Latest at Preschag

UNCOPTOP

Fri, 28 May 2010 13:58:31 +0000

Good luck to Madam Prime Minister, and her cabinet. Does anyone know of past PCC stuents in the cabinet. I am not sure of Prakash Ramadhar....??

Dave Ameerali 1960-2010

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:30:40 +0000

Dave Ameerali, once of Eleanore Street Chaguanas in the early days, passed away suddenly on 26th March 2010.

Many of us knew Dave from Montrose Vedic, PCC and UWI. The site expressed deep condolences to Dave's surviving family and loved ones.

We invite messages and comments from all who know Dave. Your messages, memories - even photographs or video - of Dave will endure here on this site.

[This note may be updated with new information]

Radio Station

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:38:50 +0000

I have a radio station and the streming audio portion is located at http://www.wlu.ca
I would like to offer either a 30 or 60 minute slot to PCC users.
What I would need is an mp3 recorded program (64kbs) and I will arrange to have it broacast on the station as well as on the Internet.
Happy New Year to all

-Franklin Ramsoomair

Doctor shortage a sign of incompetence

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:13:53 +0000

See: TT Express 2009-07-26 - where I give it to Imbert:

"Colm Imbert, in a report in the Express on July23, said that there were 2,400 medical posts unfilled, and half ofthose (that is 1,200) represented a chronic shortage. MrImbert-formerly a health minister back in 2003-reminds us that thechronic shortage of doctors in T&T existed before 2003 and as farback as the 1950s. What an admission of gross maladministration andincompetence!

Does Mr Imbert, in his current role, realise that he has admitted togross neglect of the country's health system across two terms of hisGovernment? Why on earth in 2009-at least six years after hisGovernment decided to import doctors in large numbers-are they stillwrestling with such a ridiculous shortage of doctors?

Let us recall that Mr Imbert's solution to the doctor shortage backin 2003 was to import Cuban and other foreign doctors- whilst kickinghome-grown doctors in the teeth. But that was not some new kind of"treatment". It has been going on for several decades.

You may think that with 2,400 vacant medical posts in T&T thatthe Government or the health authorities might have filled theirwebsites with advertisements for at least the most urgent-to-fillposts? We should expect in the order of 1,200 advertisements acrosshealth service websites. Guess how many are advertised as of July 23,2009? One! One single advertisement at the South West Regional HealthAuthority's website-none on any other health-related Trinbagonianwebsite. Perhaps all 2,400 jobs are advertised on a Cuban website. Idid not have the time or energy to check, and I do not speak or readSpanish.

Mr Imbert has now proven me right by his latest utterances. In myletter to the Express on January 8, 2003, I said, "The fighting-talk tobring in Cuban doctors is a poor imitation of Thatcher's strategy, todeal with striking miners in England. It will fail miserably inTrinidad. There is no way that the Government can find enough Cubandoctors within a few months who will pass medical registrationrequirements and have sufficient linguistic competence and culturalawareness to function properly."

It was certainly not months.Here we are, six years later, with Imbert and his merry men makingstrenuous efforts, yet again, to avoid the issue of linguisticcompetence (inter alia) by passing a new law. No, Mr Imbert, you andyour brethren will learn in due course that the recipe is not "a lawfor a flaw".

I predict that the likes of Mr Imbert will now sex up the wholematter and further inveigle the Government to pass legislation in orderbully the medical profession, yet again. Young and middle-aged doctorswill take flight from T&T in greater numbers. To where? Australia,New Zealand and Alberta, in Canada. These are the regions in the worldwhere they are wooing high-calibre doctors. T&T's home-growndoctors will flourish in those countries. Many are there already anddoing quite well. They do not want to return to the "comess" andconfusion. Who will fill the vacant posts left behind? Local doctorswill and be replaced largely by a cheaper, hyper-obedient, importedworkforce.

It appears to me that Imbert is bent again on aping, as he did in2003, the strategies used by Thatcher (in England). He comes nowherenear Mrs Thatcher's intellectual prowess in her heyday. I said in 2003that Imbert was living in cloud cuckoo land. It seems that he has nowtaken up permanent residence there-and now he has company! Happy, theyall are. Sad will be the people of T&T who expect high-quality,first-world-like health services on the approach to 2020.

Dr Russell D Lutchman

MRCPsych LLB(Hons) ACMI

Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist

London, UK"

The Great SMS Rip-off!

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:21:12 +0000

This content is reproduced with permission from Jumbies Watch.

"Here is something to think about. If I was to ask you to pay approximately $USD 1000.00 per MB of data transmitted on your mobile phone would you go for that? Probably not � unless you�re Richard Branson or Bill Gates. But now I�m gonna flatter you. You�re in that league because that�s about the rate you pay to transmit SMS messages!! (especially if you�re texting in the UK)."

The article goes on to explain how you're being ripped off and you may not even be aware of it.

Who want's to be

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:53:51 +0000

Give us your caption comments.

Murder Stats 2009

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:46:36 +0000

NEW YEAR - OLD HORRORS

The new year brings us the same old stories, doesn't it. Look not at the graph below.

And look away from how 5 were murdered in one night bringing the toll to 41 in 25 days: Newsday 2009-01-25

Zeitgeist Movies

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 11:20:32 +0000

With so many of us out in North America I wonder what you all thought about Zeitgeist - there are two of these movies out on youtube and google.

See: http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/ and below (for those not familar with Z2, the first part of the movie has a fuzzy intro with some narration)

I've viewed both of these. Much of the stuff is well presented and seemingly credible.

