Ryan Star - Brand new day ( Lie to me theme youtube)

Linkin Park - In The End in 20 Styles (youtube)

Darío, ganador de “Lo que das”, (youtube)

Manali Trance - Full Video | Yo Yo Honey Singh & Neha Kakkar | The Shauk...

I find this very catchy

Lots of recipes for eggs

I thought this was interesting. Lots and lots of yummy recipes using eggs.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/egg-recipes/?slide=1

Election time rhyme..

'Twas the night before elections when all though the land 
Rallies still parading like Carnival band. 
The poll cards were laid on the table with care
In hopes that the end to the madness was near. 
The voters get ready to jump in their beds
With visions of HDC houses in their heads. 
And Mama in her nighty and I in my cap
Cussing WASA hard, cuz no water in the tap.
When out on the road there arose such a clatter
We peeped through the jalousie to see what was the matter. 
Away to the pavement I flew like a flash 
When I realize somebody collect a lash. 
Then what to my wondering eyes should appear 
But a crowd of drunk fools in red and yellow gear. 
Listening to their slurs and accusations and rage. 
I knew in a moment, it's an election rampage. 
More rapid than eagles the cuss words they came 
While a crowd whistled and shouted and cheered them by name.
"On Desha, on Daniel, now Prakash and Vincent! On Khemraj, on Quacey, on Donna and Brittney!
And then in a twinkling I heard up the street 
Women sighing and groaning and sucking their teeth.
As the crowd parted and I turned around 
Faris Al Rawi came in with a bound. 
He was dressed all in red and stood proud and tall
And all of his clothes were about one size too small. 
His eyes how they twinkled, his dimples how merry 
His muscles they rippled, his mouth like a cherry.
He raised his hands high and the crowd became quiet
He spoke and he told them there's no need to riot. 
"We could argue and cuss and friendships could done
But after elections, life goes on!
Just go out and vote, it's your duty and right
Let your fingers do the talking, there's no need to fight."
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Let the crowd know they had nothing to dread. 
He sprang to his Audi and to his chauffeur gave a whistle
And they flew up the PBR like the down of a thistle.
We heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight
"Happy Election to all and to all a good night!"

- Lakshmi Boodan

It is cheaper to kill

I am rethinking visiting china..

Drivers pay less money if they kill you than if they injure you so they come back to finish the job if the initial hit was not enough.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2015/09/why_drivers_in_china_intentionally_kill_the_pedestrians_they_hit_china_s.html

Asus MeMo pad 7 sound distorted

My Asus MeMo pad 7 (ME176CX) started sounding very badly when music was played at volume even at the lowest amount. There are two speakers in this tablet (seen at the bottom on the tablet in the pic below). I had to open the back to figure out which one was bad. I booted the tablet with the back off and put my finger on each of the speakers and checked if it made a difference. Pressing on one of them did fix the issue. I put a folded piece of paper that I wedged between the speaker and back cover. This really stops all sound from coming out of that speaker. I can barely tell the difference with only one speaker working as I do not use the tablet in loud areas where I need a lot of volume. I hope this helps you too.

Please support the site by shopping via the link below

Topics:

Sound distorted in tablet

Cannot hear in tablet

Music not sounding good

Speaker broken, not playing well

Sound muffled

Cannot hear properly from Asus tablet

Religious scams

There are lots of cases like this but the issue is that governments have no interest in fixing these loopholes.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/17/john-oliver-exposes-shady-televangelists-fleecing-americans-for-millions.html

Dangerous chemicals covered up

Corporate greed wins again. DuPont covered up issues for decades while people died. 

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/08/11/dupont-chemistry-deception/

Kia sorento AC only working full speed

Symptoms: I had a problem where the air condition in a Kia Sorento will only blow air when the fan speed is set to the maximum. The controls show the fan speed to be on slow and medium speeds but only the slightest air pushed through the vents.

The fix:
The problem is a bad blower resistor. This controls the speed of the blower. It is located behind the glove box, on the blower assembly. The glove box comes off by opening it and pulling it upward, off its hinges. The resistor is held in place by two screws. A very short screwdriver or a socket set with phillips head has to be used. In my case I have a 3 pin resistor so I had to get a similar part. The A/C will work even if this part is removed from the car but with the same problem of the fan only working at full speed. I bought a replacement (Wells JA1394 HVAC Blower Motor Resistor) for approximately $50USD and was able to change it out myself. I have a 2003 right hand drive Kia Sorento, 2.5L turbo diesel. The new part has a completely different metal section but the plastic and connection are the same. There is a side by side picture below. It works as expected.

Please support the site by using the amazon link below

Topics:
Air condition fan only working at full speed power
AC fan not blowing
One speed A/C fan not working
How to replace change fix blower resistor Kia Sorento 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

The Daily Show - Fraud City (youtube)

We have a similar problem with our big financial players and the 'common man'.

Best internet connection in Trinidad and Tobago

Updated Jule 20th 2023

I would like to compare the current residential packages available from multiple providers in Trinidad and Tobago.

Online classes require approximately 10 MB per device for sound and video, so for example if you have 3 devices at the same time this would require a 30 MB download connection etc. 


Bmobile: https://bmobile.co.tt/internet/

This is probably the most widely available provider. They offer wired service through fibre and DSL on phone lines and wireless service through dongle or hotspot devices. Fibre is in a limited area and DSL is probably the most commonly available service of all. TV and phone service is also offered.

