I'm Moving

Ok .. I've moved to Http://trinimuse.modblog.com . Check me out there!

WTF ????

I've lost it. Opened my blog to find it totally screwed up. The sidebars were down under all the posts. WTF...? So i changed templates. Lost all the additions I made. Links to utterkhaos, ana, my cool blogs. WTF ...?? Thinking of saving my posts, deleting the blog, and starting another Trinimuse. It will have to wait till I have some time though. WTF...? All who thinks my cousin did it raise your hands ?!?!?!?! WTF ... ?

Breaking News

4 Million TT Dollars worth of cocaine was seized at Crown Point Airport in Tobago at 5:30 yesterday afternoon. A Dutch woman was held and the cocaine found in her hand luggage while she was waiting to board a flight to Amsterdam.

More news later...

In country:
Senator Gillian Lucky and Dr. Fuad Khan becomes Independent UNC senators. Mr Yetming supports. A lesson in comparative morality. Pay attention, you will be tested...

Monday, April 11, 2005

Fire on Frederick Street

Fire gutted the People's (read Drag) Mall downtown Port of Spain on Saturday, with firefighters battling the blaze for 6 hours. Water problems, leaking hoses and faulty equipment all plagued the firefighters' ability to control the fire. Queensway fabric shop, and the flagship Pizza Boys restaurant among others were all burned to the ground. Value lost: TT 35 million and counting. What a waste, although some might see it as a blessing in disguise.

Above pic: Getting the 120 y.o. fittings to work on new hoses?

Below pics: Pictures from the blaze, Trinidad Guardian, Sunday 12th April 2005.
I'll post my thoughts later...

Child Prostitution

A 9 year old girl was accompanied by a teacher to the Couva Police Station last Friday, where she told officers that she was having sex with men in the village for a fee of five TT dollars each. This happened in Couva according to newspaper reports. The nine-year-old girl hid the dark secret from everyone in the village and it is estimated that she was "raped" by as many as 28 men before her rescue by police .

The resulting medical examination found that the girl was sexually active and HIV positive. Investigators believe the child was born with the virus. The mother is an HIV positive ex bar waitress and has 15 children. The state took away 14 of them leaving the girl child with her. The child said she was having sex with her mother's drug addict friends, brought to her by her mother. To support her addiction.

Eight men who were allegedly found waiting in line to have sex with the child have been questioned. A 71-year-old man who was caught in the act, was in police custody up to last night, and is expected to be charged with having sex with a minor. A woman appeared before Couva Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar yesterday to answer charges of failing to report incidents of sexual abuse against a minor. She was not called upon to plead as the charges were laid indictably. The woman was remanded in custody and is to reappear in court next Tuesday.

On the radio this morning, an announcer was wondering how this could happen in a residential area with nobody seeing or reporting. In this country, drug crime is as deadly as anywhere else. If you know there is a drug hole in your area, you see, hear, say or smell nothing for fear of your own safety. A caller was wondering how could this happen here? In our beautiful Trinidad?

It happens everywhere. I've been lucky enough to give guidance chats with various youth groups for some years now. I've seen it before. I've also seen the victims unwilling to change because of their misconceived "comfort" zone. I've seen the abuse people endure by trying to change. I've also seen the wonderful social support from our government.

I'm not shocked at the news report. I'm shocked at the naivety of the Trinidad people. Drive by Curepe, Independence Square, Harris Promenade, Mucurapo St, Marabella Main road, Arima, and you will see them. Open your eyes. There are children sleeping on the street. They have an aggressive exterior, street smart, ready to scam you for food.

Yet we do nothing about the ones we do see. How many more are there that we don't?

The Children of the Night faq says, "Generally speaking, if a child is 10 years of age or younger and involved in prostitution, the parents are usually involved in the sexual exploitation of the child."

Maybe for real action, it will take another senseless, avoidable death...still, we do nothing.

Warriors vs Costa Rica vs Jack Warner

T&T Warriors Fan. T&T vs Costa Rica.
Pic from REUTERS/Howard Yanes

Went to the game on Wednesday vs Costa Rica. It was better. Much better. We actually had a midfield. Now if they would only support Carlos Edwards on the right. The boy has loads of skill, but if one has no support, one is going to make the wrong decisions. Having said that, our defence looked stronger, like they knew what they were doing. Dennis Lawrence and Atiba Charles did yeoman's service. No more soft goals, at least not on Wednesday last. Dwight Yorke and Silvio Spann impressed me. Much. Terrific workrate, dey was all over the field, clinical passing. All we need now is a dedicated, goal hungry striker, someone who is not afraid to run at the opposing defense. Around the 17th minute, we strung together about 17-18 passes, almost brought tears to my eyes.

To recap:

T&T looked lifeless in a 2-1 loss at home in February against the US.

Next up came a demoralising 5-1 washout on the road vs Guatemala on 26 March. Though a win away from home was always going to be a tough ask for the side, their haphazard defending seemed to indicate a lack of grit and determination necessary to compete at the top level.

T&T's Silvio Spann (r) clashing with Costa Rica's Walter Cedeno.
Pic from REUTERS/Howard Yanes.

Finally they got a little closer to the mark in their Wednesday 30th March draw with Costa Rica. With a level of fighting spirit conspicuously missing from the Guatemala game, they ground out a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica at home to avoid the ignominy of going into the two-month halt in qualifying with zero points from three matches. Six points off leaders Mexico and one behind closest side Panama, all is not lost for T&T, though the outlook seems a little bleak for a finish in the top four.

The new coach is going to be *fanfare of soca music* Leo Beenhakker. This appears to be a very encouraging and positive move but credentials is one thing, the ability to work successfully in our cultural context is another. Small ting. I say that the only context that one has to relate to is the CULTURE of football. Its a good move in my mind, I think Bertille has done what he can, we need to move the team to the next level.

"Jack" Warner is loved, hated and criticised, but he is the best person for the job. No nonsense, critical, decisive and aggressive management is what is needed here; Mr. Warner provides it in spades. Jack has worked hard to do all in his power to raise the level of football in the region. Good move.

T&T's Nigel Pierre (number 18) leaving out Costa Rica's Carlos Hernandez.
Pic from REUTERS/Howard Yanes.

I going to de next game on June 4th 2005, we playing Panama in de Stadium.

Bits and Pieces

Today is not a holiday. Tomorrow is. :-)

Isn't Shouter Baptist Liberation Trinidad wonderful?

My secretary just called to tell me that it was her husband's birthday yesterday and she has a hangover so she can't come to work. How do you handle that without going postal?

I wonder how much people called in sick today or applied for the day off to take advantage of the Holy Thursday to Shouter Baptist Wednesday holiday week? It's truly amazing that we get anything done. Someone should do a survey, government offices first.

