|
2004 Classic Telly Gold Award Winner
Marcelle Chery is on a mission to show the Caribbean American Community in a much more
positive light--Main Stream Press, March 2006
DID YOU KNOW ?
February 2009
Facts about the Carribean
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Size | An archipelago, 4,020 kilometres (2,500 mi) in length, and up to 257 kilometres (160 mi) wide; region contains more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays |
|---|---|
| Population (2000) | 37.5 million[1] |
| Ethnic groups | African (Kongo, Igbo, Yoruba, Akan) Native American (Arawak, Caribs, Taino), European (Spanish, French, English, Portuguese, Dutch), Asian (Chinese, Indian) |
| Demonym | West Indian, Caribbean |
| Government | 13 sovereign states; also, 2 overseas departments and 14 dependent territories, tied to the European Union or to the United States |
| Internet TLD | Multiple |
| Calling code | Multiple |
The Caribbean (pronounced /ˌkærəˡbiːən/, kæ'rɪbiːən;[2] Dutch: Cariben or Caraïben; French: Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Spanish: Caribe; Italian: Caraibi) is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (most of which enclose the sea), and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America.
Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the region comprises more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays. These islands, called the West Indies, generally form island arcs that delineate the eastern and northern edges of the Caribbean Sea.[3] These islands are called the West Indies because when Christopher Columbus landed here in 1492 he believed that he had reached the Indies (in Asia).
The region consists of the Antilles, divided into the larger Greater Antilles which bound the sea on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the south and east (including the Leeward Antilles), and the Bahamas which are in fact in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba, not in the Caribbean Sea.
Geopolitically, the West Indies are usually reckoned as a subregion of North America[4][5][6][7] and are organised into 27 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies. At one time, there was a short-lived country called the Federation of the West Indies composed of ten English-speaking Caribbean territories, all of which were then UK dependencies.
The region takes its name from that of the Carib, an ethnic group present in the Lesser Antilles and parts of adjacent South America at the time of European contact.[8] In the English-speaking world, someone from the Caribbean is usually referred to as a "West Indian," although the phrase "Caribbean person" is sometimes used.
January 2009
Who is Responsible for Your Success?
by Jack Canfield
This isn't a trick question.
Certainly you know the answer--the person who has been responsible for the life you live right now: YOU.
Everything about you is a result of your doing or not doing... Your income. Debt. Relationships. Health. Fitness level. Attitudes and behaviors.
I think everyone knows this in their hearts, but often times people convince themselves into thinking that external factors are the source of their failure, disappointment, and unhappiness.
External factors do not determine how you live. YOU are in complete control of the quality of your life.
When I hear people complain about the state of their life (be it their problems with personal finances, weight, their jobs, or general dissatisfaction) I like to help them see things differently.
If they feel "stuck" and unable to move forward for whatever reason, I ask them to scrutinize both what is working well and what isn't working well in their life and see how they've arrived at where they currently are.
For example, if a woman tells me she's unhappy with her weight--she travels frequently, and has no to time to exercise or seek healthy foods--I point out that her weight is not a result of her travels and schedule. It's an outcome of what she chooses to eat and how she chooses to move, regardless of her daily agenda. Why not make a conscious effort to pre-plan healthy meals and snacks, even if it's on the go, and sneak in 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there to be physically active (hey, I know some frequent flyers who make it a habit of running through airports!).
If you're frustrated with any area in your life, then it's time to take a little inventory. Certainly there are wonderful things happening, whether it's your job, your romantic relationship, your children, your friends, or your income level. Your accomplishments are just as important as your missteps.
First, congratulate yourself on your successes; and then take a look at what isn't working out so well. What are you doing ornot doing to create those experiences?
Watch out! If you find yourself beginning to complain about everything but the choices you've made, then you need to take a step back. See if you can stop blaming outside factors for your unhappiness.
When you realize that you--and only you--create your experiences, you'll realize that you can un-create them and forge new experiences whenever you want.
How empowering is that!
You must take responsibility for your happiness and your unhappiness, your successes and your failures, your good times and your bad times.
