Tag Archives: Kevin Ramnarine

Clock Back and Roll

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Power Outage 2It’s been a hectic 3 days….and it has nothing to do with Christ’s resurrection…

We are still to receive any answers from the folks at PowerGen, NGC or Phoenix Gas as to how the fuel levels dropped to so sharply Thursday evening to lead to the black out in the late hours of Thursday night into Friday morning…..

As you know, I’ve questioned the clock on the wall at Powergen Penal and the times on the wall and the times of the PM’s visit and what it says about best practice at PowerGen and what it might imply for the PMs visit to PowerGen.

So, I’m going to raise a few more questions again this evening.

You know that everytime a camera takes a picture it does a time stamp of the picture on the file. In older cameras you would actually see the time stamp on the image.

In more advanced cameras the time stamp….or meta data remains hidden to the human eye.

If you upload pictures to FB the date stamp is removed…but not all sites remove the time info from pics.

So let’s say you sent pictures to a site like TT Energy Update your time stamp remains.

If you click on those pictures and copy and paste their link into a website like Find Exif.com then you can see the date stamp on a picture….by that, I mean the time the picture was taken.

I got time stamps of 8:13 am.

Take a look at these screen shots and then try it yourself using the links i provided above.

Check out the time stamp on this...

Check out the time stamp on this…

timestamp3

Now the time stamp says 8:13….AM….the clock says 21:13:58…..factor in that these clocks are attached to satellite computers and so daylight savings time pushed the clock forward by an hour…then the PowerGen clock is 12 hrs off plus 1 hr for the daylight.

Even if you don’t accept that….I seriously doubt that the internal clock on the camera that took the PMs pictures changed its time to show 8:13 am….

Tell me what you think the timestamp data tells you.

In the meantime, you think PowerGen can send any senior technicians to explain what really happened last Thursday night?

Full Dotish and Full Dangerous!

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Watching Stopped Clocks

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Power Outage 1Apparently my little blog post about a malfunctioning clock in the PR pictures of the PM inspecting the power plant in Penal on Good Friday morning has raised a shit storm. But I will let the storm take care of itself, while I raise some more questions.

Kamla’s government is well known for its use of PR and image management, but not necessarily its efficient use wpid-IMG-20130328-WA0001.jpgof it. If the government was successfully managing its PR, the population wouldnt even notice it. They would be swept up in the hype, not questioning it at every turn.

In fact, the government’s use of hype is often so vulgar the only reaction it provokes is disgust.

But let’s get back into this clock.

I got up this morning and the first thing I did was pull the battery out of my phones. I waited about 10 minutes, popped the battery back in and switched the phones on. The phones booted up and switched to the correct time.

I then did the same thing with my microwave and electric stove. Pulled the plug and then plugged them back in. Both the stove and microwave went back to 00:00.

I then pulled out a Nokia phone that I keep stored safely away for the end of the world. This phone isn’t charged regularly, once every few months; and it is switched off. I switched it on after months of no use and it immediately had the correct time.

Why am I going into all of this? To show you how ridiculous the government’s response about the clock at Powergen having shut down and not re-started properly is.

All afternoon yesterday my blog and anyone on FB or Twitter who dared share my thoughts and questions on why the clock was telling the wrong time was ATTACKED by supporters of this government.

Some folks came along and offered their counter-scepticism, which is fine…but the vitrolic attacks is where I draw the line. When I can’t question my government in peace, on a private or public medium, I know that something is wrong.

The irony is that the blog post didn’t just question the PM’s visit, it also raised questions about the efficiency of operations at PowerGen. But Kamla’s Minions were deployed to attack…not think.

Nat Sec Minister.....

Nat Sec Minister…..

So we have a situation wherein a nation experiences a power outage. It is classified as a Level One National Security issue, but there were absolutely no signs of Jack Warner during or after the black out….a rare occurrence if you ask me. There was also no sign of the Minister of Public Utilities, Mr Nizam Baksh. Good governance and accountability in we pweffen.

The power outage happens and the PM whose ratings have plummeted sees this as the perfect way to curry favour with the population. It’s almost as if, in the aftermath of  WarnerGate, this blackout showed up as a gift.

poweroutage7According to most reports the black out happened around midnight. The Prime Minister shows up at around 5 am dressed as if she dropped everything and hustled out of the door….4 hours after the black out started. And she just happened to remember to bring along a photographer along to document the trip. And in the midst of working assiduously to bring power back on to the suffering citizens the engineers and technicians at PowerGen Syne Village Plant had time to pose for several group pics with the PM. I couldnt make this thing up if I tried.

But what I have just described is only mildly annoying. This, after all, is a government that holds ribbon-cutting opening ceremonies for refurbished swings in parks in Cocorite. This is a government whose Ministers and supporters mark and measure success in box drains.

If nothing else, that clock at PowerGen tells us that something very sloppy went down at the Plant. This is a plant responsible for providing electricity to an entire grid. That grid would comprise various villages.
Time in a control room at an industrial plant is a serious thing. When incidents happen or readings are taken, you have to register times.

The report that the PM and Minister of Energy has requested will require the measurement of times and time frames. If the clock….and members of Kamla’s PR team keep telling me it’s a satellite and GPS clock….if the clock in the control room isn’t telling the correct time. Then whose time are they going by? Is Penal operating out of time? In a separate time Zone? Are we to believe that PowerGen not operating up to international standards and not using Satellite Clocks that have a DC power back up in the case of power loss?

Today we read in the Trinidad Guardian that there have been 3 major black outs in 3 years. How often is THE CLOCK IN THE CONTROL ROOM not working or telling the correct time? And has the government realised that it’s under their tenure that PowerGen seems to be regularly malfunctioning? Why?

In an effort to further spin the issue of the malfunctioning clock, they then deployed some bigger guns.

Roger D Ramcharitar, who describes himself as a former adviser in the Ministry of Energy, posted a response to my blog post that insisted:

As a former Advisor at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs, I sought clarification from colleagues within the industry and I have been able to ascertain that the clock in the photograph was actually a satellite clock which displayed an INCORRECT TIME as a result of the power outage knocking it off temporarily.

You can check out how an Atomic/Satellite Clock works here or here. And then you will understand why that clock should never have stopped working.

