The Limey finds a new building to be constructed in Hamilton“ugly and unnecessary”.
– Valentine Michael Smith publishes a satirical chart of bestselling books and top DVD rentals. One selection: “Bermudians are from Mars, Ex-pats are from Venus”.
– Christian awards the Minister of Education a lump of coal in his Christmas stocking for preventing one school from caroling outside of its district.
Cayman Islands
– The Cayman Jazz Festival starts on December 1st and ticket sales look good, says Odd Blog, but why is Spongebob Squarepants’ image cropping up everywhere?
Guyana
– Guyana-Gyal temporarily abandons her slice-of-life vignettes in favour of a rant about the government response to the removal of sugar tariffs by the EU: “And I wonder when we people here, who in charge, gon understand this too. . . That we got to get up and DO, instead o’ thinking Somebody Else gon take we problems into consideration.”
– VSO worker Michiyo announces she is learning Spanish, observing that “Although Guyana is English speaking country, I am still in the Latin America.” (Though “South America” would be more accurate, wouldn't it).
– The CAC Review lays out the reasoning behind the Guyana government's curious decision not to define Amerindians as “indigenous” — and the response by the Amerindian Peoples’ Association of Guyana.
– Several updates this week at M'lilwana Osanku's unusual genealogy blog, Descendants of Bentick, John, and Tuckness Sancho (d.1872), including bios of a community leader and a teacher and a book review.
Haiti
- Guadeloupean rap star Admiral T's visit to Jamaica offers Alice Backer the chance to riff on the complexities of the relationship between Haiti and the French Antilles, the embracing of “American-style muliticulturalism” young French Caribbeans and other “post-colonial repercussions”.
Jamaica
– Back on the Rock recounts a disturbing encounter with a young homeless woman.
– Yamfoot has collected a series of recent interviews with Jamaican millionaire Butch Stewart (head of the Sandals hotel chain) and is offering them as a downloadable Word file.
– Who is the Hottest Reggae Artist? Take part in this poll offered by Missie at Jamaica Culture & People.
– Dr. D posts a meditation on the joys of country life.
– Owen analyzes the reception of blogs in Jamaica and outlines his own strategies for keeping an audience.
– Stunner reports on the visa restrictions imposed by Cayman on Jamaica and Jamaica's tit-for-tat response.
– Dancehall Blog reports that dancehall artist Supercat was beaten by police outside a betting shop in Long Island, New York and that Sean Paul is giving back to the community.
Trinidad & Tobago
- Taran Rampersad and Richard Jobity contemplate the possibility of a “Trinicon Valley”. And Richard awaits the arrival of competition in the telecoms sector.
- GeneralGo at de cooler : soca news takes note of a continuing trend in Trinidadian soca: remakes of soca classics by newer artists with the original artist making a cameo.
– Tyndale's Tracts takes on homosexuality in the Catholic Church, making the daring statement: “Even here, in little Trinidad and Tobago, if the RC and Anglican churches flushed out all the gays and gay sympathisers from their ranks, the result would be a spectacular clerical exit.”
– Hassan Voyeau posts about the increase in the $TT=$US exchange rate.
– Tina is seeking contributors for the Trinidad Diaries blog.
– The Caribbean Beat Blog pays tribute to veteran steel pan arranger Clive Bradley, who passed away last week.
Podcasts
- Caribbean World Radio released Part 1 of its series “Bob Marley: Soul Rebel”.
West Indies Cricket
– West Indies batsman Brian Lara added another record to his long list last week, but the West Indies still end their tour of Australia in a shambles. Ryan Naraine publishes a poll asking whether Shivnarine Chanderpaul should be sacked, encouraging participants to “vote early and often”.