25 thoughts on “PIANO FOUND!”

1. Manning: I left piano at PM residence
   Former prime minister Patrick Manning has advised Attorney General Anand Ramlogan to look elsewhere for a “missing” US$114,000 Strauss grand piano saying he has no piano at his residence in San Fernando.

   Manning: I left piano at PM’s residence
   San Fernando West MP Patrick Manning says security was compromised at the Prime Minister’s residence after he left office and the grand piano which went missing may have been moved to another location.

   Manning says he does not have the grand piano; throws question back at AG: Ask Kamla
   Former prime minister, Patrick Manning, yesterday distanced himself from the disappearance of the Bosendorfer piano from the Prime Minister’s Residence and Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s.

2. Check in The Airport !!!!!!!!

3. Those 70 and older, might remember the looting that went on at the then Governor-General’s residence immediately after Independence. The Prime Minister lived on Mary Street then, and the new residence, later to be occupied by the PM, housed the Gov. Gen. The stately stone mansion was empty. People made off with almost everything.
   In the run-up to the last election, I suggested to people whom I thought has the PM’s ear, and may have published it here also, that a proper handover would include a walk-through of the mansion, photographing every room to attest to the condition, and its contents. Unfortunately, the ex-PM must have been in a state of shock at the election results, and packed up and moved out with unseemly haste, not bothering to do a proper handover of government property. That allowed the leeches who cling to whichever party is in power, to rip off the country, the same way that 200 dump trucks disappeared from the Min. of Works under Carlos John’s tenure.
   The state should launch a house to house search for this piano, searching every house big enough to get one through the doors. The fact that it is missing is warrant enough. My friend owns a beautiful one, here in Houston, Texas. It took six men and lots of moving blankets to get it into his new home. The legs had to be removed. Such a thing cannot be put into one’s pocket, like an ashtray with a seal on it could. A moving van,or large panel truck would have been requireed. One could not get such a van onto the compound of the residence without the collusion of the gatekeepers- Police and Regiment officers, who, no doubt were on duty full time. Begin by the CID questioning every member of the Prime Minister’s household, past and prsent. The fact that it took seven months for this theft to surface, means that there was time for people in this administration to move it. Submit both the past PM and the present one to lie detector tests, and publish the results. The tests could be administered with a senior member of each party present behind the two way mirror.
   It is time that people in high places stop ripping of our country. Some o the departed members of the present PM’s household went back abroad. Is there a manifest of the goods they left with?

4. And this is news? … and newsworthy?

5. What a pathetic display of power, petty politicking, and stupid distraction, for the benefit of a unsuspecting population , with the help of a gullible non objective 4th estate few, by ‘de square peg in round hole ,policy devoid brigade?’ As an addendum to the neo tribal charade , here is another classic example.

   http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,134039.html

   As is most evident, Uncle Sat still doing his lil hustle ehh,but tell me ,who gives a hoot what clueless Manning, and his wife did ,before we were saved on May 24th 2010 by Queen K, and de PP? Tell ‘Dookie de treasury money maker,’to simply write a check, and deliver , as not only is Papa Bas correct , when he said ,’dis is now our time,’ but Granpa ,Dr Deffy ,de self opinionated egomaniac ,words are still applicable in that, “moni ain’t no problem,” in de land of abundant oil ,and gas wealth, not so?

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU9TouRnO84&feature=related

   As the wisest woman dat ever lived in my loving Granny would fondly say in response to these, and similar monstrosities , “lord put ah hqnd, and if you can’t put ah hand, den put ah foot,” for I might add, how much longer, can de resilient people of T&T endure this, hmmm?
   Yet , we cannot help but luv dem all.

