October 29, 2004
"Sir" Burton Hall a Disgrace to Justice
Sir Burton Hall is a disgrace to justice in the Bahamas. The foolish Court of Appeal judge, famous for his legendary quasi-legal ex-parte judgements, has once again embarrassed the Bahamas judicial community by reducing the sentence of a brutal murderer to manslaughter, citing a silly technicality that really has no bearing on the man's guilt... he may have been drinking before he murdered the girl.
The murderer, Dominique Moss, and his buddy, Keith Lotmore, took a woman to a golf course. Lotmore raped her. Moss tried to rape her but could not "perform", so in a rage of embarrassment, he slit her throat, almost decapitating her.
The pair was sentenced for murder earlier this year.
Now, in his infinite lack of wisdom, "Sir "Burton Hall has reduced their convictions to "manslaughter".
Moss' lawyer was Murrio Ducille, one of the many disturbing members of the Bahamas legal community who profits from performing legal shenanigans that allow criminals to walk free.
This is not the first time that Burton Hall has made decisions usually attributed only to bribe-taking corrupt judges. The important clue here is to find out who Moss is related to, that got him this ticket off of death row. Then trace that relationship to Sir Burton and one might even find corruption in the judiciary.
Hall admitted recently, when speaking about the poor state of the courts, that the Bahamian public should be "horrified and embarrassed" by the conditions of New Providence courts. He is right, and is the man to blame for that.
October 27, 2004
Cable Beach Deal Not a "Sure Thing".
Stressing that a purchase agreement is not a "sealed deal", hotelier Philip Ruffin said the Cable Beach redevelopment project was not certain, as the interested company never "put money down."
In an interview with the Nassau Guardian on Tuesday from Witchita, Kansas, Mr. Ruffin said he was not confident that a deal would actually be sealed.
On Monday, Baha Mar Development Ltd., a consortium of major US and European investors, trumpeted the fact that it had completed a "purchase agreement" with Mr. Ruffin to aquire his interests in the Cable Beach area, including the Wyndham Nassau Resort and Casino, and the Nassau Beach Hotel.
Mr. Ruffin admitted he had been in frequent talks with the company and that it had expressed interest in the takeover of his properties but no "hard money was ever put up. You can't have a deal where no money was put up."
"So the story you heard is really nothing. The real story is that there is no deal. We have an interested group but there is no sealed deal," he stressed.
Have a comment to make on this subject? Visit the Bahamas Community Message Board and Sound Off!
October 22, 2004
Punishment of Abusive US Soldier in Iraq Not Good Enough
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The highest-ranking U.S. soldier charged in the abuse of prisoners at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison was sentenced to eight years in prison, yesterday the longest term handed down so far in the scandal.
He should have been sent to the International Criminal Court that George Bush is trying so hard to make impotent.
Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Ivan L. "Chip" Frederick II, who was found guilty of assault, maltreatment, dereliction of duty, indecent acts and conspiracy, also was reduced in rank to private, ordered to forfeit pay and given a dishonorable discharge from the military.
Frederick, 38, had faced a possible 10 years in prison, but the term was reduced as part of a plea bargain. Defense lawyer Gary Myers called the punishment excessive and said he would appeal.
As part of the plea deal with prosecutors, Frederick confessed to beating and humiliating Iraqi prisoners while taking souvenir pictures of the abuse. He agreed to cooperate with other prosecutions.
Frederick said he wrapped loose wires around a prisoner's finger and threatened to electrocute him if he fell off a narrow box. He confessed also to punching a prisoner and ordering him to masturbate in front of others "just to humiliate him."
On Thursday, his lawyer placed much of the blame for the abuse last November on the Army.
Myers argued that Frederick was thrown into a stressful, chaotic environment where military intelligence officers had encouraged the abuse so that prisoners would be more likely to divulge information during interrogation. He also said the defendant, a Virginia prison guard in civilian life, was never properly trained by the Army for his job as night supervisor at Abu Ghraib.
"Punish him, yes," the lawyer said. "But please try to understand . . . there is corporate responsibility. We discovered that he has no abhorrent tendencies."
Yeah, right!
Army prosecutor Maj. Michael Holley argued that the case was a simple matter of right and wrong.
"He's an adult capable of making decisions," Holley told the court prior to sentencing. "He's an adult capable of telling, as we learned, the difference between right and wrong. How much training do you need to learn that it's wrong to force a man to masturbate?"
The judge, Army Col. James Pohl, offered no comment on the sentence.
Frederick, a resident of Buckingham, Va., is one of seven members of the Army Reserve's 372nd Military Police Company based in Cresaptown, Md., to be charged in the scandal. Another member, Spc. Jeremy C. Sivits, in his mid-20s, of Hyndman, Pa., is serving a one-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in May to three counts.
A military intelligence soldier, Spc. Armin J. Cruz, 24, was sentenced in September to eight months in prison, a reduction in rank to private and a bad-conduct discharge for his role in the abuse.
During the two-day trial, which was held at a military base in Baghdad, defense witnesses described Frederick as an "all-American boy" who was warped by "inhumane" working conditions created by the Army.
