Dominica Island Blog: Sharing Every Dominican Moment with the World

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In the recently concluded Olympic Games in Beijing, the United States Sprint relay teams appeared to be struck by a lightning storm or perhaps it was a single Bolt that made them so nervous that they found it difficult to come out of the paralysis. Could it been Usain Bolt and his two world record which nobody will be breaking anything soon?

It’s funny how some of the sports editors got all creative when headlining Bolt total domination.

“Bolt flashes to double gold”

“Lightning Bolt Strikes Twice!”

If I had the opportunity to headline one I would maybe suggested something like “Bolt Screwed US hopes for a Gold” but they probably would not have used that one anyway.

The reality was so shocking to those who consider themselves the best in the world that I wouldn’t be surprised if many American heads were to roll and the face of athletics change forever in the US. I hope the dope testers will be on guard because some athletes might take it seriously when they would have recalled the words of Malcolm X “by any means necessary.” Who knows, maybe what they have jailed the likes of Marion Jones for, will seem like Childs play in times to come as some try to recapture top position.

I too was amazed by the 21-year-old Bolt, even though I can’t say that I found anything impressive about his dancing following his record breaking victories, but when you have done such great work as a minority – the critics will have their say.

Meanwhile, the Jamaican women did their bit to keep the heads of the already breathless US sprinters under the water by dominating their rivals to the maximum. I believe it’s only a matter of time before some of the other countries in the Caribbean get to show their talent in various other disciplines and get the confidence to believe they can really come up against those who say they are the biggest and the best and still come out ahead. We have to do something quickly to make the people of this country believe that they indeed can be among the best in the world.

If it happens tomorrow, it would not have come soon enough as there are some people in the Caribbean that still find they are being treated as second-class citizens in their own little part of the world.

If you do not think this statement holds anything serious then just ask the media practitioners in Antigua, where they rank when it comes to police offering information to them as opposed to their British counterparts in relation to the recent killings of a British couple.The Antiguan Police Commissioner has got to show he has got more nuts than he has fruit and tell these English guys to cool down because they’re in his jurisdiction - but that’s a entire different story.

Anyway, I would like to take this opportunity to Congratulate Usain Bolt, the 2008 Olympic Games 100m and 200m Champion.

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Editor’s note: Found this interesting Post on the Msn.com, which speaks about Cell phones and the potential health risks they can have on humans. Over the last 8–10 years there has been an explosion of Cell phones in the Caribbean market, and Dominica is no exception. Nowadays nearly everyone owns one or more cell phones; but very few people know the potential health risks cell phones can have people. So I thought it would be interesting to share this article with *DW* readers.

It took years for the hazards of smoking to come to light. Now there’s debate over the safety of mobile phones, but studies on their possible health effects are far from definitive.

Why can’t we get a definitive answer about cell phones and health?

Mobile phones have been around for more than 20 years, and they’re now used by more than 3 billion people. Yet questions linger over whether mobile phones can contribute to health problems, including cancer.

The most recent alarm came from the director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, who warned school employees to limit their cell phone use based on early unpublished data from scientific studies.

“Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell-phone use,” Ronald Herberman wrote in a memo to 3,000 faculty and staff members in late July.

To be clear, many studies have presented evidence that cell phones are safe. Major players in the wireless industry, including Nokia, Motorola, Verizon and AT&T, say there is no cause for concern.

“The overwhelming majority of studies that have been published in scientific journals around the globe show that wireless phones do not pose a health risk,” according to a press release from the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association issued in response to Herberman’s memo.

But definitive scientific proof is tough to come by.

One key reason is that people use their cell phones, by definition, in ways that make them hard to study. We make phone calls on the go, from the grocery store or in our cars. That makes it difficult to reap the precise details important to scientific study, such as how long we use the phone or which side of the head it is pressed against.

The topic also falls between areas of scientific study, with doctors expert in the human body on one side and engineers well-versed in radio technology on the other.

Finally, time is an issue. While cell phones have been around a while, they’ve been mainstream products for only 10 years or so, and it may take much longer than that for adverse effects to show up.

(more…)

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Photo credit:Buffalosoldiers.com

It was quite a fulfilling past time to familiarize myself with the colourful flags of our World Nations from my childhood encyclopedias in my tender years. I felt more conscious of my place in the diverse global community, and of course more knowledgeable, having learnt of the national symbols of pride, honour and prestige of various countries.

Today, many would agree, at least to a certain extent, that flags might as well be treated as obsolete. Invariably they seem to be taken for granted while our political leaders have implanted their eternally smiling faces in the minds of numerous societies, far and wide, as the alternative national symbols. It’s quite ironic that these leaders would dare to compel us to view them as symbols of unity while many of them use divisive strategies to rule their own people.

When you think of Venezuela, you think of Hugo Chavez. When you remember Cuba, you remember the revolutionary Fidel Castro. Certainly, thoughts of a country such as Zimbabwe would be dominated by bitter thoughts of Mr. Robert Mugabe.

Today, the United States of America can seldom be spoken of without instant talk of George W. Bush and his bloody war in Iraq, the divine Barack Obama and his miraculous campaign for change and maybe even the old white-haired John McCain.

Think ‘France’- and you may think delightful thoughts of savoury French cheeses, croissants and croque-monsieurs at a country cottage in the gilded shadows of a grape vineyard. But they’re likely to come after you remember the famous Jacques Chirac, Mr. Popularity Nicolas Sarkozy and even the legendary Napoleon.

Our world is faced with a dilemma in which inclinations to patriotism or love for country and countrymen are marred by the seemingly pressing need for unconditional devotion to one’s leader. Hence Americans blindly supported Bush’s war on the innocent in the name of ‘national security’. Anyone who disagreed 3 years ago was judged a disloyal, treacherous bonehead.

From the days of the Buffalo Soldier, conscription in the U.S. military has been perceived as the epitome of patriotism- even if it means fighting a meaningless war driven by an insatiable lust for oil. But luckily, many Americans now know better. The bitter tales of men who fought in terrible wars for their country, and returned with one leg to find that they had lost their jobs or that the bank had seized their house have hit home.

For us in the Nature Isle, many lament that we’re not as patriotic as we should be. And I’m honestly not sure how many Dominicans would be willing to fight with guns and missiles in any war to defend this nation. Maybe that’s not altogether a bad thing- after all, war is never the answer. And I’m unsure as to whether or not the bloodshed and destruction would even be worth it.

I feel that patriotism should be mainly about love for one’s culture and history, and not merely unconditional support for the deeds of one’s nation. But I really don’t feel that it’s as important as many try to make it seem. Its very definition has too often been distorted to suit perverse political agendas. How can one proclaim and profess unconditional support for his country when his leaders have destroyed the homes of millions of innocent women and children in foreign lands?

Furthermore, we must not forget that all over the world, many continue to dedicate their lives to their country with countless years of committed service, sacrificing opportunities for opulence elsewhere. When they become senior citizens their pensions barely reflect the value of the work that they have done for all those years.

I do love my country, but I really don’t feel like patriotism is altogether a good thing. Like almost everything else in this world, it isn’t flawless- and it often leads to fatal consequences.

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