Casting for "The Festival of Light," feature film

"Shundell Prasad - Jha"

Casting for "The Festival of Light," feature film

WWW.THEFESTIVALOFLIGHT.COM

***Please Distribute Widely***

Dear Friends,

The Festival of Light, my latest feature film, slated to being shooting
Sept. 1, 2009 in New York and the West Indies, is now casting for all major
characters.

We even have several crowd scenes - for all of you who are not "actors"
but would like to be involved!

Please visit www.thefestivaloflight.com for casting details and more
information.

Best Regards,

Shundell Prasad-Jha

Writer/Director, The Fesstival of Light

www.thefestivaloflight.com

Smelta Wars in Trinidad

From: Tomas Healy-Singh

Subject: Smelta Wars in Trinidad t.healysingh@gmail.com


Smelta Wars in Trinidad
On the 16th of June, 2009, in the High Court of Justice, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, Justice Mira Dean-Armorer read out a 156 page judgment and ruled that the decision on 2nd April, 2007, by the State’s Environmental Management Authority (EMA), to grant a Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) to Alutrint Limited, a State Corporation, to construct a 125,000 metric ton per year aluminium smelter was, with respect to handling of hazardous wastes and cumulative human health and environmental impacts, …“outrageous”…“irrational”…”shrouded in secrecy”… and… “procedurally irregular”. The CEC was duly “quashed”.


Justice Dean-Armorer ruled on one of the three separately filed but jointly heard applications for leave for judicial review of the EMA’s decision to grant Alutrint a CEC. Hearings had taken place in November and December 2008. The Judicial Review applied only to the decision making process used by the EMA and not whether an aluminium smelter was a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ form of development for T&T.



Present for the ruling were the ‘whose who’ of T&Ts legal profession - the handsomely paid attorneys who had represented the EMA, Alutrint, the Attorney General’s Office and the pro bono attorneys who had represented the claimants – disadvantaged individuals, community based organizations and environmental NGOs. The court room was packed with mostly residents of the communities surrounding Union Industrial Estate, the proposed location for Alutrint’s smelter in South West Trinidad. A request for a stay of judgment pending appeal by the defendant was denied. The ruling was met with effusive and sustained clapping from the gallery.



Outside the court room there was jubilation. The Judiciary of T&T had demonstrated independence. In the days leading up to the judgment Alutrint had placed four page colour advertisements in the local newspapers exclaiming the benefits of their smelter. In Woodford Square, on the 16th of June, just prior to the reading of the judgment, some 80 residents of Sobo, Vessigny, Square Deal, Vance River and Union Villages - located within 2 Kilometers of the proposed smelter, gathered to carry out a ritual burning of all the environmental reports and assessments which Alutrint had submitted to gain permission from the EMA. Some 4,100 persons live in these villages. An additional 5,000 persons live within a 4 Kilometer radius.



But jubilation was short-lived. Two days later, when asked by the press if the ruling of the High Court would result in stopping construction of the smelter, Prime Minister Patrick Manning answered “no” six times. The Minister of Energy and Minister of Planning Housing and Environment both similarly insisted that despite the ruling of the courts "the project was being established in the best interest of the people of the country and will come to fruition in due course".



Aluminium smelters have been at the helm of Manning’s heavy gas based industrialization agenda to achieve developed country status by year 2020. After all, smelters are intensive energy consumers and T&T has gas. Manning’s planned industrial agenda will require a doubling of existing electrical power production.



Construction of the Alutrint smelter began in late 2008. Some 200 plus Chinese nationals may now have paused work on Alutrint due to the judgment and while Manning contemplates his next move. However, works on the 720 mega watt smelter power plant, port facilities, harbour dredging and gas supply lines continue with pace. Permission for this related infrastructure was sought and granted separately by the EMA. The fragmented approvals process designed by the EMA prevented cumulative health and environmental impacts from being properly assessed and thwarts the consequence of the judgment.



During 2005 and 2006, the Aluminium Company of America (ALCOA) spent a small public relations fortune in the national media seeking to gain public support for a proposed 341,000 metric ton per year “smelter in the park” in Chatham, also in South West Trinidad. But by December 2006, they were forced to withdraw in the face of organized local community opposition and public uproar. Alutrint’s story is different.