Ninja Gaiden took most of my attention yesterday, but made some progress. The breakfast shed is still there, serving lunch as usual, traffic was unholy on the highway, beef pies for breakfast... all is well with the world.

There were six murders, four road fatalities this weekend. Easter Holy weekend. *geez* And the weekend isn't finished yet.

Went to my mother's for lunch on Sunday and got conned into doing the dishes. All of them. Thirty-something y.o. Seems like everytime I'm in front of the kitchen sink there, someone decides to clean the fridge.

Came across a book every girl should have: The Straight Girls Guide to Sex with Women. I'll have some copies at home for those interested, for rental only though. *just kidding*

Since we're on giggle topics, Guatemala beat Trinidad and Tobago 5-1 in Saturday's WCQ in Guatemala. I'm glad none of the local stations carried the game. I'd be looking for a new TV today. Tomorrow we play Costa Rica, at home, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. I wonder why they didn't use the Oval? Probably because of the non existing West Indies cricket. Maybe its because of the US ju-ju/santeria/obeah the US wuk on we when dey beat we 2-1 in the first WCQ at the Oval. Any bets on the WCQ vs Costa Rica outcome?

I'm debating whether to go to the game or cut my toenails.

Long weekend

Well here it is again, another long weekend. In Trinidad, we have Good Friday and Easter Monday off. Wednesday is a holiday too because of Shouter Baptist Liberation Day. I dont exactly know what that is so clk on the link if you want to find out. Another Shouter Baptist Article.

Sorry for not updating as often as I used too but you know how it goes. Lots of things has happened here so I'll probably do some posting this weekend. Enjoy the long weekend and be safe!

Up to my ears!

Sorry guys...I've been so busy this week that I really haven't had time to post. My portfolio requires both technical and management skills and I'm currently forced to remember the latter. When I can breathe, I'll tell you more...stay tuned..!

BitsMix~1

I went to the Registrar's office again today armed with my camera, but wasn't allowed to take a picture. So here's the sign in its entirety.

"Warning!...All trolley drivers should stay within the speed limit (a stroll in the park) or they will be charged accordingly." I will get a pic...*dammit*

Well there's one for ya..!!! I couldn't stop laughing!


I would have watched more if they looked like this...!

Gaiden Update

Here is where I am. Exactly. Just wanted you all to know.

Registrar of Companies

I just saw this pasted to a door at the Registrar of Companies office, South Quay, Port of Spain.

not verbatim: "All trolley operators are required to be under the speed limit, (a stroll in the park), or suffer the maximum penalty".

I will return tomorrow and provide the full text of the notice, this I promise.

This being a glass door the only sign I could see behind the notice from my vantage point, 9th in line to a conspicously vacant counter, was: "Marriage Licences: Orisha, Muslim, Hindu". This is on the second floor, in an office filled with people, desks, filing cabinets.

To add to wishlist: be trolley operator at the Registrar of Companies for one (1) day.

Breakfast Shed Update

I couldn't make it to get the pictures I promised you all on Saturday but the "Shed" is alive and well and doing better than ever before. Our Prime Minister visited with three tenants and pledged government support in finding them a suitable location to sustain and expand their businesses. The PSA willed their support and called for UDECOTT to pay the women of the Breakfast Shed TT 200,000.00 each.

Keep you updated. Maybe I should have crab and callaloo for lunch today.

Oh, and happy belated International Women's Day.

Firefox, the browser

I switched to Firefox, the Mozilla browser around November 2004 or thereabouts, because I was tired of the crappy Internet Explorer. It seemed like every time I opened IE, there would be spyware on my pc. My laptop btw is still suffering from the after effects of IE. Firefox is wonderful and I've convinced about 20 more people to switch.

Browser showdown

My second favorite feature is the tabbed browsing. You wont believe the ease of it till u've tried it. The best feature is that it closes more vulnerabilities than IE. If firefox gets more market share though, more spyware will popup to attack it. Bring on Open Source. Firefox is free. That means the code too. 20 Million people debugging for spyware against a few hundred spyware makers seems like excellent odds to me.

Microsoft is now in Netscape's place. It has had a dominant market share for so long that it appeared to simply throw up its hand and declare "its finished -- we don't need to make any more changes." Firefox has really come along and showed users they don't need to stick with Microsoft's crappy browser for everday web browsing. Try Firefox, you might like it.

Download the newest version here.

San Fernando Licensing Office

I got a duplicate Drivers Permit yesterday. It took me 6 hours. In this age of wireless internet, satellite technology and freenet, the licensing office is pounding out drivers licenses on stone.

Procedure:

1. Get the form from Licensing office. Its the same form for a new DP. 1 hrs.
2. Go make a police statement and get the police stamp. .5 hrs.
3. Swear to the JP that your made up story is true and correct. 1 hr.
4. Go back to the Licensing office to find your signature in a notebook. Heaven help the person that can't remember their dp# or date of issue. 1 hrs.
5. Wait for the clerk to get your copy from the vault. 1 hr.
6. Go in line to pay 40 TT dollars. .5 hrs.
7. Wait in line to take your picture. 1 hr.

They also close for lunch from 12 thru 1.

I'm going to bid to digitise all their documentation, but my government won't do that cause it will expose all the corruption happening there.

I'm going to chain my dp to my belly button.

Trinidad, an outside perspective.

While searching for nonexistent pictures of the Breakfast Shed on de net, I found an interesting article. Here is an excerpt on Trinidad Carnival.

"It’s easy to get weepy or exalted when talking about Carnival. But it is a kind of master-work, an assemblage of many parts that like a gothic cathedral with its thousands of separate artisans rises up as a single expression. There are people who will never miss a Carnival here. Every year they drop everything to come. Why? It’s not the loucheness, the bacchanalia, but the beauty that gets them - Carnival is not just an orgy, but an aesthetic orgy, an orgy of loveliness, human, musical, sartorial, whatever. Like some great novel, it is full of details any one of which possesses its own story, its own world, yet each of which is also instinct with the meaning of the whole."

If foreigners feel this way about Trinidad, why don't we? Read the article here, it is really good.

Trinidad's Breakfast Shed

Urban development is great once its managed properly. In Trinidad, one can only hope.

UdeCott is going to demolish the Breakfast Shed for room to build the POS waterfront expansion project. The Breakfast shed stall tenants were offered TT 93,000.00 in lieu of relocation. A lawyer was hired and they are now asking for TT 1.4M each. Rumours are flying that demolition is due to start tomorrow. (This is Trinidad , after all.) The radio stations have gotten involved and its true Trini bacchanal at Wrightson Road.

