Endangered Species

Concern for conservation and preservation in the Cayman Islands is on the rise.

Wendy Ledger wrote recently in CNS -  A sea change ahoy -  about grass-roots environmental (and cultural) concerns that may coalesce to form a new political party.

If that were to happen then, ironically, yet another species, the MLA Parrot,  would be immediately and critically endangered.

In contrast to other parrot species, which can be highly communicative and intelligent, these ones are quiet most of the time although, as a group, (or an 'Assembly of Parrots' to use the correct collective noun) they can engage in noisy, ritual territorial displays. But they seem most content spending their days building and feathering large nests.

Until recently the public have tolerated these birds, some finding their mimicry, ostentatious preening and sometimes colourful antics amusing, but that mood is changing. Increasingly they are viewed as pests and a danger to Cayman's environment.


Do they have a future?  Possibly - for the ones that can adapt quickly enough.

Cat Fight - well, kinda.

Stop it Girls! Or at least wait until I can find a camera.

Babbity Barwick (a real person) was taken to task by Knal N Domp (the assumed persona of a late-middle-aged male Insurance Pro.) for being lukewarm in her affection for her adopted Grand Cayman home,  - as reported in the Financial Times "A gilded cage" (sic)


Not that Knal has ever had a bad word to say about Cayman
 


On reading the infamous article I was astounded by the nerve of the woman - these are actual quotes

"has a lovely coastline, gorgeous sea, beautiful beaches and big skies"

"The large variety of restaurants, though, are good"

"The Caymanian old-timers are real sweethearts, very moral and stoic."

and if those hate filled words don't make your gorge rise here's the clincher:

".. it is bliss here"

Given such provocation can Knal's ad feminam riposte be overlooked?

For those like Babbity Barwick, living in Cayman is something that has to be endured- like English sex- and whilst enduring, think only and constantly, of England.

Hmmm ... maybe Knal needs to take a look in the mirror: I mean apart from when he's having sex with himself.

Phonies

The deputy premier, who is the minister with responsibility for communications, will be leading a Cayman delegation to Spain for the Global System for Mobile Communications Association Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly and the team will be leaving the Cayman Islands Friday for the four day conference, which is an annual telecommunications industry event, bringing together mobile telecommunications providers, regulators and policy-makers, officials said.

CNS Article

 Now read on ...

Telecoms guru Juliana O’Connor-Connolly sits in her new office mulling over whether to get another name extension and some wider headed notepaper when her Executive Aid enters bearing some Gatorade, a hearing aid, a bandaid and some marmalade. His job is to deal with anything ending in 'aid' or 'ade' and he carries stuff around with him in case it is suddenly needed.

'Yo JuJu whazzup!'

'You overpaid aid, are your manners mislaid? I expect an accolade and you, the aforesaid, won't need to be soothsaid to know when I upbraid you could get waylaid and bio-de-grade. Yunnerstand?

'A thousand pardons madam'

'Dat better. Now wha'appenin?'


'Sensational news madam. I heard that the head of AT&T is here in person to persuade all Cayman's millions to move to his phone network. And a man just arrived saying he was from AT&T'

'Well send him in, send him in. And leave the marmalade.'

In order to impress Mr AT&T Juliana O’Connor-Connolly picks up her new executive phone from her new executive desk  puts it to her not so new, but little used, executive ear and pretends to be talking to the head of Verizon.

As Mr AT&T enters, looking a tad casual - but maybe he's on vacation, she whispers 'You from AT&T?', he nods and she waves for him to take a seat and gushes on

' .... your offer of free phone calls for the first four years is an interesting one Mr Verizon but I think AT&T may offer five years. Also I think two cents an hour for calls to the USA could be improved on even allowing for the free broadband for all schools. Well I must go now the head of AT&T is waiting to speak to me. Bye'

Turning to her visitor she greets him and asks, 'So, can you help me improve Caymans's communications facilities?'

'I guess so. I'm here to connect that phone.'