Sunday Magazine, June 9, 2019

June 9, 2019

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WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

2 Sunday Times Magazine

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JUNE 9, 2019

Feature

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umans are both creatures and moulders of their environment, which gives them physical sustenance and affords them the opportunity for intellectual, moral, social and spiritual growth. In the long and tortuous evolution of the human race on this planet, a stage has been reached where, through the rapid acceleration of science and technology, humans have acquired the power to transform their environment in countless ways and on an unprecedented scale.

The United Nations, aware that the protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue, which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world, designated June 5 as World Environment Day. The celebration of this day provides us with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises, and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in more than 100 countries.

“Beat Air Pollution”

Each World Environment Day is organised around a theme that focuses attention on a particularly pressing environmental concern. The theme for 2019, “Beat Air Pollution”, is a call to action to combat this global crisis. Chosen by this year’s host, China, this year’s topic invites us all to consider how we can change our everyday lives to reduce the amount of air pollution we produce, and thwart its contribution to global warming and its effects on our own health.

What causes air pollution?

Understanding the different types of pollution, and how it affects our health and environment will help us take steps towards improving the air around us. Often you can’t even see it, but air pollution is everywhere. We can't stop breathing, but we can do something about the quality of our

air. Nine out of 10 people worldwide are exposed to levels of air pollutants that exceed safe levels set by the World Health Organisation. There is little doubt – we are faced with an urgent task.

A platform for action, World Environment Day is the UN day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.

Above all, World Environment Day is the "people's day" for doing something to take care of the Earth. That "something" can be local, national, or global. It can be a solo action or involve a crowd. Everyone is free to choose.

Each World Environment Day is organised around a theme that draws attention to a particularly pressing environmental concern. Each World Environment Day has a different host country, where the official celebrations take place. The focus on the host country helps highlight the environmental challenges it faces and supports worldwide efforts to address them.

Nine out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air and air pollution causes some seven million premature deaths annually.

This high rate of exposure to air pollutants is “lowering life expectancy and damaging economies across the planet,” says the UN Secretary General in his message for World Environment Day (June 5). Many air pollutants (for example: black carbon, ozone and methane) are not only harmful when inhaled but also contribute to global warming.

Tackling air pollution, therefore, presents a double opportunity to clean the air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by phasing out coal-fired power plants and promoting less polluting indus-

try, transport and domestic fuels. World Environment Day this year focuses on action to #BeatAirPollution.

United Nations Secretary General’s Message

The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is Beat Air Pollution.

All around the world – from megacities to small villages – people are breathing dirty air.

An estimated nine out of 10 people worldwide are exposed to air pollutants that exceed World Health Organisation air quality guidelines. This is lowering life expectancy and damaging economies across the planet.

To improve air quality, we must know our enemy. Deaths and illnesses from air pollution are caused by tiny particles that penetrate our defences every time we fill our lungs. These particles come from many sources: the burning of fossil fuels for power and transport; the chemicals and mining industries; the open burning of waste; the burning of forests and fields; and the use of dirty indoor cooking and heating fuels, which are major problems in the developing world.

This polluted air kills some seven million people each year, causes long-term health problems, such as asthma, and reduces children’s cog-

nitive development. According to the World Bank, air pollution costs societies more than US$5 trillion every year.

Many air pollutants also cause global warming. Black carbon is one such example. Produced by diesel engines, burning trash and dirty cookstoves, it is extremely harmful when inhaled. Reducing emissions of such pollutants will not only improve public health, it could alleviate global warming by up to 0.5 degrees Celsius over the next few decades.

Tackling air pollution, therefore, presents a double opportunity, as there are many successful initiatives that both clear the air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as phasing out coal-fired power plants and promoting less polluting industry, transport, and domestic fuels. With investments in renewable energy sources outstripping those in fossil fuels every year, the rise of clean energy is helping globally.

Cleaner transport is also growing around the world.

