#guyana legend

[briefbestiary]

Disturb not the one who stares up at the luminous moon.

Some say that if one manages to distract him from his focused attention to the Moon, he will begin to chase them in order to suck out their brain using the palm of his hand.

[2t2r]

Les impressionnantes chutes de Kaieteur en Guyana

Nouvel article publié sur https://www.2tout2rien.fr/chutes-de-kaieteur-en-guyana/

Les impressionnantes chutes de Kaieteur en Guyana

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 20 June 1967, boxing legend Muhammad Ali was convicted for refusing the draft for the Vietnam war in Houston, Texas. Ali had been a vocal opponent of the US war, saying “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?” To try to quell the escalating resistance to the war, Ali was given the maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. But their efforts were unsuccessful, and the anti-war movement continued to grow. Despite the Nation of Islam beginning to distance themselves from Ali, demonstrations supporting him took place around the world, from Egypt to Guyana to London to Ghana. Four years later his conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court. Ali had no regrets: "I wasn’t trying to be a leader. I just wanted to be free. And I made a stand all people, not just Black people, should have thought about making, because it wasn’t just Black people being drafted. The government had a system where the rich man’s son went to college, and the poor man’s son went to war. Then, after the rich man’s son got out of college, he did other things to keep him out of the Army until he was too old to be drafted." Learn more about the movement against the Vietnam war in our podcast episodes 43-46: https://workingclasshistory.com/2020/09/23/e43-46-the-movement-against-the-vietnam-war-in-the-us/ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=647623424077543&set=a.602588028581083&type=3

[jbuffyangel]

The Canary: Arrow 2x05 Review (League of Assassins)

Yeesh there is a lot of Lance drama in the beginning of Season 2. We finally get the backstory on Sara, but it’s the spectacular Oliver and Laurel scene that has me cackling.

Let's dig in...

Sara Lance

They reshot the whole pilot scene between Oliver and Sara only this time, we see what happens to Sara after the boat sinks and she’s swept out to sea. How this woman did not get hypothermia from only wearing a bra and underwear in the North China Sea is beyond me.

This scene just incenses me.  It irks the absolute crap out of me when Sara says, “Laurel is gonna kill me.” Sara says it like she’s borrowing Laurel’s sweater without asking. YOU ARE SLEEPING WITH HER BOYFRIEND.  This destroys a relationship. She’s not going to kill you, but she will absolutely cut contact with you, Sara.

I know he’s pre-island Ollie and he’s just the absolute worst, but the smarmy “Your sister will never know” as he climbs on top of Sara is just so disgusting. I cannot fathom why people would ever want Laurel to be with Oliver after what he did. Forgive him, fine. Date him? Absolutely not.

Okay, the rage is dying down. Hopefully this is the last time we have to watch this scene.

Sara is staying at the Queen mansion, which doesn’t see very covert, but with Moira in jail and Thea sleeping at Roy’s all the time it actually is a good place for Sara to crash. Better than a clock tower at least.

Oliver is still trying to convince Sara to let her family know that she’s alive, but she’s not convinced all family members *cough*Laurel*cough* will be happy to see her. Sara asks Oliver if he ever got back together with Laurel after he returned home.

Oliver: We tried. It’s too much.

Sara: Some things are better left in the past.

After The Gambit sinks, Sara is floating on a door similar to Rose in Titanic when she’s picked up by the freighter.

Source: saralances

We’re all going to pretend the canary landing right next to Sara is not the most obvious foreshadowing in the world. For anyone questioning if Arrow is making Sara their OG Canary – there’s your answer. You know - if the suit, wicked fight skills and sonic weapon didn’t answer it for you already.

The color of the Canary is important though. It’s yellow. Not black. Arrow is drawing a clear distinction between the two. This is an origin story. It’s not Green Arrow and Black Canary. It’s The Arrow and The Canary.

Sara is thrown in a cage on the freighter, similar to Oliver’s current predicament, but Dr. Ivo protects her from the crew members.  He tells Sara he is going to save the human race and invites her to help, so I can only conclude we’re going with Stockholm syndrome in the flashbacks. A twenty something college kid would have very little to offer a mad scientist.

However, Sara’s reticence to return to her family is not related to whatever happened on the island, but rather who she became and what she did to survive AFTER the island. We’re just about to get some details when a man dressed exactly like Malcolm Merlyn comes crashing through a window.  Oliver and Sara fight him, but before we can get any answers the man disappears. This is getting annoying. WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN SOMETHING?

Oliver introduces Sara to his team and we get the iconic first meeting between Sara and Felicity.

Source: oliversmoak

Sara does not want Team Arrow to find the assailant however. She knows exactly who he is. 

Sara: He’s called Al Ow-al, “The First.” And he’s a member of the League of Assassins.

Oliver has a very strong reaction to this revelation so we can deduce Sara didn’t join the Girl Scouts. The League is, you guessed it, a bunch of assassins who kill and vanish like ghost - previously thought to be an urban legend by Diggle. The League rescued Sara after the island, remade her into an assassin and she swore them her allegiance.

