A little relaxation

It might not be every one's cup of tea, but these 2 songs, I like.

When Science, Politics and Psychiatry collide!

There is a crisis at the moment over here in the UK. Prof Nutt the chair of the Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs was recently sacked at the end of October 2009. Prof Nutt has not been received favourably in many UK Psychiatric circles because he is seen by some as instrumental in trying to down grade cannabis from a class B to C drug - and the Government over here weren't happy either. [There are three classes A, B & C. Illegal possession or supply of these substances, leads to imprisonment ranging between 2 and 14 years depending on class]

Prof Nutt was sacked from his unpaid role as chairman ACMD because [See BBC - Mark Easton - 2009-10-30] according to Alan Johnson "As chair of the ACMD you cannot avoid appearing to implicate the Council in your comments and thereby undermining its scientific independence." .

Mr Johnson stated that Prof Nutt did not comply with the Code of practice for Scientific Advisory Committees.

The BBC 2009-11-03 reported that Prof Nutt was asked to step down because ".. he had failed to distinguish between providing advice and criticising settled policy.".. and that ".. Gordon Brown strongly backed the decision, saying Prof Nutt had repeatedly undermined Labour's drug message."

Further, Alan Johnson wrote in the Guardian 2009-11-02 that "He was asked to go because he cannot be both a government adviser and a campaigner against government policy. This principle is well understood and long established." And to Sky News 2009-11-01 Mr Johnson said "What you cannot have is a chief adviser at the same time stepping into the political field and campaigning against government decisions. You can do one or the other. You can't do both." [Prof Nutt]  "..crossed the line between offering advice and then campaigning against the government on political decisions."

The Conservatives have supported the government's decision - Surprise! Surprise! - whilst the Lib Dems haven't.

Prof Nutt is a psychiatrist with specialist registrations in General Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology. He is an outspoken man who normally has a sound evidence base for his conclusions. He apparently has locked horns with the lovely Jaqui Smith. The final straw for the government came when delivered a lecture in July 2009, in his capacity as an independent academic, at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. Amazingly or amusingly it was alleged that the Government came to a belief that his lecture was some time in October 2009. [CCJS-1]. However, there is nothing in Alan Johnson's letter that refers to any specific dates on which breaches of standards in public life - referred to as the Nolan Principles - took place. Many are finding it difficult to see where and how Prof Nutt's public and academic beliefs came into conflict with codes of practice or the 'principles'. Or were such breaches of a sufficent 'nature' or 'degree' to warrant a kicking?

Study the text of his controversial lecture in July 2009 - and read the CCJS press release in which it is reported, "To prevent one episode of schizophrenia, he argues, it would be necessary `to stop 5,000 men aged 20 to 25 from ever using' cannabis.

I do not believe that this whole matter is simply about the science and the 'numbers'. Science does not often dictate government policy - or does it? I'm not sure this is simply about a conflict of interest. It seems that on balance Prof Nutt did cross a certain line - however imperceptibly.

I wonder what the more intelligent on or orf dee Rock think - doh 'fraid to jumpeen and have yuh say.

Some random comments this morning

This morning there is so many things happening in the news, it requires a little filtering to make sense out of nonsense.

Starting with the news in the Express, that the CEO and medical director of the SWRHA were both asked to resign (for reasons yet unknown). One wonders if the resignation/firing had anything to do with the maggots recently found at the Casualty Department. It's hardly likely...

Nothing remains hidden for long under a rock, down at the Rock, so eventually I expect the true reasons will be revealed.

I see that the cable company - cable television that is - is adding another 20 channels to its line-up. Given the past record of cable television in Trinidad and Tobago, one only hopes that the relevant licensing has been obtained. This Jumbie remembers when one cable company broadcasted a movie channel for many years without a licence until the same movie channel took legal action. It is amazing that COTT took no action against this blatant piracy, but were chasing down DVD sellers on the street. Is it that the more money you earn, the more "legitimate" you become?

