Pepperpot 2015 2 8

Diamond Village

Meet a

‘Simple Simon’…

Vikram’s I crosses Rs 200 crore mark at box office; threatens to beat Enthiran’s record!

Page XII

Working with her God-given talents Page XI

A Closely Knit Neighbourhood

Page XXI

Rukky Sanda changes hairstyle to a punk-cut

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Produced and Edited by C. Naipaul | Graphic and Layout Design by D. Prince

“Red Roses for Sonia” Flowers speak the language of love

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

maureen.rampertab@gmail.com

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By Maureen Rampertab ove stories written by the Gods, beautiful moments of sublimity that create a bond of love and togetherness, promises and vows meant not to be broken. But for some the blossoms wither and sweet immortals, words spoken by the heart vanished into the chambers of bitterness and pain.

Sonia’s expert hands trained to execute perfection as a cosmetologist put the final touches to the bride’s face, enhancing her youthful beauty with a radiant look.

Today was the most beautiful day of her life when everyone would be looking at her and she smiled, a glow on her face from the happiness within, her groom awaiting her to begin a new journey in her life.

Sonia packed her cosmetic kit and with a warm smile, she hugged the bride, wishing her the best, before leaving for another appointment, half of an hour’s drive away.

At the end of the day, she felt so tired, a something normal for her during wedding periods. After a long, refreshing bath, she played some soft music and pouring a glass of wine, she cheered to herself, “To you Sonia, for another lonely night.”

She had loved and lost.No fresh flowers for her, just cravings of the heart.

“Is this my destiny? No one to share my life to feel the comforts of love and passion?”

Questions she could not find answers for and deep inside she had the ache, living each day with a smile on her face, tears in her heart.

The wine and soft music soothed her mind and she closed her eyes, her thoughts drifting down the paths to the days when there was always sunshine in her life, falling in love at sixteen, he was seventeen, so young yet so happy.

“Too young to love,” her parents had objected.

“Too young to get married,” friend had commented.

But neither listened, the love songs in their hearts, all they could hear and secretly they had gotten married. She had given up her studies and her ambition for love, a bold step that had created a deep tension in her family, not knowing at that time how much pain she had caused them.

Two years later, sponsored by his mother, her young husband left for overseas against his wishes and then did she experience the pain of separation from someone, dearly loved. It had been so hard to say ‘Goodbye’ but he had promised her to return, a promise she held onto as time moved on slowly.

One year later, just before Valentine’s Day, the sun stopped shining for her, a dark cloud hovering overhead, when she

read his text, “I won’t be returning,” he wrote, “Things have changed. Move on with your life.”

The shock had left her numb.The pain so deep, she had felt like dying.

What had happened to the promises, the beautiful moments they shared, a love that had made them inseparable?

“How could be forget me so easily?” she had cried.

A pretty, young girl-her life like an exotic flower, fresh and fragranced, suffocated now by betrayal, wither thy bloom.

Time had sought to heal as four years drifted by, but it was hard for her to forget. The only thing that helped was working endless hours so when she came home tired, she could sleep.

But she could not stay in one job too long, a desire born in her to be self-independent and to be her own boss.

So with her parent’s blessings, she had moved to her aunt’s home on the outskirts of the city to seek better opportunities.

After two weeks of looking at different vocational business careers, she had decided to pursue courses in cosmetology.

It was something she loved and hoped could define her personality as a successful, independent woman. After making her career choice, she had for the first time, since her break up felt her life was going somewhere but an unexpected twist interrupted that.

Sonia opened her eyes and pouring another glass of wine she walked to the window and looked out into the dark night, bitterness in her heart.

Continued on page IV

Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

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Stories of the Republic

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here are many stories on or about our Republic, some of which will serve as inspiration, others evoking pride of place and of accomplishment. Here are some tidbits collected over the years.

The Way to the Republic ‘Kaie’ # 6, was released in 1970 to herald the Republic.

‘Kaie’ was the official organ of the National History and Arts Council of Guyana. The theme for that particular issue of the journal was ‘The way to the Republic’ as alluded to by the then Secretary of the Council, Basil deRushe, in his introduction. He wrote that because of ‘a significant change in the constitutional development of Guyana…that a logical feature of this issue should be centred on this new constitutional development’.

A. J. Seymour’s signal article in the journal is titled, ‘The Way to the Republic,’ in which he mentioned the lecture series which was intended to sensitise the general populace as to the import of this new dispensation.

Georgetown Journal Another journal was published to immortalise that historic occasion. ‘Georgetown Journal’ by Andrew Salkey is ‘a diary kept by the author during a visit to Guyana between Sunday February 15, 1970 and Sunday March 1, 1970. The book also covered the Caribbean Writers and Artists Convention which deliberated on what eventually became known as the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta).

February 23 February 23 is associated with one of the first recorded struggles in our history for independence. The events surrounding that date in 1763 were labelled ‘The Berbice Slave Rebellion,’ lasting for more than a year. The story goes that the ill treatment of enslaved Africans in Berbice became unbearable forcing a slave name Cuffy and his lieutenants to take up arms against their brutal masters. The reciprocating violence was ugly but the slaves made good headway so much so they were in a position to bargain with the authority. The upshot however was distasteful – the slaves lost in the end because of discord and disunity in the ranks. But that strike was the first blow for freedom that came many years later on August

1, 1838.

Another book, ‘The Berbice Uprising 1763 by A. J. Mc R. Cameron,’ reprinted by The Caribbean Press, 2011, goes in details.

The February 23 Coup ‘February 23 Coup’ is a novel of another failed attempted by a military force to overthrow the government of the day (1980). The novel, written

by Chaitram Singh was shortlisted for the Guyana Prize for Literature in 2013.

The Song of the Republic A.J Seymour Sometime in late 1969, a competition was set in train to select an appropriate anthem to celebrate Guyana’s attainment of Republic status.

The story of the song goes like this: The author of the song was at the time in the ‘black book’ of the government of the day because a civil issue from which the writer was to benefit was determined politically against him. It is said the man’s outspokenness landed him many times in the ‘ants nest’ and true to form, he wrote about this slight in his newspaper column. Afraid his entry may be treated with political discharge, he submitted the words to the competition using a nom de plume, Thomas Theophilus Halley, his father’s name. That entry was selected from 135 submissions. The judges were A. J. Seymour, Mrs. Stella Merriman and Milton Drepaul; the ‘judges made certain amendments to the entry so as to accord it greater suitability and make it eminently sing able.’ It was long after the announcement that his entry had won that Cleveland Hamilton went forward to accept the glory.

In due course, you may add your own story/stories to this small collection.

(Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com)

Andrew Salkey

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

Sandra Bullock - Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history

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andra Bullock was born on July 26, 1964 in a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. Her mother, Helga Bullock (née Helga Mathilde Meyer), was a German opera singer. Her father, John W. Bullock, was an American voice teacher, who was born in Alabama of Irish, English, French and German descent. Sandra grew up on the road with her parents and younger sister. She often performed in the children’s chorus of whatever production her mother was in. That singing talent later came in handy for her role as an aspiring country singer in The Thing Called Love (1993). Her family moved back to the Washington area when she was adolescent. She later enrolled in East Carolina University in North Carolina, where she studied acting. Shortly afterward she moved to New York to pursue a career on the stage. This led her to acting in television programmes and then feature films. She gave memorable performances in Demolition Man (1993) and Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (1993), but did not achieve the stardom that seemed inevitable for her until her work in the smash hit Speed (1994). She now ranks as one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood. For her role in The Blind Side (2009) she won the Oscar and her blockbusters The Proposal (2009), The Heat (2013) and Gravity (2013) made her a bankable star. With $56,000,000, she was listed in the Guinness Book Of World Records as the highest-paid actress in the world.

She received a scar on her head when she fell into a lake and cut her head on a rock.

Her younger sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, broke Sandy’s nose with her elbow while opening a garage door when they were kids.

She spent time at a Rehabilitation Clinic to research her role in 28 Days (2000).

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#27) (1995).

Was considered for the lead in Runaway Bride (1999), which went to Julia Roberts.

Speaks German fluently.

Was engaged to Tate Donovan.

Owns a home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

She donated $1 million to the American Red Cross after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Did the same, again donating $1 million to the Red Cross, after the tsunami disaster in Asia in 2004. She again donated $1 million, this time to Doctors Without Borders, after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

At 40, she was voted sexiest female celebrity in a “Naughty Forties” poll conducted for British television station FX. After college, she moved to New York to waitress.

Married actor Jesse James in a sunset ceremony on a ranch outside Santa Barbara, California. They celebrated with several hundred guests including Jamie Lee Curtis, Hugh Grant, Keanu Reeves, William Shatner, Regina King and some member of the Hell’s Angels.

Was considered for the role of Nelle Harper Lee in Capote (2005), and later got the role in Infamous (2006). Both films concern Truman Capote’s researching and writing of In Cold Blood (1967).

Often said to be one of the last actors to have studied with the great teacher, Sanford Meisner, who trained Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton and Joanne Woodward at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Sandra, most likely, did not work with the great man, himself, but with a number of actors who did: Ron Stetson, Richárd Pintér and Dan Biehn, the latter taught her at East Carolina University.

Named Empire magazine’s #66 in the list of 100 Sexiest Stars (2007).

In 2007, Forbes magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $10 million.

Sandra and her husband, Jesse James, were unhurt after a head-on crash with a drunken driver in Massachusetts on April

18, 2008. Both vehicles were totaled but no one was hurt.

(April 8, 2009) Has designed special seat-belts so her pet dogs, Ruby and Poppy, can ride safely in her car.

Hates musicals and vows to never participate in one.

Was considered for the role of Helen Lyle in Candyman (1992), which went to Virginia Madsen.

Was bullied in school, as a kid, for wearing frumpy clothes bought in Germany.

By starring in The Blind Side (2009) she became the only actress to date to have a film marketed with her name solely above the title (i.e. based on her star power alone, and not a franchise or tentpoll picture) pass the $200 million mark in domestic gross.

Is one of four actresses to win both, the Oscar for Best Actress and the Razzie for Worst Actress, along with Halle Berry, Faye Dunaway and Liza Minnelli. Bullock is the only one to be nominated for and win both awards in the same year (for The Blind Side (2009) and All About Steve (2009)). She was presented with the awards within two days in 2010.

Introduced to salsa by Robert Duvall.

went well for the first day, much to her aunt’s relief, who knew the difficulties of working with that family. But on the second morning as Sonia was polishing the antique vases with utmost care, a boyish voice said, loudly, close behind her, “Hey you!”

Sonia turned around, startled, almost dropping the vase in her hand and the boy about fifteen years old, laughed mischievously, “Gotcha.”

“You gave me a scare,” she said, trying not to look displeased.

“Did I not tell you to not speak to my sons?” the lady appearing from nowhere said in a scatting voice.

“I-I’m sorry,” Sonia apologised turning back when another voice, the voice of a young man said from the stairs, “Let her be, mom, Arvin was being mischievous.”

Sonia glanced at him and for a brief moment, their eyes met as she turned back to her work.

Just one fleeting moment and a blank page came to life to begin a new love story.

The lady and her younger son left but the young man stood there a while longer, looking at her. Sonia continued her work but from the reflection of the vase, she could see him, tall with modern good looks, a slight smile of interest on his face that sent warning bells ringing in her head.

He was younger than her and not from her world of a lower middle class background.

“Don’t think about it,” she cautioned herself, “It’s not for you.”

But his portrait had already been sketched in her mind.

The next morning, she was engrossed in dusting some intricate pieces of ornaments and was almost startled when the young man spoke behind her, “What’s your name?”

She glanced at him, not sure she should answer but he did not leave, sitting down comfortably on the sofa.

“So?” he looked at her.

“I-I’m not supposed to talk to you,” she said, a little scared, “I’m just a maid.”

“It’s okay,” he said, “My mother is not at home.” He paused and looked at her closer, “You don’t look quite like a maid.”

She did not answer, moving to another part of the living room to continue her work and he followed her. “My name is Arun,” he said, prompting her to speak but she didn’t and he continued to follow her around, talking until she lost her patience and told him her name.

“Pretty,” he said, “Just like you.”

She shook her head resigningly, hoping it was just a casual interest, that in a few days time, she would leave and she won’t see him again.

