HARARE – Zimbabwe’s prime minister said yesterday outsiders were stirring up trouble in his party at a delicate time in the country’s politics.Morgan Tsvangirai, speaking at a news conference after a two-day party meeting, was asked about clashes that broke out last month within his Movement for Democratic Change.He said some people have been expelled from the party because of the violence, and efforts would be stepped up to educate members about resolving differences peacefully. (AP)
Gay bishop consecrated
LONG BEACH – The Episcopal Church has consecrated a woman as its second openly gay bishop, seven years after stirring lingering controversy by ordaining a man to a similar post. The Reverend Canon Mary Glasspool, of Baltimore, was ordained and consecrated on Saturday. (AP) LONG BEACH – The Episcopal Church has consecrated a woman as its second openly gay bishop, seven years after stirring lingering controversy by ordaining a man to a similar post. The Reverend Canon Mary Glasspool, of Baltimore, was ordained and consecrated on Saturday. (AP)
ALTAR CALL: Submit yourself to the fire
IT WAS A three-week crusade with a difference.Starting at the Wesleyan Holiness Tabernacle, it made its way to Rockley Clinic Centre, and later to the Pine Community Centre.Reminding all of the Ark of the Covenant being moved from one place to the other, and the children of Israel being led to the Promised Land, the crusade focused on repenting, yielding, setting captives free.Hosted by Prophetess Franceine Anson and Apostle Michael Anson of Weapons Of War Ministries and Inter-Caribbean Evangelism Global Ministries International, with offices in Antigua, the first week of the crusade set the pace for things to come.Many of those attending testified about answered prayers, prophetic confirmations, healings and other spiritual, physical and financial blessings. Antiguan-born Pastor Patrick Roberts, one of the speakers during the crusade, also came with a clear-cut message of the need to have God’s power and fire of the Holy Ghost working in lives to bring about change. He charged, that in order for this to happen, one must see beyond one’s limits.“The Holy Spirit is propelling and pushing you past your limits. Whatever it is you’re going through, it’s because God is taking the limits off you,” Roberts stated.He stressed that everything believers did would be and should be tested by fire to determine its genuineness; even their own lives as Christians.He further disclosed the need to walk in and maintain the anointing on a daily basis, and to allow the fire of God to have full control.“Submit to the fire,” Roberts advised.“The fire of God purifies, perfect and empowers. It also burns everything that is not of God.“For us to live victorious lives every day, we must empty ourselves of the old wine skins and come fresh before God.“Ask God for the fire, so he can purge you,” he stressed.Taking his texts from a variety of scripture, including Acts 2: 3 and 1 Corinthians 3: 13, Roberts said fire would test the works of every believer.“Sometimes the flesh wrestles with the Spirit. If God has called or chosen you, you will be tested by fire, so submit everything to the fire, then you will know what is genuine or not.He preached that once tried with fire, the ability to withstand challenges and tempests was sure.“God may want you to go through the fire before your family so your life can witness to them.“When you submit to the fire, victory is assured, because you will come forth as gold.“More than anything else in our lives we need the fire of God,” he reiterated.Before and after the sermon, praise and adoration emanated from Rockley Clinic’s Convention Centre. Individuals fell to their knees, others stood with their hands raised, while many waited patiently in silence with their heads either bowed in reverence, or turned towards the heavens.Prayers, deliverances and testimonies were also the order of the night before the service came to an end.• cherylharewood @nationnews.com
SILENT DOCTORS: Shedding light on yeast infections
Today, I will continue on the journey of feminine exploration. Female: “Oops! Down there is itching real bad. I tired scratching; it is painful and when I pass urine it burns. I also see a funny-looking discharge.” Silent Doctor: “Be anxious for nothing and be of good cheer.” The above is a peek into yeast infections, so that males who are puzzled about this mysterious health challenge will show more support – because the itching is terrible. Additionally, when a woman is challenged to stop for a moment to deal with a yeast infection, focus must be directed on supporting, loving and detoxing herself. Also, at that time the body is in an acidic state; therefore I will now delve into the darkness of a yeast infection to show you some light.The arrival of a yeast infection into the life of any woman must never be ignored. If after treatment it continues to recur, it means that the woman has not been listening to her higher self, or her belief system is not solid.Many conditions can cause an explosive growth of unwanted guests in the vagina. Once the pH balance of the vagina is changed, bacteria/fungus will grow. Untreated, it can enter the bloodstream. Stress, diabetes, a weak immune system and the use of antibiotics are said to lead to yeast infections, and any woman in the tropics can contract one. Cotton underwear is appropriate and should be washed with herbal soaps. Avoid washing with perfumed soaps or detergents. Stockings must be avoided.My research with Barbadian women has revealed that some have used “silent doctors” and they have proven 100 per cent effective. Turmeric, neem and cinnamon were heralded as being very effective, followed closely by sage. Aloe vera and garlic were rated as excellent. I was advised that the garlic was grated and placed in a hot water bottle and used as a douche. The woman said: “I never had a yeast infection after that treatment because I mastered my diet, detoxed regularly and had my husband treated too.” Another woman took a garlic pod or aloe vera, wrapped it in clean muslin cloth and tied it on a long secured string. She inserted it high into her vaginal channel at night and removed it in the morning. A new one was inserted for seven days. Presto! The infection was healed. Women with yeast infections should also avoid sweet foods, beverages and snacks, including cakes, bread and anything with starch and yeast. They should instead eat raw/uncooked fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water and enjoy a good laugh. Fun-loving is how we were initially created to be. Proper breathing will also assist in healing yeast infections.
