Pull! Push!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Gold again for Jamaica in womens 100 metre event
(Image from CNN)
Jamaicans all over the world must be going crazy this weekend and rightly so! After Usain Bolt confidently secured gold during the Men's 100 metre event, Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica today won gold. Her teammates, Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson, also shared the silver medal.
Shelly-Ann Fraser (Wikipedia)
Kerron Stewart (Wikipedia)
Sherone Simpson (Wikipedia)
************************
"BEIJING--Shelly-Ann Fraser led the other two Jamaicans to win all the women's 100 meters medals on Sunday evening at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Fraser clocked her personal best in 10.78 seconds before Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart finished, both in 10.98, and shared the silver.
Simpson said, "We made history. Just like yesterday Bolt set a new world record. We are all great athletes and I'm very excited about the tremendous achievement we've made for our country."" (China Daily)
************************
"Shelly-Ann Fraser took Olympic gold in the women's 100m, leading home an unprecedented clean sweep for Jamaica.
Fraser finished in a time of 10.78 seconds, with her compatriots Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart sharing the silver medal after a dead heat.
"I'm so excited. I never dreamed this could happen to me," Fraser said." (BBC NEWS)
************************
"Jamaicans proved they are the world's fastest humans on Sunday when Shelly-Ann Fraser won the women's 100 metre at the Olympics 24 hours after Usain Bolt's record-setting victory in the men's event." (CNN.com)
(Image from CNN)
Jamaicans all over the world must be going crazy this weekend and rightly so! After Usain Bolt confidently secured gold during the Men's 100 metre event, Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica today won gold. Her teammates, Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson, also shared the silver medal.
Shelly-Ann Fraser (Wikipedia)
Kerron Stewart (Wikipedia)
Sherone Simpson (Wikipedia)
************************
"BEIJING--Shelly-Ann Fraser led the other two Jamaicans to win all the women's 100 meters medals on Sunday evening at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Fraser clocked her personal best in 10.78 seconds before Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart finished, both in 10.98, and shared the silver.
Simpson said, "We made history. Just like yesterday Bolt set a new world record. We are all great athletes and I'm very excited about the tremendous achievement we've made for our country."" (China Daily)
************************
"Shelly-Ann Fraser took Olympic gold in the women's 100m, leading home an unprecedented clean sweep for Jamaica.
Fraser finished in a time of 10.78 seconds, with her compatriots Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart sharing the silver medal after a dead heat.
"I'm so excited. I never dreamed this could happen to me," Fraser said." (BBC NEWS)
************************
"Jamaicans proved they are the world's fastest humans on Sunday when Shelly-Ann Fraser won the women's 100 metre at the Olympics 24 hours after Usain Bolt's record-setting victory in the men's event." (CNN.com)
Labels: Caribbean, China, Jamaica, Kerron Stewart, news, Olympics, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson, sports, World
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Big Caribbean win at Olympics 100m - Gold for Jamaican Bolt and Silver for T&T Thompson
Caribbean people have two big reasons to celebrate this weekend! Usain Bolt (Jamaica) and Richard Thompson (Trinidad and Tobago) won gold and silver medals respectively in the Men's 100 metre running event of the 2008 Olympics. Congrats to both atheletes as well as to the people of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago!
(Images from L to R are from CNN and The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games respectively)
Usain Bolt (Wikipedia)
Richard Thompson (Wikipedia)
************************
"“I’m not really worried about world records,” Bolt said in the aftermath of his world-record time of 9.69 seconds in the 100 on Saturday night at the Bird’s Nest. “My aim is to come here and win. That’s the aim. I have a lot more time to think about that.”" (Houston Chronicle)
************************
"(BEIJING, August 16) -- Usain Bolt has won the Men's 100m gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in a world record time of 9.69 seconds.
Silver medalist Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago ran a time of 9.89 seconds, leaving American Walter Dix to take the bronze in a time of 9.91 seconds.
The twenty-one-year-old broke his own world record of 9.72 seconds, which he set in June this year. The Olympic record stood at 9.84 seconds, set by Donovan Bailey at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games." (The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games)
************************
"Usain Bolt glided to a new world record as he produced a stunning run in the Olympic 100m final.
Bolt was well clear at 60m and although he eased down and started to celebrate 15 metres from the line he still set a new mark of 9.69 seconds.
Richard Thompson finished second while American Walter Dix came third but they were yards behind the Jamaican.
"I wasn't worried about the world record. I didn't know it until I'd done my victory lap," Bolt told BBC Sport." (BBC NEWS)
************************
"Usain Bolt smashed his own world record in winning the Olympic 100 meters title in Beijing with one of the most remarkable performances in the history of track and field.
The 21-year-old Jamaican clocked 9.69 seconds to win from Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson (9.89 seconds) and America's Walter Dix (9.91 seconds).
But it was the manner of his victory that was truly astonishing as he started his celebrations before crossing the line, showboating with his arms out wide before slapping his chest in triumph." (CNN.com)
************************
"It was calm, it was still and then suddenly there was lightning all around the Bird's Nest stadum last night, Usain Bolt lighting up the night sky with a world record 9.68 seconds in the Olympic 100 metres." (Stuff.co.nz)
************************
"BEIJING (Reuters) - Jamaica's Usain Bolt won 100 metres gold at the Beijing Olympics in a world record time on Saturday, running 9.69 seconds to claim victory in an exhilarating showdown with his compatriot Asafa Powell.
The 21-year-old won his country's first Olympic title in the blue riband event and capped an astonishing rise to the top of his sport. His former world record was 9.72 seconds.
Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago won the silver and American Walter Dix the bronze." (Reuters)
************************
"JAMAICAN sprinter Usain Bolt won gold in the Olympic 100metre final with an incredible world-record breaking performance." (Manchester Evening News)
************************
"Beijing, China (Sports Network) - Jamaica's Usain Bolt won gold in the men's 100 meter finals Saturday at the Beijing Olympics, lowering his own world record to claim the title of World's Fastest Man.
Bolt ran the race in 9.69 seconds, taking .03 seconds off the record he set in New York City on June 1." (The Sports Network)
(Images from L to R are from CNN and The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games respectively)
Usain Bolt (Wikipedia)
Richard Thompson (Wikipedia)
************************
"“I’m not really worried about world records,” Bolt said in the aftermath of his world-record time of 9.69 seconds in the 100 on Saturday night at the Bird’s Nest. “My aim is to come here and win. That’s the aim. I have a lot more time to think about that.”" (Houston Chronicle)
************************
"(BEIJING, August 16) -- Usain Bolt has won the Men's 100m gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in a world record time of 9.69 seconds.
Silver medalist Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago ran a time of 9.89 seconds, leaving American Walter Dix to take the bronze in a time of 9.91 seconds.
The twenty-one-year-old broke his own world record of 9.72 seconds, which he set in June this year. The Olympic record stood at 9.84 seconds, set by Donovan Bailey at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games." (The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games)
************************
"Usain Bolt glided to a new world record as he produced a stunning run in the Olympic 100m final.
Bolt was well clear at 60m and although he eased down and started to celebrate 15 metres from the line he still set a new mark of 9.69 seconds.
Richard Thompson finished second while American Walter Dix came third but they were yards behind the Jamaican.
