#i’m glad he’s not a snake who gets stressed by being in a high traffic area of the house

[zodiacsea]

my son pouting bc we were cooking dinner but not for him

[spine-buster]

Chapter 14 - The Beginning and the End of Everything (Finn Balor)

@wrestlewriting @wrasslin-x @thegenericluchadora @sammiielli @fan-fiction-galore @anerdysouthernbelle @spot-of-bother @amaranthine-reign @baleesi @flnnbalor @smuppies @sarahmatthews7 @daintymissdevitt @newjapan @corey-renee @running-ropes @balorsomega @karleedaniels27 @kazuchika @ileana0300 @alexahood21 @imnobodiesbitch @fembxt @heelturn-timesten @kaitlynwwefan @50shadesofadamcolebaybay @50shadesofkennyomega @chasingeverybreakingwave @thyestean-feast @thecandicej @devittsbalor @sp00kylesley @danahart @sietefinns @kaydee-kayyyy @powerbombshell @swedish-strong-style @blondekel77 @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @nickysmum1909 @houndofjustice-imagines @wwesmutdonedirtcheap @wweximaginesxd @indywrestlinglover-life @wwesmutdonedirtcheap @wweximaginesxd @indywrestlinglover-life @mandi512 @kakakatey

The next morning, Fergal woke up before Gemma but didn’t dare to move.  It somehow came to be that her arm was still over his chest, and he was still clutching her hand in his.  He moved his head slowly to take a good look at her; he wished he could say she looked peaceful, but she didn’t.  Her body was tense; her brows unnaturally furrowed.  When he’d woken up before her on their jaunt to Iceland she looked more peaceful, happier.  There was no doubt the stress and high emotions of the last few days got to her.

He didn’t think he ever felt so heartbroken for a person in his entire life, and he had met a lot of people along the way.  But the way Gemma loved her sport was so unique to him – it was an all-consuming one, much like his love of wrestling.  It preceded everything else.  To have that taken away from her, at such a young age – for heaven’s sake, she was still in her prime! – was completely unjust.  It was the universe playing tricks on somebody it shouldn’t be playing tricks on.  

When Gemma let out a small groan, he knew she was awake.  She shifted slightly but kept her arm on his chest before opening her eyes.  At first it seemed like she didn’t remember where she was, and why Fergal was in the bed, but she soon remembered and her eyes relaxed.  “Good morning,” her voice was raspy.

“Mornin’,” Fergal whispered.  “How’re you feeling?”

Gemma shrugged her shoulders.  “Alright, I guess.”

“How’d you sleep?”

“Alright.”

Fergal knew that was as much as he was going to get.  He squeezed her hand slightly and rubbed his thumb across it.  “You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?”

Without hesitation Gemma nodded her head, which calmed his nerves considerably.  If there was one thing he was nervous about, it was that Gemma would bottle things up inside.  That was the last thing he wanted.  “Do you have any media today?” he asked again.

She shook her head.  “No.  Everything’s done now.  We’re free until I leave tonight for Orlando.”

Fergal looked at her sceptically.  “The 6:30 flight?  Air Canada?” he asked.

A small smile broke out on Gemma’s face.  “You’re on that one too, are you?”

“You betcha,” he smiled.  “So uh, what are we going to do today?”

“Well, I need to change,” she said, looking down at her body.  She had slept in her regular clothes last night.  No doubt she was uncomfortable.  “I may as well go home…and uh, my parents are gonna wanna see you, so you may as well come too.  Then I can bring you somewhere.”

“If you’re not up for it, it’s okay,” Fergal said.  “I can fend for myself for the day.”

“No no, it’s okay,” Gemma shook her head.  “Please.  Let me do this for you.  It will take my mind off of…everything.”

“Okay,” Fergal said softly.  “You just let me know when you wanna go, and I’ll start getting ready.”

“Can we just…” Gemma started unsurely, contorting her body to look out the window of the hotel and then to the time on the alarm.  “Can we just sleep in for a bit longer?”

Fergal took the initiative to move closer to Gemma, snaking his arm underneath her pillow, to which she readily responded, moving closer to Fergal and laying her head on his chest.  Within minutes she was asleep again.  Fergal kept hold of her hand.

After getting ready and packing the little clothes he brought to Toronto, Fergal and Gemma took a taxi to her parent’s house.  Gemma took a quick shower and re-packed for Orlando while Nabilah made breakfast for everyone.  When Gemma came down into the dining room she seemed to be in better spirits, and was chatty with her parents throughout the meal.  She had decided to bring him to King West, the trendy district in downtown Toronto where they could hang out in a café or get some drinks on a patio.  

During the subway ride down Fergal tried to talk about anything besides hockey.  Gemma seemed to be doing fine attitude wise and even cracked a few jokes.  She seemed happy with the fact that she didn’t have any media to do and could just relax with him.  Tomorrow, back in Orlando, she’d be back at physiotherapy.  He knew that would take a toll on her.  Before, she was working towards something – a goal to get back on the ice.  What would she be working towards now?

“I’ll have to show you my favourite coffee shop once we get down there,” she said.  “They honestly make the best cappuccino.  I haven’t been able to find a good substitute in Orlando.”

“Oh yeah?” Fergal smiled.  “You sure it isn’t Tim Horton’s?”

Gemma snorted.  “I assure you it is not Tim Horton’s.  Although I’m going to stuff a Timbit into your mouth by the end of the day whether you like it or not.”

Fergal contorted his face to look disgusted.  “I can’t eat Timbits I’m on a low-carb diet God Gemma you are so stupid!” he mimicked the infamous line from Mean Girls, causing Gemma to break out into laughter.  He giggled along with her, appreciating the fact that he could make her laugh under the circumstances.

When they got off the subway, Gemma guided him to street level, amongst all the skyscrapers, old buildings, and Roy Thompson Hall.  Seeing all the older buildings, converted into trendy bars and restaurants, reminded Fergal somewhat of Dublin.  He could understand why Gemma liked the area so much.