It is in such initiatives, designed to improve air quality and fight climate change, that hope lies. I urge everyone attending the Climate Action Summit that I am convening in September to draw motivation from such examples. There is no reason why the international community cannot act. Precedent exists in the Montreal Protocol.

Scientists identified a grave threat to public and planetary health, and Governments and businesses acted to successfully protect the ozone layer.

Today, we face an equally urgent crisis. It is time to act decisively. My message to Governments is clear: tax pollution; end fossil fuel subsidies; and stop building new coal plants. We need a green economy not a grey economy.

On World Environment Day, I ask each of us to act so we can breathe more easily. From pressuring politicians and businesses to changing our own habits, we can reduce pollution and beat climate change.

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Sunday Times Magazine

Feature

Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity Project

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ydropower has the ability to transform a country’s electricity spectrum with cleaner energy thus contributing to the reduction of global warming as well as saving the environment. Guyana, a country with vast rainforests and hundreds of waterfalls, took up the mantle and included the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity Project (AFHP) as part of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) under the stewardship of then President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Touted as the keystone of the LCDS, the AFHP was launched in 2009 but has been on hold since 2013 when the developer Sithe Global pulled out. The reason for

The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), in 2016, commissioned a review of the Amaila Falls dam which was carried out by Norconsult.

“The only realistic path for Guyana towards an emission-free electricity sector is by developing its hydropower potential. The fastest way forward is to maintain AFHP [Amaila Falls Hydropower Project] as the first major step for substituting its current oil-fired generation,” Norconsult concluded in its report.

The AFHP was prioritised as the first hydropower plant because it was the only project with a full feasibility study completed, it has a

eration of power.

Sithe Global’s withdrawal was due to the lack of consensus in Parliament.

The then Opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) both expressed concerns about the project and voted down a key piece of legislation which consequently shelved the project.

Despite the uncertainty about the project, in 2014, Norway transferred US$80 million to the Inter-American Development Bank as part of the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative’s US$250 million REDD deal with Guyana.

The money is intended as part-funding of the dam, the cost of which has grown over the years from US$325 million to almost US$1 billion.

Under the Norwegian Government’s budget regulations, grants must be used within one year. An exception was made for the Amaila Falls Project, allowing the money to remain with the IDB for 18 months.

By mid-2016, Guyana had a new government, which opposed the construction of the Amaila Falls dam.

higher plant load factor than the alternatives, a smaller reservoir and a revised unit cost in the same range as the most attractive alternatives.

The report also indicated that Amaila Falls alone cannot provide 100 per cent emission-free power generation in Guyana. Other generating sources will have to be added in parallels like sun, wind and thermal production based on emission neutral fuel (bagasse) for back-up in the dry periods when the water flow to the AFHP may be insufficient for full capacity operation.

The environmental and social impacts of the AFHP are well established in the performed studies. No resettlement is required and there is limited human activity in the area directly affected by the project.

The US$858.1 million project was touted as the largest foreign direct investment at that time.

Had the AFHP went ahead then, it would have meant reliable electricity supply as well as lower harmful gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels for the gen-

Montgomery Watson Harza (MWH), on behalf of Synergy/ Harza, completed a feasibility study of the project with installed capacity downscaled to 100 MW. In 2006, Sithe Global entered as a potential investor to the Project. The Government of Guyana and Sithe Global thereafter established a Special Purpose Company (SPC), Amaila Falls Hydro Inc (AFHI) for developing the AFHP. Partners in the AFHI are Sithe Global (60 per cent) and the Government of Guyana represented by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) (40 per cent). GPL is supposed to be the sole direct off-taker of the power from the Project.

The AFHP comprises a power plant with 165 MW installed capacity and a 270 to 280-kilometre long 230-kilovolt double-circuit transmission line via a substation at Linden to the capital, Georgetown. The intention has been to develop the AFHP in a BOOT (Build, Own, Operate & Transfer) model with the transfer of the facilities for free to the Government of Guyana after

History of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project In 1974-76, the Government of Guyana carried out a pre-feasibility study of the hydropower potential at Amaila Falls assuming an installed capacity of 200 megawatts (MW).