Sara left after she killed a local diplomat in Guyana and his children found his body the next morning. She didn’t want to be a murderer anymore, but now The League is coming after her.

Source: laurelscanary

Felicity’s humor and compassion put Sara at ease after her horrifying confession and this is why I love this character.  There’s no judgment from Felicity. She sees Sara for what she is – a person in pain, even if Sara doesn’t see herself that way. Not unlike how Felicity looks at Oliver. And just like Oliver, Sara Lance is SMOAKED.

Source: smoakamell

After Felicity finds Al Ow-al, Sara and Oliver argue about whose fight it is. Sara isn't used to playing with others, but you'd think she'd understand basic strength in numbers. This is the guy who trained Malcolm Merlyn. He stops an arrow with his bare hand while his back was turned!

Al Ow-al: The child of Ra’s Al Ghul awaits your return.

I know who Ra’s Al Ghul is from my Batman days, but in Arrow's world he has a kid. A kid who sent Al Ow-al  to collect Sara alive or dead. This is getting complicated. Is there like an employment flow chart we can follow for the League of Assassins?

Oliver: The League of Assassins. Why wouldn’t she tell me what happened to her all those years?

Diggle: Probably the same reason you didn’t tell us what happened to you on the island.

Wow. This is stunning lack of self awareness. Oliver, in case you haven’t noticed, Sara is the girl version of you.

The League has threatened Sara’s family, so Oliver keeps watch over Laurel. Felicity calls Detective Lance to convince him to leave town - while promising Sara to not reveal she's alive.

Source: @noone-seesyou-likeido

Unfortunately, Lance does not listen to Felicity, so Sara decides her secret is not more important than her father’s life. Finally, she is seeing some sense. Diggle, ever the loyal solider, offers to go with as back up, but Sara continues to have this thing about fighting on her own. I guess being an assassin is a solitary job. This does give us one of the best bad ass Sara Lance speeches ever, however.

Sara: Dig, you may be a three tour Special Forces veteran, but I was trained by the people that make the Special Forces look like a kindergarten class. So step aside or get put down.

The reunion between Lance and Sara is all we hoped it could be. It’s not every day your kid comes back from the dead, but Paul Blackthorne does a phenomenal job of moving from shock and disbelief to overwhelming joy.

Source: laurelscanary

Quentin wants answers, but he’s careful not to spook Sara who is still reticent to give details. They go through the nuclear bomb that was set off in their family (the divorce, the alcoholism).  Sara apologizes for the damage she caused, but Quentin insists he was to blame, which is more proof he is a really good dad.

He can clearly see his daughter has changed. She speaks Chinese now and is ready to fight to the death with a butter knife. He pieces together Sara is the woman in black; she knows Felicity, The Arrow and is wrapped up in this League that’s after both of them. How this man has not put together Oliver Queen is The Arrow I will never understand.

Quentin: If these assassins, if they hadn't shown up, would you have ever let us know that you were alive?

Sara: No.

Well, at least she’s honest. Sara promises Lance that she never forgot who she was or him despite staying away for so many years.

Source: OILVERSQUEEN

She takes her father to the clock tower which she’s outfitted with booby traps for when the League comes for them both. Sara and Lance hold their own against the assassins, but when The Arrow arrives they achieve the upper hand. Sara has no problem breaking Al Ow-al’s neck, but allows one assassin to live to warn Ra’s Al Ghul.

Sara: Tell Ra’s Al Ghul that my family is off limits. His quarrel is with me.

She is ashamed to show Quentin who she has become – a killer.

Source:  sohpiabush 

But Quentin feels only pride. How little children understand the depth of a parent’s love. We have already forgiven anything you’ve done or may do the moment you are born.

Quentin: I think you’re a survivor. I think you’re one of the bravest people I’ve ever known. You’re my daughter.

Sara leaves town to lead the League away from her family and Quentin agrees to keep her secret. He will not tell either Laurel or Dinah that Sara is alive because it would get them killed… or something.  The logic is not logical, but I don’t really care. They’ll hold the “Laurel finds out Sara is alive” card for May sweeps.

Source: @laurelscanary

This is not the last we will see of Sara Lance. The Canary’s story is just getting started.

Oliver and Diggle

Despite Oliver's spectacularly hypocritical statement about Sara and honesty, there is serious emotional growth this episode. Oliver making this statement about forgiveness a year ago would have been unthinkable. He did not return home with any hope of being forgiven or even welcomed back. I'm going to give the Lance family a shoutout because they had the most to be angry about with Oliver. He asked both Laurel and Quentin for forgiveness and they each have extended olive branches at various time. Hell, Laurel was ready to get back together with him. So, the fact he's able to offer the same hope to Sara is really a full circle moment.

Source:  anissagraces

Oliver beginning to believe he is worthy of forgiveness is a direct result of the many hours of therapy with Diggle and Felicity. He is finally starting to really hear them. That's why this moment with Diggle at the end of the episode is truly note worthy.

