Guest Writer
Guest Writer's Latest Posts
PM removes ‘vanity staff’ from Downing Street payroll
(The Guardian): David Cameron performed the sharpest U-turn of his premiership today, removing his former personal photographer and a filmmaker from the public payroll after intense criticism about the appointment of his so-called "vanity staff" to the civil service. Downing Street acknowledged that the transfer of Andrew Parsons, Cameron’s photographer, and Nicky Woodhouse, the filmmaker behind WebCameron, to the civil service "sent out the wrong message". The prime minister’s official spokesman was later forced to defend the timing of the announcement, 20 minutes before the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton was revealed, after accusations that No 10 had hoped to bury a bad news story.
Facebook mail: it might kill Gmail, but ‘it’s not email’
(The Guardian): From the decline in affection of one relationship to the growing warmth of another, Facebook users will soon be able to chart their entire conversation history with friends, family and lovers using the company’s new communication system. The social network website plans to combine text messages, emails and instant messages all in one place online. Today, at an eagerly awaited presentation at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of the site which now has 500 million users, unveiled the details of a product which some in the industry had been classing a "Gmail killer", referring to Google’s email offering.
New Firefox add-on protects you against hackers
(CNN): If you’re concerned about using open Wi-Fi networks because of Firesheep, the highly popular new hacking tool, you should check out BlackSheep, a Firefox add-on that makes surfing on open networks safe once again. Firesheep came onto the scene not too long ago. It’s a bit of code that allows just about anyone to access your web accounts via session hijacking. Basically, anyone browsing on a non-password-protected Internet connection, such as a Starbucks network or even an airplane, has been at risk for having their accounts accessed by a total stranger. One way around this issue is using a VPN every time you log on via an open network. But let’s face it: For the average Internet user, this kind of work-around is a hassle, and most people care more about convenience than security.
Study: Girls take more chances during first sex
(CNN): Even though teenage boys are known for their risky behavior, it’s girls who are more likely to engage in unprotected first sex, according to research presented Monday at an American Public Health Association meeting in Denver. Nicole Weller, a doctoral student at Arizona State University, analyzed government data and found adolescent girls were 30 percent more likely than boys to have sex without contraception during their first sexual encounter. Weller said that surprised her. “It does because of the history of boys engaging in risky behavior across the spectrum and then seeing that females are having first unprotected sex is telling a different story,” Weller said.
Personal attacks, threats and anonymity
Over the last few days, and particularly since the Generation Now panel discussion on October 28th, I have had threats of varying intensity relayed to me, from threats to my business right up to an outright death threat. No matter how "tongue in cheek" it was, one can’t make light of something like that.
I’ll add that these have all been relayed to me anonymously, often second hand by friends and business contacts who have received messages attacking them simply because they have any kind of association with me. My first point then is simple. If you want to give me your opinion on anything I say, I’m easy to find, talk to me directly. I can only learn by listening to other opinions.
The panel discussion in question had the title : "Taxation: Is Cayman’s revenue base sustainable or is direct taxation inevitable" and involved nearly three hours of detailed discussion. I appreciate that it is very difficult to quickly summarise such a long and detailed discussion, but the phrase referring to me of : "wanted to see a broadening of Cayman’s tax base to reduce some indirect taxes and introduce some direct ones" in the CNS piece may have been the impression gained by the writer, but certainly gave the implication that I am in favour of direct taxation. As CNS were the only local media house to cover this event after it occurred (though it was broadcast live on Radio Cayman), I can only assume that it is this phrase that has turned me into such a target. Boy, If there is a more emotive topic in Cayman right now, I’d hate to see what reaction there is to any discussion of THAT topic ! I’m not making light of this, to the contrary, I am in fact most disturbed by this behaviour. Cayman is not New Jersey, and this is not an episode of the Sopranos, people !
Now, having got all of that off my chest, I would like to make a couple of things clear.
I hate tax. Never met a tax I liked. Am not recommending any tax of any kind.
However, whilst we need to cut the size of Government, we do need our Government to balance the books at whatever level of expenditure they have. We already do that through taxes, whether we call them that, or instead use words like fees, licences, permits, duties etc.
My point, which I repeatedly stated at the Generation Now event, was that I wanted to see us do a "robust analysis" of the options available to us, not closing any doors until they had been exhaustively evaluated on economic grounds. From the extensive research I have done in this area, my firmly held opinion is that such analysis has not been done to date, and to avoid discussing and evaluating all options does us all a disservice.
We need Cayman solutions to Cayman problems, using the intellects and experience we have in abundance among our people to tailor how we do things to make our country as globally competitive as possible.
We have a history of excellence and innovation, let us hold to those traditions and have an open and inclusive dialogue on this key issue. Oh, and another thing Caymanians are famous the world over for is being respectful. Anonymous attacks have no place in Cayman society.
