N Touch

Mia’s Hal Jackson 1st runner-up and…

When Mia Gormandy rendered her pan piece “Flight of the Bumble Bee” at the finals of the Hal Jackson Talented Teen Scholarship Competition on July 26 before the mature audience at the Reichhold Centre for the Arts in St Thomas, they were awe-struck.

The petite 14-year-old from Belmont stunned them. The bumble bee tuxedo with cumberband, gold wings affixed to the back, a complementing headpiece with antennae and a well-displayed presentation, thanks to a few tips from Allison Brown, were enough for her to capture 1st runner-up at the 33rd annual New York based competition. Mia follows in the footsteps of opera singer Trinidadian Renee Solomon, who won the International title in 1999. The lone Caribbean delegate, Mia competed against 29 teens from the US and Canada. Hal Jackson Talented Teen Scholarship competition is aimed at assisting teens in their career choice with the award of a scholarship. When the group of ten were selected Mia’s focus drifted a bit from winning the crown since, she told People “I was happy to reach so high.” Then the final five were picked. “I was so excited,” she said. “Then you’re standing there and they call fourth place and it’s not you, then third and it came down to just me and one girl.” In the end, Miss Georgia, vocalist Tatiana Mc Connico won the scholarship. Mia won a diamond ring, a gift voucher and US$2,000 scholarship money.

Under the theme “Carnival — What it means to you,” each contestant had to showcase their national costume depicting Carnival of a country of their choice. Mia chose the Carnival of her twin isle. Her costume was designed by Chris Santos and Gregory Medina. Her make-up was done by Kenneth Arthur/Black Opal and Cheryl Prescod, her shrimp-coloured evening gown was chosen by aunt Bertha Robinson of Baltimore, Maryland, organiser Debra Gift, and her tailored suit, by Sylvan’s. But Mia recalls her best showing in St Thomas as “TT’s pan ambassador.”  “They (delegates) wanted to know what talent I was doing and when I told them the pan, they had no idea what I was talking about. I got a chance to tell them that the steelpan is an instrument of the 20th century.  It was made in Trinidad and Tobago. It’s made out of steel and ranges from tenor to bass. Then there’s cello and bass. Then I was able to show them a St Thomas steelband. “I had a wonderful experience. Everywhere we went we wore the sash and I felt like a queen. People would tell meooh I love your accent.” I was privileged to see St Thomas, being there with the girls of my age group. It felt good to represent your country. “The experience has made me more independent, more self-confident. I’m not shy to speak up.”

Mia had a 10-member family crew, who waved miniature Trini flags, backing her at the event. She’s familiar to the spotlight after placing 1st in her pan category at this year’s Music Festival. Mia’ has competed in just about every teen competition including “Pan In Schools” (she’s currently the title-holder), Pan Trinbago competitions and “Twelve and Under” talent show. As a result of her impressive performance at the Hal Jackson Talented Teen competition, the St Thomas Tourism Board has extended the invitation for her to return to perform at an event later this year. “We are very proud of her because she always puts her best forward,” said her parents Ingrid and Mario Gormandy. Her brothers Oni and Kai are also her support. Her music teachers Merle Albino De Coteau/Music Makers and Patrice Neaves-Amoroso/St Joseph Convent are her mentors. Her role models remain her mother because “she works hard, she knows about good management, she’s never unaware of what’s happening” and, Liam Teague who’s currently attached to the University of Northern Illinois. “He has taken pan extremely far.” Although Mia’s pursuing Earth Sciences when she enters fourth form in September, her inclination is towards a PhD in Music and “blending music with computer animation. I see myself as an ambassador because I have travelled as far as Australia with Neal and Massy All Stars, then at this competition people didn’t know what pan was.”

Penal welcomes Dr Chandra Jangbahaboor

On entering the Jangbahaboor household, one can sense an aura of spirituality. The members of the family speak softly and there is the beautiful sound of bhajans in the background. The home is filled with the images of the Hindu Gods with lighted deyas and burning incense. Fresh flowers adorn the murtis (images) giving a heavenly look to the home.