"I wasn't worried about the world record. I didn't know it until I'd done my victory lap," Bolt told BBC Sport." (BBC NEWS)
************************
"Usain Bolt smashed his own world record in winning the Olympic 100 meters title in Beijing with one of the most remarkable performances in the history of track and field.
The 21-year-old Jamaican clocked 9.69 seconds to win from Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson (9.89 seconds) and America's Walter Dix (9.91 seconds).
But it was the manner of his victory that was truly astonishing as he started his celebrations before crossing the line, showboating with his arms out wide before slapping his chest in triumph." (CNN.com)
************************
"It was calm, it was still and then suddenly there was lightning all around the Bird's Nest stadum last night, Usain Bolt lighting up the night sky with a world record 9.68 seconds in the Olympic 100 metres." (Stuff.co.nz)
************************
"BEIJING (Reuters) - Jamaica's Usain Bolt won 100 metres gold at the Beijing Olympics in a world record time on Saturday, running 9.69 seconds to claim victory in an exhilarating showdown with his compatriot Asafa Powell.
The 21-year-old won his country's first Olympic title in the blue riband event and capped an astonishing rise to the top of his sport. His former world record was 9.72 seconds.
Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago won the silver and American Walter Dix the bronze." (Reuters)
************************
"JAMAICAN sprinter Usain Bolt won gold in the Olympic 100metre final with an incredible world-record breaking performance." (Manchester Evening News)
************************
"Beijing, China (Sports Network) - Jamaica's Usain Bolt won gold in the men's 100 meter finals Saturday at the Beijing Olympics, lowering his own world record to claim the title of World's Fastest Man.
Bolt ran the race in 9.69 seconds, taking .03 seconds off the record he set in New York City on June 1." (The Sports Network)
Labels: Caribbean, China, Jamaica, life, Olympics, Richard Thompson, sports, Trinidad, Usain Bolt, World
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Notes From The Margin raises the alarm over Venezuelan claim
NTFM picked up his pen a short while ago (more like a month ago actually), but I've been a bit busy and didn't get around to mentioning it until now:
"After much thought we’ve decided to come out of retirement to blog on the subject of Venezuela’s claim of Barbados’ waters. This is not a full re-opening of NFTM but we felt that given our history of blogging on Venezuela and it’s territorial claims that we might be able to provide some clarity on this issue. This article is freely reproducible (once the source is attributed). In fact we would ask that given the potential seriousness of the claim that members of the blogosphere and other media propogate this story.
Marginal"
News of Venezuela's claim did make the newspaper, but not before (if I remember correctly) BFP's post.
"After much thought we’ve decided to come out of retirement to blog on the subject of Venezuela’s claim of Barbados’ waters. This is not a full re-opening of NFTM but we felt that given our history of blogging on Venezuela and it’s territorial claims that we might be able to provide some clarity on this issue. This article is freely reproducible (once the source is attributed). In fact we would ask that given the potential seriousness of the claim that members of the blogosphere and other media propogate this story.
Marginal"
News of Venezuela's claim did make the newspaper, but not before (if I remember correctly) BFP's post.
Labels: Barbados, Barbados Free Press, Caribbean, media, news, NTFM, Venezuela
Monday, June 30, 2008
Article: 'How tiny Jamaica develops so many champion sprinters'
A snippet from the article...
"By US standards, the training facilities are second class. Jamaica's top sprinters cram into UTECH's tiny gym to pump rusty weights, and they often practice on the school's basic grass track.
"We have to be creative, because we don't have the resources," says Davis, explaining that the lanes of the track are marked with diesel and burned because the school can't afford the machine that lays down chalk lines every week or so. "We had a choice: complain about the resources and do nothing or work with what we have.""
Source:
How tiny Jamaica develops so many champion sprinters (csmonitor.com)
"By US standards, the training facilities are second class. Jamaica's top sprinters cram into UTECH's tiny gym to pump rusty weights, and they often practice on the school's basic grass track.
"We have to be creative, because we don't have the resources," says Davis, explaining that the lanes of the track are marked with diesel and burned because the school can't afford the machine that lays down chalk lines every week or so. "We had a choice: complain about the resources and do nothing or work with what we have.""
Source:
How tiny Jamaica develops so many champion sprinters (csmonitor.com)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Notes From The Margin blog sails off into the sunset
"So Long And Thanks For All The Fish"
The title of the last post on the NTFM blog (and also the title of the fourth book in the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, a set of books that everyone should read).
Notes From The Margin (NFTM) is, or rather was, a Barbadian blog that stood somewhere in between Barbados Free Press and Barbados Underground (in my humble opinion). Briefly thinking about it, NFTM was, as far as I can recall, never as sensational, explosive, informative, dangerous and as politically charged as BFP, nor was it as deeply critical, analytical and alarmist as BU (remember, I'm briefly thinking about the comparisons between the sites and going with the first thing that comes to my mind, so don't have a cow if I got it wrong).
Instead, NFTM occupied a unique spot in the Barbadian blogosphere and brought to it another voice and opinion on things primarily Barbadian and occasionally Caribbean. However, as of April 15, NFTM has withdrawn as a result of, it seems, the demands of their day-to-day lives. They (whoever 'they' were as NFTM, like BU and BFP, was an anonymous blog) were not able to maintain the standards they wished to have.
These standards have gotten NTFM into hot water in the past, especially with a few of the other blogs (BU, BFP and The Bajan Reporter in particular). They (NFTM) linked to other blogs which posted material that was, to put it extremely nicely, 'highly controversial.' As such, the aforementioned trio removed NTFM from their respective blogrolls, I believe, in protest of NFTM's link choice. Despite this, NFTM held their ground and did not give in. Only later when one or two of the controversial blogs stepped over NFTM's line were they removed from their blogroll.
Disclaimer BFP, BU and The Bajan Reporter all link to my little blog, although, they may reconsider after they read my 'farewell' post to NFTM (which I had always linked to even after the debacle). Hopefully the trio won't get upset because IANAA: I Am Not An Antagonist.
LOL ;-)
For better or for worse, the Barbadian blogosphere will be a bit more quiet now that the NFTM blog has departed. No doubt some will say 'good riddance,' while others will cry 'what a shame.' Either way, the World has one less opinion to consider and is thus less informed when it comes to matters pertainining to Bimshire and to a lesser extent, the rest of the Caribbean. Herein lies the real tragedy. For without several sources of opinion and thought to consider, the individual has a limited selection of choices from with which he or she can form an opinion.
Moving on, we've seen from the above that the Internet/WWW can simply be thought of as an extension of real life. The big difference is that on the Internet, one has the ability to say what one wants alot more anonymously, easily and with access to a huge audience: the World. Whereas before, opinions would have to be toned down or kept locked away in the dark recesses of the mind of the individual, or of the crowd.
No so today. With the Internet and the Web in particular, anyone can sign up for a blog in seconds and tell the World what they think about everything no matter how controversial, disgusting, immoral, insensitive, funny, boring or silly it may seem to the rest of us. After all, what is the point of having freedom of speech and independent thinking if you are censored? Yes there are limits, certainly, but what are they and who sets them?
What is acceptable today may not be acceptable tomorrow. Our morals, values and beliefs (etcetera) change with time. Nothing is static, change is constant. especially in this day and age when thanks (or not?) to technology, we are so closely linked together and are aware of each other (with regards to cultures, beliefs, morals, values, religions, etcetera).