You should also know that Roger Ramcharitar, worked as a communications adviser for the Ministry of Energy. In short, he was responsible for speeches and PR. He wasn’t a technical adviser or someone who understands the operations of a plant and why a clock is so important, so I will forgive his enthusiasm. But Roger you should know better and inform your supporters better.

But let’s say the clock did stop at the time of the outage…even though we know the plant had its own back up generators and should have been running anyway…

Let’s say the clock stopped at 00:37 or 00:45 which is the time most newspapers have given. When exactly did the power come back on at the Penal Plant for the time to be registered as 21:13:29?

You feeling me yet? The time on the clock, regardless of what argument, makes no sense.

It implies that who ever is responsible for maintenance at that plant is poohar! Sloppy at best…and heads should roll over the fact that the clock isn’t telling the correct time!

And for Roger Ramcharitar to insist that in the presence of Kamla no one remembered to re-set the clock tells me that the technicians and engineers at PowerGen don’t have their priorities straight and aren’t interested in best practice and high standards…not when it have a PM and a camera around.

The clock on the wall is actually a damning indictment of operational procedures at PowerGen Penal…..unless of course the clock telling the correct time and the Prime Minister was there at 9 pm instead of 5 am….which is a whole other can of worms.

We now have the PM grandcharging and calling for a full investigation and report. We know how that goes here.

Madam PM investigate that clock first….no report can be valid if the clock aint set right. Penal was clearly in a different time zone to the rest of the country.

I expect that the investigation is just another way to put money in the pocket of another government shill who will say nothing went wrong and the power outage was just a misstep.

NGC and Phoenix Park Processors needs to tell us why PowerGen experienced a gas shortage at midnight. What stopped the flow of fuel and why is no one from NGC speaking to us yet?

We also need to know why a problem that originated in Penal shut down the ENTIRE COUNTRY? Especially when the majority of the country is served by the Point Lisas and PoS Plants.

You need to tell us why every time anyone questions the actions of your government we are attacked an threatened?

And you also need to explain the absence of Minister of National Security, Jack Warner the night and morning of the outage since this was a National Security emergency as well, and we know how much Minister Warner cares about the country.

Leave the explanation about the clocks to the experts.

We Full Dotish AND Full Dangerous.

 

Clocks and Current

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We had a power outage last night….even the Miami Herald hours later when barely half of the country had electricity again was reporting it….and for good reason. The excuse given by the authorities thus far is that our supply of natural gas to the power plant generators was cut off. And that led to the shutting down of not just one generator or plant…but all of Trinidad and eventually to most of Tobago…Apparently only Courland had electricity in the entire nation.

Interestingly, Tobago’s electrical plant runs on diesel…so I’m still unclear as to how their plant stopped working.

Power Outage 1Not surprisingly, the Prime Minister, who was too ill to attend Cabinet Meetings yesterday or address the nation on the latest gaffe surrounding National Security minister Jack Warner, because her majesty has the common cold, was out and about dealing with the emergency brought on by the power outage. So much so that her twitter account was active for most of the morning, she released a statement to the media by 7:44 am and has a full album up on FB showing behind the scenes activity to get the power back up.

Power Outage 2The curious thing is this….power went at 37 minutes after midnight…..but the clocks at this power plant shows the PM and engineers and Minister of Energy onsite at 21:13:29.

Power Outage 2 poweroutage3Now unless the efficient folks at this professionally run power plant keep the wrong time on their clocks….The PM and crew were at the plant since 9 pm last night working on an outage that still hadnt happened….what gives?

poweroutage4

Power Outage 1

Can anyone explain?

We outta timing? Innna Timing? Time Running out?

Are the conspiracy theorists who I was laughing at on to something?

Have we gone from Full Dotish to outright Dangerous Governance?

Crime Clusterf@$k/Political Pantomime 22mts, 29dys: Lies, Half Truths and Travel Assistants

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As the People’s Partnership backpedal….a little over a year ago PM Kamla Persad-Bissesar was in no hurry to ditch the Privy Council… yesterday, without really explaining what caused the change of heart, the PM, in one of her rare visits to Trinidad, honoured us with her presence in Parliament and announced that we will be waving bye bye to the Privy Council.

I guess being the odd one out in the entire Caribbean and insisting there needs to be more ethnic parity on the CCJ and watching Portia Simpson-Miller receive more plaudits than her for embracing the CCJ (whose headquarters housed in Trinidad) was too much and she had to get in on the action and limelight.

On Thursday January 19th Suruj Rambachan said in an interview to the Guardian of the trip to India: “It was a state visit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. “In a state visit, everything is paid for by the government of that country,”…

This morning I am hearing that the various Ministries here, as well as the Office of the Prime Minister spent money on this trip to the tune of $868,268.11 for the Prime Minister’s Sister; $2.9 million for people from the Ministry of Energy;  $1.2 million for the Ministry of Tertiary Education; Public Utilities cost us $200,860  and Bmobile officials $304,961.

Some of these figures baffle me, because I am reliably informed that most of these officials travelled with spouses and companions….further, the PM also carried her pundit on this trip…so what was the fee for his services?

But let’s get back to the brass tacks of this matter. In January we were told that our purses didn’t feel the pinch for this trip….now were are hearing that millions were spent on the trip and to date note one word has been said about how we benefited from the trip other than numerous AP and Reuters pics of Kamla wearing malas, sarees and bowing to and kissing  Indian officials.

Remember too that the PM said at first that she paid for her sister our of her own pocket…since the treasury paid for Vidwattie Newton’s trip to India are we now saying that the Treasury is Kamla’s pocket?

Is Ms Newton a public servant?
Is Travel Assistant an approved position within the PM’s retinue?

If Ms Newton is indeed a Travel Assistant, then what does Lisa Ghany-Weeke’s do?

If Ms Newton is travelling as a professional nurse was she hired as such by this government?

Why does the PM need to travel with a professional nurse (as she has insisted)? How ill is she?

These are all questions that for some reason my pro-UNC/PP friends think I should stop asking. Why? Shouldn’t I be concerned about state funds are used for? Should I wait for the Auditor-General to tell me State abuse of funds? Years after it has happened?

Were we lied to by this government about this “state trip” to India?
Have we been lied to about the nature of Ms Newton’s presence on her 11 international trips with the PM?

