Janine Mendes-Franco · August, 2012

Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from August, 2012

Caribbean: No Escape; Isaac Strikes

  26 August 2012

Despite Caribbean bloggers' hopes that Tropical Storm Isaac would go easy on them, some islands are today coping with the disarray the storm has left in its path. Haiti experienced some of the worst effects from the weather system; flooding and landslides reportedly caused a few deaths and some people had to be evacuated.

Trinidad & Tobago: Political Euphemisms

  24 August 2012

If…you negotiating with crime lords…after your leader state categorically in a 2011 speech in Parliament that she would never negotiate with criminals, well… The Eternal Pantomime blogs about the government's “latest cock up”.

Caribbean: Escape from Tropical Storm Isaac

  24 August 2012

Caribbean netizens have their eye on Tropical Storm Isaac, the ninth such weather system for the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season. Isaac has been steadily moving up the Leeward Islands, and storm warnings and watches have been issued for Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Bloggers share their experiences, post videos and voice their concerns.

Caribbean: Marking Eid

  20 August 2012

There were just two posts from within the Caribbean region talking about Eid-ul-Fitr, which was celebrated yesterday: this one from Guyana and this, from Trinidad and Tobago, which republishes the President's Eid message.

Trinidad & Tobago: 50, but not really Independent

  17 August 2012

Trinidad and Tobago's upcoming 50th anniversary of independence prompts aka_lol to suggest that “we have become a nation so taken up with running our own affairs our National Watch Words have unofficially become ‘Run Something Nah’.”

Caribbean: Regional Sports Academy?

  14 August 2012

Following the success of the Caribbean region at the London Olympics, there is now talk of “a single sports academy…located in Jamaica, and funded by all the governments and private sectors of the Caribbean Community”, to which Weblog Bahamas’ Rick Lowe quips, “Come on.”

Trinidad & Tobago: Flood Relief

  14 August 2012

A comprehensive post about tangible ways in which to help victims of the Trinidad floods, here, while Plain Talk questions the role of the army during the crisis.

Trinidad & Tobago: Dark Cloud, Gold Lining

  12 August 2012

Heavy floods pounded the northwestern part of Trinidad yesterday morning, as two rivers burst their banks following torrential rains from a tropical depression. But the nation's spirits were to be lifted - at least for a while - as the country won Olympic gold for the second time in its history, thanks to the efforts of Keshorn Walcott in the Javelin Throw.

Jamaica: Caribbean Region Rallies Behind Bolt

  11 August 2012

Jamaican bloggers - and indeed netizens from the wider Caribbean region - are continuing to celebrate the island's successes at the London Olympic Games. Unsurprisingly, Usain Bolt is at the centre of the online discussion, thanks to his amazing performance in the Men's 200m event and his response to Carl Lewis' drug use accusations.

Jamaica: The Caribbean-American Vote

  8 August 2012

“Even since I began the online petition for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey, I have been on a steep learning curve about politics”: Diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp notices that when it comes to Caribbean-Americans, “it seems as if we are going into the next election, just giving away our votes...

Trinidad & Tobago: The Power of Words

  8 August 2012

Online reaction to a statement that one of the country's athletes should retire after not winning a medal at the London Olympics prompts West Indian Mother to examine “how we, as a society, tend to function, and how it adversely affects our children.”

Cuba: Food Measures

  7 August 2012

“General Raúl Castro acknowledges that beans are more important than canons”: Iván García explains why “food is a matter of national security.”

Caribbean: Marking Emancipation

  1 August 2012

Today, many Caribbean territories celebrate Emancipation Day, which commemorates the abolition of slavery. Each year, bloggers mark the occasion, but this year, online attention to the holiday is rather low-key, with only a handful of netizens mentioning it in their posts or tweets.