Male, embarrassed and speaking out
I am a man. A male. These are my thoughts, yet I hope that I speak for the majority of my gender here in Cayman. A few weeks ago I went to the Estella Scott Roberts Foundation kick off of this year’s campaign, “Silence Hurts". The message behind the campaign is to challenge all of us to speak up when we see injustice. I am speaking out now at what I consider an injustice.
I have long spoken out and been active in the struggle against domestic abuse and gender inequality. I serve as chairperson of the Cayman Island Crisis Centre and was on the committee with Estella that helped to start that needed organization. I have served as president of two Rotary Clubs in this country. I was a member and chaired the Special Advisory Committee on Gender Violence that reported to Cabinet. I am a male that has a daughter, granddaughter, another granddaughter soon to arrive, three sisters and, of course, a mother.
Tuesday night, I made a point of listening to the TV broadcast of the Honorable Premier’s meeting in Bodden Town where he spoke and floored questions from the people. I will say here that I am very critical of government and have been, not just this administration but of previous one also.
Now to my point. This is not about political ideology but about common decency. I was amazed, embarrassed, disappointed and ashamed of our Leader. The Honorable Premier, when asked difficult and pointed questions, by two different females, referred to them with belittling terms such as "Sweetheart" and "Darling". In my opinion, such statements when delivered in the context which they were done are disrespectful, offensive, condescending, gratuitous, and unbecoming, not just the premier of a country such as ours, but any individual.
Our country has made amazing strides over the years toward the goal of gender equality and towards the acceptance of the worth of individuals of both genders and their ability, and right, to achieve and contribute equally to the growth and fulfillment of the Cayman Islands.
I would ask all people, not just our elected officials, to embrace the fact that as individuals we are equal, regardless of gender, and as such deserve the respect we would ask for ourselves. Until we respect the worth of all individuals our country will never realize its full potential.
In the future, I would suggest that the Honorable Premier, all leaders for that matter, address individuals in a respectful manner and with respectful titles, not condescending pet names used out of context. Should the Honorable Premier wish to right the wrong that was done, then I would respectfully suggest that he publicly apologize to these two women, the same way in which he publically belittled and disrespected their value as persons who accepted his invitation to the public to attend this meeting and ask questions.
UK students face tuition fees rising to £9,000
(BBC): Universities in England will be able to charge tuition fees of up to £9,000 per year from 2012, as the government transfers much of the cost of courses from the state to students. Fees will rise to £6,000, with an upper tier of £9,000 if universities ensure access for poorer students. Universities Minister David Willetts said this was a "progressive" reform. Labour’s Gareth Thomas said the fee hike represented a "tragedy for a whole generation of young people". But Mr Willetts said the fees package would "put universities’ finance on a sustainable footing with extra freedoms and less bureaucracy". He argued this would this bring "greater choice for students with a stronger focus on high quality teaching".
Alcohol ‘more harmful than heroin’ says UK Professor
(BBC): Alcohol is more harmful than heroin or crack, according to a study published in medical journal the Lancet. The report is co-authored by Professor David Nutt, the former UK chief drugs adviser who was sacked by the government in October 2009. It ranks 20 drugs on 16 measures of harm to users and to wider society. Tobacco and cocaine are judged to be equally harmful, while ecstasy and LSD are among the least damaging. Members of the group scored each drug for harms including mental and physical damage, addiction, crime and costs to the economy and communities. The modelling exercise concluded that heroin, crack and methylamphetamine were the most harmful drugs to individuals, but alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine were the most harmful to others.
Cruise lines sail away from the Caribbean
(The Star): It’s the biggest recent development in cruising. In the spring and summer of 2011, four major cruise lines—Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity and Holland America—won’t be sailing from ports in Florida to and through the Caribbean. All the cruises of those lines that were once operated from Florida to that tropical sea will have been shifted to European waters and other oceans of the world. Not a one will leave from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Cape Canaveral, Tampa and the like. Although Holland America ceased sailing in summer to the Caribbean several seasons ago, its repeat decision to pass up the Caribbean in the spring/summer of 2011 is another confirmation of the trend.
Left to sail the Caribbean from Florida will be those two giant (6,000 passengers apiece) vessels of Royal Caribbean (the Oasis and the Allure—they really will be too big to go anywhere else); two older ships of Royal Caribbean; and a handful of older vessels of Carnival Cruises.
Despair of Pakistan’s forgotten flood victims
(BBC): Liaqat Babar, a farmer in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh, sees just one escape from the hunger, loss and torment inflicted by the recent catastrophic floods. Suicide. "When I see my kids, I feel like killing myself," he says. "We are powerless. We just keep quiet and ask God for death." Three months after the flooding which affected 20 million people and one fifth of the country, Liaqat has no home, no hope and no answers for his six children. "They are crying for food, " he says. "I tell them God will send someone very kind, and I send them to sleep. In the morning they ask again for food, and I say again that God will send someone."