Why has Ms Newton been receiving checks from the Govt? In what capacity? Why is her address listed as the Office of the Prime Minister?

I’m sorry, but the PM’s announcement that she’s not answering any further questions about her sister does not satisfy me….a tax paying member of this society.

Glen Ramadharsingh, in an attempt at self-promotion in the Parliament yesterday revealed that calls to the child hotline has tripled  in the last year. Ramadharsingh, speaking on the Children’s Bill…which was passed with 37 votes (YAY!!!!), was pointing out that he has increased monies to the Child Hotline….Glen, unless the money came out of your pocket….you didn’t do it,  WE, the Taxpayers, did!!!!!

These increases are troubling….are we really looking after our children?

A 15 year old Bagatelle youth was shot in the back…residents are alleging it’s police, and the 21st Century Police are saying it’s not them….So, I going to assume that someone in Carenage shoot a bullet up in the air and it land over  in the next Valley and hit the boy in his back…because everybody know that in Trinidad black people does only kill black people…and is only black people who violent…and if the boy was running, it had to be he was guilty right…..lawd help us if the bullet shells the villagers find really belong to a police gun….because then I will want to know why Police Officers here could only shoot young black men who resembling John Sandy in their back!

Sat Maharaj…aka the real Minister of Education….blocking TTUTA officials from entering the Tunapuna Hindu School….I can only guess that he owns the school.

La Brea villagers are protesting…..Tarouba residents protesting….Mon Desir residents protesting….every week some part of Trinidad protesting and showing their disgust with our Government…and these days the PM mum!!!!! Peas Tin attack she mouth and it swell!

2 days a go a Belmont man was found murdered in his bed….now another body has been found in Belmont with a bag over its head….repeat after me, “The SoE was a Success”…..”21st Century Policing is Working”……”We Have a Comprehensive Crime Plan”.

The latest television host to be targetted by the Govt is apparently Inshan Ishmael. Mr Ishmael is alleging that the govt is targetting him…specifically Devant Maharaj…and he is calling for Devant Maharaj to GO!!!!!!

I want all of them to go….and I done start to light my candle for them…because the longer this government stays, is then for sure we know:

De Vice Cyah Done!

Crime Clusterf@$k/Political Pantomime 22mts, 11 dys:

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Minister Verna St Rose Greaves, stands next to Minister Devant Maharaj (front row) on the day they were sworn in as Ministers. One wonders if they remember their oaths. Photo courtesy President of T&T's website.

 

 

Folks, remember how the country was up in arms over Reshmi being appointed as head of the SIA because she was pretty much  unqualified for the job?

Well from what I hear on news last night, hiring underqualified people becoming a trend with this government. I am advised that transport Minister Devant Maharaj has hired a former security guard, who barely has a diploma in civil aviation to be the Operations Manager at the airport, while other more qualified people with degrees and Masters in the area have been ignored for the post.

Last night an online comment on the matter went like this…”But all this time I went to school and spend money to study when all I needed to do was be born a Hindu”.
It getting worse folks and it smelling bad. The nepotism and cronyism in this government beyond rampant now. While most Trinis  accept that with each change of government there will be some level of “troughing it” and feeding and eating ah food will take place, it has become far too wide spread and vulgar with this government.

After reading Clarence Rambharat’s article about the issue of ethnic composition of state boards, I wondered again, where is the new politics that was promised? And how much longer can this situation last?

If friendships and blood ties are what determine job appointments at state bodies, then do we really have competent people running any aspect of our country currently?

A radio report yesterday said Prakash Ramadhar is now out of the country, so I imagine the talks have been postponed. And lemme tell you now how this going to go. The “TALKS” ended since Monday….Prakash done accept he terms….but he will disappear, then a red herring issue will be waved at the public….and then quiet quiet you will realise that there are no more talks, the COP back in Parliament normal normal and everyone acting like the rift never took place. Marlene might be made a senator, Seepersad-Bachan might lose her portfolio and lo and behold, Marlene become a Minister…or Senate Vice President. Either which way, the situation has been quietly resolved and they giving all yuh time to develop amnesia on it. You know Trini memory short.

I hear East Port of Spain….or is it South East Port of Spain….threatening to march on the city because the make work programmes stop…hmmmm we might have a Colour Me ORange Revolution????? Or maybe is grand charge to frighten the PM into creating more work for them.

The latest Pantygate update is that Sita no longer wants her transfer, and a judge has ordered the TSC to hold it.

The Minister of Feelings, Verna St Rose Greaves, is expressing sorrow over the forced commitment of one of her employees into the St Ann’s Mental Facility. Now according to the Mental Health Act
these are the reasons for admitting a person, and the conditions under which an “urgent admission” can take place:

Every person who is or is reasonably believed to be in
need of such treatment as is provided in a psychiatric hospital may
be admitted thereto—
(a) as an urgent admission patient;
(b) as a voluntary patient;
(c) as a medically recommended patient;
(d) by an order of the Court made pursuant to
section 13;
(e) by an order of the Minister of National Security
made pursuant to section 14; or
(f) on the application of a Mental Health Officer
under section 15.

7. (1) The Psychiatric Hospital Director or a duly authorised
medical officer may, subject to subsection (3), admit to a hospital
as an urgent admission patient any person in respect of whom an
application is made.
(2) An application under subsection (l)—
(a) may be made by any person who alleges that
the person in respect of whom the application is
made is mentally ill and, in the interest of his
health and for the safety and protection of
others, or either of them, ought to be detained in
a hospital; and
(b) shall be accompanied by a certificate of a medical
practitioner other than the duly authorised
medical officer responsible for the admission
of the person.

Now, if we went by what the Act says, it means that whoever in the Ministry alleged that Ms Miller was mentally ill, also had documented evidence to prove that Ms Miller was indeed ill and produced this to the person who admitted Ms Miller into St. Ann’s hospital. If this didn’t happen…..then on what grounds was she admitted?

There is a lot of talk being bandied about over the last two days about “forced imprisonment”, “police state” and “authoritarian rule”. Can the Minister of Feelings come forward and clear the air and tell people on what grounds Ms Miller was committed? And doh tell me is because she was acting strange, because then real people in the government could be committed on sight….and what about all the apparently mentally disturbed people on the streets? Why aren’t they being committed?

