Category: CHOGM2009

Poking Fun at CHOGM

November 27, 2009 by Taran Rampersad

A quick post with 2 links to some amusing (and perhaps apt in some cases) writing on the entire Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Please note that the writings may not be politically correct, but they may be considered politically accurate by some.

BC Pires has some fun with the Queen and Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning in The PM & HRH @ CHOGM.

Kevin Baldeosingh offers some letters to the Queen here. Thank Edmund Gall for that find.

If you find more, feel free to add them in the comments below. I will.

The Unofficial CHOGM Holiday (Steups)

November 26, 2009 by Taran Rampersad

According to the Trinidad Express, Friday, November 26th, 2009 is a de facto holiday in Trinidad and Tobago due to CHOGM - for whatever reason. Apparently the powers-that-be think that another holiday for the dinosaurs discussing the tar pits is necessary for all of Trinidad and Tobago despite CHOGM only affecting a small part of Trinidad and Tobago. This demonstrates the unspoken bias that Port of Spain is a nation unto itself; South and East of the lighthouse are another nation.

There's really no reason for everything to shut down for an entire day. Of course, it could simply be that the powers-that-be are dismissing the citizens of the nation more openly now.

Much Ado About CHOGM

November 24, 2009 by Taran Rampersad

Yes, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) has the media abuzz. Other events migrate around it; it seems that everyone who wants to be someone has something to say about anything will be either protesting somewhere or lurking in the shadows.

To me, as well as others, it's just another pappyshow. Or, for the more American inclined, a dog-and-pony show. It will cause traffic before and after it, as well as for its duration. People who have been given microphones will say a lot of things, and those things will be reported by the media. I considered getting in to cover the whole CHOGM affair, but I really don't see the use. Karel Mc Intosh (Caribbean PR Blog) postulated the ineffectiveness of the whole thing over the phone last night as we prepared for a Trini bloggers meetup. In fact, central to the call was the need to change venue from Mangoes (Ariapita Avenue) to somewhere else because of the CHOGM affair.

So what, really, is the big deal? I mean no disrespect to those who have things to say about CHOGM, but I'd like to know what the point is. According to the CHOGM website: