Pull! Push!

Gold again for Jamaica in womens 100 metre event

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:15:00 +0000

(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)

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"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)

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"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)

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"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)

Big Caribbean win at Olympics 100m - Gold for Jamaican Bolt and Silver for T&T Thompson

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:55:00 +0000

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)

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"“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)

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"(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)

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"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)

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"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)

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"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)

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"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)

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"JAMAICAN sprinter Usain Bolt won gold in the Olympic 100metre final with an incredible world-record breaking performance." (Manchester Evening News)

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"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)

Amit is currently listening to...

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:22:00 +0000

'I Just Want To Celebrate' by Rare Earth.

This song was in the movie 'Three Kings' and it can also be heard playing during the 'Tropic Thunder' movie trailer.

Who will win the 2008 Olympics?

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:08:00 +0000

"Even with the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games more than a month away, it is possible to predict which countries will come home winners. Using an original model based on economics and a dash of statistics and with no knowledge of individual sports or athletes, it is possible to accurately forecast both the number of medals and the number of gold medals that the top countries will win.

Country > Predicted Total Medals in Beijing > Total Medals won in Athens

U.S. > 105 > 102
Russia > 92 > 92
China > 81 > 63
Germany > 51 > 49
Australia > 49 > 49"

Going for the Gold: Who Will Win the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (Andrew B. Bernard, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, July 2008)

Review of The Mummy 3

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 02:21:00 +0000

Click here for a review of The Mummy 3.

RIP Bernie Mac

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:38:00 +0000

RIP, Bernie Mac (CNN.com).

Four day weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:00:00 +0000

In case you weren't aware, Friday (Emancipation Day) and today (Kadooment Day) were/are holidays in Barbados.

The Dark Knight movie review

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:37:00 +0000

can be found by clicking here.

If the Joker had a lolcat

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:52:00 +0000

UPDATE: The image seems to have vanished. Oh well. Try googling for 'joker lolcat' and see what comes up.

Originally found via Digg.

A very brief look at the other side of the coin: the American Petroleum Institute

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:13:00 +0000

Easy to read and follow, I picked up Linda McQuaig's 'It's the Crude, Dude: War, Big Oil and the Fight for the Planet,' while vacationing in Canada last year.

The title is what grabbed me, followed by the subject matter. The actual content has been nothing short of provocative, revealing and attention grabbing (especially the bit about Chavez 'saving' OPEC, and how Rockefeller and Standard Oil came about).

In one of her chapters, McQuaig mentions, in less-than-cozy terms, the American Petroleum Institute. The API, according to their website, is:

"...the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Our 400 corporate members, from the largest major oil company to the smallest of independents, come from all segments of the industry. They are producers, refiners, suppliers, pipeline operators and marine transporters, as well as service and supply companies that support all segments of the industry."

I'm mentioning them because some of their documents which, for whatever reasons or interests they are trying to serve, are interesting and worth reading, especially:

Understanding Today's Crude Oil and Product Markets (Oil Primer)

The Facts About Oil Industry Mergers, Market Power and Fuel Prices: An API Primer

The Truth About Oil and Gasoline: An API Primer

Relations between China and Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:11:00 +0000

"FEARS of a "no fun Olympics" are growing as security restrictions increase and become more bizarre with less than 20 days to go until the opening ceremony.

Beijing police have been visiting bar owners in the popular Sanlitun area and asking them to sign pledges agreeing to not serve black people or Mongolians and ban activities including dancing."

Fears of a 'no-fun' Olympics in Beijing (theage.com.au)

"BEIJING — Chinese police officials have forced some Beijing bar owners to sign secret pledges promising to prohibit blacks from entering their bars during the Olympics next month, a Hong Kong newspaper says.

The police denied the report Friday, and most bars denied any knowledge of the pledges. But many African residents of Beijing say they are facing harassment from police and discrimination from bars as the Olympics approach."

Africans in Beijing harassed as Olympics approach (globeandmail.com)

"No one alive at the close of the 19th century could have missed the "scramble for Africa". A motley collection of robber barons, imperialist ideologues, explorers, rogues and adventurers - the likes of Cecil Rhodes and the appalling Leopold II, King of the Belgians - carved up the continent in the name of five European powers.

Today, few appear to have noticed that a second "scramble for Africa" is under way. This time, only one giant country is involved, but its ambitions are every bit as momentous as those of Rhodes and company. With every day that passes, China's economic tentacles extend deeper into Africa. While Europe sought direct political control, China is acquiring a vast and informal economic empire."

Why China is trying to colonise Africa (Telegraph)

(NOTE: Is it just me, or is there something fishy going on here? Are the Chinese trying to have their cake and eat it, too? Then again, what do I know? IANAE - I Am Not An Economist, IANAP - I Am Not A Politician, IANAOE - I Am Not An Oil Exec and so on and so forth...)