Flow : https://discoverflow.co/trinidad/internet/overview

This is probably the second most widely available wired provider after Bmobile. I think once they became available in an area internet users would switch to them away from Bmobile because of their packages. They offer services through fibre to an area and then coax copper to your home. TV and phone service is also offered.

Digicel Fibre: https://www.digicelgroup.com/tt/en/digicel-plus/bundles.html
Probably the fastest growing provider right now. The introduction of their service has made the competitors refine their offerings and this is good for the consumer. They offer fibre to the home (FTTH) in several areas. Wireless service is accessible throughout the country. TV and phone service is also offered.

Amplia: http://amplia.co.tt/internet/
This company was formerly Massy which was purchased by BMobile. They are a FTTH provider only available in a limited area. TV service is also offered.

Lisa: https://www.lisacommunications.com/internet/
They offer fixed wireless service throughout the country which is dependable. They mainly focus on businesses and residential customers benefit from this. Their speeds are much slower compared to others but it is traded for reliability.

Starlink:https://www.starlink.com/

This service uses a small dish which is fixed to your building or vehicle and receives service from satellites in space. 

Greendot: http://www.gd.tt/broadband-internet/
They can be found throughout the country providing fixed wireless internet. TV is also offered.

Air Link: https://www.airlinktt.net/internet
This wired service is only available in and around Princes Town. TV service is also offered.

Novo Communications : http://www.novocommunications.net/index.php/welcome/internet
A FTTH provider in a limited area around Penal.

RVR Networks: https://www.facebook.com/RVR-International-Limited-1674070962879714/ 
Internet and TV provider (Mayaro, Rio Claro, Sisters Road, New Grant, Williamsville, Tabaquite, Caparo, Gran Couva, Tortuga, Preysal)


'Wired' vs 'Wireless'

First of all, any 'wired' provider is typically cheaper than a 'wireless' provider. When I say 'wired' I mean a wire (copper or fibre) comes to your house which is what you get with Flow, Digicel, Bmobile and Massy\Amplia fibre and copper options. You can have a wireless access point from that wire broadcasting throughout your house, but reception is only in and around your house, within range of the access point. Some providers give you a WiFi capable modem or access point with their install and some tell you buy your own. The packages are 'unlimited' download with your amount of data not monitored or capped, given reasonable usage. There may not be an official Fair Usage Policy from the providers but they may throttle you down if you use whatever they consider to be too much, but it is very unlikely you will reach that.

A 'wireless' provider can offer a mobile or fixed service.
- Mobile wireless services would be Bmobile or Digicel via Wifi/USB dongles that you can carry around the country away from your home and still get service. Mobile options typically have a limited amount of data for a given period, eg 15GB per month. It is very easy to reach this with a lot of video or music playing and posting and viewing pictures. In my experience Digicel wireless can give as high as 12 Mbps in a particular area and the most your may get with Bmobile is 5 Mbps. The technology they use is capable of much faster but this is how they have tuned their networks. Maximum speeds will fluctuate drastically depending on many factors such as network load and reception.
- Fixed wireless services such as Lisa and Green Dot set up antennas outside your home and have to be in sufficient range of their radio towers in order to offer service. Packages typically allow unlimited data to be downloaded, according to a fair usage policy.  The service can be affected by weather, structures in the line of sight and RF interference. Wireless options have much higher latency (higher ping) than wired ones.

Packages

Most providers have a good package around $275 that can support a family (at least 3 or 4 devices) simultaneously despite what their marketing departments will say to upsell you. They are arranged starting with the best value ($ per Mbps) at the top.

ISP                 Down/ Up Mbps   $ Per Month          $ per Mbps
Flow                 200 / 25                 $ 317.50               $ 1.59 *

Digicel Fibre    200 / 200                $ 305.00               $ 1.53

Amplia              150 / 150               $ 250.00               $ 1.67

Air Link             125 / 30                 $ 299.00               $ 2.40

RVR                  75 /                        $ 200.00               $ 2.66

Novo                 75 / 25                   $ 255.00               $ 3.40

Starlink             100 / 10                 $ 365.00               $ 3.65 **

G.Dot                20 / 3                     $ 223.88               $ 11.20 
Bmobile LTE     20 /                        $ 223.88               $ 11.20
Lisa                    2 /  0.768              $ 336.38                $168.19

Notes

*Flow has a special rate 200mbps down, 25mb up for only $300.00 a month if you have a Carigamers MVP membership. Membership is currently $29/52 USD so the above rate includes that in the monthly rate. The regular price is $385 per month which would make it $1.93 per Mbps which is still the cheapest.

Link - https://www.carigamers.com/blog/product/carigamers-mvp-membership-card/  

** Starlink speeds are taken from the 'Expected speeds during peak hours' table. Speeds will vary. This requires a substantial upfront cost of $4054.00 for satellite equipment and shipping. That is over four thousand dollars up front just for the equipment but you own it after that. This will work well for people who are in isolated\forested areas without lines or in housing schemes that are not wired for high speed internet. 

Green Dot has an initial install fee starting at $1,687.50 for equipment and labour which reduces depending on the length of contract you choose.

Novo installation fee starts at $400. 

RVR Internet special available only in in Mayaro, Manzanilla, Guayaguayare $200 for 200 Mbps down, 100 Mbps up. Link here.

Special mention - Airlink student special - 40mbps down, 10mbps up plus 75 TV channels for $250 per month.

