Category Archives: Caribbean

Disney

WARNING: Spoilers for Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales ahead.

So the latest adventure featuring Jack Sparrow is finally here and the reviews are mixed. Fans of the series likely wont care and the film is attempting to bring back some of the feel of the original film in this fifth installment, creating a film that is sure to please in some places. But with its release, we have to ask what the future of this series might be and where it can go from here.

The original film was a fine stand-alone film that made a ton of money, prompting Disney to call for two sequels filmed back-to-back that turned the series into an epic trilogy for some reason. Much like shared universes today, the epic trilogy was the movie fad at the time and we can likely blame Lord Of The Rings for that. On Stranger Tides and the latest Pirates film mark the start of another very loose trilogy, but the post-credits scene of the latest film hints that we might be getting more pieces of the older films back for the next installment.

Disney

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What Does The 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' After Credits Scene Mean For The Future Of The Series? - UPROXX

Geoffrey Rush is back as Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. All Images: Disney

After five movies playing a ruthless pirate, you might think an Oscar-winning actor like Geoffrey Rush would be tired of it. He is not. He relishes playing Captain Barbossa, the longtime nemesis of Jack Sparrow, because he believes Pirates of the Caribbean is the rare franchise that stands out in a world dominated by franchises.

I think all the franchises battle with each other, to [try and] out-do each other, Rush told io9 in Los Angeles last week. I think were lucky in that were one of the few stories that are set on the open sea. Most of the others are very urban. Or theyre all about the apocalypse or the cataclysm of metropolitan life. Theres something thrilling about the adventures on the high seas that connects.

When Rush was cast as Barbossa for the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, it wasnt conceived as a franchise. According to Rush, the first versions of the script just said Pirates of the Caribbean on them; Ii wasnt until Curse of the Black Pearl was added to later drafts that the actor realized the sequel potential. At that time, he was part of a very small group.

On the first film, there was a certain cynicism about making a film about a Disneyland ride, Rush said. And we were very low on the list of the summer releases. [But] Jerry Bruckheimers a very thoughtful, very creative producer. He really looked hard for a spin on the pirate genre. And once the writers came up with the Curse of the Black Pearl, he thought, Ive got something thats going to really excite all of you.

Rush returns as Barbossa in the fifth film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He still relishes the opportunity, even after 14 years playing the role.

Its a fantastical world mixed in with a surprising reality for a Disney film, he said. In this film, you actually see swords go through peoples torsos. And the supernatural element has always been part of the romance of pirate folklore. The artistry behind that from the costume designer, the cinematography, the injection of a Nordic team of directors (Joachim Rnning and Espen Sandberg) bringing in a kind of new Euro angle to telling the story. Thats all been really exciting.

But while Rush may be happy, Barbossa is not. In Dead Men Tell No Tales, hes become the most powerful pirate in the world, but, lacking any real rivals, hes gotten bored.

Hes always been a transformational character because hes a survivor, Rush said. Hes worked for a king. Hes become the wealthiest pirate. Hes taken his eye off the ball, hes gotten lazy. I love in this film, I said to the directors, at the beginning, Id love to have a string quartet in my cabin. I dont know how to spend my money, but, so much money, what do I spend it on? And I said, Thats his iPod. He wants access to the best. And thats Barbossas first scene in the film: sitting in a room full of treasure, listening to his own person string quartet.

From there, Dead Men Tell No Tales takes Barbossa on his own epic, personal journey, which Rush refused to elaborate upon. However, he would say that no matter what you may think is happening in the film, you can never be sure that Barbossa isnt playing another game altogether. Whatever you think his involvement is with the rough and tumble of the plot, you have to suspect that theres a wily, smart, super-plan in the back of his head, Rush said.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens May 26.

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Geoffrey Rush Reflects on More Than a Decade of Piracy on the Caribbean - Gizmodo

Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: May 21, 2017 Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) Stay up-to-date with all the Royal Caribbean news from this week with our roundup of all this week's news. Earlier this week, we reported a new kind of escape room game available on Brilliance of the Seas that will soon make its way to other ships in ... Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) Receives Media Impact Rating of 0.19The Cerbat Gem Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL) Announces Earnings ResultsSports Perspectives all 60 news articles »

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Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: May 21, 2017 - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

BBC News

Why flying goats in yoga pants could save a Caribbean island - BBC ... BBC News As the tiny, rugged isle of Redonda appears like an eerie moonscape through the rain clouds, it is easy to see why people refer to it simply as "the rock". and more »

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Why flying goats in yoga pants could save a Caribbean island - BBC ... - BBC News

Neil Olson held the role at University of Missouri for 10 years and replaces retiring Timothy Ogilvie in Granada.