In a videoconference call to the court, San Francisco psychologist Philip Zimbardo said Frederick found himself working 12-hour days in an overcrowded prison that saw frequent violence among detainees and mortar attacks from insurgents. Frederick lived in a cell without a bathroom.
"When he went out of control, I want to argue, it's because he was put in a situation that was totally out of control," the psychologist said.
Fredericks' wife, who also testified in a videoconference call, said she responded with disbelief when she heard the accusations.
"The things he's accused of are not in his nature," Martha Anne Frederick said during the first day of the trial. "He is a good person, not some rogue soldier or bad apple."
But Holley, the prosecutor, said that by failing to stop the abuse Frederick potentially jeopardized the lives of Americans and invited abuse of U.S. soldiers who might be taken prisoner.
"The enemy feeds on morale like we do and this can form a rallying point for enemies now and forever," he said. "We need the moral high ground to rally ourselves."
By Monte Morin / Los Angeles Times
Mostly Idiots Support Bush
A large majority of President Bush's supporters continue to believe that Iraq either had weapons of mass destruction (47 percent) or a major programme to develop them (25 percent), contrary to official findings, a survey taken this month reveals.
And three out of four Bush backers believe Saddam Hussein provided substantial support to Al Queda or was involved in the September 11 attacks, while 56 percent said the Sept. 11 commission found such ties.
In reality, the commission found "no collaborative relationship" between Iraq and Al Queda.
Moreover, as many or more Bush supporters hold those beliefs today than they did several months ago, before the publication of a series of well-publicised official government reports that debunked both notions.
Obviously, Bush backers are not so bright and spend too much time reading their news while in the supermarket checkout lane.
Those are among the most striking findings of the survey, which was conducted in mid-October by the University of Maryland's Programme on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) and Knowledge Networks, a California-based polling firm.
Bush Backers Steadfast on Erroneous Beliefs
October 21, 2004
Next Step? Travel Advisory!
The Bahamas may be headed towards a Travel Advisory from the United States Government due to violence directed towards foreigners in the island nation. That would, of course, be the end of the Bahamas economy as the country relies heavily on tourism for its bread and butter.
Yesterday, a long time resident of Cat Island, an American woman was murdered after being mutilated about the body, including her breasts and genital area, while she was still alive.
This is the latest in a long string of crimes against foreigners that has gone unpunished in The Bahamas.
For a country dependent on foreigners visiting their islands for tourism, the Bahamas appears to have a problem ensuring that crimes against foreigners are properly dealt with. Perhaps this is why stay-over visitors to the Caribbean islands are increasingly choosing other countries for their vacations.
Foreigners May Choose To Avoid The Bahamas
Got something to say? Sound off on the Bahamas Community Message Board.
October 20, 2004
Nothing Scary About This Deal
Get a Free! photo of your child, in their Halloween costume, from the Bahamas Professional Photographers Association.
Expert photographers will be at the Marathon Mall on Saturday, October 30, from 4:00pm until 8:30pm.
Children who bring an adult blood donor will receive a free 5x7" photo.
Or, pay only $10 and receive a photo and treats.
Support the Blood Bank. Help save a life!
FORE! BHA Golf Tournament This Sunday
The Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA) presents its 6th Annual Golf Event, this Sunday, at the Radisson Cable Beach Resort Golf Course.
Lots of exciting prizes including vacations, airline tickets, dinners and gifts.
Win a 2005 Mercedes in the Hole-in-One contest.
Proceeds to benefit the Hurricane Relief efforts and BHA's ongoing programmes.
Sign-up today by calling 242-322-8381
Residents Opposed to Cable Beach Redevelopment
Prime Minister Perry Christie is breathing a sigh of relief as plans for the redevelopment of the Cable Beach strip seem to be moving forward, possibly providing him with one of the first accomplishments of his almost three years in office.
Others, including the area's residents and property owners aren't as relieved.
Property Owners and Residents Ignored in Cable Beach Plans
What do YOU think about the plan? Speak out on the Bahamas Community Message Board.
October 17, 2004
Gay Bashers Pounce on Kerry's Remarks
What's all the fuss about John Kerry's reference to Mary Cheney's sexual orientation in the third Presidential debate? I mean it is not like that information is classified, or even a secret.
Sure, we expect the Republican party to pounce on any remark Kerry makes, in an effort to demonize him, that's what Republicans do.
But it seems there is more to it for anyone willing to examine the attacks on Mr. Kerry in an objective, rather than political, context.
Instead of attacking Kerry, the attackers may need to examine their own feelings towards gays.
Unless these people truly feel that being gay is a horrible sin and an abomination of humanity why would mentioning that someone is gay be so appalling?
Mr. Kerry didn't think the remark was out of order because, in his heart, he does not feel that being gay is such an abomination, something that the Bush camp must feel, or they wouldn't object to gay rights as strongly as they do.