Link - https://www.airlinktt.net/student

RVR and Lisa were included even though they are much more than $200 since I think they are the most usable speed options available from their respective companies.

Providers generally give reliable service. 10 Mbps and more download on each device is most likely sufficient for anything you need to do. I strongly recommend you start at a lower package and test it out and if you still think you need more then upgrade it. Some providers do not allow you to downgrade a package easily. Streaming video or downloading files is probably the most demanding task for your connection. If multiple users do this simultaneously the connection may become overwhelmed. You would then need a bigger package to satisfy your demand.

Flow also has their educational site with material for various exams https://www.flowstudy.co/

I think the best value for money for a new subscriber without a connection is currently Digicel's 100 Mbps Play package, given the price per Mbps shown above. Install can be as low as $175 if you get it on special promotion. Fibre technology has lower latency inherent to it as well as being on a network with less shared resources compared to Flow. The modem is capable of reading from an external USB drive, has 802.11ac WiFi and multiple ethernet ports. There is a 12 month contract and no security deposit. It is probably best to call them on 100 from a Digicel phone or 399-9999 from another phone. It can take weeks to hear from them if you fill out the form online.

Flow would be the next best option. Digicel is available in a much smaller area compared to Flow. 

Note - Flow is based on copper wires and because theft of these lines is so common there are regular outages and loss of service for several hours at a time due to copper line theft, failed equipment, loss of electricity in other areas and many other to name a few.

If you already have Flow it is not worth it to switch to Digicel since you can take the 100 Mbps package. Most households would not saturate the 100 Mbps connections. Flow does not require a contract to be signed but they do prefer a minimum connection period of a few months. On lower packages they charge extra for a 802.11n WiFi capable modem which is not capable of reading from an external drive. They have consistently raised their packages to lead if not keep up with competitors. One major point to note is the cost of installation for the service. Digicel is currently offering free installation and modem which is $599 savings. Flow offers a free non-wifi modem to lower packages but charges for installation. You can wait until Flow has a promotion for free installation usually right before school closes for holidays.

Fastest internet - Flow and Amplia has the maximum download speed available with 1 Gbps in a limited area. 

Cheapest Internet  in Trinidad - Bmobile with 6Mbps down for $168.

Best Deal - Air Link Student Bundle Basic and Student + plans include TV for a great price. 

Many providers only give service to specific towns. Massy is only available in a very limited area. Airlink is only available in Princes Town and environs. Green Dot, Lisa, Digicel and Bmobile mobile dongles depend on wireless reception. This means you may not get good reception if you are in a hilly, rural or crowded area.

Bmobile DSL offers a dial up account with unlimited hours for any DSL plan you have. This is supposed to be a backup if your DSL goes down.

The upload rate is probably not a deciding factor for you but 1 Mbps up is plenty for the average person. If you are trying to do online classes and show your video and sound you would need an upload speed of at least 5 Mbps per device. Take note of initial installation costs and duration of contract. Start at the top of the table above to check which providers are in your area. Also check if your house/apartment may already be wired for a service, eg the last occupant may have already run lines to your apartment which would now save you the installation cost. Talk to the provider about what you want the connection for, I believe Lisa blocks streaming video.

BMobile 4g LTE Router

If you have to get a mobile/wireless device as your only source of internet, I recommend Bmobile's LTE Wireless device, assuming you are within an area with coverage. I recommend you do a test yourself for service if possible. Perhaps ask someone with an LTE phone\device to check if they have good reception and to do a speedtest while there. You get unlimited data at a maximum download speed of 6Mbps for $167.63 per month. No upload cap is mentioned but it would be low. It is a very capable device with external antennas, ethernet ports, USB and supports up to 32 devices (Link here). All the devices will share the 6Mbps if they are on at the same time. Remember that this is enough bandwidth for multiple devices to surf the internet, facebook, twitter etc at the same time but it may be enough for one device to stream videos. This is with a 2 year contract and $599 deposit. There is a additional $960+vat required if foreigners are taking the device.Most smart phones now have a data meter to help you figure out how much data you use which can help you choose an appropriate package.

BMobile 4g LTE Router

Second choice would be Digicel's dongle with unlimited data per month. 

The wireless devices will need the appropriate type of reception in order to operate at their full potential. Digicel's dongles switch down to edge speeds (about 100Kbps) if they are not getting high speed service. Bmobile's dongles lose service completely when not getting high speed reception. Digicel typically has better reception (with all their services).

I am only considering the stand-alone internet packages available from these providers and perhaps over simplifying the comparison because many of them offer discounts with bundles for phone and TV services. For example Digicel's bundle as mentioned earlier or Flow's Ultra bundle. You should go through their packages and see which would be best for you. If you already have a service and are shopping around be sure to consider the installation costs. As a mobile solution you can also use the data plan on your phone by making it a Wifi hotspot for your other devices. Digicel has data plans with unlimited WhatsApp chat which means some things would not count toward your data usage. If this is all you use it for then consider that option, noting that any videos or WhatsApp sound or video calls will spend data.

If your computer - desktop, laptop, phone etc is more than 4 or 5 years old it may not be able to take full advantage of your internet connection. HD video content is intensive and a slow PC can have stuttering and other issues due to the computer itself and not your broadband connection. The biggest bottleneck in a PC is usually the hard drive so consider upgrading to an SSD as well as adding more RAM (if your PC supports these) .

