Chocolaty Goodness

On a side note, Happy Anniversary Chocolate Chocolate Garney and Charity!

Poor Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii

The DuChaussee clan grows and grows everyday. Sometimes we may all wonder, how did that baby get that name? Why is Chris Chris and not, um.......Dequante? (Pronounced: Steve) So, looking on Yahoo this morning, I spoted an article about why some people are named the way they are, or, more importantly, why people try to change their names to other things, legally. In one case, a man tried to change his name to something a bit more colorful but the CA Court of Appeals said: "Ah hells nah!

Just an excerpt:

Name: Misteri Nigger, second "i" silent. No, said the California Court of Appeal in 1992, because it constitutes "fighting words": "[I]f a man asks appellant his name and he answers 'Mister Nigger,' the man might think appellant was calling him 'Mister Nigger.' Moreover, third persons, including children hearing the epithet, may be embarrassed, shocked or offended by simply hearing the word. This example illustrates how use of the name may be 'confusing' with the potential for violence." Definitely does sound like asking for trouble; "Russell Lawrence Lee" is much safer. [Lee v. Superior Court, 9 Cal. App. 4th 510
(1992).]

I love that "fighting words" line.

You can find more incredible(ulous) stories of names at this link: http://www.slate.com/id/2196204/pagenum/all/#page_start

Now, what would YOU change your name to if you truly hated your given one?

New additions to the blog!

Just wanted to welcome newcomers Garnet/Charity, Yraiz/Collie and Horacio! By the way, Yannick, do all members of this blog get discounts at TATIL? A little birdie told me to ask on behalf of DNN. ;o)

In the meanwhile...help Mr. Mitchell

I know many of you are waiting patiently to see pictures from the reunion. Wow, there are hundreds to sort through! I will be putting together a nice slide show of pictures (or maybe several slide shows since there are so many) and will post it once I'm done.

In the meanwhile, here is a random picture taken by resident photographer "JayJay". You can use your next couple of minutes to sort through and correct the errors local Tobagonian Dennis Mitchell has incorporated into his handy little sign here.




Even the brains of Scrabble connoisseurs Uncle Raoul and Auntie Janet were constackeled by Mr. Mitchell's creative writings.

Pathetic.

This video shows John McCain is not much of a step up from George W. Bush when it comes to passing the "Commander-In Chief" test.

Yep, I said it. P A T H E T I C.

(Which children's show taught kids how to speak like this? Was it Sesame Street?)

Congrats to Garnet & Charity!

God bless you two for giving you a beautiful, healthy baby girl! I know it must have been tough to miss the reunion, but what better reason then to actually extend a new branch on the Duchaussée Family Tree!

I see you have caught the "Gerry flu" from me and Elise when we visited you guys while Elise was pregnant. Alas, Uncle Gaston can now mamaguy both your dad and my dad now about having granddaughters. But that's okay, this is the 2000's. Girls don't have to give up their name these days. Just look at Camille. ;o)

Well, Elise and I wish you both all the best. We are stock full..... and I mean STOCK like a callaloo full of pigtail.....stock full of all kinds of fresh advice after our first year with Bella. So don't hesitate to drop us a line when Marisela is bawling her head off and you two think you've tried everything. Not to mention Elise has researched all kinds of info on infants in her last and her new job. Heck, she's even certified as a lactation consultant! (Dude, just think "free food" and that should be enough to convince Mommy Charity to go that route!) Bella is up and running so as soon as you can, get Marisela up to speed on peas & rice so she can keep up when we visit. Bella digs Ton Ton Gaston's pelau already as it is. LOL

Okay one last thing, when's the christening? =o)

A New Addition to the Duchaussee Family

After a long and tiring 9 months, Marisela Riann Duchaussee, daughter of Garnet and Charity Duchaussee, was born July 28th 2008 at 8:46pm, weighing 6 pounds 1 ounce. This was the main reason why Charity and I could not attend the reunion in Tobago. As you can see, she already has the trademark Duchausse Nose.