Zeitgeist II has me thinking hard about the economy in America and the role of the Federal Reserve.

They seem also to suggest that the IRS extraction of taxes has no foundation in law and is unconstitutional. Is this for real? I mean this could be the biggest heist in history. If all this stuff is true it the thing should be relabelled 'Zeitheist'.

What's the story?

[For responses - please click the 'Fast Reply' or 'Add Reply' buttons - not the Reply button next to 'Quote']

WhopperVirgins Challenge!

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:14:09 +0000

Check dis: Whopper Virgins

Burger King has challenged MacDonalds to an amazing competition!!

Read more about it here. Give us your vote above.

Remote access software

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:03:05 +0000

I've been working about 300 miles away from home where my desktop is. I carry my laptop but there are still somethings I need to keep and work on on the desktop. So, I've been looking for cheap economical ways of connecting to my home desktop while on the road.

To cut a long story short there are loads of software out there that all do very much the same thing. Yep - some do it better, and faster etc etc. Some cost the earth and a few cost very little.

Okay... so having tried out two, I was not impressed. Some of these are limited by Windows Vista Home Edition not being able to do remote desktop. So I needed a work-around for that.

Right - I settled for TeamViewer. Why I like team viewer?

It is pretty idiotproof.
It is beautifully simple.
It serves my needs which are very simple i.e. connect, transfer a few files, modify a few applications.
No configuration
No problems with firewalls etc.
It is fast.
It is free to use for non-commercial use - and they can afford it because they have had some 15Million downloads of this software!! So, even if 1% of those become paying customers, that's a whopping customer base.

I also would use TeamViewer to help a few close friends out with some tips and tricks. And it is just brilliant for that purpose.

I recommend the software. If others know of anything similar or better, do share with us.

HOW TO CHOOSE A SPOUSE.

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:47:44 +0000

Let's start off with an old saying "BRIDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER".Well this saying can be taken in variety of context and the context I intended here is not racial with regards to skin color.This being said i put foward a question to anyone that wants to participate....Do you think in choosing a spouse we should look for someone who is at or around the same intellectual level as your self?

Obama's victory speech

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:49:24 +0000

The speech in full:
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, ~~Latino~~ Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled � Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him, ~~and~~ I congratulate Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, ~~our~~ the nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine ~~so much~~, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure. To my sister Maya, my sister Ama and all my other brothers and sisters thank you so much for all the support you have given me - I am grateful to them.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign who built the best..the best political campaign I think in the history of the United States of America, to my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way, to the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics � you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to � it belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington � it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to the ~~this~~ cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from the ~~this~~ Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime � two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for their child's college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America � I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you � we as a people will get there!

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years � block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter ~~must~~ cannot not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek � it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers � in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House � a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values that we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends�though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." ~~And~~ To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn � I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world � our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear the ~~this~~ world down � we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security � we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright � tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope!!

~~For that is~~ That's the true genius of America � that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing � Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons � because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America � the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves � if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time � to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth � that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."

Windows 7

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:16:34 +0000

Some of us might have heard about Windows 7, the new OS from Microsoft. It is scheduled to be released next year (or 2010.) Microsoft's trying to make a comeback with it after they failed with Vista, and about a week ago at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) they handed out betas of it to certain people. (Build 6801.) Many sites now have screenshots (this site has a lot) and reviews. So far, the criticism has been great, people say it's much lighter than Vista, more stable and they like the new features introduced, such as UAC control (UAC was Vista's worst problem) and small features like Peek (Alternative to "Show Desktop"; it's better) and detached gadgets (no more sidebar.) The taskbar has changed, as well as a few other UI elements, excluding the window frames themselves, however, this may come in a later time. It can be noticed that they followed a "cloudy" theme, probably it has something to do with Windows Azure (cloud computing application development platform.)

Also, the x86 (32bit) beta build 6801 is available on torrent sites. I wouldn't think it is illegal as betas are usually free, and beneficial to Microsoft through user feedback. I would love to get an x64 edition, but it's not available as yet. Currently I'm downloading it, and you can ask me if you want a particular screenshot of anything.

Here's a screenshot:

Vista network printer problem

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:17:44 +0000

I've battled with this issue for weeks. Finally the solution came after about 30 minutes of Googling.

Here's the problem:

When I tried to Add Printer via Network to my Vista laptop, I'd be able to see the Network Printer, but when I try to connect I'd bet an "Unable to Connect" and a bong from Vista.

Loads of people out there would have had this issue. You could wrestle with FireWalls etc but it isn't a firewall issue. The problem surfaces especially if the printer is hosted on via an XP computer.

Here's the solution:

Verify that File and print sharing is turned on and properly configured on the XP machine.
Open the the shared location of the printer (Shared Printers folder) on Win XP from your Vista machine
On the Vista machine launch the "Add a Printer" wizard
Choose "Add a local printer"
Select "Create a new port" radio button and choose "Local Port" from thedrop down menu
Press Next
In the "Enter Port Name:" box enter the shared folder path from 'Step 2'. (e.g. \\WinXP\PrinterSharedFolder)
Select the Printer driver from the list provided or use the "Have Disk" button to install the correct Vista driver if it is not in the built-in list.It is critical that the driver you use is Vista compatible.
Press next
Give the printer a distinct name and choose whether to set as the default.
Press Next
Print a test page to see if it works.
Press Finish

Well the above worked for me straight off! It's an unusual way of solving the problem but it works.

masalaradio is good for a laugh

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:53:59 +0000

check it out 101.1 tnt chutney