Something smells decidedly rotten about this situation and I keeping an eye on the airport’s Operations Manager issue with Devant. This place moving from bad to worse at warp speed.

 

De Vice Cyah Done!

TWICKS (This Week In Clusterf@$KS March 26th – 31st): Wardrobe Malfunctions!

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Guiness anyone? Photo courtesy Trinidad Express website.

Jack Warner just got appointed to the National Security Council, so whether you are aware of it or not, we are officially a country of  April Fools. But to the victor (of the UNC Internal Elections goes the spoils). Jack is probably the only performing minister in Kamla’s government these days and since crime continues to plague her and us maybe the Minister of everything will be able to help….when he done solve we crime problem is best she give him Dookeran portfolio too.

My mother has this saying she uses when a person is unwittingly showing his or her true colours: “ahhhhh (insert name) yuh petticoat showing!”

This government has been having wardrobe malfunctions from it’s first month in office and it continues. Is like they need a seamstress. But the wardrobe malfunctions have been glaring this week and I want to discuss a few of them.

Gimme Ah Diesel Riddim to start….

If you missed the PM crudely waving 2 cannisters of oil and announcing that God is a Trini, then surely you heard the non-stop radio ads announcing the Jubiliee Discovery by Petrotrin all day Friday and Saturday….or maybe you managed to miss Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial on CNC3 Friday evening announce that we have an oil boom. It’s not uncommon for oil to be found off our shores…it’s how we’ve been making a living in Trinidad and Tobago for about a century. But last Thursday our leader of Government revealed just how desperate she is to give Trinbagonians hope in their economic future as well as to distract them from the chaos that is her government.

Keep in mind that this is a government that has promised economy diversification in their 7 Pillars of Development Plan, aka 2010 Manifesto. To date we have seen few signs of any real thrust at diversification…and we all know why, to diversify, you need to take the self same oil money and invest it into other areas…..but if that oil money being poured into projects to line the pockets of friends and cronies and to fund projects that are normally funded off international loans, then you aint have too much $$$$ remaining to invest, eh?

The PM barely rest down the cannisters before objections to her claim began. The Keith exposed her tactics as naked politics, and Colm Imbert, a man I often find annoying, gave a pretty comprehensive explanation as to why he’s not impressed by the oil find.  Couple Imbert’s comments with David Renwick’s article about our plummeting crude production situation and the comments from other energy industry heads about the PM jumping the gun on the oil find…not boom Ms Ramdial… and you’ll realise that Kamla is beyond desperate these days. The economy is stagnant. Add that to the TCL strike, on the heels of a 107-day SoE that crippled several industries and markets, and a less than stellar Carnival (don’t let CAL figures about arrivals distract you, Port of Spain’s streets were less crowded this year) and right now, people aren’t seeing any blue skies. So, being the spin and PR machine that they are, the Govt decided to blow the current oil find out of proportion and make it appear as if we turning the bend and soon everyone will be swimming in dollars again. It is economist Dhaneshwar Mahabir who tore Kamla’s claims down to its brass tacks when he announced that 48 million barrels represents about $150m in revenue….when you place that against our annual budget of $50bn….it’s not even a drop in the bucket. When you consider that almost $100m was spent just on Carnival….study yuh head good and ask how many members of the group Kamla keeps calling the “common man” going to really benefit from that oil find. Smoke and Mirrors folks….nothing to see here! We find oil…the solution to every problem….meanwhile the economy, that depending on this plummeting oil production still waiting to be diversified. But when PR music inside yuh brain…you feel no pain. Put yuh canister in the air and wave like yuh mad!

San Fernando Mayor Marlene Coudray

 

Gyal Bend Over….

This gyal, she wukking up ah storm

Wining in ah circle, watch how she perform

She leave COP and jump to UNC

Become deputy leader

got Prakash on he knees!

Marlene Coudray has without a doubt created a far bigger storm than this tea cup partnership can contain. Like many others, when Marlene jumped ship…or was poached…depending on how you want to look at it, I was unperturbed. I live through Rupert Griffith and Vincent Lasse crossing the floor, Marlene Coudray go stun me?

But is when COP Leader Prakash Ramadhar started to zest up he self and talk about poaching, and wanting back the mayorship whose “allocation” was given to him that I start to pause and check out the thing. It seems that Local Govt Politics has its own morality as well. at first I didn’t understand why Ramadhar felt it was his right to choose the mayor until I realised that in local government elections it’s the party with the most seats that consults with the councillors and other pertinent bodies to select a mayor. And since is a coalition government we have, and not a coalition party, the Fyzabad Accord (which beginning to sound like a kaiso) apparently delineated which parties within the coalition would get to determine which mayorships went to whom. So the COP got Arima and San Fernando as part of their historic 2010 scramble for Trinidad and Tobago. What startled me was that these arrangements were ironed out since May 2010, and Local Government Elections happened in July of 2010…so these parties were very confident of victory.

On the basis of this understanding, I felt that Prakash was well within his right to determine who is the mayor of Sando. The PP can’t determine it because it isn’t a party….but the COP and UNC are…and the COP was told Sando was under it’s remit. So, then, you ask yourself, what’s the problem? Well no one wants to say…least of all Winston Dookeran who living up to the nickname Duck and Run these days because he won’t answer any question you pose to him about the government or his party, the COP, straight……maybe that is the price you pay if you have your eyes on higher office. What is clear though is that Coudray’s claims that the COP didn’t elect/appoint/nominate her might have some truth to it, since a recent interview with businesswoman Daphne Bartlett indicates that the current leader of the COP may be misleading the country into believing that Coudray had been their pick. There is talk that Marlene wasn’t really the COP pick, that it was instead  a prominent doctor from South Trinidad. There is talk that the COP was forced to choose Coudray. There is talk that Coudray is tipped to run in the expected by-election for San Fernando East….earlier this week there was talk that the PM would give in to Ramadhar’s request, give him the mayorship, and give Coudray the position of Vice-President of the Senate…thereby bussing Lyndira Oudit’s throat. There has been much talk….so much talk that the heads of the coalition government talked for 5 hours on Friday evening and the COP executive, MPs etc are meeting at 9 am this morning to talk some more….and all of this becauase Marlene Coudray exercised her right to change her political mind!

Prakash Ramadhar (far left) and Kamla Persad-Bissessar (far right) in happier days.

In the last 22 months we have been bombarded with non-stop examples of how strong this political panchayat is. But it is during this week that the seams, cracks and petticoat hemlines began to show themselves to the rest of the country. An article in the Trinidad Express this week had top COP officials lamenting that the party was being destroyed from day one of the coalition government. Now, is time to ask yourselves a few questions. If the UNC was calling the shots from day one, or engaging in abusive behaviour, why get into political bed with them? Why wait so long to speak out on the issues within the party? Is it a case of a battered woman taking and taking and cyah take no more? Or is it a case of protecting your political privileges now because is not just your dignity that being taken away, is your money too?

The COP as a political entity has been a vast disappointment to its membership. Anyone can tell you that they were the Trojan Horse (Virus) in which the UNC came to power. All non-unc voters stained their fingers for the PP because they felt that the COP would provide a buffer to the UNC, a party that since it’s 1995-2000 term has been seen as corrupt, nepotistic and ethnocentric. And the current behaviour of many members of the party have established that the behaviour hasn’t changed. But, where the COP should have jumped in to provide checks and balances and be the voice of the people who voted them in and reflect their principles, the COP’s leaders and members have remained either sickeningly silent or eager to please in a psychophant way. Remember that it is Prakash Ramadhar who defended Reshmi Ramnarine’s appointment as the SIA head…then back pedal and say he don’t know the woman. The COP also supported the SoE wholeheartedly, even though within their ranks they knew it was a bad idea that would end disastrously. But on the evening that the  SoE was announced Prakash was sitting at the Pink Palace in Phillipines lending support. The COP recently helped defeat the Motion of No Confidence against the PM…and to date I have heard no comments from the COP about the PM’s abuse of  the official state residence, her use of her sister as a travel assistant, her maintenance of not one, but two residences as PM, the abuse of the govt travel card by 2 Govt Ministers and a whole host of other issues. Instead Ramadhar has joined the behaviour of the UNC in Parliament, calling the Opposition Leader names like corbeaux while delivering speeches…and I had to think et tu Prakash?

When the COP talks about country first politics, which country are they referring too? Is is some imaginary space that I don’t know about? Their entire approach to politics from day one has been just as selfish and abusive of the country, as the UNC’s has been abusive of them. They have bowed, scraped and fought to remain in the powers of corridor not to help the country but to be able to help themselves. This party has had numerous opportunities to retain its integrity and actually serve the interests of the people that voted it in to power. It’s 22 months and 8 days of governance by this PP government and the first time the COP took a firm stance on an issue was when the party felt it was going to lose the  Mayorship of San Fernando….and when you understand how local government projects run and the kind of money it can generate, you will realise that is not the political position they vex about so much as the economic and political largesse that they stand to lose once this mayorship is out of their hands…in short funding and contracts folks…yes…it boils down to $$$$$ and cents!

If Kamla backs down and gives Prakash what he wants, the COP may win a political battle, but for me, the mere fact that this is what finally galvanised Ramadhar into action shows me precisely where his mind is at…on the money…the ministerial positions…the power.

If Kamla doesn’t back down, then this is the COP’s last opportunity to salvage the little that might be left of its reputation with its core supporters. Make a stand, and position yourselves in Parliament in a way that you can effect real change when it comes to laws and legislation….and Prakash while you at it..can you and Vernon provide some real evidence to arrest Calder Hart….it looking bad that all all yuh produce since Jan/Feb 2010 is Sherine Hart’s birthpaper….where the evidence all yuh promise? Because like Anand Ramlogan can’t do the work that we giving him millions of dollars to do.

Leader of Buffonery in Parliament

Before I run off, there is one more little issue I want to raise….Roodal Moonilal. As Leader of Government Business he is a failure. I have taken to thinking of him as Leader of Buffoonery in the Parliament. At first I thought Moonilal was just overeager and underinformed…but I realise now that Moonilal’s modus operandi is to actually use the cover of parliament to slander, libel and attack with impunity. The latest incident is his accusing Noel Garcia of abusing a Govt Travel Card and owing the govt $.5m dollars. Interestingly enough the Hansard Records of late 2010 show that Moonilal had raised the issue 2 years ago, within its proper context…as a loan from the HDC and had asked where the payments were. Two years later, under pressure because not one, but at least 2 ministers were caught abusing the public purse Moonilal used information he had at hand and misrepresented it in Parliament. Suddenly the loan Garcia was approved for from the HDC board (HDC is a bank?) becomes a government travel card. The travel card’s limit is US$10,000. So how would Garcia have been able to spend $.5m????? And let’s for the sake of argument say it happened…back in 2007….the new government aint do anything about it yet after 22 months in government? It was so obvious that Moonilal was using his parliamentary privilege to take potshots at a private citizen who was not in a position to immediately defend himself….and for that Moonilal you are NASTY! Because you haven’t even had the good grace to come out and apologise. And this is recurrent behaviour with you…I haven’t forgotten how you lied on the people of Beetham and how you blamed diesel bunkering activities on them and never came back to correct your lies. Is this what the Parliament has come to?  A place where we  lie on citizens and attempt to pass faulty laws?

Then is best we shut down parliament and open up a theatre of the absurd!

This govt has shown in the past week that it is self-serving, dishonest, abusive, nepotistic….and led by a “special needs” woman who will go to any end to fool the people, fool the people, fool the people! Somebody dress tail cock up!

 

De Vice Cyah Done!

 

TWICKS (This Week in Clusterf@$KS) March 12 -18th: Quarries, Cards and Cunning!

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Too Little Money and too many problems with this Government!

A lot happened this week to paint both the ruling Government and the Opposition in a bad light, if you ask me. And in all instances the public’s reactions and responses revealed that as a country many of us are frustrated and despondent….and  even more of us are enabling and encouraging a particular old style of politics. This old style of politics….maybe I should say current, because it aint gone no where….is one that sees the supporters of a party defending their nonsense and wrong doing; finding spurious, trumped up, even ridiculous reasons to support the poor decision -making of their government; turning a blind eye to the sins of their government or constantly comparing and contrasting both of the major parties here and deciding who “more worse” than whom. And of course you have the people who just simply spout total propaganda regardless of the sense it makes because they refuse to be disloyal to their party. And these are symptoms in all of the camps: COP, PNM and UNC.

One of the largest stories coming out of the news this week was Scott’s Quarry in Verdant Vale, Blanchisseuse. For most Trinidadians, the mining at Scott’s Quarry was an environmental issue…something for tree-huggers and desktop activists to get hot and bothered about. For me, however, what  bubbled up at Scott’s Quarry this week is yet another symptom of the corrupt political system that us citizens encourage.
Asa Wright Nature Reserve is one of a handful of green spaces in Trinidad (Tobago is a different kettle of fish) that’s managed with any effectiveness….and there is a lot of room for improvement, don’t get me wrong, but at least the folks there have a clear cut vision and mission….this aint no Debe Water Park that poorly planned, executed and counting on its friends inside WASA for tax payer subsidised water. But our environmental policies reflect both a government and a citizenry barely think about the environment or care about it. It seems that no clear link exists in most citizens’ minds about the role of the environment to their well-being….I guess because we don’t factor it in $$$$$ and sense!

So in 2004/5 thereabouts you had a Patrick Manning-led PNM reversing environmental laws for the sake of the construction industry. And we all know who the leaders of the construction industry are….these fellas needed aggregate for construction….and in order to quarry the EMA needed to give permission….so Manning decided to do away with the permission for any quarry under 150 acres. And since then, small to medium quarries have been set up all over the Northern Range, from Santa Cruz to Toco, blasting away, screwing up the environment, silting up our waterways, depleting our wildlife and water supplies and increasing our flooding issues annually.

Yet, talk to the average PNM supporter and these days Manning is the greatest thing since sliced bread because under him the construction industry was booming, people were working and things were getting done. As far as they are concerned is ungrateful Trinis who put Manning out of power.  Few PNM supporters want to remember or point out that there was a lot of questionable stuff going on with Manning, Calder Hart, UDECOTT and the company that has the mining contract for Scott’s Quarry, Sunway Construction. Perhaps this article from Andre Bagoo, or this story from the Trinidad Guardian or this flashback story from the Newsday in 2010 when the DPP requested an investigation will refresh people’s memories.

Now study yuh head good and start to ask some probing questions.
This is not the same Calder Hart and Sunway that Prakash Ramadhar, Vernon De Lima, Jack Warner and Kamla Persad-Bissessar carry on about and build their 2010 elections campaign on? Then how come this contract still valid and not under investigation and this government still doing business with them? How come this People’s Partnership government, that announced it had an environmental policy, has yet to fulfil any of that policy?

Where the re-planting of denuded hillsides from the 120-day plan?

Why are smelter plants still on the agenda?

Why are  our hillsides being mined and quarried for sub-par aggregate to fill the roads?

And on what grounds was the mining really shut down? Sunway has a legal contract and did nothing wrong….did you shut down the mining to distract people from the fact that you are in fact in bed with a company that you lambast Manning and the PNM for?????? Something smelling funny, Kamla, and is not your $5000 shoes.

The next major issue of the week is the spending habits of this government as evidenced in Vernella and Fuad’s credit card syndrome. Yesterday I printed a copy of Government Minister Salary and Allowances so that people could get an idea of the kind of money a minister makes either annually or monthly. I wanted them to see too that everything Shoppin-Toppin claims she was using her credit card for was actually covered by the State (read, tax payers and treasury money).  Shoppin Toppin and her husband have access to free travel to and from Trinidad, free meals, free accommodation and an expense account for entertainment…..so what on earth was the credit card being used for?

And couple that with the fact that she never read the rules of the credit card and keeps insisting that she did nothing wrong. You broke laws, Toppin….LAWS! And yet the leaders of this government turn a blind eye to this?

Then Fuad Khan jump up and take front and apologise before we find out about his crime….as if apologising for criminal activity in advance absolves you….oh, wait, under this government it does….so Fuad broke laws, and all he has to do is issue an apology and everything is ok? So if Amy Annmunthodo abuser and killer say he sorry…he could get out of jail free? Ask all yuh selves these questions, people. What are we  allowing and agreeing to when we defend and pardon these people?

Police brutality and violence came under scrutiny again this week and I going to boil this down real simple….in 2012 for 107 days the government of Trinidad and Tobago gave the TTPS absolute carte blanche to arrest and detain whoever they wanted, however they wanted without evidence or proof…mere suspicion was enough….it was called the State of Emergency…remember that? Citizen’s rights were suspended during that period and we were living in a police state…..nobody expected there to be any backlash from the Police Service in the aftermath of the SoE? 107 days they aint have to account to anyone for their behaviour and actions…..and brutal police raids shocking all yuh now?

The most major story this week though, had to be Kamla the Nepotist! In a series of missteps that have either played out in Parliament or are being covered by the local media, a larger picture is being painted of Kamla Rani doing precisely what she accused Patrick Manning of during his tenure as leader. It appears that the PM’s sister may be living at the official prime ministerial residence. This is the same sister that the State of Trinidad and Tobago has spent roughly TT$1m on to cover her travel expenses with the PM for 4 documented, cabinet-approved trips abroad.

Now ask yourselves a few questions:
1. If the PM is allowed a personal assistant or Protocol Officer, why doesn’t she simply hire a female protocol officer that she can trust?
2. If it is state practice to pay for a travel adviser/assistant why all of the lies and where is the evidence to support your claim?
3. Who are these cabinet members that are approving this use of our state funds?
4. Where is the Minister of Finance in all of this? He has final say on State spending that includes the credit cards that Fuad and Vernella abused, as well as okaying spending on the PMs sister…..why is Dookeran not being made to answer questions on this issue?
5. Is Prakash Ramadhar and the COP in agreement with all this abuse of state funding and nepotism?

One of the disturbing things coming out of this issue with the PM’s sister is that supporters of her government are now volubly supporting this kind of disturbing behaviour. Hazel Manning’s appointment as a Senator and Government minister is now being cited heavily….Camille Robinson-Regis’s abuse of the government travel card is also being used as an excuse for the crimes of the People’s Partnership….As if in Trinidad TWO WRONGS MAKE IT RIGHT!

