Christmas Lights in Miami - 2008

Posted in December 20th, 2008

Christmas Lights at the Clots’ residence in Miami - 2008

Last year I said: “No Christmas in Miami-Dade County is complete without a visit to the Clots’ residence.” We went again tonight.

The Miami Herald has a page devoted to Christmas lights. They have a clever interactive map that gives directions to all of the top Christmas light displays.

Left: Palm trees draped with lights.

I created a photoalbum of the Clots’ display, two photos of which are displayed here on this page. Click here or on either of the photos to see the full album.

Below: Two of the three Wise Men.

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Cyberstalking and Cyberbullying

Posted in December 17th, 2008

by admin in Freedom of Press, Health and Welfare, Government, Politics and Development, Barbados

“Too often victims do not fully appreciate the true danger of being stalked, and this can be a fatal mistake.” (Quote from Suite101.com.)

Cyberstalking is online internet stalking. “Cyberstalkers are often driven by revenge, hate, anger, jealousy, obsession and mental illness.” according to Wired Safety. The discussion below is a quote from Privacy Rights Clearinghouse:

What Is Stalking?

Stalking refers to harassing or threatening behavior that is engaged in repeatedly. Such harassment can be either physical stalking or cyberstalking.

Physical stalking is following someone, appearing at a person’s home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing one’s property.
Cyberstalking involves using the Internet or other electronic means to harass.

Either type of action may or may not be accompanied by a credible threat of serious harm. But both types can cause psychological damage, and each can potentially lead to an assault or even murder.

The Knox family has received both credible threats of violence and implied threats. We are being cyberstalked. Here is the most recent collection of comments, which I view as stalking: advocating harassment to shut up witnesses

Some Key Factors in Online Stalking (Cyberstalking)

Wikipedia has a great deal on cyberstalking. Here are a few of them that we have experienced:

False accusations. Many cyberstalkers try to damage the reputation of their victim and turn other people against them. They post false information about them on websites. They may set up their own websites, blogs or user pages for this purpose. They post allegations about the victim to newsgroups, chat rooms or other sites that allow public contributions, such as Wikipedia or Amazon.com.^[4]
Encouraging others to harass the victim. Many cyberstalkers try to involve third parties in the harassment. They may claim the victim has harmed the stalker or his/her family in some way, or may post the victim’s name and telephone number in order to encourage others to join the pursuit.
False victimization. The cyberstalker will claim that the victim is harassing him/her. Bocij writes that this phenomenon has been noted in a number of well-known cases.
Attacks on data and equipment. They may try to damage the victim’s computer by sending viruses.

The stalker belittles the victim, reducing him/her to an object. This allows the stalker to vent anger without experiencing guilt. e.g. The victim is mad and evil. He/she deserves to be threatened. (Meloy and Gothard, 1995)

Character of a Stalker

Wikipedia says: “There are three basic types of stalkers: Simple obsessional stalkers, delusional stalkers and vengeful stalkers.”

Simple obsessional stalkers are those that are “in love” in vain.
Delusional stalkers may suffer from mental illness like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or erotomania. A delusional stalker is usually a loner, unmarried, socially immature and does not possess the interpersonal skills to maintain friendships and relationships. They have had few if any sexual encounters.
The last type of stalker is the vengeful stalker. They stalk to get even and believe that “they” have been victimized.

Know Net in Wales links stalking to Narcissistic personality disorder:

Narcissistic personality disorder appears to have a strong association with obsessional stalking behaviour, particularly in association with the stalkers attempts to control others from expressing critical comment … using threats and violence to insist that others see them as they wish to be seen rather than as they are, often coupled with rage when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted …

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is defined in Wikipedia:

Cyber-bullying (predominantly spelled cyberbullying by many researchers) is when someone repeatedly makes fun of another person online or repeatedly picks on another person through emails or text messages, or uses online forums and postings online intended to harm, damage, humiliate or isolate another person that they don’t like.^[2]

The two are similar, but cyberbullying most often refers to young victims:

Cyber-bullying vs. cyber-stalking
StopCyberbullying.org, an expert organization dedicated to internet safety, security and privacy, defines cyberbullying as:

“a situation when a child, tween or teen is repeatedly “tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted” by another child, tween or teen using text messaging, email, instant messaging or any other type of digital technology.”

