LIME Internet blocks The Bajan Reporter website – FTC alerted

LIME by Cable & Wireless: Limited Internet, Many Expenses

Not the first time LIME blocked a website, probably not the last

We at Barbados Free Press understood entirely when we received a cc’d copy of an email this morning from Ian Bourne.

LIME has been blocking Bourne’s Bajan Reporter website ON A ROTATING BASIS just like it does with Barbados Free Press. Some folks can get it sometimes, and some folks can’t. As I write this, Grape Hall can reach The Bajan Reporter through LIME but south coast LIME customers can’t.

They don’t just shut it off you see… that would be too telling. They rotate the outage or “throttle” the speed.

Anything to please their political masters.

Hey, Alex McDonald. Yeah, you in the photo… we’re on to you, LIME and your scheme to censor political discussion on this island. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Here’s the email we received from Ian Bourne this morning. He sent it to about 30 people and news organisations, so I guess he means for it to be public. Here ya go folks…

TO: Alex McDonald, country manager for LIME Barbados

CC: (Barbados Free Press plus a List of 25+ names removed by BFP)

RE: Bajan Reporter website inaccessible to LIME users?

Good Morning Alex;

Trust this note finds you well and eager to clarify… I have everyone on board so we’re at the same page – last night a number of regular readers to my site said they could not access it – now I have a new server to accommodate increased users, I checked via Safari/Firefox/Chrome/Internet Explorer browsers and my signal is fine! But the fans who could not?

They all were using LIME, my service is no longer with Caribsurf – so my site appears in no time flat? Is there a problem in relaying my info to your customers? The fact I carry regional Football coverage from your competitors is considered objectionable? Or their forays into Asiatic climes?

Corruption-Free Anguilla blog shuts down over threatened lawsuit

Don Mitchell CBE QC learns why anti-corruption blogs in small countries must be anonymous

“The bottom line is that whether the gentleman who is threatening action against me is right or wrong, I am not prepared to expose Maggie Mitchell’s retirement fund to more risk of depletion.  Since I evidently lack the necessary skills of dissimulation, it would seem that the only way to ensure this objective is to cease publishing.  This will therefore probably be my last post on this blog.

A pity, really…”

Don Mitchell writes his final blog article: The End.

The Corrupt and Powerful Elites always attack the messenger

Since December of 2006 Don Mitchell argued for integrity and transparency in public service in Anguilla. Some folks aren’t happy about that and they are threatening to sue him, so that’s the end.

Mitchell’s Corruption-free Anguilla blog almost made it to the four year mark, but it’s over now.

Sam Lord’s Castle burns to the ground thanks to Barbados DLP, BLP, CLICO, Leroy Parris

No water for fire fighters at scene

In April 2009, Barbados Free Press predicted Sam Lord’s would burn. We said in our article How CLICO Ruined A Barbados Heritage Site: Sam Lord’s Castle…

“Five years ago CLICO Barbados said they would restore Sam Lords Castle as part of a major tourist development.  Surprise, surprise… as they did in the past and have done since about other things — CLICO lied.

You see folks, this is the way it works with these irresponsible corporate beggars…

First, they spot a piece of land that they want. If, like Sam Lords Castle, it is a heritage site in need of some work the corporation promises to restore the heritage site to its former splendor — all in exchange of course for permission to develop the land. Next comes the “the condition was worse than we thought” speech. After a few years of additional neglect, the heritage site becomes nothing more than a candidate for demolition. And if that doesn’t work, well, the Corporation just leaves the place unguarded and unlocked so the paros can look after business for them. When the place finally burns down the way is clear for the development they really wanted to build.”

A strategy of neglect

That’s how it happened my friends, and it did not happen without the complicity of those in power. In this case the strategic neglect started under the BLP Owen Arthur government and continued to the present day under the DLP Thompson government.

Somebody will make a bundle on that fire, but the poor suckers who keep paying and paying and paying are we taxpayers and our children.

Coming your way soon to where Sam Lord’s Castle used to stand: some concrete condo or row housing that looks like everything else.

Crocodile Tears from Leroy Parris

Leroy Parris: Never hired a watchman for Sam Lord’s. Never put plastic on the roof to stop the water. Did nothing at all to preserve or prevent the deterioration of Sam Lord’s Castle during the years it was in his care. Now that it burned, Parris says this…

Former chairman and director CLICO, Leroy Parris, told this newspaper he was “disappointed” at the news of the fire. He also commented that it was a shame for such a historic building to have been lost in such a manner.

… from the Barbados Advocate article Island’s only ‘castle’ gutted by fire

From Barbados Free Press contributor Colin L. Beadon…

“Once, our major tourist attraction.

The car park at Sam Lords used to be full of busses and taxis, and the little restaurants outside did a bustling trade with thirsty camera- swinging tourists who came to look over the Castle, taking photos at every step, inside and out. Sam Lords, used to be the proud, shining delight of Barbados. Now it is a burnt ruin.

We spend 84 million dollars, US$, to work over our caves, yet we can’t find the wages of day and night watchmen to guard against the vandalism of our world famous National Icon, a Castle.

Shame, sick shame, shame, deep dreadful shame on us, that we have allowed such a travesty, such a tragedy; and here we had been hoping for world heritage status. How much more stupid can we become?”