On Easter weekend 2004, the National Energy Corporation (NEC) “ambushed” the local community and began clearing 800 acres of forest under the guise of drilling a new oil well. The forested area provided recreation – hunting and fishing, as well as farming and animal husbandry. It contained three dams where locals fished, swam and had ‘cook ups’. For locals it was “Eden”. For the NEC it was a “brownfield” site containing abandoned and capped oil wells.



Permission to clear the land to make way for Union Industrial Estate was gained through an Environmental Impact Assessment prepared by the Institute of Marine Affairs (a state organization) and approved by the EMA. The forest was clear cut prior to the processing of applications by potential industrial tenants including Alutrint. This gave the impression that construction of the smelter was a foregone conclusion. Health risks from future industrial pollution were to be managed by new technologies. Jobs were promised. Everyone would benefit. The price of ‘progress’ was after all, high.



But things changed. The surrounding communities, although economically neglected for three decades and keen for new jobs, are now more aware of the smelter’s health risks. Five years of dry season dust blowing off 800 acres coupled with more recent construction noise and vibrations is causing widespread bitterness. Word got out that negotiations for relocation of all households within Alutrint’s ‘buffer zone’ - a 300 foot radius from the smelter - were to have been concluded prior to commencement of construction. Global aluminium prices have collapsed. Sural, a Venezuelan private ‘downstream industry’ company with 40% equity in Alutrint pulled out of the partnership. T&T’s proven gas reserves are less than 13 years at existing extraction rates. Repeated requests to government to provide a cost benefit analysis for Alutrint continue to fall on deaf ears. The Chinese government is providing 100% financing, labour and equipment. This means no local jobs or service opportunities.



In February 2008, almost a year after receiving permission to construct the smelter a Medical Monitoring Report for Alutrint’s operations was prepared by the Caribbean Health Research Council and the International Institute for Healthcare and Human Development. This Report acknowledged the significant human health risks associated with aluminium smelters and proposed x-rays and cancer testing every 6 months for workers and similar testing for the 4,070 residents within a 2 Kilometer radius of the plant. This information remained concealed from the communities by the EMA and Alutrint and only came to light when concerned citizens shared it a few weeks ago.



Also concealed was the intended closure of Vessigny Beach, the last remaining major recreational asset for miles, once the Industrial Estate becomes operational. Polls show repeatedly that citizens of T&T are overwhelmingly opposed to aluminium smelters for a variety of reasons. There is a fight going on right now between local residents unwilling to be tested like “laboratory rats” for cancer and a government committed steadfast to an agreement to supply cheap gas to Alutrint to produce aluminium metal to pay back the loan from the Chinese government for supplying and constructing the smelter.



The week before the judgment the headlines of the Guardian Weekly, a UK based international paper proclaimed “Climate change creates new ‘global battlefield’. The front page article leads “Developing nations face graves dangers”. Regionalists still wonder why Trinidad is denying Guyana the opportunity for investment to harness their renewable hydro-power in a remote area to smelt aluminium. After all, Guyana has an abundance of bauxite, the raw material for smelters. One also wonders why it is not more feasible to save T&T gas for future sustainable use and recycle Caribbean aluminium waste products at Union Industrial Estate instead.



On the first day of this month, after commenting on the need for a Caribbean Court of Justice based in Port-of-Spain to be the final appellate court for Trinidad & Tobago, and in response to a question on what would happen if the appeal process of the Alutrint judgment reached the Privy Council, Prime Minister Manning admitted that the London based court “might rule in favour of environmental preservation rather than sustainable development”. Manning explained his admission by pointing out “the UK is a developed society with standards that are relevant to them but not relevant to us”.



The appeal process may not be appetizing for the Prime Minister. No doubt technocrats in Alutrint and the EMA are already working on a draft terms of reference to kick-start a brand new process for Alutrint to gain environmental clearance.



In any event, a younger generation has defined aluminium smelting in T&T to be “anti-sustainable development”. A line is clearly drawn in the sand. The writing is on the horizon, the winds of change are blowing across blue Caribbean Seas.