A search for a new Commissioner of Police (a.k.a. Chief Duncey) has been "stalled". Pennsylvania State University Justice and Safety Institute had recommended the firm that selected Stephen Williams as the CoP elect.

Of course we all know the outcome of that story - the process was deemed flawed - and Mr. Williams was shunted aside, leaving an interim "actor" in place.

Cabinet is once again stalling on recommending Pennsylvania State University Justice and Safety Institute to initiate the process the second time around. It makes a certain kind of sense. If this same Institute carried out a flawed process earlier, who is to say this time around it can be trusted?

Dana Seetahal has been spared being sent to the Privileges Committee. While she has been spared, I think I may be in some trouble:

...Beckles said the test for contempt was usually that the comment alleges that the Speaker was biased, unfair or unjust in the performance of his duties.

I have lost count of the number of times I have said that the Speaker was biased, unfair or unjust in the performance of his duties.

Ah well…

Keep a lookout

At the request of a fellow blogger, I am reposting this Flyer in case any readers might have some information on this missing person.

For her sake and the sake of her family and loved ones I hope she is found soon.

Not living in Monkey Island

I guess this woman is unlucky enough not to be living in Trinidad and Tobago. Imagine having to spend so much money and writing your "regulations" 950 times before you pass!

When in Trinidad and Tobago all she had to do was pass a few "blues" and she would have had much success. Come to think of it, she might have had a driver’s permit by now.

400 tonne screwjob

You know, de more Isaac Gary Hunt talk, the more dotish he shows himself to be.

First, he ent know the real cost of the flag at the National Stadium, then when persistent rumours of $TT2M started flying around, he come up with a figure of $18K.

But hold on, the rumours of $TT2M ent stop, so meh boy had to come and justify (and thereby confirm, as it were) that $TT2M was correct.

He said the engineering works which took place in the ’swampy soil conditions where the stadium is located’, included:

• a soil analysis and geotechnical survey,
• design of the foundation,
• excavation to a depth of 20 feet x 20 ft x 15 feet,
• 400 tonnes of reinforced concrete,
• two tonnes of steel, (de Guardian have 200 tonnes)
• reinforcements,
• blue stone and granular backfill,
• and contracting the use of heavy lifting equipment such as cranes to hold the flag in position for several days while the concrete set.

I just want to point out in the italics above, a certain inconsistency. I am not an engineer.. well, not that kind anyway (Help, LOL!!) but I am wondering how de arse Gary and Tattoo get 400 tonnes of concrete in dat hole. That is a scewjob on record.

Halloween Preparations

I took these photos when my neighbour was preparing for Halloween… after making brooms for the kids, he tested their flying capabilities…

Mail to the dead 4

I had the idea that the mail for the deceased Mr. I K should go to a person who would be charitable enough to assist the dead man and his personal representatives.

No, I am not sending it to the upright Christian, Pa-trick Manning. Neither to the Pastor with the fake qualifications (as I typed that, I wondered if Pa-trick will also gain an online qualification to become the Pastor he wants to be?).

No, I decided that I may as well send it to one of the foremost Christians in the world; no, not the Pope – maybe secretly I want to test whether they are indeed as neighbour friendly as Christ asked them to be…

So  I decided to forward the mail to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury.

Thought of the day

What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

~ by Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Constitutional Reform aka Anal Entry

I am not too sure what to make of the fact that the PM and the Opposition leader meeting behind closed doors to discuss political constitutional reform.

Personally, the way I see it, we have 2 decrepit, old, power mad, senile senior citizens who are negotiating the doom fate of approximately 1.5 M people BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. Men who can barely pee by themselves, by the way…

Does that scare you? It sure scares me enough I want to shit myself.

No public consultation, no transparency, no light on the subject… some deal might be struck that will be like a police baton up a citizen’s arse…

Now, I am not saying the present constitution doesn’t have problems… it has a vast amount, as we see from the abuse it suffers at the hands of the current administration.