The first mention I know of is back in primary school, we learnt that for Audrey Jeffers and the Coterie of Social Workers, May 26, 1926 was a particularly unfortunate year, for the group embarked on its plan to provide hungry school children with a mid-day meal. The first venue for this venture was constructed at Warner Street, New Town, a short distance away from the Jeffers' home. For some reason the building was called a 'breakfast shed' despite the fact that it was to provide lunch.

This 'breakfast shed' immediately became popular with the school children of the surrounding New Town and Woodbrook districts. Not long afterwards came the main Breakfast Centre on Edward Street which supplied other venues. Nevertheless, it became a popular sport for the children of the city who flocked there for perhaps their major meal of the day. In this time of abject poverty, when many of the nation's school children went without the benefit of a mid-day meal, the school kids of Port of Spain were not so deprived. Our internationally known Breakfast Shed is derived from or commemorates these beginnings.

A nurse once mentioned that the meals there are "the highest-cholesterol, highest-sodium, most delicious food you can get."

More than providing indirect income for about 200 Trinidadians, the Breakfast Shed is a cultural institution worthy of respect. If you want local cuisine, that's the place to go to. I hope UdeCott does the right ting. I want to drive up there tomorrow and take some pictures. Keep you posted.

Gaiden is HARD..!

I'm stuck. Level 2. A huge horseman samooorai wipes the floor with my a$. Ninja mages that disappear and reappear to kick my butt.

The storyline held within the game is fairly simple, but not without intrigue: Ryu Hyabusa's clan was murdered and the ancient Dark Dragon Blade that his clan had been protecting for centuries has been stolen. (I wonder if there are any new ideas out there?) Ryu is out to recapture the stolen evil mystical sword of untold power and avenge the death of his clan.

All you need is a virtual Uma Thurman in a track suit to play Ninja Gaiden 27 - Kill Bill Kubed. If someone makes a patch please credit the idea to me. Just kidding.

Ryu has the ability to effortlessly run across the wall (an ability that is shared with Ubisoft's Prince of Persia), jump to an adjacent wall, leap from the wall into the air, throw 4 deadly shuriken (ninja throwing stars) at an opponent, then deliver a series of lethal attacks before his feet touch the ground; a feat that must be seen to fully grasp its high cool index.

Not only does he have his physical weapons, but also supernatural. Ryu will learn along the way the secrets of ninja magic and be able to cast "special attacks" on his enemies to even the odds when things get a little too overwhelming. These too are upgradable.

The environments are astonishingly detailed and complex. The water, lighting, and gore effects are extremely well-done. They're not gratuitous. They're just really well-done. Even when Ryu is turning 180 degrees out of a forward sprint, he plants his foot, pivots his body, shifts his weight, and takes a few steps backwards as his momentum dissipates. It's very realistic-looking.



And I'm still stuck.

Ninja Gaiden

cute ...i wonder if she will kick my ass?

I'm talking about Ninja Gaiden. I prefer to purchase my games in the US because its $50.00 max there and 6 freakin' hundred dollars here. Merchants are thieves I tell you. In this case some very nice friends shipped it to me. Cool! Haven't started it yet but I'll tell you about it.

Do you remember the Ninja Gaiden for Nintendo back in 1989? Yeah ... waaaayyy back when you were 15? I had days of fun playing that and I hear this version is no different. Its hard they say, but fun.

if only we could...really ...
...my mother would have ran the walls behind me...

So if I'm not blogging, I'm hogging the TV with moss growing over me.

Digicel Cup, 3rd place

I wonder how its going to turn out tonight. Of course, I'll let you guys know. TT vs Barbados, for third place. *geez* !!! Ah walkin' wid mih toilet paper and rotten tomatoes and breadfruit an' t'ing! Leh dem boys an dem play chupidness...it go be like Skinner Park!

I'll be out of commission for the weekend, see you guys on Monday or so...! Gone Fishing....!!

Digicel Cup, Cuba 2 - TT 1

I don't know what to say anymore. I want to order 10,000 rolls of toilet paper and distribute it in Barbados on Thursday. I wonder if Barbados go beat we too. Football is a science but Bertille St Claire is proving to be no more than the Lab Assistant.

Why is the team so mediocre at this stage? The ball is in now in Technical Director, Lincoln Phillips' court. After this tournament it is up to him and his people to sit down and evaluate what happened and what we should take from it. This last game against Barbados will provide little or no useful information...unless something disastrous happens. The experience Nakhid, Yorke and Latapy has, is now invaluable to the team. Use them technically. Playing Nahkid seems to me like a band aid over a wound that needs stitches.

We need a coach that demands respect. The only way to get respect is to get results.

We in Trinidad say that God is ah Trini. Well, give Him a uniform and most likely BSC will give Him a 'cobo sweat'.

News for today

Happy International World Thinking Day to all...!!! click.

Isn't this back asswards for Lent ...?? $$$ for small fowl.

Earthquake in Iran, kills 270. Betcha someone blames this on a nuclear test. click.

Man changes name to "They". I guess "they" did it again. click.

Brain coolers

Blogging is supposed to be fun, not off on a BreezeBox, ranting all the time. You wouldn't think so eh..? Here's some stuff I found on the good ol' web.

For the encompassing explanation about us men, click on the header.

Ever wonder what happens after the credits rolled on Mario Bros? Click here.

This has to be the scariest thing I've ever seen. link.

Intolerance ??? ... let the Gay Penguins be. See for yourself ...

Really cool pics of really small things. here.

We've all had deja-vu? Well, the article doesn't have many answers but good read. Wait..!! Did I post this already?

Human hive mind? Prepare to be absorbed into the collective. Black box of prophecy.

For those of you that take your trilogies seriously. StarWars vs LOTR vs Matrix.

This is really mean, but I really had to sign it. You too can sign here.

(T.R.I.N.I.M.U.S.E.)

Transforming
Replicant
Intended for
Nocturnal
Infiltration/
Mechanical
Unit
Skilled in
Exploration.

Ever wonder what your cyborg name would be? Find out here :-)

Wheeeeeeeeeee! Too much time and so little to do ...!

Digicel Cup - Jamaica (2) vs TT (1)

Sport is an up and down thing. I was reading an article, albeit on US football fans, that says:
"Sports fans are happier...". Bullshit..!! At least some of it. I'm no football coach but I know and love the beeeooootiphul game. The article in the header link was the reporting closest to the game I just saw.

Trinidad looked the same as a warmup they had recently vs Haiti. This time though, the defence had gaping holes in it due to defenders trying to support the middle. Even trying to be midfielders. I think T&T are trying to find their style of play that will let them win games. I hope they find it before Guatemala on March 26th. This 2005 Digicel tournament however is not important, World Cup Qualifying is. Trinidad and Tobago has a proud record in this regional tournament. (see below)

Jamaica, having bowed out of WC qualifying wants to prove that they are still the best team in the region having qualified for the world cup before. So dey coming hard.