Which leads to my final thought for the evening: Do we have any morals or values (etcetera) that can be considered universal and applicable to every single human being and more importantly, I think, that transcend religious and cultural differences, or do we all just 'make it up' as we go along?
The title of the last post on the NTFM blog (and also the title of the fourth book in the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, a set of books that everyone should read).
Notes From The Margin (NFTM) is, or rather was, a Barbadian blog that stood somewhere in between Barbados Free Press and Barbados Underground (in my humble opinion). Briefly thinking about it, NFTM was, as far as I can recall, never as sensational, explosive, informative, dangerous and as politically charged as BFP, nor was it as deeply critical, analytical and alarmist as BU (remember, I'm briefly thinking about the comparisons between the sites and going with the first thing that comes to my mind, so don't have a cow if I got it wrong).
Instead, NFTM occupied a unique spot in the Barbadian blogosphere and brought to it another voice and opinion on things primarily Barbadian and occasionally Caribbean. However, as of April 15, NFTM has withdrawn as a result of, it seems, the demands of their day-to-day lives. They (whoever 'they' were as NFTM, like BU and BFP, was an anonymous blog) were not able to maintain the standards they wished to have.
These standards have gotten NTFM into hot water in the past, especially with a few of the other blogs (BU, BFP and The Bajan Reporter in particular). They (NFTM) linked to other blogs which posted material that was, to put it extremely nicely, 'highly controversial.' As such, the aforementioned trio removed NTFM from their respective blogrolls, I believe, in protest of NFTM's link choice. Despite this, NFTM held their ground and did not give in. Only later when one or two of the controversial blogs stepped over NFTM's line were they removed from their blogroll.
Disclaimer BFP, BU and The Bajan Reporter all link to my little blog, although, they may reconsider after they read my 'farewell' post to NFTM (which I had always linked to even after the debacle). Hopefully the trio won't get upset because IANAA: I Am Not An Antagonist.
LOL ;-)
For better or for worse, the Barbadian blogosphere will be a bit more quiet now that the NFTM blog has departed. No doubt some will say 'good riddance,' while others will cry 'what a shame.' Either way, the World has one less opinion to consider and is thus less informed when it comes to matters pertainining to Bimshire and to a lesser extent, the rest of the Caribbean. Herein lies the real tragedy. For without several sources of opinion and thought to consider, the individual has a limited selection of choices from with which he or she can form an opinion.
Moving on, we've seen from the above that the Internet/WWW can simply be thought of as an extension of real life. The big difference is that on the Internet, one has the ability to say what one wants alot more anonymously, easily and with access to a huge audience: the World. Whereas before, opinions would have to be toned down or kept locked away in the dark recesses of the mind of the individual, or of the crowd.
No so today. With the Internet and the Web in particular, anyone can sign up for a blog in seconds and tell the World what they think about everything no matter how controversial, disgusting, immoral, insensitive, funny, boring or silly it may seem to the rest of us. After all, what is the point of having freedom of speech and independent thinking if you are censored? Yes there are limits, certainly, but what are they and who sets them?
What is acceptable today may not be acceptable tomorrow. Our morals, values and beliefs (etcetera) change with time. Nothing is static, change is constant. especially in this day and age when thanks (or not?) to technology, we are so closely linked together and are aware of each other (with regards to cultures, beliefs, morals, values, religions, etcetera).
Which leads to my final thought for the evening: Do we have any morals or values (etcetera) that can be considered universal and applicable to every single human being and more importantly, I think, that transcend religious and cultural differences, or do we all just 'make it up' as we go along?
Labels: Barbados, blogging, Caribbean, life, news. religion, Notes From The Margin, NTFM, Philosophy, World
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
DUDE! Jamaica makes the news, considers legalizing Cannabis
So the buzz (get it? LOL!) around town has to do with the recent news of Jamaica considering the legalizing of Cannabis, a.k.a, marijuana, weed and ganja (ganja appears to be a word from the Hindi language, LOL!).
More specifically, a link to an article from the The West Australian has made its way to the front page of Digg this evening and some of the comments are quite hilarious.
For the benefit of everyone out there in Internet land, I took it upon myself to wade through and retrieve some of the more interesting (and funny) ones:
"its about time. legalizing it will do wonders for its tourism based economy. it makes financial sense." [NOTE: Here in Barbados, our economy is largely based on tourism, too... ;-)]
"man, it might as well be legal there it almost falls out of the sky."
"I know where I'm going for spring break!"
"Dreadlocks - check
Back catalogue of Bob Marley - check
Passport - check"
"hahahaha, I always thought is was legal there. I guess it was a good thing I did not get caught when I was there last."
"Whoa.... it's not yet legal?"
"I read this thinking they legalized cannibalism. Pot makes soooo much more sense."
"That rustling you hear is the sound of hundreds of thousands of people in the US packing their bags for the last time."
and finally, how about this beauty:
"If you can't get pot in Jamaica you're retarded. It's EVERYWHERE. From the baggage handler when I stepped off the plane to even the tennis pro at my hotel was offering me it - AND I WAS A TEENAGER. Alert to authorities - POT IS EVERYWHERE and the only people in jail must have been trying to sell it to a judge...IN THE COURTROOM ...DURING A TRIAL...WHILE UNDER OATH....WHILE SOME "MORAL" TV REPORTER WAS PRESENT."
More specifically, a link to an article from the The West Australian has made its way to the front page of Digg this evening and some of the comments are quite hilarious.
For the benefit of everyone out there in Internet land, I took it upon myself to wade through and retrieve some of the more interesting (and funny) ones:
"its about time. legalizing it will do wonders for its tourism based economy. it makes financial sense." [NOTE: Here in Barbados, our economy is largely based on tourism, too... ;-)]
"man, it might as well be legal there it almost falls out of the sky."
"I know where I'm going for spring break!"
"Dreadlocks - check
Back catalogue of Bob Marley - check
Passport - check"
"hahahaha, I always thought is was legal there. I guess it was a good thing I did not get caught when I was there last."
"Whoa.... it's not yet legal?"
"I read this thinking they legalized cannibalism. Pot makes soooo much more sense."
"That rustling you hear is the sound of hundreds of thousands of people in the US packing their bags for the last time."
and finally, how about this beauty:
"If you can't get pot in Jamaica you're retarded. It's EVERYWHERE. From the baggage handler when I stepped off the plane to even the tennis pro at my hotel was offering me it - AND I WAS A TEENAGER. Alert to authorities - POT IS EVERYWHERE and the only people in jail must have been trying to sell it to a judge...IN THE COURTROOM ...DURING A TRIAL...WHILE UNDER OATH....WHILE SOME "MORAL" TV REPORTER WAS PRESENT."
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Baby, It's Cold Outside!
DISCLAIMER: IANAM, I Am Not A Meteorologist (but I have been feeling really cold recently).
We island folk have been experiencing some irregular weather these last couple of weeks. The Nation newspaper wrote about it today, and has confirmed what most of us already knew, it has been unusually cold!
We're talking temperatures as low as 21.3 degrees Celsius. Now before you pooh-pooh and laugh off our concerns, remember that Barbados is in the Caribbean, i.e., in the tropics (a.k.a, the temperate zone?), i.e., in a tropical climate, where temperatures are usually between 28 and 33 degrees (at least, that's what my little in-car temperature gizmo reads whenever I push the button).
