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urdearestmom · 6 years ago

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100 Questions

Tagged by @bob-newby-superhero thanks!!

1. What is your nickname? Sari, Sarita, Sarinha

2. How old are you? 18

3. What is your birth month? December

4. What is your zodiac sign? Sagittarius

5. What is your favourite colour? Green!

6. What’s your lucky number? 17 because it’s my birthday lmao

7. Do you have any pets? No but I really want a cat. Everyone in my family has dogs

8. Where are you from? I’m Luso-Canadian (my family is from Portugal but we live in Canada)

9. How tall are you? My driver’s license says 160 cm but the doctor told me 163. Either way, around 5’3”

10. What shoe size are you? Uhh depends on the shoe but usually 6.5-7

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? Many, but I always wear the same shit lol

12. Are you random? Sometimes, I guess

13. Last person you texted? I texted myself pictures from my mom’s phone. Last message in general was to @eljane-hoppers

14. Are you psychic in any way? Haha sometimes I think I am, but my mom is more >:^)

15. Last TV show watched? Saw an episode of Four Weddings on TLC this morning

16. Favourite movie? The Book Thief or The Greatest Showman

17. Favourite show from your childhood? iCarly!! Used to watch it religiously after school every day it was on

18. Do you want children? Yes, but definitely not right now lmao

19. Do you want a church wedding? Kind of yeah. It’ll depend on who I end up marrying but it’d probably be some kind of disgrace if I didn’t get married in a church

20. What is your religion? I am Catholic

21. Have you ever been to the hospital? Yup tons of times, whether for myself or other people

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? Nope, I am a Child of God™

23. How is life? Could be better, probably, but it’s pretty chill right now

24. Baths or showers? Showers, but I also really like baths

25. What colour socks are you wearing? Bold of you to assume I’m wearing socks at all

26. Have you ever been famous? I mean if you google my name the results are me. I was on CBC because I was in the national spelling bee in 2012

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? I feel like it’d be fun and cool for a while but then I’d get tired of it. I don’t like having people all up in my business and that seems like what life is like for big celebrities :/ But having a lot of influence would be awesome

28. What type of music do you like? Literally anything except country music (I’m not all that into rap/trap music either, but I can appreciate it from time to time) here’s a playlist of my favourite stuff it’s like seven hours long but if you go through it you’ll see it’s really all kinds :)

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? Maybe and I don’t remember? My childhood was a questionable era

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? 2, both under my head

31. What position do you usually sleep in? I usually fall asleep on my side but I almost always wake up on my back so I don’t actually know how I’m sleeping

32. How big is your house? 2 stories and a basement

33. What do you typically have for breakfast? Cup of milk with something else, usually a bowl of cereal or bread/croissant with Nutella

34. Have you ever left the country? YeET I’ve been to Portugal a bunch of times, Spain once, and to France on a 5-hour layover but we didn’t leave the airport and I don’t remember it anyway ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

35. Have you ever tried archery? Does it count if it was on Wii Sports? And yeah once and I was terrible at it

36. Do you like anyone? I think so and it sucks because he’s my friend :(

37. Favourite swear word? Probably fuck, I say it a lot. But I also say shit a lot so I mean idrk

38. When do you fall asleep? Oof regularly past midnight, but the time varies

39. Do you have any scars? A giant burn mark on my leg and a very faint lil thing on my right hand from this time I accidentally did an entire flip in my driveway

40. Sexual orientation? Was previously sure I was straight but I’m kind of starting to question that?

41. Are you a good liar? I like to think that I’m a very convincing actress

42. What languages would you like to learn? Mm I already speak Portuguese (if you ever wanna learn something hmu), and I learned some French because that’s mandatory in Canada but I dropped it and I want to get back into it. So, French! I also learned some German this year and I might continue with it. Also maybe Spanish, I can already understand some

43. Top 10 songs? Umm

Love Is A Battlefield - Pat Benatar

Rock You Like A Hurricane - Scorpions

Theme From New York, New York - Frank Sinatra

True Faith - New Order

Age Of Consent - New Order

A Million Dreams - The Greatest Showman OST

Second Waltz - Dmitri Shostakovich

Power Of Love - Celine Dion

Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry

Halo - Beyonce

44. Do you like your country? Canada? Yeah, I love it except for the stupid ass weather. I get sick every fucking time the season changes

45. Do you have friends from the web? Yeeee!! They’re all awesome people

46. What is your personality type? INFP- there’s more info here if you want to know what that means

47. Hogwarts House? Ravenclaw ftw bitches

48. Can you curl your tongue? Yesssss

49. Pick one fictional character you can relate to? Buzzfeed told me that, based on my music taste, I am “a student of classic rock like School of Rock’s Dewey Finn” (but actually HA I KNEW THERE WAS A REASON I LOVED JACK BLACK IN THAT MOVIE)

50. Left or right handed? Righttttt

51. Are you scared of spiders? They don’t scare me as much as induce some kind of panic, but it really depends what kind of spider. Really little ones are actually kind of cute, but big spiders send me into cardiac arrest

52. Favourite food? Akjsnfskd PASTA

53. Favourite foreign food? Idk man I’m already picky af with my food. If I live in Canada does that make the Portuguese food I eat on a daily basis foreign because if so I loooooove me some fuckin barbecued chicken

54. Are you a clean or messy person? Fairly clean. If I wasn’t my mother would hurt me lol

55. If you could switch your gender for a day, what would you do? Idk probably figure out how to pee standing up, maybe make use of the ability to lie on my stomach without hurting my chest :)

56. What colour underwear? I think this is turquoise

57. How long does it take for you to get ready? Depends what I’m getting ready for. On a regular day, ten minutes tops. If I’m going out to an event it can be upwards of an hour; sometimes less, sometimes more