The practice of cyberbullying is not limited to children and, while the behavior is identified by the same definition in adults, the distinction in age groups is referred to as cyberstalking or cyberharassment when perpetrated by adults toward adults. Common tactics used by cyberstalkers are to vandalize a search engine or encyclopedia, to threaten a victim’s earnings, employment, reputation, or safety.

A pattern of repeated such actions against a target by and between adults constitutes cyberstalking.

What Can We Do?

At the present moment, there is not much that can be done. It is tough to brave this mental anguish, but until the stalkers make a mistake or show up at our doorstep, all we can do is to make provisions and to wait.

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US: Governor of Illinois Wanted to Sell Senate Seat

Posted in December 10th, 2008

by admin in Freedom of Press, US News, Government, Politics and Development, Barbados

CNN Commentary: What was Blagojevich thinking? 12/10/08

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is in trouble after allegedly trying to sell President-Elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat!

The stupidity (I’m running out of synonyms here) is only compounded when the governor decides it would be a good idea to raffle off Barack Obama’s Senate seat to the highest bidder.

And, if no one bid high enough, then he just might take the seat himself. “If … they’re not going to offer anything of value, then I might just take it,” the governor said.

Later, the governor put it more, er, succinctly: The Senate seat “is a f—ing valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.”

Gov. Blagojevich is also in trouble for trying to influence the press:

Trying to get some critics from the Chicago Tribune editorial board fired in exchange for state money to assist in the sale of Wrigley Field.

As the governor delicately put it in his demand for a quid pro quo to his deputy; “fire those f—ers.” Charming.

Politics is politics the world over. While it is common for Governments to pressure the media, it is good to see the people, the media and the courts fighting back. What would have happened if Blagojevich were Prime Minister of Barbados?

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Reward for information re Murder of CIO Kenrick Hutson

Posted in December 9th, 2008

by admin in Freedom of Press, Government, Politics and Development, West Indies News, Barbados

“THE FAMILY of former Chief Immigration Officer Kenrick Hutson is offering a monetary reward for information leading to the arrest of his killer or killers.” - Nation News NO LET-UP 12/7/08

I would encourage the Government to recognize that Mr. Hutson was a former law-enforcement officer, and to offer an additional reward.

“Retired Barbados Immigration Chief and former Assistant Superintendent of Police Kenrick Hutson was gunned down in front of his home on Friday December 28, 2007 while his wife and daughter were inside.” - Barbados Free Press - June 29, 2008

There are two alternatives that Bajans have to face. Either Mr. Hutson was murdered by a person overcome by rage, or he was the victim of a cold professional assassin.

In either instance, the killer should be taken off the streets. Barbados is a small place, and there are probably a few people who have some information on this case.

On the other hand, Barbadians are good at survival. They have seen what happens to people that disagree with the powers that be. They want to keep their heads low. Bajans are wise, and their reticence to come forward may suggest that this is not a simple case.

Could it have been a paid assassin? The scary extrapolation to this line of thought is: “Who paid?” The question is important, because there is always a powerful organization behind any professional killer.

At some point you have to stand up and confront evil, even if it puts you in danger. I congratulate the Nation for running the story, as media coverage has been very light on this major news event. Remember that if, as citizens, we do not root out this cancer it will spread. Whatever motivated this criminal to kill, be it money or be it rage, may motivate him again.

Do the right thing, and please help the family of Mr. Kenrick Hutson put closure to this horrible crime.

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Efforts to Silence Witnesses in $500m Lawsuit Also Endanger Expatriates

Posted in December 8th, 2008

by admin in World News, Kingsland Estates Ltd., Government, Politics and Development, Barbados

Many threats have been received by persons involved in a $500m Canadian lawsuit that names many prominent Barbadians including the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice and his brother Peter Simmons. Once more things are heating up!