Her favourite coffee shop was just as trendy and cute as he imagined it to be.  They ordered a pair of cappuccinos, and Gemma had somehow convinced Fergal to split a slice of carrot cake with her.  They sat in the window seats, people watching as they waited for their coffee and cake.  

“This place is cute,” Fergal said as he settled into his seat.

“I come here with Jane a lot,” Gemma said.  “There’s been many discussions about game strategies at this window.”

The first mention of hockey.  “Oh really?”

“Mhm,” Gemma nodded gently.  “We uh…every time we ever leave for an international competition, we always come here and come up with a game plan.  Like, how we’re gonna help each other out on the ice.  How we’re gonna score.  How we’re gonna make the highlight reel.”

“I bet they always materialize.”

Gemma smiled slightly.  “Well, we were here before the Olympics, so I guess they do.”  She tapped her fingernails against the wood table for a few moments.  “I have a bit of news.”

“What’s that?”

“I had Sports Illustrated contact me, asking me to write a piece for them about being a half-Arab female hockey player,” she revealed.  

Fergal’s eyes widened.  “Holy shit, are you serious?”

Gemma nodded her head quickly.  “I accepted, too.  When we get back I’m going to start writing it.”

“Gemma, that’s amazing,” Fergal smiled.  “Congratulations.”

“Yeah, I’m excited.  We’ll see what happens with it.  Are you gonna read it?”

“Read it?  I’m going to read it, post it on Twitter, on Instagram, I’m going to frame it for you,” Fergal counted on his fingers, causing Gemma to laugh.  “Seriously, is that even a question?  Of course I’m going to read it.”

“Good,” Gemma gave him a cheeky grin.

The young woman who had taken their orders behind the till returned to the table with their cappuccinos and the slice of carrot cake.  Gemma smiled politely at her while Fergal thanked her.  They fell into comfortable conversation, the hockey talk flowing in and out of the conversation.  Fergal was glad to see Gemma laughing and smiling, enjoying the carrot cake while she shared more stories about growing up in Toronto and her adventures on its downtown streets.  

With Gemma’s back turned towards most of the traffic coming in and out of the coffee shop, she didn’t see most of the action or any of the stares that were directed towards them – whether it was because these people knew she was Gemma Fitzgerald or because she and him were hogging the window seat Fergal didn’t know.  However, there was one man who decided to take his curiosity into his own hands.  He approached their table slowly and cautiously, giving some hand motions to Fergal asking whether or not it was okay to approach.

“Looks like we have a visitor,” Fergal said lightly, nodding his head to the side so Gemma could look that way.

Gemma looked to her side to see the man, dressed casually in jeans, a polo and a baseball cap.  He looked half-scared, half-excited.  A woman, who she assumed was his wife, was looking on from behind a baby stroller.  “I know I’m interrupting, but aren’t you Gemma Fitzgerald?” he asked.

“That’s me,” Gemma nodded, smiling slightly.

“Oh man!  Hey!” he exclaimed louder than she thought he would.  “I just…I walked in and I recognized your face out of the corner of my eye, and I was like dude!” he explained quickly.  “Hey, can I get a quick autograph?  I’ve got my nieces who really like you.”

“Yeah, sure,” Gemma agreed.  “You have a marker?  What do you want me to sign?”

The man pulled out a pen from his pocket and handed it to her along with a small agenda he had obviously taken from his wife’s purse.  Gemma asked for the named of the nieces and gave them each an autograph on two separate pages.  “Here you go,” she handed the agenda back to the man.

“Sick!” he exclaimed, not bothering to thank her.  “Man, we were watching the Leafs game last night and saw your tribute.  Sucks about your injury,” he said, as if it were some injury with a routine six or eight-week recovery period.  

“Yeah, it does suck,” she nodded her head.

“I was reading up on it after.  You like, had a torn ACL right?  Like it was so bad they had to go in and surgically repair it and shit?”

“Uhh…yeah.”

“And that’s why you’re lagging behind in the physio, cause it was so bad.”

Fergal shot him a glare.  The guy was being a prick, that much was certain, and Fergal felt like he should clear his throat, clink a glass – something to remind him he was intruding on their time and he should have left after he got his autograph.  He’d like to see this guy come back from major knee surgery and then comment on recovery time.  He could tell Gemma was trying to remain gracious.  “Yeah.  You can imagine how hard the physio is for someone who had to get their knee surgically reconstructed.”

“My nieces were sad about it, but what are you gonna do?”

Fergal furrowed his brows at the man’s slight switch in tone.  “Well, hopefully all my physio will help me regain one hundred percent movement back into my knee,” Gemma said diplomatically.

“But you can’t play hockey again,” the man reiterated.

Fergal looked to Gemma.  She was tight-lipped.  “No.”

“Sucks,” he shrugged his shoulders.  “You know, if it was one of the boys, he’d be able to make it back.”

It was at that moment Fergal wanted to punch him.  He even shifted in his seat to stop himself from bolting upright and uppercutting the man in front of his wife and child.  Gemma, still tight-lipped, nodded her head once at the statement.  Before she or Fergal could say something, the man’s wife had approached and tapped him on the shoulder, signalling for them to go.  He nodded one more time at Gemma before leaving out the door with his wife, still never thanking her for the two autographs.  

“Don’t fucking listen to him,” Fergal said through gritted teeth, trying to keep his anger in check.

“Stop,” Gemma mumbled.

“I mean it Gemma.  Don’t you dare fucking listen to him.  Your surgeon had to surgically repair your knee and that guy is acting like it’s a fucking sprain,” he continued.  “You’re doing the best for someone in your position and --”

“Please drop it,” she said more sternly.  “I don’t want to talk about it.  Just drop it, please.”