If you really want a laugh, then you should hear how some of us protest the half an hour or so commute to work, or the fifteen-minute wait while stuck in traffic, but that's island life, eh? I've been up North a few times, watched T.V and heard the horror stories from others and I've learned to appreciate that commute times and time spent waiting in traffic, are all relative and highly subjective.
But when the temperature drops to 21.3 in Barbados, it does cause quite a stir. As such, it was no suprise to find one or two funny comments on the weather in The Nation's article:
'Basically, I just go under the sheets but I don't mind it. In fact,
I like it because I get to sleep much better at nights since it isn't too hot," said Pastor Ricardo Payne of Elim Gospel Church, Workmans, St George. However, one of the members of his congregation added: "No, no! It's too cold at nights, man, I can't deal with it!"'
However, this comment takes the cake:
'Another elderly woman who lives in Bath, St John, said: "This cool air don't bother me. When I start to see snow is when I'll get worried."'
Ma'am, you're not the only one. If it were to start snowing in Bim, I'd get plenty worried too!
We island folk have been experiencing some irregular weather these last couple of weeks. The Nation newspaper wrote about it today, and has confirmed what most of us already knew, it has been unusually cold!
We're talking temperatures as low as 21.3 degrees Celsius. Now before you pooh-pooh and laugh off our concerns, remember that Barbados is in the Caribbean, i.e., in the tropics (a.k.a, the temperate zone?), i.e., in a tropical climate, where temperatures are usually between 28 and 33 degrees (at least, that's what my little in-car temperature gizmo reads whenever I push the button).
If you really want a laugh, then you should hear how some of us protest the half an hour or so commute to work, or the fifteen-minute wait while stuck in traffic, but that's island life, eh? I've been up North a few times, watched T.V and heard the horror stories from others and I've learned to appreciate that commute times and time spent waiting in traffic, are all relative and highly subjective.
But when the temperature drops to 21.3 in Barbados, it does cause quite a stir. As such, it was no suprise to find one or two funny comments on the weather in The Nation's article:
'Basically, I just go under the sheets but I don't mind it. In fact,
I like it because I get to sleep much better at nights since it isn't too hot," said Pastor Ricardo Payne of Elim Gospel Church, Workmans, St George. However, one of the members of his congregation added: "No, no! It's too cold at nights, man, I can't deal with it!"'
However, this comment takes the cake:
'Another elderly woman who lives in Bath, St John, said: "This cool air don't bother me. When I start to see snow is when I'll get worried."'
Ma'am, you're not the only one. If it were to start snowing in Bim, I'd get plenty worried too!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
More earthquakes?
UPDATE Dec 5, 2007, 1441 HRS: I haven't heard any reports (or felt for that matter) of shaking in Barbados.
UNCONFIRMED: I've heard that an earthquake has hit/or has been felt near St. Lucia and another Caribbean island today.
UNCONFIRMED: I've heard that an earthquake has hit/or has been felt near St. Lucia and another Caribbean island today.
Labels: Caribbean, earthquakes, life
Thursday, November 29, 2007
BREAKING: Barbados hit by earthquake/tremor/aftershock
UPDATE, Nov 29, 2007 at 1945 hrs: Soon after finishing the last update, I left home to see what some of my friends were up to at our usual liming spot and to get fuel and some cash. One doesn't stay home after an event like that. It's like the hurricane parties, or going out after the hurricane has passed.
I was worried about fuel because my gas tank was almost empty and I figured that the pumps would shutdown as a precaution after the tremor. Turns out that the gas stations, the two that I stopped at, were still pumping. I wonder if they'll be doing any checks on the underground 'plumbing' to ensure that there are no damaged pipes. The other stop I made was the ATM for some cash. In the event of a disaster (or just after one) it doesn't hurt to have some cash on hand.
Before leaving, my brother wondered about the Brittons Hill area, where the cave-in took place. Those underground caves apparently run up a great length of that part of the island and this tremor may have caused further instability, or, it may have 'settled' the loose rocks, but I'm no geologist.
People that I met and spoke with were saying pretty much the same thing, some of them said it felt as though they were dizzy/sick, others were just plain confused, one person I heard was extremely upset (and I can't blame her). After all, you spend all of your life avoiding hurricanes (knock wood) and volcanoes thinking you're safe on your little island and then WHAM!
Imagine your country was small enough to fit in a shoebox, along comes a giant and suddenly lifts up the shoebox and starts shaking it around. That's sort of what it felt like today, and we only experienced a tremor and for a few seconds at that. No hint, no preview of what was to come. What you think is solid and take for granted every day when you wake-up, isn't that solid after all. That, for me, was the most disturbing part of the whole thing.
UPDATE, Nov 29, 2007 at 1609+ hrs: Google is all over it. Check out the first few results of this query: "powerful earthquake hits caribbean". I'm on IM with Janine from Global Voices, she tells me that TT had a scary one last year, but this one was way stronger. She also says that the aftershocks are expected to be quite strong.
UPDATE, Nov 29, 2007 at 1557 hrs: I don't know the state of the mobile phone network in Barbados, but I'm a Digicel subscriber and at 1557 hrs, I am unable to make outgoing calls to Cable & Wireless mobile subscribers, nor can I call C&W land lines. I cannot call from a C&W landline to my Digicel mobile. My C&W land line, however, is now operational. I can also hear quite a few police sirens in the distance.
While chatting with a friend about 30 or more minutes ago, I heard that there were people all over the streets in Bridgetown (the capital). Another friend told me, just after the shaking stopped, that his office was being evacuated (he works in Christ Church). Another friend who works in Ch. Ch. as well is now leaving the office for the day (work normally stops at 5:30).
Barbados Underground: Barbados Experiences Earth Tremor
DISCLAIMER: IANAEE (I'm Am Not An Earthquake Expert), but click here for what I think may be the quake that I felt (and according to the news, the majority of St. Michael and Christ Church felt, but comments on BU and BFP indicate that it was island wide). Apparently, it hit near Martinique and measured 7.3 on the scale!
At around minutes to 3 pm (or minutes after) this afternoon, I felt my house shake. At first, I thought it was me feeling dizzy. I had just taken a tablet for a headache and I was sitting on the couch watching TV. This dizziness was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was like being on a boat in the water, gently being rocked by the waves. I looked at the metal gate by my gallery door and it swung every so slightly. But what really gave it away, was a little stuffed dog on large shelf, the one where the head bobs up and down at the slightest movement. The dog's head was bobbing quite a bit. I left the living room (in a hurry) and went outside in the open. As I left that room, I could hear the TV creak on the small wooden stand on the floor. I went outside in the open and I could hear kids screaming from a school closeby. Neighbours were outside as well, they felt something. Another neighbour told me her mum called from Trinidad and said that a quake was felt there.
This was my first experience with an earthquake/aftershock/tremor. It was not a pleasant one. It was extremely disorienting at first, because your whole body is thrown off balance. It lasted a few seconds. During those few seconds, all I could think of was getting out of the house and into the open, away from any structures.
Land lines and mobile phones are giving a lot of trouble right now, thankfully, my DSL line is up and I can access the Internet to blog about this and to instant message and check on a few friends. A friend of mine IM'd and said that he heard half a house was destroyed in St. George. Someone commented on Barbados Free Press that the quake/tremor/aftershock was felt down on the East Coast of the island as well.