But she was wrong.

“I was so wrong,” she said softly, finishing the glass of wine, “He made me love again and he left too.”

As she laid down to sleep, the last words on her lips as her eyes closed, “He left too.”

(To be continued)

“Red Roses for Sonia”

From page II

“Why does heartache have to follow me? Why can’t I be happy?”

She had been just a few days away from enrolling in cosmetology school when her aunt suddenly fell ill. A single mother with two children at high school, the woman feared that a few days absence may cause her to lose her well paid job and it left her with no choice but to ask Sonia to stand in for her.

Sonia wasn’t sure it was a good idea but deeply concerned for the poor woman, she consented to help her, putting her own studies on hold.

Her aunt worked as a maid for a wealthy, business family, prestigious and sophisticated. The lady of the house, an attractive woman, was not too pleased having Sonia as a replacement and when she spoke, there was a sharp edge to her tone and a hard look in her eyes.

“I do not employ young women in this house for various reasons but since you are only a replacement for a short period, I’ll allow it.”

“Thank you,” Sonia said, politely, relieved for her aunt’s sake.

The woman looked at her for a long moment, a scrutiny more or less and said in a lower tone with a sharper edge, “I have two young sons and I don’t want you to talk to them unless it’s absolutely necessary to do so.”

“Yes ma’am.” Sonia answered, with a little tremor of fear.

She was given a maid’s uniform and an older maid detailed to her, her aunt’s duties in the expansive house. Everything

Appropriate diet key to battling kidney failure

Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

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HRONIC kidney disease (CKD) refers to permanent damage of one’s kidneys. It is worthy of note that one’s kidneys may still work well enough for one to live, even if they have suffered some damage.

If someone’s kidneys keep getting worse, CKD can lead to kidney failure (ESRD). This is when the kidneys do not work well enough for one to live; if this happens, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.

For people with kidney disease, and moreso, those suffering renal failure, nutritional management constitutes an all-important part of their treatment plan.

In other words, there should be a special diet for them, failing which the doctor’s best efforts could veer to a negative end.

This special diet is aimed at preventing the build- up of waste materials in the body and which cannot be properly got rid of, because the kidneys have been damaged.

Therefore, whether at home or in a hospital setting, strict attention must be paid to the person’s diet. If the person on treatment is at home, his/her caregiver at home needs to strictly follow the guidelines given by the physician for their dietary intake.

If on the other hand, the patient is hospitalised, it is necessary for there to be collaboration between his/her caregivers - both at home and within the hospital setting.

Seek the advice of the hospital’s dietitian when making decisions as to what the patient should and should not eat.

WHAT TO EAT AND WHAT TO AVOID * Limit the amount of protein you eat * Limit your intake of fluids * Limit sodium (salt), potassium, phosphorous and other electrolytes * But consume enough calories if you are losing weight PROTEIN The kidneys are responsible for removing waste products from the body, and extra fluid from the blood.

But when the kidneys are damaged, complications develop.

In a person’s life, protein is necessary for building muscle tissues; for tissue repairs and overall body growth.

When food is consumed, it is metabolized for energy, and after the body would have performed these functions, it discards the extra protein in the form of a waste material called urea. But in the case of a person with kidney disease, the kidneys would be unable to excrete this urea normally.

Therefore, in order to control the load on the kidneys, it is important to limit one’s protein intake. Your dietitian will advise you on the quantity of protein allowed for your particular case. Sources of protein to be limited include: poultry and poultry products such as eggs; dairy products such as milk; cheese and meat.

Maintaining a special diet helps reduce the load on the kidneys and also assists in the slowing down of further kidney damage.

CALORIES Calories provide the body with the required amounts of energy to function properly. Since the amount of protein is restricted when living with kidney disease, consumption of increased amounts of unsaturated fats such as soybean oil, sunflower oil or corn oil becomes necessary.

SODIUM Persons with kidney disease and high blood pressure should limit their use of salt and salty products, for example: Monosodium glutamate (MSG) or aji-no-motto; ham, bacon, luncheon meat, sausage and other salted meats.

FLUIDS Fluids can also add to the burden on one’s kidneys, so limit your water intake to about 48 ounces per day. Particularly if the patient is on dialysis, it is important to limit fluids between the dialysis procedure, because most people on dialysis urinate very little. Unless the person urinates, fluid will build up in the body, resulting in too much fluid in the heart, lungs,

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and ankles, which manifests itself in the swelling we see, for example in the ankles. And in choosing fruits and vegetables, avoid those that contain a lot of liquid such as oranges, water melon, grapes, lettuce and tomatoes.

Many local persons are of the misguided opinion that coconut water flushes out the kidneys, and therefore are inclined to consume large amounts of coconut water once they suspect there’s a problem with their kidneys. Also avoid beer, coffee, energy drinks, chocolate and any other food containing large amounts of caffeine.

POTASSIUM Potassium helps to maintain electrolyte balance, keeping all of the cells of the body running smoothly. Potassium is also necessary for movement of the muscles and health of the nervous system . The level of potassium in the blood is controlled by the kidneys. However, when the kidneys are malfunctioning, potassium levels in the blood can build up to dangerous levels, adversely affecting the heart. This condition is referred to as hyperkalemia. It is therefore important for persons with kidney disease to limit foods containing potassium.

Foods high in potassium include: oranges, bananas; avocados (pears), prunes, sapodillas, grapes, dried currants and raisins; oranges, tamarind, plantains, lentils, squash, potatoes, lentils, beans and dried coconuts. Hence we see why ‘cook up rice’ is not good for the patient with kidney disease.

PHOSPHORUS High phosphorus levels in the blood results in loss of calcium and leads to weak and brittle bones that can break easily. Aim to control this loss of calcium in the blood by using items that are low in phosphorous. Phosphorous is found in large quantities in foods such as: dairy food products – milk, cheese, ice-cream and puddings; soft drinks, beer and cocoa. Other sources include legumes such as: kidney beans, split peas, nuts and peanut butter.

Use non-dairy creams and other products recommended by your physician or dietitian.

Can you tell why the dishes displayed above are not recommended for persons with either chronic kidney disease or renal failure?

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

TOUGH LUCK

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By Neil Primus

ack in de days when people died they were buried with their prized possessions, if they so requested. Nobody dared disturb the dead; nobody except a few desperate individuals.

These grave robbers worked with professional skill. They would open the tomb and take out the casket, then it was opened and the valuables removed. It did not end there. The casket was then locked and returned to the tomb which was finally sealed. The job was so well done that no one knew the tomb had been robbed.

There was big mourning in Atlantic Flats. Mr. Wray the hardware magnate had died suddenly. He was driving home in his custom made SUV when he fell asleep behind the wheel.

He was very drunk. The result was a horrific accident.

Family and friends gathered for the wake and hundreds attended his funeral. He was laid to rest in a family tomb.

There was one thing that a few people noticed. He was wearing his customary jewellery-lots and lots of it. Even in death he intended to take it with him.

Randy attended the funeral for one purpose and one purpose only; to see in what condition Wray was buried. As he filed past the casket his eyes lit up at the sight of the jewellery and his heart did a jig. He felt excited. Tonight he would be in business.

The service went without incident. Mr Wray was buried and the mourners departed for home. Darkness soon descended on the cemetery. It was now time for creatures of the night to emerge. And emerge they did.

At 11.30pm Randy entered the burial ground. He was wearing his black suit. You see a man had mentioned to him that spirits can’t see anything black. The thief took this to heart, every time he did a job in the cemetery he wore black.

The Tomb Raider had his tools of trade.

A hammer, trowel, some cement and a crow bar. He quickly knocked out a few cement blocks and carefully removed the coffin. The cement was still wet. With skill that came from regular practice, he unscrewed the casket cover. Lifting the cover he grabbed the jewellery and closed the casket. He screwed the lid close and got ready to push it back into tomb. That was when the nightmare began for the night dweller.

Unknown to him his jacket had been

caught in the casket which he had screwed down. When the man tried to get up he was jerked back down. At the same time the casket made an ominous creaking sound.

Now Randy had done this many times before with no negative results. This was the exception. Even though he chose robbing the dead as his preferred career, he was highly superstitious.

He tried to get up again but was tugged back onto the casket. He began to sweat and his frightened limbs started quaking. Fate had caught up with him. He had robbed so many that the dead had set a trap for him. He felt sure that this was the end.

“Ow Mr Wray ah sorry. A gon put back yo jewellery.”

He dug deep into his pocket and tossed back the cursed items. Two large chains, two thick arm bands and six rings.

As soon as they hit the casket he tried to placate the dead man.

“A put back de jewels.” He took off his chain and added it to the large collection. ”A giving yu me own too.”

He made a brave effort to go but found himself back where he started. He was having no more of this. With strength born of desperation he forced himself up with all his might. There was an initial jerk but he kept going.

RIP! He felt the first jubilation of freedom and heard his shirt tear.

Relief flooded his now petrified body and he took off at top speed saying all the way “A sorry Mr. Wray” “Ah sorry Mr. Wray” Randy raced home never to enter a cemetery again for the rest of his existence.

Ramesh Samaroo had worked in the cemetery for all of his working life with little reward. The salary was very small and the demands high. Many times he had planned to leave the job but had changed his mind at the last moment.

Things were tough for this hard working family man. With three children and his wife to maintain he found it hard going on such a meagre salary. This pushed him into drinking away his worries.

Today he had to weed and clear the two rows of tombs. It would be a hard day’s work.

His sharp cutlass rang out in the silent space as he slashed the grass and bushes encroaching on the tombs. This was an uphill battle. Already, areas of the cemetery were covered in heavy vegetation. Large trees had grown up among the tombs making it impossible for any clearing to be done by hand. As the trees advanced, his area of responsibility dwindled. Soon he may have to change his line of work to wood-cutting.

Something flashed in the sunlight. The glare caught his eyes. Stopping he looked in the direction of the flickering glare. He noticed right away that a casket was out of the tomb. More work for him. He groaned.

With a heavy sigh he headed to the location and got the most pleasant shock that he could have wished for.

There on top of the casket was a small pile of shiny jewellery. Ramesh’s jaw dropped in amazement He looked quickly around but there was no one in sight. Smiling and humming in delight he returned the casket to the tomb minus a few small items. He used the cement to re-seal the tomb then went home for a rest of the day. Many of his financial woes would now be over. He promised himself to stop grumbling and complaining about his tough luck.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

Convicted cop loses appeal

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- Three-year sentence for manslaughter affirmed

By George Barclay

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N the night of August 1, 1976, policeman Guy Simmons walked into a gas station and claimed that if he was not sold two cold beers he would blow out the brains of the barman with his .38 revolver.

Bystander Jerome Calder, who questioned the cop’ s ability to commit any such offence with a toy gun, was shown the live bullets of the revolver and like the “Doubting Thomas: of biblical fame was still doubting when his head was blasted from a revolver bullet.

Following police investigations, P.C Simmons was charged with murder but a mixed jury at the Demerara Assizes

found him guilty of manslaughter and he was sentenced to three years imprisonment by the trial judge.

Dissatisfied with the sentence, Simmons appealed the conviction and sentence, but the Court of Appeal, constituted by Chancellor Victor Crane and Justices of Appeal R. H. Luckhoo and Dhan Jhappan, dismissed the appeal and affirmed the conviction and sentence.

The accused was charged with the murder of the deceased, but he was convicted of manslaughter, the jury having rejected his defence of accident, viz. that he took out his revolver to get some money to pay for the beers and as he was putting it back, the gun accidentally went off.

At the trial the jury were correctly directed on the degree of negligence which the prosecution had to discharge in order to bring home a conviction of manslaughter, but were not told that when dealing with the issue of accident that the onus was on the prosecution to negate the defence of accident.

The Court of Appeal held (I) that notwithstanding there was a lapse on the judge’s part, the circumstances recounted by the prosecution witnesses were compatible and reconcilable with the evidence of a ballistic expert as to the pressure needed to cock and discharge the gun and also with the pathologist’s evidence as to the position of the bullet wound on the deceased. (ii) that the proviso will be applied because the post mortem evidence negates the defence of accident and was so over overwhelming as inevitably to lead a reasonable jury properly directed to the same conclusion of guilt.

The Appeal was dismissed and the conviction and sentence affirmed.

