Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Justice for Ian



On Tuesday, September 29 just before sunset, the body of 11-year old Ian Gibson was laid to rest in the graveyard of St. Martin's Anglican Church. While the death of one so young is always tragic, in Ian's case it is even more tragic.

According to news reports, Ian's death was as a result of a sustained campaign of terror unleashed on him by two older boys. These bullies first targetted Ian at primary school, and Ian's father Victor Cadogan removed him from that school and sent him to a private institution.

Unfortunately, when Ian entered secondary school a few weeks ago, he encountered the same two bullies again. After Victor went to the school to complain about the boys' behaviour towards his son, they beat Ian so badly that he had an asthma attack.

Police were called in, the boys were warned, their parents notified. All to no avail. Two weeks ago, while trying to outrun the bullies, Ian ran blindly across the street and was struck by a car. He died a few days later at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

I did not know Ian Gibson, nor do I know his father Victor Cadogan, but when I read how this young boy died I could not help but cry. As a mother, I cannot imagine the pain Victor Gibson feels at losing his child, especially in such a senseless manner.

For most persons who survived the high school system, bullying was almost a right of passage, to be endured and forgotten once school life was over. However, many carry the scars of that abuse for life, and Ian paid for it with his.

So now we must decide - do we turn our attention to the next news story to make the headlines or demand justice for this young boy? I vote the latter, because what happened to Ian Gibson should be prevented from happening to another child in Barbados or elsewhere.

We need to reinforce to the powers that be the need to devise some kind of policy or rules to stamp out these violent acts in schools. Teachers must have the authority to discipline students whom they see abusing others, instead of being tied up in red tape and having to "wait on the Ministry".

Sure, the whole sordid episode has made bullying in schools a national debate, but what good will that do the loved ones Ian left behind? That's why I'm asking, if you condemn these act of violence in schools, make your feelings known in the comments section. I'll be emailing this post to as many persons as possible for their signatures and hopefully we can make a start in getting some justice for Ian.

ADDENDUM
Join Victor Cadogan's campaign to stamp out bullying in schools. Email your comments to justiceforian@hotmail.com. Comments will be printed and presented to PM David Thompson.

Image: The casket bearing Ian Gibson's body proceeding through a guard of honour at St. Martin's Anglican Church (Nation News.com)

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Rihanna's fame goes to her head

As I said some time ago, Rihanna (or her people) knows how to play the fame game. Change your look, keep people interested and talking. Her hair has taken on a life of its own these past few months and she has turned the sidewalks of LA and New York into her own personal catwalk.


If it wasn't so hot in Barbados I would jack her for those Stella McCartney perforated boots.




I can see th girls here trying to copy this punk/skunk look...


These pants gives new meaning to the term skin-tight....



As my grandmother would say, wuh yuh could do wid de young people, nuh? Do you, Rih-Rih, do you.

Damn that Halle Berry!

We all know Halle Berry is hot. After all, her career is built on her hotness, even though having an Academy Award doesn't hurt.

But for her to look this good at 43 and after having a baby, all I can say is 'Damn that Halle Berry!'





Images: http://theybf.com

Friday, September 18, 2009

Motorcade photos, more Oval photos

Here're some of the photos from Ryan Brathwaite's motorcade from the airport to Kensington Oval, and some of the action at the Oval.



Leaving the Grantley Adams International Airport. (His longtime coach Alwyn Babb is in the orange jersey and his Kansas-based coach Matt Kane is in the yellow shirt.)





Ryan meets the Cabinet.


Proceeding through the guard of honour.


Ryan enjoys the evening's proceedings. Also seated up front are his parents, Prime Minister Thompson and other Cabinet members.

Well, that's it folks. Have a good weekend!


Credit: Charlie Pitt/BGIS

Photos from Kensington Oval

Hi, peoples. Sorry for the delay in uploading the photos from yesterday but it's been a busy day. Cheese-on-Bread contributor dreadlocs took some atmoshphere shots at Kensington Oval, as school children and adults awaited the arrival of hurdles world champion Ryan Brathwaite.



Pupils from Ryan's alma mater Lawrence T. Gay Primary anxiously await his arrival.




Students of Ryan's other alma mater, Lester Vaughan Secondary, form a guard of honour to salute the champion.




Aerial views of the stage, where Lester Vaughan Secondary School's Choir perform a tribute to Ryan.




The sun sets on the near 9,000 strong audience.


