Frankly Speaking

This is, or should be, serious business.  I mean choosing a candidate; then ultimately, voting for a party’s ‘Head of List’ who may end up as Guyana’s president.

-Some response from GAWU Because I agree with Eric Phillips – ACDA official, one-time consultant in South Africa (How did that go?),

I give thanks for being allowed to be alive with you in these first weeks of a new calendar year 2011, according to how we in this portion of the planet keep count of time.

– our president, my prognostications I suppose this will forever be my own patriotic position: The land of my birth, where I’ve decided to live all my years (left) – Guyana – will always be a land to love – despite… Despite and notwithstanding the bungling by its political managers which threaten to reduce it (further) to a socioeconomic mess and into an untidy, health-challenged home and even though I harbor strong doubts about them … about us … from time to time, I can’t see our Guyanese people allowing any professional political pretenders

You’re traditional. No matter what. You believe or share other people’s belief, about the Birth celebrated on December 25.

-Sealandia’s Pots and Kettles Again eschewing the more profound, the cerebral and analytical, I caution instead those citizens willing to be reasonable, or conservative, for this “Season”.

-A white Christmas – Forever? -Oh, Thanks President Santa…Perhaps I can justify using this “season” of a rather universal virtually-invasive Christian celebratory festival, to cogitate upon Ian Mc Donald’s last Sunday Stabroek column.

-My government can respond, I’m sure My “working-class” here refers to the thousands of Guyanese actually holding down some type of employment in the country’s public or private sector.

-Bishop “Brev” – and a cane-cutter’s thoughts The primary objective herein today is to express my conditional support for the latest governmental initiative to confront, lessen or eliminate gender-based abuse, domestic violence.

-85,000 Hindus, Christians for Mash 2011 Just last Friday I had opined that the typical working-class Guyanese citizen cares little about (macro) economic issues or the more sophisticated even if necessary, questions of fiscal management – or our foreign policy.

On Traffic – And Politicians at Sport Admittedly, these are, in the main, recycled thoughts from an earlier column on the issues published four years ago.

– spousal killings, defence duty It could be the unfortunate legacy of our “culture of lateness, late-coming and delay”.

Those poor Gecom chairmen Just before I offer you brief comments on the (vexed) issue of National Registration, I allow myself an observation about our census.

– Retaliation? Responsibility? Readers, citizens will be aware of numerous charges and allegations of favouritism and outright, studied, discrimination by this government, its agencies and its officials with decision- making authority.

Oh dear, here I go breaking and breaching my own self-imposed rule: “try not to join in offering  comments on current robust issues and controversies which are attracting the daily attention of those much more analytical, erudite and intellectual than I can ever hope to be, or become”.

-And National Songs, National lies Yes here I go again with one of my occasional opinionated, lecture-type pieces.

Frankly Speaking… By A.A. Fenty I nearly wrote “Ho-Hum”. Because it’s Emancipation time again!

This pointedly brief piece published on this day is my own way of expressing unqualified solidarity with the Stabroek News and Sunday Stabroek in their issue with the Government regarding the latter’s withdrawal of State advertising from the two ‘papers.

Why, oh why, do I choose to begin the Western folks’ “New” year like this?