Wealthy Canadian Arthur Irving of Irving Oil has already been a victim of violent crime in Barbados. Keltruth Corp. has been in possession of the details of this crime for a long time, but we honoured a request not to publish it. We did not see this story in the newspapers, and now this story is relevant.

Mr. Irving and his wife were at Hutto, Cattlewash, when two armed men walked in and made them lie down on the floor. Guns were put to their heads, and they were robbed. The victims were not harmed physically.

Day before yesterday, December 5, 2008, a blogger commenting on this post on the Barbados Underground site and calling himself public // December 5, 2008 at 5:02 pm, wrote: “We as the public of Barbados need to investigate Jane Goddard and the rest of the Knox regime. If we see them in public we should all investigate record and report there every movement and saying. We need to stand up for ourselves and shut them up.”.

Pat // December 5, 2008 at 5:43 pm replied: “Public, I understand that Jane Goddard vacations at Cattlewash. If you could find out the name of the bayhouse, I will see what I can do.”

Yesterday, BWWR // December 6, 2008 at 7:07 am responded with detailed (but outdated) information on how to find Jane Goddard and Madge Knox. Publicly encouraging harassment of private citizens endangers not only their lives, but the lives of innocent bystanders like the Irvings. You see BWWR provided the address Hutto at Cattlewash to the public, so that Jane Knox could be “shut up”.

Many people have visited Hutto, including Mr. Irving who was robbed there. If bloggers instigate an angry mob to harass residents of Hutto, Jane Goddard will not be affected.

Take a close look at the language that public // December 5, 2008 at 5:02 pm uses, compare it to any BWWR post or comment, and then draw your own conclusions. In my opinion, BWWR is a consistent hatemonger, who is now advocating stalking. Pat has consistently appeared to be a BWWR sidekick. Pat faithfully endorses BWWR’s writings no matter how vacuous, defamatory or vitriolic the statement might be. In addition BWWR has access to court documents that the public would not have. Who would be likely to take action to shut up potential witnesses cooperating with the plaintiff?

Mystery Mercedes Van Arrives at Jane Goddard’s House - Threat or Mistake?

Jane Goddard lives in the original Great House at Hanson, Barbados. Kingsland Estates Ltd. had allowed the old house to fall into ruin - even the floors were stripped. Jane and her husband restored the old house, but the gap which leads to the house is still owned by Kingsland. After decades of neglect, the gap is nearly impassable. No one in his right mind would accidentally drive down this private gap!

At 1:20pm today, December 7th, 2008, a white Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313 van, registration number M1149, stopped in the front yard of Jane Goddard’s house. A dark-complexioned man, estimated to be in his forties, stepped out of the van. He was accosted by Jane Goddard and a large dog. The man stated he was looking for Charles Walcott. Does anyone know who owns this van? Who is Charles Walcott? Does he even exist? I could not find anybody listed under that name. Anybody having information on this incident is urged to contact me at keltruthblog@yahoo.com.

Concern for Italian Ambassador and Others - Caution Urged

The Italian Consulate in Barbados lives in a location that has been targeted by bloggers. People who are bent on shutting up Madge Knox may arrive at this address accidentally. There is also a house with a similar name nearby - years ago an intruder was fatally shot there.

Other people have also been endangered, but unfortunately correcting all of BWWR’s mistakes will place my family in even greater danger.

Related:

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Former Prime Minister Arrested!

Posted in December 5th, 2008

by admin in Government, Politics and Development, West Indies News, Barbados

Updated: Dec. 5, 2008

Bajans, don’t get excited, I am not talking about Owen Seymour Arthur! It is the former Prime Minister of Belize!