Since 2010 I have been saying that the foolishness Manning did in his tenure as Prime Minister set certain disgusting precedents in this country and now makes it very possible for Kamla and her Deck of Fools to do things that are illegal, underhanded and immoral and they will be excused simply because “de PNM do it too!” When I tell PNMites that is Manning have we in this monkey pants, they get vex with me. And their lame fall back response is that the UNC/COP coalition doing worse. At this stage we still making comparison’s? Bbut seriously, if Manning’s government had set higher standards, would the country now be accepting crime and criminal activity that passes for governance under the People’s Partnership?

So the question remains how is the current version of the PNM under Rowley  improving itself so that we don’t have a repeat of the negative parts of the Manning years to look forward to? You know, the nepotism, squandermania and arrogant leadership…..

And how are members of this coalition government helping this government to keep its nose clean? Apart from the MSJ…who nobody taking seriously because of its small numbers and lone senator…. why is no other member of the Partnership speaking out on the obvious corruption, nepotism and abuse of public funds? Is it that Prakash Ramadhar is in agreement with Kamla’s behaviour or has he sold out the trust of his supporters to protect his position in parliament and along the corridors of power…..Et tu, Prakash?

Kamla, in 2010, came into government on a campaign that promised to get rid of:

  • Dictatorial Leadership
  • Squandermania and abuse of State Funds
  • Nepotism
  • Crime
  • A single export economy
  • Bad environmental practices
  • nation wide flooding.

Study all yuh head good and tell me how much, if any of those goals has she remained committed to; and what progress she has made with any of them…..in the mean time, Prakash…any comments from you brotherman?

De Vice Cyah Done!

Crime Clusterf@$k/Political Pantomime 21mts, 18dys: The Gender Card Again!

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The PM, aka the National Mother, Grandmother and Special Needs Woman, collecting her Glamour Woman of the Year Award in 2010. Photo courtesy Glamour's website.

Whole of last night my brain buzzing with this quarry in Blanchisseuse thing….then I wake up this morning to read that the PM play the gender card again and my morning derailed.

Anybody who know me well, knows that the feminist Get Out of Jail Free Card of “I am a frail female” does piss me off.

To sit and read that the PM, the Leader of a government and country issue a statement that uses gender to justify her misuse of public funds is enough to make one vomit! Beyond the constraints of ailing that can affect either gender, what can a female PM at Persad-Bissessar’s age be coping with that is gender specific? Come, come, Madam PM!

I am a woman, I have different needs, and so it should be expected that I will abuse the public purse to have my sister travel with me internationally at the STATE’s expense? The Iron Lady must be corroding with this one.
Kamla Rani, don’t get us wrong….nobody begrudging you your sister as a travel companion….nobody even begrudging you the luxury of aging and ailing…but why do WE THE TAXPAYERS have to shoulder the burden that is Vidwatie Newton’s travel expenses? That is the crux of the matter. And for you to take what is fundamentally an issue of misuse of public funds and turn it into a plea for sympathy because of your gender makes you nasty and reprehensible! I said it!

Is not enough that you get caught lying when you said you paid her out of your own pocket.

Is not enough that you get caught lying when you said the Govt of India covered the expenses of your state visit to India.

Is it not enough that you sought to tarnish the reputation of a former Prime Minister and President to justify your pilfering of public funds?

The public had to find out that on at least 4 occasions the Cabinet approved travel funding to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars for your sister!

Now you come with a story that is designed to make us feel that as a woman, your needs are so different from that of any other person it GIVES YOU THE RIGHT to ABUSE PUBLIC FUNDS?

Is your husband not a doctor? Considering that many of the issues you listed in this statement refer to health and lifestyle issues, and considering that the state makes allowances for a spouse travelling with you, wouldn’t it make sense for the person closest to you, with intimate knowledge of your health issues and with medical qualifications, be the one to accompany you on your travels?

I hear a pundit is also part of your travel entourage….you preparing for the afterlife on every trip too?

The next major thing is this quarry….any environmental reporter worth salt and pepper and chadon beni could make chow and a reputation with what going on in Blanchisseuse right now. the first thing you have to know is that this Blanchisseuse Quarry issue started to get sticky under the PNM and has only worsened under the People’s Panchayat because neither parties have an environmental policy worth anything.

Somewhere around 2004/2005 the PNM reversed legislation that  made it mandatory for anyone operating a quarry to require permission from the EMA. In the new legislation anyone operating a quarry under 150 acres can do so without permission from the EMA. The PNM issued this legislation to allow for the mining of aggregate to assist in the construction industry boom that was going on then.

So, in short, our environment was sacrificed for the sake of the construction boom. This new law led to many small quarries springing up overnight in the forests of the Northern Range. These quarries have affected the habitat for wild animals, our vegetation and our waterways. The quarrying also has implications for flooding on a national level.

Add to this mix the contract signed between the former PNM Government and the Sunway Construction company…..wait, you gasp…Sunway….Calder Hart?????

Yes folks, the construction company that is allegedly owned by Calder Hart is currently doing business under the People’s Panchayat Government.

This is a government that came into power on all things Calder Hart….indeed Anand Ramlogan (remember him? the AG?) had staked his reputation as our AG on getting both Calder Hart and Parick Manning locked up for corruption. It stands to reason then that upon coming into office all contracts Trinidad and Tobago had with Calder Hart or any of his companies would have been suspended pending investigations. Especially when you realise that the Govt of Trinidad and Tobago actually losing $$$ on the deal with Sunway Construction.

So, the Pantomime wants to know:

Why have these contracts the Govt has with Calder Hart/Sunway not been suspended or cancelled? after all the OPV contracts were reviewed cancelled quick quick on the grounds that it wasn’t in the country’s best interest.

Who is benefitting from this arrangement with Sunway Ltd?

Are members of the People’s Panchayat Govt in bed with Sunway and doing business with them????

Is it that we know where Calder Hart is and haven’t brought him in for questioning An&?

Why has this govt not overturned those controversial environmental laws? (Prakash, look a worthy campaign to take up)

Is it that these questionable laws working in their favour?

Wasn’t amendments to current environmental policies and practices part of your manifesto and 120 plan? (Prakash, all yuh forget?)

Interestingly enough, quarrying continued for 21 months under this regime and it only when Calder Hart’s name get mentioned last week that Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine swoop down like Enviro Batman to stop the quarrying.

Why now Kevin? Why after 21 months of quarrying? Why only when Sunway’s name get mentioned? Is there something that this government trying to hide from the country? Might that be the reason the AG can’t find or arrest Calder Hart yet?