The speeds offered are only peak throughput from your home to the respective provider's internet backbone connection. You can verify you are receiving what you pay for by doing a test to a Trinidad server on www.speedtest.net. You should perform this test while wired into your modem/router or while next to your modem/router to avoid poor signal reception. In some cases your older wireless router/network may not be able to support the internet speed you have because of the wireless standards it uses. If you are not getting consistent results close to (more than 90% of) what you are paying for you should report the issue to the provider. If you do a test to a server on the west coast USA you would probably have a slow result. This is because the speed to download from servers on the internet would sometimes be much less than what you are paying for. The bottleneck may be along the path between you and the distant server which the internet provider would have no control of. This is the nature of the internet and must be taken into account especially for servers further away such as Europe and Asia.

If you have an issue with any of these services and your problem is not addressed in the company's own stipulated time frames you should file a complaint with T.A.T.T. who is the regulatory body for these providers and this usually hastens the resolution.

TATT has published a comparison chart ( many years ago) also: https://tatt.org.tt/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download.aspx?Command=Core_Download&EntryId=861&PortalId=0&TabId=222

Now that you have chosen your awesome new internet provider or upgraded your package please check out Tech gadgets for people new to broadband.

Providers are constantly upgrading their packages so call them directly before making a decision. Sometimes promotional info is posted to the social media accounts only and not on their websites. This info is offered as a guide only. I do not work for any provider and am not associated with them in any way and this is not a paid review.

Please comment about what service you have and how it is working for you. If you like this post please support the blog by clicking on ads.


Flow                 100 / 20                  $ 196.00               $  1.96 (no GATT fee, web link)
Flow                 100 / 20                  $ 229.72               $  2.29 (including GATT fee)

Flow deal via GATT available to everyone for an additional $59USD annual registration fee- http://www.carigamers.com/cms/

Some users who had the GATT special package from 2017 were limited to 60Mbps and some are on 100Mbps for the same $196. The reason for the disparity is unclear. The GATT special is extended until the end of 2018.

Airlink has the cheapest package of 25 Mbps down/10 Mbps up for $119.00/month. (2021)

Topics: Flow vs Bmobile broadband for desktop
Digicel vs FLOW vs Starlink satellite
Most speed Blink vs Digicel trinidad internet packages
Fastest internet net in Trinidad and Tobago for laptop
Massy internet vs blink fiber
Cheapest most affordable internet plan bundle
Green dot vs Blink bmobile bundle vs Flow bundles vs Digicel bundles
Slow TSTT hotspot
Best Trinidad ISP internet service providers
Best internet package in Trinidad for tablet
most internet plan for school child student studying
Worst internet service Trinidad
Internet service providers in TT
Which is the best ISP internet in Trinidad and Tobago
Is flow or digicel worth it for phone

I wanted a selfie stick, but...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/man-who-was-struck-and-killed-by-lightning-in-brecon-beacons-was-carrying-a-selfie-stick-10370907.html

Some people just want to see the world burn

It is amazing something like this can happen and be hidden for so long.

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/06/fake-bomb-detectors-iraq

Action

What is the most important thing I can be doing right now ..and why am I not doing it?

Food for the world

We live in a very business oriented world

http://www.vox.com/2014/11/20/7254883/farmland-trade-land-grab

Jetman Dubai : Young Feathers 4K

Tech keeps getting smaller and smaller. This is amazing.

ASUS MeMO Pad 7 ME176CX not booting or coming on

I recently bought a used Asus MeMo pad 7 (ME176CX). It was not booting or coming on at all. There was no change when the charger was plugged in. There should have been a battery icon when the charger was in for several hours. Some searching online shows this to be a common problem. The battery gets drained to an extremely low level and refuses to be charged. I left it for an hour charging but the charging icon never came up.  This can happen if the tablet is left alone for a long time. This may be fixed by detaching the internal battery for a few minutes and then it would charge again. Instructions for what I did are below.

1. Open the tablet. The plastic back comes off by popping open clips all around the back cover. The first place I started was around the head phone jack. I used a mini flat head in the opening to pull the plastic up toward the top of the tablet. This gave me an edge to put a pick on and start to pry the cover.   There was no glue.

2. Pull the battery connector up away from the screen. It looks like it should be pulled down toward the bottom of the tablet but that is not so. Use a plastic tool to avoid shorting any contacts on the battery or board. Leave it detached for about 10 minutes. Others have said they put a multimeter on the outer contacts of the connector and have seen the voltage dropping slowly until it goes to a minimum so you know the battery can be reconnected.

3. Press the connector back into place. Snap the cover back on.

4.  Leave it charging. In my case it took about 20 minutes for the low battery icon to show up. The tablet charged up fully and worked properly after that.

Notes.
The process is similar for other Asus tablets.
Use a plastic tool when working around the internal components to avoid bridging any contacts by mistake and shorting anything. This can be dangerous to yourself as well as the tablet.
If this does not work there may be a more serious problem with your device that you have to send it to the manufacturer or local repair shop for.

I do recommend this tablet especially if you get it at a sale price. Please use the link below to help support this site.

Could this company predict the next terror attack?

this is EPIC!!

These guys are heroes.

Coco Reef Tobago check in and out times

Check in time: 3.00pm

Check out time: 12.00pm (noon)

Currently it is not on their website.

Mayweather vs pacquiao

The fight has been delayed due to last minute pay per view demand, imagine that!

You can get many live text updates or tweets. 