"Something to be proud of?" AND "The Comeback Kids"

Something to be proud of?
So, I was just reading on Yahoo that a Bush Administration official says that the debt in 2008 will be the biggest yet. Um, did I miss something? Why is this a stat to be proud of? It's like DC saying, "We only had 10,000 gang related murders this year! Hooray!" I guess we can only count the days until January 20th when we swear in Obama and move on from the detrimental policies of this failed administration. And with Obama looking oh-so- presidential and opening up at 9 point lead on the other guy, November can't come fast enough!

The Comeback Kids
Recently the New Kids on the Block (NKOTB for those who know!) launched a major comeback with tour dates (Who would they tour with? Would they be one again an opening act? Aren't we all a little too old?), performances on the Today show, a new CD, music videos etc. I couldn't help but think about the days when I was super in love with Jordan Knight and how it was also great to be graduating from 8TH GRADE and going to high school. If I had only known then that the buttons and dolls I owned were going to be coming back as a 40 y.o boy band, I would have saved it all to sell to unknowing fans in fron of NBC.

Of course this is comeback is also shared by the well-hyped return of 90210, that OTHER force of the 90's that arguably defined some adolescents, and still gets good show on SoapNET, not that I TiVo it or anything. Now, the ORIGINAL fans of both of these items are like what 30+ now? But of course 90210 and NKOTB are trying to appeal to the younger audiences of today with more steam and sleeze than Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Martin care for. My question: will the Miley Cyrus' of our time get that Jordan was all about hangin tough in his acid wash jean jacket? Or that Donna Martin graduated only after all of West Bev walked out in honor of her and her drunken prom fiasco? I guess we will all have to stay tuned...

-elise

Words changed in Trinidad

I learned some interesting things on my visit to Trinidad. Like a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly, words that enter the scope of Trinidadians undergo...lets say...a "colourful" change.

Jour Ouvert
Quay D'Orsay
San Juan

Can you think of any more? And even better, do you know the story, pronunciation and correct spelling of the word?

New Newspaper!

A very interesting newspaper for The Big Apple: Clicky-click

Of course, someone has already vandalised it: Clickety-click

Tobago's Beauty.

For those who couldn't make it for the reunion and for those that have never been, here are a few pictures of Store Bay in Tobago culled from the "internets". We will all be chillaxing here all day long most likely so we will make sure to enjoy it for you in your honor, DNN-style. Last one in is a rotten zaboca! ;o)

Trek from the north

Whoppee !!!!! the trek from Toronto starts today at 5.25 pm. Can't wait to get there. Rumour has it that there are lots of mangoes and zaboccas to be had. For those of you who couldn't make it, we are sorry that you can't. We will particularly miss the Wallers and the Saratoga DuChaussee's who have always been in attendance at past reunions and whose exuberance help to contribute to the life of the gathering. Garnett, if there is karoke we will assign someone to sing Mae Mae on your behalf, probably Jason as he is so gung-ho on karoke. Perhaps someone could email the lyrics to him before his flight tomorrow.

Nice way to make friends.

I guess George Bush is not going to get invited over to the Italian Premier's house for spaghetti and meatballs any time soon. The end of the Bush Administration cannot come soon enough.

Mega-gaffe...

Cuba vs. Iran

Okay, I don't know if it's just me, but after reading this article, can someone please tell me why it is again that the U.S. has a trade embargo with Cuba?

U.S. exports to Iran — including brassieres, bull semen, cosmetics and possibly even weapons — grew more than tenfold during President Bush's years in office even as he accused Iran of nuclear ambitions and helping terrorists. America sent more cigarettes to Iran , at least $158 million worth under Bush, than any other products.

And this part just makes my head explode:

"Our sanctions are targeted against the regime, not the people," said Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces the sanctions. The government tracks exports to Iran using details from shipping records, but in some cases it's unclear whether anyone pays attention.

Sanctions are intended in part to frustrate Iran's efforts to build its military, but the U.S. government's own figures show at least $148,000 worth of unspecified weapons and other military gear were exported from the United States to Iran during Bush's time in office. That includes $106,635 in military rifles and $8,760 in rifle parts and accessories shipped in 2004, the data shows.