Representing the appellant was Attorney-at-law, Mr. J. A. Patterson, while Mr. Loris Ganpatsingh, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, (Acting) represented the State.

Delivering the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Justice of Appeal R. H. Luckhoo said that on the appellant’s behalf a number of grounds were argued, but the only one which qualified for and merited consideration was ground 3 (a) of his amended grounds of appeal in which he complained that the learned trial judge “failed to tell the jury that the onus of disproving the defence of accident rests on the prosecution.” That the trial judge did not in any part of his summing-up use the words:”The onus of disproving

the defence of accident rests on the prosecution cannot be disputed.” “Let us therefore examine the setting of the facts of the case and relate, as we must, the directions given to that setting. Only in this way can we determine whether or not this ground is to succeed. In doing so we gave recognition to the fact that no two judges have the same style, manner and arrangement of a summing-up before a jury. Indeed very often the same judge must, by virtue of the way in which particular cases are presented, vary the style and arrangement of the summing-up in those cases in order effectively to assist the jury in appreciating the issues set before them.”

What was the State’s case against the appellant?

It rested on the evidence of persons present at the scene of the discharge of a .38 police service revolver. On the evidence of Eustace Kendall an expert in the use and functioning of firearms, including the type of revolver in question and on the evidence of Edward Simon, a senior Government Bacteriologist and Pathologist. Undisputed were the following facts, that the discharge at the gas atation at Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, at a bar, where beers and other drinks were sold and to which the public had access. At at the bar and within close proximity were several persons, including the deceased Calder and the appellant. There was also no dispute that the appellant had the revolver in his possession at the time of its discharge and that Calder died from a bullet wound through the right temple inflicted by a bullet discharged from the same revolver.

Winston Oudkirk’s version of how the incident took place was in substance this: He said that the accused came up to the bar and in a normal tone of voice said to the barman: “Bring two beers or I blow your f….. brains out.“ With that he took out a small gun from his pocket. Calder said to him that it was a toy gun, whereupon the accused took out bullet from the magazine of the gun and said to the deceased: “This is a real f… bullet.“ The accused then replaced the bullet into the magazine and back into the gun. Calder insisted it was a toy gun. The witness then heard a loud explosion. The deceased slumped forward, spun around and fell on his back. Before the explosion the deceased was bending forward at the back of

George Barclay

two men and he was facing the accused. He did not see the deceased leaning against or touching the accused. Calder, he said, was a tall man, and was bending slightly forward.

He could not say whether Calder was looking into the barrel of the gun. There was no hostility in the conversation between the deceased and the accused. The deceased was tipsy and was swaying as he stood up having his beer. After the explosion the accused put the gun back into his pocket and in a normal tone of voice said to the witness, “You must leave, you ‘ent see anything.”

Lennox Nestor’s version was that the accused came up to the bar and requested two cold beers and after the barman said there were no cold beers, he said: “Well, if I can’t get a cold beer I’ll shoot one of you.” Calder asked, “What you gon shoot with, your mouth?” The accused then took a revolver from his pocket and showed it around and said: “With this,” as he held it up. He placed the revolver back into his pocket Calder then said, “It is a toy pistol,” whereupon the accused took out the revolver again , opened it, took out a bullet held it up in the air and asked “Is this still a toy pistol?” The accused then put the bullet back into the revolver and replaced it into his pocket .Calder insisted it was a toy pistol. The witness then saw the revolver in the hand of the accused for a third time and this was followed by an explosion. He did not see the deceased bending down before the explosion. After the explosion he saw the accused lying on the ground.

The accused asked the witness Nestor what he was doing at the gas station and on being told that he was waiting for change, the accused told him, “Collect it fast and split the joint.”

The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and affirmed the conviction and sentence.

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

(A look at some of the stories that made the news ‘back-in-the-day’ with CLIFFORD STANLEY)

DOG TORE HIS PANTS OFF (Guyana Chronicle March 14, 1979)

The Georgetown City Council has agreed to pay $55 to one of its drivers who was attacked by dogs and had his pants torn off during the course of duties.

The City Engineer stated in a memorandum to the Council that the Driver K . Singh had accompanied an engineer’s assistant to the Public Service Union’s sports ground where the engineer’s assistant was to carry out an inspection of the site in connection with an application for an exemption on rates and taxes.

The City Engineer stated that four furious dogs rushed at them and Singh was bitten on his leg and hand and had his pants torn off by the dogs.

It was recommended by the Engineer that the Council pay the employee the sum of $55 to cover the cost of the pants.

This was approved by the Council.

WOODSIDE CHOIR FOR CARIBBEAN TOUR (Guyana Chronicle March 18, 1979)

The popular Woodside Choir will have a preview performance of its Caribbean tour on March 24 at 8 p.m. at the National Cultural Centre.

The Woodside Choir is not the choir that we used to know.

Now in its 27th year it is no longer “the old girls from Bishops” but a mixed choir with accomplished artistes.

It now has a varied repertoire including classical folk, pop and sacred music.

Their presentation had improved tremendously and new designs are being fashioned for members.

The tour will be from August 17th to 24th and the countries to be visited are Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados and this is their biggest venture so far.

They have already visited and performed in Grenada.

For next Saturday’s concert at the Cultural Centre the Woodside Choir will receive support from the Redeemer Youth Singers, the Gospel Heralds , the Police Mixed Voice choir and the Seventh-Day Adventist Singers.

BARTICA SPORTS FESTIVAL WILL BE T HE BIGGEST EVER (Guyana Chronicle April 1st, 1979)

This year’s Festival of Sports scheduled for the Easter weekend at Bartica is expected to be one of the biggest-ever organized by the Regional Sports Development Council.

One of the big features at the three-day Fiesta will be the Regatta which will be held on Easter Sunday.

Already nineteen speed boats from Lanaballi and Beribissiballi areas have been entered.

Competition is expected to be very keen since several of the drivers have participated in the Regatta before.

Along with the Regatta the other interesting event is the swimming.

Eighteen races are listed on the day’s program and several of the country’s top swimmers will be seen in action.

“JACKET WALLA” FOUND DEAD (Guyana Chronicle July 28, 1979)

Edward Wilson known as “Jacket Walla” was found dead yesterday morning at the old petrol station at , Stabroek Square.

Crime Chief Cecil Roberts said that there was a wound in his chest.

Wilson was one of the men who featured prominently in the Ritz Hotel murder in 1960.

MAGISTRATE PROMISES “BUSHIE” DRINKERS A HARD TIME (Guyana Chronicle March 24, 1979)

Berbice Senior Magistrate Hilbert Homer has waned that he will deal harshly with those persons found guilty of bush rum drinking.’

He made the brief comment before sentencing two Berbice laborers to six months each in jail.

Harold Rampersaud, 33. and Toney Rampersaud, 40, both of Reliance Village East Bank Canje had both pleaded guilty to the charge.

The men begged the Magistrate to impose a monetary penalty but Mr Homer said that the type of offence was very prevalent and steps must be taken to ease the situation.

Customs Officer Michael Baird told the Court that on March 11 following a tip-off a squad of Customs men stopped a Guyana Transport bus and caught the defendants with a quantity of bush rum contained in plastic containers.

The defendants were arrested and taken to the Reliance Police Station where they were subsequently charged.

RAMPAGING BEES

(Guyana Chronicle August 31, 1979) Hundreds of mourners taking part in a funeral procession at Fort Wellington West Coast Berbice on Monday last ran for their lives when attacked by a large swarm of vicious bees.

At least 60 of them were later treated at Fort Wellington Hospital for stings from the bees believed to be of the Africanised strain.

In the commotion a woman’s wig fell of as she attempted to flee.

She fell and was severely stung on her head.

She was one of the persons treated in hospital.

The mourners, including a Barrister, had to seek shelter in houses toilets and parked cars near the cemetery where the attack took place.

Other reports from Berbice said that six farmers at # 47 village Corentyne were forced to abandon their farms following an attack by another swarm of bees.

Two other farmers in the New Forest Canje area suffered a similar fate.

The fierce bees have so far fatally stung a farmer and a donkey in separate incidents in Berbice and in Georgetown a man was stung to death in the Botanical Gardens Sunday.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST CAR WHEEL THIEVES (Guyana Chronicle September 1, 1979)

ARAWAK LANGUAGE DICTIONARY NOW BEING PREPARED BY U.G (Guyana Chronicle March 30, 1979)

A dictionary in Arawak language is now being prepared under a special project being executed by the University of Guyana.

The project is also preparing materials to run courses in other Amerindian languages and the work is continuing.

Berbice Police are intensifying their campaign against the stealing of car wheels.

For the past three weeks several car wheels were reported stolen from cars in the ancient county particularly in the Courentyne.

In the latest reported incident, thieves stole one car wheel valued $200 property of Balkarran Singh of # 58 Village Corentyne.

Thieves also carried away three complete car wheels from the premises of Deodat Roy at # 79 village valued at $1000. (Clifford Stanley can be reached to discuss any of the foregoing articles at cliffantony@ gmail.com or cell phone # 694 0913)

The RMS Titanic At 11.40pm on the night of April 14, 1912, in route to New York and on her maiden voyage, the RMS Titanic struck the iceberg that would ultimately lead to her sinking less than 3 hours later. At around 2.20 am on the morning of 15 April, RMS Titanic disappeared beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, a disaster that resulted in the loss of more than 1,500 lives, almost two-thirds of the people on board.

10 interesting facts about the RMS Titanic * Titanic was almost as long as three football fields. * Including the four smoke stacks, the Titanic was as tall as a 17-story building * Titanic's engines used more than 800 tons of coal each day. The ship's top speed was 24 knots (27 miles per hour). * Titanic was one of the first ships to have a telephone system and electric lights in all the rooms. * Titanic had four elevators, a heated swimming pool, a gym, two libraries, and two barber shops. * Each day, the passengers and crew used 14,000 gallons of drinking water. * Smoke and steam made by the Titanic's boilers escaped through three stacks. Builders added a fourth stack because they thought it made the ship look better. * Titanic could carry 3,547 passengers and crew. About 2,200 people travelled on its first voyage. * The most expensive tickets to travel aboard Titanic cost about $99,000 in today's money. * To feed the passengers and crew, Titanic had 86,000 pounds of meat, 40,000 eggs, 40 tons of potatoes, 7,000 heads of lettuce, 3,500 pounds of onions, 36,000 apples, and 1,000 loaves of bread on board.

(INFORMATION GATHERED FROM NATIONAL GEOPGRAPHIC FOR KIDS)

Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

Meet a

‘Simple Simon’…

Working with her God-given talents

I

By Telesha Ramnarine

T all started when Danielle Christine Jasmin Simon was all dressed up to go out but was lacking the necessary accessories to compliment her lovely dress. One of her mother’s chains had burst and she immediately thought of making it into something that just might work along with her dress. She did and everyone loved it!

Today, Danielle has a business of her own that is called D’Jewels – Jewellery to make you look delightful. So far, she has made earrings and bracelets and for the business’s one year anniversary next month, she plans to release chains that she did as well.

Danielle, 20, was born to Burchmore and Constance and grew up at Haslington, on the East Coast Demerara. She attended Golden Grove Nursery, Winifer Primary and Christ Church Secondary.

Initially, she wanted to become a teacher, then a singer, paediatrician and the list goes on. But during secondary school, she settled on accounts as she was in the business stream. She came to love it.

So today, she manages the accounts for her father’s business, known as Kross Kolor Records, which gives her busy schedule great flexibility to care for her own business.

“I like making things with my hands. I have always been a sort of a creative person. And I always have been thinking of what I can do with this talent. One evening I was preparing to go out and I realised I did not have any accessories to go with my dress. My mother had this old chain that had burst and I thought to myself I can make something. I put it together and everyone loved it. I sat down that afternoon, thought of the name of a business, its logo and everything,” recalled Danielle.

She plans to have her business registered soon. “I started out with just earrings because I was still testing the response that I would have gotten. I made about 35 pairs of earrings and they were all sold within about two weeks of me getting them around. A few weeks later, I started bracelets. So I enjoy doing this and at the same time I can make something financially.”

In her spare time, an idea might popped into Danielle’s head and she immediately goes to work on it. At other times when she might be busy but gets an idea, she sketches it down so she can work on it at her convenience. She also looks for different designs and styles online.