I was worried about fuel because my gas tank was almost empty and I figured that the pumps would shutdown as a precaution after the tremor. Turns out that the gas stations, the two that I stopped at, were still pumping. I wonder if they'll be doing any checks on the underground 'plumbing' to ensure that there are no damaged pipes. The other stop I made was the ATM for some cash. In the event of a disaster (or just after one) it doesn't hurt to have some cash on hand.
Before leaving, my brother wondered about the Brittons Hill area, where the cave-in took place. Those underground caves apparently run up a great length of that part of the island and this tremor may have caused further instability, or, it may have 'settled' the loose rocks, but I'm no geologist.
People that I met and spoke with were saying pretty much the same thing, some of them said it felt as though they were dizzy/sick, others were just plain confused, one person I heard was extremely upset (and I can't blame her). After all, you spend all of your life avoiding hurricanes (knock wood) and volcanoes thinking you're safe on your little island and then WHAM!
Imagine your country was small enough to fit in a shoebox, along comes a giant and suddenly lifts up the shoebox and starts shaking it around. That's sort of what it felt like today, and we only experienced a tremor and for a few seconds at that. No hint, no preview of what was to come. What you think is solid and take for granted every day when you wake-up, isn't that solid after all. That, for me, was the most disturbing part of the whole thing.
UPDATE, Nov 29, 2007 at 1609+ hrs: Google is all over it. Check out the first few results of this query: "powerful earthquake hits caribbean". I'm on IM with Janine from Global Voices, she tells me that TT had a scary one last year, but this one was way stronger. She also says that the aftershocks are expected to be quite strong.
UPDATE, Nov 29, 2007 at 1557 hrs: I don't know the state of the mobile phone network in Barbados, but I'm a Digicel subscriber and at 1557 hrs, I am unable to make outgoing calls to Cable & Wireless mobile subscribers, nor can I call C&W land lines. I cannot call from a C&W landline to my Digicel mobile. My C&W land line, however, is now operational. I can also hear quite a few police sirens in the distance.
While chatting with a friend about 30 or more minutes ago, I heard that there were people all over the streets in Bridgetown (the capital). Another friend told me, just after the shaking stopped, that his office was being evacuated (he works in Christ Church). Another friend who works in Ch. Ch. as well is now leaving the office for the day (work normally stops at 5:30).
Barbados Underground: Barbados Experiences Earth Tremor
DISCLAIMER: IANAEE (I'm Am Not An Earthquake Expert), but click here for what I think may be the quake that I felt (and according to the news, the majority of St. Michael and Christ Church felt, but comments on BU and BFP indicate that it was island wide). Apparently, it hit near Martinique and measured 7.3 on the scale!
At around minutes to 3 pm (or minutes after) this afternoon, I felt my house shake. At first, I thought it was me feeling dizzy. I had just taken a tablet for a headache and I was sitting on the couch watching TV. This dizziness was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was like being on a boat in the water, gently being rocked by the waves. I looked at the metal gate by my gallery door and it swung every so slightly. But what really gave it away, was a little stuffed dog on large shelf, the one where the head bobs up and down at the slightest movement. The dog's head was bobbing quite a bit. I left the living room (in a hurry) and went outside in the open. As I left that room, I could hear the TV creak on the small wooden stand on the floor. I went outside in the open and I could hear kids screaming from a school closeby. Neighbours were outside as well, they felt something. Another neighbour told me her mum called from Trinidad and said that a quake was felt there.
This was my first experience with an earthquake/aftershock/tremor. It was not a pleasant one. It was extremely disorienting at first, because your whole body is thrown off balance. It lasted a few seconds. During those few seconds, all I could think of was getting out of the house and into the open, away from any structures.
Land lines and mobile phones are giving a lot of trouble right now, thankfully, my DSL line is up and I can access the Internet to blog about this and to instant message and check on a few friends. A friend of mine IM'd and said that he heard half a house was destroyed in St. George. Someone commented on Barbados Free Press that the quake/tremor/aftershock was felt down on the East Coast of the island as well.
Labels: Barbados, Caribbean, earthquakes, Trinidad
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
'Blogalization' and 100+ posts !
(DISCLAIMER: Extremely long post ahead, proceed with caution!)
This is my one hundred and fourth blog post. It was actually supposed to be my one hundredth post, but my 'Williams Air' article took that slot. This was somewhat unfortunate, but it couldn't be helped. I had to run with the idea for the article at the time, else, I would've forgotten all about it.
This is what my 100th post should've been about:
On November 14, I got an e-mail from Janine Mendes-Franco. She 'covers' the Caribbean blogging beat for Global Voices Online, a site that: "seeks to aggregate, curate, and amplify the global conversation online - shining light on places and people other media often ignore. We work to develop tools, institutions and relationships that will help all voices, everywhere, to be heard."
Janine had linked to one or two articles on my blog in the past. So when she contacted me, I had a vague idea of who she was. What I didn't expect was for her to ask for my input on the term 'Blogalization' (I still don't like that term) and its relevance to the Caribbean.
Now, what do I know about 'Blogalization' and its relevance to the Caribbean? Nothing. So I replied back, thanked her for the opportunity and mentioned to her that I wouldn't have anything worthwhile to contribute, but that I'd try anyway.
Mind you, on November 16, I found out from the local MBA programme office that the assignment that I didn't submit (I was sick, missed the exam and the assignment, which is worth 50% of my final module mark for the Managing in the Competitve Environment module), was now due on November 26. The exam, which I also missed, is worth the other 50% and will be held sometime in October, 2008.
At this stage, I should note that writing, for me, is a somewhat painful, extended and drawn out process. If I'm lucky, an original idea (or two), for an article will float around my mind, not quite revealing itself, but not quite hiding in the infinite darkness either. I have to start typing, even if its nonesense (like this particular post) and along the way, things may start to take shape, or least, appear to make sense (to me anyway).
If I was a proper writer, I'd churn out cheesy, sex and romance novels by the dozen (always a market for those), sell a few to some Hollywood-type movie producers, make millions (or close to millions) and retire.
But I'm straying. So, here I am committing to writing a few words on 'Blogalization', etcetera, and at the same time, I have a 2,500 word assignment to hand in by November 26 (but I've given myself to November 23 to finish it, come hell or highwater, sense or nonesense). This deadline is important because I also need time to write my assignment (another 2,500 words) for the recently concluded Managing People module, as well as prepare for the exam on December 1. Janine's deadline was 'early next week' (i.e., this week). I ended up submittng my thoughts on November 20, which was cutting it pretty close as the final article went up today.
So without further delay, I present to you my original submission (the one I sent was edited, which she did warn me about). My thoughts on 'Blogalization' and its relevance to the Caribbean:
"The meaning of Blogalization and its relevance to the Caribbean.
Blogalization is a big, clumsy, mouthful of a word. I've been asked to write a few words on the meaning of it, and its relevance to the Caribbean. A few people have likened this word to Globalization. Globalization has different meanings for different people, so I do not like to compare it to Blogalization, although there may be one or two similarities.
I think that Blogalization is something completely different, but what it is exaclty, I don't know. All I can say is that by me writing this and you (hopefully) reading it on a blog somewhere and leaving a comment, or not leaving a comment, we're both taking part in Blogalization. Maybe it's as simple as that? The Internet, and the Web in particular, have allowed us all, or the vast majority of us, to communicate freely, anytime and anywhere.