Here are a couple

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/mayweather-vs-pacquiao/11579029/Mayweather-vs-Pacquiao-live.html

https://twitter.com/hashtag/MayweatherPacquiao?src=hash

See You Again / Kal Ho Naa Ho - Bollywood Paul Walker Tribute

See You Again / Kal Ho Naa Ho - Bollywood Paul Walker Tribute from Tesher on Vimeo.

Bmobile(TSTT) APN settings

You have to create an Access Point Name (APN) on your smartphone in order for data to work at 3G/4G speeds. Also make sure your smart phone is NOT set to 2G only.

Dig into your data or network settings to see where to add an APN. In Android you may have to press the 'menu' button on the bottom or press the three dots in the top right corner to 'add' or 'save'. When creating the APN only two details need to be filled out:

Postpaid:
Name: Anything you want, I usually put my name 

APN: internet

Prepaid:
Name: Anything you want, I usually put my name 
APN: bconnected

LTE:
Name: Anything you want, I usually put my name 
APN: bmobile

Also ensure that 'mobile data' or similar is enabled in the settings. You may have to restart your phone for the settings to take effect.

You can also try putting the SIM into another handset (that is locked to Bmobile or unlocked for any SIM) to see if the problem is with the handset or the SIM.

If the SIM is the issue dial 824-8788 and go through the menu to get to a rep who can talk you through setting it up. If your handset only does 2G/EDGE these settings will still allow you to connect with data but only at the speed the phone is capable of.

You may also find this helpful: http://bmobile.co.tt/support/

Please click an ad to support this blog if this was helpful.

Topics: iphone 3g apn data setttings trinidad

alcatel blackberry huawei sony motorola samsung htc lg nexus alcatel blu nokia lumia apple iphone android ios 4g data settings tstt trinidad and tobago

bmobile 4g speed settings

4g hotspot apn settings

trinidad and tobago apn mobile data settings

Breathtaking pics of the Chile volcano eruption

http://www.boredpanda.com/volcano-eruption-calbuco-chile/

When scientists lie under oath

This is a horror story, and will probably make a good movie. If this can happen in the USA can you imagine what goes on in less developed countries?

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2015/04/fbi_s_flawed_forensics_expert_testimony_hair_analysis_bite_marks_fingerprints.single.html

Related to this and from a while ago:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Dookhan

Inaccurate information on priceline.com

I tried calling the customer care number for priceline.com (PL) to inform them of inaccurate information on their site. It shows the old baggage policy prices for Caribbean Airlines, below is a copy of the rules from a ticket I bought directly from caribbean-airlines (CAL) for a flight from POS to USA. I spoke to Emma from the Travel Services Dept (in USA) who basically said if I did not buy a ticket from them and it is not affecting me then leave it alone. The conversation was somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes but went nowhere.

She said there is nobody there who can change the information on their site because that info comes from the airlines and they only show what the airlines give them. She could not say when was the last time the policy was received from CAL or when PL had last checked if it was inaccurate, which I expected, however she was also very unwilling to have it investigated at all. She said the issue would be handled when a customer buys a ticket and that says their second checked bag is free and they go to CAL that CAL would have to honour that ticket. I am very skeptical about them honouring an outdated policy on an agent's site. I think she got upset that I was trying to inform them of an issue that did not affect me.

This link currently shows inaccurate information.
http://www.priceline.com/travel/airlines/lang/en-us/BaggageFeeHelp.asp?plf=PCLN&bfh=BW~Caribbean+Airlines~Y~www.caribbean-airlines.com
The bottom the page on the above link does say "To confirm baggage fees for your reservation or for information on additional, overweight, or oversized bags, fare-type based baggage fees or if your confirmed class or itinerary is not shown, click here to visit the airline's website." but I do not think this is good enough since it is under a table which is described as "Listed below is the baggage fee policy for the carrier(s) in your selected itinerary...."

Below is the current list of baggage charges for CAL:

Baggage Policy for Caribbean Airlines Flights Only
Carry-On Baggage Allowance and Fees (All Passengers)	To/from Caribbean & South America (excluding to/from Trinidad & Tobago)	To/from USA and Caribbean & South America	To/from Canada and Caribbean & South America	To/from United Kingdom and Caribbean & South America	To/from Trinidad and Tobago
Business and Economy	1pc @ 10kg/22lb plus 1 personal item
Extra Carry-On Bag	USD 100.00	USD 100.00	USD 100.00/CAD 120.00	USD 75.00/GBP 50.00	USD 100.00
Heavy Carry-On Bag	USD 50.00	USD 50.00	USD 50.00/CAD 60.00	USD 40.00/GBP 25.00	USD 50.00
Oversized Carry-On Bag	USD 50.00	USD 50.00	USD 50.00/CAD 60.00	USD 40.00/GBP 25.00	USD 50.00
Checked Baggage Allowance and Fees (Adult/Child)
Business	3pcs @ 23kg/50lb each				Not Applicable
Economy Flex	2pcs @ 23kg/50lb each				1pc @ 23kg/50lb each
Economy Semi-Flex	1pc @ 23kg/50lb each			2pcs @ 23kg/50lb each	Not Applicable
Economy Non-Flex	1pc @ 23kg/50lb each			2pcs @ 23kg/50lb each	Not Applicable
1st Bag	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free
1st Bag Heavy	USD 75.00	USD 75.00	USD 75.00/CAD 90.00	USD 40.00/GBP 25.00	USD 75.00
2nd Bag	USD 25.00	USD 25.00	USD 25.00/CAD 30.00	Free	USD 25.00
2nd Bag Heavy	USD 100.00	USD 100.00	USD 100.00/CAD 120.00	USD 40.00/GBP 25.00	USD 100.00
3rd Bag	USD 100.00	USD 100.00	USD 100.00/CAD 120.00	USD 80.00/GBP 50.00	USD 100.00
3rd Bag Heavy	USD 175.00	USD 175.00	USD 175.00/CAD 210.00	USD 120.00/GBP 75.00	USD 175.00
4th Bag	USD 175.00	USD 175.00	USD 175.00/CAD 210.00	USD 160.00/GBP 100.00	USD 175.00
4th Bag Heavy	USD 250.00	USD 250.00	USD 250.00/CAD 300.00	USD 200.00/GBP 125.00	USD 250.00
Oversized Checked Bag	USD 75.00	USD 75.00	USD 75.00/CAD 90.00	USD 40.00/GBP 25.00	USD 75.00
Travelling Pet as checked baggage (not allowed to/from London)	USD 100.00	USD 100.00	USD 100.00/CAD 120.00	Not Applicable	USD 100.00