My last post, Belize street protest against English Lord?, dealt with a demonstration that took place in August, but I now have a recent update. As I read it Prime Minister Said Musa is somehow being held responsible for the transfer of public money into private accounts. Wikipedia reports: “Musa has not since given any public statements, save for a single pre-recorded statement in which he revealed that parts of unaccounted monies gifted to Belize had been diverted to the Belize Bank (owned by British businessman and billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft).”

The Guardian Newspaper of Belize (Thursday, December 4, 2008 11:36 AM) has reported that former Prime Minister Said Musa is facing arrest for theft. (Recently BFP reported that the Barbados Government had given $19m of public money to a private company. I am sure that this was perfectly legal, so I don’t understand why Musa is in trouble.) Here is a quote from the Guardian:

The police department has prepared warrants for the arrest of former Prime Minister Said Musa and Ralph Fonseca.

As the Guardian had first reported on the Thursday November 6, Said Musa will have his day in court. That day has been scheduled for Thursday December 4. The Guardian confirmed that the Director of Public Prosecutions will be instructing the Police to effect an arrest and charge Said Musa for theft. Musa is expected to appear in Magistrate’s Court in Belmopan between 9 and 10a.m.

Update: Source Village View Source Thursday, December 4, 2008: Former Prime Minister of Belize Arrested for Theft

The former Prime Minister of Belize, Said Musa was arraigned in Belmopan Magistrate’s Court today, Dec. 4th, 2008 on a charge of theft US $20 million of public funds. This money was a grant to the people of Belize by the Venezuelan Government for low income housing.

All of this reminds me of something! The Government of Barbados took land from Kingsland Estates without paying for it. (read Barbados Government expropriates Kingsland land but does not pay!) I wonder if this $22m of public money earmarked for the purchase ended up in private accounts?

Update Dec. 5 2008: Channel 5 Belize: Said Musa, Charged with Theft replies to charges:

“I am innocent of this charge of this charge and of any charges that they threaten to bring against me. I acted in good faith always when I secured the grants from Venezuela for the benefit of the Belizean people. what we have here happening is this government, this regime is trying to harass me, trying to shame me, but in fact they are shaming themselves because they are dragging our country, Belize, down to the level of a failed state where a rogue totalitarian regime is subverting the justice system, controlling the justice system, and using it and instructing people to use it to persecute and to jail their political opponents.”

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Belize street protest against English Lord?

Posted in December 4th, 2008

by admin in World News, Government, Politics and Development, West Indies News

The web site Belize TV made this allegation about the diversion of funds received from foreign governments to pay off a private loan:

Belizeans take to the streets to protest against Lord Michael Ashcroft’s Belize Bank Ltd. over $20M diverted from the public treasury to pay off a private loan that had been secretly guaranteed by Belize’s former prime minister, Said Musa. (June 18. 2008)

Johnston International Ltd., the company that refurbished the Barbados Hilton (and recently settled a lawsuit against an agency of the Barbados Government), is owned by Belize Holdings Inc. (BHI). “BHI is a multi-national conglomerate whose Chairman is Lord Michael Ashcroft.” This August, Lord Michael was reported to have been a target of protests in Belize regarding (according to the Economist) a “$10m transfer from Venezuela to the government of Belize that has, in effect, ended up in the coffers of Belize Bank”.

Allegation: Funds Diverted

A Wikipedia article on Said Musa suggests that there may be some basis for the allegations:

Musa has since found himself at the centre of more controversy when Prime Minister Dean Barrow revealed that Musa and his former Minister of Housing Ralph Fonseca had secretly diverted public funds (10 million USD from the Venezuelan Government and 10 million USD from Taiwan in the form of gifts for housing improvement and reconstruction and upgrading the healthcare in Belize) to pay off the controversial debt incurred by the private hospital Universal Health Services (U.H.S.). Musa maintains that the payoff will improve the quality of health care in Belize despite magnanimous public opposition and the fact that the institution has no Government involvement. It is widely believed that the U.H.S. has been in the possession of cronies of Musa’s party. Still, even now that the Government has paid the debt for the formerly private institution, it still cannot claim ownership to a single share. The owners of the hospital are yet to be publicly revealed.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow has committed his government to a thorough investigation into the matter, as well as legal action if the investigation finds legal wrongdoings. Musa has not since given any public statements, save for a single pre-recorded statement in which he revealed that parts of unaccounted monies gifted to Belize had been diverted to the Belize Bank (owned by British businessman and billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft).

