Tennis ace Serena Williams will be in Barbados later this month for a tennis clinic for kids, and I'm pretty excited. She clawed her way back to the top of the rankings this year and really proved her metal.
Can't wait to see her, and I wonder if she's bringing her guy Common? If she does, hold me back, y'all!
Congratulations to Barbadian superstar Rihanna, who was presented with Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year Award on Monday night. Not a bad way to end a pretty rough year.
Folks are raving over her gown, which does wonders to highlight her svelte figure, but I guess I'm not that into haute couture. I'll be kind and leave it there.
Now this gown, which she wore to an afterparty, I likey very much, though it's split so high it could cut her throat. Do you, Rih-Rih, do you.
Here's Rihanna's 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer, aired last Friday. Although I'm skeptical in terms of the timing of the whole interview, she does sound sincere and truly shaken up by the ordeal. Hopefully she can move on with her life now.
Hey, peoples. I swear everytime I get bogged down in work etc, things get interesting around here and I can't get a chance to blog.
Since I last posted, we had a former PM going at it with his former deputy, and now Ms. Rih-Rih has broken her silence on the Chris Brown debacle, just in time to promote her new album....
Anyhoo, first things first.
The Owen Arthur/Mia Mottley "showdown" was an eye opener, not so much for what was said, but for what really wasn't said. Let me break it down for you folks who aren't clued into the political scene in Bimshire.
For about 14 years and up until January 1998, Barbados was led by Prime Minister Owen Arthur. In the latter stage of his administration, he had as his Deputy Mia Mottley. However, prior to the last election, he overlooked Mottley in favour of former Opposition Leader (yes I said Opposition Leader) Clyde Mascoll to be the co-leader of the Barbados Labour Party.
When the BLP's plans for re-election went to hell in a handbasket, it was alleged that that party decided to do some bloodletting, and Arthur was the chief victim. Mia Mottley was named Leader of the Oppposition and Arthur faded quietly into the sunset.
Or so it was thought. Bear in mind, Owen Arthur still had his fans, and many still believed he was the best choice to lead the BLP. That led to all kinds of perceptions of a power struggle in the BLP camp, and Ms. Mia finally put her foot down and went public, requesting a referendum of her parliamentary council on who they wanted for a leader.
Arthur didn't turn up for the vote, which Mottley won, but the next day held a press conference and put his former deputy on blast.
"The challenge facing Ms Mottley and the party is not within the parliamentary group. The challenge is to have a leader who enjoys wide aceptance and acceptability in the wider society and wide acceptance in the parliamentary party.
"That cannot be resolved by a vote among the parliamentary group," he said.
Arthur advised that his former protégée now needed to "recognise that there are things that you may like to do that could affect the standing of your party"; prepare herself for the fact that everybody was not going to like her; and immerse herself and "work harder than anybody else".
In typical Arthur style, he appeared to state his lack of interest in contesting Mottley's leadership of the party, but in fact threw her to the wolves by raising a lot of unanswered questions. And what did he mean by Mottley needing to "recognise that there are things that you may like to do that could affect the standing of your party"? You better ask a friend here in Bim, 'cause I ain't touching that one....
And now Ms. Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Girlfriend has finally gone public about her treatment at the hands of what's his name, sitting down with Diane Sawyer in an interview that will air on ABC'S 20/20 tonight. Snippets have hit the web, and I've posted two for you below.
Serious stuff. You all know Brown's camp is going to retaliate in some way, with his album coming out in a few weeks. Keep your chin up, Rih-Rih.
As most of you know by now, Rihanna will be releasing her fourth album, entitled Rated R, on November 23. You can check out the promo video for the album below.
The first single Russian Roulette has already hit the airwaves, and as you can see from the photo above, she's planning to push the envelope even more, going for an even 'edgier' look.
The blogs are going nuts with folks saying the song is about her selling her soul to the devil...it's hilarious. I agree she's sold her soul...to some sweet American greenbacks. Girlfriend is doing whatever it takes to keep people interested, and that's a must, unfortunately, in the music biz these days.
Anyhoo, I prefer the old days when it was about the singer's voice, not their looks or fashion sense....
Congrats to President Barack Obama on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Of course the US netowrks are falling over themselves asking if he deserves this honour.
Whatev. He didn't award himself the prize, so suck it up, critics.
Hey, peoples. Hope everyone had a good weekend. I want to welcome my newest follower Manny to the Cheese-on-Bread family!
Anyhoo, remember I told you all how Rihanna's been turning sidewalks into her own personal catwalk? Well now she's doing the same at all the fashion shows presently underway in Europe.
I can't recall the names of the shows she attended, nor the designers she wore (Jean-Paul Gaultier is in there somewhere), but here's a look at what our girl has been parading around in.
Rihanna's criss-crossed top reminds me of a haute couture mummy costume.
Obviously Rihanna real hard ears and forgot what I told her a while back about catching cold. The expression on the face of the guy in the photo says it all.
"Boots, boots, boots and more boots". Rihanna looks downright dangerous in this outfit. All she needs is a whip and horse.
With her looks, fame and money, I know Rihanna probably doesn't have one ass to worry about, but still, no need to show off, Rih-Rih!
On Tuesday, September 29 just before sunset, the body of 11-year old Ian Gibson was laid to rest in the graveyard of St. Martin's Anglican Church. While the death of one so young is always tragic, in Ian's case it is even more tragic.
According to news reports, Ian's death was as a result of a sustained campaign of terror unleashed on him by two older boys. These bullies first targetted Ian at primary school, and Ian's father Victor Cadogan removed him from that school and sent him to a private institution.
Unfortunately, when Ian entered secondary school a few weeks ago, he encountered the same two bullies again. After Victor went to the school to complain about the boys' behaviour towards his son, they beat Ian so badly that he had an asthma attack.
Police were called in, the boys were warned, their parents notified. All to no avail. Two weeks ago, while trying to outrun the bullies, Ian ran blindly across the street and was struck by a car. He died a few days later at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
I did not know Ian Gibson, nor do I know his father Victor Cadogan, but when I read how this young boy died I could not help but cry. As a mother, I cannot imagine the pain Victor Gibson feels at losing his child, especially in such a senseless manner.
For most persons who survived the high school system, bullying was almost a right of passage, to be endured and forgotten once school life was over. However, many carry the scars of that abuse for life, and Ian paid for it with his.
So now we must decide - do we turn our attention to the next news story to make the headlines or demand justice for this young boy? I vote the latter, because what happened to Ian Gibson should be prevented from happening to another child in Barbados or elsewhere.
We need to reinforce to the powers that be the need to devise some kind of policy or rules to stamp out these violent acts in schools. Teachers must have the authority to discipline students whom they see abusing others, instead of being tied up in red tape and having to "wait on the Ministry".
Sure, the whole sordid episode has made bullying in schools a national debate, but what good will that do the loved ones Ian left behind? That's why I'm asking, if you condemn these act of violence in schools, make your feelings known in the comments section. I'll be emailing this post to as many persons as possible for their signatures and hopefully we can make a start in getting some justice for Ian.
ADDENDUM Join Victor Cadogan's campaign to stamp out bullying in schools. Email your comments to justiceforian@hotmail.com. Comments will be printed and presented to PM David Thompson.
Image: The casket bearing Ian Gibson's body proceeding through a guard of honour at St. Martin's Anglican Church (Nation News.com)