“I do it in my nice, quiet time because it is a means of relaxation. There is something nice about creating something; something that you alone made. I have a habit of smiling after making something. It’s not like I’m conscious. It’s only

recently I realised I look at it and smile. It’s a proud feeling and I feel really nice seeing people wearing them. It’s nice to know you can do something and other people appreciate it, Danielle reflected.

Her prices are reasonable too. “I have gotten those compliments a lot that my products are of good quality and yet reasonable. I wanted to make it affordable.

People just call me up and make a request. They trust me, thankfully, to just create something for them. And I always have stuff on hand that they can choose from too.”

If all goes well, Danielle might even participate in next year’s GuyExpo. Wanting to improve herself, she is also thinking about doing some online courses in craft. “I never did any studying in this line. This is only god-given talent that I am working with. So I would like to do some kind of course to learn different styles and so on so I can provide more of a variety.”

And Danielle’s work fits in nicely with her personality.

“I am shy most times, down to earth; my friends say I am crazy… in a good way of course. I like to be in my own zone, my own world. I like to think about things. So even when I am down I find something to do with my hands.

If I am upset with somebody, I can go make an earring and that uplifts my spirit. I have a creative personality,” she said.

Danielle likes things to be done in a certain way and is very organised. “I am a ‘Simple Simon.’ No complicated life.

What’s the point of being unhappy and sad? Even if I have things bothering me, I try not to let it affect me.”

As for her advice to other young girls who may be in search for work, or who may not know what to do with their talents, Danielle says: “Don’t doubt yourself; don’t over think it; just have faith in your abilities and talents and go for it.”

Danielle Christine Jasmin Simon

Some of the items Danielle has made with her bare hands

Making jewellery is a means of relaxation for Danielle

Danielle and her dad, Mr. Burchmore Simon

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Vikram’s I crosses Rs 200 crore mark at box office; threatens to beat Enthiran’s record!

Despite mixed reviews and transgender protests, director Shankar’s magnum opus has joined the elite group of Tamil films to have crossed Rs 200 crore mark The fanfare surrounding Vikram’s I reached it’s peak, when the long awaited film finally hit the screens this Pongal. Taking into the account the wide spread promotions and the buzz around the film, trade experts predicted a strong opening for I at the box

office. Though the film was panned by the critics for a weak story line, the film had managed to silence them by making over a 100 crore at the end of the first week.

Before the Vikram’s I had seen light, fans were comparing it with director Shankar ’s Enthiran starring Rajinikanth, wondering if I could manage to out do Enthiran at box office. Looking at the box office figures, I would not rule out I’s chances of actually surpassing En-

thiran’s figures. Though Vikram-Amy Jackson starrer did lukewarm business with it’s Hindi dubbed version, it’s Tamil and Telugu version made sure that Shankar’s I rakes Rs 200 crore at box office in matter of three weeks. The film did exceptionally well at the international market, as I made a large chunk of its profit from US, Malaysian, UK, Canadian and Australian box office.

Now the trade experts are wondering if I can ac-

tually beat Enthiran‘s box office collection, which was a whopping Rs 256 crore.

With a big film like Ajith’s Yennai Arindhaal releasing this weekend, it would be

interesting to see if I manage to hold it’s ground at the box office.

While Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone remain mum, Alia Bhatt defends AIB Roast!

The Genius of the Year responded on the ongoing AIB controversy Alia Bhatt stood tall in support of All India Bakchod‘s so called ‘controversial’ AIB Knockout - The Roast of Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor. The Highway babe, who became an online star with her Genius of the Year video felt that people should take it easy. She wrote

on her Twitter page, “Some “not taking life so seriously” lessons are needed. DESPERATELY!!!!” We completely agree with you Alia!

What’s the point in being prude and unfunny?

Alia along with Deepika Padukone and Sonakshi Sinha was a part of the 4,000 odd audience, who enjoyed AIB’s Roast. In fact she was

one of the few who has maximum jokes cracked on her, which she took quite sportingly. The 2-State actress only upped her cool quotient when she laughed at herself. However, looks like some people do not have a funny bone at all! How else do you expect such furor over a scripted show?

While the Shandaar actress

commented on this hot topic, another actress who supposedly reacted on this issue has deleted her Twitter post on Ashoke

Pandit versus AIB. We wonder if the babe has been advised by daddy dearest to stay away from this controversy?

Abhishek Bachchan to romance Sunny Leone relives Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s Dholi Taro Kareena Kapoor Khan?

Yes! If the latest grapevine is true then the Refugee co-stars will soon grace the big screen together once again…

Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor Khan haven’t worked together for the longest of time. Till date the duo have worked together in two films – Refugee and Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon which released way back in 2000 and 2003 respectively. Though both the films failed to make any impact at the box office, Bebo and Jr Bachchan’s jodi did impress many. And if what we hear isn’t just a rumour then Abhi and Kareena are all set to team up again. Apparently, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s hubby dearest has signed Abhishek Chaubey’s next directorial venture Udta Punjab and will be paired opposite the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actress.

Though there has been no official announcement regarding this casting coup, we hear it was Dharma head honcho Karan Johar who suggested Abhishek’s name for the film. In fact, the makers of Udta Punjab approached KJo so that he can help them out with the casting.

Well, that’s how the Happy New year actor came into the picture. Let’s hope this piece of information is true because it would be refreshing to see Abhi and Bebo on 70mm after for so long. Don’t you agree guys?

Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, Udta Punjab also stars Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles. Initially, Ayushmann Khurrana was supposed to star alongside Bebo but the B-town hunk

The Ragini MMS 2 actress has shot a reworked version of Dholi Taro for her upcoming film, Ek Paheli Leela Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who recently got back to the studio and faced a movie camera after five years has impressed the masses with her filmography ever since she has made her debut in the showbiz. But one thing which we certainly cannot forget is her performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, especially the high on energy

track Dholi Taro, in which the former Miss World shook a leg with Salman Khan, who played the male lead in the film.

And now it’s Sunny Leone, who has shot a reworked version of Dholi Taro for her upcoming film, Ek Paheli Leela. Reportedly, a massive set was erected in the dunes of Jaisalmer. A crowd of over 500 dancers assembled for the shoot that lasted for a week.

“Bhushan Kumar, our producer, already had the

rights to the song. It was his idea to rework the song and he got the Meet brothers to do it,” said Ahmed Khan, who has choreographed the song for the film which has Sunny Leone playing a sultry princess.

But why did they choose this song in particular? “It’s something that has stayed in the public memory for 16 years. We’ve modified the tune.And it isn’t a Garba set-up, we’ve turned it into a Rajasthani dance. It was an easy number for Sunny as it didn’t have any complex moves but regular folk dance steps,” Ahmed was further quoted by a daily.

Well, going by the looks of it, seems that Sunny Leone has done a pretty god job with the song. Since they have added a Rajasthani flavour to this Gujarati number, I can’t wait to see how it has turned out to be.

(Spource:Bollywoodlife. com)

Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

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Half Of A Yellow Sun Breaks Nigerian Box Office Record In Its First Weekend ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ has set a new first weekend box office record in Nigeria. The record came from showing the movie in 15 cinemas across Nigeria in its first 3 days, with Lagos cinemas topping the charts.

‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ is expected to also break the record of the highest grossing movie in Nigeria, being the country of the author of the book and the director and executive producers of the movie.

Half of a Yellow Sun is at the number one spot in Nigerian cinemas, ahead of Marvel Studio’s ‘Guardian of Galaxy.’

According to Mr. Kene Mkparu C.E.O of FilmOne Distribution, the distributors of the movie “we have always maintained that the success of ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ is the success of Nollywood. If ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ succeeds and from the figures we have it will succeed; it signifies success for Nollywood. It is our belief that if a film is well done, Nigerian audiences would respond to it and drive its success. ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ is a movie about Nigeria and we believe that Nigerians will drive its success. We are delighted that the Nigerian public has turned out in force to

support the film. We want to urge everyone who has seen this film to go back and see it again and encourage others to see it.”

‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ is a movie set in the era of the Biafran war in Nigeria. It is a story of love, lust, jealousy, greed and brings to light the effects of war on the lives of everyone it touches.

The movie, featuring BAFTA award winner and Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, BAFTA award winner Thandie Newton, Onyeka Onwenu, Genevieve Nnaji, O.C. Ukeje, and Zack Orji, is adapted from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s award-winning international best-seller, and is written and directed by Biyi Bandele. Half of a Yellow Sun has been screened at film festivals around the world, has already won several awards, and has been enjoying an international cinema release in major international territories including the UK, US and Australia, with releases across Africa, Latin America

and Europe still to come.

Half of a Yellow Sun has been classified as ‘18’. The movie opened in Nigerian cinemas on August 1.

Shan George Bags 8 Awards For Movie ‘Finding Good Luck Star actress and producer, Shan George, has lots to be thankful for. Her recent movie; ‘Finding Goodluck’

Bagged 8 Awards at the Cross River Nollywood Awards Held In Calabar on Saturday September 13,

2014.

Some of the awards include: Best Director, Best producer(Shan George) and

Best Movie of the Year!

Well deserved. Congratulations to the pretty actress.

Rukky Sanda changes hairstyle to a punk-cut Nollywood star, Rukky Sanda, recently changed her hairstyle to a punkcut that left her near unrecognizable to her fans.

Apparently the gorgeous Miss Sanda is still rocking her new look in more ways than one.

Breaking News…Actor Enebeli Enebuwa Dies In India

Report reaching us from India now has it that Nollywood veteran actor “Andrew Wan Check Out” Enebeli Enebuwa has died.

The veteran Nollywood Super Star died in an Indian hospital where he was receiving treatment for an ailment.

Enebeli was diagnosed with the illness some months back and was moved to an Indian hospital in Karu Abuja by some Nollywood actresses led by Stella Damasus.

Few weeks later, he was referred to a hospital in India where he was flown to at the expense of his home state governor, Gov Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State.

He recently spoke to Mrs. Lara Owoeye Wise on AIT where he told Nigerians that he will soon be back.

But his condition worsened some days back and all efforts to revive him were abortive.

Former President of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Segun Arinze, when contacted confirmed the story saying it was a great loss to the industry.

According to him Segun, Enebuwa was one of the shining stars of the industry and will be greatly missed.

Arrangement is being made to bring his body back to Nigeria

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

TEXT OVERDOSE

C

an texting from a cell phone become addictive?

Should it be treated like other addictive narcotics or stimulants? I know that sounds a bit crazy, but doctors and psychologists are now answering the question and their answers my surprise you.

Do you ever feel like you are addicted to WhatsApp,

- are we addicted?

concepts. Dopamine makes you curious about ideas and fuels your searching for information. Research shows that it is the opioid system (separate from dopamine) that makes us feel pleasure.

Wanting vs. liking — According to researcher Kent Berridge, these two systems, the "wanting" (dopamine) and the "liking" (opioid) are complementary. The wanting system propels you to action and the liking system makes you feel

Facebook, messenger, email,twitter or texting? Do you find it impossible to ignore your email if you see that there are messages in your inbox? Do you think that if you could ignore your incoming email or messages you might actually be able to get something done at work? You are right!

The culprit is dopamine — Dopamine was "discovered" in 1958 by ArvidCarlsson and Nils-AkeHillarp at the National Heart Institute of Sweden. Dopamine is created in various parts of the brain and is critical in all sorts of brain functions, including thinking, moving, sleeping, mood, attention, motivation, seeking and reward.

Pleasure vs. seeking — You may have heard that dopamine controls the "pleasure" systems of the brain: that dopamine makes you feel enjoyment, pleasure, and therefore

motivates you to seek out certain behaviors, such as food, sex, and drugs. Recent research is changing this view. Instead of dopamine causing you to experience pleasure, the latest research shows that dopamine causes seeking behavior.

Dopamine causes you to want, desire, seek out, and search. It increases your general level of arousal and your goal-directed behavior. From an evolutionary stand-point this is critical.

The dopamine seeking system keeps you motivated to move through your world, learn, and survive. It's not just about physical needs such as food, or sex, but also about abstract

satisfied and therefore pause your seeking. If your seeking isn't turned off at least for a little while, then you start to run in an endless loop. The dopamine system is stronger than the opioid system. You tend to seek more than you are satisfied.