Again, why is it that we have a trade embargo with tiny Cuba for 50 years now? Not that wikipedia is an official encyclopdeia, but it states the reason for the embargo as:

The embargo was codified into law in 1992 with the stated purpose of "bringing democracy to the Cuban people", and in fact is entitled the Cuban Democracy Act.

And why don't we have one of these embargos with China, a communist country? Oh, because we are in debt to China for over $500 billion in U.S. bonds (to help pay for the Iraq war no doubt) not to mention we love our cheap prices in Wal-mart.

And what possible use could Iran have for bull semen?

/end of rant

UPDATE 1: Hmmmm...it seems this story is getting some traction. Apparently making money is more important then any tough talk or political sanctions.

The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Howard Berman, remarked on the growth in U.S. trade during comments on the European Union's recent move to toughen financial sanctions on Iran.

"It's time for them to take far more significant steps along the lines of cutting off all significant commerce with Iran, as we did years ago — or at least I thought we did. I'm not so sure, after yesterday's Associated Press report that U.S. exports to Iran have increased nearly twenty-fold during the Bush administration years, up to nearly $150 million in 2007," Berman, D-Calif., said at a committee hearing Wednesday.

UPDATE 2: Why is it McCain likes to make jokes about killing Iranians? First it was "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" and now this. I'm sorry, I don't want my president to be somebody who runs his mouth off and needs his wife to jab him in the back to let him know when to shut-up....

"Maybe that's a way of killing them," McCain told reporters, smiling as he waited for a cheesesteak sandwich at the Primanti Brothers restaurant. His wife, sitting next to him at the counter, poked his back without looking up.

From Bill Gates

This should be posted in all schools and work places...

Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

• Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it.
• Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
• Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
• Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
• Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
• Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
• Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room
• Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
• Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time..
• Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up>working for one.
  If you can read this - Thank a teacher! Most of all Thank A Veteran for keeping our country free

Does anybody say AMEN?

[Edit - cleaned it up a bit to make it easier to read - Trininuyawka]

What is a palindrome?

RACECAR is my favorite. Here's a definition via wikipedia:

A palindrome is a word, phrase, number or other sequence of units that has the property of reading the same in either direction (the adjustment of punctuation and spaces between words is generally permitted). Composing literature in palindromes is an example of "constrained writing".

I co-worker of mine sent me this one. Of course literally it doesn't make much sense, but I found it fascinating that the entire passage is in fact mirrored front to back. See if you can find the word/letter that it is mirrored about. If you can make up your own, even better.

Dammit I'm mad.
Evil is a deed as I live.
God, am I reviled? I rise, my bed on a sun, I melt.
To be not one man emanating is sad. I piss.
Alas, it is so late. Who stops to help?
Man, it is hot. I'm in it. I tell.
I am not a devil. I level "Mad Dog".
Ah, say burning is, as a deified gulp,
In my halo of a mired rum tin.
I erase many men. Oh, to be man, a sin.
Is evil in a clam? In a trap?
No. It is open. On it I was stuck.
Rats peed on hope. Elsewhere dips a web.
Be still if I fill its ebb.
Ew, a spider… eh?We sleep. Oh no!
Deep, stark cuts saw it in one position.
Part animal, can I live? Sin is a name.
Both, one… my names are in it.
Murder? I'm a fool.
A hymn I plug, deified as a sign in ruby ash,
A Goddam level I lived at.
On mail let it in. I'm it.
Oh, sit in ample hot spots. Oh wet!
A loss it is alas (sip). I'd assign it a name.
Name not one bottle minus an ode by me:
"Sir, I deliver. I'm a dog"
Evil is a deed as I live.
Dammit I'm mad.

Gossip

Hey you Yankee fans out there. What's the take on AROD and Madonna... Is it true or is it a media thing to get people to focus on the Yankees?

[Edit - Corrected some misspellings - Trininuyawka]

Add 2 more to the reunion celebration

Hey y'all!! Karen and DeAndre will be joining us in Trinidad!! So the whole Carrington family will be there. I am sooo excited!!! DeAndre has had to overcome a few hurdles to make this trip possible and I am very proud of him for doing it and moreover, he is excited to come.

Sorry guys, I am just excited and I had to put this news on DNN.