58. Do you have much of an ego? Idk if it’s ego so much as me being confident in myself. Anyone who has a problem with me and decides to be rude about it can suck my non-existent dick

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? I try to suck them but it never lasts for long, I almost always bite them unless I’m really concentrating on not biting

60. Do you talk to yourself? Lmfao only ALL THE TIME

61. Do you sing to yourself? Yeee

62. Are you a good singer? I don’t think I’ll blow out your eardrums but I know I’m not the best either. I’ll just say I’m not terrible

63. Biggest Fears? Heights and deep water

64. Are you a gossip? I live for drama does that make me a gossip

65. Are you a grammar nazi? Yeah if I’m talking to someone I’m very comfortable with (my cousin for example) or if I’m trying to be petty

66. Do you have long or short hair? Long! I’m growing it out so I can be really dramatic and chop it all off later (also thinking of donating it)

67. Can you name all 50 states of America? I can name almost all of them but I always forget a few. I think it’s pretty good considering I was never taught American geography

68. Favourite school subject? Instrumental music and history were my favourites

69. Extrovert or Introvert? Idk I guess extroverted introvert? Is that a thing???? I’m really awkward and panicky in social situations with people I don’t know but if I have friends around I’m just here to have the time of my life

70. Have you ever been scuba diving? No

71. What makes you nervous? Having to talk to people I don’t know (it literally makes me panic it’s horrible)

72. Are you scared of the dark? Sometimes, yeah

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? Lmao ok this depends on who the person is and if I’m in that kind of mood (but when I was a kid I used to correct my teachers)

74. Are you ticklish? Yes very

75. Have you ever started a rumour? No

76. Have you ever been out of your home country? Yes, I’ve been to Portugal a bunch of times, Spain once, and France on a layover

77. Have you ever drank underage? Chugged a cup of beer by accident when I was 6 oops

78. Have you ever done drugs? No but even if I had I don’t think I would say it here unless it was something minor like weed

79. What do you fantasize about? Travelling the world!!!!! And like, being a successful adult because right now I have no idea what the actual fuck I’m doing with my life

80. How many piercings do you have? Two, one in each ear

81. Can you roll your Rs? You gotta in Portuguese! I’m also fairly sure my French and German pronunciations are pretty much on point most of the time so I can do those types of R sounds as well

82. How fast can you type? Pretty fast on my phone and not slow on my laptop either (when you’re a writer you end up learning to type faster than you thought you would lol)

83. How fast can you run? Oof I’m not slow when I first start off but that only goes for like max 10 seconds

84. What colour is your hair? Dark brown

85. What colour are your eyes? Also dark brown

86. What are you allergic to? Bigots

87. Do you keep a journal? I have a diary I’ve had since I was like 10 but I don’t write in it very often. I also have a notebook where I write down fic ideas and outline plots

88. Are you depressed about anything? I actually think I might have seasonal depression or something but I’m not sure

89. Do you like your age? Yeah I guess being 18 is cool

90. What makes you angry? People who refuse to listen to reason

91. Do you like your own name? Yes it means princess!

92. Did you ever get a foreign object up your nose? No but I ate lead once

93. Do you want a boy or a girl for a child? No preference as long as it is alive and healthy

94. What talents do you have? Uhh I can play two instruments and will be learning a third does that count? I just remembered I can also balance a spoon on my nose

95. Sun or moon? Moon

96. How did you get your name? My mom had a friend named Sara when she was a kid and she always liked the name so here I am having been named Sara

97. Are you religious? Kind of? I don’t go to church very often but I think I believe in God (I believe that there’s something, at least). I’ve also received all the Sacraments that I can (as of right now that’s baptism, first communion, and confirmation)

98. Have you ever been to a therapist? Nope

99. Colour of your bedspread? Right now it’s just plain white

100. Colour of your room? Bright green!

Yeet I’m finished! Took forever ‘cause I kept getting interrupted but oh well

tagging: @eljane-hoppers @hannahberrie @mikeywheelerr @queer-deckovskij

#yeet #look at all this information about me #what an interesting person i am #SIKE

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keepmewithyourwords · 6 years ago

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Documentary evidence submitted during the trial of Michael Walker. Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:44 PM From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Reading By Numbers 1 – I met your mother in a number garden in Hokkaido. 2 – When I was 5830 days old I saw a news report about Professor Sujimoto. He had made a virtual number garden for his students. 3 – I vowed I would study in Japan and started learning Japanese. 4 – I was accepted into the University of Sapporo and enrolled in their math department. Professor Sujimoto’s fame had increased after he had discovered what was, at the time, the largest prime number ever found. 5 – Sujimoto conducted all of his lectures online in a VR environment he had created himself. 6 – When I logged in, I was presented with a menu that allowed me to create an avatar to represent myself. I chose the symbol for pi. 7 – An oak tree stood in the center of the garden. It reached unending into the sky and its trunk was alive with an army of marching ants, each of them carrying a glowing neon digit. Together they formed the prime number Sujimoto had discovered — a number more than 42 million digits long. 8 – Twenty-three other students attended that lecture. Their avatars took the forms of anime characters, kawaii cats and other fantastic creatures. Sujimoto’s avatar was reminiscent of a monk — wearing brown robes and conical hat. 9 – A text bubble appeared in the air beside the monk. “Welcome to this year’s first class on number theory.” 10 – “Numbers have a purity that words cannot match.” 11 – “They are the building blocks of science. By studying them we can learn about ourselves and our place in the universe. I have created this garden to give you a chance to explore the world of numbers and their hidden beauty.” 12 – He pointed to the garden beds where different colored numbers grew. “There are transcendental numbers, abundant numbers, undulating numbers, pandigital numbers, deficient numbers, surreal numbers, happy numbers, weird numbers and my personal favorites, the 13 – vampire 14 – numbers.” A bed of numbers erupted from the ground in front of Sujimoto. It contained the numbers from 1 to 1000 arranged in orderly rows. The numbers were purple and had pale, green stems. “I want you to pick one integer. This is going to be your special number for the year. Then explore the garden.” 15 – The student avatars crowded around the purple numbers and started plucking them. I wanted to choose 3, 7, 22 or 227 because they are used when estimating pi, but some other students must have had the same idea. I chose 220 instead. 16 – I wandered past a garden of hyperreal numbers and came to a numberfall. A torrent of digits cascaded down shiny, black rocks and emptied into a gleaming, blue lake. I queried the VR interface and discovered the numberfall was displaying part of the infinite sequence of digits that makes up pi. I waded through the water until I stood underneath the numberfall. The digits crashed all about me. I was submerged in infinity. 17 – A unicorn splashed into the lake. It had the purple number 284 wrapped around its horn. When the unicorn saw the number stuck to my side, it started bouncing up and down in excitement. Someone was pressing the jump key too often. 18 – “Look at our numbers!!! We have to be friends. It’s fate!!!” 19 – That was how I met 20 – your mother. 21 – It took me a moment to grasp the significance of what she was saying. 220 and 284 are the smallest pair of amicable numbers. The sum of the proper divisors of 220 (1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 11, 20, 22, 44, 55, 110) is 284. The sum of the proper divisors of 284 (1, 2, 4, 71, 142) is 220. The numbers are bound together. 22 – Your mother decided we were meant to be together. I had only just arrived in Japan and I didn’t have any friends. So I was happy to meet her after class. 23 – She was also interested in codes and sent me emails with hidden messages. A message with (32) at the end meant I had to read every thirty-second line to find the meaning. 24 – We fell in love. 25 – The next four years were the happiest of my life. I specialized in the process of random number generation. Computers usually only generate pseudorandom numbers. Deterministic algorithms can be recreated, so the numbers aren’t truly random. Eventually a pattern will emerge. To get true random numbers, computers have to rely on external sources, such as devices to measure atmospheric noise. 26 – We got married after we graduated. Some of my friends in Australia warned me about the difficulties of intercultural relationships. I thought our love for numbers would help us bypass that. 27 – Cultural differences sometimes even extend to numbers. In western countries we count in thousands, but in Japan they count in ten thousands. 20,000 is not 20 thousands, it is 2 ten thousands. I also learned other numbers have been polluted by superstition. 28 – The end came when I saw a documentary about an autistic savant who could perform astonishing feats of calculation and memory. He recited pi from memory to 22,514 digits. I could not do this. 29 – He said that in his mind numbers have different shapes and colors. I could not see this. The numbers I loved had 30 – betrayed me. 31 – They had shown themselves to others, but not to me. 32 – Kaori told me she was pregnant. 33 – At the time it was an unexpected and unwelcome 34 – addition. 35 – 1 + 1 should not equal 3. 36 – Your grandmother said we had to go to a 37 – fortune teller 38 – to help us choose your name. 39 – A fortune teller had chosen your mother’s name by selecting a kanji with a lucky number of strokes. 40 – Your grandmother poisoned your mother’s thinking with superstition. 41 – We argued. 42 – Then 43 – your grandmother 44 – became ill and was admitted to hospital. 45 – When I arrived at the hospital, 46 – she was asleep. 47 – Kaori sat by her bedside. 48 – She looked pale and tired. 49 – I had brought some flowers, 50 – so I 51 – put them on the table by the bed. 52 – Kaori stared at the flowers. “What are those?” she demanded. 53 – “I bought some flowers for your mother.” 54 – “They’re chrysanthemums!” 55 – The old woman stirred in her sleep. 56 – “What’s the matter? I thought your mother would appreciate them. They are Japan’s national flower.” 57 – “You never give chrysanthemums to someone in hospital! They’re only for funerals.” 58 – “How was I supposed to know that?” 59 – I picked up the flowers. “I will get rid of them. There’s no need to get upset. You’re acting like I 60 – killed 61 – her.” 62 – “That’s because you bought four of them! 63 – I’ve told you before, four is an unlucky number in Japan. 64 – It sounds like death. 65 – You want my mother to die, don’t you! You’ve always hated her.” 66 – “What are you talking about? That’s crazy.” 67 – “Then why did you bring her four chrysanthemums?” 68 – “The shop only had four left,” I replied. “They’re just flowers.” I threw the flowers in the bin. 69 – “I was only trying to help 70 – her.” 71 – Kaori stared at me for a long time. Then she reached into her handbag and took out her ATM card. 72 – “What about this?” She flung the card at me. “You changed the PIN on my card yesterday, didn’t you? I had to go into the bank to find out what the new number was. And you know what the new number was, don’t you? 1260!” 73 – “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. 74 – “1260 is a vampire number,” Kaori said. 75 – “I don’t know anything about that. The bank must have given you a new number for some reason. It was probably just chosen randomly.” 76 – “Don’t lie to me, Michael! I know all about your so-called random numbers! You chose that because you want to frighten me.” 77 – “Please calm down. Your mother isn’t well, and you’re pregnant. You’re very emotional.” 78 – “I don’t love you any more, Michael.” 79 – “That’s not true.” 80 – “You need to get help.” 81 – In case your mother has neglected your education I should explain about vampire numbers. They are numbers with an even number of digits that can be equally divided into two so-called fangs. These fangs are factors of the number and contain all of the digits of the original number. 82 – 1260’s fangs are 21 and 60 (21×60=1260). 83 – Your grandmother died that night. 84 – Kaori divorced me. 85 – Now, I sit in my small room and think about my mistakes. I thought numbers had betrayed me. But now I know it was not their fault. 86 – They are always true. It is superstitious people that sully the perfection of numbers. 87 – If someone tells you they love you, how do you prove it’s true? Even if it is true, how do you know it will be true tomorrow? 88 – Numbers are eternally perfect. The square root of 100 will always equal 10. 89 – Japanese law doesn’t recognize the custody rights of foreign parents. I have never even met you. But that will change one day soon. 90 – I will come for you and your mother. 91 – I have begun to make my own simple number garden. 92 – I have marked the walls with some of my favorite numbers. 93 – 220. 94 – 284. 95 – 1260. 96 – Sometimes numbers grow into things they shouldn’t. 97 – I am watching these numbers closely. One day they will grow into something very special. 98 – My health has been poor. To help me relax I perform simple integer divisions. 99 – But I am very careful about what numbers I choose to divide. 100 – I am always happier when there is no remainder. (10)

Reading by Numbers by AIDAN DOYLE

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203challenges-blog · 7 years ago

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50 fun summer vacation challenges (+ printable list)

A recent study has proven that a well-planned vacation is better than knocking around aimlessly while the days slip by. And while a military-style plan won't make it really feel like a vacation, here is a fun list to help you find a happy medium as you get creative and challenge yourself this summer. You can download a printable version of the list here.

Summer vacation fun challenges list

IN NATURE

1. Immerse yourself in a lake (or the sea). 2. Bathe in a waterfall. 3. Make up a camping 'team name' for you and your group of friends. 4. Organize a night hike. 5. Plan a themed picnic. 6. Practice the Swedish nature concept gökotta. 7. Practice shinrin-yoku. 8. Try your hand at kayaking or sailing. 9. Test your nerves by cliff jumping. 10. Walk barefoot. 11. Sleep in a tent. 12. Pick berries. 13. Try rock climbing. 14. Venture into a cave. 15. Visit a national park. 16. Light a campfire. 17. Learn how to use a compass. 18. Go cycling. 19. Hug a tree. 20. See an animal you haven't met in real life before. 21. Organize a treasure hunt. 22. Find a high place with a view (a rock, a skyscraper etc.) and enjoy the scenery with a drink. 23. Go stargazing (or hunt for shooting stars). 24. Spend a day in hammock.

IN THE CITY

25. Swim in a pool. 26. Visit a water park. 27. Taste all the ice cream in the city and judge which is the best. 28. Repeat for pizza. 29. Grab a book and spend an afternoon reading in a cafe. 30. Choose a book you've already read and give it to a random person. 31. Organize a surprise trip for a friend – just tell him or her what clothes to pack. 32. Visit a summer festival. 33. Walk through your neighborhood and choose a house at random. Jot down the address and send the owner a postcard with a kind message. 34. Take a photo on the stroke of every hour. 35. Visit a gallery. Prepare by looking up information and fun facts about the painters whose works you are going to see. 36. Join a volunteer organization. 37. Invite a friend from another city/country and play guide during his/her stay. 38. Pretend to be a tourist in your own city. 39. Research the history of your street and neighborhood. 40. Cook a foreign meal. 41. Say “yes” to every offer you get for a whole day. 42. Start learning a new language (it could be for free). 43. Embark on a mystery trip. Let one friend drive while the other, with their eyes closed, navigates by saying something like: “Turn left, go right at the second exit”. 44. Get lost on purpose. 45. Close your eyes, turn the map of your region a few times and then point to a random place – your next destination! 46. Go on a solo day trip. Enjoy your own company. 47. Walk every street in your neighborhood or city. 48. Research your family roots. 49. Hitchhike to a neighboring town. 50. Looking for more creative travel ideas? We've compiled a book with 203 travel challenges for you to mix, stir and tweak to create your own personal adventures! No matter whether you're a beginner or a seasoned traveler, you'll find some inspiring ideas within.

Click to Post

#Challenges #crazy ideas #Family trips #spontaneous travel #Summer #summer ideas

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stephaniefchase · 8 years ago

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Bajan Newscap 2/9/217

Good Morning #realdreamchasers! Here is your daily news cap for Thursday 9th February 2017. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Today (BT) or by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

SKERRIT NOT LEAVING – Following calls by the opposition to resign, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has made it clear that neither he nor the government will “get out” because of any groups or individual but only through the ballot box. He also blamed the United Workers Party (UWP) for the violence that engulfed Roseau on Tuesday night following a public meeting organized by opposition parties calling for his resignation. “Nobody and no group of individuals are going to get me out or my government out without going through the ballots of Dominica,” Skerrit said at the AID Bank’s 24th Annual General Meeting (AGM) Wednesday morning at the Fort Young Hotel. Skerrit noted that his official address to the Nation on the matter will be done later today. He mentioned that he paid visits to the various business places that were severely damaged on Wednesday morning saying that the riot was “organized clearly by the leadership of the United Workers Party and their associates”. “It is incomprehensible where Christian people in this country, those of us who have a Bible and go to Church every morning and praise God would be condoning the actions of this United Workers Party because of our partisanship? And we call this country ours? That we love this country? That we are not prepared to stand in defense of the people who have invested their money and criminals go about the streets and destroying these people investments?” he said. Skerrit also stated that the activities have nothing to do with him but rather “about the country and the country’s future”. “When we send to the world the impression that this country is not a place to do business and to come to visit, how are we going to create jobs in Dominica? How are we going to sustain the economy? How are we going to expand the economy to address the poverty levels in our country?” he noted. He said that his silence must not be taken for weakness. “I am measured with my approach in life . . . . But let it be known that there should be no actions on the part of individuals in Dominica to overthrow this government. So if that is their intention, I am sending a message to them, they better rethink their plans,” he stated. Skerrit said the disturbances were “planned, calculated, and it was executed”. “If you look at Roseau and you look at the businesses that were targeted, that was not random, that was not spontaneous,” he noted. He claimed that there are “criminals who are are saying today that they got paid for carrying out some of the actions”. “Who paid them?” Skerrit asked. (BT)