For more information please visit www.drummit2summit.blogspot.com



Cathal Healy-Singh

Environmental Engineer

(July 2009)

Michael Jackson Dead at 50

Michael Jackson is dead [Updated]
2:06 PM | June 25, 2009

[Updated at 3:15 p.m.: Pop star Michael Jackson was pronounced dead by doctors this afternoon after arriving at a hospital in a deep coma, city and law enforcement sources told The Times.]

[Updated at 2:46 p.m.: Jackson is in a coma and family have are arriving at his bedside, a law enforcement source told The Times.

Jackson was rushed to a hospital this afternoon by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics.

Capt. Steve Ruda said paramedics responded to a call at Jackson's home around 12:26 p.m. He was not breathing when they arrived. The parademics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told The Times.

[Updated at 2:12 p.m.: Paramedics were called to a home on the 100 block of Carolwood Drive off Sunset Boulevard. Jackson rented the Bel Air home for $100,000 a month. It was described as a French chateau estate built in 2002 with seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces and a theater.

The home is about 2 1/2 miles, about a six-minute drive, from UCLA Medical Center. An earlier version of this post incorrectly described the time to travel between the home and hospital as two minutes.]

The news comes as Jackson, 50, was attempting a comeback after years of tabloid headlines, most notably his trial and acquittal on child molestation charges.

In May, The Times reported that Jackson had rented the Bel Air residence and was rehearsing for a series of 50 sold-out shows in London's O2 Arena. Jackson had won the backing of two billionaires to get the so-called "King of Pop" back on stage.

His backers envision the shows at AEG's O2 as an audition for a career rebirth that could ultimately encompass a three-year world tour, a new album, movies, a Graceland-like museum, musical revues in Las Vegas and Macau, and even a "Thriller" casino. Such a rebound could wipe out Jackson's massive debt.

--Andrew Blankstein and Phil Willon


Pop & Hiss
The L.A. Times music blog

« Michael Jackson is pronounced dead [Updated] | Main
In memorium: Michael Jackson dead at 50
03:20 PM PT, Jun 25 2009

As news reports and shocked reactions ripple around the world about the news of his death, it's impossible not to reflect on the eternal and profound mark he left on music and pop culture at large.

While there are countless nerve-tingling moments in his storied career, few had as cataclysmic and immediate impact as his performance of "Billie Jean" on the now legendary "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever" TV special in 1983. For anyone who was there or watching it as it happened, it was a moment that literally changed pop culture overnight.

In celebration of the music and memories, here is that magical moment to relive all over again.

Please feel free to use the comments section to share your thoughts, memories and remembrances of the eternal King of Pop.

-- Scott T. Sterling

Reports: Michael Jackson Is Dead
By The New York Times

This post is written by Brooks Barnes in Los Angeles and Ben Sisario and Brian Stelter in New York.

More Reports | 6:29 p.m. “A lot will be said about Michael Jackson as we learn more about this story,” Brian Williams said on the “NBC Nightly News.”

“He was incredibly talented, a child star who was an adult with deep troubles and physical and mental health issues.”

The reports of Mr. Jackson’s death ricocheted around the world with remarkable speed. The news led Friday morning newscasts in Japan.

CBS and ABC are also reporting the news, standing on their own reporting now.

L.A. Times Reports Jackson Is Dead | 6:24 p.m. The newspaper cited “city and law enforcement sources.” The networks and CNN are also broadcasting the news, citing the Times story.

Reports: Jackson in a Coma | 6:15 p.m. Several news organizations including the Los Angeles Times reported that Mr. Jackson “is in a coma.” The newspaper attributed the news to one law enforcement source. CNN is also citing “multiple sources” as saying that Mr. Jackson is in a coma.

Update | 6:11 p.m. LOS ANGELES – An unconscious Michael Jackson was rushed to UCLA Medical Center on Thursday afternoon by paramedics who performed C.P.R., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Early reports indicated cardiac arrest, but a hospital spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment. Mr. Jackson, 50, has been renting a mansion in the Bel Air neighborhood, a short distance from the hospital, and rehearsing for a series of 50 sold-out shows in London.

