The Referendum

Yesterday I was challenged on what was perceived as my silence on the referendum. I was accused of hypocrisy in this particular matter, as previously, I have been so outspoken on other matters of national significance.  There is no need to infer anything in my silence... my silence is just that silence! Why, because this referendum is a colossal waste of time, money and resources that could have been utilized to more noble causes such Drilling for Oil, Aragonite Royalties, Campaign Finance transparency, Woman’s Rights and Citizenship or Term Limits for Politicians.

I have no comment because no comment is necessary; web shops and gambling are legal! Why would I conclude such a thing? These establishments operate in absolution; they have business licenses,  pay national insurance, employee employees, own properties, Bahamians en masse frequent them and by their own admission they have pumped millions of dollars into the local economy. So how can they possibly be illegal? Illegal enterprises circumvent the law, they are clandestine and the persons who oversee such enterprises are arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Surely, if such oligopolies were illegal, these nefarious organizations would be disbanded and their assets seized, netting what is rumored to be almost a billion dollars for the Public Treasury. Maybe it is our country, our people, our legal system that are hypocritical?

So what is the purpose of this referendum? This is simply another wedge issue being utilized by the powers that be, to keep the intelligentsia occupied and the sheeple placated while the country is being pillaged and raped of its value and those who are charged with our governance idly stand by, as the true owners of our Commonwealth continue to reign with impunity.

So if my silence on this non-issue makes me a hypocrite I will gladly wear that badge with honor, but my question to my accusers and all those who are up in arms because there is no national lottery or casino gambling on this ballot, what are you going to do about it?  Are you also a hypocrite for your non-action? We as Bahamians have mastered the art of “talk” we lament on social media, we talk in our little cliques, we pen our disapproval in our blogs and pages, but when we will move from talk to action. We commonly say colloquially, “talk is cheap”, so when will Bahamians finally put their money, efforts and action “where their mouths are”? 

There is no need for me to ‘speak” out on a non-issue but when the intelligentsia is ready to ACT on issues of national and international significance; holla at ya girl … 

TRUMP-ITIS

It seems that a particularly malignant strain of Trumpitis has reached the beautiful shores of our Bahamaland. This seemingly insidious strain has remained dormant for months but, alarmingly the recent bi-election has caused this abeyant virus to erupt and evolve into a particularly virile disease that seems resistant to every know form of logic, evidence, fact and common sense. What exactly is Trump-itis? It is a virus characterized by the fervent obsessive erratic need to remain relevant and in the public eye at all cost even in the face of decorum, decency and common sense.

Notable author Harlan Coben, in his book, No Second Chance laments; “Fame is more addictive than crack. Adults who lose fame--one-hit wonders, for example--usually tailspin into depression, though they try to act like they're above it. They don't want to admit the truth. Their whole life is a lie, a desperate scramble for another dose of that most potent of drugs”.

Sadly, there is evidence of Trump-itis in all facets of our society particularly in our social media. Former political candidates who were eerily silent during their failed political bid now are raging nationalist and patriots speaking out on everything in the name of nationalism, when months earlier the silence from them was deafening. Former political jump offs who have since fallen from grace and high powered positions now that their political benefactor and married sweetheart has “retired” from politics in the face of a mortifying defeat. Medical personnel who have abandoned their post and country and other Public Service members who seemingly spend their employable hours all on Facebook, unable to cope with the reality of said defeat; they are all struggling with Trump-itis.

Rather than regroup, strategize and redefine who they are and how they can best use their talents and skills for the betterment of our Nation, these fame whores (some more literally than others) continue on in the demented divisive diatribe that will continue to lead them down the path of destruction finally into a resting place of oblivion. Where, the thing that they seek so desperately, the obsession, the satiation, will never be fulfilled because others will come to realize; as the colloquial fable states the higher the monkey climbs the more his derriere shows; that they are all just that: sagging decrepit dysfunctional derrieres. Purefawkery indeed!

Fem-Entrepreneurs!!!

"Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them" – Madam C.J. Walker

Daily there is a lament in our local news and daily periodicals about job creation and unemployment in the Bahamas. While many sit at the feet of the government waiting for a “good government job” or waiting for someone else to give them a job, there is a burgeoning segment of the population who has decided to take their destiny into their own hands and create their own “job”. These trendsetting Bahamian Fem-Entreprenuers have taken the proverbial bull by the horn and are forging ahead creating their own path, mastering their own destiny."

Two such burgeoning business titans are Youlette Etienne and Akosua Ma’at the creators and owners of Y’VE natural beauty products, an organic beauty line formulated especially for women of color. This luxurious indigenous brand is beauty as nature intended, featuring all natural local ingredients such as Bahamian sea salt, coconuts and a variety plants and herbs.  Some of their exclusive Y'VE Coco-Shea product line includes:

Organic shea butter with coconut oil, now found at NHC Nutrition and Simone Billion Lash Studio.

-Sea salt skin polisher made, using our very own Bahamian sea salt

-Organic shampoo made from shea butter, black soap and coconut oil

-Coconut Clay Mask made from Bentonite Clay and Coconut powder

-Coconut exfoliate made with coconut flakes and coconut oil

All of Y’VE’s coconut products are craftily created by hand using Andros coconuts and are packaged in BPA and BPS free containers. These ladies believe healthy skin come from within and it is a synergist partnership with what we put into our bodies as well as what we put onto our skin. Therefore, only pure unrefined products are utilized in Y’VE natural beauty products.

Their passion for natural health and beauty is eclipsed only by their passion for female empowerment and advocacy, which is why they have partnered with Ms. Gifty Serbeh Dunn of Sheabuttermarket.com. Ms. Dunn has given Ms. Ma’at the exclusive distributor rights for the region. Sheabuttermarket.com is an online distributor of Certified Organic, Fair Trade shea butter products created by the Tapko Widow’s group.

 "Tapko is a small village located near the Burkina Faso border, just northwest of Wa, in Ghana's Upper West Region. Life is very difficult for village residents. During the dry season, the hot dry Harmattan winds blow down from the Sahara. There is little cash economy and villagers must grow and harvest enough food and supplies during the rainy season to last them through the long hot dry season. This is hard for everyone, but especially difficult for women whose husbands have died and who still have young children. In Tapko Village a group of these women recognized that by working together they would be better able to support their children and families. They formed the Tapko Widow's Group and set out to identify opportunities to earn income to support their subsistence agriculture activities. With assistance from a Peace Corp volunteer, who used to stay with Gifty's family in Wa about 20 years ago, a small micro-credit program was established. The group now has about 70 members.

The Tapko Women's Shea Butter is grown and produced in an area where there are no chemicals or additives. By purchasing Shea Butter Market products you are not only buying some of the finest Shea Butter available anywhere in the world, you are also helping women and their families. Many people have asked us how they can help the Tapko Widow's group directly. We are looking at ways that will allow you to connect directly to this group and support them. For now, know that the women are paid a premium price for their product (we are currently exploring Fair Trade certification as well as organic certification) and that by purchasing Shea Butter Market products you are making a difference in the lives of women and children in Tapko Village (source http://www.sheabuttermarket.com/)."

I invite all of you to not only support these innovative Bahamian Fem-Entrepreneurs but also to support the women and children of Tapko Village. Y’VE natural beauty products are not only nourishing for your skin, but also for your soul. 

For more information about their products or to order this luxurious skin care line please inquire at NHC Nutrition, telephone number 393-9322 or visit their website at www.yvenaturalbeautyproducts.com