OlsonNeil C. Olson, DVM, PhD, has announced he is leaving his position as dean of the University of Missouri's (MU) College of Veterinary Medicine to take over as dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine at St. George's University (SGU) in St. George's, Grenada, according to press releases from both universities. Olson will take over on August 15 from St. George's current dean, Timothy Ogilvie, MSc, LLD, DACVIM, who held the position for three years and is retiring.

Olson will oversee the School of Veterinary Medicine's academic units, centers and initiatives, while providing leadership for the planning, development, implementation, assessment, and improvement of all of the school's programs, policies and infrastructure, the SGU release states. In addition, he will lead more than 100 faculty and staff at the university and will also represent the university among the 48 other veterinary schools accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education.

"I am honored to continue the great work that my predecessor, Dr. Ogilvie, has already laid out," Olson says in the release. "I hope to keep building upon our numerous partnerships with other institutions across the world to recruit and train the best veterinarians. I'm also excited to continue developing our curriculum so that veterinary students can take advantage of the unique global environment that Grenada has to offer."

Olson was dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri for 10 years, and the MU release notes that during that time he oversaw several notable achievements, including:

Prior to joining MU, Olson spent almost 25 years at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in a variety of administrative and professional roles. Olson received his DVM degree from the University of Minnesota and completed his PhD in physiology from Michigan State University.

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Mizzou dean steps down, accepts post at St. George's in Caribbean - dvm360

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Brigid Washington's original career path was journalism. After graduating from N.C. State, she moved to New York to work at Child Magazine as an editorial assistant.

She returned to Raleigh a year later, where she was able to continue her work for Child and cultivated a growing interest in the world of food. Eventually, a conversation at Bloomsbury Bistro, a fine dining restaurant in Raleigh's Five Points, set her on a new course that would eventually lead to the Culinary Institute of America.

After graduating from the CIA, Washington worked as a restaurant consultant before having her first child three years ago. Now, six months after the birth of her daughter, she's spreading the word about her latest project - a cookbook called Coconut. Ginger. Shrimp. Rum.: Caribbean Flavors for Every Season."

Washington will be at the Barnes & Noble at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh on June 3 and WHISK in Cary on June 23. I chatted with her by email to learn more about her work, her book and her tips for busy moms trying to get dinner on the table.

Go Ask Mom: You grew up in Trinidad. Tell us about your childhood food memories.

Brigid Washington: In Trinidad, food continues to be a representation of the cultures and ethnicities that formed the island. Our dinners were edible geography, simply by way of having a very ethnically diverse country. I didnt realize it at the time, but it was extraordinarily exciting to be naturally immersed in global fusion cuisine before it was trendy. One of the most salient food memories is the bread pudding my mom and I would make on a Sunday afternoon. Every now and then, I replicate that memory for my family and the process always (always) has a warm enveloping nostalgia.

GAM: You worked in magazines for a while, but your career shifted toward cooking when you moved back to Raleigh. Why did you make the transition - and how?

BW: I lived in Five Points at the time and every day, driving home from work, I would notice Bloomsbury Bistro. One day, I walked in and communicated my desire to learn more about this all-encompassing world of food. Chef Toler saw beyond my shaky words and allowed me to access to the kitchen. I worked for free, after my 9-5. Within a year, I quit my day job and worked full time at Bloomsbury. It was my first big calculated risk and it paid off.

GAM: You have a cookbook out. What's it all about? What kind of recipes does it feature?

BW: The book brings two worlds together through four ingredients. My Caribbean heritage and my current life in the United States are intermingled in 80 recipes that are all heavily tethered to the seasons. The recipes are approachable, fun and 100 percent doable(lets remember, I wrote the book when I was massively pregnant) Ha!

GAM: As a mom of two young kids, has your cooking at home changed? If so, how? Do you have tips for moms trying to get food on the table?

BW: Yes! My cooking have definitely changed. My biggest tip would be not to segregate snack food from real food. Early on, I was resolute to instill in Luke, who turns three this week, a love of vegetables and a plate that is as colorful as his Lego blocks. His snacks continue to be fresh fruit and vegetables. And, when eating produce is normal, there isnt any room for alternatives.

GAM: What are you working on now?

BW: Im working on marketing the book, keeping all the balls in the air and attempting to carve out weekly self-care." And honestly sometimes my self-care is watching Jeopardy with a glass ofsparkling rose.

Go Ask Mom features local moms every Monday.

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Coconut and Ginger: Raleigh mom intermingles Caribbean heritage, US life in new cookbook - WRAL.com

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Its the second year in a row when mixologist Vincentian Sylvanus Johnson will compete in the June finals of Caribbean Week New Yorks Mixologist of the Year.