LOCAL WATER RATES TOO LOW - A local conservationist has suggested the need for a hike in domestic water rates, saying it was one sure way of getting Barbadians to better appreciate that their island is water-scarce. “The big thing the customer needs to do is to have a better respect for the value of water,” said engineer Andrew Hutchinson. Addressing a meeting of the Rotary Club West of Barbados at the Bagatelle Great House last night, he further argued that water in Barbados was still too cheap. “The commercial rate is .446 of a cent per litre . . . less than half a cent per litre. Then we [are] selling water to the ships [at the Bridgetown Port] at .8 cents per litre,” he pointed out. The conservationist also reported that about five million gallons of water was literally flushed down the toilets every day, without any available incentive for property owners to change their inefficient systems, which Hutchinson said account for a significant amount of water wastage. In addition, he said, there were some grumbles among residents about cost, many Barbadians had no problem purchasing the more expensive bottled water. “We complain it is too expensive, but yet those same customers – most of them – go the supermarket to pick up bottled water at $5 a litre and put it in their trolley, but they don’t want to pay Water Authority a half of a cent per litre,” Hutchinson said. (BT)

PRIORITY # 1 - Put aside the election talk and let’s come together for the sake of our country’s economy. This was the strident appeal made Wednesday by former Prime Minister Owen Arthur, who is now warning that urgent action needs to be taken within the next three months to stave off the threat of a currency devaluation. With the country fast running out of foreign reserves and the Central Bank recently forced to put the immediate brakes on the printing of money, Arthur cautioned that now was not the time for political leaders to be engaging in rabid electioneering. In fact, he suggested that the only thing that Prime Minister Freundel Stuart needs to urgently announce is a “national consensus” on the ailing economy. He further cautioned that if the current slide continued unchecked, by June the island’s foreign reserves could be fully depleted, putting the Barbados dollar in greater peril. He also warned both the ruling Democratic Labour Party and the Opposition Barbados Labour Party that even as the constitutional deadline for elections approaches, it was not enough for them to simply assure members of the electorate that “we will not devalue the currency” as they try to “keep the spirits of the troops high”. In fact, he cautioned that though the required change was neither wanted nor desired, “it was about what is going to be forced upon you. Arthur, made it clear devaluation should be avoided at all costs, as he drew a comparison between the current economic reality facing Barbados and that which faced Jamaica in 1976 on the eve of Jamaica turning to the International Monetary Fund. He said back then the Jamaican currency was almost on par with the US dollar, but the Jamaican authorities had refused to accept the economic advice given for them to stop printing money. Since then, the value of that country’s dollar has deteriorated to the point that it now takes 128 Jamaican dollars to purchase one US dollar. Arthur also pointed out that at one point only three Guyanese dollars were required to purchase one US dollar. However, he said the country went on a similar “printing binge�� which simply ‘catspraddled’ the Guyanese currency. He cautioned that while Barbados’ situation may not yet be as desperate as that which faced either Jamaica or Guyana, “we are going there because [in addition to the pressure on reserves] the things you are depending upon to stop the slide are not happening, namely, bumper tourism and a lot of capital inflows.” He also pointed out that “the Government of Barbados cannot borrow a lot of money from the local banking system because they have reached their prudential limit . . . you have used as much national insurance as you can. The Government, because of the downgrades, can’t borrow money from lending institutions and investors in pension funds because they have a duty of care not to put their funds in things that are not investment grade.” In such a situation, Arthur said local trade unions have to be made to understand that their workers become worse off if we have to go down the devaluation route. Asked about his own role in achieving national consensus, Arthur said though he was prepared to be part of a serious process, he would not allow himself to be “treated like a mock stick”. He recalled that in 2014 he was approached by Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler to be chairman of the National Economic Council and then nothing happened. Similarly, he said, “Mia Mottley once committed me against my will to be head of an eminent persons group that nobody ever said they wanted . . . . So I am prepared to be part of a serious process, but I am not prepared at my age, at this stage in life, to be made a mock stick of by either of the two political parties,” Arthur stressed. (BT)

START BY CUTTING BACK AT THE POST OFFICE, SUGGESTS ARTHUR - Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur today warned of the need for immediate rationalization of Government, suggesting the General Post Office (GPO) may be a good place to start. However, given the urgency to bring down the national deficit, he again called on the Freundel Stuart administration to revisit its spending on all 63 statutory agencies. Pointing out that transfers and subsidies to these entities were originally $1.2 billion, Arthur said it was a luxury Government could no longer afford. Therefore, he said immediate expenditure cuts would have to be made. Since then there has been every indication that the situation has worsened, with transfers to state-owned enterprises having fallen by $17 million, although interest payments rose by $53 million. As at January 2017, capital expenditure had also fallen by $36 million and the overall fiscal deficit, estimated at $665 million, was said to $5 million smaller. With the situation as it stands, Arthur cautioned that “to refrain from doing what you need to do is going to cause more pain than doing that which you need to do”. Zeroing in on the operations of the GPO, he suggested that amid technological change, the island’s postal services were now ripe for rationalization. Arthur also acknowledged that state rationalization had been recommended by the International Monetary Fund. However, he said even though the process was now past due it had apparently been halted following the controversial early retrenchments at the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation in 2015. To get the process going again, he suggested that Government would have to move quickly to try to forge a “national consensus” similar that which existed in 1991/1992 when the then Erskine Sandiford administration was faced with a possible currency devaluation. However, with a worrying deficit, he emphasized that there could no longer be any sidestepping of the matter, neither that of privatization, which he said must be dealt with “in an enlightened way given that Government is asset rich and cash poor. And with the Central Bank now refusing to print money, he stressed that the only other option was to cut the size of Government even though it may be an unpopular option politically.With the Stuart administration currently banking on the delivery of several capital works projects, including the US$100 million Hyatt hotel, Arthur further cautioned that the dollar value would not be delivered in one fell swoop. “They [the developers] will bring in enough [money] to meet wages and local purchases and hold the rest in a foreign account to pay imports,” he said. (BT)