More later....

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Ryan Brathwaite's arrival

Here are some of the pix from the arrival of 110m hurdle World Champion Ryan Brathwaite in Barbados a few hours ago.


Ryan is greeted as he descends his Virgin Atlantic flight by Chief of Protocol, Hughland Allman.


The World Champion warmly greets his mother Angela Young.


Brathwaite, the Acting Minister of Sports, Sen Irene Sandiford-Garner and others participate in a press conference.


Ryan waves to his fans as his motorcade passes Bay Street.

A packed programme of festivities is currently ongoing at Kensington Oval, so you can look out for the pix early tomorrow.

Thanks for joining in on my Live blog, this was kinda fun.:)

Credit: Joy-ann Gill

Motorcade underway


3:15 p.m. Okay, folks, the motorcade's on the move, making its way past Pilgrim Road in Christ Church, approaching Durants.

3:41 p.m. The motorcade has reached Oistins.

3:52 p.m. Ryan Brathwaite's motorcade is now approaching St. Lawrence Gap. The pace has picked up considerably.

3:55 p.m. They've made it to Accra. Everyone's on the streets it seems, on balconies of hotels, on the sidewalks...beautiful.

4:10 p.m. Well, the hero of the momnet just passed by where I'm standing in Bay Street, it was pure madness when his pickup truck passed by, like pure carnival! His parents were behind him in a limousine, they must feel so proud of him.

4:15 p.m. He's now going over the Charles Duncan O'Neale Bridge. Bridgetown is rammed with supporters.

4:28 p.m. Prime Minister David Thompson, his wife Mara and an entourage have arrived at the Kensington Oval. Sources tell me that the PM will meet with Ryan before the festivities begin.

4:47 p.m. The motorcade has arrived at Kensington Oval. The crowds outside remind me of Kadooment Day.

Motorcade delayed


Hi, peoples. Just to keep you up to date - the motorcade hasn't started as yet. Ryan and his entourage are having some refreshments and there're also waiting on his coach's flight to land.

Hundreds of persons have already begun to line the route and the excitement has reached a fever pitch.

More soon...

Welcome home, Ryan!


Barbados 110m hurdle world champion is back home and at this moment is giving a press conference in the VIP Room at the Grantley Adams International Airport.

Next he's heading off on a motorcade down Highway 7 to Kensington Oval. I'll be along the route taking a few pics, so watch out for more.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Blame it on the alcohol + RIP Patrick Swayze


Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West hit up Jay Leno last night to perform Run This Town, and Kanye also took the opportunity to apologise for highjacking Taylor Swift's moment at the MTV Video Music Awards.

From the time I saw him swigging Hennessy on the red carpet I knew it was going to be a rough night, 'cause Kanye fairly ignorant when he's sober, furthermore drunk. And what was up with other persons drinking from his bottle? They ever heard of swine flu? Or would the alcohol kill the germs?

Anyhoo, between Kanye and Serena Williams it was an odd celebrity weekend, and today I learned that Patrick Swayze, one of the stars of one of my old time fave movies, Dirty Dancing, passed away. RIP, PS, you're out of your pain now.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Who Obama think he is?


President Obama obviously letting all this "leader of the free world" crap go to his head. Who the hell he think he is trying to tell people's children what to do with their academic lives?

He realise the US of A is a free and democratic country where it is every person's God given right to drop out of school and become a burden on the welfare system?
Where he get off preaching 'bout "stay in school", "do your homework" and all that bs?

Man, the people right to cuss he. Before he go and drop a bomb on some country or other he trying to brainwash the lil children with he socialist agenda. And as for that health care reform thing, he really carrying a joke too far.

Man, Obama tek it easy. The people just come off of eight years of extreme idiocy, them ain't ready for the type of enlightenment you talking 'bout yet. Just help the rich people get richer and keep the poor people from rioting and all will be well, my brother.

And for those of you who exercised your right to drop out of school, the above is sarcasm.

Friday, September 04, 2009

Top 20 Fave Whitney Houston hits


August was a great month. Not only did my kiddo turn one on the 26th, but one of my fave R&B sngers ever, Whitney Houston, released her long-awaited comeback album I Look To You.

The world knows of Ms. Whitney's trials and tribulations; they were splashed all over the internet and the tabloids for the last eight years or so. But to an 80's teen like myself who grew up on her music, she was the Grammy-winning, platinum-selling diva of her day.