Topics:

New CAL baggage policy

priceline.com wrong prices

Self diagnosis web tool

When in doubt of your googling:

http://symptomchecker.isabelhealthcare.com/home/main

Digicel APN settings

You no longer have to create a specific Access Point Name (APN) on your smartphone in order for data to work at 3G/4G speeds. There must be an APN listed but the APN can have any name and any address. An example is shown below. This works for both prepaid and postpaid phones.

Android Digicel APN

You may have to restart your phone for the settings to take effect. Also ensure that mobile data is ENABLED in the settings and that your smartphone is NOT set to 2G/Edge only if it is a newer model.

You can also try putting the SIM into another handset (that is locked to Digicel or unlocked) to see if the problem is with the handset settings or the SIM.

If the SIM is the issue dial 100 and go through the menu to get to a rep who can resolve the issue. If your handset only does 2G/EDGE these settings will still allow you to connect with data but only at the speed the phone is capable of.

Prepaid and postpaid should sign up for a plan because it is very costly to consume data without one. The plans with unlimited social are a good deal. If you are visiting the country for more than a couple days you should consider buying a local SIM or using WiFi only because roaming rates are very costly and incoming calls on a local SIM are free.

Click here for PREPAID data plans 1
PREPAID data plans 2   
POSTPAID data plans

If this was helpful please support the blog by clicking on an ad.

OLD INFO -

Dig into your data or network settings to see where to add an APN. In Android you may have to press the 'menu' button on the bottom or press the three dots in the top right corner to 'add' or 'save'. When creating the APN only two details need to be filled out:

Name: Anything you want,  even your name 

APN: web.digiceltt.com

Updated March 29th 2016

Topics: iphone apn setttings trinidad

alcatel blackberry huawei sony motorola samsung htc lg nexus alcatel blu nokia lumia apple iphone android ios 4g data settings digicel trinidad and tobago

digicel 4g settings 3g speed

4g hotspot apn settings

trinidad and tobago apn mobile data settings

Thanks

To Ann who helped me on Friday- Thank you very much. I agree that we need to look out for each other a lot more. 

Amazon.com showing an old homepage

It must be April fools! Amazon has an old home page up for fun.

​

A smarter way to track potholes

I have a mental map of which potholes (roadholes) I prefer to damage my car with, but this can give the people who actually want to fix the roads a better idea of what to do.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/war-potholes-has-new-weapon-180954796

Roadside assistance contact info

Here is a list of the roadside assistance numbers for some major insurance companies in Trinidad and Tobago:

BEACON
800-2407

COLFIRE
800 4372 (4ERA)

GUARDIAN GROUP
625-4445, then press number for Motor Assist

MARITIME
622- 4826 (TCM roadside assistance, 24 hrs)

TATIL
800 4869 (4TOW)

TRINRE
800-7827 (STAR)

These services above may be offered free according to your individual plans. There are a few other companies that you can call if you are third party or not even a client with these companies. Some of these companies offer other services such as jump starting, fuel top up and flat tyre changing.

800 STAR(7827)

A list of private providers:
http://www.trinituner.com/v3/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=244410&start=0#


Updated 29th April 2015

Topics:
Wrecker services in Trinidad and Tobago
People who tow cars shut down cars in Trinidad
Wrecker numbers in Trinidad and Tobago
Wrecker on highway hiway
Number for wreckers in San Fernando, Port of Spain, Chaguanas, Arima, Mayaro, Rio Claro, Princes Town, Point Fortin, Barrackpore, Gasparillo, Marabella, Couva, Claxton Bay, Freeport, Caroni, Trincity, San Juan, Sangre Grande, Scarborough
Road side assistance providers for SUV, truck, van, sedan, motorbike
People to move cars that are shut down
Phone numbers for wreckers to tow cars
Insurance wrecker truck if I shut down
Beacon, Colfire, Guardian, Maritime, Tatil, Trinre free wrecker man

Modern mafias controlling sand

Who knew things could be so dangerous for sand?

http://www.wired.com/2015/03/illegal-sand-mining/

Evidence in Ferguson

I am not sure what more evidence is needed, but like Trinidad I can see the officers just being transferred with no real consequence.

http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/police-dog-bites-black-man

How bold can a cheater be?

http://qz.com/366323/the-weird-economics-of-indian-parents-who-climb-walls-to-help-their-kids-cheat/

It seems there is no consequence serious if found cheating, just some corporal punishment.