Source: NUGETAE

Diggle should have this date embroidered on a pillow because it's not often Oliver will admit he was right. But Oliver is not done yet.

Source: COPHINES

He breaks out some Russian vodka and confesses to Diggle he was not always on the island the five years he was gone. Oliver is ready to unburden some of the secrets he works so hard to keep buried.

Source: laurelscanary

Oliver is able to see his own demons reflected in Sara and it finally connects the dots for him. He doesn't have to remain isolated in the world like Sara. Oliver can see Diggle (and Felicity) reaching out to him and he FINALLY reaches back. This is monumental character growth.

Sara: You three are quite the team.

Diggle: We have our moments.

Why Diggle and not Felicity? I think it's easier for Oliver to tell his war stories to another solider. He also doesn't have any fuzzy bunny feelings towards John, which makes things simpler between them. But every time Oliver opens the door to the past, and shares his pain, he is one step closer to the future he truly deserves.

Laurel Lance

Laurel is sitting second chair in Moira Queen’s prosecution, which is actually an INSANE CONFLICT OF INTEREST. Marc Guggenheim, you are a lawyer sir. What is this nonsense?  

Never fear! Laurel has used all her pull to get Moira a plea deal - life with the possibility of parole. Understandably the Queen family isn’t thrilled. It’s either life or the death penalty.  Laurel even discussing Moira’s case with Oliver is improper ex parte contact. She should be excluded from the case and sanctioned, but this is Arrow and that’s never going to happen.

In the middle of all of this, Oliver continues to ask if Laurel is okay. She is trying to kill your mother, Oliver. I feel how this is impacting Laurel shouldn’t really be your top concern. He is so exhausting around her. Take the hint, my dude. She doesn’t want your help and I’m tired of you two having the same fight episode after episode.

But this episode is not just another round of the same old some old. No, my friends this is a very special episode because it contains one of the best Laurel and Oliver scenes to ever grace our television. Oliver needs to protect Laurel from the League of Assassins, so he takes her out to dinner. Then he walks Laurel back to her apartment (because assassins) but she thinks he’s come up for a very different reason.

And OLIVER REJECTS HER.  The way I cackled.

I’m going straight to hell, but I don’t care. This moment is glorious. First of all, Laurel did not have a drink at dinner, so she can’t blame the booze and pills. She just flat out reads the situation wrong. Oliver apologizes for sending a mix signal, but he’s a bit confused. Didn’t they decide they shouldn’t be together out of respect for Tommy? Yes, Oliver. Yes you did. WHAT ABOUT TOMMY, LAUREL?!! This woman did not deserve that man.

Source: ILOVEKCASSIDY

Me:

Oliver promises Laurel he will never leave her and has certainly made every effort to help her, but it is the capacity in which he will stay in her life that is really in question. This moment is HUGE in terms of where Oliver is at emotionally. He is drawing a firm line in the sand. There was a time when Oliver would’ve welcomed Laurel trying to climb him like a tree no matter the circumstance, but not anymore. He clearly states that he cares about Laurel but only as a friend. His concern has no romantic undertone to it.

The balance of power in their relationship has always been tipped toward Laurel. This is the first time it feels like a more even playing field. Instead of Laurel rejecting Oliver – he is rejecting her and for a very good reason. Oliver is not stoned on pills and he remembers they don’t work. They tried to go back and it failed. Oliver has not interest in trying again. For the first time, Oliver is looking forward.  

And Laurel, cemented in the past and alone her in apartment, takes some pills.

Stray Thoughts

This secret Moira is keeping is a real humdinger if she’s ok with life with the possibility of parole.

Oliver and Thea promise Moira that she will not lose them no matter the secret. Sure Jan.

"Gee I didn't get you a bag of dirt." Bless this cupcake.

Where did Sara get her suit?

Malcolm Merlyn is also a member of The League of Assassins.

"Oliver’s lucky to have you both as friends. He hasn’t always had the best of luck in that area." Sara’s not so casual remarks about Slade and Shado are friggin ominous. It’s time to get real nervous about the flashbacks.

“You think because you are the beloved that you will be granted your freedom?” We all know who Sara’s beloved is and I’m very much looking forward to her arrival.

"Pain and I came to a little understanding a few years back." Sara takes a licking but keeps on kicking. This is such a bad ass line. The episode is chalk full of them. I love the OG Canary.

Listen to the Watchover podcast reaction to 2x05!!

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Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me!

[blueiscoool]

The Hunt: El Dorado, Fabled City of Gold, Remains Hidden in the Amazon

Centuries have seen countless explorers brave hardships to find the fabled city.

An ancient city of gold somewhere in South America is rumored to have been so fabulously opulent that it has become an expression for any place where people can amass great fortunes. But it has been so elusive that it has become synonymous, like the Holy Grail, with a prized object long sought but never found. Countless men have given their lives in the search for its riches as they ran out of supplies and food, were felled by disease, or encountered violent resistance along the way.