Joe Jackson told to E! News, an entertainment Web site and cable channel, that the singer’s family was scrambling to determine his condition. “I am in Las Vegas, but yes, people in Los Angeles called me and are with Michael and tell me he was taken to the hospital,” Mr. Jackson told E! News. “His mother is on her way to the hospital now to check in on him.”

Mr. Jackson is scheduled to perform in a series concerts in at the O2 arena London, beginning next month and continuing into 2010. The shows have been widely seen in the music industry as an important potential comeback for him, with the potential to earn him up to $50 million, according to some reports. But there has also been worry and speculation that Mr. Jackson, who is 50, was not physically ready for such an arduous run of concerts, and Mr. Jackson’s postponement of the first of those shows from July 8 to July 12 fueled new rounds of gossip about his health.

A member of the pop group the Jackson 5 as a child, Mr. Jackson was a pint-size musical dynamo. He spent years in talent shows and performing in seedy Midwestern clubs under the aegis of Joe Jackson, his dictatorial and ambitious father. Joe Jackson and Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, were the singer’s twin mentors during the early career.

Mr. Jackson eventually broke with his father and the Jackson 5, a move toward creative and financial independence marked by his collaborations with Quincy Jones on a trio of albums. The most memorable of those is 1982’s “Thriller,” which eventually racked up sales of 51 million copies globally, according to the Guinness World Records, making it the best-selling album in history.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department told CNN said rescuers were called to Mr. Jackson’s home at 12:21 p.m. Pacific. “When paramedics went on the scene, they treated the patient, then they immediately transported the patient to UCLA,” the spokesman told CNN. Mr. Jackson’s home is located only a few minutes from the hospital center.

Cable news channels almost immediately started showing paparazzi shots from TMZ, X17Online.com and Hollywood.TV of Mr. Jackson’s entourage arriving at the hospital. By mid-afternoon, television news helicopters were hovering above the medical center.

Entertainment news Web sites including EOnline.com and PerezHilton.com appeared to be loading more slowly than usual, or not loading at all, an indication of the intense interest in Mr. Jackson’s hospitalization.


From Times Online
June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson 'dies' in hospital after suffering heart attack


Michael Jackson was reported to have died tonight after suffering a heart attack at his Los Angeles home.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Jackson was not breathing when medics arrived at his home, and they performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He was then rushed to the UCLA Medical Centre hospital. The TMZ website later reported that he had died.

Jackson, 50, was due to start a series of comeback concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.

The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within hours of going on sale in March, and these will now be thrown seriously into doubt.
Related Links


There have been concerns about Jackson’s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a four-and-a-half hour physical examination with independent doctors.




BREAKING: Michael Jackson Dies, According to Reports


Published: June 25, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Order reprints
American singer Michael Jackson announces his summer concert dates at a press conference at O2 Arena in London on March 5, 2009. (UPI Photo/Rune Hellestad)
American singer Michael Jackson announces his summer concert dates at a press conference at O2 Arena in London on March 5, 2009. (UPI Photo/Rune Hellestad) | Enlarge Enlarge
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LOS ANGELES, June 25 (UPI) -- Pop star Michael Jackson died in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon following cardiac arrest at is home, TMZ reported. He was 50.

The entertainment news Web site said paramedics called to Jackson's house were unable to revive the eccentric entertainer known as the King of Pop.

Emergency workers reportedly performed CPR on him in the ambulance as he was transported to UCLA Medical Center where he was later declared dead.

The singer and father of three, who is said to have suffered myriad health problems, was slated to start a 50-date residency at London's O2 arena next month.



by Erik Davis Jun 25th 2009 // 5:45PM


TMZ is reporting that Michael Jackson has died of cardiac arrest. Paramedics were called to his home this afternoon after the singer stopped breathing. When they arrived, he had no pulse and after repeated attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead. Jackson's songs were featured on a number of different movie soundtracks over the years, and as an actor he appeared in the film The Wiz. Of course we'll never forget his extended music video for Thriller, directed by John Landis. Though he's had his share of problems and controversy over the years, it's sad to hear that one of the great pop-culture icons of our generation has passed on. He was 50.