DELTRO GETS PLANNING PERMISSION FOR SOLAR PLANT – There is light at last at the end of the proverbial tunnel for Canadian-based energy firm Deltro Group Ltd, which has promised “much cheaper” energy than what Barbadians were paying to Barbados Light & Power. A company spokesman today revealed that after a year of waiting, the Town & Country Planning Department had finally given the go-ahead for construction of its US$40 million solar panel manufacturing facility and 10-megawatts solar farm. However, a whopping $4 million in import duties on the manufacturing line is standing in the way of the commencement date of construction of those facilities. Del Mastro said the company had taken “a leap of faith” last August when it shipped to Barbados, the manufacturing line, which has been at the Bridgetown Port since. He said he was “not aware of any government that charged a capital investment tax or corporate surtax on manufacturing equipment, especially when it is a sector that is challenged”. As he did last July, the company executive blamed the delay in securing planning permission and the tax waiver for holding back the project, and he promised once the tax exemption was granted construction of the manufacturing facility would begin. He said after setting up the approximately US$20 million manufacturing plant, the plan was to establish the approximately US$20 million solar farm on about 70 acres of land in Waterford Plantation, St Michael. He added that while the approval for the solar farm was for a 10-megawatt grid-tied system with an energy storage component, it was the company’s intention to double the capacity over time. The Deltro spokesman said about half the investment had already been made in the manufacturing plant through the purchase of the approximately 50,000 square feet of land, including a building and the over 300 feet of manufacturing line from Trans-Tech Inc. While refusing to give details, Del Mastro said several countries had already been lining up to purchase solar panels, which he said should rake in significant foreign exchange for Barbados. Deltro said Barbados is estimated to earn US$50 million in the first year, with revenue projections of up to US$200 million within five years, he pledged. Leading local stakeholders and interest groups, including Williams Industries Chairman Ralph Bizzy Williams have objected to the project, with Williams telling Barbados TODAY last August that if Deltro were granted permission it would be an unjust act against local alternative energy entrepreneurs, whose efforts at getting similar treatment continued to fail. (BT)

NOT FAIR – UNFAIR. That is how business magnate Ralph “Bizzy” Williams has reacted to yesterday’s news the Canadian-based Deltro Group had been given approval from the Town and Country Planning Department to operate a solar panel manufacturing plant on the Trans-Tech site at Kendal Hill, Christ Church, and a 70-acre solar farm in Waterford, St Michael. “It’s quite obvious that I would think it seems to me to be unfair, but nobody elected me to run Barbados. So who’s running it would know why they gave the people the approval to put photovoltaics on Government land, when Barbadians could have done it,” he told the DAILY NATION. He did not seem enthused at the fact that chief financial officer of the Deltro Group, Dean Del Mastro, insisted that both companies were Barbadian and would create employment for locals. (DN)

PROMOTING SUGAR & RUM – The state-run Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA) has launched a new tourism initiative to enhance Barbados’ cultural heritage and culinary tourism product offering. The initiative, themed the Barbados Sugar and Rum Season, will seek to tell an authentic Barbadian story on rum and sugar like only Barbados can. The season was launched last night at the historic Sunbury Plantation and was attended by top tourism officials including Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy and CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., Billy Griffith. Addressing the launch, CEO of the BTPA, Dr Kerry Hall, said she was excited about the prospects of an event of this nature.“The Barbados Sugar and Rum Season will play an integral role in differentiating Barbados from its competitors, by focusing on several unique selling points of the island, especially the fact that Barbados is the birthplace of rum,” she said. The season aims to sensitize owners of restaurants, bars and nightclubs about the story of rum and its value to the economy, encourage wider use and consumption of Barbadian rum among locals and visitors, demonstrate the versatility of rum in culinary use, educate locals and visitors about Barbados’ rich rum and sugar heritage and enhance the tourism product offering. Dr Hall sought to clarify that the new initiative was not like the already running Barbados Food and Rum Festival. “The season is more nationalistic and broad-based and runs for a longer period of time,” she said. Manager of Innovation and Strategy at the BTPA, Terry Vanterpool-Fox, reiterated that the season should not be confused with the Food and Rum Festival. “The Barbados Sugar and Rum Season is not a festival. While this year the BTPA is running the pilot, we will be looking to host the season throughout the winter period in the future. The Food and Rum Festival is organized by the BTMI….,” Vanterpool-Fox said. Minister of Tourism, Richard Sealy, endorsed the event, calling it a very significant occasion. He encouraged all Barbadians to get on board. (BT)

TOO HIGH A TOLL SAYS BIPA - The June Fowler-led Barbados Investors and Policyholder Alliance (BIPA) today warned that it was simply not prepared to give up the fight on behalf of the thousands affected by the collapse of the Trinidad-based CL Financial. However, in a press release, BIPA expressed strong concern the heavy loss was weighing down on its membership – in particular families of the more than 200 policyholders who have died since the “scandalous” collapse, which also affected local subsidiaries CLICO and British American Insurance Company Limited (BAICO). To add to the indignity of the situation, BIPA said it was still not known if the dependents of those who had died would ever see any of the money “so carefully and trustingly put by for them”. “Eight years is eight years too long and as we have said from day one, ‘we want our money back’, especially before any more policyholders through illness, or those already in ‘the departure lounge of life’ pass away,” BIPA added. However, it complained that while several of its members had already died, “the perpetrators of this debacle walk around free from accepting or being charged with any culpability for the utter devastation of so many lives for which they are directly responsible”. BIPA also acknowledged that the BAICO Judicial Manager had already confirmed a May 31 date for the transfer of all qualifying policies to Sagicor, with payments to policyholders due to follow shortly after that date. However, it said no such commitment had been forthcoming on CLICO, with the transfer of those policies to ResLife Limited also yet to be approved by the court. Today, the alliance also called on Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler to expedite the necessary parliamentary and other approvals to ensure immediate transfer of their funds as soon as the court approves the agreement. (BT)