Evolution again — seeking is more likely to keep you alive than sitting around in a satisfied stupor.

Dopamine loops — With the internet, twitter, and texting you now have almost instant gratification of your desire to seek. Want to talk to someone right away? Send a text and they respond in a few seconds. Want to look up some information? Just type your request into google. Want to see what your colleagues are up to? Go to Linked In. It's easy to get in a dopamine induced loop. Dopamine starts you seeking, then you get rewarded for the seeking which makes you seek more.

It becomes harder and harder to stop looking at email, stop texting, or stop checking your cell phone to see if you have a message or a new text…it like food these days.

Teenagers are becoming addicted to texting, there is no doubt! In fact, experts are saying being hooked on texting can be like being addicted to drugs. Regardless of where they are; teenagers and to some extent adults too, seem to need to text.

The average teen sends 2,000 texts a month (according to a small survey I conducted). One student even admitted it: “I think that it’s just like a drug, once you get hooked on to it, you can’t let go. It’s like whenever I open my eyes the first thing I look at is my phone.” “It clearly fits the criteria of an addiction.

What are the warning signs? Look for these symptoms of text overdose: – Neglecting eating or sleeping – Losing track of time due to the cell phone

– Ignoring others or lying to them due to text messages – Depression from not getting enough texts from friends The cost of this kind of addiction can be measurable. I’ve been talking about brain research for a while now. Experts say teenage brains are still developing, and haven’t fully developed in the area that processes consequences and regulates impulses, which can be a problem especially while driving and texting. If adults fail to provide incentives for healthy adolescent behavior — teens may not have it in them to regulate themselves. May I suggest a few simple ideas?

1. Talk with them and mutually decide boundaries for cell phone use.

2. Balance phone calls with texting.

3. Don’t let yourselves to get socially lazy.

4. As a norm, don’t sleep with your cell phone on. Be OK with turning it off.

4. Texts are for information not emotion. If information elicits emotion — don’t use a text.

More, more, more — Interestingly brain scan research shows that the brain has more activity when people are ANTICIPATING a reward than getting one. Research on rats shows that if you destroy dopamine neurons, rats can walk, chew, and swallow, but will starve to death even when food is right next to them. They have lost the anticipation and desire to go get the food. Although wanting and liking are related, research also shows that the dopamine system doesn't have satiety built in. It is possible for the dopamine system to keep saying "more moremore", causing you to keep seeking even when you have found the information. How many times have you searched for something on google, found the answer, and yet realize a half hour later that you are still online looking for more information?

140-160 characters is even more addictive — And the dopamine system is most powerfully stimulated when the information coming in is small so that it doesn't full satisfy.

A short text or twitter (can only be 140-160 characters!) is ideally suited to send your dopamine system raging.

Turn off the cues — One of the most important things you can do to prevent or stop a dopamine loop, and be more productive is to turn off the cues. Adjust the settings on your cell phone and on your laptop, desktop or tablet so that you don't receive the automatic notifications. Automatic notifications are touted as wonderful features of hardware, software, and apps. But they are actually causing you to be like a rat in a cage. If you want to get work done you need to turn off as many auditory and visual cues as possible. It's the best way to prevent and break the dopamine loops.

What do you think? How do you deal with dopamine loops? Are you willing to turn off your cues?

Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015

Nervous Taxpayer

A nervous taxpayer was unhappily conversing with the IRS tax auditor who had come to review his records. At one point the auditor exclaimed, “Mr. Carr, we feel it is a great privilege to be allowed to live and work in the United States. As a citizen, you have an obligation to pay taxes and we expect you to eagerly pay them with a smile.”

“Thank goodness,” returned Mr. Carr, with a giant grin on his face from ear to ear. “I thought you were going to want me to pay with cash.”

Being Audited at the IRS A man was called in for an audit by the IRS.

So he asked his accountant for advice on what to wear.

“Wear your worst clothing and an old pair of shoes. Let them think you are a pauper,” the accountant replied. Then he asked his lawyer the same question, but got the opposite advice: “Don’t let them intimidate you. Wear your best suit and an expensive tie.” Confused, the man went to his minister, told him of the conflicting advice and asked him what he should do. “Let me tell you a story,” replied the minister. “A woman about to be married asked her mother what to wear on her wedding night. Her mother told her to wear a heavy, long, flannel nightgown that goes right up to your neck and wool socks. But when she asked her best friend, she got conflicting advice. Her friend told her to wear her most sexy negligee with a V-neck right down to her navel.” The man protested, “But reverend, what does all this have to do with my problem with the IRS?” “It doesn’t matter what you wear; you’re still going to get screwed.” said the reverend.

Federal Agencies Almost 150 years ago, President Lincoln found it

necessary to hire a private investigator - Alan Pinkerton - for protection. And that was the beginning of the Secret Service. Since that time, federal police authority has grown in depth, scope and to a large number of multi-letter agencies - CID, OSI, NIS, FBI, CIA, INS, IRS, DEA, BATF, etc. Now we have the "Federal Air Transportation Airport Security Service."

Can't you see them now, these highly trained men and women in their black outfits with their initials in large white letters across their backs: "FATASS" - I feel safer already, don't you?

Statue

At an outdoor press conference, Al Gore was addressing harsh criticism of being “lifeless as a statue.”

“That is absurd,” Gore stoically stated. “When elected, the people of America will see just how passionate and alive I truly am.”

Embarrassed for her husband, Tipper, leaned in to whisper, “Honey, you have a pigeon on your head.”

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The Garden Rich Rejected They offered us a garden rich in flowers Of the few faults some condemned the gift Refusing the beauty designed our hearts to lift We condemned both the gifts and the givers.

One day, we sought beyond a gift of better days And what did we find in our persistent quest?

We found a path to nowhere, we found no best We found ourselves lost, for us the infinite phase.

We thought then of the garden rich we rejected We thought then of the gains we did not value And as we moved from life to lifelessness, we knew We had our own veins with venom pleasantly injected.

Krishna Nand Prasad

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James Clerk Maxwell -Best known for his formulation of electromagnetic theory

James Clerk Maxwell, (born June 13, 1831, Edinburgh, Scotland—died November 5, 1879, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England), Scottish physicist best known for his formulation of electromagnetic theory. He is regarded by most modern physicists as the scientist of the 19th century who had the greatest influence on 20th-century physics and he is ranked with Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein for the fundamental nature of his contributions. In 1931, on the 100th anniversary of Maxwell’s birth, Einstein described the change in the conception of reality in physics that resulted from Maxwell’s work as “the most profound and the most fruitful that physics has experienced since the time of Newton.”

The concept of electromagnetic radiation originated with Maxwell, and his field equations, based on Michael Faraday’s observations of the electric and magnetic lines of force, paved the way for Einstein’s special theory of relativity, which established the equivalence of mass and energy. Maxwell’s ideas also ushered in the other major innovation of 20th-century physics, the quantum theory. His description of electromagnetic radia- James Clerk Maxwell tion led to the development (according to classical theory) of the ultimately unsatisfactory law of heat Continued on page XIX radiation, which prompted Max Planck’s formulation

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Frompage XVIII of the quantum hypothesis—i.e., the theory that radiant-heat energy is emitted only in finite amounts, or quanta. The interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter, integral to Planck’s hypothesis, in turn has played a central role in the development of the theory of the structure of atoms and molecules.

Early life Maxwell came from a comfortable middle-class background. The original family name was Clerk, the additional surname being added by his father, who was a lawyer, after he had inherited the Middlebie estate from Maxwell ancestors.

James was an only child. His parents had married late in life and his mother was 40 years old at his birth. (See Researcher’s Note: Maxwell’s date of birth.) Shortly afterward the family moved from Edinburgh to Glenlair, the country house on the Middlebie estate.

His mother died in 1839 from abdominal cancer, the very disease to which Maxwell was to succumb at exactly the same age. A dull and uninspired tutor was engaged who claimed that James was slow at learning, though in fact he displayed a lively curiosity at an early age and had a phenomenal memory.

Fortunately he was rescued by his aunt Jane Cay and from 1841 was sent to school at the Edinburgh Academy. Among the other pupils were his biographer Lewis Campbell and his friend Peter Guthrie Tait.

Maxwell’s interests ranged far beyond the school syllabus

and he did not pay particular attention to examination performance. His first scientific paper, published when he was only 14 years old, described a generalised series of oval curves that could be traced with pins and thread by analogy with an ellipse. This fascination with geometry and with mechanical models continued throughout his career and was of great help in his subsequent research.

At age 16 he entered the University of Edinburgh, where he read voraciously on all subjects and published two more scientific papers. In 1850 he went to the University of Cambridge, where his exceptional powers began to be recognised.

His mathematics teacher, William Hopkins, was a well-known “wrangler maker” (a wrangler is one who takes first-class honours in the mathematics examinations at Cambridge) whose students included Tait, George Gabriel (later Sir George) Stokes, William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin), Arthur Cayley and Edward John Routh. Of Maxwell, Hopkins is reported to have said that he was the most extraordinary man he had ever met, that it seemed impossible for him to think wrongly on any physical subject, but that in analysis he was far more deficient. (Other contemporaries also testified to Maxwell’s preference for geometrical over analytical methods.) This shrewd assessment was later borne out by several important formulae advanced by Maxwell that obtained correct results from faulty mathematical arguments.

In 1854 Maxwell was second wrangler and first Smith’s prizeman (the Smith’s Prize is a prestigious competitive award for an essay that incorporates original research). He was elected to a fellowship at Trinity, but, because his father’s health was deteriorating, he wished to return to Scotland. In 1856 he

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was appointed to the professorship of natural philosophy at Marischal College, Aberdeen, but before the appointment was announced his father died. This was a great personal loss, for Maxwell had had a close relationship with his father. In June 1858 Maxwell married Katherine Mary Dewar, daughter of the principal of Marischal College. The union was childless and was described by his biographer as a “married life…of unexampled devotion.”

In 1860 the University of Aberdeen was formed by a merger between King’s College and Marischal College, and Maxwell was declared redundant. He applied for a vacancy at the University of Edinburgh, but he was turned down in favour of his school friend Tait. He then was appointed to the professorship of natural philosophy at King’s College, London.

The next five years were undoubtedly the most fruitful of his career. During this period his two classic papers on the electromagnetic field were published and his demonstration of colour photography took place. He was elected to the Royal Society in 1861. His theoretical and experimental work on the viscosity of gases also was undertaken during these years and culminated in a lecture to the Royal Society in 1866. He supervised the experimental determination of electrical units for the British Association for the Advancement of Science and this work in measurement and standardization led to the establishment of the National Physical Laboratory. He also measured the ratio of electromagnetic and electrostatic units of electricity and confirmed that it was in satisfactory agreement with the velocity of light as predicted by his theory.

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Famous quotes from C. L. R James

C

. L. R. James was a renowned Afro-Trinidadian historian, journalist, socialist theorist and essayist, who was also a popular cricket writer.

James strived hard to put across the voices of the African native races. James was attached with socio-political causes like putting across the voices of lesser African races to the world. James wrote several times under his pen name J.R. Johnson. Sections of his writings throughout his life were dedicated to Caribbean and Afro-nationalism. James was widely known for his varied range of activities that included sports, occasional playwriting and acting. James had his own autodidactic facility. He was often termed as an “anti-Stalinist dialectician” as his views were more open and revolutionary. James was awarded an Honouurary Doctorate from South Bank Polytechnic in London for his immense contribution to socio-political awareness building work on races and sport. James was a very popular cricket writer whose great work ‘Beyond a Boundary’ made way for a new era of writing on crickC. L. R James et. The book is arguably the best written by James and also the best book ever written on sport.