Among those who greet you are two simple looking women. Sisters Chandra and Shakuntala have no air about them. Yet they are both highly educated individuals. The elder sister Dr Chandra Jangbahaboor, 41, smiled softly when she asked me to take a seat in the cosy looking room at her parents’ home in Penal. One can never tell that the girl who is looking at you with a simple cotton outfit is Dr Chandra Jangbahadoor, one of the most sought after lecturers in the UK. In History, Chandra holds a BA Degree as well as her Masters and she went further to get her PhD in Philosophy. She is at present lecturing at the Lester University and teaching Race Relations at many of the schools in London where she now resides. Having accomplished so much, Chandra attracted many of her long-time friends on her recent visit to Penal. Scores of people gathered at her parents’ home to see the young woman who is now one of the highly educated individuals in the UK.

Recalling the days when she was just a child attending the Penal Rock Road Presbyterian School, Chandra said: “I believe that my parents love and devotion propelled us — my brothers and sister and I — to achieve so much academically. I had a love for history and the related subjects. Therefore, the first opportunity I got to pursue this subject I plunged in right away,” she said. This beautiful woman with long wavy hair, could have passed as a model. But unlike the girls who pursue that field she has excelled in her academics and now lectures daily. Chandra told People that having graduated from Iere High School, Siparia with her ‘A’ Levels, she wanted to get into the field of nursing. “This was the thing in the 70s and 80s in Trinidad and Tobago. There were many advertisements for young women who will be interested in Nursing. I took the opportunity to go to London 15 years ago. It was not long after I decided to expand my horizons and I took up a job as a manager of a store. This job gave me enough money to pursue my education. I quickly enrolled in Lester University and started the journey of obtaining my first degree,” she explained. This young lady had the determination of steel. Here she was in a foreign country alone and she did it on her own. She was able to work and study hard to pass her exams with honours. To top it off, based on her high passes, she received a scholarship to go after her Masters Degree at Oxford University. Chandra admits that she could not afford to go after her Masters and like a true blessing from the Goddess of learning, Mother Sarawatie, she was given the opportunity.

Though it was difficult for her, Chandra proved to her professor that she could attain the highest pass at Oxford, Then it came, another scholarship to go after her PhD in Philosophy. “I was praying and studying. I had a plan to become a learned person. I wanted to achieve this so that I would be able to express my views on matters that have troubled me all my life. Matters in History and Philosophy, and I am now able to do this,” she said. Today she is involved in preparing exams for students who are pursuing various degrees. Chandra said that while in the UK she missed the sound of the jhanti (the religious bells heard when arti — ‘waving of the deya’ is done. She misses the food and the love and laughter of her brothers and sister. Although she is now married to a British gentleman, and has dual citizenship, she is true Trinidadian, wherever she goes. “This is something I am extremely proud of. I am happy when my co-professors refer to me as a Trinidadian. It is like I came from a small country and I have made it big. I feel good about this,” she said. Although she came on vacation to visit her father and mother, Dinanath and Popatie Jangbadoor, Dr Chandra took the opportunity to address a religious audience at the Hindu Prachaar Kendra (HPK) in Chaguanas. She spoke on the role of women through the years of indenturship in TT. Her lecture was well received by the people of the HPK. Many refer to her as a good example for the young people to follow. “The journey gets better with each passing day and the goal seems closer when you are halfway up the ladder,” she said.

India’s top models coming in September

India’s top models, Shweta Arya, Ritu Singh, Mehar Bhasin, and Shaheen Dhiman will be coming to Trinidad and Tobago for two Asian Fashion shows carded for September 9 and 10 at the Centre of Excellence at 7 pm.