In 1997, a brief review of this study was done by others. It concluded by suggesting a 165 MW development.

In 1998, the Government of Guyana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Synergy/Harza for developing Amaila Falls in the Private Sector. In December 2001,

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20 years.

On October 8, 2009, the original holder (an association of Synergy Holdings (Guyana) and Harza International) of an Interim Development Licence, transferred all rights and interests, obligations and liabilities under its licence to the

AFHI. In 2010, the IDB assumed the role of adviser to the Government of Guyana and the AFHI for developing the project and for establishing a structure for the financing of AFHP involving support from IDB, potential development agencies and other sources.

A draft Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) (on "take or pay" basis) between the AFHI and GPL was negotiated in 2011.

Norway's Ministry of Climate and Environment and its International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) have supported Guyana's rainforest conservation efforts since 2009, including Guyana's commitment to the transfer of its oil-fired energy generation to renewable sources, as outlined in Guyana's LCDS document issued first in 2009 and confirmed in a revised version in March 2013.

Just last year, Government, after pushing the green agenda, said that it was open to reconsidering the hydroelectric dam, citing renewed interest for investors.

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Sunday Times Magazine

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trickle-down effect on pollination as a whole.

Air pollution is also thought to be affecting bees. Preliminary research shows that air pollutants interact with scent molecules re-

hen ani-

mals and insects pick up the pollen of flowers and spread it, they allow plants, including many food crops, to reproduce.

Birds, rodents, monkeys and even people pollinate, but the most common pollinators are insects, and among them, bees.

Pollinators contribute directly to food security. Nearly three quarters of the plants that produce 90 per cent of the world’s food require this external help. And according to bee experts at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, a third of the world’s food production depends on bees.

Bees are renowned for their role in providing high-quality food –honey, royal jelly and pollen – and other products such as beeswax, propolis, and honey bee venom.

They are also part of the biodiversity on which we all depend for our survival.

“Sacred passages about bees in all the world’s major religions highlight their significance to human societies over millennia,” says a May 2019 report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

Beekeeping provides an important source of income for many rural households.

“The western honey bee is the

lead.”

It is precisely to encourage Governments, organisations, civil society and concerned citizens to protect pollinators and their habitats that the United Nations has declared May 20 World Bee Day. In its second edition, World Bee

of their trade and use, the report continues.

Bees at risk from air pollution and pesticides

Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hum-

most widespread managed pollinator in the world, and globally there are about 81 million hives producing an estimated 1.6 million tonnes of honey annually,” says the report.

However, while the vast majority of pollinator species are wild, including more than 20,000 species of bees, the mass breeding and large-scale transport of pollinators can pose risks for the transmission of pathogens and parasites.

The risk of unintended harm could be decreased by better regulation

mingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities.

The IPBES report lists “land use change, intensive agricultural management and pesticide use, environmental pollution, invasive alien species, pathogens and climate change”, as major threats to the abundance, diversity, and health of pollinators. .

In May 2018, the European Union upheld a partial ban on three insecticides known as neonicotinoids to mitigate the lethal threat they pose to bees and their

leased by plants which bees need to locate food. The mixed signals interfere with the bees’ ability to forage, making them slower and less effective at pollination.

“Increasing crop and regional farm diversity as well as targeted habitat conservation, management or restoration, is one way of combating climate change and promoting biodiversity,” says UN Environment biodiversity specialist Marieta Sakalian.

“Governments need to take the

Day raises awareness of the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy. The date coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša, who in the 18th century pioneered modern beekeeping techniques in his native Slovenia and praised the bees for their ability to work so hard while needing so little attention.