“Today we ought to be able to see first that Booker T. Washington faced a situation in which he was seeking desperately for a way out, and he could see no way out except capitulation.” ********** “Today, in American imperialism, the commodity has reached its most grandiose“ historical manifestation.” ********** As the class struggle sharpens in the U.S. Marxism will come into its own as a great popular study. ” ********** “Capitalism has socialised production. It has brought thousands of people together in the factory and involved them in new social relationships. ” ********** “Du Bois marked a great stage in the history of Negro struggles when he said that Negroes could no longer accept the subordination which Booker T. Washington had preached.” ********** “First of all, Bolshevism represents revolution and the revolutionary struggle.” ********** “I had a national and international reputation. I had written the history and articles. So I brought to the Trotskyist movement some international reputation.” ********** “I had formed a black movement, so I would speak for the Trotskyist movement and then walk about a hundred yards to where the black movement was speaking.” ********** “Cricket had plunged me into politics long before I was aware of it. When I did turn to politics, I did not have too much to learn” ********** “What do they know of cricket, who only cricket know?” ********** “The race question is subsidiary to the class question in politics, and to think of imperialism in terms of race is disastrous. But to neglect the racial factor as merely incidental is an error only less grave than to make it fundamental.” ********** “Communists will have to make wide concessions to natives of colonial countries in order to overcome the justified prejudice which these feel toward all classes in the oppressing countries. Toussaint, as his power grew, forgot that. He ignored the black labourers, bewildered them at the very moment that he needed them most, and to bewilder the masses is to strike the deadliest of blows at the revolution.”

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XXI

Diamond Village A Closely Knit Neighbourhood

A

By Alex Wayne s the bus chugged in and out of busy traffic I was certainly getting irritated with the length of time it was taking to arrive at my destination.

But soon I had to take into consideration that with the efforts Government was making to get the new East Bank Demerara Highway into operation; it was quite natural for the pace of traffic to lessen considerably. Well at least there was order and really no vehicular chaos on the road and there was police presence in the areas where the works seemed to have intensified lately.

The three commercial banks at Diamond

So I busied myself with enjoying the scenery while the bus crawled along. The driver fumed under his breath about the traffic delay, mouthing obscenities, as he voiced his opinion over the issue of the unfinished highway.

I was headed to Diamond Village on the East Bank of Demerara, located just over six miles from Georgetown. This very lush and colourful village is located quite nicely between the villages of Prospect to the east and the more developed Golden Grove to the west.

As indicated by villagers this village is divided into two parts, namely Little Diamond which houses quite a few commercial businesses and a squatting area, and residential houses and Greater Diamond made popular for its numerous commer-

cial banks, a distillery, gas station and fast food outlets. This area is also the home to the relatively new Diamond Housing Scheme, which is quite an attractive feature and is said to be one of the largest schemes in Guyana.

The housing scheme caters to high-income, middle-income and low-income persons from all over Guyana.

The two areas combined is said to have over 3,000 residents, according to reliable sources and has the potential in eventually evolving into another township.

Beauty In many years gone by Diamond was mostly a fusion of sprawling pastures, vast, lush, green canfields and colourful houses that made quite an interesting spectacle.

Today this location is being transformed into a social landscape incorporating people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The housing scheme for example is made up of a mixture of ethnicities from all walks of Guyana and they are still in the process of getting better acquainted. Nonetheless, they all reside there in a rich harmonious bond that makes them appear to be one big happy family.

Well I landed at Little Diamond just around 14:00 hours and I must admit I was enthralled with its quiet beauty.

Despite the fact that the main road was abuzz with traffic, the honking of horns and outbursts of impatient drivers, the area was quite soothing with the honed chatter of neighbours as they conversed in the sandy streets.

I truly enjoyed trekking through the sandy dams, mingling with the people and listening to their many colourful tales. I truly admired that enticing manner in which the little colourful houses were nestled close to each other as residents swung in hammocks, lingered by the dams or limed by small makeshift shops.

Each yard was accentuated so nicely with such striking flower plant and fruit species that I just marvelled at the dashing tropical ambience. Small garden overflowed with vegetables and fruit tress all burdened with the ripened species and well fattened dogs yelped and ran about, chasing after each other in gleeful animal frenzy.

Interacting With Residents I stopped to chat with the very peppy and spirited Continued on page XXII

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An aerial view of the massive Diamond Housing Scheme.

Diamond ...

From page XXI

69-year-old Emelda Culpepper who has been living in the area since the early 1990s. Though she has desired to be located elsewhere, she noted that she had grown to love the area because of the developments that are made possible there through governmental efforts.

However, she complained bitterly about the state of the only main dam in the Junior Staff Squatting Area which she said was impossible to traverse during the rainy season.

“Ow bai.. Meh know dis supposed to be Govament prapathy but until we can locate yu mean nobady nah guh even look afta dis dam fuh we. How we nah even get street lights hea and de place does be very dark night time. Awe dese nah get no prapa wata fuh drink hea and we only get a few standpipes and dem hardly wukking. We gat tuh fetch de wate from great distances when dem pipe dem stap wuk and it really heart rending” That aside the woman was almost in tears as she detailed a story of paying almost ten thousand dollars to the Guyana Power and Light entity months as light bill even though she hardly had electrical appliances in her home. She said she queried the bills many times and was only told that her bill is correct with no proper explanation as to why the bills were

so high, even though her home was lacking major electrical appliances.

Motie Hemraj described Diamond as a very productive and developing area, but lamented on the state of the road where he resided. However he was of high praise for the fact that the Government had made possible the striking Diamond Housing Scheme, and also that they were in the process of providing a new and spanking eastern highway.

Living there for the several years with his wife and kids he described it as the best place in Guyana and said he wouldn’t trade living there for anything. He was particularly happy that the area now has three commercial banks, a Royal Castle Fast Food location, state of the art gas station, Diamond Diagnostic Hospital, school and other facilities. He said that this has taken away the stress of getting to the city to conduct certain types of business transactions.

“We have our own market, commercial banks, schools, a Courts furniture outlet, gas station; we even have our own hospital. I am indeed grateful that the Government has look into these areas of our welfare. And the police presence here is good so we hardly have any criminal elements in the area these days.”

We stopped to chat briefly with Julius Jones and he was happy of the transformation the village has taken on over the years.

“In years gone by this village had a ‘country look’ to it, but with all the development that has occurred here now, we are looking quite nice and development is slow but sure. We now have our own supermarket and so much more and the Demerara Distillers entity and other business are surely helping out with providing employment for villagers. However, something needs to be done with the state of the Diamond Distillery which is very old and certainly needs refurbishing.

And people on the Diamond Dam are still being affected from time to time with the acrid fumes that emit from this facility during their operation.”

The main occupation of the inhabitants is cash crop farming, although some of the residents have over time began erecting small shops in the village to sell groceries and a few household items. There are some masons and carpenters there too, but the majority are employed at the Demerara Distilleries Ltd. (DDL)-one of Guyana’s beverage giants), Courts Furniture outlet, Royal Castle, DSL Cash and Carry Supermarket, and a few at the commercial banks there. Some sell in the weekend roadside

The old colonial houses are still striking features in the village today

Emelda Culpepper complaints of having to pay high electricity bills despite having little electrical appliances

Chronicle Pepperpot February 8, 2015 The Courts Furniture Store at Diamond

market or work in business in nearby Golden Grove, or some in the city.

Others have managed to take up temporary positions with the contractors who are spearheading road works in the village.

Diamond In Times Gone By Today Diamond is quite modern in appearance, but certainly is not lacking in infrastructural features and the sophisticated factors of life. This village was certainly a ‘hit number’ on our ‘Village Focus calendar.’

Bursting with curiosity as to what the village was like unto before its present modern aura I was directed to an elderly farmer, Rupert Simpson who smilingly reminisced on his days in the village as a young boy.

“In my time this village was just like lots of waste land.

The few people that lived here would allow their many cows and sheep in the wide open pastures and let them graze their fill. There were many cane fields and lots of trenches over grown with weeds and not so many houses.

On the Diamond Dam it was all mud and thatched roof houses and neighbours who were always on fire and ready to war.

There were not many shops here, or stores and boutiques like some villages, and the village was quite muddy and watery in several areas. At that time the people attached to the Diamond Distillery or to the sugar estates were hosed in some of the very colonial houses you here today that are now falling to pieces.”

“Most of the houses were thatched and shingle roof structures and the only road in reasonable condition was the one

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Beverage giant Diamond Distilleries Ltd.

that ran through the village. As I grew older things changed a bit and more houses began to pop up. Persons built and leveled their lands to avoid flooding, and things are what you see here today.”

A distinct old world aura still clings mystically to this village and coupled with the deep tranquility in certain areas Diamond continues to hold a strange mysterious intrigue, which I found quite soothing.

A Comfortable Life After Hardship Very often we meet people who are enjoying the luxuries of life and marvel at their success or turn green without envy, without even pausing to think of their prior suffering.

The story of well established businessman, ‘Jonathan’ should be a lesson to all that great success is always assured after hard work, suffering and sacrifices.

“Boss today I am enjoying a very comfortable way of life but I had to work really hard and endure a lot before I get to this level. As a young boy, and coming from a family of seven, things were really hard since my family were poor. I can remember days when we had to eat salt and rice and a little oil when there was nothing to cook. Many times we missed school because there was no money for transportation, and when we did attend there was no an extra penny to purchase a snack like other kids. Some of us went to school in rubber slippers or no footwear at all. Yes, we were ashamed and were taunted by students that were better off, but my mother always encouraged us with tears in her eyes as she did her best to give us food with the help of my father who was a farmer also. My father taught us to save every spare penny since

Places of worship in the village

it grows in time and that was a good lesson learnt. Myself and my older brother began working in our early teens to help out in the home and saved our earnings as mother directed. Soon we extended the home and things started to get better.

As the years went by we saved in a commercial bank in the city then later transferred to one of the commercial banks here to avoid travelling to and from the city with large amounts of cash on our person. Soon we were able to build a lavish home and enjoy comfortable living as we are doing today. Nothing good comes without disappointments and suffering.”

Religion and Culture The ethnic cultures at Diamond is a sizzling melting pot of diversity that is welcomed and celebrated openly by almost everyone. There are no segregation with the festivities of Phagwah, Christmas, Diwali and other festivals, and this for sure ushers in the present aura of harmony and bonding amongst residents.

Today there are Christians, Hindus and Muslims and they all worship in harmony respecting each other’s culture.

Conclusion This village is certainly a ‘must visit’ location and I strongly urge you to get there and soak up its beauty and great hospitality of the people. Join us next week when we take you all the way to Port Mourant, Berbice when we mingle with folks there and bring you the mysteries of the location.

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Diamond ...

Cozy houses add a refreshing allure to the village

Motie Hemraj laments the state of the ‘Diamond Dam’ during rainy weather

What were once sugar cane fields are now being transformed as Diamond undergoes massive housing and other development projects

A section of the East Bank Demerara newly constructed four-lane highway at Diamond

Works are ongoing on the eastern highway

A career mom gets her toddlers from the day care after a day’s toiling

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Diabetes and Your Skin Dr. Kumar Sukhraj

For people with diabetes, having too much glucose (sugar) in their blood for a long time can cause serious complications, including skin problems. About a third of people with diabetes will develop skin problems at some point in life. In fact, some skin issues can be warning signs of diabetes. In some cases, people with diabetes develop skin conditions that can also be found in non-diabetics.

Fortunately, most skin conditions can be prevented and successfully treated if caught early. But if not cared for properly, a minor skin condition in a person with diabetes

can turn into a serious problem with potentially severe consequences.

Some common skin conditions in people with diabetes: Acanthosisnigricans - This condition results in the darkening and thickening of the skin. Often, areas of tan or brown skin, sometimes slightly raised, appear on the sides of the neck, the armpits, and groin. Also occasionally, these darkened areas might appear on the hands, elbows, and knees.

This condition can affect otherwise healthy people, or it can be associated with certain medical conditions, however it is frequently found in people with diabetes.

Allergic reactions - Allergic reactions to foods, bug bites,

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Dr. Kumar Sukhraj and medicines can cause rashes, depressions or bumps on the skin. If you think you might be having an allergic reaction to a medicine, contact your health care provider. Severe allergic reactions might require emergency treatment. It is especially important for people with diabetes to check for rashes or bumps in the areas where they inject their insulin.

Loss of hair, thinning and shiny skin, thickened and discoloured toenails, and cold skin- These conditions can result from atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of blood vessels thickening of the vessel walls. While atherosclerosis most often is associated with blood vessels in or near the heart, it can affect blood vessels throughout the body, including those that supply the skin. When the blood vessels supplying the skin become narrow, changes occur due to a lack of oxygen. Loss of hair, thinning and shiny skin, thickened and discoloured toenails, and cold skin are symptoms of atherosclerosis. Because blood carries the white blood cells that help fight infection, legs and feet affected by atherosclerosis heal slowly when they are injured.