Theobald and Seabra came on as subs and the effect were immediate. We played better. Seabra played an overlapping left back, sometimes playing too high up leaving the right flank wide open, reminiscent of the dreadlocked Brian Williams. Seabra is a naturally talented left side midfielder, why was he put there?

Synopsis of TT game as seen so far:
TT plays the first 15 minutes of the first half and shuts down, like dey confused.
Come out hard for the second half and dominates the game, provide flashes of brilliance, but poor finishing in the box.

Start Theobald and Seabra, let Nakhid assist the coach, especially in team finishing (He's 41 years old dammit!). Coach to play for the entire 90 minutes. Get a sports psychologist assigned to the team. At the highest level, skill level averages out, the game is won in the mind.

For the record:
1989: Final - Trinidad & Tobago 2 vs Grenada 1. TRI won.
Other Teams: Guadeloupe, Barbados (Host), Grenada, N.Antilles and St Vincent.

1990: Tournament Abandoned.

1991 Final - Jamaica (Host) Davis, Anglin. 2 vs Trinidad & Tobago 0. JAM won.
Other Teams: Guyana, Cayman Island, St. Lucia, .Martinique and Dominican Republic.

1992: Final - Trinidad & Tobago (Host) Lewis, Latapy, Marcelle. 3 vs Jamaica 1. (Graham). TRI won.
Other Teams: Martinique, Suriname, Antigua/Barbuda, Cuba, Guadeloupe and St Vincent.

1993: Final - Martinique 0 vs Jamaica 0 (Host). (Martinique 6-5 on pen). Martinique won.
Other Teams: St Kitts/Nevis, Puerto Rico, St Maarten, Trinidad/Tobago, St Vincent and St Lucia.

1994: Final - Trinidad & Tobago (Host). 7 vs Martinique 2. TRI won.
Other Teams: Guadeloupe, Dominica, Barbados, Suriname, Haiti and Cayman Island.

1995: Final - Trinidad &Tobago 5 vs St Vincent 0. TRI won.
Other Teams: Cayman Island (Co-Host), Jamaica (Co-Host), Antigua/Barbuda, French Guyana, Cuba and St Lucia.

1996: Final - Trinidad & Tobago (Host) 2 vs Cuba 0. TRI won.
Other Teams: Surinam, St Kitts/Nevis, Jamaica, Martinique, St Vincent and Haiti.

1997: Final - Trinidad & Tobago 4 vs St Kitts/Nevis 0 (Co-Host). TRI won.
Other Teams: Grenada, Antigua/Barbuda (Co-Host), Jamaica, Martinique.

1998: Final - Jamaica (Co-Host) 2 vs Trinidad & Tobago 1 (Co-Host). JAM won.
Other Teams: Antigua/Barbuda, .Martinique, Dominica, Cayman Island and Netherland Antilles.
Top Scorer for 1998: Stern John (Trinidad) 10 goals.

1999: Final - Trinidad & Tobago (Host) Rougier, John. 2 vs Cuba 1. TRI won.
Other Teams: Jamaica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Brazil Under 20, Haiti and St Kitts/Nevis.

2000: NO CUP.

2001: Final - Trinidad & Tobago (Host) Saunders, Rahim, Dwarika. 3 vs Haiti 0. - TRI won.
Other Teams: Jamaica, Martinique, Suriname, St Kitts/Nevis, Cuba and Barbados.

Most Games Won By: Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean Champs In:
1989 - 1992 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1999 & 2001.

2005 Panorama Champs

Click here for pictures of the 2005 Panorama Winners.

Carnival 2005 Results

Click on the header to get the rest of the results of Carnival 2k5.

Band of the Year, 2005

1. Conquest of the Indies, Trini Revellers
2. Lion Kingdom, a Soca Safari, Masquerade
3. The Legacy Continues, Legacy (Mike Antoine & Friends)



2005 Panorama Finals

Position	Band	Tune-Artist	Arranger	Points
1	Phase II Pan Groove	Trini Gone Wild – Colin Lucas	Len "Boogsie" Sharpe	478
2	Exodus	From Beyond - DeFosto	Pelham Goddard	458
3	WITCO Desperadoes	Action - Oba	Clive Bradley	454.5

2005 Road March Winners

Position/Cateogry	Artist	Tune
1	Shurwayne Winchester	Dead or Alive
2	Machel Montano	Madder Then That
3	KMC	First Experience
TSTT Peoples Choice	Shurwayne Winchester	Dead or Alive

2005 Carnival, a trinimale perspective

One (or 4) reasons Trini men will always come home for Carnival...


Reason # 2


Carnival is ... ... ?


Your average congaline...? (it's called winin' to de ground)

Tsunami Update II

An official document says nearly 210,000 people in Indonesia are dead or missing from the Dec. 26 tsunami, a death toll that appears to be far higher than officials have reported publicly. Rescue workers think even that number might be low.

The larger Indonesia toll would bring the total of dead and missing from the tidal surge across the Indian Ocean to nearly 272,000, ranking the tsunami as the fifth or sixth deadliest natural disaster in more than 300 years.

Indonesian officials offered no explanation for the sharp rise in the number of dead and missing. Compiled by the Disaster Management Task Force for Aceh province, the document listed casualties by district in a variety of categories, including buried, known dead, and missing.

It gave the number of known dead at 78,395 and said another 131,479 are lost or missing. It said the information was current as of 9 p.m. Tuesday (9 a.m. EST Tuesday). Those returning from the field said the new numbers don’t surprise them. That's not counting the still missing in the other affected areas.

The new figures rank the tsunami in the same category as a 1976 earthquake in China that killed at least 255,000 people. The worst natural disaster since 1750 is thought to have been a flood in China in 1939 that killed an estimated 3.7 million people.

Blind Cricket

I heard this morning that the West Indies are trying to field a blind cricket team for the 2006 blind cricket world cup to be held in South Africa. They are also inviting players for a Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica competition in May 2005. My first reaction was WTF....??!!!!

After researching it for a bit, blind cricket is played with a ball that has some sort of noisemakers in it and is bowled underhand, The bowler has to ask the batsman if he is ready before he bowls and yells "play" as the ball is bowled. The team has to consist of a minimum of four totally blind. If a fielder is 100% blind the ball can bounce once before he catches the batsman out. More information at blindcricket.org.

Its amazing how these people can overcome a handicap that most normal people would balk at. It makes my self important issues seem really insignificant. This reminded me of something that happened years ago. I was playing guitar at a church service one morning and there was this deaf child there, totally fascinated by our warm up before the service. He was a bit shy so we called him over. David, put his hand on the soundboard of my acoustic and his face lit up like a 100 watt bulb. So much so that he spent the entire service on the chancel with us with his hand on my guitar. He also did that every time he saw us, even at concerts.