The goal of numerous explorers over centuries, from crews with wooden ships and horses to teams with drones and radar, El Dorado is a lost city, reportedly stretching over great distances in the Amazon rainforest and hidden from prying eyes by its remoteness and the warlike peoples in the forest around it. (The region got its name, in fact, from Spanish explorer Francisco Orellana, who compared the fighting women he encountered during his own search with the Amazons of ancient Greece.)

Tales of El Dorado, its name Spanish for “the golden,” began with the Muisca peoples’ perhaps-mythical account of a tribal chief who, in an initiation rite, coated himself in gold. He then went onto Lake Guatavita, near present-day Bogotá, threw a pile of gold objects into the water, and washed the gold off himself as his attendants also threw an abundance of gold objects into the lake. The 16th-century Spanish referred to him as the Golden Man or the Golden King.

“This is the ceremony that became the famous El Dorado, which has taken so many lives and fortunes,” according to a 1638 letter from writer Juan Rodríguez Freyle. That pile of loot was soon fused in the lore with an account of an entire city made of gold. Others posited that the city was called Manoa and was situated on the shores of a legendary Lake Parima, which has also never been found.

Supposedly one of the first to claim he visited it was the Spanish explorer Juan Martinez, who reported that the locals had brought him there blindfolded in 1531 and allowed him to witness it, and that he traveled an entire day through its streets before reaching the emperor’s palace.

When Francisco Pizarro conquered the gold-rich Inca civilization in Peru in 1532, Spaniards believed all the more firmly in the fabled El Dorado. Francisco de Orellana, a relative of Pizarro, unwittingly traveled the entire length of the Amazon, the world’s longest river, in his search for it.

Some gold did turn up in a lake, seeming to justify the continued search. After he found Guatavita, a sacred lake in the Andes, in 1537, conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada partly emptied it using a bucket chain. From its depths emerged a few thousand pesos of gold.

Bogotá entrepreneur Antonio de Sepúlveda, for his part, cut an enormous notch in the bank of the lake in 1580, removing a great deal of water before the notch collapsed and killed many of the workers. For his trouble, he uncovered three times as much gold as Quesada had, and sent it to King Philip II of Spain. Alexander von Humboldt, the 19th-century German explorer, would calculate that there could be as much as $300 million in gold in the lake.

English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh went looking for El Dorado in 1594, followed by the Spanish conquistadores, who scoured modern-day Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil in the search. Less well-known expeditions continued over the 17th and 18th centuries, bodies piling up but ultimately turning up nothing.

In findings from a major scientific investigation, Von Humboldt would claim, ca. 1800, to have disproven the existence of the lake El Dorado is meant to have flanked. In the following decades, two other researchers came to the same conclusion.

But the legend did not die. The search was revived a century later, when an English company drained the lake almost entirely. Despite their efforts, they extracted artifacts worth only about £500, some of which went to the British Museum, some of which sold at Sotheby’s London. In 1965, the Colombian government designated the lake as off-limits to further attempts.

The quest continues with the help of modern technology. A team led by Venezuelan archaeologist-explorer Jose Miguel Perez-Gomez went looking, employing aerial and satellite remote sensing surveys obtained from NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topography Missions (SRTM), the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument, and TanDEM-X synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors from the German Aeropsace Center’s Microwave and Radar Institute, according to a 2019 paper. Of all the unlikely results, their findings strongly resembled the outlines of a lake in a map drawn by none other than Sir Walter Raleigh.

The area is not without rich natural resources, so dreams of a city of gold can perhaps be forgiven. Illegal extraction operations are underway to this day, in fact, in what the Venezuelan government in 2016 designated the Orinoco Mining Arc, which covers 12 percent of the country’s territory and is rich not only in gold but also bauxite, coltan, and diamonds, possibly totaling some $2 trillion in value. You can literally see the modern gold mining from space: in 2021, an astronaut passing over eastern Peru in the International Space Station used a Nikon camera to snap a photo that reveals numerous gold prospecting pits.

Over the years, El Dorado has shown up in popular culture countless times, from a 1989 Neil Young record to video games, a board game, and the Cadillac Eldorado. So even as the city has remained stubbornly hidden over centuries, it is, in its way, all around us.

By Brian Boucher.

[mochinomnoms]

More history stuff!!! (I hope this isn't bothering you ;-;)

The legend of El dorado was born from the greed of conquistadors, essentially. They heard about a group called the Muisca, who as part of their coronation ceremony, would cover themselves in gold and take a dip in the lake Guatavita, leaving the lake filled with gold. Ofc, this wasn't enough, so they actively looked for the fabled El Dorado (fabled not by the locals, but by themselves). However, they did find a lot of platinum on their attempts to get to El Dorado, but this led to a problem where people would make counterfeit coins with platinum instead of gold. The Spanish government's response was to dump their entire platinum supply into the ocean. Their entire supply. Of one of the rarest metals on Earth. Into the ocean.