All too often we choose to claim the successes and blame the failures on others or other circumstances. When you stop blaming, however, you can take that energy and redirect it to focus on shaping a better situation for yourself. Blaming only ties up your energy. Imagine roping all the energy into a positive effort.
Some ideas to make this happen:
Believe, Believe, Believe! Have unwavering faith in yourself, for good and bad. Make the decision to accept the fact that you create all your experiences. You will experience successes thanks to you, and you will experience pain, struggle, and strife thanks to you. Sounds a little strange, but accepting this level of responsibility is uniquely empowering. It means you can do, change, and be anything. Stumbling blocks become just that--little hills to hop over.
Take no less than 100% responsibility . Successful people take full responsibility for the thoughts they think, the images they visualize, and the actions they take. They don't waste their time and energy blaming and complaining. They evaluate their experiences and decide if they need to change them or not. They face the uncomfortable and take risks in order to create the life they want to live.
Stop complaining . Look at what you are complaining about.I'm fat. I'm tired. I can't get out of debt. I won't ever get a better job. I can't stand the relationship I have with my sister.I'll never find a soulmate in life. Really examine your complaints. More than likely you can do something about them. They are not about other people, other things, or other events. They are about YOU.
Make an immediate change. Are you unhappy about something that is happening right now? Make requests that will make it more desirable to you, or take the steps to change it yourself. Making a change might be uncomfortable for you. It might mean you have to put in more time, money, and effort. It might mean that someone gets upset about it, or makes you feel bad about your decision. It might be difficult to change or leave a situation, but staying put is your choice so why continue to complain?
You can either do something about it or not. It is your choice and you have responsibility for your choices.
Pay attention. Looking to others for help and guidance is helpful, but don't forget to stay tuned in to yourself--your behavior, attitude, and life experiences. Identify what's working and what isn't. If you need to, write it all down. Then...
Face the truth and take action for the long term . You have to be willing to change your behavior if you want a different outcome. You have to be willing to take the risks necessary to get what you want. If you've already taken an initial step in the right direction, now's the time to plan additional steps to keep moving you forward, faster.
Isn't it a great relief to know that you can make your life what you want it to be? Isn't it wonderful that your successes do not depend on someone else?
So if you need just one thing to do different today than you did yesterday, make it this:
Commit to taking 100% responsibility for every aspect of your life. Decide to make changes, one step at a time. Once you start the process you'll discover it's much easier to get what you want by taking control of your thoughts, your visualizations, and your actions!
by Jack Canfield
This isn't a trick question.
Certainly you know the answer--the person who has been responsible for the life you live right now: YOU.Everything about you is a result of your doing or not doing... Your income. Debt. Relationships. Health. Fitness level. Attitudes and behaviors.
I think everyone knows this in their hearts, but often times people convince themselves into thinking that external factors are the source of their failure, disappointment, and unhappiness.
External factors do not determine how you live. YOU are in complete control of the quality of your life.
When I hear people complain about the state of their life (be it their problems with personal finances, weight, their jobs, or general dissatisfaction) I like to help them see things differently.
If they feel "stuck" and unable to move forward for whatever reason, I ask them to scrutinize both what is working well and what isn't working well in their life and see how they've arrived at where they currently are.
For example, if a woman tells me she's unhappy with her weight--she travels frequently, and has no to time to exercise or seek healthy foods--I point out that her weight is not a result of her travels and schedule. It's an outcome of what she chooses to eat and how she chooses to move, regardless of her daily agenda. Why not make a conscious effort to pre-plan healthy meals and snacks, even if it's on the go, and sneak in 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there to be physically active (hey, I know some frequent flyers who make it a habit of running through airports!).
If you're frustrated with any area in your life, then it's time to take a little inventory. Certainly there are wonderful things happening, whether it's your job, your romantic relationship, your children, your friends, or your income level. Your accomplishments are just as important as your missteps.
First, congratulate yourself on your successes; and then take a look at what isn't working out so well. What are you doing ornot doing to create those experiences?