I have a question for The Keith too….what are you doing to ensure that the PNM policies under Manning are going to be different under you? Because this environmental mess didn’t happen in a vaccum on its own.

In other environmental issues, police and people clash over roads and social amenities. Maybe if these people were all women of a certain age with a sister called Vidwatie Newton their special needs would be addressed.

On Monday night into Tuesday morning four people were murdered. Maybe if this country was a female Prime Minister of a certain age then our special needs would be attended to and we’d get a CRIME PLAN!!!! Instead of watching Gibbs and Ewatski  not perform at their jobs while setting up to sue this government for what may be millions of dollars.

CLICOGATE has yet another twist in the scandal as it appears that $156m of NIB funds was sunk into Clico Investment Bank. Maybe the finance heads can explain to me why National Insurance $$$$$ had to be invested in Clico at a time when it was clear the company was in trouble….was this another form of bailout???????

In UNC Internal Elections news, know is water more than flour when Panday and Jack Warner saying the same thing…both men are convinced that the elections being tampered with internally. And at least one of them taking legal action.

And while Jack encouraging other members of the People’s Panchayat to speak out, Assworth…sorry, Ashworth Jack telling them to hush.

TV6 doing some interesting work on the Diesel Bunkering trade in Trinidad and Tobago that for some strange reason does not seem to involve underground storage in Sea Lots or Beetham or residents of Beetham who resemble John Sandy….did anybody tell Minister Roodal Moonilal this? Is it possible that Minister Moonilal lied to the nation of Trinidad and Tobago in parliament in September 2011?

Ancil Roget has gone on record to say that poor management at TCL is what has led to industrial relations breakdown and the strike.

And Senate Vice-President Lyndira Oudit demonstrated her colossal ignorance of Parliamentary Law that led to the Opposition Walking out of the Upper House….Oudit is yet to admit that her ruling was inaccurate…..

But that is par for the course with this Govt…Wrong and Strong and Unapologetic!

De Vice Cyah Done!

TWICKS (This Week In Clusterf@$KS) Feb 20th – 26th: Oh Bacchanal!

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The PM sharing Carnival cheer at Mas camps.....

It was the week of our Carnival

And all through the land

We feted and partied

With drinks in our hands!

Normally the week of Carnival is a slow news week.
The major headlines focus on who’s won the Road March title and Band of the Year.

Not that these things weren’t also considerations. But in the space of a carnival week we had:

  • A government minister injuring a woman with his vehicle and driving off on Carnival Monday.
  • Police arriving late for Carnival duty
  • Queries about whether Gibbs’ $.9m Crop Duster was actually used for surveillance during the carnival season or to spray White Oak over the crowd!
  • Prof Ramesh Deosaran bashing Gibbs for being incompetent
  • Anand Ramesar calling for Gibbs and Ewatski to be removed
  • The Govt remaining mum on complaints about Gibbs
  • Announcements that Trinmar was being farmed out and Petrotrin as good as sold…with Energy Minister Ramnarine waffling about the details and sounding very shady!
  • Jack Warner going almost silent after weeks of mouthing off and analysts predicting his imminent demise.
  • Reginald Armour having to recuse himself from the Tribunal that’s investigating Gladys Gafoor because he also counselling the President
  • And Sat acting up again where his Maha Sabha schools are concerned.

 

In all of this the issue that has the Pantomime the most intrigued is the Motion of No Confidence (Wave Yuh Hand Up in De Air) that the Keith of Rowley is bringing on Friday March 2nd. Since it’s announcement Puss in Boots has virtually gone underground….no comments, no sightings, no Louis Vuitton to the Nines in the public face! Knowing The Keith, he doesn’t grand charge….if he is bringing a motion, he’s bringing a motion and the word on the street is that the inhabitants of the Pink Palace have held a pow-wow to figure out what trump card the Keith has up his sleeve. Want to bet they spend the week toeing the line, attempting to be low key about their mishaps while dredging up  meaningless red herrings?
The Opposition doesn’t have enough numbers to get the motion passed…but my guess is The Keith isn’t bent on passing the motion, but on getting information out to raise enough concerns in the minds of the citizenry…as if the daily missteps of this government hasn’t been enough.

Short of that Kamla Rani may well orchestrate another SoE to get the heat off her.

Time will tell.

De Vice Cyah Done!

Crime Clusterf@$k/Political Pantomime 20mts, 24dys: FANTASTIC FRIDAY!

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HD and his back up dancers showing us how to take advantage of the stage, Soca Monarch 2011.

Today is Fantastic Friday and the country fixated on Gas and Mas not exactly in that order!

 Kevin Ramnarine busy convincing us that everything under control,

Go out and fete and jump up, the govt taking care of things!
When has this govt had anything under control?

Petrotrin trying to encourage strike breakers and promising them better security.

Senator Abdullah assures us that he was wearing his General Secretary hat when he signed off on the strike action letter…..he wasn’t a senator then.

Little Jack Warner is now caught in the Haitian Aid Scandal $hitstorm and threatening to expose all, expose himself and grandcharge his way out of ignomy. Too late too late, Jack!

Glibbs and his sidekick Ewat-ski

In a not-surprising move from Prof Deosaran at the Police Service Commission, the Hot shot Top Cop Glibbs has been assessed and found adequate. Ignore the failed SoE, ignore the police raids on media houses, ignore the rental of a crop dusting plane for surveillance. Ignore the increased crime rate that Glibbs has no handle on!

MMHD and the PM, at Soca Monarch 2011.

All eyes will be on the Hasely Crawford Stadium tonight as Benjai and Machel Montano HD collect their prizes……ooops as soca artists compete for the Groovy and Power Monarch titles.
Will Iwer George’s diesel bunkering rhythm finally outpace the govt endorsed Pump Yuh Flagman?
Can Kerwin Dubois’ Bacchanal wow the judges adequately?
Or will the People’s Champion Benjai, who just received a nameless award from the PM gain the groovy crown.
Will the PM outdo Madonna and have a spectacular half-time show,

Where she storms the stage yet again to remind the crowd to be patriotic?

Will she show follow Machel to fete after fete with his winning check in hand?
It’s Fantastic Friday Folks!
De Bacchanal now start

De Vice Cyah Done!