(Also can I maybe go by 🫘?)

It was the psihipqua (closest equivalent to us would be the chief/king) that would take gold trinkets and offerings to the middle of Lake Guatavita for the golds on a boat. The coronation is a mytho based on what I found, but those two combined are one of the first instances of "El Rey Dorado" or The Golden King which would lead into the legend of El Dorado.

From there, the legend of the city was mostly associated with Colombia, Venezuela, parts of Guyana and northern Brazil. Eventually, the legend transformed into the "Seven Cities of Gold" which led later expeditions all the way into modern New Mexico.

Most likely, the stories were made up by nobles and officers to motivate soldiers when exploring. It doesn't help that gold was a popular resource for many of the tribes in the Americas. The native's had lots of artifacts (jewelry, vases, etc) made with precious stones and metals, so the Spanish and Portuguese (don't forget about those fuckers too) made an assumption.

I didn't hear about the platinum, though, so that's interesting!

[rubberizer92]

🎉 Everyone, get ready for the grand reveal of Latex Legends League Season 3 - South America Edition! Get ready to be swept away on a whirlwind of passion, seduction, and unparalleled excitement! 🔥✨

In this scintillating season, we're introducing 36 new candidates onto the stage, and here's the kicker – seventeen of them are joining forces with real humans, blurring the boundaries between fantasy and reality in the most thrilling manner imaginable! 💫

Let me lay it out for you – it's time to unleash the power of your votes once more. Your electrifying choices will propel only the most deserving candidates forward, with the top 3 from each group securing their coveted spot in the next round. But hold onto your latex hats because here's where the adrenaline truly spikes!

Behold, The Voice, our enigmatic arbiter of excellence, will bestow a second chance upon an additional 6 candidates from all groups combined! Yes, everyone, the anticipation continues to mount!

Now, let's immerse ourselves in the tantalizing realm of South America. Picture this: amidst the vibrant energy of a bustling workshop emerges Pablo, representing Guyana 🇬🇾. Pablo is ready to bring Guyana to the top with his unwavering determination and passion for success.

Cast your votes, everyone, and witness the fusion of passion and perseverance as we embark on this exhilarating journey together! Remember, use our official hashtags #LLLSeason3 #AI #Rubber #RubberDreams #LatexLegendsLeague to join in the frenzy and ignite the excitement! 🏆✨ The stage is set, the stakes are high, and the allure of latex beckons like never before! 🔥🔥

[gravalicious]

“I left Agricola and Guyana’s wild coast when I was fifteen and as a gangling youth would with a man’s body, and a mind confused by poetry, biography, novels, histories of strange peoples, legends, music, folktales and fears, I went to fight a war against a distant tyrant named Hitler. Along with other Agricolans, I had seen films and read about Hitler’s atrocities against Jews and other captive peoples in the lands he conquered. One time, while looking at one of those films, the men of Agricola had become so enraged that they had leaped onto the stage and cut the silver screen to ribbons with their cutlasses. But, our village prophet, Jordan, a tall man with snow-white hair capping a shining anthracite face, had declared in his mesmeric voice that Hitler had been sent as a scourge against the White Man to punish him for his iniquities against the Black, Brown, and Yellow people. Under wartime regulations, Jordan had been arrested and imprisoned for the duration preaching what was sedition to the British, and heretofore unspoken truths to the villagers of Agricola. My indignation against Hitler and my impulse to escape from Agricola overrode Jordan’s admonitions and prophesies, so I lied about my age (declaring that I was eighteen) and ended up joining a Coast Artillery Regiment.”

Jan Carew - The Third World: Its Facade and its Landscapes Within (1988)

[legend-collection]

Mono Grande

The Mono Grande (Spanish for "Large Monkey"), a large monkey-like creature, has been occasionally reported in South America. Such creatures are reported as being much larger than the commonly accepted New World monkeys. These accounts have received rather little publicity, and typically generated little or no interest from experts.

The German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, who travelled in South America during early 19th century, heard stories from Orinoco about furry human-like creatures called Salvaje ("Wild"), which were rumoured to capture women, build huts and to occasionally eat human flesh. He attached no belief to the myth. The naturalist Philip Gosse also tried to examine these legends during his travels in Venezuela during the mid-19th century, but with no real success (Sjögren, 1980).

The so-called Loys' Ape was photographed in 1920; it has since been identified as a spider monkey. In 1931, inspired by Loys' ape, three Italians made an expedition to the Mazaruni River in Guyana, but without further evidence than more alleged sightings from the residents. Bengt Sjögren writes (1980) that: "They returned home with a couple of eyewitness-reports, that give the impression that the interviewed tried to make fun of them."

An American millionaire also set up a reward of 50,000 dollars to the one who could find a specimen, but nobody seems to have claimed the reward. The American scientist Philip Herschkowitz, who traveled in the same areas as de Loys, concluded that the story was a myth whose origin was the spider monkey, Ateles belzebuth. However, in 1951, a Frenchman named Roger Courteville claimed to have seen an apeman at the same Tarra River where de Loys said he had seen his creatures. Like de Loys, he presented a photograph of the creature as evidence.

