The ugly truth about post truth

 Every year I send the Oxford Dictionary my suggestion for their annual “word of the year”.  This year I submitted a word I invented; “Imbert”. This “means “making it up as you go along until a riot starts”. As in “We haven't really thought out this fuel price increase, let’s just Imbert it”. But as usual those snobs in Oxford have ignored me. Instead they have chosen “Post Truth” as their word for 2016.

Local government yokels

Unlike general elections, local government elections offer the opportunity for citizens to think about the everyday issues affecting their communities. Issues like; how much did the previous government spend on roti?  Or, how many people can Inshan Ishmael insult on his TV show? And of course, just how many outside children does Dr. Rowley have? One issue close to my heart is the tall uncut grass along the river bank near where I live. Despite my numerous letters to my local councilor complaining that it's an eyesore as well as hindering me from disposing of my old fridge, he has yet to respond.

The elegant design of potholes

Forget the steelpan, the hummingbird or a masked man robbing you at gunpoint; the true symbol of Trinidad and Tobago is the humble neighborhood pothole. Potholes perfectly capture what our nation is about; a land of irregular shapes mysterious depths and completely unnecessary car accidents. Indeed the pothole has been our longest serving and most trusted institution. Successive generations have seen governments come and go, new technologies come and go, and road pavers come and go, yet through it all, the nation’s potholes have endured.

The ‘Yuge’ upset

Shocking! Unbelievable! It’s the end of the world! Those were the sentiments expressed this week as the world witnessed the incredible scenes of Finance Minister Colm Imbert actually apologizing for a remark he made. What fantastical thing will happen next - the Prime Minister holding a press conference where he calmly answers questions directly? But that wasn't the only earth shattering event this week. On Tuesday Americans elected Donald Trump as their 45th President. Defying all the odds, Trump proved the American dream is alive and well. As long as you’re a billionaire reality TV star , telling bold faced lies to your supporters  and bullying everyone who disagrees with you  - you too can become President.

What if Trump wins?

For most Americans, major decisions usually involves whether or not to supersize your happy meal, choosing between Ruby Tuesday’s or TGI Friday’s and which wrestler to support at ‘WCW Summer Slam’.  But next week Tuesday, Americans have a really tough decision to make; choosing between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to be President. Though Clinton has the edge in the polls, a Trump victory shouldn’t be ruled out. After all stranger things have happened this year; like the UK voting for Brexit, Columbia voting against a peace deal with the FARC rebels and most shockingly  the West Indies winning a test match against Pakistan.

A T&T Halloween story

It’s that time of year for tales of ghosts, zombies and blood suckers. Yes, local government elections are upon us, and political candidates have started canvassing. Of course it’s also Diwali and Halloween time. I love Diwali but I find Halloween more intellectually stimulating; as it allows me to go to parties where women dress as sleazy versions of superhero characters. T&T is also home to a great Halloween horror story, worthy of Stephen King. It’s a tale of a twisted curse that has been revisited upon successive generations of Trinbagonians since independence. Inflicting pain, misery and mediocre politicians. I am talking about; ‘the resource curse’.

A message from the Attorney General

Dear fellow citizens, my friend Darryn Boodan has allowed me to use his regular column space to address the current controversy of the pictures of young children holding weapons at Camp Cumuto. Now I cannot confirm nor deny that the children in these pictures are mine. It’s hard to tell, the pictures are grainy and I certainly didn’t teach my children to hold a HK G36 - C Variant with such poor posture. All I will say is that whoever these children’s father is I’m sure he’s a simple, hardworking man who is trying his best as  Attorney General and you all should get off his damn back.