Everybody needs some idea of self worth, we, the so called normal people, seem to want it from others. For the challenged, it comes from within. A lesson perhaps?

The Bugs Within - Prince of Dotishness

Shahdee will kick your ass...


Shahdee's "close up"...

This contains spoilers, so if you want to play the game without them, stop. Now.

I didn't know that virtual life in the MidEast was so westernised. Imagine a goth chick in a metallic thong, slashing your face and all you can say is: "You BITCH"? If it really were me in there she would have been slapped aaaaall the way back to the Time Portal you can't finish the game from. In a headlock.

In case you're wondering, I'm talking about Prince of Persia, The Warrior Within for Xbox, although it should be named as above. Don't buy it, rent it if you must, at least not the Xbox version anyway. We had to replay 99% of the game because of a glitch. We're not happy.

The Warrior Within (WW) tries to fix what was fixed at the end of Sands of Time, meaning that you shouldn't really need to fix it. Apparently the Dahaka is pissed at the Prince for screwing up the timeline, reversing the debacle at the end of Sands of Time (SOT) which was a much better game. What's funny, is that the Dahaka is allergic to water but has followed you to this island. Eh? An' dat make plenty sense.

One of the reasons why I liked SOT was the storyline. You invested in the Prince 'cause you wanted to find out what will happen to him, or Farah next. In WW, I asked myself on many occasions, was it worth the dotishness? The platforming is still there but columns stand out where there really shouldn't be any, providing places for you to swing around and slash necks off of already dead people, all to the tune of Godsmack. You go through the same rooms twice, in both the present and the past, the only difference is the colour palette.

There are some female antagonists in the game that wrap their legs around your neck and say things like, "there's sooooo much pleasssure in pain", or "hit me.....harder....HARDER...!" If that's your thang well... so be it.

Another strange thing is that the Prince in WW gathers sand through a medallion on his chest, presumably given to him by Farah in SOT. I didn't see that at the end of SOT. The Empress of Time sends you on a wild duck hunt that doesn't fit into the storyline. After you saved her from an ass-whuppin'.

The game is linear, although it tries not to be. You can't really get lost and the puzzles aren't all that difficult. You also try to help yourself in two time periods in the game and wonder why you were so frigging dense the first time.

Last but definitely not least, are the numerous glitches in the game. We reached the end and had to start over from scratch because we got stuck. There's at least 14 hours of gameplay.

Jordan Mechner, author of the original 1989 Prince of Persia wasn't involved in the making of WW , although he was instrumental in the development of SOT. That should have been a sign. Go figure.

I'll add that the graphics are really really good, and the combat is improved, or rather there's more of it with some new moves. I'm still going to sell the game, see if I can trade it for Ninja Gaiden. Next Stop: Kingdom Hearts.

Trinidad Carnival Coverage

I don't understand it. Why do the powers that be think that Carnival in Port of Spain is wholly and solely Trinidad Carnival? There was absolutely no tv coverage the carnival celebrations in San Fernando, Chaguanas, Point Fortin, Arima, Scarborough. The Carnival in Sando is usually de best. These celebrations I know capture more eloquently the essence of Trinidad and Tobago that is carnival, not the commercial orchestration that is in POS.

Don't get me wrong, I like POS carnival, its just that I would like to see, and I'm sure a lot of other people would too, a more rounded view of the country's carnival. Four local TV stations and not a smell of the celebrations.

What a waste.

Jou'vert in Sando and Arima is usually great and hasn't changed much in the past 20 years. I would have like to have seen some of that. Maybe I should start a tv station.

I was looking for results for Carnival 2005 but its not posted on the web yet. as soon as I have it, I'll post it here. In the meantime, here are some pictures of what a typical carnival fete is like.

Trinidad - USA, 1st World Cup Qualifier

I could have used a local article to link to for the header, but I like that one. It warns of complacency and is accurate of the match vs the US. I wasn't there (darn flu), but caught the game on local channel 4. They looked nothing like the team against Haiti. Well, except for the nonexistent midfield.

They had a plan. Trinidad and Tobago came out unleashed and took the game to the US. For all of 10 minutes. The US, unsuited to the heat and playing surface adapted well, after all they are the 11th best team in the world. The US midfielders realised the surface was against them and adapted. Then they began to exploit the holes in the T&T game.

We played the long ball in the first quarter of the game and it worked - for a while. The US is probably the best team in the region to defend that kind of game, why try to play it for the entire 90 minutes? I know that, Mr. St Clair should have known that too. Tiger Fitzpatrick has the drive and the wherewithal but jeeeeeeezz man....! Control the ball. Raise your head...! His first touches let him down as well as his final decisions. I think that Rougier had a bad game, he was beaten over and over again, leaving space in the middle, but then again, he had no help. Did our team string together more than 3 passes at any time?

I was impressed with Yorke. He played with dedication, but was a shadow of himself. His workrate was phenomenal and created some of the few chances we had in the game. At this level, we have to make those count. Cornell Glen and Densil Theobald should have started the game. The US had to contain the pressure they meted out in the final 15 minutes of the game. Glen runs at the defence and creates chances. In retrospect, so did Eve and Tiger, but why was there only one striker in the penalty area?

If the coach wants to go with tried and true methods, where is the Kerry Jamerson layback that was successful in the road to Italy? Where is the plan?

We need to rethink our strategy with EVERY game. Not all teams are the same on the same surface. Football has become scientific and St Clair needs to as well. Accept the help that is offered. It is unfair to say that we deserved to lose. (ok...ok...I'm a diehard supporter arright???)

It is unfair to say that we should have won. It looks better though. I hoped for a point and at the top of our game, with a cohesive determined unit, we could have had a chance at it. Not yesterday.

It was our first qualifier. Learn from our mistakes, manage the players, they're human too. Analyse both our game and the opponents'. Go into the game with all ammunition possible. Only then will we be ready. Btw, these are my views, so feel free to bash as required.

Here are the CONCACAF group standings to date.

I just found this article by the guy you could never understand (Bobby McMahon) on Fox Sportsworld Soccer Roundup (CCTT Ch 60). See if you like the predictions. Check this scouting report on T&T as well.

Trinidad-Haiti 2nd game

We won. The team is still trying to find some sort of cohesion. They are all great football individuals, but they need to play as a team. Our midfield was nonexistent, only with Theobald and David Nakhid did the middle of the pitch come alive. I think we're coming along ok, but if we're going to play this way against the US, I predict a 2-0 score going against us. They finish, we don't. We need to get the midfielders at the top of the opponents box to create scoring chances.