6. “Democracy is not a spectator sport” or so they saying goes. As we peruse our “free” press we are inundated with a lot of dotishness that passes for politics and we are sick and tired of it. There is no doubt in my mind that we have an educated electorate but reading the daily news accounts, give us little or no glimpses that the publishers think that we are not a monogamous bunch of idiots. This “piano” story is evidence of where we are as a small but rich nation that dont know how to make much of what we have. The so called “Press” only tells us about what “he says” or “she says”, never a thought given about what “he says” is necessary for us to know or why it is necessary for us to know. We almost NEVER get a story that reveals who or what we are as a nation and where our psyche is headed or how we see things that affect our way of life. The “Press” give us an overdose of what the Minister says but almost never ytell us about how we are affected by it. The idea of the piano is ludicrous in nature because something such as handing over from one resident of the prime minister’s house to another should be simple and logistically simplistic. Why should we be led to believe that the person who who occupied the “peoples house” thief the piano when he moved? This is totally ridiculous! Just as ridiculous is nthe behaviour of our AG, PM, Foreign Minister and Education Minister. Their behaviour is childish and self-serving and the “Press” should allow views that reflect this behaviour on the part of our elected officials.

7. In grand houses, good furniture is covered with dust cloths, sometimes thick felt blankets, to keep off damp and dust. I have not seen this piano, but if it is anything like my friend’s, its casing is ebony or mohagany, expensive tropical woods,polished to the enth degree. When a piano is not used on stage, it is USUALLY wheeled backstage and covered to avoid dings and scratches.Its usually in a corner of “backstage”. Mr. Ramlogan may know nothing of western theatre or stage practices, or he would have looked there before opening his big mouth. There are four major concert halls and a minor one, that I attend in my home town. The pianos, some gleaming white, are only wheeled out when the program calls for it.
   If the Diplomatic Center has other musical instruments, they too should be safeguarded in their carrying cases, for protection.
   The urge to say something is missing is so ingrained in prople prone to theft, that that is the first thing they think of.
   I take back my request, even though it would have been ignored, calling for a search of homes, and lie detector tests for both the Ex-PM and the present one. I also take back, unequivocally, any implications of inattentiveness or collusion by the permanent guard detail at the residence and diplomatic center.

   Again, though, there is the need to document what is there, by list and video, including serial numbers, and safeguard the data on multiple discs.

   In the old days, before a press conference was called, the information was vetted and re-vetted to prevent nonsense like this.Now, everybody is rama jaying from all sides of their mouths.

   Mr. Ramlogan, you have as much as accused Mr. Manning of rape. Once again, he is found innocent, as he said he was.

   To wash this off your back, the bad karma you have attracted by these utterances, I suggest you go kneel before his gate for an hour, publicly ask his forgiveness while on your knees, and distribute rice, lentils, flour and oil to one hundred poor people, while standing humbly at his gate. You should shave your head in the traditional Hindu symbol of sorrow for the death of a parent. The parent you have killed is the little faith people had in your government.

   You will of ourse, ignore this also, but only genuine acts of contrition can wash off the sins you accumulate by accusing others wrongfully.

8. After reading I feel it is over bearing to hear all this piano alligations coming as a problem to the country when we have people dying like flies and food prices rising like yeast, job losing left right and center, programs are going and we talking about what we should do with a piano and to make it worst what must be done about the PM items in mansion, come on people we are living in a world were all present and pass PM or President make there home comfortable so if someone else has to take it over at lease it have things to make them comfortable, I remember when Mr. Manning was telling people he introducing the young people into ballroom dancing and music, the same said dumb arse people said it was tax waste money, but in life if we show our young children performing art from early it open there mines to elevate the abilities to higher level of life, but again why should our children be exposed to the good and balance life, now the problem become why did he buy piano’s how much could some one do to help our society in balance, not much but I’m glad they find the piano and move on, let see what next. In the USA getting to learn balance it course parent money they don’t have and cannot afford sometimes, this is why they do the things they do to get where they are going for there children, and here it is in a country like Trinidad and Tobago they are getting it free and yet still it is a problem, you cannot please the people all the time, but you can please some people most of the time…Trinidadian please wake up and understand where you are going an not seeing a vision to where you are heading….

9. Kian is right on target with his comment on this one.The AG’s display in the House regarding this matter was disgraceful.
   The ex PM’s press conference on the matter was equally appalling, when he suggested that they should look in Kamla’s house.
   No decorum on either side! This is what happens when UWI graduates begin to dominate the political scene. They may be well schooled, but not educated.Bring back the Afro-Saxons.
   This is not a matter for the House.