It took us 50 years, and a wanna-be autocrat to show us how weak it is. That is, how many loopholes there are to be exploited… Still, I am not sure, given what I read in the Draft Constitution, that rewriting the entire constitution from scratch is the way to go… not when the rewrite wants to concentrate even more power into the hands of one person with even less accountability.

I am not sure that public consultation will make much of a difference either. Not many people take the time to read up or learn about the constitution, and will not know what is good, bad, or worse if it hits them like a hammer between the eyes.

It is one of the reasons that the PNM has been able to get away with all the dotishness so far. And will continue to walk all over the population.

So public consultation will really be a commess of the PNM simply telling the population what it wants to hear, or what it wants… period. Delivery of course, for the past 50 years, has never been on the agenda.

I can’t wait till the kuchoor start.

Mail to the dead 3

I wrote before on receiving mail addressed to a dead person. I even wrote on the envelope that the person was dead and sent the mail back.

Only now, I am getting mail addressed to:

The personal representative(s) of Mr I K…..

I’m thinking of redirecting to 10 Downing street… what do you readers think?

Pastor promotes …

if you were not born with a golden spoon, get a wooden one and paint it gold.

Clive Dottin

Of all the asinine advice... a coat of paint will not change a wooden spoon to gold, neither will it fool anyone.

I strongly suspect Dottin has a gold painted wooden spoon, only it might not be in his mouth...

Gasp!

Cold Weather

The weather has been getting colder, and even Da, the helpful little gardener, is prepared. No gardening these days, but he is learning to fence (sword fighting for those who don’t know) indoors.

Cobblestones

Though it is increasingly rare to find cobbled streets in England, this one still remains in Brindley Place, Birmingham.

The idiot runneth rampant

Once more, Sherman McNicolls is at the forefront of another jackass judicial decision. Nothing pisses me off more than to see this idiot in the news for a lack of sense and a deliberate distortion of the laws in favour of friends.

Daly speaks

This is a dangerous time for us. Fundamental rights are under attack, as is the Judiciary, the primary arbiter of the extent of those rights. As my esteemed colleague, Selwyn Ryan, wrote in this newspaper two Sundays ago: "What we are witnessing is an unconcealed attempt at comprehensive executive aggrandisement." I would add that the attempt is intended to acquire power to whatever extent is necessary in order to mow down anything and smear anyone interfering with the executive aggrandisement plan.

The title of this column is inspired by something written by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times earlier this month, in which she wrote about how ideals "collide with harsh reality" and the dangers of excessive compromise of inspiring objectives. She was analysing the apparent wavering of Barack Obama, whose election to the office of President of the United States initially set the world on fire.

The focus of Maureen Dowd's column to which I refer was concern that President Obama's charisma might be diluted by his constantly reaching for common ground. She quotes the former President of the Czech Republic who warned that, "With minor compromises start the big and dangerous ones, the real problems." Ms Dowd comments that, one must be careful not to compromise so much that, "ideals get blurred out of recognition". You can "get smudged if too much is fudged".

This Government has been in a constant state of denial that violent crime is a serious problem for Trinidad and Tobago. It has consistently fudged dealing with the problem, often not even acknowledging that there is one. Unfortunately for us the fudging has taken us way past merely being smudged. We are experiencing grief in abundance. The population is traumatised, in fear of opening our doors or going out on routine business or for pleasure. There is no place that cannot be reached with impunity by the violent criminal element whenever they feel like it.

The fudging of the crime problem is backed up by a belief that the Christian God is on the side of the Government and will deliver its Ministers from evil and, perhaps, the rest of us ordinary mortals will receive the collateral benefit of our delivery from evil. There are obvious practical difficulties in mixing up politics and religion. It is plainly offensive in a plural society for any public official to lay claim to knowledge of who is the true God. The Constitution guarantees freedom of worship and we sing that there is an equal place for every creed and race.