Dwighty is here and will play on Sunday in the final warmup against Haiti. Actually, my perfect middle would be Nakhid, Yorke, Latas and either Angus Eve, Carlos Edwards or Theobold. For the strikers, start Cornell Glen with Kenwyn Jones and bring Stern off the bench. I don't think either Yorke or Nakhid can play a full 90 minutes, so there's some juggling to do. Overall...I'm happy with the progress, St Clair is trying his best and there is a lot of pressure on him to do well. We definitely need a midfield general out there, someone to take charge and lead by example. Hopefully, someone will rise to the task.

Trinidad vs Haiti

...*sigh*... Someone once said, "common sense is not so common anymore".

I didn't go to the game between Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti on Tuesday, but I surely am going today. From the reports I got though, I think people are being a bit acidic. Everyone wants our team to succeed and that is admirable, but let the people do their jobs. All the newspaper reports blasted the team for not being up to expectation, failing to realise that Bertille St Clair (coach), is making judgement calls. You can't make judgement calls without seeing for yourself in a match environment.

Haiti has a reputation for being a hard tackling, skilful team and made a good showing for themselves in previous games. Their defence is tall, strong and capable, their midfielders skilful but not that capable and the strikers suffer from the Caribbean syndrome of poor finishing, just like T&T.

Trinidad started with a nonexistent midfield in the first half and made Haiti look good. Cornell Glen and Stern John were stranded up top with our middlemen failing to string together three consecutive passes. It looked like our defence was doing dual duty as midfielders. Then came the reshuffle and the results were better. Gary Glasgow, Denzil Theobold and Cyd Gray came on as well as the hatchet man, Avery John. There was also a reshuffle as Brent Sancho filled the first stopper position to marshall the defence and motivate the middle. They looked better. Much, much better. We won 1-0.

Clayton Ince never impressed me much but I heard he did yeoman's service on Tuesday. I think St Clair is doing his job but needs to understand that peaking the team too late will put crushing pressure on the team in a must win situation. We, the fans, need to let the man do his job.

Some points though:
1. Trinidad's team is not the tallest. Play de blasted ball on the ground.
2. The Queen's Park Oval has a cross wind that will dribble the best player. Play de blasted
ball on the ground.
3. Other players are taller than you by at least 2 inches. Put de blasted ball on the ground.
4. An international friendly is never friendly. Play de blasted ball on de ground.
(Repetition is the key...)

Just found out that Dwight Yorke is here and might play midfield, even though he's a natural forward. That's another discussion. I'm going to see them play this afternoon, can't wait, TT$ 20.00 uncovered stands, yuh cyar go wrong...

Chyna

The Vice President of China is here with a trade delegation.

It is my belief that China is going to be the dominant global economic power in the next two decades. While I'm not an economist, all the signs are there. In the past 15 years, China has shown amazing growth in trade liberalisation, structural reform, privatisation of the agricultural sector, support of rural enterprise, and foreign investment. Another indicator is that China joined the WTO on December 11th 2001.

My first question was, "what are they doing here?". I read that a framework agreement for a concessional loan of TT$152,238,240 at a rate of two per cent per annum was signed for future financing.

Who gives anyone that kinda of money for "future export financing ventures"? It proves that China has done its homework excellently. The ball is now in our court to make sure it goes into the purpose it was given for, not in various pockets. How can I, as a taxpayer, ensure that this money is spent in a transparent and accountable way since my tax dollars pay it back at 2% per annum interest. I don't have a phreakin' clue.

Why do we need a loan from a foreign government when we are sending money free sheet to Grenada and others? Someone needs to investiquire this...

Carnival

I think Trinidad and Tobago's's culture is based on the rhythm of festivities, rather than the frenetic sense of time that works for other countries. A comfortable alternative. This time around...its Carnival...an alternate universe for two days.

Volumes of essays have been written about Trinidad carnival, so I won't go into the origins, analysis, or the ethnic diaspora that gives our carnival its unique flavor.

Two words: No Barriers

Carnival is an extension of the way we live through the year, ending in two furious days that is Carnival Monday and Tuesday, then start over. We laugh, play and work hard all year, but for two days, we forget.

We forget that our lives are intertwined with the almighty dollar, that our responsibilities are really ours and need the requisite attention. We forget that the sun is scorchingly hot but remember, the coldest beer is a roadside stand away.

We forget lines of authority, company CEO's and proverbial janitors jump to the music side by side. We forget money, or lack of it, because the next drink or meal is a familiar face away. We forget who has more money, because the only thing you can barter with is your place in the concession stand line. For two days, our President, Max Richards is in his element, he loves carnival and is our first president of the republic to host his own carnival fete and gets in trouble for it.

We forget that we can order the chaos that is Trinidad and Tobago if we could see beyond the barriers the other 363 days of the year. Just like Carnival.

Its amazing to see, a river of colour in the distance, moving from one side of the road to the next, in time to the music, knowing that there are black, white, brown, rich, poor, indifferent moving to a common theme. Carnival. From "Carne", flesh, "Vale", goodbye.

Friends

No, not the sitcom. I can't imagine being only "friends" with Courtney Cox.

I'm not very user friendly, although some people think so. I like to think of myself as straight up, no nonsense, but really like most of us, I'm really a softie at heart. I think we all let the people we love take advantage of us and most of the time, that's a good thing, both ways

The friends that I have I can count on my fingers, real, down to earth people. People who care about things that affect you even though its relatively unimportant in their own lives.

I've always remembered this, even though when I read it, I was too young to understand it.

From Kahlil Gibran's, the Prophet:

"When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay".
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain."

One of the amazing things is that time, distance or screwups won't affect these people. Its always better whenever, wherever. You know who you are, here and abroad... thanks.

The Police Service

Kudos to the Police Service. I never thought I would be saying that.

An incident happened on Monday that required me to call the TT Police. I was in POS at the time and I was extremely worried about someone who seemed to be in trouble. It seemed like a kidnapping and rape in progress.

At the time I didn't have a choice but to call them and I was torn between going there myself rather than calling them out given their track record. The Criminal Investigation Dept (CID) responded in ten, yes non believers, 10 minutes. Armed to the teeth, raring to kick some ass. Then the regular Police came 5 minutes after. Through traffic of the worst kind.

It was a false alarm, the product of some sick and I mean really sick minds. The officers were helpful and considerate and thoroughly professional. The officer taking our reports asked pertinent and thorough questions, the process was over in ten minutes. With all the negative publicity the police here have gotten, this service was amazing. Good that it was a false alarm but if it wasn't...then they were on the ball. Good job guys... thank you.

As I was in the station, a guy came to make a report and I overheard:

Man: Officer I want to make a report.

Officer: Your name? (and so forth)

Man: (gives information)

Officer: Your report is? ...?

Man: Mih son going to kill 'eself ...

Officer: (Closes notebook) (visibly disturbed) ah fedup... FEDUP ah tell yuh. Yuh wasting the Police time!!!!!!! Is ten times we went dey today arready and he aint kill himself yet? When he done? Tell him I say when he done kill heself??..?? Come and report it.