Each of us can have our own digital soapbox on which we can stand and tell our stories. Some of us tell better stories than others, some of us have no stories to tell, or do not feel comfortable telling stories, yet we are drawn in and read/listen to what the World has to say. I think that Blogalization is just about story telling and making connections. In this day and age, it's easier to do so because of technology. Tomorrow, Blogalization will be replaced by another buzzword, but the principles will remain the same, story telling, communication and interactivity.
As for the Caribbean, we, as a unique and different set of people, have our own stories to tell. Good and bad. But why bother? What makes us think that the World is interested in what the Caribbean has to say? I do not know, but I'd like to think that they are interested and are listening. I'm not an expert on sociology, but I believe humans are social animals, and are curious as well. We feel a need to communicate and to share our experiences with others. We also want to learn about and from others.
But why is this relevant to the Caribbean? Because we have voices and we are active participants in the global economy and suffer and/or benefit from things like Globalization, as well as other forces. There is also the knowledge the rest of the World gains from reading Caribbean blogs/sites. It lets them know that we are here, so tread lightly because what you 'big boys' say and do, has a way of affecting us sooner or later. We are not a lesser-people, we have rights, feelings, thoughts and most importantly, we have our own voice!
But 'Blogalization?' I think it's just a new word. It's a word for something that people have been doing since time immemorial, and that is: People telling stories, people listening and people conversing. The Internet and the Web have just made these things available to everyone and anyone, no matter where you are.
That's my take on it."
This entire post (including this last bit) is 1,080+ words, and took me almost two hours to write (including the time I spent on my 'Blogalization' article). Despite that, I still can't find 2,500 decent words for my MICE assignment. :-(
This is my one hundred and fourth blog post. It was actually supposed to be my one hundredth post, but my 'Williams Air' article took that slot. This was somewhat unfortunate, but it couldn't be helped. I had to run with the idea for the article at the time, else, I would've forgotten all about it.
This is what my 100th post should've been about:
On November 14, I got an e-mail from Janine Mendes-Franco. She 'covers' the Caribbean blogging beat for Global Voices Online, a site that: "seeks to aggregate, curate, and amplify the global conversation online - shining light on places and people other media often ignore. We work to develop tools, institutions and relationships that will help all voices, everywhere, to be heard."
Janine had linked to one or two articles on my blog in the past. So when she contacted me, I had a vague idea of who she was. What I didn't expect was for her to ask for my input on the term 'Blogalization' (I still don't like that term) and its relevance to the Caribbean.
Now, what do I know about 'Blogalization' and its relevance to the Caribbean? Nothing. So I replied back, thanked her for the opportunity and mentioned to her that I wouldn't have anything worthwhile to contribute, but that I'd try anyway.
Mind you, on November 16, I found out from the local MBA programme office that the assignment that I didn't submit (I was sick, missed the exam and the assignment, which is worth 50% of my final module mark for the Managing in the Competitve Environment module), was now due on November 26. The exam, which I also missed, is worth the other 50% and will be held sometime in October, 2008.
At this stage, I should note that writing, for me, is a somewhat painful, extended and drawn out process. If I'm lucky, an original idea (or two), for an article will float around my mind, not quite revealing itself, but not quite hiding in the infinite darkness either. I have to start typing, even if its nonesense (like this particular post) and along the way, things may start to take shape, or least, appear to make sense (to me anyway).
If I was a proper writer, I'd churn out cheesy, sex and romance novels by the dozen (always a market for those), sell a few to some Hollywood-type movie producers, make millions (or close to millions) and retire.
But I'm straying. So, here I am committing to writing a few words on 'Blogalization', etcetera, and at the same time, I have a 2,500 word assignment to hand in by November 26 (but I've given myself to November 23 to finish it, come hell or highwater, sense or nonesense). This deadline is important because I also need time to write my assignment (another 2,500 words) for the recently concluded Managing People module, as well as prepare for the exam on December 1. Janine's deadline was 'early next week' (i.e., this week). I ended up submittng my thoughts on November 20, which was cutting it pretty close as the final article went up today.
So without further delay, I present to you my original submission (the one I sent was edited, which she did warn me about). My thoughts on 'Blogalization' and its relevance to the Caribbean:
"The meaning of Blogalization and its relevance to the Caribbean.
Blogalization is a big, clumsy, mouthful of a word. I've been asked to write a few words on the meaning of it, and its relevance to the Caribbean. A few people have likened this word to Globalization. Globalization has different meanings for different people, so I do not like to compare it to Blogalization, although there may be one or two similarities.
I think that Blogalization is something completely different, but what it is exaclty, I don't know. All I can say is that by me writing this and you (hopefully) reading it on a blog somewhere and leaving a comment, or not leaving a comment, we're both taking part in Blogalization. Maybe it's as simple as that? The Internet, and the Web in particular, have allowed us all, or the vast majority of us, to communicate freely, anytime and anywhere.
Each of us can have our own digital soapbox on which we can stand and tell our stories. Some of us tell better stories than others, some of us have no stories to tell, or do not feel comfortable telling stories, yet we are drawn in and read/listen to what the World has to say. I think that Blogalization is just about story telling and making connections. In this day and age, it's easier to do so because of technology. Tomorrow, Blogalization will be replaced by another buzzword, but the principles will remain the same, story telling, communication and interactivity.
As for the Caribbean, we, as a unique and different set of people, have our own stories to tell. Good and bad. But why bother? What makes us think that the World is interested in what the Caribbean has to say? I do not know, but I'd like to think that they are interested and are listening. I'm not an expert on sociology, but I believe humans are social animals, and are curious as well. We feel a need to communicate and to share our experiences with others. We also want to learn about and from others.
But why is this relevant to the Caribbean? Because we have voices and we are active participants in the global economy and suffer and/or benefit from things like Globalization, as well as other forces. There is also the knowledge the rest of the World gains from reading Caribbean blogs/sites. It lets them know that we are here, so tread lightly because what you 'big boys' say and do, has a way of affecting us sooner or later. We are not a lesser-people, we have rights, feelings, thoughts and most importantly, we have our own voice!
But 'Blogalization?' I think it's just a new word. It's a word for something that people have been doing since time immemorial, and that is: People telling stories, people listening and people conversing. The Internet and the Web have just made these things available to everyone and anyone, no matter where you are.
That's my take on it."
This entire post (including this last bit) is 1,080+ words, and took me almost two hours to write (including the time I spent on my 'Blogalization' article). Despite that, I still can't find 2,500 decent words for my MICE assignment. :-(
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
The World Bank Meets Wall Street
(DISCLAIMER: IANAE, I Am Not An Economist.)
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So it should come as no suprise then that Robert Zoellick, the new World Bank president, would like the bank to behave more like a Wall Street investment firm. After all, Mr. Zoellick was once vice chairman of Goldman Sachs.
Most of us, if not everyone, have heard of the World Bank and quite possibly, the IMF (International Monetary Fund). Especially those of you living in developing countries. Both entities are sometimes referred to as the Bretton Woods Institutions.
The About Us page of The World Bank has the following to say:
"The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. We are not a bank in the common sense. We are made up of two unique development institutions owned by 185 member countries—the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).
