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Separate Church and State!
It's been a while since I felt like blogging, Flipper's email asking me to write something for the site a couple days ago was on my mind but honestly, I'm just too fed up with it all. But then, today reading the Daily Herald's (nice new site by the way DH!) story about Frans and George saying they don't think SXM should have separation of Church and State I no longer had any choice.
I've covered religion and SXM's religious nuts a few times over the years, one my first blogs here was titled Gay Gay Gay Gay Gay, I was sick and tired of reading religious clap trap and homophobic hate speech in our papers, and about 3 weeks later the two CBS gay guys got whacked over the head with a tire iron in Maho. Links to some of my other blogs can be found on one I wrote last year titled 'State and Church Separation?'
Before I get stuck in to this lovely meaty morsel laid before me, let me just state as I have done in the past that it is not my intention to offend those with religious beliefs. However, I reserve the right to have and hold to my own non religious beliefs and that means it's probably impossible not to offend those with them when speaking my mind. You have been warned.
Scheduled flights from Latin America to start next month
The Daily Herald - PHILIPSBURG - Successful is how Tourism Commissioner Frans Richardson has labeled his recent weeklong trip to Brazil.
The biggest achievement of the trip was the announcement of a new scheduled year round flight by GOL Airlines that will originate in Argentina with an intermittent stop in Brazil.
UGLY REMARKS
Marty’s Giro in Simpson Bay is a great place to eat on the island. But this Thursday evening, the Rainbow Warriors (read local gay society) that congregate there for a discrete tête-à- tête got more than they could chew. Some local rich female (with a bad hairstyle and an inebriated proboscis) who unwisely bought land in Statia declared her distaste for the practice of zoning on the Historical Gem.
Unfortunate for her was the presence of a local historian who reaffirmed the importance of conserving the Island’s historical heritage and avoiding the catastrophic over development that has defaced the identity and thus image of St. Maarten.
“You are just a gay asshole,” she voiced with self proclaimed authority.
Needless to say, the camp followers were perturbed about the remark and became feint as robins. They referred to Marty, the owner for some kind of immediate resolution. None was forthcoming.
Nostradamus was also perturbed. Rich people have a habit of being oblivious to feelings and the eminent sear identifies with emotional damage especially when its source originates from the intellect of an ant. His mind recalls that wonderful retort of Winston Churchill when confronted by Lady Astor and her accusation that he was drunk. “Yes, madam, I am drunk. But in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.”
Times change - DH Editorial
A study that shows people are increasingly using the Internet to plan and book their travels can be called good news for St. Maarten. After all, most of the emergency marketing funds made available in connection with the impact of the global crisis by diverting means from the Social Economic Initiative (SEI) programme financed by the Dutch Government were directed towards online wholesalers such as Expedia.com and Travelocity.com rather than more traditional promotion avenues. [More....]
SHTA: focus on what can be done NOW to curb crime
PHILIPSBURG - The SHTA on Wednesday extended its condolences to the family of Eric Yuan Sam, the latest in a series of murders in 2009. In the SHTA’s end of year voice published on December 28, 2009, the SHTA listed its top 5 wishes for 2010, which concerned some of the most pressing issues affecting St. Maarten. At the top of that list was better management of crime.[More....]
Public, private sectors hoping for economic recovery in 2010
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten public and private sectors, like counterparts the world over, are hoping for the predicted economic recovery to prove true by the middle of 2010, and that the island is spared of a natural disaster. The island, as expected, is recording a less than impressive high season thus far based on preliminary figures. Private sector partners are hoping that Commissioner of Economic Affairs Frans Richardson is right when he recently said St. Maarten is starting to exit the recession and some key economic data now signal a broad move to positive, though modest, recovery in 2010. [More....]
St. Maarten wows Brazilian journalists and travel agents-- Group from Latin American market enamored with island’s beauty and variety.
SMNN -
Great Bay: -- They left the sounds of samba and tango in Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires, respectively, as they came to The Friendly Island for a weeklong stay, uncertain of what rhythms they may have to dance to. The eight (8) Brazilian and three (3) Argentinean journalists who were hosted by the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau during a CVC press trip quickly fell in love with the multiple rhythms that set the island aside as one of the most exciting destinations they have ever been to. Following an Island tour the day after their arrival, the group that also included a dozen high-performing travel agents from Brazil, got to see and taste what makes St. Maarten special.[More....]
Bonaire & Scientology
After years of warnings about the consequences of dumping raw sewage and waste into the ditches and bush lands of Bonaire and the recent exposure by Sean Paton that these warnings have proved to have been on target, the government of Bonaire has decided to let Scientology's ship Freewinds continue the practice.
Yes, that is correct, Freewinds have the permission of the Bonaire Island Government to dump waste and contaminate the water table of Bonaire with bacteria and toxins, damage that will affect the environment and future generations of the island for decades to come. How did they get this permission?
Is it just that the Bonaire Island Government are ignorant incompetent morons, or is it because Scientology, known for circumventing and breaking the law, sometimes in extreme ways, have paid them off in some manner? I know what I think is most likely, because it's hard to believe anyone could be so stupid and blind to the consequences of what is being done.
Meetings to Discuss In transit Passengers.
SMNN -
Philipsburg: ---A delegation from Anguilla will be meeting with commissioner of aviation affairs Frans Richardson and the Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards to work out the current issues regarding in transit passengers at the Princess Juliana International Airport. Commissioner Richardson made the announcement at a press briefing on Thursday. The commissioner said he was also contacted by the authorities in St. Barths since they too are having problems with their in transit passengers. One of the hindrances Richardson said is that the Princess Juliana International Airport does not have an in transit hall and therefore passengers moving on to the other islands have to go through the regular immigration lines.[More....]