In 1987, Gary Samuels (a mycologist studying under a grant from the New York Botanical Garden) was studying fungi in Guyana. Hearing footsteps nearby, he glanced up, expecting to see his Guyanese assistant. Instead, he saw a bipedal, ape-like creature standing about five feet tall. Samuels said the creature bellowed at him, then ran away.

[metabolic-riffs]

“Capitalism has created its own irrationalities such as a vicious white racism, the tremendous waste associated with advertising, and the irrationality of incredible poverty in the midst of wealth and wastage even inside the biggest capitalist economies, such as that of the United States of America.”

Remembering the absolute legend, revolutionary theorist and organizer Walter Anthony Rodney, born on this day in 1942 in Georgetown, Guyana.

[scribbling-sage]

Inside History: A brief synopsis of one of Jamaica’s first sports Legends

Yanique:

Hello everyone, good afternoon. My name is Yanique Guthrie and today I have the pleasure of interviewing one of Jamaica's most versatile sons, having achieved a high level of success in multiple sports where he represents Jamaica at both football and track and field. He is also one of the country's leading entrepreneurs, having also achieved a high level of success in various businesses. Today we have with us Professor Aldrick “Allie” McNab. Professor McNab is most publicly known as Allie.

He is Deputy Chairman of JADCO, Anti-Doping Commission. He is also Special Advisor to the Minister of Gender, Sports and Entertainment. He sits as Chairman on the Special Olympics Boards Ja, for the last six years and just recently, Allie, Professor McNab, has been awarded the fifth Pro-Chancellor of UTECH. He's also a retired CEO for several entities. 

So, Mr. McNab, thank you for having me.

Allie:

I'm not sure you're talking about me

Yanique: 

What you might not know is Professor McNab is a former player, captain, national coach and manager for the Reggae Boys. He has had a wonderful life in the sports industry. So, Mr. McNab, today I have for you a few questions. My first question is, why sports? Why did you choose sports and not academia?

Allie:

Let me rephrase that question in a certain way. Sports chose me. I had some talent, but my alma mater molded me. Molded me in the sense that the motto of Cornwall College is learn or leave. And so therefore it was instilled and has been instilled in all Cornwall-ians. Yes, you may have multiple talents in everything, but guess what? You came to school to learn. So, in spite of my having all this success in sports, where we won the DaCosta Cup, where Oliver Shield and I winning the 100 meters at Boys Champs and all of those accolades, it didn't mean anything to the school except in that I had to be successful in my exams. So, you didn't get any likes because you were a big track star or football star. The message was always academics is why we go to school, to learn. And sports was the bonus. So, to answer your question, I didn't choose, it chose me.

Yanique:

I understand. Well, I'm happy that you chose sports and I'm sure Jamaica is also. Which brings me to my second question. What is your most memorable moment in sports, in your entire sports career?

Allie:

Well, there isn't any one memorable, but there are literally what comes to mind four memorable moments. Certainly, when Cornell College beat JC in the Oliver Shield final way back in 1963 as a 15-year-old I scored two of the five goals when we beat them five love and that would stay with you. That was your first big moment in winning a national thing.  

The second thing was when, Umm , I played against Germany. I think that was 1978 for Jamaica, and that German team was en route, and in fact they ended up losing in the final to Argentina of the World Cup that year and that German team stopped off in Jamaica for a practice match and I scored a goal that in the ninth minute before the game ended, with nine minutes to go, they equalized and that stayed with me. You know, this is a great Germany, German team. 

The other thing was when I scored my first professional goal when I went away and played. I still have the plaque that was given to me by the General Manager Jim Oshust of my first professional goal and that was a moment. Of course, the other moment for me was when I was crowned the fastest schoolboy in the Caribbean when I won the 100 meters beating John Motley of Trinidad in Trinidad in San Fernando which actually was a precursor to what is now called the Carifta Games. Where it was Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and I still have the Forbes Burnham which is the president of Guyana at the time. The Forbes Burnham Trophy for winning that title.

Yanique: 

Maybe one day you'll get to show us these achievements. Which brings me to my third question. What advice can you give to a young person, somebody in their 20s, based on all aspects of your life, career in sports, your various businesses, and just being a husband and a father and you know all-rounder for Jamaica.

Allie:

Well, that's many questions in one and many answers to be given. What I will say from a business standpoint, I did study business in college and all of that but that is not really what I brought to the entrepreneurial table. What it is. It's the principle of sport. In sport you learn hard work. You work hard, you're going to achieve success. Never say die, sticktoitiveness and always be open to ask when you don't know. Because no man is an island, you don't stand alone. When I hear people speak and speakers at a podium and beat their chest and say, oh, I did it on my own. No, nobody does it on their own. You have to get help along the way. And there are so many people who helped me along my sporting journey, my business journey, my musical journey, all the things that makes up who Allie McNab is. Many people had a hand in making me become that.