“No, I just need to get this out right now,” he said, unable to hold back.  “Don’t listen to anybody who fucking tells you someone else would be able to come back from this injury.  It’s fucking bullshit that anybody – especially someone who isn’t even an athlete – thinks he can just say shit like that to you.  He doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about.  He thinks he knows about knee injuries just cause Francois Beauchemin or Erik Johnson had them?  They weren’t nearly as bad as yours and the fact he think they are is stupid as fuck.”

When he finished his little rant, he noticed a small smile on Gemma’s face.  “Did you just name-check Beauchemin and Erik Johnson?” she asked.

“Yes…”

“How the hell do you know who they are?”

Fergal shrugged his shoulders.  “I…I researched them.”

“You researched them?”

“Yeah…like I googled ‘hockey players with knee injuries’ once and learned about all the guys.  Erik Johnson missed an entire season on only two torn ligaments.  An entire season!  And you had to surgically reconstruct your knee!”

Gemma sat back in her seat, the smile playing on her lips getting slightly larger.  “You…you googled hockey players with knee injuries?”

“Yeah.  I wanted to see what you would have to go through…what you’d be up against.  Nobody that I saw, or read about, has had such a severe a knee injury as yours.  Not even Bobby Orr.”

“Bobby Orr?!” Gemma exclaimed, letting out a giggle before covering her mouth.  “Fergal Devitt, did you just name-drop the great Bobby Orr?”

“What’s the big deal?”

“I never thought I’d hear an Irishman name-drop Bobby Orr, that’s all,” Gemma smiled.  “You’re something else.”

“I’m trying to be serious here,” Fergal said.  “I don’t want you thinking your inadequate or anything just cause some jackass says a guy would have been able to return from the injury.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t need some jackass on the street to make me feel inadequate.  I already feel inadequate without him having to tell me.”

Fergal’s heart sunk to his stomach.  “Gemma…”

She reached across the small table and patted his hand.  “I’ll feel better about this eventually, Fergal.  One day.  I’m not sure when that will be, but I promise you it’ll happen.  I’ve just…gotta wallow in this feeling for a while before I start to get more optimistic about things.  My whole life was taken from me.  I’m not sure what I’m supposed to feel if not inadequate.”

“Well…I’m going to be there for you,” he said, the feeling of her fingers grazing the backside of his palm sending shivers up his spine.  “I’m going to be there for you to help you feel anything but inadequate.  Because that’s the last thing you should feel.”

“I know you will.”

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 1/20/2019

Good Morning #realdreamchasers. Here is your daily news cap for Tuesday, October 1st, 2019. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS), Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

LICENSING NIGHTMARE – The temperature was hot at the Barbados Licensing Authority’s (BLA) office in The Pine, St Michael, yesterday – and it was not just due to the searing heat in the atmosphere. Hundreds of Barbadians who turned up to beat the September 30 licensing deadline, as well as pay the second half of their income tax bills at the Barbados Revenue Authority’s (BRA) office in the same complex, not only had to contend with long, snaking lines well beyond the entrance, but also a protest by BLA staffers claiming one of their colleagues was being overlooked for promotion. Upset customers said they were left stranded when workers exited simultaneously and went on their lunch break, leaving them just to stand in the heat idle for an hour. Barbadians were rushing to secure licence plate tags that were to be placed on all vehicles by yesterday, with non-compliance resulting in $5 000 in fines at the Traffic Court. (DN)

LAST MINUTE LAG – Scores and scores of motorists stood in long lines today to try to beat the deadline to have the Barbados Licensing Authority’s registration tag attached to their license plate. But those who didn’t endure the long wait, a broken system and unbearable heat, will have to hope that Government extends the September 30 deadline. While the last-minute motorists flocked to the six Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) offices today in a mad rush for the stickers, many were unsuccessful due to extremely long lines. When Barbados TODAY visited BRA’s Warrens, St Michael and Holetown, St James branches this afternoon, snaking lines even stretched outside of the building. This was compounded by the fact that today was also the deadline for employees and pensioners to pay the second half of their Personal Income Tax (PIT) for 2018. The long lines were particularly bad at BRA’s office in Warrens where the system was unavailable for over an hour due to technical difficulties. That system went offline around 9 a.m. and was restored just after 10:30 a.m. While efforts to contact Minister of Transport, Works and Maintenance Dr William Duguid for comment proved unsuccessful, Minister in that ministry Peter Phillips told Barbados TODAY investigations would first have to be carried out before a determination could be made on whether the deadline would be extended. “I’m not in a position to comment right now. We will have to do some investigations and have discussions with BRA which is the agency responsible for collecting revenue, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, before a decision is made,” Phillips said. One woman who was seen in the line at the Warrens location told Barbados TODAYshe had left the Pine office because the lines there were simply too long. “The lines here are bad, but nothing compared to the one at the Licensing Authority at the Pine,” she complained. “It’s going to be a long wait but I don’t want to pay that $5,000 fine so I’m going to wait until I get through,” she added. Another man, while frustrated at the long wait, accepted some of the blame for being stuck in the long line. He called on BRA to open the offices on Saturdays, even if for a few hours to accommodate persons who worked during the week. “I know Bajans like to wait until the last minute to do things, so it is not all the licensing authority’s fault. But for people like me who work from Monday to Friday, it is hard for me to get away to come and do this,” he explained. “Even if BRA opens up two branches for two or three hours on a Saturday, that would be real helpful.” Unfortunately for those persons who still have not paid their PIT, there is no plan to offer an extension. This was made clear by BRA’s communications officer Erica Lazare, who told Barbados TODAY an extension was unlikely. She blamed today’s long lines on the fact that motorists had waited until the last minute to conduct their business. (BT)

