Sunday, May 5, 2013

not watered down

I've been told more than once that I have a tendency to be self-deprecating. Its true sometimes. Having said that, this leads me to my point - corbeaux doh eat sponge cake. Having said that I move closer to my point, that I don't know art apart from knowing what I like.

There is an assumption in my mind about what water-color paintings look like. If I went to more exhibits I may break that perception, having gone to a fair share though I can still say there is an assumption in my mind about what water-color paintings look like. Camille King challenged that perception with her exhibit Inspired that opened at Soft Box Studios early last week.

Two Cents Shave Ice

Eric and Nation: SoE

Elsa

Viki II

Viki I

Elsa II

Johannah

Waiting

Roots and Wings

Dean Arlen

Unknown

Camille King

Pollock

Maqueripe

Two sisters and a cousin

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Privately

A Song for Private Lee was written after thinking about the support for Obama from the global Black community. There is an undying love for him in some cases because he is Black like me. I wondered about how smaller minorities feel about representation and how well that was served by Civil Rights developments both locally and in the USA. I am aware of Equal Opportunity legislation but not sure how well outside of that there isn't some sense of every man for himself when it comes to some aspects of the struggles.It's also about the fight for the right to party and a some fierce Asians I know.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

May Day, May Day!


There are certain things cool people don’t discuss, among them, labor unions.

Today is International Worker’s Day. I should have a lot to say given that I am a worker and I believe in the work of trade unions. Trade unions created the 40 hour work week, the right to weekends off, maternity leave, sick leave, and minimum wage...so many things that make work tolerable.

Employers will take advantage of workers. They don’t measure often what an employee is worth and so there is always a conflict about that quid pro quo approach, I want a fair pay for a fair day’s work but I don’t have access to the value of the company or the value of what I bring to the company.

I am expected to trust the company and that when all other costs are considered and paid, then salaries are worked out and accepted because some money is better than none.

We believe in resistance, I know one writer who signs out by saying “resistance is fertile”: but too one must choose one’s battles and there is strength in numbers and so again the labor movement has my support in gathering the masses.

In Trinidad and Tobago there has been a historical link between Labor and Politics. It was Butler who took on the Williams administration. George Weeks was a senator; the United Labor Front was in Opposition. This makes me uncomfortable in that while both groups seek the interest of the people as a journalist I’m allowed to be only so political and as a worker I must seek the interests of those like me, and there are many of us.

I can’t speak for all workers but one voice is sometimes all it takes so as we observe International Workers Day I wonder how can you make this a better place in terms of the work that you do? Can you be nicer to a low paid worker? Can you ask that your boss be more fair to everyone and not just you at your work place? I don’t know, but for me it’s something cool to think about today.