However, in view of the claim of this Government that it is "drunk on God", (a blasphemy if I ever heard one), the difficulty of mixing politics and religion that concerns me most at the moment is the effect which reliance on religious belief has on the mind of the politician.

In a lecture given in 1932, Freud, the psycho-analyst, compared and contrasted the roles of philosophy, science and religion and said of the effect of religion on men and women that: "It assures them of protection and final happiness amid the changing vicissitudes of life, and guides their thoughts and actions by means of precepts which are backed by the whole force of its authority."

Put simply, a person armed with an assurance that everything will be all right does not need to embrace philosophy or science or to heed the views of others in an attempt to consider "how to avoid certain dangers or to combat many sufferings". Likewise it would seem to those politicians with God on their side that there is no need for meaningful democracy because the wishes of other people cannot trump the certainty of the religious revelation. Consequently, checks and balances on executive power are a nuisance and an impediment to implementation of the revelation.

Living in the midst of the misuse of religious fervour to gloss over bad politics and bad governance compels me, by contrast to many of President Obama's critics, to view his attempts to find common ground with sympathetic relief. I am comforted that the most powerful democratically elected official should first seek as far as possible to reconcile conflicting views on healthcare and wars being fought abroad, like those in Iraq and Afghanistan, before attempting to impose his will on the population who elected him.

The fact is we badly need a whole range of measures likely to bring peace and reconciliation in this small and divided nation of ours. We have fudged and smudged our path to a civilised quality of life. We have a huge amount of work to do to get ourselves off the road that is sign posted materialism only, and back on the road that is sign posted civilisation. The latter road is a broad and inclusive avenue, the former road is a dead-end, pun intended, in view of our disproportionate number of murdered dead.

Martin Daly

Classics

Inertia or Apathy?

Inertia – the tendency of a body to remain in a state of rest, or constant motion, unless acted upon by an external force.

Apathy – A state of indifference, lacking emotion or enthusiasm.

I chose to define those words initially, to give a clearer idea of my morning post. While I believe the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago are quite apathetic in their concern for political and economic change, I am not writing about them this morning. I am writing about myself.

I am not apathetic. Definitely not. But I am guilty of being inert.

I hate to disturb the status quo. Most times, I like things the way they are, in my life. Change comes unwillingly to me. There is a certain comfort in routines, in habits.

I am not sure how many persons reading this blog, have read the book Who moved my cheese? by Dr Spencer Johnson. If you have not, I highly recommend it. It is a eye opening insight into what we miss out on, when we refuse to change.

All is not lost with me, I hope. As Cap’n Walker can attest to, I can be moved upon by an external force, once in a while, to change. (^_^)

I decline to give more details at this time, but…  today I would like readers to reflect upon the word POTENTIAL, and what it means to you.

Worst in 50 years

This current People's National Movement administration is the worst T&T has had for 50 years, says retired head of the public service Reginald Dumas.

Dumas, who in an interview yesterday also described the current administration as "clueless", was commenting on the recent revelations that the monstrous T&T flag erected at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, may have cost taxpayers close to $2 million. He noted Sport Minister Gary Hunt's comments regarding the flag, saying if that was the intellectual level of the current ministers, T&T was in serious trouble.

"I have never heard such rubbish coming out of a minister of Government in this country or any other country in a long time," Dumas said. Hunt did not confirm or deny that the cost of the flag was $2 million but said that whatever the cost, one could not put a cost on national pride.

Dumas said Hunt's statements that no matter the cost of the flag, Government was proud to erect such a symbol of national pride was disrespectful of the national community.

"I think that I was representing this country long before Mr Hunt was born, and I really do not need him to tell me about national pride," said Dumas.

"The country lacks proper political leaders at all levels," he insisted.

"Leadership is not a question of the post that you hold, and I am afraid that across the spectrum, whether one is talking about the Government or whether one is talking about the Opposition, there is a vacuum."