"The People's Republic of China and the Federal Republic of Nigeria established diplomatic relations on February 10, 1971. Bilateral relations have since enjoyed smooth and steady development."

China-Nigeria Relations (EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA)

"The traditional friendship and relations of good cooperation between China and African countries have stood the test of time and gone through the trial of international turbulent events. This relationship, being a good example to the developing countries, has been further consolidated and developed under the present new situation."

China-Africa Relations (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China)

"China has secured four oil drilling licences from Nigeria as President Hu Jintao continues his week-long tour of Africa, his second in three years. In exchange China will invest $4bn (£2.25bn) in oil and infrastructure projects in Nigeria."

China and Nigeria agree oil deal (BBC NEWS)

"According to China's Ministry of Commerce, China and Nigeria signed an 8.3 billion US dollar railway construction contract. China will build 1315 kilometers of railroad in the west African state; this is the biggest infrastucture project abroad for a Chinese company to date."

Nigeria and China railway deal: $8.3 billion (DANWEI)

Notes From The Margin raises the alarm over Venezuelan claim

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:56:00 +0000

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.

Review: College Road Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:25:00 +0000

Check it out here.

Competition in the distribution sector of Barbados: Good, bad or both?

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:04:00 +0000

DISCLAIMER: Insert usual IANA-type (I Am Not A...) disclaimers here as I'm in a rush (going to see Hancock tonight) and I want to post this before I forget.

By distribution sector of Barbados, I mean the companies that import the foodstuffs, groceries, etcetera, that we see on the shelves of our major supermarkets as well as the smaller shops.

In some(?) cases, these distribution companies also own and operate the supermarkets (an example of vertical integration at work here, folks).

After watching a bit of the budget this eve, it seems to me that The Government, as a result of the high cost of living, appears to be receptive and open to the idea of allowing foreign competitors to setup shop in Barbados. In addition, ownership of these outfits is to be kept independent from local entities in an attempt to, perhaps, avoid collusion/cartels(?). The aim here is that by allowing foreign entities into the market, competition will ensue and therefore drive down prices, thereby giving Barbadian consumers a 'break' or an 'ease.'

Now I'm a consumer, and I'm all for a 'break' and an 'ease.' No harm at all, none whatsoever. Or is there? This measure, I think, could very well be a double-edged sword, one that must be wielded carefully (or how about: there are two sides to every coin, or two sides to every issue, or the lesser of two evils? LOL).

Very quickly (as I'm running late for the show at the drive-in):

The Good:

Foodstuffs et al should be available (in theory), at competitive prices and in a wider variety, to the average Barbadian consumer. I for one am always happy to pay less. After all, I'm a Barbadian, we like that sort of stuff, but not at the expense of quality ofcourse. ;-)

The Bad:

Existing distribution & supermarket entities now faced with stiff competition from overseas competitors (who enjoy economies of scale), may be forced to compete on price in one way by reducing their costs.

Labour is a cost. Local companies may be forced to lay-off, or reduce staff levels (i.e., Barbadian employees) in order to reduce their costs, which in turn will (hopefully) allow them to offer competitive pricing in line with the overseas players. Alternatives to lay-offs may involve: reducing their profit margins or finding ways to increase the efficiency of their businesses so as to drive down costs.

Another negative aspect of foreign entrants is that if these foreign entities are a hit with the Barbadian public, and they start to make a profit for their overseas owners, where do you think these profits are going ? I'm no expert, but I guess that our Government will probably see a 'little something' in the form of taxes, duties, etcetera, but I think that the bulk of it will be heading overseas, to a parent company somewhere.

I'm sure that there are plenty of arguements and counter-arguements to what I've said, but this is simply a little food (pardon the pun) for thought. Remember, what do I know? IANA... ;-)

In conclusion, if I may offer one slight, insignificant, tiny, suggestion from little ol' me: If you're going to allow these foreign firms to setup shop in Bim, make sure that the majority of all staff hired (even the Management team), are Barbadians.

In other news...

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:39:00 +0000

"Mswati was crowned king a mere six days after his 18th birthday, and the country has been a train wreck ever since. An estimated 26 percent of Swazis between ages 15 and 49 are HIV positive, one of the highest rates in the world. Mswati’s brilliant solution: a sex ban. In 2001, he instated the uncwasho rite, which put a five-year ban on sex for females under 18. The move proved unpopular, especially after Mswati—who at last count had 13 wives and at least 23 children—married a 17-year-old. The ban was lifted a year early."

The World's 10 Youngest Leaders (Foreign Policy)

"You know I care deeply about the people of Zimbabwe," Bush said. "I'm extremely disappointed in the elections, which I labeled a sham election."