According to Wikipedia, the same Dean Barrow represented several “controversial clients” including “Lord Michael Ashcroft and the businesses he is in charge of, particularly the Belize Bank and BTL.” Barrow is an interesting position, as I would think that as a lawyer he may be in possession of his clients’ privileged information.

Related:

Lord Michael Ashcroft’s own web site
Mirror.co. UK Belize City 27/09/2008 - Exclusive: The peer who bankrolls the Tories is ‘the boss’ of a poor tax haven
Telegraph.co.UK 07 Dec 2003 - Howard rejects Ashcroft’s £2m deal ‘with strings’
The Australian June 11, 2008: Lord Ashcroft emerges as white knight
BBC 31 March, 2000 - Ashcroft: The Tories’ troublesome tycoon
World Socialist 4 August 1999 - The case of British Tory Treasurer Michael Ashcroft: wealth, patronage and parliamentary politics
ConservativeHome’s ToryDiary: Lord Ashcroft to leave £900m to charity
Tax-News.Com 12 August 2002 - Lord Ashcroft Implicated In Tyco Investigation
January 15, 2003: DEA Analyst Convicted for Leaking Unclassified Information
Barbados Free Press, July 27, 2008: Canadian CIBC-Owned FirstCaribbean International Bank Indicted In 100 Money-Laundering Act Charges! Barbados News Media Hides The Story
Amandala 29/08/2008 - Untouchables?
The Guardian 11/12/2008 - Mark Espat, Cordel Hydel and Lord Michael Ashcroft
The Reporter 19/12/2008 - Ashcroft and BTL probing GOB financial weak spot

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Money Laundering Charges Dropped Against Belize Bank and First Caribbean International Bank

Posted in December 3rd, 2008

by admin in Government, Politics and Development, West Indies News, Barbados

Source: Amandala 29/08/2008 - Untouchables?

Update on: FirstCaribbean bank indicted under money laundering law

The Government and the Financial Intelligence Unit of Belize (FIU) announced on Friday that charges had been dropped against two of Belize’s most prominent banks, Michael Ashcroft’s Belize Bank and First Caribbean International Bank – a Canadian-controlled bank. They were facing charges related to several millions in “suspicious transactions” they were accused of failing to report – suspicious, says the FIU, because of the size and frequency of the transactions.

The official reason for dropping the charges: because foreign corresponding banks were discussing severing ties with the local banks, threatening to cause a possible collapse and a destabilization of the country’s financial sector. The set-off: the banks are to fund an electronic reporting system for the country, and fund refurbishment of two parks – between them, a penalty of roughly $300,000 total.

… and …

Does it mean now that the FIU’s power to enforce the Money Laundering Prevention Act against important banks and corporations is compromised?

The charges that had been levied against the two banks had indicated that they were in relation to transactions with British billionaire Michael Ashcroft’s other company, Belize Telecommunications Limited, now Belize Telemedia Limited. However, to date, no charges have been brought against BTL under the money laundering act.

The Reporter -Friday, 05 September 2008: Magistrate’s court dismisses criminal charges against First Caribbean Bank

Criminal charges against two of Belize’s major commercial banks finally came about this week, but not before the attorney for one of the banks complained that the bank’s reputation was put at stake when the Financial Intelligence Unit charged the bank criminally.

Attorney General’s Ministry and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade

Attorney General clarifies decision

Belmopan - 11 September, 2008
The decision of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) not to offer any evidence in support of the charges against the Belize Bank Limited and First Caribbean International Bank (FCIB), was taken upon the recommendation of the Attorney General’s Ministry.