10. I am a proud graduate of the UWI Class of 1967. I have said so before. Education and class are not the same thing. Certainly booklearning and class are definitely not in the same category. Now, I have travelled to other so called poor countries, and in most cases, its the government’s sponsorship of the arts that brings culture to the people.It is so in England and the USA also. Not only should the government introduce music and such in our local schools, but the continued sponsorship of those who get scholarships to study abroad, by granting leave from the public service, is needed. We cannot make the transition fron a farm in Paramin or on Caroni Lands, to hosting a diplomatic function for heads of state, without some help from our government’s education of our people. In the old days, the Brits laughed at us, because we were strangers to their ways. Today, we know how to operate in their world, as well as in the world of educated people of other cultures.

    Just so, though, every now and then, some idiotic piece of backwardness throws us right back to the dirt farm. Mr. Ramlogan demonstrates this backwardness, time and again. If one is at a function where wine or liquor is served, one does not march out in a huff. Go quietly to the bar, and order a Bently.It’s water, with dash of lime and bitters. You do not give offence to others, just for the sake of giving offence. My Nen Lillian would have been horrified by such people. He might apologize, but if he does not think before speaking, he would offend again and again.

    Good manners, in all cultures, is based on consideration for other’s feelings.

11. http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2008-04-07/Clevon-Raphael.html

    Sad but we have been down dis road with these desperate for attention , childish, and crooked political barbarians before, that tries to hide decades of failures , via stupid , empty distractions.
    Either they want to come to parliament in T-shirts and short pants , or was it shirt jacks,while playing chess on their laptops, or throw tea at each other.
    “Dey kicksing , kicksing ,all the time , de wasting everybody time , in parliament , de kicksing!
    Sing Explainer
    Here is an excerpt from one of my favorite books, de Animal.

    “Comrades,” he said, “I trust that every animal here appreciates the sacrifice that Comrade Napoleon has made in taking this extra labour upon himself. Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure! On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be? Suppose you had decided to follow Snowball, with his moonshine of windmills– Snowball, who, as we now know, was no better than a criminal?” (5.19) ”
    http://www.shmoop.com/animal-farm/lies-deceit-quotes.html
    Good overall points brother kain . Here are other examples, 1. We inherited an empty treasury , so to hell with dem stupid promises we made to old age pensioners. 2. We have a lawless country , due to the actions of African pro genocidal , untrained police, so den we need ah white fake expert foreigner.
    3. Trini judicary are bias, so to hell with the CCAppeal, and say yes to we luving Privy Council.
    4. All the contracts that had foreign contractors in the past were terrible, wasteful, and evil, so we can breach contracts,renege on signed agreements, and pay lofty compensations, then outfit others of our own more favorable to cronies.
    See the trend,and can you depend on intellectually lazy so call patriotic editors, business entities, and others across the society to hold anyone’s hands to the fire? Well your guess is as good as mine.
    This is unfortunately what one is left with , as far as Trini politics, when the mass of our people are comatose , and receptive to selfist tribalist ,in one racial camp, versus self hating users in another, both of which have mastered the art of power consolidation at the expense of all 1.3 million of our citizens – of course, with the exception of few elites.
    Don’t stop de carnival, and by the way add on a few more fake cultural, feel good holidays.
    Hey kain , one thing you can count on , as sure as the night follow day , is that dem unmentionable tribal apologist, would defend to the hilt their rights to behave like idiots , while demanding proper decorum from our kids , even when they are relax on a carnival, or chutney Soca whining , non religious stage. Tell us which is worst T-Man , a lowly UWI educated wajang , or one ah dem fake Euro, London, or Toronto pseudo elites? Call names and I will whistle, until “blood flow in the streets, if we loose the next election,” ehh?