CHURCH SCHOOL – Class three and four students of Sharon Primary School appear to be quickly settling into a new learning environment. But uncertainty looms over operations at the St Thomas institution with over half of the school’s roll still out of the classroom at the beginning of week four of the new school year. Early this morning, Pamela Small-Williams, Principal of Sharon Primary was busy with teachers and parents preparing rooms at the Jackson Seventh Day Adventist Church for the new school week. The churchyard was a hive of activity as guardians dropped off their children and paused to ensure everything was in place before heading off to their daily occupations. “It wasn’t a good feeling to know that my daughter is soon sitting exams and wouldn’t be able to get the schooling that she needs, but I guess it has worked out,” said the mother of a female student in class 3. Rhea Kellman, another parent meanwhile told reporters she was frustrated that her daughter in class four was unable to attend classes adding it was difficult finding people to “keep” her children while she was at work. She also stressed that authorities needed to tread carefully when tackling the environmental problems at the school. “If something is wrong with the school, come out straight and tell us what is the problem… just tell us what it is. If need be, just shut down the school, send everyone to another school or something. Don’t leave us puzzled and wondering what it is. It is just too confusing,” said the frustrated parent. “I would like them to work fast in clearing up the area so that everybody could be back in one location,” said Kerryann Ellis, who has two children, a class one student, and the other, a class three student. “I was a bit frustrated but I am glad the one in class 3 is back in school. I am happy for that.” Dozens of class four students will be tutored in a room upstairs the Adventist church while their schoolmates in class three will be taught downstairs. Forty-three class two students have also started classes at the Holy Innocent’s Anglican Church. “We know that for as long as we are here… as I have told the children, we shall assume a thankful spirit. It could have been worse; therefore we are thankful and we pray that soon we will resume our accommodation at Sharon Primary School,” Principal Pamela Small-Williams said. Despite promises from acting Minister of Education, Senator Lucille Moe last week that officials were looking for two buildings to house the students, Sharon’s Principal could offer no word on when the school would reopen and what provisions would be made for children from Reception to Class one to receive their education. “The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training has instructed me what is happening this week,” Small-Williams disclosed while adding she was not privy to the arrangement between the Ministry of Education and management of the temporary locations. “Anytime there is uncertainty, the natural thing is to worry about the future. Today we are thankful. We know we are going to be here this week, so we are going to go step by step and we are going to assume positive attitudes and a positive demeanor because our children learn more from us by our behavior and attitude.” When questioned about the extended problems facing the school, Small-Williams argued they were not uncommon to any other school and expressed faith the relevant government agencies tasked with fixing the problems were working assiduously to do just that. The outspoken principal however acknowledged they were some lessons to be learnt from the saga which has taken months to be properly resolved. “It does not matter how you deal with a situation, because of the humanistic characteristic of man, someone will complain. Whatever I did yesterday and I reflect on it, I am sure I can improve in one area or another. I am saying, I believe that parents were expressing genuine concern,” she said of the manner in which parents responded to the problems. Admitted nothing could substitute classroom attention she said Sharon’s management responded well to the challenges by distributing “work” to students via the internet “How you respond shows your tenacity and your motive and we have not put our hands in the air in this situation,” she declared. “ So even though I am concerned about the fact that students from reception to class 1 are still at home, I am yet thankful that teachers are sending work to these children and the parents are also assisting.” (BT)

WATER WOES INTENSIFY FOR ST. JOSEPH RESIDENTS – With the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) now resorting to water rationing in order to combat the severe water outages in high elevation areas, residents of St Joseph say they are feeling little ease with any efforts. Last week, Minister of Energy and Water Resources Wilfred Abrahams revealed that the shutoffs, which began on Friday, were designed to allow the Golden Ridge reservoirs time to refill and it would mean that areas that had steady water supply will now experience outages as a result of the rationing system. When Barbados TODAY visited the Horse Hill community this morning residents complained that while last weekend was the first time that they were able to get water through their taps on a weekend, much more needed to be done to ease their hardship. “This is the first weekend in a long time that we were able to get water, but it went back off on Sunday. We were hoping that it would be different because every Sunday water normally goes off and that is the day that you really need the water because you have so many things to do. You have to wash the children clothes, but you can’t get any water at all,” said long-time resident Samantha King. “We have to get up at 5 a.m. when the tanks are getting filled up. One time we used to get water tanks coming to the houses but now they only filling up the community tanks. So, people that live higher up the hill have to come down to fill up and carry it back up. Some of the guys in the neighbourhood have to help the ones that are not able to fetch water, “she said, noting that the fact that they still receive water bills, remains a sore point for residents. They lamented that community tanks, which augment the service, are of no use to them as it relates to their cooking and drinking needs, as they claim that the tanks have not been cleaned since they were installed by the BWA last year. “It has only been about two months ago that the tanks get listed for cleaning. They have not cleaned those tanks since they put them down. Every now and then we see chlorine tablets drop in it,” said one resident, who referred to himself only as John. Persons complained that when the tank water levels are low, black sediment could be seen floating in their buckets whenever they fetched water. “Right now, nobody drinks water from those tanks. We buy bottled water to cook with, to make tea or to drink. The water from the tank, especially when the levels low, is not even fit to bathe with but normally we just don’t have a choice. When you get to the water at the bottom of the tank, you only seeing all kinds of black things floating around in your bucket,” said another resident, who did not want to be identified. “I am convinced that St Joseph is not on the map of Barbados. The only time it is on the map is when you talking about Winston Hall or when election come around. These are the only times that I know about but other than that St Joseph is not rated in anything. Right now, we suffering more than the people that get the hurricane in Bahamas,” a lady, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented. Barbados TODAY made several attempts to reach the minister as well as General Manager of the BWA Keithroy Halliday but without success. On visits to areas in St Thomas and St George residents revealed they were doing their best to adjust for the most part, acknowledging that Government had limited options as it relates to the country’s water scarcity. (BT)