Numbers, if you dont have them. ..

RAPID RESPONSE: 999
EMERGENCY FIRE & AMBULANCE SERVICE RESPONSE: 990
T&T CRIMESTOPPERS: 800-TIPS (8477)

WESTERN DIVISION
Carenage Police Station: 637-3123
Maraval Police Station: 629-2001
St. James Police Station: 622-3695
West End Police Station: 637-4226,637-6002

PORT OF SPAIN DIVISION
Belmont Police Station: 624-1848
Besson St. Police Station:623-1395
Central Police Station: 625-4067
Fort Chacon Police Station:625-3871
St. Clair Police Station: 622-4067
Woodbrook Police Station: 628-9171

NORTHERN DIVISION:
Arima Police Station: 667-2191,667-2910
Arouca Police Station: 642-4870,642-0767
Cumuto Police Station: 643-9357
La Horquetta Police Station:643-3857
Malabar Police Station: 643-7358
Maloney Police Station: 646-6504
Maracas/St. Joseph Police Station: 663-1264
Piarco Police Station: 669-3384
St. Joseph Police Station: 662-2522
San Raphael Police Station:643-8373
Tunapuna Police Station: 662-4978,645-0200

NORTHEASTERN DIVISION
Blanchisseuse Police Station:669-3868
Maracas Bay Police Station: 669-4136
Morvant Police Station: 624-3737
San Juan Police Station: 638-3322, 674-0100

EASTERN DIVISION
Biche Police Station: 668-9044
Manzanilla Police Station: 668-2062
Matelot Police Station: 670-8226
Mayaro Police Station: 630-4330
Rio Claro Police Station: 644-2001
Sangre Grande Police Station:668-2444,668-0200
Toco Police Station: 670-8256

CENTRAL DIVISION
Caroni Police Station: 662-4291
Chaguanas Police Station: 665-9973,665-0200
Couva Police Station: 636-2333
Cunupia Police Station: 665-3080
Freeport Police Station: 665-9973,665-0200
Gran Couva Police Station: 636-2735

SOUTHERN DIVISION
Barrackpore Police Station: 654-0609,654-0602
Gasparillo Police Station: 656-2193
Marabella Police Station: 652-7710
Mon Repos Police Station: 657-9769
Moruga Police Station: 655-2030
Princes Town Police Station: 655-2231
St. Margarets Police Station:659-2530
Ste. Madeleine Police Station:652-3348
Tableland Police Station: 656-34300

SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION
Cedros Police Station: 648-2747
Erin Police Station: 649-5888
Fyzabad Police Station: 677-7777
Guapo Police Station: 648-2403
Oropouche Police Station: 677-7544
Point Fortin Police Station: 648-2426
Santa Flora Police Station: 649-5555
Siparia Police Station: 649-2333

TOBAGO DIVISION
Charlottetown Police Station:660-4385
Moriah Police Station: 639-2646
Old Grange Police Station: 639-8888,639-0200
Roxborough Police Station: 660-4901 2
Scarborough Police Station: 639-2512,639-1200

Notes:
first number emergency service line
second number, regular and emergency service line
# outside of TnT, dial access number 1, plus area code 868

Its good to be home.

I spent the last two weeks in the US (well mostly) tying up some loose ends and making new connections. Hectic. I ask myself though, why the hell am I in the office today? I usually take the day off when I get back...recharge batteries. Just goes to show, bad habits die hard.

Apologies to all who were checking the blog, I didnt have an Internet connection for most of the trip (and I work with data), so only checked the site once or 2wice.

Got into the driveway, my dogs were all over me, my cousin cooked italian, it was heaven, then I couldn't sleep. It feels good to be back in my own bed though, hearing familiar sounds, even if its the neighbour's spawn of Satan Cujo, baying at the moon.

Suitcases all over the dining room, stuff to be sorted, a million things to do. I have been all over the globe and I can tell you from experience...there is no place like home here in Trinidad. I'll have to post of some experiences this trip, let me get my thoughts together, and some sleep. See y'all later...!

tsunami update

During the Christmas season 2003, a Presbyterian minister mentor person of mine and I was discussing prophesy in the Psalms. He having studied this for years was telling me that the Psalms prophesy the years in the 2000's. For example, Psalm 101=2001, 102=2002 and so on. Skeptic that I am, never followed it up, never read it, even though I value his opinions. I remembered that conversation we had this morning while watching the news and read Psalm 104 on a whim. Clk on the header link.

I'm never wont to spew fire and brimstone and I firmly believe that I'm in charge of my own destiny. Sometimes though, you really have to wonder. See for yourself.

I often wonder of the hidden agendas of countries pledging aid. It seems when disaster strikes, $$ signs appear in the minds and fantasies of those with the ability to truly provide help. They seem to flock like vultures.

While I'm all for a business venture, I think it is in poor taste to use those in need for huge amounts of personal gain. I guess its opportunistic human nature. It should be a win-win deal all around, not as much as you can milk for years to come from disaster area governments. Why are people concentrating on Thailand when Indonesia is the hardest hit? If I'm wrong about that, someone please correct me.

Help if you feel the need to, not because of what you can gain.

On an aside, power to the bloggers in the disaster area who provide much needed links and information. See?... Blogging can be a good thing!

The death toll has crossed 159,261 mark and many more are missing after the tsunami swept across Indian Ocean following the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off Indonesia.

Sri Lanka: 30,718 people killed. Number of missing people is close to 5,000.

India: Total death toll put above 15,791 including 5,689, listed as missing, most of them presumed dead in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In Indonesia home ministry put the number of dead to 107,039. Acute shortage of food, fuel.

In Thailand 5,305 may be dead. Nearly 2,400 bodies have been recovered so far. Hundreds of foreigners are feared dead in Thailand and hundreds are missing.

The tsunami killed people as far away as East Africa. The East Africa figure 309 includes Kenya, Seychelles, Somalia and Tanzania.

News update taken fron Sunday Jan 9th, Hindustan times.

Sampling the Road March

The debate on music sampling has finally reached Trinidad Carnival. TUCO, our carnival calypso/soca head body, is contemplating barring all songs containing sampled past soca/calypso from winning the Road March competition this year. The Road March competition btw, is the song voted most popular by the carnival revellers on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

In my mind, there are three issues here:

What constitutes sampling creativity?
What I'm talking about here is sampling - not sampling like in the old days, with big fat Akai samplers and blinking lights, holding microphones out the window at passing cars to try to capture a strange effect... but either downloading loops or ripping them off of an already published cd.