TMZ is the only source reporting his death at this time. We'll update this post as more details come in ...


Michael Jackson Dead at 50

TMZ.com

3:46 PM MDT, June 25, 2009
LOS ANGELES - We've just learned Michael Jackson has died. He was 50. Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back. Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II. Jackson had 13 number one hits during his solo career.

Michael Jackson dies: Report
BY KEVIN AMORIM | kevin.amorim@newsday.com
5:44 PM EDT, June 25, 2009


Pop star Michael Jackson in 2007. (AP photo by Danny Moloshok)



Michael Jackson suffered a heart attack this afternoon at his home and paramedics were not able to revive him, TMZ reported. Jackson was administered CPR in the ambulance, the gossip site said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department says Michael was not breathing when paramedics arrived.

Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.

Joe Jackson, the family patriarch, had told the site his son "is not doing well" when news of his heart attacked first broke.

Michael Jackson suffers heart attack and dies: TMZ

By staff writers

NEWS.com.au

June 26, 2009 07:14am


Michael Jackson / AP
In hospital ... Michael Jackson reportedly suffers heart attack / AP

* King of Pop reportedly suffers heart attack
* Rushed to hospital in LA; died, says TMZ
* In pictures: the King of Pop
* Fox News: LIVE at Jackson's home
* Twitter: Latest talk and updates

MICHAEL Jackson, 50, has suffered a heart attack and died, gossip website TMZ reports.


Jackson was reportedly planning a comeback and was living in LA while rehearsing a series of 50 sold-out shows in London, the Los Angeles Times has reported.



June 26, 2009 07:30am

MICHAEL Jackson has died according to US reports that say the King of Pop suffered a heart attack and that paramedics gave him CPR in the ambulance.

Fifty-year-old Jackson - whose personal life has turned increasingly bizarre in recent years - collapsed in Los Angeles early today.

While official spokesmen are refusing to comment, the TMZ.com entertainment website said Jackson had suffered a cardiac arrest but the singer's father Joe Jackson.

Gallery: Michael Jackson and his very Wacko life that turned tragic

Before TMZ reported Jackson's heart attack, the site said it had been told by friends that Jackson, who turns 51 in August, was in "really bad shape".

The site said his father, Joe Jackson, had also confirmed to TMZ that his son was "not doing well".

The Los Angeles Times reported Jackson's condition was grim.

"Captain Steve Ruda said paramedics responded to a call at Jackson's home around 12:26 pm," the Los Angeles Times said.

"He was not breathing when they arrived. The parademics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center.

"Paramedics were called to a home on the 100 block of Carolwood Drive off Sunset Boulevard. Jackson rented the Bel Air home for $100,000 a month.

"It was described as a French chateau estate built in 2002 with seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces and a theater.

"The home is about 2 1/2 miles, about a six-minute drive, from UCLA Medical Center."


Michael Jackson is reportedly in the hospital after suffering a heart attack.

The Thriller superstar's aides frantically called an ambulance to come to Jackson's Holmby Hills mansion in Los Angeles earlier today, according to TMZ.com.

Reports suggest the singer's condition was so bad, medics were forced to administer CPR en-route to a nearby hospital, to keep him alive.

Jackson's worried family members are allegedly rushing to his bedside.

Earlier this month, family insider Arthur Phoenix told WENN the superstar was in a bad way and should not be considering a 50-concert run in London, scheduled to start in July.

He insisted the concerts would not happen, stating, "Michael is not mentally, physically or spiritually ready for these shows. There's something missing in his soul... It's over! There are family members who feel the same way but they're afraid to speak."

Phoenix fears the pressure of the comeback and the upcoming shows have taken their toll on the 50 year old.

PRESS STATEMENT - MR. MANNING, ALUMINIUM SMELTER NOT WELCOME

From: Citizens United
Date: Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 1:31 PM
Subject: PRESS STATEMENT - MR. MANNING, ALUMINIUM SMELTER NOT WELCOME



Dear Fellow Citizens,

We are have organised residents of Sobo, Union, Vance River, Vessigny, and Square Deal that are standing against the injustice being done to us by Alutrint. We do not want the smelter. Please help us to circulate our press statement below to everyone you know, including press contacts. We are currently building a circulation list. If you do not wish to remain on it, please send us an email to that effect. Thank you.




