Gentle Peoples -

Bitter or Sweet? Like Dr. Ram Dass gone behind God back? Well, after ah good Trini Christmas and New Years following de Trini Christmas Show ah had to sit down with de TJJ family and work out some of de new things on de Jungle Juice that have it shining like a shilling... After all, meh last newsletter (Dec 17th 2006) was on hold for internal consumption for a while now. But like is TJJ 7.0 with de new computers that TJJ using now... flashy graphics, quick navigation, fancy Videos on TJJ TV, latest Music and all kinda ting yes...even TJJ Classifieds... that I coin'in de "Trini Ebay". So if you looking to buy, sell or trade you Carnival Costume for 2k7, here's de place to start!

So coming back... I feel everytime I ah sit down... ah does have tuh stroke meh chin... wrinkle meh forehead an wonder, "what de jail going on?"

Mr. Manning catch a plane to quito quito out in Africa to make his announcement... "de Smelter going and build", followed by another 2 by 2012. Now, I man is no chemical engineer, but I sure that all dem protesting UWI professors that getting arrested ent doing it fuh kicks. Do a little research on Aluminum Smelters... and any moo moo ga realize that de Government's industrialization policy really ent make'in sense. Like de government ent realize that "what sweet in goat mouth does sour in he bam bam!" We ent have enough hospital to take care of the sick now... far less fuh when people start to fall down from de poisoning.

So ah study de way things does go on small islands... De question I asking myself is how much change we really want? Trini is a real bitter-sweet. People does complain that you cyah go nowhere and get nuttin done, doh talk bout government office... and in the next sentence happy like pappy since they does work a 10-4 with a 2 hour lunch drinking in de rum shop. People mad till dey cyah take it no more with all de traffic on de road, yet want to stop any an everywhere to hailout a partner... and vex vex vex when dey get cus. I feel plenty of the things that does make the island a nice, laid back paradise, is the same sweetness that does slow down efficiency. Where we going an find de balance? Carnival coming up, who going to work Ash Wednesday? Ok, maybe that is not a reasonable question... :-) However, when yuh look at all the bacchanal that does go on, and the outcomes,... I think is just to entertain the public? Silver Fox "re-allocate" money all over de world, and when dey ask him where he get de money to put in his furrin accounts, he tell de press, "yuh mudda." MP Larry Achong cussin people in town hall meetings on TV (see youtube www.youtube.com/results?search_query=achong)... cause he ent want to hear nobody bad talk he smelter just to name a few of the wayward behavior that does go on in Public office.

So plenty of us not very proactive in expressing how we feel, and that does make an elected government anywhere happy. But what happen when people get ah little proactive? Last year Bush wanted to make illegal aliens in America Federal Criminals... well... they all stay home for a day to show the government:
1. The volume of people that not happy
2. Their willing to Act

So what happen when the most popular broadcaster (Inshan Ishmael), on de most popular show (Breaking Barriers) on de most popular local TV station, (IBN 8 in Trinidad), announces a National Shutdown to protest the current crime situation? Well that simple, de boss does send plenty plain clothes police late in de night to drag him out of his house. Take him back to CID head quarters and have him strip searched. Later to be charged under the Terrorist Act and then changed to a lesser charge of distributing flyers without a printer name on it. A big arrest like that does either takes years of planning or a hot tempered reaction. I go with the latter, and we know is not Police Commissioner Trevor Paul...but his Boss...

So... Carnival is here (no work for de whole ah February... hehe)... be safe and responsible while enjoying the Bitter Sweet life of the 'Caribee'. Aye, remember you can catch the Chutney Soca Monarch 2007 Finals LIVE this Saturday on JumpTV!

From the desk of Dr. Ram Dass,
Trini Jungle Juice Team

TJJ tells it as it is, no opinions, no justifications, always jus reporting free from 'fear' or 'favoritism'.