SAGICOR TO GET CLICO, BAT & TT BUSINES – Sagicor Life Inc is set to deepen its foothold in Trinidad and Tobago by taking over the insurance portfolios of both collapsed giants, Colonial Life Insurance Company [Trinidad] Limited (CLICO) and British American Insurance Trinidad Limited (BAT), the company has announced. Back in March, Finance Minister Colm Imbert declared that after two bid rounds, the two main bidders for the companies were Sagicor and Maritime, with the preferred bidder being Sagicor. The Government in Port of Spain had taken emergency control of CLICO/BAT when the parent conglomerate, CL Financial, approached the State in 2009 for a bailout that eventually cost taxpayers approximately $23 billion. In a statement today, Sagicor Group’s president and CEO, Dodridge Miller,  said: “We are pleased to welcome the policyholders to the Sagicor family and assured them of the same level of protection and service that our existing policyholders enjoy upon the completion.” Claire Gomez-Miller, chairman of both CLICO and BAT in Trinidad and Tobago, said: “Sagicor emerged as the preferred buyer in an open and very competitive tender process with guidance from independent global industry experts.” (BT)

GET SMART BUSINESSES TOLD – As Government continues its digital transformation of the public service, Prime Minister Mia Mottley is urging the private sector to do the same. At the same time, she is cautioning Barbadians not to get lost in the process. The Prime Minister, currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, gave the advice in a video message at a reception for the inaugural Smart Barbados Conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on Monday night. She said: “Our partnerships in the public and private sectors are the bedrock upon which we will transform Barbados from an analogue society to a digital society. “It is our future to grab and we have to bring along our children and to ensure that as we introduce them to new forms of technology that they do not lose sight of the morals and ethics that make them who they are. “We can become digital citizens while remembering who we are and continue to be rooted by the values that make us who we are. The technology, after all, is just a tool. “We expect that we can see the transitioning across all our public services but we also want to see it in delivery of our private sector services and goods. “We also want to see it with respect to how we literally ask our youngsters to create because we must not simply be the users of other people’s goods, but it is within our power to create and make a better future.”  Pointing to the changes already being made to transform government processes including in Cabinet, Mottley said she hoped that “the rest of Barbados, in whatever station, doing whatever you can, can best utilise the technology to make your life easier and more efficient and to ensure that there is greater productivity for this nation”. She declared: “I say to you that as we do that, never forget why we are here and what we are intending to do and who we are to serve because technology cannot replace the essence of our being.” The Smart Barbados Conference was organised by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology in association with a number of private sector organisations. The conference, which will run until Friday, will cover a range of topics on digital transformation, including presentations by a number of overseas guest speakers. Minister of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology Senator Kay McConney said she was hoping to see more private-public sector partnerships as Barbados continues its digital transformation. She said: “Smart Barbados then, is not just about what we do with technology but fundamentally it is what we do with our minds, how we create, how we design and how we problem-solve for this country.” She also told the gathering, which included a number of ministers and officials, private sector bosses and other dignitaries, that for Smart Barbados to thrive, children must be involved. During the four-day event, students are expected to visit the exhibits as they get a closer insight into some new technology. During the conference, results of a consultation are also expected to be released, as officials identify impediments and come up with strategies to address them by way a roadmap that would include all stakeholders. (BT)

RETROFIT FOR GREEN ENERGY – Small businesses are being encouraged to retrofit their operations for renewable energy, as the nation’s small business leader urged providers to help facilitate the process. The president of the Small Business Association, Wayne Willock, made a series of recommendations to boost the sustainability of small businesses in a changing 21st-century environment at the end of a “successful” Small Business Week of activities which included a youth forum and special conference. In a brief interview, Willock told Barbados TODAY: “Businesses need to be thinking about the fact that oil prices will be going up in the near future. “They should be looking at alternative ways of doing things that will not let the oil price impact their business as much. “Electricity may go up, gasoline and fuels will increase and businesses which depend on those things need to put things in place even if it means looking at renewable energy. “There are a lot of savings in renewable energy and the more businesses which have onboard we will have less strain on the economy.” The SBA president also called on businesses which facilitate renewable energy solutions to work more closely with small businesses. He said: “I believe there’s enough information on it that people would take it onboard. “But the providers need to find ways of getting packages for small businesses that will allow budgeting for that alternative.” Willock also encouraged small businesses to focus on digital and technological solutions to better facilitate commercial transactions and business interactions with Government. He also recommended succession planning to ensure small businesses do not collapse on the death of owners as well as health insurance plans to reduce the financial cost of illness, particularly in old age. He also promoted the recently-launched health insurance initiative organised by the SBA, in collaboration with insurance giant Sagicor and the non-profit music licensing body, the Copyright Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (COSCAP). (BT)

CRAIGWELL’S FINAL WORDS OF LOVE – I love you my dear sister’. Those were the last words Maureen Forte heard from her brother David Craigwell on Saturday night. Hours later, on Sunday afternoon, he died suddenly in the parking lot of Pricesmart on Green Hill, St Michael. In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Forte, Craigwell’s older sister said their final exchange perfectly summed up their relationship over the last 63 years. But according to her, his loveable personality extended to his son and his adopted daughter Shelley Griffith, his ten siblings, his colleagues at the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) where he served as a petty officer for many years and his close friends. She added that while he was never married, her brother had many close female friends. “If you met David and you were a friend, even if you two were no longer intimately involved, he would still be a good friend. Some of them called me this morning crying,” she revealed. “His life was caring for people and being out there… he was community-minded.” The older sister said Craigwell was a committed member of the Lions Club of Barbados, the Barbados Legion, and was active in the training of BDF cadets. “People would say ‘Craigwell doesn’t make sport, he was a serious man.’ He would make you fill a tub with a spoon in training or make you run around the Garrison with an egg and a spoon. He was thorough in whatever he did. When they had the poppy day, he would go and help count the money. He was a very committed person,” she said, while adding in his later years, he focused on photography and enjoyed nature. Forte, who lived just a stone’s throw from her brother in Newbury, St. George said despite their close bond, her brother had been very secretive about his sickness but would complain of pain to his feet if he stood for long periods. “He had tests and everything. He went to doctors and I think he hid his actual sickness from me but I could look and see he wasn’t well. I guess he probably wanted to protect me from knowing because of how close we were,” she said reflectively. The two last spoke on Saturday night and as usual, he was complaining about his pain and said he was experiencing a “funny” feeling. “He didn’t say if he was leaving home or anything like that. When I finished speaking to him on Saturday night, he said ‘I love you my dear sister’ and I said ‘I love you my dear brother’ and that is why when I heard what happened on Sunday I really cried but I am trying to be strong for everyone. I am going to miss him,” she said tearfully. Hours later, she received a call from a relative indicating her brother had fallen ill in his vehicle while at Pricesmart. According to reports, he received assistance at the scene but failed to recover and was pronounced dead at the scene. “It was a sad moment, not only for us as a family but for lots of people in this country,” his sister concluded. (BT)