How to make a complaint of bush on abandoned or vacant lots

If there is a lot of land or building that is not being maintained by the owner you can make a complaint about it. Call the County Medical Officers of Health (CMOH) for your area. Contact info: http://www.health.gov.tt/sitepages/default.aspx?id=175

They will pass on the info to the Public Health Inspector (PHI) for your area who would pursue the complaint. You can make a report for lots with known as well as unknown owners.

Lots with bush or garbage is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, rats, snakes etc. and should be kept clean for the good of the entire neighbourhood. 

Major Lazer - "All My Love Remix" | Ariana Grande & Machel Montano

California's drought is still ongoing

http://www.revealnews.org/article/california-is-pumping-water-that-fell-to-earth-20000-years-ago

Some psychology about food

http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/hunger-good-bad-hangry

How to get a Certificate of Character

 An article describing the latest procedure 

https://www.looptt.com/content/watch-ttps-launches-online-certificate-character-system 

Request a certificate from this link

http://www.ttps.gov.tt/Services/Certificates/Certificate-of-Character-Request 

My experience from 2015 - 

It is an easy process to get a certificate of character. You can go to any police station and apply for it. Full details are in the links below.

One thing to note is to avoid going in close to the end of the month or else you may be told "the book gone up so we cannot take request for certificates". There is a manual log book where requests are taken and it goes to headquarters every so often and there is no secondary book to use in its place.

You can go into any station at any time to make the request, even if you do not live in the area. You will need your ID preferably driver's permit and $50ttd. The officer will ask the reason for the certificate, your occupation, address and write down your description with eye colour and hair colour. After the details are filled in, you will be fingerprinted. An ink/paint pad will be prepped and the officer will roll each finger on the ink then onto the request form. You will hopefully be allowed to wash your hands afterward with soap and a sink otherwise it would be very messy. You will be advised it should take 1 to 2 weeks for the station to get the certificate,it will probably be much longer. You will be issued a receipt for your payment of the $50.

http://www.ttps.gov.tt/Services/Certificate-of-Character

http://www.ttconnect.gov.tt/gortt/portal/ttconnect/Non_visitorDetail/

Topics:

How to get a certificate of good character

Character certificate Trinidad and Tobago
Process for good character certificate
How much for good character certificate
What happens when you go for certificate
How much for police certificate

Fall Out Boy - Immortals (From "Big Hero 6")

Pollution story

How bad is pollution in the China? These are some worrying reports that the world should take note of.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/03/04/390689033/the-anti-pollution-documentary-thats-taken-china-by-storm

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/co2-levels-for-february-eclipsed-prehistoric-highs

http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/03/beijings-toxic-sky/386824

VR just got a huge boost

Unreal engine is not free to download and develop with. This means a huge hurdle is overcome for creating content for the virtual reality realm and game developers as a whole.

https://www.unrealengine.com/blog/ue4-is-free

How to donate blood in Trinidad and Tobago

San Fernando General Hospital

My experiences below are voluntary donations at the blood bank. There is also the option of donation via a collection organised by a company or NGO and may take place at a company or other areas away from a hospital. These may be a little less crowded. The actual donation would be identical.

Update June 2022 - There is a new booking system and multiple locations are open on weekends. 

https://health.gov.tt/services/blood-donation 
It is a poor implementation as you have to fill out 2 separate forms and repeat some of the information, then also give some information at the blood bank... but it is an improvement.

Update November 2019 - I visited during the week. I had to park at the bottom of the hill for $7 an hour or $25 for the day because the guard at the hospital told me there was a lot of mud and I would get stuck. I did not see mud and other cars were allowed to go into the stony parking area on the left when going up the hill.  They opened at 7.00am and I was the 4th person there. The service was quick and the nurses were all very friendly. I was done and out the door at 8.00am.

Update January 2017 - I recently tried to give a unit of blood to a friend. I was asked for the donation on a Saturday morning. I had to rush to the San Fernando blood bank because I was told it was the only one open on a Saturday. I had to go there with my blood donation card as proof that I have credits in order to get a hand written chit which says I have withdrawn a unit. I begged the nurse to wait for a few minutes after their noon closing hour because it was the only time I could reach. Thankfully she accommodated me. I was advised that if a patient needs blood and they do not have this credit chit, it would be given to them but the family would be told to replenish the units. If I was doing this during the week then I could go to another branch of the blood bank and they would call San Fernando to verify my credit.