Bacterial infections -There are different kinds of bacterial infections affecting the skin. There are different kinds of bacterial infections affecting the skin. Skin infections with the bacteria known as Staphylococcus are more common and more serious in people with poorly controlled diabetes. These include styes, which are infections of the glands of the eyelids; boils, which are infections of the hair follicles; and carbuncles, which are deep infections of the skin and the underlying tissue. There also are bacterial infections that affect the nails.

With a bacterial infection, the areas involved generally are hot, swollen, red, and painful. Most bacterial infections require treatment with antibiotics in the form of pills and/or creams.

Fungal infections - A yeast-like fungus called Candida albicans is responsible for many of the fungal infections affecting people with diabetes. This fungus creates itchy red rashes, often surrounded by tiny blisters and scales. These infections most often occur in warm, moist folds of the skin. Treatment of fungal infections involves keeping the area dry and using a combination of topical steroid and antifungal medicines.

Bullosisdiabeticorum (diabetic blisters) - In rare cases, people with diabetes develop blisters that resemble burn blisters. These blisters—called bullosisdiabeticorum—can occur on the fingers, hands, toes, feet, legs, or forearms. Diabetic blisters usually are painless and heal on their own. They often occur in people who have diabetic neuropathy.

Diabetic dermopathy - Diabetes can affect the small blood vessels of the body that supply the skin with blood. Changes to the blood vessels because of diabetes can cause a skin condition called diabetic dermopathy. Dermopathy appears as scaly patches that are light brown or red, often on the front of the legs. The patches do not hurt, blister, or itch, and treatment generally is not necessary. The patches are sometimes called skin spots.

Digital sclerosis - The word "digital" refers to your fingers and toes, and "sclerosis" means hardening. Digital sclerosis, therefore, is a condition in which the skin on your toes, fingers, and hands become thick, waxy, and tight. Stiffness of the finger joints also might occur. Lotions and moisturizers might help soften the skin.

Disseminated granuloma annulare - This condition causes

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Diabetes ...

From page XXVI

sharply defined, ring- or arc-shaped areas on the skin. These rashes most often occur on the fingers, hands, and feet, but they can occur on the trunk. The rash can be red, red-brown, or skin coloured. Treatment usually is not required, but some cases might benefit from a topical steroid medicine, such as hydrocortisone.

Eruptive xanthomatosis - Eruptive xanthomatosis can occur in some individuals when blood glucose levels are not well controlled and when triglycerides in the blood rise to extremely high levels. This condition appears as firm, yellow, pea-like bumps on the skin. The bumps—which are surrounded by red halos and can be itchy—usually are found on the feet, arms, legs, buttocks, and backs of the hands.

Lipid-lowering drugs might be needed.

Itching - Itching skin, also called pruritus, can have many causes, such as a yeast infection, dry skin, or poor blood flow.

When itching is caused by poor blood flow, the lower legs and feet are most often affected. Use lotions or creams, avoid taking hot showers, and use gentle soaps to help keep your skin soft and moist. Moisturizers will also prevent itching due to dry skin.

Necrobiosislipoidicadiabeticorum – This is caused by changes in the blood vessels and generally affects the lower legs. With NLD, the affected skin becomes raised, yellow, and waxy in appearance, often with a bluish-purple border.

Sometimes, NLD is itchy and painful. As long as the sores do not break open, treatment is not necessary. See your health care provider for treatment if the sores do break open or if the lesions are painful.

Scleroderma diabeticorum - Like digital sclerosis, this condition causes a thickening of the skin; but scleroderma diabeticorum affects the skin on the back of the neck and upper back. This condition, which is rare, most often affects people with diabetes who are overweight. Lotions and moisturizers might help soften the skin.

Vitiligo - Vitiligo is a condition that affects skin coloration. With vitiligo, the cells that make pigment (the substance that controls skin color) are destroyed, resulting in patches of discolored skin. Vitiligo often affects the elbows, knees, and hands, but it might be found on the face (around the mouth, nostrils, and eyes). This condition can be seen in people with type 1 diabetes. You should use sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher to prevent sunburn on the discoloured skin.

It is important to note that keeping your diabetes under control is the most important factor in preventing the skin-related complications of diabetes. Follow your health care provider’s advice regarding nutrition, exercise, and medicine.

Maintaining control of blood glucose level within the range recommended by your health care provider is most important.

Proper skin care also can help reduce your risk of skin-related problems.

Please feel free to send an email to kumarsukhraj@ yahoo.com or call 6228032 for further enquiry and discussion on the topic. Patient education plays an important in the diagnosis and management of diabetes and any other illness. Please look forward for a continuation of the discussion on health issues in the next publication.

References: • Grandinetti LM, Tomecki KJ. Dermatologic signs of systemic disease. In: Carey WD, ed. Cleveland Clinic: Current Clinical Medicine 2010. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2010:section 3.

• Habif TP. Cutaneous manifestations of internal disease. In: Habif TP, ed. Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed.

Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 26.

American Diabetes Association.Skin complications. http://goo.gl/zK46I

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A charming smile can open doors and knock down barriers It has become a frequent mode for modern dentists to advertise by placing much emphasis on the patient’s smile. This is because in reality your smile plays a major role in how you perceive yourself. In addition, it reflects the impressions you make on the people around you.

Sometimes people are hired

ple don’t always look at you directly from the front.

Defects that are minimal from one perspective may be prominent from another view. As you’re performing the smile analysis, consider the angles at which people are most likely to view you.

For example, if you’re short, most people look at you from above. Therefore, pay

merely because of the impression their smile made on the employer.

Surveys have shown that more than any other physical feature – eyes, hair, or body – the smile is what both men and women find most attractive in other people. A charming smile can open doors and knock down barriers that stand between you and a fuller, richer life.

If, on the other hand, you are dissatisfied with your smile, it may be holding you back from fully embracing life and its opportunities.

Are you ready for a new smile? Perhaps you have wondered whether straighter teeth might help you feel more confident in your professional life, or if a whiter, brighter smile might boost a dwindling social life. If you’re not completely happy with your smile, perhaps it’s time to get a new one!

If you are unhappy with your appearance, you already know it. The dilemma lies in determining where you need improvement. Many people erroneously believe that all their facial defects reside in their smile when, in fact their flaws lie elsewhere. In these cases, cosmetic or oral surgery or perhaps just a new hairstyle or updated makeup, rather than dental treatment, may be more helpful. Take the quiz below to determine if changing your smile might give you the boost you’re looking for.

Are you confident when smiling?

Do you ever put your hand over your mouth when you smile?

Do you photograph better from one side of your face?

Is there someone you believe has a better smile than you?

Do you look at models in magazines and wish your smile looked like theirs?

When you look at your smile in the mirror, do you see any defects in your teeth and gums?

Do you wish your teeth were whiter?

Are you satisfied with the way your gums look?

Do you show too many or few teeth when you smile?

Are your teeth too long or too short?

Are your teeth too wide or too narrow?

Are your teeth too square or too round?

Do you like the way your teeth are shaped?

If most of the answers above is “ yes “ , then you need to see your dentist.

Keep in mind that peo-

particular attention to your lower teeth, especially the biting edges.

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t see what’s in the back part of your mouth, but observers see it every day when you speak or laugh. Some people reveal most of their teeth in a wide smile. That’s why it’s important to evaluate every part that shows, not just those that are most apparent.

If you’re not happy with your smile, or if you’re curious about the possibilities of changing it, take the test below. One purpose of this test is to make you aware that a smile consists of not only the front four or six teeth, but all of the teeth and gum tissue that show when you’re speaking or when your lips are in your maximum smiling position. It’s important to know the components of a beautiful smile so that you can discuss your particular problems with your dentist and develop a treatment plan that meets your long-term goals.

In order to evaluate your smile : In a slight smile, with teeth parted, do the tips of your teeth show?

Are the lengths of your central incisors in good proportion with your other front teeth?

Are the widths of your central incisors in good proportion with your other front teeth?

Do you have space (or spaces) between your front teeth?

Do your front teeth stick out?

Are your front teeth crowded or overlapping?

When you smile broadly, are your teeth all the same light colour?

If your front teeth contain tooth-colored fillings, do they match the shade of your teeth?

Is one of your front teeth darker than the others?

Are your six lower front teeth straight and even in length?

Are your back teeth free of stains and discolorations from unsightly restorations?

Do your restorations – fillings, porcelain, veneers, and crowns – look natural?

Do any of your teeth have visible cracks, chips, or fractures?

Do you have any missing teeth that you have not replaced?

When you smile broadly, do your gums show?

Are your gums red and swollen?

Have your gums receded from the necks of your teeth?

Do the curvatures of your

gums create half-moon shapes around each tooth?

Is your mouth free of decay and gum disease, which can cause bad breath?

Do your cheeks and lip area have a sunken-in appearance?

Does the midline of your teeth align with the midline of your face?

Do your teeth complement your facial shape?

Is the shape of your teeth appropriately masculine or feminine for your overall look?

If your “yes” totals more than your “no”, your mouth is in good shape. Congratulation!

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Salvage and Create – DIYs beauty and fashion tips with Raveena Mangal "Many are the stars I see, but in my eye no star like thee." Valentine’s Day is soon approaching and we all want to look ravishing (when we collect our chocolates and roses of course) from our special date for Valentine's Day or even if we are just going out with friends. Follow these hair and makeup tips to look your best.

1. Curly hair, whether worn up or down, offer a very romantic look that's perfect for Valentine's Day. If your hair isn't naturally curly, create curls all over your head with a small barrelled curling iron held vertically. After you have finished simply run your fingers through your hair (don't brush) to create pretty, loose curls.

OR, try a curly hair DIY by simply twisting your hair. Part damp hair into as many sections you want, wrap hair around your finger all the way to your scalp and secure with a bobby pin, let air dry or blow dry then take the pins out and comb with finger.

2. Perfect your pout, get kissable lips by first sloughing away dead skin by gently rubbing a washcloth across your lips or gently brushing with your toothbrush. Why not make a statement with bold red lips? Matte is best, use a lip liner for perfection and blot with a tissue or paper to reduce smudge.

3. Maximise your lashes by trying some fake lashes for extra flirt.

OR make the most of your mascara by first curling your lashes Start by curling your lashes, then apply mascara by wiggling the wand back and forth at the roots to deposit as much of it as possible before pulling the wand straight up. To make lashes look long and separated, apply three coats of mascara—but comb through the mascara while it's still wet with a clean, dry spooley brush.

Bonus! Don’t have a lash curler? No worries! Use a small spoon (teaspoon) that you’ve run under warm water, and then hold the spoon against your eyelid. Position it horizontally and rest it gently against your lid. You want the bottom of the spoon to be against your eyelid and eyelashes, with the bowl of the spoon facing out.

4. Do a mani and pedi, treat yourself to a one at a spa or DIY. Your nails don't have to be super long to look good, just make sure they are neat and trimmed. Red or pink polish are perfect for Valentine's Day, but don't be afraid to experiment with other shades.

Bonus! Break or make some hearts with this simple nail art: 1. After you've filed your nails into an almond shape, pushed back your cuticles and applied a basecoat, create your heart by painting a small diagonal oval from the left side of your nail almost to the right side. 2. Create the other half of the heart by making the same oval shape, starting from the right side of the nail to almost the left side, completing the heart then, apply a clear top coat and you're done! ( Source: www.sheknows.com, heidimariegarnett@instagram, wikihow, www.allure.com)

Understanding … from a teen’s point of view!

By Vishani Ragobeer

* World Interfaith Harmony Week Hello there! How was your past week? Did you know that this past week was ‘World Interfaith Harmony Week’? Well if you didn’t, like a lot of people I asked in person, yours truly will elaborate more about this and educate you!

World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event to be observed during the first week of February starting in 2011. On September 23, 2010, King Abdullah II of Jordan proposed Vishani Ragobeer a World Interfaith Harmony Week at the Plenary Session of the 65th United Nations General Assembly in New York. Interfaith harmony basically denotes peace between all people, regardless of their ‘faith’ or religious standpoint.

