Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from November, 2009
Suriname: Welcome to the Jungle
For Paramaribo SPAN, Christopher Cozier visits artist Daniel Djojoatmo, whose work “discuss[es] the predicament of certain narratives of development which are, at their inception, ill-fated and at the disposal of the jungle.”
Dominica: Billboards Galore
“There are rules. Unfortunately the guardians of those rules are afraid of their paymasters, and the other service providers have no respect for them”: Caribbean Man takes issue with illegal billboards in Dominica.
Trinidad & Tobago: Banned from Parliament?
A journalist may be banned from Parliament, prompting Nicholas Laughlin to post a statement by the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago and Edmund Gall at KnowTnT.com to post his perspective.
Barbados: Another Downgrade
“Barbados’ debt may be headed for the dread ‘junk’ status if it is downgraded another notch,” says Living in Barbados, adding: “To change things needs more than a shift in confidence. It needs policies that attack rapidly the size of the debt.”
Bermuda: Crossing the Rubicon
Following news of a gang-related shooting in Bermuda, Vexed Bermoothes says: “The public lawlessness is so depressing that I am at a loss for words.”
Barbados, Jamaica: The Politics of Homosexuality
“In Barbados we have a long way to go regarding how as a country we want to deal with the issue of homosexuality”: Barbados Underground says “it would be unfortunate for some if we wait until the next general election” to start discussing…the societal changes to accept this group of...
Guyana: Autobiographical
“I've always thought of autobiography as an attempt to leave behind–forever in memoriam–something more or less truthful about one's existence”: Signifyin’ Guyana wonders what the first lines of your autobiography would be.
Guyana: Vampire Snacks
Guyana-Gyal comes up with an innovative marketing plan to sell mosquitoes…
Barbados: Police Officer Found Dead
“it is most regrettable when an officer or former officer of the law becomes a crime victim”: Keltruth Corp. is saddned to learn of the death of Barbados’ oldest surviving police officer.
Jamaica: Passport Rush
An increase in fees has Jamaicans rushing to renew their passports – Stunner is caught in the melee.
Trinidad & Tobago: “Axe the Tax”!
From Trinidad and Tobago, This Beach Called Life clears the air on “the not-so-new property tax that has angered homeowners into an angry fireball. Citizens, despite cursing and more cursing, were about to resign themselves to paying the much higher property tax when, out of nowhere, a flagpole appeared.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Art or Ego?
“One thing that seems to me to distinguish good governance from bad is an understanding that cities and countries are built on communities, not on buildings”: Club Soda and Salt comments on Trinidad and Tobago's “latest white elephant”.
Jamaica: Home Remedies
The Phoenix in a Gas House writes an informative post about a few Jamaican home remedies.
Bahamas: Sister's Keeper
“We women survivors of violence of all kinds must break this collective silence…and we women who enjoy relative freedom and safety must extend our hands and voices to our sisters who do not, because we are not free until all are free”: The Bahamas’ Womanish Words calls on women to...
Trinidad & Tobago: Executive Presidency?
B.C. Pires refers to an online article which implies that “the recent tete-a-tete between Massas Manning & Panday may result in the establishment, by a simple vote of the current sitting Parliament, of an executive presidency” in Trinidad and Tobago.
Barbados, Jamaica: Focus on Flogging
“How to deal with discipline in a society is never easy,” says Living in Barbados, who adds that “Barbados is still working its way towards a wider acceptance that flogging is not the way to go.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Will The Performing Arts Centre Perform?
The construction of Trinidad and Tobago's new National Academy for the Performing Arts has been controversial, but despite the obstacles, the academy was opened earlier this week, soliciting reactions from local bloggers...
Puerto Rico: Talking ‘Bout A Revolution
Gil the Jenius suggests that the recent protests in Puerto Rico weren't enough.
Haiti: Pierre-Louis Ousted
“Haiti's Senate dismissed Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis on Friday, Oct. 30, 2009″: HaitiAnalysis.com reports that some senators believe “the vote was ‘illegal’ and plagued by procedural irregularities.”
Bahamas, Cuba: Fair Trade?
Rick Lowe issues a few words of warning to the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce when it comes to doing business with Cuba: “The Chamber stands for ethics in business and I believe they are on shaky ground recommending we do business with a regime in Cuba that apparently does not...
Cuba, U.S.A.: Bloggers & Violence
Both writing for Havana Times, Circles Robinson reports that the U.S. government has criticized the recent seizure of blogger Yoani Sanchez and two of her peers, noting that “Cuba maintains its rejection of any interference of the US government in its internal affairs”, while Pedro Campos suggests that “to reject...