The recommendation was made after the Attorney General had personally discussed and reached agreement on the matter with the Legal Advisor of the FIU, with the Governor of the Central Bank, with the Managing Director of Belize Bank Ltd., with the Regional Managing Director of FCIB as well as with his Legal Advisor in Barbados and also with Derrick Courtenay Senior Counsel and Ellis Arnold Senior Counsel, Legal Advisors of FCIB in Belize.

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‘Corruption and climate of fear’ in UK’s Caribbean territories

Posted in December 2nd, 2008

by admin in Government, Politics and Development, West Indies News, Barbados

Source: ‘Corruption and climate of fear’ in UK’s Caribbean territories by David Smith of guardian.co.uk, Sunday July 6 2008 00.01 BST

Why Did Barbados Retain a Construction Company from the Tiny Turks & Caicos?

My last expose dealt with the Hilton refurbishment: Foreign Investors Settle with Barbadian Government Co. - ‘BUNGLERS’ according to Dr. David Estwick

While writing this, I noticed that the construction company involved, Johnston International Ltd., was based in the Turks & Caicos, which has a population of about 30,000 people!

Now the current Prime Minister David Thompson had cast suspicion on the former regime by stating (according to the Nation News) ‘the previous administration “bizarrely spent millions and millions of dollars” that is now stashed away in foreign bank accounts’.

The former Government was associated with VECO, GEMS and Kingsland. So whenever there is a project that involved the previous Administration, I like to take a closer look.

I did not find any negative reports about Johnston International Ltd., but I did come across this quote from Corruption Free Anguilla: “The most corrupt British Overseas Territory. That is the unenvious reputation that the Turks and Caicos Islands have enjoyed internationally over the past thirty years.”

It seems that Johnston International Ltd. is a big company whose headquarters happens to be on a small island. I am tempted to ask why they picked an island with such a reputation, but this post is not about Johnston. It is about the Turks & Caicos, and the similarities to Barbados.

‘Political interference’ in Turks & Caicos Judicial System

The next thing I read jolted my memory and sent shivers down my spine. Some witnesses had linked ‘political interference’ in the islands’ judicial system to a recent series of arson. (see quotes in boxes below) I had already written about reports of arson involving two writers critical of the Barbados Government and one businessman who had a major dispute with a prior administration. Here is a link to the story: Does the Threat Wording on BFPE Site Suggest Barbados Police Involvement?

Turks & Caicos Compared to Barbados

Here are three points made in the article on the Turks & Caicos. The same three points have been reported in Barbados.

Turks & Caicos	Barbados
reputation for corruption	widespread corruption reported by current PM, and media
prime minister who became very wealthy after coming to power	prime minister and other ministers who became very wealthy after coming to power
reports that people have been subjected to threats and intimidation including arson	death threats, arson threats, and economic threats
‘political interference’ in judicial system	lack of a clear division between the legislative and judicial branches of government

I have put a couple of quotes here, but I strongly encourage you to read the entire ‘Corruption and climate of fear’ article.

“MPs’ committee reports allegations that premier of celebrity hideaway made a fortune from illegal land deals and locals are too afraid to speak out”

Quotes from: ‘Corruption and climate of fear’

It also points to suspicions of ‘political interference’ in the islands’ judicial system, which some witnesses had linked to a recent series of arson attacks on the islands’ main court and the offices of the attorney general. The committee calls for the British government to establish a commission of inquiry with full protection for witnesses who come forward to give evidence.

… and …

One of the few who was prepared to speak was the opposition leader, Floyd Seymour. He claimed that within a year of coming to power, Misick had bought $2.3m (£1.2m) of property without a mortgage, even though he only had declared assets of $50,000 when he entered office. Seymour alleged that other ministers, who were so hard-up they had driven borrowed cars before entering government, also now had multi-million-dollar homes.

Another witness told the committee: ‘It appears that any and every investment in the country is gotten as a result of kick-back to a government minister or his/her immediate family.’

Similar topics:

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