JUDGES DAY – The long-awaited additional judges for the High Court and Court of Appeal moved a step closer to easing the backlog of cases on the courts’ docket with their official swearing in today. Attorney General Dale Marshall says their appointments will result in a major dent in the thousands of cases over the next 24 months. Five men and two women took the oath of office at Government House, before Governor General Dame Sandra Mason, friends and families and journalists. Appointed were one Court of Appeal Judge Rajendra Narine; two temporary High Court Judges Laurie-Ann Smith –Bovell and Carlisle Greaves; and four High Court Judges Barry Carrington, Cicely Chase, Christopher Birch and Cecil McCarthy.(BT)

ANTI CORRUPTION MEASURES COMING – Protections for whistleblowers and an update of a 90-year-old law are among a range of measures the Government plans to introduce in a “few weeks” to go after crooked public officials amid rising public perceptions of lingering corruption in Barbados, the Attorney General has told Barbados TODAY. Dale Marshall was responding to the recently released Global Corruption Barometer for Latin America and the Caribbean, which stated that 37 per cent of Barbadians believed corruption had increased in the last 12 months. But the survey, which had a sample size of just over 800 people, also showed that a majority – 55 per cent – believed the Mottley administration is doing a good job in fighting corruption. About one in four respondents – 29 per cent – believed Government was doing a bad job and 16 per cent said they did not know. In a brief interview, Marshall gave an assurance that the foundation was being laid to help address any outstanding issues of corruption. The Government’s chief legal adviser declared he would be announcing some major initiatives “in the very near future”. He said: “Within the next few weeks we are going to be introducing into Parliament, this is not just words, a new Whistleblower statute, which is going to be more comprehensive than what we had in the Integrity in Public Life Bill. “We are going to be introducing a new Prevention of Corruption statute, which will modernize our landscape in terms of our laws, and increase significantly the kinds of penalties that would be imposed.” Pointing out that the existing law, dating back to 1929, classifies a corrupt act as a misdemeanor, Marshall said this alone “speaks volumes about the attitude that people had toward the act of corruption”. But, with stiffer penalties and new definitions to be introduced, the Attorney General said he expected the new laws to act as a major deterrent to corrupt practices. He also noted that in addition to introducing a new legal framework, there were “some other things” that Government would be doing “which will see Barbados improving by leaps and bounds in terms of how we deal with corruption”. He described as a shame Barbados being one of only two countries yet to accede to the UN Convention against corruption. He promised the Government would ratify the treaty “before the end of the year” – 15 years after signing it, December 2003. In its recommendation, the Global Corruption Barometer called for advocacy for stronger political integrity, especially around elections, improved transparency of political finances; strengthening of judicial institutions; reduction in enablers of bribery, especially in public services; empowerment of individuals, civil society and media, to report corruption. The report also called for officials to recognise and address specific gendered forms of corruption and implement the Lima Commitment, an anti-corruption declaration of the leaders of the Americas made last April at their summit in the Peruvian capital.  (BT)

COURT MAY SIT LONGER HOURS – With roughly 22,000 cases filed in the Magistrates’ Court in Barbados annually, Attorney General Dale Marshall believes the introduction of night court is still a possibility. However, he promised that before judges are put on a shift system, Government would ensure better use of existing facilities. Marshall said he believed Government was able to do more work in the Supreme Court building to be able to have all courts functioning in the day time. “We recognize that with bringing in new judges we simply did not have adequate court space, but we have looked at the flow of traffic, our efficient and better use of the existing facility, and we believe that we will be able to put in a few more courts at a minimum cost to be able to fully utilize the facility,” he explained. At the same time, he said: “We are going to have to look seriously though at the question of evening courts in relation to the magistracy. “We have a small number of magistrates but every year about 22,000 cases get filed in our magistrates’ court. So multiply that by about two years, three years or four years, and the overwhelming majority would be traffic matters. “So we have to come up with some new responses to be able to allow our magistrates’ courts to function more efficiently and I believe that now that we have put things in place to begin to solve those problems for the High Courts we are now going to turn our attention to the magistrates’ court and in that context we really may have to swell the ranks of our magistracy by doing what is done in other places, additional magistrates who will work another shift,” he explained. The promise of evening court sittings in Barbados was made earlier this year, when Marshall pointed out that it was necessary in order to have justice delivered more efficiently and affordably. At the time, Marshall said it was likely that matters heard in the evening would be civil since “criminal matters done in the assizes would not be amendable to that kind of extension”. He had also noted that it would first be discussed with the tripartite Social Partnership, which include labour unions, Government and the private sector.   (BT)

70 MURDER TRIALS A PRIORITY – The 70 murder cases stuck in the criminal justice system are in for some special attention. That was the message sent out by Attorney General Dale Marshall yesterday after seven new judges were sworn in at Government House by Governor General Dame Sandra Mason. He said having five Supreme Courts sitting simultaneously would go a long way in trying to bring some relief to accused people as well as families of victims, by tackling the 70 murder cases which were stuck in the system, along with another 900-plus cases. “Those 70 murder cases are not statistics we should in any way be proud of. I expect that over the next year and half to two years, we would be able to break the backlog of both civil and criminal cases in Barbados,” the Attorney General said. (DN)