My rhetorical question for you is this : if I take a song by Shadow, chop it into 4 measure segments, and then re-arrange them in a different order, am I entitled to call it MY song now? Can I sell it back to Shadow for inclusion on his next album or to a DJ for his next compilation? Not likely. What if I took those seperate elements (drums, bass, lead, etc) and put them together myself? Is it now my song? Again, not likely. Which is what it really comes down to - every artist should be obsessed with developing their own sound so as to stand out in the sea of mediocrity. More and more often these days, people aren't patient enough to learn how to actually write a song or can't afford to purchase the hardware that will enable them to do so, and they aren't patient enough to "pay their dues" and rather opt to just get someone else's kickass sounds and re-sequence them.

This is the pinnacle of instant gratification. I've played with these programs myself, and surely it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling to take the seperate elements and build them into a song. But I never kid myself into thinking that it's "my song" no matter how cool it is. Sure, I can play it for my friends and they'll go "wow!" but I am also honest enough with myself to know how much work that I put into it, and how much of the song is actually ME.

Interesting things can be done with samples - Machel Montano and Xtatic, (Animal Farm, With or without you) and Bungee Garlin (Soca Train) have both built credible careers out of sampling work. The trick is in the artistry that they put into the manipulation of those samples. They hack them from whatever audio source they can get and flip them around and do things that most sample newbies hadn't even imagined in order to produce their songs. They do not layer five different loops bought from a sample CD and then stamp their name on it.

Copyright issues?
The first step is to understand the relevant copyright issues. There are generally three copyrights in a musical recording:

1. Copyright in the musical work. This is generally owned by the musician who composed the song, or their music publisher;

2. Copyright in any lyrics. This may or may not be owned by the same person who owns the copyright in the musical works; and

3. Copyright in the sound recording of the musical work. This is generally owned by the person or company who paid for the recording, often the record company that released the sound recording.

Copyright means that the owner has a bundle of exclusive rights, including the right to make reproductions of all, or a substantial part, of that musical work, lyric or sound recording. This means that if you copy, without permission, a ‘substantial part’ of a musical work, lyric or sound recording, copyright in which is owned by someone else, you have infringed that person’s copyright.

What is a ‘substantial part’? Can it be a short sample of a few notes? This is the million $$ question, and the aspect of sampling that generates the most heat and light amongst lawyers. A rough rule is that if the sample is something that is recognisable, and it is appealing enough for you to want to use, it is probably substantial enough to attract copyright protection. The length of sample is not necessarily relevant - it is quality that matters, not quantity.

Generally record companies are nervous about taking these matters to court because of cost and uncertainty, because they do not want the court to set an unfavourable precedent, and because they may have many artists themselves who use samples.

What should you do?

If you want to use a sample in a song you may need to get that sample cleared. This means contacting the relevant copyright owner and requesting a licence (permission) from them to allow you to use the sample.

You will need to make your own judgment according to the circumstances, but the factors you will need to consider in deciding when permission is required are the distinctiveness of the sample, the prominence of your use of the sample, and the extent of your use. Obviously, greater caution is required for a global release, than if you are getting 500 copies made to sell at carnival gigs, even though the copyright issues are the same.

If you are dealing with a record company, they always insist on a warranty that your recordings will not infringe anyone else’s copyright, and an indemnity from you stating that you will be responsible for any losses they may suffer if you breach your warranty. Sometimes you can negotiate with the record company so that they will pay the costs of sample clearances (although these costs will generally be recouped by the record company from your future royalties).

When should you seek permission? It is better to do it at a time when you can remove the sample if you can’t reach agreement with the copyright owner. If the record has already been released, and the copyright holder realises they have got you over a barrel, you can expect to pay accordingly. And there is also that old music lawyers’ saying — ‘first the hit, then the writ’. On the other hand, your request will alert the other party to your use of the sample when it might have otherwise gone unnoticed. If they refuse to grant you a licence, and you use the sample anyway, this may go against you later when you may wish to argue that a clearance was not necessary as the sample was not substantial. Again, you will need to make your own judgment according to the circumstances.

Securing a licence

The first step is to determine who the relevant copyright owner is. If you use a sample of a recording you will need to obtain permission from the owners of the musical work, the lyrics (if relevant) and the sound recording. If you re-record part of the musical work yourself you will not need to clear this with the owner of the sound recording. Remember that you may be dealing with two separate parties, generally a record company and a music publisher, in relation to the one sample.

Organisations such as COTT may be able to assist you in tracking down the relevant parties. There is no standard fee in relation to sample licences. It is completely a matter for negotiation between the parties. Payment can be a flat fee, a royalty or a combination of these.

Generally you will require a non-exclusive licence, in perpetuity, throughout the world. If you wish to ensure that no-one else will be granted permission to use the sample, you may seek an exclusive licence, although this may be difficult to obtain.

It is very important to make sure that you are dealing with the right person - that is, that they are actually entitled to grant you the licence. It is essential that you must, as part of the licence, obtain a warranty from them that they own all copyright in the material that they are licensing to you and that the licence will not infringe the rights of any third party. They must also indemnify you against any losses that you might suffer as a result of their breach of this warranty. Finally, make sure you have got original copies of the paper work, signed by all parties, stored in a safe place for future reference if necessary.

Channelling the Road March vote?
I don't think that it is in TUCO's best interests to narrow the Road March Race. In effect they want to tell people what to dance to. This is what will happen. The popular songs will play on the road and some unknown soca bard will win the Road March Title and TUCO will revert the rules next year.

Everyone from P. Diddy's Every breath you take, to Destra's Bonnie and Clyde has made it through samples. I enjoy a song containing samples as much as a "pure" original once its done well. Let me decide what I like, let the artist decide what he/she wants to create and let the people decide if its good enough for them...or not.

/ok..ok I'll get off the soapbox now....


Some Past Road March Titles

1997
Machel Montano & Xtatik, Big Truck
Superblue, Barbara
Tony Prescott & Atlantik, All Aboard, Ship Ahoy
1998
Wayne Rodriguez & Xtatik, Footsteps
Machel Montano & Xtatik, Toro Toro
David Rudder, High Mass
1999
Sanell Dempster, Blue Ventures The River
Kurt Allen, Dus Dem
Atlantik, Who to Blame
2000
Superblue, Pump Up
Iwer George, Carnival Come Back Again
Atlantik, 6 Days
2001
Shadow, Strangers
Peter C. Lewis & Xtatik, Tay Lay Lay
Destra Garcia, Tremble It
2002
Naya George & Invasion Band, Trinidad
Iwer George, Gimme a Bligh
Ronnie McIntosh & Atlantik, Start to Run
2003
Fay-Ann Lyons, Display
Destra Garcia & Machel Montano, Is Carnival
Iwer George, Ah Home
2004
Shurwayne Winchester, Look De Band Coming
Destra Garcia, Celebration aka Bonnie & Clyde
Machel Montano, Craziness