This event is being organised by the Indian High Commission Ladies Club of India in collaboration with the local counterpart of club. The local club is headed by Veena Gupta, who is the wife of The Indian High Commissioner to TT, Varendra Gupta. The women of both clubs have been planning this event since early June. According to the organising committee, these top models are very much in demand in many countries of the world. Local designers and fashion enthusiasts will be given the opportunity to see the best of Bollywood fashions as worn by the actresses such as Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen, Diya Mizra, Rani Mukherjee and Bipasha Basu. The exquisite jewelry and make-up will be used to complement each design for this show.

Dariem is flying high with his voice and pan

He has to be very talented to do both, play pan and sing at the same time and at that age,” Joslynne Sealey said in admiration of the 12-year-old pan and voice talent of Dariem Charles. “Playing pan and using it to accompany your voice is a very difficult feat especially at age 12 because that’s the age when the voice breaks. He (Dariem) must still have the treble.”

Whether he does or not Dariem has had his fill at perhaps one of his biggest billings to date — the opening act of “Icons In Concert” last evening, at Jean Pierre Complex in celebration of our country’s 41st Independence anniversary. Yes, Dariem rubbed shoulders with some of calypso’s greats including Calypso King and Queen of the World, The Mighty Sparrow and Calypso Rose. Dariem was spotted by “Icons In Concert” organisers after his impressive soca performance accompanied by the pan. He appeared alongside Young Marcel at Mas Camp Pub’s “Bridging De Gap” mini concert earlier this month. The duo performed songs like Roger George’s “These are the Days” and Calypso Kerr’s (his manager Carlston Kerr) “Party with Pan”. “The mini concert was about bringing the young and the old together, giving youths an alternative to violence by getting involved in singing calypso and soca,” said Dariem. Dariem, a form two student of El Dorado Secondary Comprehensive School and resident of Sangre Grande can sing all styles — reggae, soca, calypso, R&B— and play pan simultaneously. He’s a one-man show. It’s not the norm and certainly not an act practised by professional pannists, locally.

According to Sealey, “usually one or the other will suffer,” one’s efficiency on the pan or vocals. “Singing is a combination of breathing and phrasing, and then with the pan it’s concentrating on playing different notes and these notes aren’t marked out on the pan. This is what you see with performers like Barry Manilow who sings while on the piano but then the microphone is close to his lips. Unlike Dariem, he has to look down at his notes which could compromise his vocals and it is technically difficult to do that well.” Dariem sang a different tune. For him, he said, it wasn’t difficult. How so? When his mother, gospel singer/ assistant manager Patsi De Vignes Charles, drafted him to accompany her on stage at a Mother’s Day concert in Cumana, Dariem began picturing himself as a performer. At Toco Season’s talent show a few years later, while a student of Cumana Anglican, Dariem placed fourth in the calypso competition. But it was at the age of nine, while resident in Cumana that Dariem discovered his talent. “I used to go across to the area where the Toco band was and play around with the pan. Then one day Natasha Hislop (neighbour) saw me and decided to teach me how to play and she gave me half of “Amazing Grace” to learn on the pan. “Then I got a pan borrowed from the band and almost everyday I would go across and practice the song. When my mother saw me singing the song and playing the notes on the pan together she said, ‘yuh know what, ah want yuh to do that everytime you play.’ Ah say this is ah next pressure on meh head now…to sing and play the pan!” Dariem told People. He was given some assistance by the “neighbourhood musician” and friend of the family Dexter “Tac Tac.” He was also taken under the wings of music instructor Merle Albino-De Coteau.