• Annette Maynard-Watson, a teacher and herbal educator, may be contacted at silentdoctors @gmail.com or telephone 250-6450.Disclaimer: It is not our intention to prescribe or make specific health claims for any products. Any attempt to diagnose and treat real illness should come under the direction of your health care professional.
WILD COOT: Well, is it a sin?
’Tis impossible to love and be wise. – So said some foolish man.Maybe a judge has no option. Maybe the law is an ass. Maybe we are saying that you are permitted to do it illegally but not legally. I am sorry for anyone who is incarcerated for marrying two women.When I was young, doing so would have solved many problems. Perhaps! The question is, is there a precedent? Another pertinent question is: is there any admiration for the effrontery of anyone who is so daring? Would a second wife consent to the connubial bliss? Would a first wife give her blessings? If the law does not intervene, would they live in happy harmony?But the overarching question is: is it a sin? Can it be a sin in one country and not a sin in another? Is not a sin a sin everywhere? For example, stealing!Basically if it is a sin, there are state-accepted-sinners throughout the world in the form of Muslims, Mormons and our forefathers in Africa. Indeed there are even countries among us that overlook the relationships where men have more than one woman in their household, but do not call all of them wives. Therefore are we not being hypocritical and petty?Research has shown that the Muslim population will overtake the Christian in many countries by the year 2050, and most likely that will also apply to Barbados. Maybe by that time the Muslims will be in a position to change the laws in Barbados.But let us look at it from a different point of view. Suppose the first wife who may be from foreign, having no knowledge of the second union come to Barbados to claim what is hers by legal bonds, there would be a hell of a battle for exclusiveness. On the other hand, she may like the second wife and agree to share and share alike. There is a more than a fifty-fifty chance that the two wives would be able to cohabit, seeing the man may be consistent with his choice of women.Let us suppose that he had no choice, and had to marry the first wife or indeed the second wife for whatever reason, then we would have to extend utmost sympathy to him. There are cases where men are taken advantage of, and may qualify for protection, not incarceration. Perhaps that may be the judge’s intent.It seems that we are a confused society. We become more and more confused as cultural penetration penetrates. On the one hand people admit openly to gay relationships and we want to ordain them priests. On the other, the Bible says that homosexuality is a sin; but the Old Testament glorifies Solomon. By the way, Solomon seems to be not only the wisest and horniest, but one of the most mentioned man in the Old Testament. The Bible did not say his having 700 wives and 300 concubines was sinful, it was his harkening unto false gods and foreign women (1 Kings 11). But I stand under correction from someone who may know the Bible better and who may quote from one of those minor prophets like Amos or Habakkuk or Haggai in order to rebuff my argument. Even the action of lying with your handmaid for procreation purposes was not condemned (check Abraham – Genesis 16).Now the state would be under a double whammy. It must feed and clothe a man who may be ahead of the times for committing a sin that is not condemned by Moses with his Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). Perhaps that was one of the commandments that people broke, along with those that we see fit to impose in our exuberance on the people of our land in the questionable name of law and order.Is weed more intoxicating than rum? Cigarettes are known to cause cancer; check Yul Brynner if you can speak to him. Aristotle is quoted as saying: “There was never a great genius without a tincture of madness.” Solomon, son of David, progenitor of Jesus, was a genius. Is any man who marries two women a genius?Harry Russell can be contacted at [email protected]
Need for a scientific study
As would be expected, charges that some Barbadian secondary schools have become virtual hotbeds of lesbianism and gangs triggered a robust debate among the general public, as reflected in the Press and on the radio call-in shows in particular.This discourse can be said to have been far too heavily characterised by a torrent of instant analysis, based for the most part on emotionalism and morality and on little or no empirical evidence. As a result, while the public discussion seems to have abated now, it would appear to have thus far generated much more heat than light, with the community being no better educated about these issues.While the matters ventilated can understandably appear to threaten the integrity of our education system, which plays such a key