Bush focuses on Zimbabwe 'punishment' (CNN.com)

"Everything made in America — from goods to entire companies — is near dirt cheap to many foreigners. Meanwhile, American consumers, both those who travel and those who stay at home, are seeing big price increases in energy, food and imported goods. The dollar has lost roughly a quarter of its purchasing power against the currencies of major U.S. trading partners from its peak in 2002."

The buck doesn't stop here; it just keeps falling (Yahoo! News)

"Whether it is an unexpected food crisis or a devastating hurricane, the world’s weakest states are the most exposed when crisis strikes. In the fourth annual Failed States Index, FOREIGN POLICY and The Fund for Peace rank the countries where state collapse may be just one disaster away."

The Failed States Index 2008 (Foreign Policy)

Article: 'How tiny Jamaica develops so many champion sprinters'

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:50:00 +0000

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)

Article: 'Will Soaring Transport Costs Reverse Globalization?'

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:53:00 +0000

A snippet from the article...

"Globalization is reversible. Higher energy prices are impacting transport costs at an unprecedented rate. So much so, that the cost of moving goods, not the cost of tariffs, is the largest barrier to global trade today. In fact, in tariff-equivalent terms, the explosion in global transport costs has effectively offset all the trade liberalization efforts of the last three decades. Not only does this suggest a major slowdown in the growth of world trade, but also a fundamental realignment in trade patterns."

Sources:

Will Soaring Transport Costs Reverse Globalization? (CIBC World Markets)

Article: 'The Coming Energy Wars'

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:21:00 +0000

Snippets from the article...

""Indeed, there's concern that as higher oil prices force many Asian economies to reduce or even cut their generous fuel subsidies, growth will slow sharply, and there could be social unrest as the world's poorest become more desperate. The political ramifications of this (which already include moves away from free trade), combined with the ever-rising costs of doing business as usual, could force a retrenchment from globalization. "It's a harbinger of the reversal of globalization," says Jeff Rubin, chief economist for CIBC World Markets. "At $200 a barrel, you'll see transport costs rise so much that they will effectively reverse the trade liberalization of the last 30 years." He predicts that world trade will realign itself regionally, so that while Japan may continue to ship in goods from China, the United States will increasingly import from Latin America. "If you look at the period from 1973 to 1979 [when oil spiked] you'll find the same thing happened," he notes. "The share of imports to the U.S. from Latin America and the Caribbean rose by 6 percentage points. That was all about freight costs.""

"This spring, America hit a historic point. With average gas prices per gallon edging toward $4, America's notoriously profligate ways started to change fast. Americans are driving less, using mass transit more, buying fewer gas guzzlers, indeed shopping less wantonly in general, and lowering their previously unshakable confidence as consumers. Suddenly, Americans are acting differently; if not exactly like Swedes, then not quite like themselves, either. It's a shift that could change the world.

And there are more changes to come. So far the price shock has triggered the most obvious consumer shifts in the United States. Europeans, already greener, are also are buffered by a stronger currency, and Asians are protected from the spiking price of oil by subsidies that control the impact on gas prices at the pump. But if oil prices continue to rise, and the subsidy dam breaks, as seems likely, the energy revolution now transforming America will spread. "We sailed through $80 a barrel," notes energy authority Daniel Yergin, author of "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power" and chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associates. "But that doesn't mean we'll sail through $200 a barrel. That sort of price would have enormous global consequences.""

Sources:

The Coming Energy Wars (Newsweek.com)

Big weekend in Bim (Barbados)!

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Sat, 31 May 2008 00:34:00 +0000

*** UPDATE (May 31, 2008): While stumbling around the RB2K8 'live' tracking website, I found out that a team from Oxford University (of all places!) was taking part. A quick search on Google and mouse click or two onto Cherwell (OU's student newspaper) confirmed this:

"Oxford University students who rebuild vintage rally cars will race an historic Riley 1.5 through the winding roads of Barbados next month as they compete in the Caribbean’s largest annual motorsport event, the Barbados Rally Carnival.

Members of the Oxford Universities Motorsport Foundation (OUMF) will travel over 4,000 miles to battle some of the world’s top rally car drivers, including 2006 British Rally Championship runner-up Ryan Champion."

Good luck and good racing to you, OUMF! ***

An exciting and entertaining weekend awaits most folks as both the SOL Barbados Rally and Mount Gay Regatta are set to take place!

Since I'm more interested in motorsports (though I rarely follow the events anymore), here are a few highlights from the freely available SOL Rally Barbados 2008 programme (click here for the full PDF):

* 89 crews (including seven from around the region and a further 23 from Europe)
* Entries by Sweden's Bjorn Waldegard, a 1979 World Rally Champion, as well as
* Kris Meeke, a 2004 to 2006 title contender in the JWRC.