12. I think TMan has a point here regarding the UWI reference. Education is application of learning,etiquette and tradition. When recruiting candidates for officer training academies prior to service in the military, candidates were always put to immense discretionary and traditionary testing to see how they behave in given conditrions before they can be considered worthy of acceptance. For example, a candidate might be invited to a party where he meets with high ranking officers and he is observed on his level of conversation. He might be encouraged to drink to levels that exceed his normal cut off points just to test how he can take and how well he conducts himself to know if he has the ability to lead. Whilst such test might appear simple on the surface, it allows a deeper look into one’s ability to lead other people. It is common in T&T today to hear of how educated some of our leaders are, only to realise that by the word “education” they are only talking about one’s ability to earn a degree or diploma in an examination. When we look at the personnel who comprise and hold the mantle of leadership in our government and business we are left to wonder who the hell are these people. Case in point, we read earlier this week where our goodly PM ordered a reshuffling of permanent secretaries in order to have greater efficiencies in asugmenting the ministers leadership. That sounds like putting the cart before the horse expecting the directional compass to lead us in the right path. Our colonial masters not only conducted business at the business place, they did it in parties, concert halls and soirees. Each situation requiring a different form of decorum. Why in the present circumstances our leaders appear to only display a kind of “rum and roti” behaviour? They make the assumption that the more they blame someone else the better they look or have other people view them. The state of our economy, our decorum, crime, punishment, judiciary standings and respect or lack of it for leadership have everything to do with what is commonly accepted for “education” in our society.

13. Mannings remark that they should look in Kamla’s house was made as a tongue in cheek response to the implications that he had stolen the piano. Like any angry black man fed up with the racist stereotyped accusations from the T&T political equivalents of the Governor of Mississippi.

    We should always respond to the ignorance of racists in the most vituperative fashion. When a snake strikes at you, the most appropriate response is to smash its head. These people take pleasure in practising their creed, and glean even greater satisfaction when we pussy foot about in our response. To hell with that!

14. The leaders of colonial society were not only military men, they were college educated. These two aspects form the basis of leadership. Discipline, training and higher thinking skills are what make a person an educated person. The ability to speak one’s language of instruction with grace, fluency and to re-adjust the level for the listening group was/is also important.As for ability to “hold one’s liquor” you realize of course that that is a male oriented value system.The leaders of the Anglican Church were the third part of the trio that ruled Britannia. Again, these were not storefront churches,led by anyone who thought they knew the Bible, but educated, well read college graduates, as the leaders of that church still are today. It is no accident that Codrington College in Barbados is one of the oldest leadership training schools in the Caribbean.

    Unfortunately, at Independence, we abandoned a number of basics, to be able to relate to all our people. Today most Trinis, leaders and all seem unable to write a comprehensible sentence; and good manners, especially in public discourse, has gone for a long walk, and does not seem to be coming back. Do any of the present crop of elected officials know Robert’s Rules of Order? Or did we change that standard when I was not looking?
    A university education is not just passing a course or series of courses. It used to mean certifying that this individual has leadership capabilities, can belong or ought to belong to a certain club of people. When did that change? When did our universities become degree issuing factories?

    If the piano was deemed to be missing, the gentlemanly thing to do would have been to call the senior member of the former Prime Minister’s Household, and ask about it. “We expected it to be here, we are not seeing it. Do you have any idea where it is?” The staffer could have then said”It’s stored behind the stage in one of the large cubicles there.”

    That however would not have generated headlines in every major print media, would it?

    There is an absence of class here that should be lamented, but please do not blame my Alma Mater. One can only do so much with the material one is given.

    Sensible, thinking people, in senior positions, ought not to make the same faux pas over and over. So, the question really is, can Mr. Ramlogan learn anything from his very public gaffes? Is there someone, who has his confidence, who can pull him aside and coach him on certain matters? If a new minister does not trust his PS, that person will see him tripping and falling, and will only step out of the way. Loyalty cannot be bought, it is earned, based on the consideration with which one treats one’s staff.

15. AG who can’t get facts right
    Embarrassing both himself and Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, the Attorney General made headlines with a scandalous charge (“Where the piano gone?”) that a grand piano had gone missing from the Prime Minister’s residence.