PRESS STATEMENT



JUNE 9, 2009

FROM ORGANISED CITIZENS OF SOBO, UNION, VANCE RIVER, VESSIGNY, AND SQUARE DEAL VILLAGES



We understand Mr. Manning is planning to come La Brea tomorrow to turn the sod for Alutrint's power plant.



MR. MANNING, SMELTER NOT WELCOME!



Protests involving the villages of Sobo, Vance River, Vessigny, and Union are growing. The citizens involved are against the building of the Alutrint Smelter. We now have the information that Alutrint has been hiding since February 2008 on the health risks of the smelter and the facts on such things as the loss of our beach that has been hidden from us since 2005.



Please note protests that started about two weeks ago were for jobs and fair relocation practices. However, our protest is by villagers being left to live near this smelter and we do not want it! The residents scheduled for relocation and the residents being left behind are standing together.



Those who want jobs in Alutrint have a separate platform. However, we sympathise with them as we have all been fooled that there would be safe jobs for our people. Instead we have hundreds of Chinese roaming about our backyards.



The representatives on many village councils and in the Parliament are representing Alutrint not us. They are trying to shove the smelter down our throat to silence us. This is why we are in the streets, we are representing ourselves.



Today the police discharged a firearm in the air in the midst of children in Union Village. Our protest is non-violent. We will not back down.



The State wants the people of Trinidad to believe that only a handful of residents of La Brea do not want the smelter. This is not true. For example, last week when C-news came to do a feature on La Brea they were only taken to La Brea Village where some persons told them they want the smelter. We waited for them but they never came to our villages. Please note the La Brea area consists of many villages. It is the some 4000 plus residents of Sobo, Vance River, Union, and Vessigny villages that have to be tested every two years for cancer. The residents of La Brea Village do not have to be tested. They cannot speak for us! We speak for ourselves. We do not accept this hurtful smelter.



The State is trying to create the impression that all is well and that the smelter is moving ahead at pace and is unstoppable. They want the people of Trinidad to believe we cannot stop it. This is not true. There is no plant on the ground yet. No plant will go on that ground.



We are calling on right minded citizens of Trinidad to support our call for justice and fairness. This is not just about the environment. We will continue our non-violent protests tomorrow and as long as it takes to safeguard our health and community.



Contacts:

M. Greaves, Sobo Village, Tel:795-5377

E. Gour, Union Village, Tel: 364-4574

When Sex Leaves the Marriage

When Sex Leaves the Marriage
By Tara Parker-Pope

Why do some couples sizzle while others fizzle? Social scientists are studying no-sex marriages for clues about what can go wrong in relationships.

Married men and women, on average, have sex with their spouse 58 times a year, a little more than once a week, according to data collected from the General Social Survey, which has tracked the social behaviors of Americans since 1972. But there are wide variations in that number. Married people under 30 have sex about 111 times a year. And it’s estimated that about 15 percent of married couples have not had sex with their spouse in the last six months to one year.. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

NATIONAL CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, JUNE 2009

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release June 2, 2009

NATIONAL CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2009

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Caribbean Americans have made lasting contributions to our Nation's culture and history, and the month of June has been set aside to honor their cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and social diversity.

Generations of immigrants have preserved the traditions of their homelands, and these traditions have defined our Nation's identity. Caribbean Americans bring a unique and vibrant culture. This multilingual and multiethnic tradition has strengthened our social fabric and enriched the diversity of our Nation.

Millions of individuals in the United States have Caribbean roots. Unfortunately some Caribbean Americans were forced to our country as slaves; others arrived of their own volition. All have sought the promise of a brighter tomorrow for themselves and their children.

In their pursuit of success, Caribbean Americans exhibit the traits all Americans prize: determination, a devotion to community, and patriotism. They have made their mark in every facet of our society, from art to athletics and science to service. Caribbean Americans have also safeguarded our Nation in the United States Armed Forces.