THREE BULLET WOUNDS FOUND – Thirty-year-old Alex Romel Samuels died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds. Pathologist Dr David Gaskin, who performed a post-mortem on Samuels, was among four witnesses who gave evidence today when the murder trial of Baggio Kristidi Decourcey Daniel, of Block 1A Factory Avenue, Wildey St Michael continued in the No. 5 Supreme Court. Daniel is accused of murdering Samuels on February 1, 2012 on a minibus along the Pine East West Boulevard. Justice Jacqueline Cornelius is presiding over the case in which Principal Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney and Crown Counsel Neville Watson are the prosecutors. Marlon Gordon is the accused’s defence attorney. Dr Gaskin told the court he examined Samuels’ body on February 9, 2012. The doctor said he found three wounds on the body which was identified by a female cousin. The deceased had been shot in the upper body and had three separate entry wounds – one at the base of the neck, another at the front clavicle and the third in the anterior folds of the right arm. A bullet, the doctor told the 12-member jury, was retrieved from the deceased and handed over to police. Firearms expert Sergeant David Leslie also gave evidence during today’s sitting. He revealed that two rounds of ammunition were handed to him for testing but stated that he could not determine whether it was from a 22 revolver or a 22 semi automatic. Under questioning by Crown Counsel Watson about the term spin barrel the Sergeant Leslie responded, “I have heard the term spin barrel used in Barbadian parlance but in actual fact I have never experienced or seen a spin barrel.” He added: “Usually you attribute that term to a revolver. A barrel of a firearm does not spin. What spins is the cylinder of a revolver.” The case continues tomorrow. (BT)

PUNISHED FOR BOND BREACH – Unable to pay a forthwith $1,500 fine for breaching a 12-month bond a 37-year-old man will serve four months in prison. O’neal Sylvester Farmer of No. 122 Midway Lane, Pinelands, St Michael also had a two-month consecutive period at HMP Dodds attached to that sentence for having cocaine apparatus. The sentence on the bond, which was imposed back in August for a preadial larceny offence in connection with five pounds of hot peppers, was triggered today when Farmer pleaded guilty before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant, in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court for having the drug paraphernalia on September 29. (BT)

TECHNICIAN GRANTED $3000 BAIL – A 38-year-old technician was granted $3,000 bail today on two charges. It is alleged that Rodney Alexander Cox, of Promenade Road, Bank Hall, St Michel assaulted police constable Joseph Green in the execution of his duties on September 28. He is further accused of resisting police constable Pedro Morris on the same date. Cox pleaded not guilty to the two offences when he appeared before Magistrate Alison Burke. When it came time for bail there were no objections from the prosecution and he was released after his surety was accepted. The case against him continues in the No. 1 District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on February 10, 2020. In the meantime, he must report to the Black Rock Police Station every Wednesday by 10 a.m. with valid identification. (BT)

WILLIAMS AND BRATHWAITE ADVANCE TO SEMI-FINALS AT IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 – Barbadians Sada Williams and Shane Brathwaite have both advanced to the semi-finals of their respective events at the IAAF World Championships in Doha,Qatar. Williams finished second in 52.14 seconds in heat one of six, in the Women's 400m behind defending champion Phyllis Francis of the United States who won the heat in 50.77 seconds. Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson (51.13) and Stephenie Ann Mcpherson (51.21) have also qualified for tomorrow’s semi-final. Meanwhile, Brathwaite came fourth in heat two of the Men's 110m hurdles with a time of 13.51. Defending Olympic champion Omar Mcleod is also into the semi-finals with the fastest time of 13.17 seconds. (DN)

STOUTE TEARS INTO STARS – Some of Barbados’ top entertainers have come in for a tongue-lashing from Teen Talent founder Richard Stoute, who accused them of turning their backs on the show that “made” them. But alumnus like Caribbean Soca Queen Alison Hinds and Edwin The General Yearwood, who Stoute called out by name, have rejected his claims. Stoute broke down in tears before a large audience at the 6 to 12 final of the Richard Stoute Teen Talent competition at Barbados Museum & Historical Society on Sunday night. He expressed disappointment that past contestants were not returning to support the 43-year-old contest. (DN)

There are 92 days left in the year Shalom!  Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps #bajannewscaps #newsinanutshell

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Internet Marketing Recommendations to Get Traffic on your Website online

If you have a commercial enterprise on-line, the most important a part of it is prevailing clients. customers provide your enterprise with its earnings. Without them, there may be nothing. In order to gain customers, Internet Advertising is wanted. Many people aren’t a success with Internet Advertising, even though. Right here are some splendid Internet Advertising and marketing Hints a good way to paintings for all companies.

The idea of all Internet Advertising is generated on a procedure of posting writing on the Internet with links in your Web page. These articles are created with certain key phrases and posted in a way with a view to entice sufficient attention to get Traffic to the website of the enterprise thru a manner is known as search engine optimization. Traffic jewelry customers. clients deliver earnings. The system is straightforward in the idea, know-how in no way that easy to use.

The primary of the collection of Internet Advertising Suggestions includes the key phrases. You want to don’t forget the keywords especially. The introduction of the keywords and how your location them in the articles are both critical. Ensure which you create specific key phrases that apply immediately to your article. The key phrases chosen are noticeably vital to the item, and in turn to your website.

The second one part of the Internet Advertising Guidelines carries the articles you write. When you write the articles, place the keywords in them a number of instances wished. information, location them clearly While you location them in sentences. Do no longer simply stick them in everywhere you want. You need to Make sure that they make feel inside the articles.

When you write the articles, make them interesting to humans. Nobody will click on a hyperlink in the event that they do now not care what they’re studying. They will now not even finish studying the article in maximum cases. This will no longer do you any top when you are trying to get humans to navigate your internet site.