During this week, religious leaders from each denomination visit public places such as schools to educate persons on their ‘faith.’ The aim is not to try to convert people into their religion but simply to share a better understanding of the religion. Also during this time, religious leaders (and leaders in general) speak out about issues in our society and they come together regardless of their different views to combat problems in our society.

I believe that this week is very important in our Guyanese society as we-being the diverse multiethnic society we are, should learn to appreciate and respect the views of others. We tend to have much racial prejudice in our society and this is something that needs to be stressed so that we can move off of this issue. Our motto says “One People, One Nation, One Destiny” but yet we are not truly as united as we would like to be or as our motto denotes.

We should not have to wait for a particular week, one time in a year just to be stratified. Do you think that our society will be able to progress without interfaith harmony?

We need to collectively work towards this; we need to be supportive of each other and our varying beliefs and we need to do this to help with the progression of OUR Guyana.

Let peace reign upon us.

So that’s all for this week, I do hope that some of you had gotten to be a part of some workshop or seminar during this time and I hope and plead that we all move towards a more stratified society. * Quote for the week (by Albert Einstein): “Out of clutter, find simplicity.”

See you again right here at your favourite and best newspaper! Good bye!

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How Much Stress Can She Take?

All In Good Time

I'm having a terrible time with stress. I work full-time, take graduate classes and have a busy family life. My young daughter has severe ADHD and was having problems at school that took me away from work.

My job is stressful, but I love it and it pays well. Yet I am often sent out of town for weeks at a time and expected to perform to high standards.

We are due to move for my job this June, and I don't know where yet. In addition, we've been coping with a medical condition from my son.

On top of this, we were already coping with severe financial stress. My husband developed a gambling problem two years ago. When I discovered it, my first impulse was to leave. But I was eight months pregnant and terrified of the idea of having the baby alone while caring for our rambunctious daughter.

So I gave my husband a list of tasks he had to accomplish to stay with me. To my surprise, he did all of these, including seeing a counsellor and putting his name on a list making it illegal for him to enter casinos. I've seen the paperwork. It's not just his word.

Working to be frugal, we paid off half his gambling debt last year.

Yet for all the stress, I am deeply satisfied with my life, amazed even, at all we have overcome. The problem is my family and others make life harder. As a result, I cut off many people five months ago, including my mother and sister.

I tried to resolve the problem with my mother first. I wrote her a long letter about our issues. She did not take it well. We had a phone call, and I fell into our old negative habits where I accepted her punishment and begged for forgiveness.

After the call, I felt cheated. I was not sorry for writing the letter. I meant every word of it. Nevertheless, since the call she's been better. So, it seems the cards landed okay in the end.

I want to write my sister as well, but every time I start with "I miss you," the letter stops because while I want to be loving, I don't want to give ground. The letter stops because I am afraid it invites more stress.

I miss her. I really do. But I am hurt by what she says and does. For instance, when I visit my hometown, she lectures me about how I don't visit enough, how it hurts my mother's feelings I have a better relationship with my dad, and how she doesn't want to lie to mom that I am in town.

I told my sister she never has to lie. I am not hiding that I am in town, but when the purpose of my visit is something A dolphin may be able to dive up to 1,000 feet. ********** The dorsal fin on every dolphin is very unique and it can be used to identify them from each other. ********** Dolphins can swim at a speed of up to 25 miles per hour for a long time. This is about 3 times faster than the fastest humans in the world. ********** The average lifespan of a dolphin is 17 years. How-

D

olphins are extraordinarily intelligent animals who also display culture, something which was long-believed to be unique to humans (although now recognised in various species). ********** Dolphins have been observed teaching young how to use tools. They cover their snouts with sponges to protect them while foraging. ********** Dolphins have several highly developed forms of communication. They have a “signature whistle” which allows other individuals to recognise them. ********** Dolphins are altruistic animals. They are known to stay and help injured individuals, even helping them to the surface to breathe. Their compassion also extends across the species-barrier. There are many accounts of dolphins helping humans and even whales. ********** Dolphins are incredibly social animals. They live in groups and cooperate with each other to get food and in raising offspring (calves). ********** Dolphins are extremely playful and curious animals.

They play-fight with each other and also play with seaweed. They have also been known to play with other animals such as dogs. ********** The dolphin is the only mammal that gives birth with the tail first instead of the head.

Dolphins don’t smell very well. ********** Young dolphins will remain with their mother for a period of 2 or 3 years. ********** There are two stomachs for dolphins just like for cows.

The first one stores the food for them and the second one is where digestion takes place. **********

ever, some of them that have been observed in the wild lived about 50 years. ********** * Most species of dolphins live in saltwater but some of them thrive in freshwater. ********** * A dolphin needs to get air at different intervals. Some need air every 20 seconds but others only need it every 30 minutes. ********** A group of dolphins is called a pod. ********** The bonds of dolphins in a pod are very intense. They have been observed carrying for the sick, the elderly, and those that have been injured with great care. ********** Even though they are usually very mild tempered, dolphins can become aggressive. ********** They are able to see well in the water due to the retina gathering light in a unique way. ********** The brain of a dolphin is #2 in terms of size compared to its body size. It is only behind the human. ********** It is possible for a mature dolphin to eat up to 30 pounds of fish daily. ********** There are about 100 teeth in the mouth of a dolphin.

They use the teeth to grab their prey but they don’t chew it. All food is swallowed whole. ********** Up to 20 feet in the air is the distance that a dolphin can leap. **********

else, I can't overburden myself trying to see everyone.

I want to give our relationship the chance to repair before we move, but time is ticking and I am frozen.

Zena Zena, in the last episode of the TV show Columbo, Peter Falk matches wits with an Irish writer who is a murderer. The writer has a habit of marking how much he will drink each day by scratching a line on his whiskey bottle. With each mark he says, "This far and no farther."

You have two children, medical problems, an ex-gambling husband and a stressful job. Watch over your kids, watch over your husband (because a single action of his could undo all you have repaired) and watch over your job. That's it. That's what your life is about now.

Next year your sister will still be your sister. This year you've done as much as you need to. You have come this far.

There is no need to go farther.

Wayne & Tamara The Killer Whale is the largest member of the dolphin family. They can be up to 30 feet in length. ********** * The skin of the dolphin is very delicate and it can easily be damaged by contact with other surfaces. ********** * The Boto is the largest of the dolphins that can live in freshwater. They can be up to 10 feet long. ********** Dolphins often use a hunting tactic of circling the fish in a school so that they make a tight ball. Then they will take turns going through the centre of the ball to feed as they do so. ********** Only one side of the dolphin’s brain sleeps at a time.

This allows them to be able to breathe and to be able to watch for threats even while they are resting. ********** Global warming continues to be a problem for dolphins as it has reduced their food supply significantly. ********** Dolphins can be migrational for food and to get to bodies of water that are the right temperatures for them.

Not all pods of dolphins will migrate though if their needs are being met right where they are. ********** Dolphins are known to engage in a variety of different feeding methods in order to be successful. ********** Most of them involved cooperation and being in sync with other pod members. It is very rarely that they will try to get food on their own. ********** The smallest dolphins are about 4 feet long with the longest being 30 feet long. They can weigh from 90 pounds to more than 11 tons. ********** The fluke is the name for the tail on a dolphin. ********** Echolocation is a big part of overall communication for dolphins. It occurs through the melon in the head. ********** All dolphins have a blowhole at the top where they take in air when they come to the surface. ********** Almost all dolphins have no hair other than a few that they have at birth. Only the Boto River Dolphin has a small amount of hair that they will keep as an adult. ********** They have a fast healing process for their bodies even when they have deep wounds such as those that are the result of shark bites. Experts haven’t been able to determine how this is possible for dolphins when other mammals would haemorrhage.

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Small Space Gardening

A

By Clifford Stanley n obvious benefit to fruit and vegetable gardening is that it results in fresh things to eat.

So even if you have limited outdoor space don’t let this prevent you from trying out your

green thumb.

From tasty fruits and veggies to flowering plants and shrubs, container gardening is the trick to growing it all in less space than you may think.

With a raised wooden planter right outside the kitchen door, you can have a continuous supply of salads, greens and culinary herbs all year-round.

You can even plant a one plot vegetable garden in a box

A raised wooden planter box with fresh vegetables. or pot with two or three culinary herbs in it.

All you need to do is put the container in a location where it will get adequate sunlight..

A raised bed in the form of a planter is one of the best ways to grow vegetables when you are short of space.

Just get a ready-made wooden box or build one and attach

sturdy legs.

Then all you have to do is fill it with soil and plant.

Even if you have no garden soil in which to plant you can still grow a fruit tree.

Fresh fruits direct from your garden are most nutritious since fruits sold in the market are transported over long distances and can lose some of their vitamins and minerals along the way.

Cultivating fruit trees in limited yard space, trees which you can probably grow three or four in a yard, is quite simple.

Home-grown cherries, sour sops, papaw, gooseberry, carambola, bananas, cherry custards, sugar apples, guavas, psydiums and more can be yours for the tasting.

Fitz Ogle of the local gardening club, Evergreen Nature Study Club is promoting the cultivation of these shorter and smaller fruit trees .

He recently said: “We know that some fruit trees grow very large: trees like mango trees, plum trees etc! We are promoting the smaller trees , trees which are suitable for people with limited yard space.”

He added: ” You plant the trees. Water them. And they are growing when you leave for work and while you are at work they are growing; and before you know it you can begin to harvest fresh fruits for daily use and even as gifts for visitors.”

An added benefit is that these fruits can be processed

into delicious products eg: gooseberry jam etc!

The Evergreen Nature Study Club has developed a nursery from which plants for these small fruit trees can be acquired.

Persons interested in cultivating fruit trees that occupy little yard space can contact Mr. Ogle on telephone # 6645947 or via the Club’s website: www.evergreenstudy.org. to obtain plants and seedlings in order to get some fruit trees going even though land-space may be limited. (END)

Nominations

Taylor Swift & More

The iHeartRadio Music Awards are finally here! The event returns on March 29 and now we know all the huge stars that are nominated — did your favourite get noticed?

From the hottest ladies like Ariana Grande and Beyonce to the sexy men in music like Chris Brown and Luke Bryan, the 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards are definitely going to be one hot night! The show will be live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 29 and now we know what to expect — and Iggy Azalea and Sam Smith are leading the race with five nominations each!

Felicity Jones Cast As Female Lead In ‘Star Wars’ StandAlone Movie The force is with her! Felicity Jones has just been cast as the female lead in an upcoming ‘Star Wars’ film, a new report claims. She’ll star in one of two stand-alone installments in the ongoing franchise. We’re so excited!

Felicity Jones, who is best known for her recent role in The Theory Of Everything, has just landed herself a plum new gig! The 31-year-old sexy actress was chosen by both Lucasfilm and Disney to play the female lead in the first stand-alone film in the Star Wars franchise

Nina Dobrev Barely Talking To Ian Somerhalder On ‘Vampire Diaries’ Set — Upset?

Uh oh. It looks like Ian’s whirlwind engagement to Nikki Reed is starting to get under his ex Nina’s skin! Nina is totally giving Ian the ‘cold’ shoulder on the ‘Vampire Diaries’ set, an insider tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. Ian Somerhalder‘s directorial debut on The Vampire Diaries was a success from start to finish — except when it came to directing his ex Nina Dobrev! Nina, 26, was borderline “mean” to Ian when he tried to give her advice on set.

Could it be because she’s upset about his new fiancée, Nikki Reed? Nina has been putting on a brave face ever since Ian, 36, got engaged to Nikki, 26, but it seems like the cracks in her heart are finally starting to show on the set of The Vampire Diaries.

“Nina was acting cold towards Ian on set,” a source tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. “Nina was kinda mean to Ian. He was directing her and moving her around and she would barely answer him.”

(Source: Hollywoodlife.com)

Diddy: Wanted By Police For Punching Fan At Super Bowl Party?

Uh oh, Diddy’s in trouble. An angry fan who confronted him at a Super Bowl party claims the rapper punched him in the face.

Diddy, 45, was the host of a huge Super Bowl party in Phoenix, Arizona — but his presence at the party

wasn’t enough for one party-goer. Shocking video from inside the party reveals the fan, Steven Donaldson, berating Diddy for not performing, which quickly led to a confrontation between the two. But did Diddy really hit a fan?