Online info on the Mount Gay Regatta appears to be scarce, so your best bet is to check with Google.

Enjoy!

Itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny Dell laptop

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:54:00 +0000

Image source: Gizmodo

Ooooooh, it's so shiny and tiny! Little Red Riding Hood and her laptop, ooops, I mean Michael Dell and his Mini-Me, err, Mini Inspiron were spotted at 'At All things D' by Gizmodo's Brian Lam.

Yes, small is beautiful and big laptops are a pain to work with and lug around, but this? This is a bit to much (or to little). Look at the size of the guys fingers in relation to the laptop itself!

On the plus side, the Giz article mentions that this little micro-machine has several USB ports, a card reader, VGA output and ethernet. No news of Wi-Fi (I'd be suprised if it didn't have it), nor the amount of RAM it's packing, or the type of secondary storage it'll use (i.e., solid-state or hard disk drive), but I'm guessing it will use SSD.

I can see it now. In the future, our hands would've evolved as a result of having to use these tiny little laptop and phone keyboards.

Sources:

Exclusive: Dell Mini Inspiron, Their First Mini Laptop (Gizmodo

Something from Dell at D6 (Dell, Your Blog)

A dying breed: SPURMO (Straight Proud Unmarried Men Over-30)

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:41:00 +0000

How about this:

"It's the double standards where babies are concerned that I find objectionable. If a baby pukes, everyone rushes around like a Kennedy has been shot. But, if I should do likewise after three vodka tonics, a bottle of red and four sambucas, does anyone mop my fevered brow? No, they leave me to make my own way to KFC for a party bucket with mashed potatoes, gravy and onion rings. And when a baby kicks up a fuss, it is rewarded with boob. But if I start crying and demanding boob, I'm simply asked to leave the bus/cinema/restaurant/church."

Or this:

"Another friend, an attractive blonde 23-year-old law student, told me it doesn't matter if there aren't any single men my age to go out with. I can join her and her friends. Yes, sure, like the lonely Great Ape of Rwanda could hang out with the lemurs. He could, but he'd feel as conspicuous as I do in a group of 23-year-old law students. As nice as they are, I can't help but feel they're staring at me wondering, “who invited Old Man Time?” I don't have any trouble talking to 23-year-old girls. But I'd be wanting sex and they'd be wanting career advice."

Click here for the full article.

The private lives of celebrities. Does the public care?

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:06:00 +0000

How much, or how little, do you care about what a popular celebrity thinks?

On May 6, The Bajan Reporter posted a rather lengthy 'thesis' by one Roger Marshall concerning the connection between Rihanna's famous 'Umbrella' song and the occult.

This was picked up by BFP this morning and has already resulted in a few comments (no surprise, as anything that involves religion and politics is bound to stir up the emotions). I have not read Marshall's article, nor am I planning to, as it does not interest me in the least bit.

Mind you, I'm not saying that Rihanna is knowingly (or unknowingly) involved in any of the stuff that Marshall mentions, nor am I commenting on her personal beliefs, etcetera. I'm sure that other like-minded people (i.e., people like Marshall) could find links to the occult and other artists' songs as well. It just so happened that his article mentioned Rihanna's song.

What does interest me is to what extent do the beliefs and values (etcetera) of a popular celebrity, affect how much (or how little) ordinary citizens like them.

It seems like a simple and straight-forward thing, doesn't it? If a celebrity that you've always liked for years adopts a position contrary to your own on any topic (drugs, the environment, religion, politics, etcetera), will you look at them differently? Consider also if, despite their opposing view, they continue to carry out their professional life in the exact same way (e.g. movies/music), putting aside their own personal philosophy. Now that you know what they really think, would you be able to ignore their beliefs and continue to support their films/music?

Realize that whatever you (and the majority of the public) choose may impact on how much money the celebrity earns. Knowing this, the celebrity (at the request of, or on the advice of his/her agent, etcetera) may try to appear in such a way so as toavoid a potential loss (or decrease) of income as a result of his/her personal opinions. This may end up in you rarely seeing, or getting to know, the real individual behind the celebrity.

In the end, and after considering the above, who do you like, the individual with his/her private opinions, or the celebrity who will please the audience?

The Darjeeling Limited

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Sat, 03 May 2008 15:42:00 +0000

The latest film by Wes Anderson. Click here to read a review.

Public Holiday in Barbados: Labour Day

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:36:00 +0000

Folks, tomorrow (May 1) is a public holiday in Barbados.

Public Holiday in Barbados: National Heroes Day

noreply@blogger.com (Amit) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:20:00 +0000

Folks, today is National Heroes Day, a public holiday in Barbados.