So, on one hand, the Kerry bashers want to attack the candidate for reminding the public that someone close to the Bush campaign is gay (that IS an extraordinary contradiction that needs to be pointed out). Yet by doing so, aren't the Kerry bashers demonizing Mary Cheney's lesbian status more than they accuse Kerry of doing?
After all, if Republicans didn't think gays were so horrible, why would they take such exception to someone on their side being openly labeled as gay?
What if Mary Cheney was celibate or crippled? Would mentioning that on television be such a horrible thing? Many of us do not believe that being celibate, crippled or gay, is bad? (Not that there is any similarity between these things.) But if we accept gay culture, why is the fact that Kerry mentioned that Ms. Cheney is a lesbian such a big deal?
It would seem that the rhetoric says more about the Republican party's own intolerance - "if you do not share our ideology, you are evil" - and most of us know that is simply not true.
The more the Republicans harp on Kerry's remark, the more intolerable they appear. And intolerance is not what we need in the leadership of a country as multi-cultural and diverse as the United States.
What do you think? Sound off on the Bahamas Community Message Board.
October 16, 2004
Pierce Brosnan's Bond Days Are Over
Pierce Brosnan has confirmed that his time as the world's most famous secret agent James Bond 007 is up.
Speaking to the press in the Bahamas about his new action-comedy, 'After the Sunset', the Irish actor said that he would not be returning for the 21st James Bond film.
Although he had been asked by producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson to reprise the role after 'Die Another Day' was completed, no contracts were signed and they changed their minds.
Brosnan told the Toronto Sun, "it was their prerogative to change their minds. They can do it! It was disappointing. It was surprising. And I accepted the knowledge after 24 hours of being in shock."
He said that he always knew that the end was coming. "If you have that thought ruminating in your head - knowing that things are going to change, knowing that you're going to get older, knowing it only lasts a certain amount of time playing a certain role - then you clearly prepare yourself for what's down the road, even though you don't know what's down the road. But you prepare yourself emotionally."
"So you know something's going to be finished, it's going to be over. And it comes with a great disappointment, but it also comes with a great satisfaction of having achieved the success with it that I had achieved."
Brosnan's replacement as James Bond has yet to be announced but the next film in the long-running franchise has been delayed from November 2005 to 2006.
Terrifying Peek Into Film Director's Mind-Set
Such are the burdens of movie journalism that I recently found myself sitting in the Bahamas listening to a 35-year-old director explain why it's a good thing to have the mind and attention span of a 16-year-old if you're going to make Hollywood movies these days. And be grinning like one when he says it.
And clearly it is a good thing, otherwise we wouldn't be in the Bahamas listening to Brett Ratner talk about it. You don't get to bring several planeloads of international print, TV and radio journalists to a jaw-droppingly ostentatious mega-resort on Paradise Island if you're making movies that do anything less than boffo opening weekend b.o. — if you dig the lingo.
Read the entire article by Geoff Pevere
If There Is An Illegal Scam, You Can Bet The Bahamas Is Involved
Federal officials, in the United States, on Tuesday said that 439 packages of prescription drugs purportedly exported from Canada and intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in Miami were not manufactured in the United States and had been subject to Canadian recall.
The drugs were ordered by U.S. residents through CanadaRx.com, a Hamilton, Ontario-based mail-order pharmacy, and were seized in July. Earlier this month the intended recipients were informed that they must register a complaint with the agency to reclaim their prescriptions.
CanadaRx is the main pharmacy for the Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program, a program sponsored by the Minnesota Senior Federation that serves about 6,000 Minnesota seniors.
The intercepted drugs were shipped from Britain, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France, Australia and New Zealand. CanadaRx apparently shipped the prescription drugs through Freeport, Grand Bahama, to Miami for distribution in the United States. In recent months, some U.S. pharmaceutical companies have attempted to limit the supply of drugs to Canada to stop the cross-border trade, leading the Canadian companies to look to other countries for supplies (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 9/16).
FDA said that some of the intercepted drugs appeared to have been made in Singapore, Japan and New Zealand, and several packages "had unstated dosages and suspicious labels," according to the AP/Globe.
Of the intercepted drugs, 50% had lower-cost generic equivalents available in the United States, according to FDA Associate Commissioner for Policy and Planning William Hubbard. In a letter sent to Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.) and four other members of Congress, Hubbard said, ''What we're trying to paint in this letter is a series of ... abnormalities." FDA officials also said CanadaRx opened the division in the Bahamas "to evade regulation" by U.S. or Canadian authorities
What Hurricanes?
After several hurricanes early in the season, many people think the entire Bahamas, even the whole Caribbean is affected by storm damage.
NOT TRUE! Aside from many islands in The Bahamas being only minimally affected, the following countries were completely unaffected by the passing of Hurricanes Frances, Ivan and Jeanne:
Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Aruba
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
Bonaire
British Virgin Islands
Curacao
Dominica
French West Indies (Guadeloupe, St. Barts & St. Martin)
Guyana
Martinique
Montserrat
Puerto Rico
St. Eustatius
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
U.S. Virgin Islands
For frequent updates on The Islands Of The Bahamas, visit www.bahamas.com