When the villagers numbering just over 100 responded with a standing ovation after Dariem’s first performance as a panman/vocalist at Miss Seasonet Fashion Show/Tocohe he said, “I was encouraged. They told me well done, keep it up!” he said. Subsequently, he copped best calypso singer and best all-round performer at Twelve and Under talent show in the two years he competed. He was now given the impetus to excel in his field. Last year, Dariem won several trophies which included Best East Zone, Best 8-11, Best Social Commentary, Best Primary School performer and Best All-rounder with his rendition “Do Your Best” composed by Calypso Kerr, his manager. Added to that, Dariem has been booked for performances at numerous weddings and graduation ceremonies. Currently, he’s being trained under music teacher Evril Monsegue, who opted to give Dariem free lessons in music theory after seeing the youth in action. Dariem has had to catch up on some school work during the July/August vacation since his performances have at times robbed him of classes during the term. Though he gets to play video games — particularly Play Station and any Mario Brothers game, “Silent Bomber” and Spider Man on Game Boy — on the weekends, he’s not totally pleased about spending his holidays studying. However, he said: “I’m still encouraged to achieve my goals.” He wants to be a pilot, so that “when I’m not singing I’m flying and when I’m not flying I’m singing.”

Blair should resign

PRIME Minister Tony Blair goes before Lord Hutton’s Inquiry and defends himself by stating the obvious. He says he would have had to resign if there was any truth in the BBC report that his government had distorted intelligence information about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. Of course he would have had to; but Mr Blair could not be such a simpleton to believe that because he has not in fact resigned that fact makes the charges against him untrue. Our view is that the proper thing for the Prime Minister to do is to resign because we believe the BBC reports were true that, in fact, weapons expert Dr David Kelly did tell reporters that the government had deliberately “sexed up” the dossier on Iraqi weapons to provide an urgent pretext for going to war.

Mr Blair says: “It was an extraordinary allegation to make and an extremely serious one.” Of course, it was. But the Prime Minister could not be offering the silly and egotistical argument that, because it was an extraordinary and serious allegation against him, it could not be true. We must say that we found Mr Blair’s testimony before Lord Hutton most unconvincing. The best that the Prime Minister could do was to flatly deny the charge that his government had manipulated the September dossier on Iraq’s arsenal to make a stronger case for war. He said the claim that Iraq could deploy weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes came from British Intelligence and was not inserted into the dossier at the insistence of his office as the BBC had reported.

Mr Blair, in fact, said the content of the dossier was entirely the product of British Intelligence, “a document that was owned by the Joint Intelligence Committee and its chairman John Scarlett.” But why would the British Intelligence Service want to produce a professional report that was so patently untrue? And why would they include such a ridiculous item as the 45-minute claim which they had no way of proving? Who, in fact, was determined to invade Iraq at all costs and would have used any pretext to justify such aggression, the intelligence people or the Blair government? The sudden resignation by Alastair Campbell, the PM’s head of communications, while the Inquiry is still in progress must be seen as a further embarrassment for Mr Blair. Mr Campbell, who is also at the centre of this controversy, has declared he is quitting his job at a time when his credibility is under serious question. The BBC reports, for which Dr Kelly was the source, said it was Mr Campbell who was in actual charge of preparing the dossier and it was he who had “sexed it up” to suit the government’s war plans. Mr Campbell’s unexpected decision at this time to quit will only serve to create more doubts about the government’s case.

However, the fact that the British Prime Minister now finds himself under serious pressure as a result of his decision to join the US in an ill-conceived and illegal invasion of Iraq is in stark contrast to the heroic image being given to US President George W Bush who is really the villain of this piece. On the one hand, one is reconciled by the fact that the British Press has demonstrated its independence in dealing with this issue and a section of the British people, at least, are expressing a sense of outrage at their government’s absurd Iraqi adventure. On the other hand, one is dismayed by the almost total indifference of the people and the press of America, the celebrated champion of democracy and human rights, over the atrocity which Mr Bush and his warmongers have committed on the Iraqi people. Indeed, the revenge now being taken on US soldiers occupying the country is being described as acts of terrorism.

The Gay Bishop problem


Even if nobody does the right thing, it is still right. And if everybody does the wrong, it’s still wrong. Increase in the gay population does not make homosexuality right … Bringing homosexuality into the highly sacred office of bishop, is certainly taking things much too far.