I can still recall singing into a hairbrush along to Saving All My Love For You while pining dramatically after my first teenage crush; declaring my independence with her cover of Chaka Khan's I'm Every Woman; and singing at the top of my voice along with my girls to Exhale (Shoop Shoop!).

I can't wait to make some new memories off Whitney's new album, and as a tribute to her and her wonderful comeback, I set myself the onerous task of listing my fave 20 Whit hits. I've interspersed them with images of her studio album covers to date. Here goes....


20. All At Once - Whitney Houston
19. Didn't We Almost Have It All - Whitney
18. All The Man That I Need - I'm Your Baby Tonight
17. So Emotional - Whitney
16. You Give Good Love - Whitney Houston
15. I Have Nothing - The Bodyguard Soundtrack


14. One Moment In Time - Produced for NBC for the 1988 Summer Olympics
13. I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney
12. Saving All My Love For You - Whitney Houston
11. I'm Your Baby Tonight - I'm Your Baby Tonight
10. How Will I Know - Whitney Houston


9. Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston
8. I Will Always Love You - The Bodyguard Soundtrack
7. I'm Every Woman - The Bodyguard Soundtrack
6. Try It On My Own - Just Whitney
5. Miracle - I'm Your Baby Tonight


4. My Love Is Your Love - My Love Is Your Love
3. I Believe In You and Me - The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack
2. For The Love Of You - Whitney
1. Exhale - Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack




Welcome back, Whitney!

MJ laid to rest



Two months after his death, pop icon Michael Jackson was finally laid to rest last night at the Forest Lawn Cemetery and Mausoleum. Two hundred invited guests including Elizabeth Taylor and Lisa Marie Presley were in attendance.

RIP Michael. You'll never be forgotten.

Thursday, September 03, 2009

A crying shame


Earlier this week, I was extremely saddened to read that one of my fave amusement spots, Ocean Park, was closing its doors due to a lack of funds.

On the heels of the closure of the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, we're soon going to run out of places to visit here in Bim, especially nice places for kids. I'm especially upset that my son won't get an opportunity to see the sharks and the variety of sea life that was on display at the park.

You'll be missed, Ocean Park.

Image: www.oceanparkbarbados.com

Damn that Serena!


My girl Serena Williams has given ladies all over the world (or maybe just me;) a reason to say "Damn that Serena!"

Girlfriend has finally admitted that she and hottie rapper turned actor Common are an item. I knew that smug look she's been walking around with wasn't all about her tennis victories.

Do your thing, girl, and keep doing it and doing it and doing it well....


Images: theybf.com

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Catching up post

Hey, peoples! I hope you all missed me as much as I missed you. It's been tough trying to blog these past few months, but I refuse to throw in the towel. There's always Twitter, but I like to rant not tweet.

Anyhoo, before I go any further I want to acknowledge the passing of a pretty cool guy who seemed to care about Barbados proceeding on the right track, one Sir John Stnaley Goddard. I only met him once but he seemed like the genuine article. RIP, Sir John.

*******************
I said a few weeks ago that I had a cussing for CBC for not buying the rights so we could watch Ryan Brathwaite run LIVE in Berlin, but I've changed my mind. I'm now convinced that something's seriously wrong up in the Pine in the programming department, and as I don't like to kick a dog when it's down, I spare them my ranting for now. Even if they bought the rights to show that boring, obsolete exposition called Miss Universe.

But seriously, as a viewer of 'single choice tv', i.e. I only have Channel 8, I'm suffering a slow death. Why?

Almost two thirds of CBC'S programming these days is repeats. I tuned into Sesame Street recently to let my son watch it and I saw an episode that had shown at least three times before. Now that's sad. Right now, CBC is repeating the entire last season of 'Ugly Betty' and 'Desperate Housewives'. They're okay shows, but come on! Can't they afford the new seasons?

Programmes are switched around without any prior warning or notice, which makes it hard to follow any serial programme.

Stupse. Right now I'm raiding my relatives' stocks of dvds, 'cause I swear the only thing fresh on tv at the moment is the Evening News....

***************
So Chris Brown still loves Rihanna? Poor fellow. I don't doubt that he still has feelings for her, and probably real cruel with himself for losing his temper. Either that or he really trying to save his career. Going on Larry King in that blue bow tie took guts too...

Anyhoo, while he's spilling his guts, Rih-Rih's letting it all hang out for Vogue Italia.


What is there to say....