Georgia Popplewell · October, 2006

Latest posts by Georgia Popplewell from October, 2006

Jamaica: When Prime Ministers doodle. . . .

  26 October 2006

Ria Bacon offers an update to an earlier post in which she discussed the matter of a close-up photograph of the Prime Minister's notepad taken during a debate on a no-confidence motion, and run on the front page of one of Jamaica's news dailies: “The upshot is that journalists will...

Trinidad, UK: Between two worlds

  25 October 2006

Trinidad blogger Jeremy Taylor returns to the “quiet corner of the mudder country” (England) where he grew up: “There ought to be a name for this state of mind. (Perhaps there is.) When your head is split between two worlds.“

Trinidad & Tobago: Farewell, Basdeo Panday

  25 October 2006

The Manicou says an offhand good-bye to Basdeo Panday, former Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad & Tobago, who vacated his seat in parliament after being convicted of fraud.

Jamaica: Chutzpah and politics

  25 October 2006

Jamaica-based Linguist Ria Bacon uses the example of the Jamaican Minister of Information's statements about a recent political scandal to demonstrate the meaning of the Yiddish word “chutzpah”.

Jamaica, Dominica: Jean Rhys's “remarkably screwed up life”

  25 October 2006

After seeing a play based on Dominican writer Jean Rhys's “remarkably screwed up life”, Jamaican novelist Marlon James wonders: “Must every great artist have a self hating streak? Didn't Jean Rhys transfer hers to writing and Naipaul to everybody just like him? Is happiness a false goal for an artist?“

Trinidad & Tobago: Anti-smelter movement gains momentum

  24 October 2006

The movement protesting the establishment of an aluminium smelter in a community in south-western Trinidad gains momentum with the setting up of a protest camp in the north of the island, reports the Rights Action T&T blog. The camp will be launched on Friday to coincide with a demonstration in...

Trinidad & Tobago, UK: Review of “Londonistan”

  24 October 2006

Trinidad blogger Jeremy Taylor reviews the book Londonistan by British journalist Melanie Phillips: “What causes intelligent people to slither across the political spectrum from left to right (and sometimes the other way) as they get older? When she was a young journalist, Melanie Phillips used to write outstandingly sensible and...

Bahamas: Violence in cabinet

  24 October 2006

Sir Arthur Foulkes is highly critical of the handling by the Bahamian Prime Minister of a fight between two members of parliament in the Cabinet room.

St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Rewriting the anthem

  24 October 2006

St. Vincent & the Grenadines blogger Abeni wonders whether her country's national anthem could be re-written: “It's clear that verse was written from the perspective of the main island-St Vincent. So,what do the people of the Grenadines do when it gets to verse 3?“

Jamaica: Pam Mordecai

  23 October 2006

Jamaican writer Pam Mordecai is the subject of the second installment in Geoffrey Philp's “In My Words” series.

Dominica: The dubious benefits of CWC 2007

  23 October 2006

Kenny Green of Dominica isn't put off by reports that the Cricket World Cup, which is set to take place next year in the Caribbean, may be moved instead to South Africa: “Hosting any WC is like having a house party for someone else at your home, who pays you...

Cayman Islands: Celebrity adoption

  23 October 2006

“Following on the heels of Madonna’s adoption of a little Malawian boy, eccentric actress Renee Zellwegger has announced her intentions to adopt a Caymanian,” writes Cayblogger.

Belize: Dog's eye view

  23 October 2006

Belizean canine blogger Nurse Melly reports on the progress of an animal shelter being build on Caye Ambergris and admonishes humans for feeding crocodiles.

Barbados: Was Adams lazy?

  23 October 2006

A new book about the failed West Indies Federation describes Sir Grantley Adams, Barbados's first premier and national hero, as “lazy, lethargic” — sets Barbados Free Press wondering if this could have been true.

Barbados: Concorde go home?

  23 October 2006

A British letter-writer suggests that the Concorde aircraft that Barbados was given by British Airways be relocated to a location where it would receive better treatment, but Titilayo finds evidence to suggest that Barbados's Concorde isn't the only one being housed under less-than-desirable conditions.

Barbados: Hair, race & breast cancer

  21 October 2006

A newspaper report on one woman's public hair-shaving in support of breast cancer awareness reminds Titlayo of the extent to which Barbadians are still grappling with issues of race.