This month we also recognize the critical relationship the United States maintains with Caribbean nations. In a world of increasing communication and connectivity, this friendship has become even more important. We are neighbors, partners, and friends; we share the same aspirations for our children; and we strive for the very same freedoms. Together, we can meet the common challenges we face.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. I urge all Americans to commemorate this month by learning more about the history and culture of Caribbean Americans.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.


BARACK OBAMA

# # #



About Caribbean American Heritage Month
In 2000, ICS began leading the celebration of June as Caribbean American Heritage Month in Washington DC, building on efforts started by a now defunct Ad-Hoc Group of Washington DC residents to have a Caribbean Heritage Month in Washington DC in 1999. The official Campaign for a National Caribbean American Heritage Month began in 2004, when the Bill was tabled in Congress by Congresswoman Barbara Lee. The Bill was reintroduced and passed the House in June, 2005, and the Senate in February, 2006.

During Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we celebrate the great contributions of Caribbean Americans to the fabric of our Nation, and we pay tribute to the common culture and bonds of friendship that unite the United States and the Caribbean countries.

India in Queens, With a Caribbean Accent

India in Queens, With a Caribbean Accent
Little Guyana

By COREY KILGANNON

The A train rumbles to a halt at the Ozone Park/Lefferts Boulevard stop in central Queens. To the east, a dozen blocks of Liberty Avenue unfold in a series of roti, sari and gold shops that make up the fragrant spine of Richmond Hill, a community of immigrants who descend from Indians sent to the Caribbean to work on sugar plantations in the 19th century.

One must first reconcile the sight of saris and turbans with lilting English inflected with Creole. Then there is the juxtaposition of Hindu temples and gritty convenience stores, and thumping West Indian dance-hall music pouring out of religious shops. On weekend mornings, locals bring their black finches to Phil Rizzuto Park, formerly known as Smokey Oval Park, for chirp-off contests.

1 P.M. Eat lunch at Sonny’s Roti Shop, 118-06 Liberty Avenue, (718) 835-7255, right under the train station. Sonny’s may not be as well known as Brown Betty’s, Sybil’s or the Little Guyana Bake Shop, but the owner, Steven Rajkumal, a Trinidadian immigrant known as Sonny, is happy to introduce newcomers to the dishes. Order rotis ($5.50 for chicken, $8.50 for oxtail), or try snacks and desserts with cool-sounding names like jalibee and paymee ($2 each).

2 P.M. Within a block of the subway station, there are more shopping options than in some entire towns. You can buy a washer-dryer set at G&R Electronics, 114-04 Liberty Avenue, then walk next door to the Outlook Fashions gift shop, 119-03 Liberty Avenue, for a sitar, then take a safari through the crystal jungle of chandelier shops like B.Q. Gifts, 124-02 Liberty Avenue. Anjee Sherman, the owner of Anjees, 123-11 Liberty Avenue, (718) 843-6108, enjoys helping hip Western women try on saris, which start at $10 and can top $1,000 for wedding silks; her shop also carries small idols of Hindu gods, known as murties, worship offerings called pooja, and holiday fare like prasad.

3 P.M. Among the halal butchers and open-air markets stocked with South Asian spices are stores specializing in Guyanese gold, which is particularly glittery and is often used in ornate pendants.

4 P.M. At Rishi Video Palace, 103-44 124th Street, the owner, Raj Dutt, will guide you through the Bollywood classics and CDs of chutney and soca (think calypso on steroids, with singing in Hindi or English).

5 P.M. For tropical refreshment, sidewalk vendors on every other block sell sliced mango flavored with hot sauce, lemon and salt. At other stalls, a worker with a machete will chop open a coconut and stick in a straw for $3. Or, have your palm read by any of a half-dozen psychics; Marie Sanchez, between 128th and 129th Streets, is offering a $5 recession special. The sidewalk entertainment includes young men in cars with tinted windows and flashy metal rims creeping along Liberty Avenue, blasting soca, dance-hall or reggaeton music.

6 P.M. Relax at Rani Spa, 126-08 Liberty Avenue, (718) 641-7600, which offers eyebrow threading, mehndi (temporary henna tattoos on the hands) and shirodhara, a massage that includes the pouring of warm oil on the forehead ($50 for a half hour). The manager, Rumi Begum, will put you at ease, and the friendly locals sitting around the salon will make you laugh.