Here are some actions you can take to help preserve bees and other pollinators: * Plant nectar-bearing flowers such as marigolds or sunflowers for decorative purposes on balconies, terraces, and gardens * Buy honey and other hive products from your nearest local beekeeper * Raise awareness among children and adolescents on the importance of bees and express your support for beekeepers * Set up a pollinator farm on your balcony, terrace, or garden * Preserve old meadows, which feature a more diverse array of flowers, and sow nectar-bearing plants * Cut grass on meadows only after the nectar-bearing plants have finished blooming * Use pesticides that do not harm bees, and spray them in windless weather, either early in the morning or late at night, when bees withdraw from blossoms

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Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

10 facts about air pollution on World Environment Day N

obody is safe from air pollution, the United Nations warned on World Environment Day, with nine out of 10 people on the planet now breathing polluted air.

This has led to a growing, global health crisis, which already causes about 7 million deaths per year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Burning fossil fuels for power, transport and industry is a major contributor to air pollution as well as the main source of planet-warming carbon emissions - and tackling both problems together could bring substantial benefits for public health.

Here are some facts on the human impacts of air pollution and its links with climate change: 1. Air pollution kills 800 people every hour or 13 every minute, accounting for more than three times the amount of people who die from malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS combined each year.

2. Some of the same pollutants contribute to both climate change and local air pollution, including black carbon or soot - produced by inefficient combustion in sources like cookstoves and diesel engines and methane.

3. The five main sources of air pollution are indoor burning of fossil fuels, wood and other biomass

to cook, heat and light homes; industry, including power generation such as coal-fired plants and diesel generators; transport, especially vehicles with diesel engines; agriculture, including livestock, which produces methane and ammonia, rice paddies, which produce meth-

ane, and the burning of agricultural waste; and open waste burning and organic waste in landfills.

4. Household air pollution causes about 3.8 million premature deaths each year, the vast majority of them in the developing world, and about 60% of those deaths are among

women and children.

5. 93% of children worldwide live in areas where air pollution exceeds WHO guidelines, with 600,000 children under 15 dying from respiratory tract infections in 2016.

6. Air pollution is responsible for 26% of deaths from ischemic heart

disease, 24% of deaths from strokes, 43% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 29% from lung cancer. In children, it is associated with low birth weight, asthma, childhood cancers, obesity, poor lung development and autism, among other health defects.

7. 97% of cities in low- and middle-income countries with more than 100,000 inhabitants do not meet the WHO minimum air quality levels, and in high-income countries, 29% of cities fall short of guidelines.

8. About 25% of urban ambient air pollution from fine particulate matter is contributed by traffic, 20% by domestic fuel burning and 15% by industrial activities including electricity generation.

9. Keeping global warming "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6F), as governments have pledged to do under the 2015 Paris Agreement, could save about a million lives a year by 2050 through reducing air pollution alone.

10. In the 15 countries that emit the most planet-warming gases, the cost of air pollution for public health is estimated at more than 4% of GDP. In comparison, keeping warming to the Paris Agreement temperature limits would require investing about 1% of global GDP. (Sources: UN Environment, World Health Organization, World Bank, Every Breath Matters campaign, World Economic Forum)

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Preserving our literary heritage

matured, still melt’.

PP: You have turned to nature to illustrate your thoughts on issues, why?

LM: Nature teaches us a lot of things and we can learn if we look closely at nature. For instance, there is a poem on page 22, titled ‘Togetherness’, where

two clouds merge, and after such a fusion, they did not emerge as how there were before. I used this to typify a good marriage.

There is another poem ‘Oh Passionate Love’ that takes in a whole lot of nature….

PP: ‘Two young birds’, now I will pop the question: where did it all start?

‘Two young birds’ LM: was conceptualized on the tragedy of love that I see all around me – young people falling into and out of love/ relationships without knowing lots of things because love is like an institution; there are so many things to learn about love – you need to learn about yourself, you need to learn about your partner, you need to learn about relationships. So in order to provide some insights, some teachings on the topic of love, I decided to pen these poems.

It is a fact, in our society today, there is too much domestic violence and something has to be done to curb this - rather than writing a book of instructions, I decided to put it in poetic form so it would be easy to digest and easy to remember. You could remember some specific lines to help guide you [young birds] through the whole gamut of relationship.

to continue to change over this century and beyond.