The controversy surrounding homosexuality and religion has been here for thousands of years. Biblical history takes us way back to the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, recorded in the book of Genesis. In the case of those two cities, the Scriptures indicate that homosexuality had gotten extremely rampant as men “left the natural use of women and burned in their lusts, one towards another, men with men…” (Rom 1:27). This behaviour incurred the wrath of God with such intensity, that He rained fire upon the cities, entirely destroying them. Later, God gave very stringent laws against the practice of homosexuality. In Leviticus 20:13 the Lord states, “If a man lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”

The Lord’s firm position on the issue continues to be reflected in the New Testament. In fact, it appears to be even stronger, in that the New Testament states those who are involved in homosexuality “shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven” (1 Cor 6:9). If God made man and his sexuality, and He declares this, who are we to debate it? I must add however, that primarily, God condemns the sin, not the sinner. But it’s vitally important to take into account that the Lord does put the binding responsibility upon the sinner to “repent and turn from the wicked way” or face the consequences. In the light of such straightforward biblical position on homosexuality, the idea of gay bishops becomes quite a baffling one. Really, it appears to be impossible to reconcile homosexuality and the sacred office of a bishop or minister of the Gospel. The Bible is very clear on the qualifications of a bishop as it pertains to marital status: “The bishop must be the husband of one wife” (1 Tim 3:2). It’s evident therefore that there is no room for homosexuality in the highly sacred call of a bishop or Christian religious leader.

None of us is perfect. We must all acknowledge this. We all have weaknesses and are subject to shortcomings. And surely it’s not within our power to judge another, based upon our own prejudices. But we must surely give due attention to the fact that the Lord has provided us with definite guidelines in His Word, as to rights and wrongs. From this viewpoint, it is not difficult to conclude that the extreme of homosexual practice being mingled with the awesome sanctity of the call and office of bishop, is indeed a serious issue. Being an “ordinary” gay person is bad enough, but to bring this lifestyle into the office of bishop is certainly taking things much too far. And we should note that when God’s anger rose to the point of completely annihilating Sodom and Gomorrah, it was not bishops involved in the ungodly act. It was not even as serious as that. It was merely “ordinary people”. For those who hold special positions of sanctity and divine charge, such as elders and bishops, the Lord says “we carry the greater condemnation” (Jas 3:1). “To whom much is given, much is required” (Lk 12:48).

I have to wonder, though, that in a case such as the latest controversy in which the Rev Gene Robinson who was recently elected Bishop of New Hampshire at the Episcopal General Convention, what’s really the essence of the contention? Before Rev Robinson was elected bishop, he would have held the office of priest (or minister/elder). During this time, he, from all that we now know, had openly lived with a male partner for more than 13 years. From all appearances, there was no objection or protest from any of the voices at the Episcopal Church, which are now fuming big time. What really is the significant difference between being a gay priest/minister/elder and a gay bishop? The office, function, qualifications and sanctity are really all the same. Only the “technical rank” is different. So in truth and in fact, it was no strange thing that the Rev Robinson got the nod at the Convention, for elevation to the bishop rank. Double standards always backfire. What I can tell you is that people of the Episcopal Church who are truly determined to live purely by the Word of God, will hastily migrate to churches which stick with the full Gospel.

While certain churches may pander to the worldly trends and “changing society”, radically compromising the Word of God and moral absolutes, there are those who think otherwise. They know that even if nobody does that which is right, the right thing still remains the right thing. And if everybody does that which is wrong, the wrong is still the wrong. A massive increase in the gay population does not make homosexuality right. Essentially, it only means that there is a more rapid move towards the Sodom and Gomorrah status — and the consequences. All in all, Christians must get it absolutely clear that we are to fully respect, love and care for gays, as we do other people with various hurts and needs. We must introduce them to the love of Christ, for deliverance into a straight and normal life, which so many gay folks continue to enjoy after their born again experience.

God loves the man, but not his sin

THE EDITOR: Having recently read the article captioned “Not all gays are filthy perverts” (Newsday, Friday August 15, 2003), I feel compelled to give a response to Mr Ethan G and all gays alike who are trapped in the dilemma he presents in his letter. What particularly caught my attention is his attempt to prove that God approves of homosexuality. I love the Lord God very much and I try every day, by the help of His Holy Spirit, to live a life pleasing to him. I fail many times but He has always forgiven me, when I truly repent of my sins. From my readings of the scripture, a true Christian life means denying oneself ie the way you want to live and live the way God wants you to live. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up is cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24).

Having said that, I would like to show from the Bible some simple scriptures that show what God thinks about the act of homosexuality. I believe like everyone else that God loves us for, “God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8)
Homosexuality is nothing new; it has been around for a long time, way before the nation of Israel was born. It was present in Sodom. When the angels came to minister to Lot, the men of the city exclaimed “Bring them out to us, that we may know them” (Gen 19:5b). The expression ‘know them’ in this context means know them sexually, for in Gen 19:8, Lot offered his virgin daughters to the men, who blatantly refused to have them in their desire for the two angels. Lot did this to protect the angels, however, the angels were well able to take care of themselves. When God formed the nation Israel, He gave them specific laws to follow concerning all aspects of life including moral conduct. Of homosexuality, He simply says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination,” (Lev 18:22). The phrase “lie with” refers in context, to sexual intercourse. “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death, their blood shall be upon them.” (Lev 20:13) Any Bible based religion that teaches otherwise has simply misunderstood the scripture.

In the New Testament, Paul, in speaking of those on whom the wrath of God will fall, writes, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonour, their bodies among themselves, who exchange the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator … For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women, exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what s shameful …” (Rom 1: 24-27) Protestants, Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians and all other Bible based religions ought to follow the above instructions on the issue. Even the most illiterate person once this is explained as is, can understand what God requires of us. The Bible is God’s instruction book for mankind. We need to follow what God tells us to do in His word. The act of homosexuality is an abomination to God, ie, it disgusts Him. It is contrary to how He designed things to be. He made men and women’s bodies to complement each other sexually.

Any deviation is displeasing to Him, including sex before marriage and adultery. The act is detestable, but God loves the men involved. He sent His son to die in their stead so that they could be free of the bondage of this deception. The penalty for the act is death, as plainly stated in the scriptures, but Jesus died so we could be saved from this penalty, if we simply accept His sacrifice for us. Mr Ethan G’s conclusion that “What one feels in his heart to be right — when his conscience is clear on doing what is perceived to be right, is in fact the right thing for that individual, is only true if God is not in the picture.” In this conclusion, we are accountable to ourselves, as if, we are the final authority, however, if you believe in God, He is our final authority. We are accountable to Him. In the earlier quoted scripture, which begins “God gave them up to their uncleanness,” we see what happens when men don’t retain God in their hearts and thoughts. Perversion of God’s perfect unchangeable laws.

God says of the heart, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I test the mind.” Jer (17: 9-10) A heart without God is not something we can trust to give us the proper answers to life’s questions. A heart submitted to God, denying our wills, and ourselves is the only way to find the truth about life and our existence here on earth. I can look at a blackboard and believe it is white, with all my heart. Does that make the board white? You decide! It is not true to say that the soul has no gender, for to say that would be to deny the very essence of the character God seeks to create in us. It is more accurate to say spirit beings, like angels, have no gender. When those in Christ put on a body similar to His, ie becoming spirit, we would no longer have the desires and cravings of the flesh, including the need for sex. However, while we are flesh, we are to abide by the things God permitted to be done in the flesh.