Yanique: 

True stuff, true stuff and now my final question, which I'm very anxious to hear is, what's next for Ali McNab? What's next on your table?

Allie:

It's a good question. I tried retirement, it doesn't work for me. Because there's always something we can do. There's always a contribution. When you get to my age and stage of my life, it's no longer about you and what you achieve. It is about something that I have come to embrace in a most meaningful way. It's called moving from success to being significant. 

What's the connect there? When you become significant and successful at being significant is when you begin to transform lives, when you begin to help people to be the best that they can, when you help people to become what their dreams are and you play a hand in it, you know, it is just as fulfilling when I see you become successful and knowing that it is even one iota of that. And that's what real life is about. You know, when you get, I'm navigating old age now, it's a very daunting thing. You have less time on earth than you had before. So, you are looking at life and what is the meaning of life? Ten cars, ten houses? That's not important. What's important is how you interface with mankind and your fellow colleagues.

Yanique:

True words. Well, Professor McNab, it was a pleasure interviewing you today and I am looking forward to another one of our little talks.

Allie:

Well, thank you so much for thinking of me. At least I have some relevance left.

[patrickbijou]

A Visionary Light in the World of Investment, Banking & Humanitarianism: Sir Patrick Bijou

Sir Patrick Bijou

The world has become a place of competition, commitment, and the not-so-obvious corporate culture. Work has become an indispensable part of everyone's lives, a reality we have come to terms with. The banking and financial sectors are the backbones of all global economies, and the number of people working here occupies a big chunk, too.

In such a crowded industry, Sir Patrick Bijou succeeded in carving out a legendary identity of his own, all because of his immense contributions and visionary approach that churned out revolutionary methods one after the other over his three decades in that sector.

Born in Guyana in South America, Sir Patrick left his family's hometown and moved with them to England. There was a noticeable difference in the quality of his schooling, and he got an understandably superior education in Britain. This proved to be a step in the right direction, paving the way for the legend he was to become later in life.

Today, His Excellency is a UN Ambassador, published author, and investment banker, highly credited for introducing the concept of Contract For Difference (CFD). This revolution redefined how banks and financial institutions trade capital markets using smartly structured leverage ratios. He also authored books to create proper awareness among the masses.

Sir Patrick Bijou has also been instrumental in ensuring funding and investments for multiple clients backed with his leadership approach, where the most notable is the $1.3 billion funding for social housing in the Bahamas, with asset and capital management among his expansive portfolio of specialised areas.

Sir Patrick would credit the twelve years spent in New York as the most important for his professional journey, enlightening his passion for the trading floor. The prominent banks and institutions where he has worked over the years include the Deutsche Bank, Wells Fargo, Credit Agricole and Investment Bank. His exploits on Wall Street gained him a global reputation and reverence within the finance and banking fraternity.

His Excellency, in 2018, was bestowed with the title of knighthood by the sovereign state of Malta for his extraordinary contributions to global banking and his affinity for charitable causes. He has been associated with multiple philanthropic organisations while also a patron of the Snahalaya Ashram, a home for the needy and deprived children born out of poverty and prostitution.

He is a leading example of what an individual can achieve by sticking to the fundamentals and doing something that comes from the heart and does not stem from societal pressure.

Read More - Sir Patrick Bijou

[rk099]

Chasing Waterfalls: Tales of Cascading Beauty

Introduction:

There's a magical allure to waterfalls, as their cascading beauty captivates the imagination and draws us into the heart of nature's wonders. In this blog, we embark on a journey through some of the world's most enchanting waterfalls, exploring their stories, significance, and the awe they inspire.

Niagara Falls: The Iconic Roar of Power and Romance

Niagara Falls, straddling the border of the United States and Canada, stands as an emblem of nature's raw power and romantic mystique. The thunderous roar of water plummeting over the cliffs is a testament to the force of nature, while the surrounding mist creates an ethereal atmosphere. Beyond its sheer beauty, Niagara has been a backdrop for countless tales of adventure and romance, making it a timeless symbol of nature's grandeur.

Angel Falls: A Heavenly Descent in the Heart of Venezuela

Deep within Venezuela's Canaima National Park lies Angel Falls, the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall. Plunging from the edge of Auyán-tepui, this celestial cascade descends with unmatched grace, inspiring awe and reverence. Named after Jimmy Angel, the aviator who discovered it in 1933, the falls embody a sense of untouched wilderness, beckoning adventurers to witness their remote and breathtaking beauty.

Iguazu Falls: Nature's Symphony on the Border of Argentina and Brazil

Iguazu Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site, sprawls across the border between Argentina and Brazil, offering a symphony of water and rainforest. The collection of 275 individual falls forms a mesmerizing panorama, surrounded by lush greenery and diverse wildlife. Iguazu is not just a visual spectacle; it's a multisensory experience, with the sound of rushing water and the feel of mist on your skin immersing you in nature's grand spectacle.