PRO QUITS – In what appears to be a bitter breakup, singer and television producer Jamal Slocombe and the Barbados Film and Video Association (BFVA) have parted ways, less than two months after Slocombe took up the post as the organization’s spokesman. Slocombe’s short-lived relationship with the association officially ended Tuesday, February 7, after he was forced to resign as public relations officer (PRO). In an e-mail sent by BFVA Secretary Shamar Prescod on behalf of the president Damien Pinder, Slocombe was asked to quit with immediate effect to “allow us to place someone in this position who is able to execute the duties required”. In an apparent reference to Slocombe’s involvement in a recent mass casualty accident, Prescod made reference to “personal issues” which resulted in the spokesman being “unable to discharge” his duties. However, it suggested that the association could not be allowed to suffer as a result. Prescod reminded the young man that the board’s mandate was to provide “better representation and increase public knowledge” of the organization and its members”, and that it needed “a strong [and] visible” PRO. Still, it said, the decision was nothing personal, and Slocombe was welcomed to contribute when he felt better. Slocombe’s response was immediate and emphatic, slamming the grouping for suggesting he was not strong enough to perform the role, and questioning Prescod’s “knowledge of my capabilities”. The 19-year-old had initially refused to resign, but changed his mind after thinking things through over the weekend, he told Barbados TODAY. A member of the organization for four years, Slocombe said there were “too many discrepancies among the voices” within the BFVA and charged that the leadership had “yet to get its act together”. In addition, the teenager said, the demand for his resignation was a display of “a lack of consideration and understanding for personal circumstances” he was going through, and had “bulldozed” his attempts to help bridge any gap between the young and old in the film and video industry. (BT)

CITY STINK – The sight and stench of raw sewage have returned to pose additional headaches for the authorities here. However, while the previous mess was concentrated on the south coast, where the overflow of sewage onto the roads caused consternation among residents, businesses and tourists alike for several weeks, it is The City that is the site of the latest problem. Since Tuesday morning raw sewage has been overflowing from a section along Nursery Drive – the entrance leading to the River Van Stand – a stone’s throw away from the River Road pumping station. Officials today rushed to the scene to assess the problem, and have since promised that work would begin tonight, according to some vendors, who also told Barbados TODAY that at least one shop would have to be moved in order for the relevant authorities to access the spot from which the water is bubbling. Barbados TODAY was just in time this evening to witness the foul smelling water flowing from a section of the concrete on the western side of the road. The filthy, discoloured water would bubble over about every ten minutes and last for just over a minute. Some vendors who spoke to Barbados TODAY on condition that their names were not published, said they were eager to see the problem rectified, but had no idea how long they were likely to wait. One fruit and vegetable vendor, who has been operating in the area for the past five years, said she noticed the problem about three hours after opening her shop around 5:30 on Tuesday morning. Another vendor, who operates just a few feet away from where the water was gushing out, said while she was not there on Tuesday morning when the problem first occurred, she noticed it today while preparing to stock her shop for business on Friday. During the interview the water started to flow again, followed by a strong stench. Before cutting the interview short, the vegetable vendor pointed out that the situation would likely have a negative impact on her business. (BT)

WATER BUG - The community water tanks that served as sources of relief for residents of St Andrew, St Joseph and St Thomas during frequent and lengthy water outages last year could become cradles of disease, many residents fear. Now that the water woes appear to be over, the tanks have been virtually abandoned by the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) and could soon be home to rats and other vermin, they complain.Some also fear that another prolonged shortage in the known water-scarce areas could leave their communities with no sanitary potable water collection points. When Barbados TODAY visited St Andrew and St Joseph Wednesday, the tank covers were on, but the outflow pipes had been cut and left opened, making it easy for rodents and other pests to crawl in. While many were grateful that water was flowing through their taps again, there still remained some residual issues, which individuals were hoping would get the water company’s urgent attention. Among the concerns highlighted were the inconsistency of the water pressure and the insistence by the BWA that water bills received during the months of water outages must be paid. Reports of low water pressure and periodic water outages were especially prevalent in the St Joseph communities of Spa Hill and Horse Hill. The Spa Hill resident expressed anger over being billed for water he never had and a convenience he never enjoyed. To add insult to injury, Brathwaite told Barbados TODAY, his many attempts to have the issue rectified had been met with the run around by the BWA. Member of Parliament for St Joseph Dale Marshall has repeatedly said the BWA should cancel its bills to residents for a few months to ease consumers’ suffering. On one such occasion, at a town hall meeting at George Lamming Primary School in January last year, Marshall said the gesture would help change the people’s perception of the state-owned water company, which had been the subject of their wrath due to the long running water outages. (BT)

TOOTH FOUND IN SALT BREAD – When Ralph Riley tucked into his favourite salt bread, he never expected that he would also be biting on a tooth, and it wasn’t his. The 63-year-old was stunned when he discovered the foreign object, and was even more upset to learn that it might belong to an animal. Riley bought the Nicholls Bakery salt bread on January 21 from a shop in Christ Church. Out of frustration because he felt he was not getting any satisfaction from the bakery or Government agencies, he came to the DAILY NATION with the tooth secured in a money bag. “The first bite went down good,” he said. “And when I take the second bite, I heard this noise in my mouth so I spit it out on the table.” (DN)

WANTED MAN - Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a 31-year-old man, wanted in connection with serious criminal matters. Marlon Omar George, also known as “Mali”, “Gongles”, and “Ranger” is said to be about five feet, nine inches tall, medium build, light brown in complexion, has medium to full lips, brown eyes and a low haircut. He has a tattoo of a cross, and the date 19thSept 85, with the initials beside it on his back, as well as several scars on his face. Police say George’s last known address was #16 Arden Close, Pinelands, St Michael. (BT)