7 P.M. At the Ranch Restaurant and Bar of Guyana, 134-01 Liberty Avenue, (718) 206-2333, drink Red Stripe, Carib and Banks beer, or a Guyanese overproof rum known as High Wine while playing pool and watching cricket. Order fried shark or jerk chicken appetizers at the bar ($8). A short walk east is Club Tobago, 147-02 Liberty Avenue, (718) 658-9600, which on weekend nights is a hot dance hall popping with big crowds and live DJs.

"Pity the Nation", by Khalil Gibran

"Pity the Nation", by Khalil Gibran

Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion.
Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero,
and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful.
Pity the nation that raises not its voice
save when it walks in a funeral,
boasts not except among its ruins,
and will rebel not save when its neck is laid
between the sword and the block.
Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox,
whose philosopher is a juggler,
and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.
Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpeting,
and farewells him with hooting,
only to welcome another with trumpeting again.
Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years
and whose strong men are yet in the cradle.
Pity the nation divided into into fragments,
each fragment deeming itself a nation.

So Long, young Tiger

From: vikram_masson
Subject: So Long, Young Tiger
Date: Monday, May 18, 2009, 1:53 PM

Here is to that lost generation of Sri Lankan Tamil youth, forced to give up their innocence, their chance at learning, and the steady pleasures of family life to fight, like so many before them, in a long and brutal war.

So Long, young Tiger

The hiss of the bullets
And the fire's glow in your trusted sentry's eyes
Made it all too clear - you knew that your time had come.

With neither parents nor children, how could there be despair?
You bore the swelling indignations gathered from the morning of your youth
And fought for something greater than yourself.

At Yama's hour, you threw your shoulders back,
Ran forward with the gun in your hand,
Into the path of the Chinese missile.

O Shiva, carry his ashes beyond the rows of the maimed,
The children wailing in despair, past the ruins of the temples,
And the victorious soldiers' bacchanal,
To the dark depths of the calm and eternal sea.

May he transfigure into rain and fall upon mountains of his youth,
Splatter upon the fronds of the coconut trees,
Fall through the slats of his grandmother' s kitchen
In a homeland with no borders.

Vikram
05/18/2009

THE INDIAN STUDENT

Subject: THE INDIAN STUDENT

This is a HUMOR. Take it as such or don't read it.



It was the first day of a school in USA and a new Indian student named Chandrasekhar Subramanian entered the fourth grade.

The teacher said,

"Let's begin by reviewing some American History. Who said 'Give me Liberty or give me Death'?"

She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Chandrasekhar, who had his hand up:
'Patrick Henry, 1775' he said.

'Very good!'

Who said 'Government of the People, by the People,
for the People, shall not perish from the Earth?'

Again, no response except from Chandrasekhar.
'Abraham Lincoln, 1863' said Chandrasekhar.

The teacher snapped at the class, 'Class, you
should be ashamed. Chandrasekhar, who is new to our country, knows more about its history than you do.'

She heard a loud whisper: 'F*ck the Indians,'

'Who said that?' she demanded. Chandrasekhar put his hand up. 'General Custer, 1862.'

At that point, a student in the back said, 'I'm gonna puke.'

The teacher glares around and asks 'All right!
Now, who said that?'

Again, Chandrasekhar says, 'George Bush to the
Japanese Prime Minister, 1991.'

Now furious, another student yells, 'Oh yeah? Suck this!'

Chandrasekhar jumps out of his chair waving his hand
and shouts to the teacher , 'Bill Clinton, to Monica Lewinsky, 1997!'

Now with almost mob hysteria someone said 'You little sh_t. If you say anything else, I'll kill you.'

Chandrasekhar frantically yells at the top of his voice, Michael ' Jackson to the child witnesses testifying against him - 2004.'

The teacher fainted..

And as the class gathered around the teacher on the floor, someone said, 'Oh shit, we're screwed!'

And Chandrasekhar whispered quietly, "the Republicans, November 4th, 2008".