Each institution plays a different but supportive role in our mission of global poverty reduction and the improvement of living standards. The IBRD focuses on middle income and creditworthy poor countries, while IDA focuses on the poorest countries in the world. Together we provide low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants to developing countries for education, health, infrastructure, communications and many other purposes."
Thus, after taking Mr. Zoellick's comments into consideration, it should be interesting to see if he will still be able to accomplish what the bank has stated on their About Us page and still make itself more Wall Street-ish.
If I may risk making a connection (and an extremely poor one at that) it appears to me (remember IANAE), that we may be seeing the beginning of a subprime type problem/situation with regards to his new vision.
From what little I know, subprime lending was the type of lending geared towards borrowers who had poor credit histories and found themselves in murky financial situations (sounds a bit like developing nations to me). Despite these factors, lending still occurred. This was good for the borrowers and good for the lenders. However, it appears that this fell apart around July 2007, during the subprime mortgage financial crisis where (among other things) home owners failed to meet their financial commitments and foreclosures ran rampant.
Enter Mr. Zoellick and his vision to make the World Bank more like Wall Street. In particular, offering developing nations and/or countries with poor credit profiles, financial products that they cannot get in the private market. So, what happens if and when these countries default?
However, Mr. Zoellick appears, at least on the surface, to have something interesting to offer to some Caribbean countries. He cites an example relating to hurricane insurance whereby several Caribbean nations formed a group, pooled risk and cut their premiums by 40 percent . That's not bad, is it?
As I said earlier, I Am Not An Economist (IANAE). My post focused on only a small part of the IHT article. Do your own research, draw your own conclusions and form your own opinions.
[World Bank mimics Wall Street as it looks for a new role via International Herald Tribune]
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So it should come as no suprise then that Robert Zoellick, the new World Bank president, would like the bank to behave more like a Wall Street investment firm. After all, Mr. Zoellick was once vice chairman of Goldman Sachs.
Most of us, if not everyone, have heard of the World Bank and quite possibly, the IMF (International Monetary Fund). Especially those of you living in developing countries. Both entities are sometimes referred to as the Bretton Woods Institutions.
The About Us page of The World Bank has the following to say:
"The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. We are not a bank in the common sense. We are made up of two unique development institutions owned by 185 member countries—the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).
Each institution plays a different but supportive role in our mission of global poverty reduction and the improvement of living standards. The IBRD focuses on middle income and creditworthy poor countries, while IDA focuses on the poorest countries in the world. Together we provide low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants to developing countries for education, health, infrastructure, communications and many other purposes."
Thus, after taking Mr. Zoellick's comments into consideration, it should be interesting to see if he will still be able to accomplish what the bank has stated on their About Us page and still make itself more Wall Street-ish.
If I may risk making a connection (and an extremely poor one at that) it appears to me (remember IANAE), that we may be seeing the beginning of a subprime type problem/situation with regards to his new vision.
From what little I know, subprime lending was the type of lending geared towards borrowers who had poor credit histories and found themselves in murky financial situations (sounds a bit like developing nations to me). Despite these factors, lending still occurred. This was good for the borrowers and good for the lenders. However, it appears that this fell apart around July 2007, during the subprime mortgage financial crisis where (among other things) home owners failed to meet their financial commitments and foreclosures ran rampant.
Enter Mr. Zoellick and his vision to make the World Bank more like Wall Street. In particular, offering developing nations and/or countries with poor credit profiles, financial products that they cannot get in the private market. So, what happens if and when these countries default?
However, Mr. Zoellick appears, at least on the surface, to have something interesting to offer to some Caribbean countries. He cites an example relating to hurricane insurance whereby several Caribbean nations formed a group, pooled risk and cut their premiums by 40 percent . That's not bad, is it?
As I said earlier, I Am Not An Economist (IANAE). My post focused on only a small part of the IHT article. Do your own research, draw your own conclusions and form your own opinions.
[World Bank mimics Wall Street as it looks for a new role via International Herald Tribune]
Labels: Barbados, Caribbean, economics, life, money, politics
Friday, August 31, 2007
Weather: Tropical Depression No. 6
In the parish of St. Michael, unusually strong (dare I say howling?) gusts of wind along with rain, are affecting us tonight. No doubt a result of Tropical Depression No. 6 passing to the south-southwest of Barbados.
According to NHC's PA2 (Public Advisory No. 2), TD6 is approaching tropical storm strength as it heads toward the Winward islands. Click here to read the NHC's Tropical Depression SIX Public Advisory Number 2.
According to NHC's PA2 (Public Advisory No. 2), TD6 is approaching tropical storm strength as it heads toward the Winward islands. Click here to read the NHC's Tropical Depression SIX Public Advisory Number 2.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Hurricane DEAN: Gone, But Not Forgotten
With Dean no longer a threat to Jamaica, the work involved to return to normalcy is probably well underway. However, it is not completely over. Dean is now a CAT 5 hurricane and heading towards Yucatan.
An unexpected result of Dean's passing has been the huge increase in web traffic to this little blog. At the time of this post, it has attracted 553 hits (or 785 page views). As funny as this may seem, that's a huge number for this site.
Before Dean came into the picture, I was lucky to get at most, 50 hits per day. Then I started tracking Dean and that's when the traffic started to climb. What really sent it shooting was, I think, two things: 1) The fact that Barbados was the 'first country' that Dean was going to pass. Look at a map of the Caribbean and you'll see what I mean. 2) The post entitled: "Hurricane DEAN: Pictures From Barbados." Google loved that. This blog showed up on the first page of results for the query: "hurricane dean pictures."
Now that Dean has passed (and hit) other countries, and now that other people have taken pictures and uploaded them to the web, the traffic to this site will steadily decline. I'm already seeing it happen. Over the weekend, I was getting anywhere between 20 to 30+ hits per hour. The last hour resulted in only 11. Google is probably tired of this blog and is finding other pages. As such, my position in Google's returned results page is starting to drop.
This is not a big deal. Don't get me wrong, it was exciting while it lasted. I never intended to attract huge numbers to my blog by covering natural (or man made) disasters. It just happened. Why? A friend of mine (who works in the newspaper biz) had this to say on my amazement at the increase in traffic:
"nothing boost blog hits like bad weather or war..."
Indeed. A similar situation is the way most of us slow down while driving to observe a car accident on the highway. Or why we watch the television whenever there are reports of violence and mayhem, or read about such things online, or in the print media. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It appears to be human nature.
In conclusion, I wonder, is it reasonable to ask why we (or a decent-sized portion of the human population) are fascinated or intrigued by death, destruction, violence, suffering, mayhem and that sort of thing? Or is the answer to that question obvious?
An unexpected result of Dean's passing has been the huge increase in web traffic to this little blog. At the time of this post, it has attracted 553 hits (or 785 page views). As funny as this may seem, that's a huge number for this site.
Before Dean came into the picture, I was lucky to get at most, 50 hits per day. Then I started tracking Dean and that's when the traffic started to climb. What really sent it shooting was, I think, two things: 1) The fact that Barbados was the 'first country' that Dean was going to pass. Look at a map of the Caribbean and you'll see what I mean. 2) The post entitled: "Hurricane DEAN: Pictures From Barbados." Google loved that. This blog showed up on the first page of results for the query: "hurricane dean pictures."