Of route, the most crucial a part of your article is the title, and this could thoroughly be one of the maximum critical Internet Advertising Pointers. Even if you have a good article, an awful title will purpose people to click on inside the contrary route. Your article will not even get the study. Make sure the identity, above all, gets human beings to click on and then study your articles.

When you have your articles written, the methods of posting them are very critical. You want to post the articles locations in order that people will see them and click on them. That is executed through a manner called search engine optimization. This includes right posting of articles to attract human beings in order that They’ll be comfortable to be had by way of people that search for the keywords within the articles.

Net Advertising is a completely vital component to the survival of any on-line commercial enterprise. These Internet Advertising Suggestions will assist you, through articles, get the excellent Visitors to your internet site, so you can doubtlessly get clients. As formerly stated, clients are crucial to the survival of a business of any kind, now not just one this is the Internet.

Net Advertising and marketing Pt 1 The Net is a wonderful vicinity to do commercial enterprise, whether you’re a retailer promoting a selected line of products or a carrier provider making you’re residing on the Net. there may be, know-how, one age-vintage problem with a commercial enterprise that in no way appears to head away: human beings won’t buy what they do not know about.

That is in which Net Advertising comes in.

Internet Advertising essentially involves the use of diverse tools and services to let your enterprise reach a much broader base of capacity customers. desirable Net Advertising will carry in a significant number of clients, maintain them involved after which make greater than glad to purchase extra of your products.

A not-so-good Net Advertising and marketing program, knowledge, might be a whole waste of time and money. within the worst case state of affairs, you may even become doing more harm than the top on your enterprise if the Advertising strategy is poorly notion out.

Unusually enough, most of the people truly fail in their Internet Advertising and marketing strategies no longer due to the fact they lack the understanding or the technical capabilities to make top use of Net Advertising and marketing.

Search engine optimization, HTML, decide-in lists, touchdown pages – all of This could now not count if the would-be marketer does not recognize understanding to really be triumphant with the equipment at his or her disposal.

permit me to be clear: this newsletter is not a technical manual on the finer points of Internet Advertising and marketing. No tutorials, no checks, no benchmarks.

this article pursuits to complement your technical  and provide you with an idea of what to do along with your skill and know-how. It will let you channel your efforts and create ways-accomplishing plans. A successful marketer needs an imaginative and prescient for you to be triumphant.

No, I am not talking about some grand, messianic imaginative and prescient or something. I’m talking about a vision so that it will define wherein all of the Net Marketing efforts will go to.

This imaginative and prescient will allow you to attention your efforts into something more efficient and will help you simply reach Internet Advertising. know knowledge earlier than you could outline your imaginative and prescient, you need to first assume the attitude of a hit marketer.

This attitude is in turn composed of various frames of the idea. Right here are a number of the extra important ones:

Sincere and Sincere The very first factor I have to tell you is that no genuinely a hit Internet marketer is a sham and a fraud. The stereotype of the Internet marketer that sidelines as a ruthless vulture and snake-oil salesman are a photograph that is, lamentably, more commonly followed that I would love. but let me tell you that being a success Internet marketer way being a success for the long term – and you can’t achieve success ultimately in case you start your career as a fraudster. The rewards from fraudulent income or deceptive Advertising techniques are immediately and attractive, understanding eve knowledge you can not build an Advertising empire with foundations laid on lies and deceptions. An internet marketer with a name built upon reliable commercial enterprise and consumer pride will yield more rewards ultimately than an anonymous ghost who has to alternate names every now and then lest he/she face criminal expenses.

Willing to Test one of the marks of a successful Internet marketer is the willingness to try things out. Many would-be entrepreneurs spend months (even years) analyzing a way to knowledge be powerful in Net Advertising. This is all well and excellent, expertise all This will be for not anything in case you are not Willing to position your abilities out on the open market where it’ll be surely examined beneath stress. The truth of the problem is that there isn’t an absolute recipe for achievement as An internet marketer. You just must grit your tooth and dive into the whole mess. You research quicker, and you will be able to discover what works and what does not in your unique line of labor. Even your mistakes can’t be considered as screw ups if you learn from them and use that understanding to better yourself.

Reflects and research From mistakes just because an Experiment of yours fails does now not suggest you need to simply up and forget about it. The whole point of experimenting is to find out what works and what does not. If something you just carried out does no longer work, like a weak landing web page or defective search engine optimization, then you need to go back and hint wherein the error stemmed from. That is why it’s far without a doubt crucial which you mirror upon any troubles you come upon to your Internet Advertising and marketing campaign. What went incorrect, understanding did it go wrong, understanding can I restoration it and how am I able to improve on it? Those four questions are staples in terms of reflecting on and getting to know from any errors.

Seeks Excellence in All That desires to Be done correct sufficient is a much cry for excellent, even though each is “correct” in an experience. Excellence is While you provide your satisfactory to everything you do. This excellence isn’t always non-obligatory in case you need to be a success Internet marketer. You do not reduce corners, you don’t do a sloppy activity and also you do not say “this is ideal sufficient.” Excellence is basically about ensuring which you do as excellent a process as you can. This pursuit of excellence will constantly pressure you to find higher and better ways of doing matters, substantially increasing productivity and performance. nice of all, your clients will without delay apprehend your this excellence and might be more Willing to as a minimum check out what you have to offer.

Units Competitive Standards to satisfy

there may be every other cause you need to are looking for excellence – the high-quality and maximum threatening of your competition additionally do the same. You should continually understand what your competitors are up to. you need to recognize what they offer, the information they do matters, know-how they marketplace themselves and even expertise a hit they’re. If excellence will push you similarly up in your Marketing efforts, then your opposition will define the naked minimum you want to paintings with. That is in particular beneficial Whilst you are new to Internet Advertising. Your competition will maximum probable were around for quite a long term already and could have spent a large quantity of money and time to get in which they may be now. All you want to do is examine know-how they do matters and you will be able to advantage the most out of your competitor’s present practices.