In conclusion, if one truly wants to please God and serve Him, he would not choose the lifestyle of a homosexual. From scriptures presented, it is a sin “he who commits sexual immorality, sins against his own body” (1 Corinth 6:18b). Our bodies are sacred to God. He wants to live in them “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinth 6:19a) “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God (Eph 4:30). I say to Gay men, God loves you and wants to free you from this lifestyle of sin. Just call on Him through His son Jesus Christ and He will free you from the bondage you are in. God will indeed judge us all one day, can you honestly say beyond the shadow of a doubt, after all the evidence presented, that He is pleased with you?

MICHAEL RAMDASS
Arouca

Wrong sailing time by Port Authority

THE EDITOR: My family recently sailed from Trinidad to Tobago. Our scheduled departure was August 22 at 12.00 am. For anyone who knows anything, that means the midnight which ends Thursday 21 and begins Friday 22 i.e. Thursday night/Friday morning. Everyone knows that. It goes without saying. In fact I thought it was stupid and redundant to even call and clarify which day of the week the departure really was. It was understood. However on the insistence of a relative, we did just that. To our astonishment, we were informed by the representative at the Port Authority that there was no boat leaving on Thursday night, and that August 22 at 12 am actually meant midnight Friday (22) night/Saturday (23) morning.

Now there is no point debating whether 12.00 am begins the day or ends the day, it is a fact that the new day starts at 12 am. There is nothing to prove there, it’s a fact. It’s not a matter of opinion — “To me the day begins at 12:01 am”. Anyone with a digital watch could check and verify that as the clock strikes midnight, both the day of the week and the date change. And correctly so. But according to the good folk at the Port Authority, midnight on Thursday/Friday is still Thursday.

Now this is more than just a trivial point of debate, it greatly disrupted our vacation plans. And I can’t possibly imagine we were the only ones. I just have a few suggestions how the Port Authority could remove this ambiguity concerning departure times.
1. In addition to having the departure time printed on the ticket, also include the arrival time, just as in plane tickets. It helps people to logically assess the information therein.
2. No boat should leave anywhere at exactly midnight. Departure times should be 11.55 pm or 12.05 am. This of course assumes that they don’t think 12.05 is still the previous day.
3. Don’t hire stupid, dotish, people do perform jobs which involve interfacing with other people.

DENVER CHEDDIE
Rousillac

No merit in sovereignty argument

THE EDITOR: Who may I ask is guilty of misinformation and fooling whom? According to a Newsday article of August 26, 2003 Mr Duke Pollard is reported as saying the CCJ will be the only court of its kind where judges will be appointed by an independent panel. Does Mr Pollard not know that this has been happening in Trinidad and Tobago since 1976? All judges in Trinidad and Tobago are appointed by the independent Judicial and Legal Service Commission and the Chief Justice is appointed by the President who is independent. The Chief Justice here is not appointed on the advice of any politician but merely after consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
 
In the case of the CCJ the Head of the Judiciary is appointed by the politicians that is to say by 75 percent of the contributing territories. Who may I ask Mr Pollard are more independently appointed — the judges of Trinidad and Tobago or those of the CCJ? While I am at it, I wish to point out that whatever the argument in favour of the Caribbean Court of Justice the argument on sovereignty does not have much merit. Trinidad and Tobago is no more sovereign with Barbadians and Jamaicans or Grenadians sitting on its final Court of Appeal than with Englishmen. In any event who says that final courts of appeal are about sovereignty. They are about quality of justice.

ANJANIE RAMJITSINGH
Curepe

Drowning coincidence?

THE EDITOR: Based on your editorial on the swimming pool “accident” at Petrotrin’s pool, I ask you, “What are the chances of two young men accidentally drowning in the same pool, who are both the sons of police officers? I take it that neither lived at the compound? My friend Dr Stephan Gift should be asked by you to work out the mathematical probability of this happening in a population of 1.3 million people. Coincidence? Hardly likely. Someone targeting the sons of police officers? Quite possibly.

L E EDWARDS