    Anand: It’s not about the piano, it’s about the misuse of funds
    Attorney General Anand Ramlogan yesterday made it clear that the People’s Partnership was in no way embarrassed by the fact that former Prime Minister Patrick Manning was right when he said that the grand piano, which the Government alleged was missing from the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, was never removed from the building.

16. Again, today Mr. Ramlogan decides that Mr. Ramlogan has done no wrong, and apologies are not called for. The print media seem to disagree with him. In the long discussions currently emanating from the term Afro-Saxon, used first in this incidence by Michael Harris, Express Columnist. It would seem that a “civilized” person,like Sir Ellis, having given offence, and hurled unfounded imprecations at another, when told that his information was incorect, would unequivocally take back what was said and implied, provided he has been schooled in the nuances of “civilized behaviour.” Mr. Ramlogan obviously does not meet that criteria.

    The people of TnT no longer expect apologies from “His Uncouth Arrogance”, just more of the same stupidity, over and over.At some point though, it is to be hoped that senior members of the coalition would go to the Prime Minister with a formal request that he be dismissed from office for malfeasance. For them to fail to do so, would be to stay in the same boat with a liar, and quite possibly a crook in his own right, if the gossip about sudden police firings have any merit. A government’s future should not hang on one man, whose office has turned out to be too much for his arrogance and self aggrandizement.

17. PNM mulls motion against AG
    THE PARLIAMENTARY caucus of the Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) last night discussed whether to raise a matter of privilege against Attorney General Anand Ramlogan for misleading the House of Representatives last Wednesday when he claimed that one of ten Bosendorfer grand pianos purchased under the former PNM government was missing.

    …Rowley: AG doesn’t have the class to apologise

    …Rowley: Class and Ramlogan don’t mix

    …Rowley vows to take on Anil, Anand
    Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley has gone on the offensive again against two Government ministers saying their conduct in Parliament has been scandalous and “low class”.

18. AG TO APOLOGISE
    ATTORNEY GENERAL (AG) Anand Ramlogan will apologise in the House of Representatives either today or on Friday for statements made in the House last Wednesday that one of ten Bosendorfer pianos purchased by the former PNM government was missing and questioning former prime minister Patrick Manning about the whereabouts of the piano.

19. I am glad that reason will prevail. If a MAN errs or transgresses against his neighbour, civility demands that he apologise. This sets a good example to others. Children too watch the antics of politicians. Now when a teacher asks a kid to apologise to another for something hurtful said or done, the child can know that a senior cabinet member also did the same.
    Contrition also requires that similar sins not be committed again.

    This is a step forward in human decency.

20. Only PM can make me apologise—AG
    Attorney General Anand Ramlogan says only the Prime Minister can instruct him to make an apology.

    Anand Defiant
    AS GOVERNMENT Chief Whip Dr Roodal Moonilal prepared to make moves to intervene on the issue, a defiant Attorney General Anand Ramlogan yesterday said it is for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and no one else, to issue instructions on whether or not Ramlogan should apologise for his grand piano blunder last week.

    ‘Manning must apologise for wasting money’
    ATTORNEY General Anand Ramlogan stood his ground yesterday and refused to apologise for the statement he made in Parliament last week surrounding the alleged disappearance of a grand piano, which was later found at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s.

    Piano, non fortississimo
    Who told Anand Ramlogan that a Bösendorfer grand piano was missing from the Diplomatic Centre? He says he informed the Prime Minister of what he had heard and asked her to conduct a search. She must have caused one to be done, because we now hear from Gary Griffith that the piano is there.

21. Lord, what a fool Mr. Piano lost is. I am waiting to hear him claim that the lawyer he hired to dig for dirt, who died at a Woodbrook reataurant was either Obeahed or poisooned by some PNM person , masquerading as a waitress.

22. The words of Mike Bodin shed new light on the piano fiasco.

    The remarks that followed his enquiry into the “missing piano” by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan in the House last week, and his January 14 Official Statement on the matter clearly showed that the expensive musical instrument was used as a sideshow.

    The main issues fell into two areas and they underscored not only the quintessential points the AG was making, but also provided us with a window into his strategic thinking.