Plitvice Lakes: Croatia's Terraced Waterfall Wonderland

In the heart of Croatia, Plitvice Lakes National Park unveils a series of terraced lakes connected by waterfalls. This UNESCO gem is a masterpiece of nature's artistry, with crystal-clear turquoise waters cascading down limestone formations. The interconnected lakes create a surreal landscape, where the vibrant colors of flora and fauna harmonize with the soothing sounds of water gently making its way down the terraced steps.

Kaieteur Falls: Guyana's Hidden Jewel in the Amazon Rainforest

Deep within the Amazon Rainforest in Guyana, Kaieteur Falls remains a hidden jewel waiting to be discovered. With a single drop of 741 feet, Kaieteur is surrounded by untouched rainforest, providing a remote and pristine setting. This waterfall, often shrouded in mist, reflects the untouched beauty of the Amazon, showcasing the delicate balance between power and tranquility that defines nature's wonders.

Conclusion:

Chasing waterfalls is not just about witnessing their breathtaking beauty; it's about immersing oneself in the stories, legends, and natural symphonies that echo in the mist. Each waterfall tells a tale of power, romance, and the enduring allure of untouched landscapes. So, the next time you find yourself near a waterfall, let its cascading beauty transport you to a realm where nature's wonders unfold in every drop.

[keynewssuriname]

Dancehall sensatie Dexta Daps klaar voor show in Suriname

Dexta Daps, de heetste Dancehallartiest van het moment, is klaar voor zijn eerste concert dat op 28 oktober in het AK Stadion plaatsvindt. "28 oktober! Suriname, ik kom eraan!!!" Hij  roept fans op om niet te wachten tot het laatste moment om hun tickets te bemachtigen”, zegt hij in een filmpje op Facebook. Dit concert maakt deel uit van zijn Trilogy Tour. Na zijn optreden in Suriname reist hij op 5 november af naar Toronto, Canada, en in december geeft hij shows in zijn geboorteland Jamaica, met shows in Kingston, Ocho Rios en Negril. Dexta Daps, geïnspireerd door dancehall-legendes zoals Bounty Killer en Shabba Ranks, wordt geroemd om zijn veelzijdigheid, unieke stem en goede liveoptredens. Deze onmiskenbare artiest, die zowel kan rappen als zingen, wordt door niemand minder dan Bounty Killer zelf bestempeld als The Next Big Thing of Dancehall. Met hits als 'Call me If', 'Na Leave You', 'Bring it To The Owner', 'WiFi/en 7Eleven', heeft hij wereldwijd indruk gemaakt. Het concert van de heetste dancehallartiest van het moment wordt georganiseerd door Black & Sexy Events and Friends. Toegangskaarten zijn verkrijgbaar voor SRD 1000, en voor de ultieme ervaring zijn er de Golden Circle-tickets, voor €100, waarmee je het dichtst bij het podium kunt komen. Lokale topartiesten zullen het publiek opwarmen met geweldige optredens voorafgaand aan Dexta Daps' explosieve show. Ook DJ Didi Youth uit Frans-Guyana en DJ Travis van Guyana zijn van de partij. Read the full article

[acthemanhere]

On June 20, 1967, boxing legend Muhammad Ali was convicted for refusing the draft for the Vietnam War in Houston, Texas. Ali had been a vocal opponent of the US war, expressing his views by saying, "Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?"

In an attempt to suppress the growing resistance to the war, Ali was given the maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. However, these efforts proved unsuccessful as the anti-war movement continued to gain momentum. Despite the Nation of Islam starting to distance themselves from Ali, demonstrations in support of him took place worldwide, from Egypt to Guyana, London to Ghana. Four years later, the Supreme Court overturned his conviction.

Ali remained steadfast in his convictions, stating, "I wasn't trying to be a leader. I just wanted to be free. And I made a stand all people, not just Black people, should have thought about making because it wasn't just Black people being drafted. The government had a system where the rich man's son went to college, and the poor man's son went to war. Then, after the rich man's son got out of college, he did other things to keep him out of the Army until he was too old to be drafted."

[randaahmed4012]

On this day, June 20, 1967, boxing legend Muhammad Ali was convicted for refusing the draft for the Vietnam War in Houston, Texas. Ali had been a vocal opponent of the US war, expressing his views by saying, "Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?"

In an attempt to suppress the growing resistance to the war, Ali was given the maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. However, these efforts proved unsuccessful as the anti-war movement continued to gain momentum. Despite the Nation of Islam starting to distance themselves from Ali, demonstrations in support of him took place worldwide, from Egypt to Guyana, London to Ghana. Four years later, the Supreme Court overturned his conviction.

Ali remained steadfast in his convictions, stating, "I wasn't trying to be a leader. I just wanted to be free. And I made a stand all people, not just Black people, should have thought about making because it wasn't just Black people being drafted. The government had a system where the rich man's son went to college, and the poor man's son went to war. Then, after the rich man's son got out of college, he did other things to keep him out of the Army until he was too old to be drafted."