A battle of six mixologists took place at Roof at Park South Hotel on May 15, the first round in the competition. Using Seven Fathoms, other rums and additional ingredients (some secret), they used their spirits artistry to create unique, flavorful and hopefully winning cocktails.

The score tied between the top two. The other finalist Dani DeLuna will compete with Johnson at Caribbean Weeks Rum Rumble on Thursday June 8.

At the bar, three judges focused on the mixologists listening intently to the narratives as they went into action one at a time, concocting their cocktails.

Judging criteria included the stories behind the drinks as well as the tastes.

Last year Sylvanus Johnson won at the semi-finals and finished second overall.

Sylvanus Johnson was born in St. Vincent and The Grenadines, hailing from the town of Biabou and immigrated when he was six. He grew up in Brooklyn and has lived in New York for 22 years.

Whats his connection to rum? I have a love for rum above all other spirits, he said. I also enjoy the flavors of the burnt sugar cane that give rum notes of vanilla, nuts, pineapple, and spice, he added with a knowledgeable flourish.

Bartending for nine years, how did he get into bartending? He was mentored by a family friend who got me a bar back job when I was nineteen, he said. I tried to learn as much as I could about spirits, bartending, and food from the people I worked with and became a bartender.

He rattled off a list of bars he tended. You can find him at Westlight in the William Vale Hotel in Williamsburg and upstate in Hudson, NY at Backbar.

What goes into the winning drink he calls Darow, named for his grandmother that made him a finalist?

This savory cocktail featured Matusalem and Seven Fathoms rums, green mango puree with cholula hot sauce, salt, and pepper with charred green bell pepper and lemon juice, in a labor intensive invention.

The flavors are seasonal and Caribbean, inspired by memories I have of eating green mangos with chili sauce, lemon and salt, he said.

He served it over crushed ice with a flamed bell pepper rosette and mango dipped in chili piquin a pepper, sugar, salt mixture (it was tangy but not hot).

The other finalist DeLunas cocktail was named Mark V a large-format Barrel based on how they drink Planters Punch in the Cayman Islands!

Organized by the CTO, Caribbean Week (which starts June 4) New York is the largest, most engaging regional tourism activity in the city. Events take place at Wyndham New Yorker Hotel except for the sixth annual Rum & Rhythm Benefit, June 9, at Capitale, which raises monies to go to scholarships and study grants to Caribbean students pursuing studies in tourism and hospitality and related subjects.

Caribbean Week showcases the sights, sounds, colors, culture and unique holiday experiences of the Caribbean and during the week attracts tourism officials, artists, investors and other strategic partners.

Posted 12:00 am, May 21, 2017

2017 Community News Group

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Battle of the rum mixologists - Caribbean Life

BELIZE CITY, Belize (CMC) A new study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) estimates that 4.2 million people in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean and in the Pacific are living in areas that are prone to flooding due to rising sea levels.In addition to coastal erosion, rising sea levels are expected to negatively impact economic output and employment, and could aggravate inflation and cause an increase in government debt, according to the study, A Blue Urban Agenda: Adapting to Climate Change in the Coastal Cities of Caribbean and Pacific Small Island Developing States.

Caribbean and Pacific coastal cities are on the frontlines of climate change, said Michael G Donovan, senior urban specialist at the IDB, co-author of the study. It is critical to adapt and improve the resilience of cities in coastal zones, especially those experiencing rapid urbanisation.

Mayors in port cities across the globe could benefit from the policies that Small Island Developing States are developing as their governments respond to coastal transformation, he added.

The study says one out of five residents of Caribbean and Pacific SIDS live in low-elevation coastal zones, which are defined as areas with elevations less than 10 metres above sea level.

This is most extreme in The Bahamas and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, where over 80 per cent of the population live at low elevations, the study says.

The IDB said the good news is that the international community has begun responding to the challenge.

The report also analyses how Caribbean and Pacific SIDS have leveraged nearly US$800 million in green climate funding to support coastal resilience.

The donor community and the SIDS have been innovative in their efforts to solve this problem in the context of what is known as the 'Blue Urban Agenda', said Michelle Mycoo, lead author from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus in Trinidad and Tobago. The challenge facing SIDS government officials is investing in protection of their highly vulnerable coastal cities before the damage occurs.

The study reviewed efforts made by Caribbean and Pacific SIDS to implement adaptation strategies aimed at reducing vulnerability and enhancing sustainability.

It shows an increasing emphasis on urban governance and institutional capacity building within city planning agencies.

The report also includes several policy recommendations for making towns and cities more resilient to climate change. Those measures include improving coastal planning, land reclamation, coastal setbacks, enforcement of building codes, climate-proofing infrastructure, mangrove reforestation, and coastal surveying and monitoring.