Now that Dean has passed (and hit) other countries, and now that other people have taken pictures and uploaded them to the web, the traffic to this site will steadily decline. I'm already seeing it happen. Over the weekend, I was getting anywhere between 20 to 30+ hits per hour. The last hour resulted in only 11. Google is probably tired of this blog and is finding other pages. As such, my position in Google's returned results page is starting to drop.
This is not a big deal. Don't get me wrong, it was exciting while it lasted. I never intended to attract huge numbers to my blog by covering natural (or man made) disasters. It just happened. Why? A friend of mine (who works in the newspaper biz) had this to say on my amazement at the increase in traffic:
"nothing boost blog hits like bad weather or war..."
Indeed. A similar situation is the way most of us slow down while driving to observe a car accident on the highway. Or why we watch the television whenever there are reports of violence and mayhem, or read about such things online, or in the print media. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It appears to be human nature.
In conclusion, I wonder, is it reasonable to ask why we (or a decent-sized portion of the human population) are fascinated or intrigued by death, destruction, violence, suffering, mayhem and that sort of thing? Or is the answer to that question obvious?
Hurricane DEAN: Jamaica, UNCONFIRMED Reports Of Looting
The following information was recieved, as is in some cases, via e-mail and IS UNCONFIRMED:
Apparently stores are close and there is looting and shooting going on in Jamaica.
A Jamaica-based manager of a regional commercial enterprise, says it doesn't seem as though there was much damage there from his vantage point.
(We are not sure where in Jamaica he is based).
What I can CONFIRM is this:
A friend of mine has family in Jamaica and they've been calling trying to make contact, but have not gotten through as yet.
From the Go-Jamaica Huricane Dean Watch blog:
'Dean' batters Portland
Firemen 'abandon' Port Royal station
Shelters in need of more supplies
(We are not sure where in Jamaica he is based).
What I can CONFIRM is this:
From the Go-Jamaica Huricane Dean Watch blog:
'Dean' batters Portland
Firemen 'abandon' Port Royal station
Shelters in need of more supplies
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Hurricane DEAN: Jamaica (Not Queens, The Island!)
Aug 24 UPDATE: I've removed the weather map that was here because it wasn't a static map and has changed several times. Hurricane Dean has now come and gone.
Jamaica. Population: 2,780,132 (July 2007 est.). Birthplace of reggae. Home to international superstars like: Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Sean Paul, Beenie Man and several others. Ian Fleming, the author, lived in Jamaica and used the island as a setting in a few of his James Bond novels. The Rastafari movement and dreadlocks, a symbol of the movement, emerged out of Jamaica.
These little bits of trivia, while not worth mentioning in light of Hurricane Dean's deadly approach, hopefully give you something to identify with, in case you've never been, or know anyone from Jamaica. Like Hurricane Gilbert that devasted the island in '88, killing around 45 people and costing some $4 billion in damages, Dean will no doubt be just as terrible, maybe worse.
Category 4 (may change to 5) DEAN heads for Jamaica:
From Jamaica Gleaner: Full alert! Hurricane emergency workers summoned, shelter managers on standby
From The Jamaica Observer: Dean on course. Jamaica on hurricane watch as power storm approaches
From The Drudge Report: FLASH: Could be unprecedented event for Jamaica; direct hit with 150 MPH sustained winds [topping Hurricane Gilbert’s 135 MPH winds [Sept. 1988] and Charlie’s 100 MPH winds in 1951]… Population of Jamaica is nearly 3 million people; and is 49th most densely-populated country in world…
From AccuWeather.com: Dangerous Dean Eyeing Jamaica
From CNN.com: Dean's threat spreads across Caribbean and into space
From Bloomberg.com: Hurricane Dean Heads for Dominican Republic, Jamaica (Update2)
Jamaica. Population: 2,780,132 (July 2007 est.). Birthplace of reggae. Home to international superstars like: Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Sean Paul, Beenie Man and several others. Ian Fleming, the author, lived in Jamaica and used the island as a setting in a few of his James Bond novels. The Rastafari movement and dreadlocks, a symbol of the movement, emerged out of Jamaica.
These little bits of trivia, while not worth mentioning in light of Hurricane Dean's deadly approach, hopefully give you something to identify with, in case you've never been, or know anyone from Jamaica. Like Hurricane Gilbert that devasted the island in '88, killing around 45 people and costing some $4 billion in damages, Dean will no doubt be just as terrible, maybe worse.
Category 4 (may change to 5) DEAN heads for Jamaica:
From Jamaica Gleaner: Full alert! Hurricane emergency workers summoned, shelter managers on standby
From The Jamaica Observer: Dean on course. Jamaica on hurricane watch as power storm approaches
From The Drudge Report: FLASH: Could be unprecedented event for Jamaica; direct hit with 150 MPH sustained winds [topping Hurricane Gilbert’s 135 MPH winds [Sept. 1988] and Charlie’s 100 MPH winds in 1951]… Population of Jamaica is nearly 3 million people; and is 49th most densely-populated country in world…
From AccuWeather.com: Dangerous Dean Eyeing Jamaica
From CNN.com: Dean's threat spreads across Caribbean and into space
From Bloomberg.com: Hurricane Dean Heads for Dominican Republic, Jamaica (Update2)
Friday, August 17, 2007
Hurricane DEAN: Two Dead In Dominica, One Dead In St. Lucia, Widespread Damage
From TheDominican.net:
A woman and her son died after been buried by a landslide in Campbell; the woman’s body has been retrieved and that of the son is still missing;
There is extensive crop damage; particularly bananas;
Several homes lost their roofs and there was some structural damage to buildings across the island;
The Roseau river overflowed its banks and at one point crested over the bridge;
From CBC.bb:
At least one person was confirmed dead and a massive clean up campaign was under way in St. Lucia Friday, as Hurricane Dean left a trail of destruction to the island's infrastructure during its trek across the Eastern Caribbean
More information on Dean's passage through the Caribbean:
From Pull! Push! Pictures from Barbados taken on Aug 17
From The Bajan Reporter, Barbados' Official Emergency Shelter List For 2007
From CNN.com, Dean strengthens to Category 3 hurricane, heads to Gulf of Mexico
From ABC News, Hurricane Dean hits Caribbean
From NZ Herald, Hurricane Dean blows into Caribbean
From Forbes.com, Hurricane Dean Gains Power in Caribbean
From Bloomberg.com: Hurricane Dean Intensifies, Passes Lesser Antilles (Update 7)
From CBC.bb:
At least one person was confirmed dead and a massive clean up campaign was under way in St. Lucia Friday, as Hurricane Dean left a trail of destruction to the island's infrastructure during its trek across the Eastern Caribbean
More information on Dean's passage through the Caribbean:
From Pull! Push! Pictures from Barbados taken on Aug 17
From The Bajan Reporter, Barbados' Official Emergency Shelter List For 2007
From CNN.com, Dean strengthens to Category 3 hurricane, heads to Gulf of Mexico
From ABC News, Hurricane Dean hits Caribbean
From NZ Herald, Hurricane Dean blows into Caribbean
From Forbes.com, Hurricane Dean Gains Power in Caribbean
From Bloomberg.com: Hurricane Dean Intensifies, Passes Lesser Antilles (Update 7)
Labels: Caribbean, Dominica, hurricane, life, Martinique, St. Lucia, weather