Update April 2016 - I succeeded in donating blood but my experience was extremely frustrating. This was a completely different experience from what I went through last year. First of all I tried to go earlier this time since I reached wayyy too late at 7.15am the last time. I was aiming for 6.30am but I was stuck in stand still traffic for a long time on the highway because of an accident and officials stopped all traffic from passing for a long time. When I reached the blood bank at 7.05am there was a crowd of people including a female guard outside waiting to go in, it was not open yet. A few minutes later the guard advised the cleaner was still working and we had to wait. A few minutes later at 7.20am she advised everyone to line up in the order in which they came. I found this to be somewhat hilarious and somewhat disturbing. The guard was outside with the crowd for some time now and only now wanted to try to get people in order- this is typical logic for things in TnT where it does not matter how early you reach to an office, as long as your beat everybody else to the front when it does open, you are set. People talked among themselves and soon a line was formed with me close to the end. I was not actually paying attention to who reached after me but other people were paying attention.
      As I approached the door I was given a number chit by the guard. At least 6 people after me were allowed in also for a total of about 30. This would have been the quota of people for the day, a senior nurse instructed the guard to tell anyone else to return at 7.00am on Monday. Inside, the senior nurse checked who were volunteers and who were returning from not being able to donate during the past week. There were a lot of people in those categories. At 7.45 my number was called by the receptionist to take my info and show my ID and donor cards and they became aware I was a voluntary donor. At 8.20am my number was called in to check my height, weight and Hb reading. I was within range.
      For the second phase with the interview, numbers were no longer used and I was hearing names being called. At least two people who were after me in line were called before me. There was an extremely long time between names being called. Some people went to stand closer to the exit since the room was now extremely cold and the split AC unit was blowing on the chairs. I joined them around 10.00am. The senior nurse asked why we were all standing there and when she realised the AC was a problem she used a remote to switch it off completely. I would have only adjusted the temperature. Also the TV in the waiting room had a problem where every few seconds the volume would get louder then gradually softer then gradually louder again. This was ongoing for the entire time I was there.
      At 10.45 I was restless and went to the parlour next door to the blood bank. I had a supligen and a pack of 6 biscuits. At 9.00am I had a bottle of juice. At 11.00am I was called in for the interview. I asked if this was the normal pace of things and was told there were only two nurses working and a third did not come out to work. They were extremely short staffed and the supervisors of the department did not seem to pay attention to it. Also, apparently the other donation centers take even longer and people are sent to San Fernando where they are more flexible even with less staff. I was flashed the list of donors for the day and told anybody with red ink was here during the week or are volunteers. I did not notice any red name after mine, but it was just a glimpse. Volunteers and people who were returning from during the week are usually mixed in with first time donors and allowed to get through earlier. I was simply at the end of the volunteers list. I proposed to the nurse that they have a sign or indicate a line outside so those who are waiting for the bank to open can be in proper order of arrival. I was also told it was now too long after my last meal and I would have to eat a substantial amount before the donation. I went to the parlour next door and luckily there was one more chicken paste sandwich. I had this and another pack of biscuits. I then presented myself to the donation room and was told to hold on outside until my name was called. At about 11.15am I was called into the room and asked to wait until one of the other two patients were done but that I could sit in an empty donation chair. About 5 minutes later I was attended to and I was given a pack of juice, I am guessing biscuits were finished, I did not ask. After taking a short rest I left the blood bank at 12.00pm. I had spent 5 hours there. This was extremely discouraging especially for a volunteer who would go through this more than most other people.


March 2016 - I tried to donate today but arrived 7.15am again but was told all numbers were given out for the day. They have a quota of people they process for the day. One man said he was waiting since 5.30 am. The guard at the door said the cut off time for entry is 7.00am which is hard to understand since the bank actually opens at 7.00am.. Trini logic. I would suggest you arrive there at least 6.30 am.


I donated blood today (March 2015) at the San Fernando General hospital. It was the first time I did it. The following describes my experience.

I arrived at the blood bank at 7.15am. There were a few people sitting inside when I arrived. The receptionist took my name and gave me a number. A few minutes later I was weighed and a drop of blood tested. My readings were within range so I was asked to hear my name to go in to another room. A few minutes later, during an interview I was asked questions to ensure I met the requirements to be able to donate. I was told to go out and have more food for breakfast because what I had was insufficient. The nurse insisted I had to eat more than the normal amount for breakfast, for my own good.

I walked to Subway at the bottom of High Street for breakfast. When I returned I had to wait a while before I was called back in. I was called back in a few minutes after 9.00am. The donation room had four reclining chairs for donors to sit in. There was one man in a chair next to me who was being prepped before I was attended to. When it was my turn, a pressure cuff was put on my right hand, at bicep level and over my t-shirt.I got a ball to hold up and roll with my fingers. The nurse found the vein she wanted and put in the needle. The bag was put on a scale to see when the required amount of blood was reached.

I had a choice of an orchard juice or an eggnog and a wheat biscuit to have during the process. By this time the first man had reached the required amount of blood in about 5 minutes. My bag was filling up slowly and after 5 minutes I too was done. I was given a card to read with advice on what to and not to drink and what activities to avoid for two days. This would help my recovery. The needle was removed and a plaster and piece of cotton was put in the spot and I had to hold my elbow closed for a minute. I was given a temporary card and told to come back in one week for my real blood bank card, or I can collect when next I came in. I could also have someone collect the card for me. The temporary card had a reference number which was assigned to me. I guess it is like my bank account number. I also found out that for every five units of blood that I donate and do not take any out, I get a bonus one. I was allowed to given a few minutes to rest in the chair and then told that I was done.

The process was easy and if I had went in initially having eaten enough food for breakfast I think I could have been done in under one hour. If I am a regular donor I would get a higher priority the next time I went in and not have to wait for everyone who reached before me.

As always for any government service, call before going in to ensure you know the right operating hours. Websites are not updated regularly.

Government links and contact info for banks are here:
https://health.gov.tt/services/blood-donation

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Topics:
How to donate blood in Trinidad and Tobago
Giving blood in Trinidad

Blood donation in Trinidad
Volunteer to give blood to blood bank
What is the process to give blood
How can I give blood
San Fernando General Hospital blood bank