The report analysed more than 50 projects in SIDS financed by the IDB, United States Agency for International Development, World Bank, UN-Habitat, Japan International Cooperation Agency, German Corporation for International Cooperation, Asian Development Bank, European Union, UK's Department for International Development, UNDP, Caribbean Community, Australian Agency for International Development, and the Pacific Community.

The IDB said these projects are located in Bridgetown, Barbados; Kingston , Jamaica; Suva, Fiji; Majuro, Marshall Islands; Nassau,Bahamas; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and other coastal cities.

This is the first report from the IDB to compare coastal cities in ecologically fragile Caribbean and Pacific Small Island Developing States.

The IDB said it plans to share lessons learned from SIDS with Brazil, where 13.5 million people live in low-elevation coastal zones.

A Blue Urban Agenda: Adapting to Climate Change in the Coastal Cities of Caribbean and Pacific Small Island Developing States provides strategies to implement commitments for SIDS in international agreements, such as the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action resolution, COP21, the Sustainable Development Goals, and Habitat III, the IDB said.

The report follows the IDB Group's announcement last year that it would increase the volume of climate-related financing to 30 per cent of operational approvals by the end of 2020.

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Threat to people of Caribbean, Pacific islands looms - Jamaica Observer

ST. THOMAS Today the Government of the Virgin Islands and Airbnb signed a groundbreaking agreement in the Caribbean, which will allow the platform to collect the 12.5% Hotel Room Occupancy Tax on behalf of hosts and remit the funds to the V.I. Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Tourism and Airbnb announced in a joint press release. The Consortium previously reported the partnership, which is the first of its kind in the territory.

It will also create a framework to help promote tourism the territory, highlighting the cultural and historical heritage of the islands, which Airbnb described as a world class destination.

The release says Airbnb has been investing in partnerships in the region to support a thriving community of homeowners who are renting their spaces and creating new flows of local economic benefits. Agreements have been signed with several countries and with the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) to create policy frameworks for this growing hospitality trend of home sharing. Todays announcement spearheads the companys efforts in the Caribbean to collect and remit lodging taxes on behalf of hosts, allowing Airbnb hosts to comply and give back to their community.

Governor Kenneth Mapp supported the agreement and noted that locals will increase their participation in the economic benefits of tourism. This is good for our Government because it streamlines the collection process and enables more of our citizens to participate in the visitor industry. Our hospitality sector will also greatly benefit from the promotional reach of this multibillion-dollar organization, said the territorys leader.

The agreement with Airbnb is a component of the Mapp-Potter administrations five-year plan to fully restore economic stability to the V.I. Government through economic growth, increased revenue collection and better resource management. It will help improve and diversify the tourism industry and create unique experiences for and by the locals of St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas and their visitors, Airbnb says.

Airbnb has about 2,000 active listings across the U.S. Virgin Islands and a typical Airbnb host earns USD $7,700 a year, according to the release.

Airbnb represents a supplemental income, which helps families pay their bills and improve their quality of life. As local hosts bring more tourism to the region, visitors get to know the country from an organic and more authentic point of view, spending in local businesses and services, as well as encouraging others to visit the islands as a result of their positive experience, said Shawn Sullivan, Airbnbs Public Policy Manager for the Caribbean and Central America.

Local authorities also pointed to the importance of the growth and diversification of tourism to the island and the improvement of tax collection for both hosts and government. This agreement brings to the table a well-resourced partner to help with our efforts to attract people to our islands, said Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty.

Marvin Pickering, of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, said the additional revenue would be beneficial for the treasury. This voluntary collection agreement for the hotel room tax provides the bureau with an additional resource to ensure that the tax is collected and remitted in a timely manner, he said. We look forward to pursuing this additional avenue of increasing the tax revenue from Airbnb hosts as they participate in our Territorys tax regime by fulfilling their filing and payment obligations.

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USVI, Airbnb Sign First Tax Agreement In Caribbean - VI Consortium (press release)

Variety

Jerry Bruckheimer Would Board Sixth 'Pirates of the Caribbean' With Johnny Depp, Disney Variety Disney kicked off the summer movie season on Thursday night with the premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the fifth installment in the venerable franchise. Hundreds of fans dressed up in pirates outfits for the occasion ... 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star Javier Bardem praises Johnny Depp's 'iconic' Jack Sparrow characterFox News What Goes Around Comes Around offers limited-edition 'Pirates of the Caribbean' merchandiseLos Angeles Times 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales' trailer pits Johnny Depp against Javier BardemGoldderby KABC-TV -Cinema Blend -Deadline -Hollywood Reporter all 182 news articles »

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Jerry Bruckheimer Would Board Sixth 'Pirates of the Caribbean' With Johnny Depp, Disney - Variety