role in our institutional life, it does not and should not mean that the society as a whole should settle for a knee-jerk reaction to them, and thereby thrash about in search of instant solutions.As a matter of fact, the society’s reaction should be the exact opposite with a well considered effort being made to examine the issues in as factual, objective, calm, dispassionate and professional a manner as possible.That is why we are submitting that our society would be far better served if these allegations of widespread school-based lesbianism and gang formation were to be subjected to the rigorous scrutiny of scientific study, an exercise which admittedly could take at least a few weeks to be conducted and its findings analysed.But at the same time, the Barbadian public would be assured of the findings of a probe that would be better able to determine the true nature, extent, causes and influences behind these reported phenomena.The harsh reality is that Barbados cannot afford to base its national response to them by relying heavily on large doses of anecdotal information, or evidence not obtained through universally accepted social science methods. To do otherwise would be to run the very real risk of proceeding along faulty, skewed and scientifically unsound lines in what is done from hereon. It is well known that where conducting social investigation is concerned, a major factor is that major differences in the outcome are influenced by the methods adopted in relation to the manner in which the survey is structured and administered and the types and quality of interviewing and other information gathering techniques employed, and even the wording of the questions asked. Any remedial action eventually adopted can be flawed and ineffective if it is based on information, conclusions and recommendations that are in themselves defective, inadequate and inappropriate. Thus the need for proper scientific evaluation. If such a study is not done effectively, the net result is that any problems which exist could become aggravated, because the core causal factors would not have been properly addressed.
BC’s Barbados: 11-plus minus
TWO MONDAYS AGO, out of sympathy for the little tykes who, two Tuesdays ago, completed the Secondary Schools’ Common Entrance Examination, I did the maths section of a practice paper. Today, I’ll give “Language Arts” a shot; which may well end up between my own eyes. Children get 80 minutes to answer 85 “items” – a strike rate that might be envied in Torture20 cricket. These questions are taken from an actual test paper.Write the correct form of the adjective in brackets: Question 1. The guest of honour was given the (comfortable) seat in the hall. If the guest of honour was a Rasta at a police station, he was given the most comfortable seat on the edge of a cliff; if he was at the Yacht Club, he was given the most comfortable car washing space. Question 2. Roshonna is Chaunte’s (loyal) friend. Answer: Roshonna is Chaunte’s African-American friend. Underline the word in brackets that correctly completes each sentence:Question 6. Several curious onlookers converged at the (seen, scene) of the accident. Answer: Seen; Bajans converge at the scene of an accident, but only to be seen. Question 25. Five West Indies cricketers (excels, excel) in Australia. Can’t answer because the past tense is not an option and the last time five WI cricketers didn’t shame themselves in Australia, Viv Richards had hair.Write the present tense of the verb in brackets: Question 16. Barbadian singing sensation Rihanna (won) another Grammy Award. It doesn’t matter what Rihanna wins, once she keeps Chris Brown lost. Question 20. Chris Gayle (struck) the ball over the pavilion. Another trick question: you can only strike the ball if you’re still in the tournament. Sorry, Chris.Insert the missing punctuation mark: Question 30. The children’s breakfast consisted of eggs bacon plantains and chicken nuggets. Where are these children eating? By Granny and KFC simultaneously? And what the hell are bacon plantains? They must mean bacon burgers; so it was lunch all along.Rewrite the sentences in the passive voice.Question 54. Many tourists have visited Harrison’s Cave. Answer: Not in this guava/tourist season. Indicate the part of speech of each underlined word:Question 63. Writing can be a very creative form of communication. Answer: not in the Advocate. Question 65. Roger assisted the fallen senior citizen. If this was in a back street in The City, Roger knocked him down first and assisted him by relieving him of the burden of carrying his wallet. Question 67. We should express gratitude for the blessings of life. This question must have escaped from the passive voice section. Answer: Gratitude for the blessings of life should be expressed by the poor; the rich should be glad for Bible class that keeps people happy to be poor.Next week, we essay the essay. • BC Pires (is, are) not (failing, feeling) whale.