POLICE APPEAL - Police are seeking the assistance of female who goes by the name “Bernice” who was a passenger in the taxi registration number Z993 on Sunday, January 29, along the Graeme Hall section of the ABC highway (opposite the exit of the Ministry of Agriculture). This taxi was involved in a fatal accident which claimed the lives of four people and injured six others. Acting Inspector Roland Cobbler said “Bernice” should contact the Worthing Police Station as soon as possible at telephone numbers 430-7615 or 430-7614. (BT)

TWO SENT TO PRISON FOR CHRIST CHURCH BURGLARIES - Police in the southern division have made a major breakthrough in relation to a number of burglaries committed in the Parish Land and Thyme Bottom communities of Christ Church between January 12 and February 4 this year. Two men from the parish have been arrested and charged with five cases of burglary and one case of theft. They are 24-year-old Jamario Akeem Warren of Parish Land and 31-year-old Colin Jason Johnson of Lot 10, Parish Land. Warren and Johnson were jointly charged with two counts of burglary, while Warren faced three additional counts of burglary and one count of theft. Both men appeared before Chief Magistrate Christopher Birch in the District ‘C’ Court today where they pleaded guilty to all charges. Warren was sentenced to four years in prison, while John was sentenced to two years. (BT)

PURPLE HOUSE – A total of 14 records were broken today at Christ Church Foundation School sports, as the reigning track and field queens look set to defend their title at the Barbados Secondary Schools Athletics Championship (BSSAC). The girls from Church Hill created history last year for the first time in 27 years, when they dethroned perennial champions, Scotiabank Springer Memorial, and from the look of things today on the Ryan Brathwaite track at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex, Foundation look ready to defend their girls title at BSSAC and prove last year was no fluke. Talma ‘Purple’ House retained their title with 838.5 points, ahead of Skeete ‘Yellow’ House who scored 700 and Wellington ‘Red’ House who followed closely for third with 690.5 points. Inniss ‘Blue’ House took fourth place with 686.50 points, ahead of Lynch ‘Green’ House on 356 points, under the prevailing heavy windy conditions. When a school has as many top junior national athletes at their disposal as Foundation, one can expect great rivalry on track and that was exactly the case especially in the Division One Girls showdown between senior victrix ludorum Tianna Bowen of Skeete House and last year’s victrix ludorum at BSSAC, Hannah Connell of Inniss House. (BT)

CAMPBELL CITES CRUCIAL WIN – All-rounder John Campbell said Tuesday’s victory over Guyana Jaguars had given Jamaica Scorpions a huge lift, especially with the final four of the Regional Super50 approaching. With both teams vying for the remaining semi-final spot from Group B, Scorpions pulled off a 20-run win in the day/night contest at Kensington Oval to virtually nail down their berth in the final hour. He added: “It’s a big boost for us, beating Guyana twice. We have Barbados next so definitely that would be a tough game. We just need to come out here and stick to our plans. Barbados are a tough opponent and we will be looking to win.” The left-handed Campbell stroked a swift 42 from 46 balls down the order to bail out Scorpions after the innings had declined, helping to lift them to 255 all out off 49.4 overs. Left-handed opener Steven Taylor top-scored with 86 while Andre McCarthy weighed in with 45. In reply, Jaguars were then cruising on 124 for one in the 29th over before Campbell intervened with an excellent spell of four for 43, to trigger a batting collapse. Campbell said he was pleased his all-round efforts had paid dividends for the Scorpions. Scorpions take on Barbados Pride on Thursday in a day/night affair at Kensington Oval. They are second in the standings on 18 points, 10 points behind Pride who have already qualified for the semi-finals, with Jaguars third on 13 points. (BT)

MEN DOMINATE BATTLE – The Virgin Atlantic Women lost to the Diamonds International Men who emerged winners of the Diamonds International Battle of the Sexes Polo Tournament on Sunday. All hopes of the women retaining last year’s title at the Holder’s Polo Club were erased when the men ran away with a 6-4 victory. The women, who were represented by Vikki Gonzalez, Hazel Jackson, Emma Boers and Sarah Wiseman, entered the battle with a half-point advantage since they were weaker in the total number of handicaps, but that didn’t at all disturb the men’s mission. Alex Cole got the ball rolling when he struck a lovely shot between the sticks. However, the women regained the lead when Emma Boers scored. But the men sped away with the lead by the end of the first chukka when Cole again swept a goal between the bars. The men continued to dominate when they made two goals in the second chukka with the first through Cole and the second through Stephen Williams. The women managed to bounce back, scoring two points through Wiseman and Jackson. Wiseman made a move once more and was the first to score in the fourth chukka to again surpass the men by a half-point. With a couple of seconds left in the chukka, Cole managed to score two points to secure victory for the Diamond’s International men. In the second match, the Villages USA defeated Barbados 6-5. (DN)

$16000 SMASH – What is undoubtably the country’s biggest and most popular road tennis competition, the Silver Hill tournament, serves off on Sunday with the scope to be even bigger and better with service provider Digicel getting on board. Yesterday, the brainchild behind the tournament which is entering its fifth edition, Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture Stephen Lashley indicated that in addition to a new category being added, the women’s prize money was in for a boost thanks to Digicel joining with Plus and the Youth Development Programme in sponsoring the tournament. With over 60 players entering the 2017 tournament on spanking new courts at Silver Hill, Lashley disclosed that over $16 000 will be on offer in the men’s, women’s, Silver Hill In-House and the new Under-17 categories. (DN)

Well that’s all for today folks. There are 325 days left in the year Shalom! #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #bajannewscaps #newscapsbystephaniefchase

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