    The first point is the larger issue of government expenditure under the last administration and particularly the seeming abuse of public funds by the former prime minister.

    In his House remarks, the AG was clear in his evocation of financial misappropriation and singled out Mr Patrick Manning.

    Moreover, the AG was very careful not to accuse Mr Manning of removing the piano from the Diplomatic Centre; that was not his intention. He intended to use the piano issue as a way of evoking a response from the former prime minister, and which he did. Mr Manning inadvertently wandered into the realms of the AG’s adversarial-like dragnet.

    And this brings us to the second point. Mr Manning’s politically incorrect and culturally insensitive response not only exposed his negation of things “Indian”, but it also provided a splendid opportunity for the AG to drive home this potent point: Manning’s dismissive attitude of Indian music and Indian cultural practices.

    The AG’s statement must be seen in the larger historical context of race relations in Trinidad and Tobago. Afro-Trinidadians generally (there are exceptions) are in the habit of accusing Indians of being “racists” and many are welded to the idea that Trinidad and Tobago should always be governed by the PNM.

    For some of these folks, they see nothing wrong or inappropriate with the picture of an Afro-Trinidadian being the Governor of the Central Bank for 31 years. This, in spite of several Indians who were well qualified for the job. But when Winston Dookeran was appointed Governor, the clarion call of racial preference was loud in the land.

    The current AG and the Prime Minister, as far as I know, go the extra mile to send the right message of racial tolerance and inclusiveness to all the citizens of this country.

23. The Rubbish of RACE.
    Now that its found, the Official Apologist for all things UNC/PP/Coalition raises the race issue. I am laughing. Race is the last desperate measure of all those who have nothing else to say. The laptops too are a foreign import, that we find our students need to move forward. Hospital equipment, CCTV ‘s and such are foreign imports.

    On Behalf of my cousin, Winnifred Atwell, Trinidad’s first world renowned pianist- Its OK not to have heard of her, T-Man, but go check, I support the education of our university level peole in classical music, and the Piano-pan connection.
    Making this a tangential race issue is a RED HERRING. Kamla ducking, because she sick, Volney ducking into the hospital because of his heart, and Anand is left to take blows almost by himself, but T-MAn is at his side.Will he be twisting slowly in the wind?

    All the Olympic sports we compete in, are foreign imports too. Are they a waste of taxpayers money? Our national patrimony was not meant to be secreted into a pillow case under our heads. We spend money on infrastructure, to attract investments. We spend money on education for the same purpose. At Independence, two criteria for our readiness to be free, were the number of university educated people, and the number of hospital beds.

    Hush, T-MAn, hush. You talking chipidness.

24. I agree that the AG struck the wrong chords on this one. He should have used a felt hammer to make his point.

25. We ain’t buying this convenient ‘political limbo dance, & Tassa rump shake,’ by T- Man the lifetime , neo tribal apologist,eh people?
    No way buddy. Here are the facts , for if you T-Man possess an out of control ,mentally deranged ,pit -bull, but either have it on too lengthy a leash , or due to your gross callousness towards neighbors, and fellow human beings , not only refused to control same with said leash , but likewise ,left your million dollar gate open , and this rabid animal escaped, and consequently mauled innocent folks outside your gate, not only are you obligated to end it’s life forthwith -as humanely as possible – one hope -but rest assur,ed you would be held responsible via expected lawsuits ,for all mental ,and physical longterm damages caused as a result.
    Hopefully your tenuous early Manzanilla standard 7 education ,will allow you the ability ,to decipher where we are heading with this my friend.
    To think that some say nation building is vastly difficult, especially for the kids that suffered long and hard under Massa Imperialism, and other forms of savagery .
    No , no, it’s not, but only seems that way, when you are confronted with socially immoral , uncultured folks, that choose to continually deceive as they masquerade as leaders ,though it’s evident that many lacked any sense of decency ,and ‘respect for the other,’ since their obsessions remains towards sole enhancement of their similar own , that emerged from their narrow class, race , gender , geographical,ethic, and ancestral origins.
    We wish you ,this AG well,and government well. Remember my admonitions, and the consequences for failure.

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