Pupils get pep talk
STUDENTS of the Alleyne School in St Andrew were given a pep talk by distinguished transplant surgeon Dr Velma Scantlebury-White last Friday .The Barbadian and former student of the school who is now based in the United States, was home for a short visit and took the opportunity to speak to the students of her alma mater. In her speech Dr Scantlebury-White told the students that they should set their goals early in life and work hard towards achieving them. “Nothing good in life comes easy and to achieve or to be the best in what you do, you need to make sacrifices,” she advised. She said when she first decided to enter the field of medicine and surgery she was greeted with many obstacles, negativity and challenges. “One was whether I had the capabilities to succeed or even what it took to get there, especially as a female trying to enter into a predominately male profession. It was even suggested that I should consider doing less demanding things like radiology or paediatrics. Despite all of that I pursued what I wanted to do and not what others wanted me to do. “Of course there were limitations and obstacles along the way but I think my determination and drive to prove that I could really do it, is what kept pushing me to see if I could succeed in the face of all the discouragement along the way. In the end I was able to do it.“Today I wish you to encourage the students in the various schools to dream high, to have a goal and a vision of where you see yourself. In seeing yourself in the future, you should create a path as to how you will get there,” she added.Dr Scantlebury-White, who is attached to the Christiana Care Hospital in Delaware as the director of their Kidney Transplant Programme, delivered the annual Olive Trotman Memorial Lecture at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre sponsored by the Barbados Public Workers Cooperative Credit Union.
Helping hand for fire victim
ALMOST one year ago Sandra Straker of Wildey, St Michael lost everything she owned to fire leaving her and her children with just the clothes on their backs. The fire having started in the early morning originated in the living room, forcing the family to brave the flames to escape. With the help of Santia Bradshaw, the Barbados Labour Party candidate for St Michael South East, who solicited assistance from two businesses Sandra Straker was soon going to be in a position to make a living for herself again. Through donations from Carter’s & Co and Island Properties Ltd she is on her way to achieving that goal. She was presented with building materials and a grill.Commenting on the presentation Bradshaw said: “I was moved by the fact that Sandra wanted assistance not in cash, but to be given the tools necessary to assist in her being self sufficient once again.”Straker, who claims to make the best pudding and souse, is looking forward to having her shop set up at her Factory Avenue, Wildey, St Michael home. With emotion in her voice Straker said: “Miss Bradshaw is the only person who came to my assistance after this happened other than the Welfare Department. She is helping me to start my shop back up so I pay my own bills.” Farzana Juman-Humphrey of Carter’s in Wildey said: “Carter’s places great emphasis on giving back to the communities it serves. We’re happy we could assist Sandra in such an important matter.” (PR)
Protect against ills of the internet
Protecting children from the dark side of the Internet, says Prime Minister David Thompson, remains a priority for Barbados, even though the new information and communication technology (ICT) age throws up some good possibilities for the country.This was the word to the congregation of the Mount of Praise Wesleyan Holiness Church in Tudor Bridge, St Michael, yesterday.In the message read on his behalf by the Ministry of Finance, Investment, Telecommunications and Energy’s Permanent Secretary Ronald Bascombe, Thompson said that Barbadians must never lose sight of the need for “protecting children in cyberspace”.He did not elaborate, but major concerns about children using the Internet included the possibility of access to pornography and exposure to predators such as paedophiles. “We recognise children to be a vulnerable group and, to this end, our telecommunications unit continues to promote this theme, and will be arranging, through the Ministry of Education, . . . a series of awareness presentations to our primary school children,” the message from Thompson read.“In this way, we will develop cyber-smart children and in the long run cyber-smart citizens, thereby facilitating the development of better cities and better lives with ICTs in a safe and secure environment.”The message was to mark World Telecommunications And Information Society Day today.It noted “smart buildings” – those using the new technologies to maximise benefits in energy, lighting, space, comfort, security and other areas – among the good ICT spin-offs.“On our near horizon, many new and innovative ways of managing our country Barbados will emerge,” Thompson’s message said.“These will include the establishment of “smart buildings”, the deployment of intelligent traffic management systems, realising new efficiencies in energy consumption and waste management, exchanging information and knowledge, and communicating on the move,” it added. Officials from the ministry as well as ICT service providers attended the church service.They heard Pastor Ronnie Quimby urge the congregation to maintain contact with God, as the “service provider”.Quimby said marriages were breaking down because one or both partners had lost that connection.When a marriage was in trouble, “the reality is that somewhere, somehow somebody has been disconnected”, he told the congregation.According to Quimby, messages about sexual abstinence and the use of a condom “every time” were likely to fail unless they had a religious basis because “desires will control you unless you are connected to God”. (TY)