Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from February, 2009
Jamaica: The Power of Words
“Everybody who has felt the need to prove their Jamaican-ness has said it: gays and lesbians ought to be expelled from the national body…”: Long Bench has had enough of that kind of talk, saying, “maybe we are ready to start acting like we live in a democracy, where every...
Caribbean, USA: Where in the World is Allen Stanford?
It's one thing for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to lay fraud charges against Texas billionaire-cum-Caribbean cricket magnate Allen Stanford - but first, authorities have to find him. As panicky investors flock to Stanford-owned banks from Antigua to South America to try and withdraw their funds, speculation is rife as to where Mr. Stanford might be.
Trinidad & Tobago: Ready for Carnival
Caribbean Free Radio posts the final installment in the cut + clear Carnival podcast series, as the team visits with photographer Jeffrey Chock to discuss the Carnival experience.
Bermuda: Balancing the Budget
In anticipation of Bermuda's Budget Day tomorrow, Vexed Bermoothes says: “Government needs to show prudence, while stoking the rapidly eroding economy, while revealing where it’s going to get the cash.”
Aruba: Putting on the Ritz-Carlton?
The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain is apparently in Aruba to stay, causing Lost in Smallness to exclaim: “Does the government realize that this will put extra pressure on our infrastructure? Oh wait. It's an election year. This is just a campaign stunt, not necessarily something to improve the island.”
Caribbean, USA: Stanford Charged with Fraud
Fresh on the heels of the latest regional financial meltdown comes another: news that U.S. billionaire Allen Stanford has been slapped with charges for investment fraud - more than 8 billion dollars' worth. The potential fallout for West Indies cricket appears to be concerning Caribbean bloggers as much as the economic ramifications.
Trinidad & Tobago: Taking Responsibility
What really sticks in Trinidadian blogger Coffeewallah‘s craw when it comes to the CL Financial fiasco, is: “At the head of this debacle, someone who has taken no responsibility at all. Someone who is basically being left with his personal wealth intact while the taxpayer via Government intervention is bailing...
Cuba: “Boring Home”
The book Boring Home, which was banned at the 2009 Havana International Book Fair, is now available on the Internet. Cuban bloggers talk about it here, here and here.
Trinidad & Tobago: Eyes Wide Shut
Although Slacker says that Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is an intrinsic part of him, he cannot, in all good conscience, participate in the national festival: “Not when the murder toll as at yesterday stood at 84…a rate of 1.75 a day; not when press freedom and freedom of expression is...
Puerto Rico: Declining Economy
Dondequiera lists ten reasons that Puerto Rico's economy will continue to decline.
Trinidad & Tobago: Facing Down Facebook
“While I have a tendency to be critical of social networks and the companies that run them, it appears Facebook – at the least – is listening”: Trinidadian blogger Taran Rampersad is back on Facebook after learning that its Terms of Service have been changed back to what they were...
Caribbean: Economic Effects
Keith in Trinidad says that “it is troubling that we seem so oblivious to the meltdown that's occurring” in Martinique and Guadeloupe, while Living Guyana cites the many examples of regional economic discord to add weight to his question of whether “Guyana's tenuous economy will be negatively affected.”
Jamaica, Spain: Considering the Environment
As the King and Queen of Spain visit Jamaica, Snailwriter is concerned about what an alliance between the two countries could mean for the environment: “‘Spanish hotels have become part of the geography of Jamaica and they are here to stay.’ And that is the tragedy. When the economic downturn...
Caribbean: WICB Woes
Caribbean bloggers continue to be humiliated by the incredible faux pas by the West Indies Cricket Board and are calling for some key figures to resign.
Barbados: Anti-Money Laundering Authority
“I can find little evidence to suggest that AMLA is ‘fully operational’ or even that it exists”: Barbados Money Laundering Advisory has more questions than answers about the Barbados Anti-Money Laundering Authority.
Bahamas, St. Lucia: Poetry in Motion
Scavella's Blogosphere features two new poems that are profiled at Tongues of the Ocean, an online literary journal of Bahamian and Caribbean poetry.
Barbados: More Questions About CLICO
Living in Barbados is unimpressed by the mainstream media's attempt to “[play] at what could be mistaken for some partisan propaganda, throwing out a good dose of brickbats against any comment or criticism of a major financial company”, while Barbados Underground notes that “what has started to emerge in recent...
Barbados: Layne-Clarke Passes On
Bajan writer Jeanette Layne-Clarke has died after battling cancer. Barbados Free Press pays her tribute by publishing one of her poems.
Anguilla: What Rubbish!
Corruption-free Anguilla takes a scenic drive around the island and is appalled by what he sees.
Bermuda: Stem Cell Research
As news breaks that a stem cell research facility will be allowed to operate under “guidelines” from the Ministry of Health, Vexed Bermoothes says: “Stem cell research and treatments are a sensitive field in health care. Bermuda should only allow their use in our jurisdiction once proper regulations are in...
Jamaica, Antigua: Pre-Election Violence
Jamaica's YardFlex.com reports on the “increasingly violent” pre-elections atmosphere in Antigua.