Watch out! If you find yourself beginning to complain about everything but the choices you've made, then you need to take a step back. See if you can stop blaming outside factors for your unhappiness.
When you realize that you--and only you--create your experiences, you'll realize that you can un-create them and forge new experiences whenever you want.
How empowering is that!
You must take responsibility for your happiness and your unhappiness, your successes and your failures, your good times and your bad times.
All too often we choose to claim the successes and blame the failures on others or other circumstances. When you stop blaming, however, you can take that energy and redirect it to focus on shaping a better situation for yourself. Blaming only ties up your energy. Imagine roping all the energy into a positive effort.
Some ideas to make this happen:
Believe, Believe, Believe! Have unwavering faith in yourself, for good and bad. Make the decision to accept the fact that you create all your experiences. You will experience successes thanks to you, and you will experience pain, struggle, and strife thanks to you. Sounds a little strange, but accepting this level of responsibility is uniquely empowering. It means you can do, change, and be anything. Stumbling blocks become just that--little hills to hop over.
Take no less than 100% responsibility . Successful people take full responsibility for the thoughts they think, the images they visualize, and the actions they take. They don't waste their time and energy blaming and complaining. They evaluate their experiences and decide if they need to change them or not. They face the uncomfortable and take risks in order to create the life they want to live.
Stop complaining . Look at what you are complaining about.I'm fat. I'm tired. I can't get out of debt. I won't ever get a better job. I can't stand the relationship I have with my sister.I'll never find a soulmate in life. Really examine your complaints. More than likely you can do something about them. They are not about other people, other things, or other events. They are about YOU.
Make an immediate change. Are you unhappy about something that is happening right now? Make requests that will make it more desirable to you, or take the steps to change it yourself. Making a change might be uncomfortable for you. It might mean you have to put in more time, money, and effort. It might mean that someone gets upset about it, or makes you feel bad about your decision. It might be difficult to change or leave a situation, but staying put is your choice so why continue to complain?
You can either do something about it or not. It is your choice and you have responsibility for your choices.
Pay attention. Looking to others for help and guidance is helpful, but don't forget to stay tuned in to yourself--your behavior, attitude, and life experiences. Identify what's working and what isn't. If you need to, write it all down. Then...
Face the truth and take action for the long term . You have to be willing to change your behavior if you want a different outcome. You have to be willing to take the risks necessary to get what you want. If you've already taken an initial step in the right direction, now's the time to plan additional steps to keep moving you forward, faster.
Isn't it a great relief to know that you can make your life what you want it to be? Isn't it wonderful that your successes do not depend on someone else?
So if you need just one thing to do different today than you did yesterday, make it this:
Commit to taking 100% responsibility for every aspect of your life. Decide to make changes, one step at a time. Once you start the process you'll discover it's much easier to get what you want by taking control of your thoughts, your visualizations, and your actions!
© 2008 Jack Canfield
* * *
If you missed previous issues of Success Strategies,
I keep an archive of past issues you can always refer to.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at:www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
Haitian President visits Canada in 1955 click here for more details
December 2008
Courtesy of DAVID CARDOZO
The Republic of Haiti occupies the western third of Hispaniola, the Caribbean island which Christopher Columbus visited in 1492 and which was under French rule after 1664. Black slaves declared their independence in 1802 and established a republic in 1820 – the second in the Americas. The capital had two urban railway eras: a horsecar network between 1878 and 1888, and a second system which started with steam locomotives in 1897 and ended with internal combustion engines in 1932.
The first franchise for the construction of a street railway was awarded in 1876 to a group of New York financiers, who founded the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de Port-au-Prince. The CCFPP ordered six open cars from the J. G. Brill Co. in Philadelphia in October 1877 and inaugurated a tramway service on 17 January 1878. The first line, which connected Croix des Bossales with the Champ de Mars [see map], was probably the first railway in the country.
The drawing below shows the tramway on Rue des Miracles near Port-au-Prince Bay [see map]. This is the only illustration that has been found of a horsedrawn tram in Haiti [col. AM]:
Click Here to read the entire article