The magnitude of climate change beyond the next few decades depends primarily on the amount of heattrapping gases emitted globally, and how sensitive the Earth’s climate is to those emissions.

• Temperatures Will Continue to Rise - Because human-induced warming is superimposed on a naturally varying climate, the temperature rise has not been, and will not be, uniform or smooth across the country or over time.

• Hurricanes Will Become Stronger and More Intense - The intensity, frequency and duration of North Atlantic hurricanes, as well as the frequency of the strongest (Category

4 and 5) hurricanes, have all increased since the early 1980s. The relative contributions of human and natural causes to these increases are still uncertain.

Hurricane-associated storm intensity and rainfall rates are projected to increase as the climate continues to warm.

• Sea Level Will Rise 1-4 feet by 2100 - Global sea level has risen by about 8 inches since reliable record keeping began in 1880. It is projected to rise another 1 to 4 feet by 2100. This is the result of added water from melting land ice and the expansion of seawater as it warms.

In the next several decades, storm surges and high tides could combine with sea level rise and land subsidence to further increase flooding in many regions. Sea level rise will continue past 2100 because the oceans take a very long time to respond to warmer conditions at the Earth’s surface. Ocean waters will therefore continue to warm and sea level will continue to rise for many centuries at rates equal to or higher than those of the current century.

• Arctic Likely to Become Ice-Free • Changes in Precipitation Patterns • More Droughts and Heat Waves

By Petamber Persaud

(Extract of interview with Leonard C. Marks, Georgetown, Guyana, 2019. ‘Two young birds’ is Marks’ second published book. His first unfortunately was withdrawn from the public due to printing errors. This collection of poems focuses on love and is divided in six parts namely ‘Courtship’, ‘Wedding’, ‘Honeymoon’, ‘Marriage’, ‘Setbacks’, ‘Reunion’ and ‘Reminiscence’.)

P

P: A norm in such an interview is to ask where did it start but I would like to go right into the book by inviting you to select a poem that will take us through this journey of ‘Two Young Birds’.

LM: On page 111, there is the title poem, ‘Two Young Birds’, which is a complete poem capturing the experiences of two young birds from as early as when they were emerging from the nest until old age – whistling to each other, sauntering in the air; there is a verse that opens like this ‘as two young birds/secured on the highest branches/where love is blind/we saw no dark clouds approaching/no darting of the enemy/we saw only

green trees/and the abundance of flowers’ and closes like this ‘today, feeling like two young birds/with feathers molt, still groom/with voices strained, still sing/ with wings tired, still soar/ with bodies aching, still touch/with beaks flaked, still greet/and hearts, well

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lobal climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner.

Effects that scientists had predicted in the past would result from global climate change are now occurring: loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer, more intense heat waves.

Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come, largely due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which includes more than 1,300 scientists from the United States and other countries, forecasts a temperature rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century.

According to the IPCC, the extent of climate change effects on individual regions will vary over time and with the ability of different societal and environmental systems to mitigate or adapt to change.

The IPCC predicts that increases in global mean temperature of less than 1.8 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (1 to 3 degrees Celsius) above

1990 levels will produce beneficial impacts in some regions and harmful ones in others. Net annual costs will increase over time as global temperatures increase.

"Taken as a whole," the IPCC states, "the range of published evidence indicates that the net damage costs of climate change are likely to be significant and to increase over time."

Future Effects

Some of the longterm effects of global climate change in the United States are as follows, according to the Third and Fourth National Climate Assessment Reports: • Change Will Continue Through This Century and Beyond Global climate is projected

PP: You are an experienced educator. You also dabble in science…

LM: Mathematics and Physics….

PP: A man with that background and writing poetry, bring them together for us.

LM: A scientific person is an inquisitive person, you are trained to pay attention to details, be a good observer, ask questions and find solutions – this is what I do with every aspect of life

so it wasn’t difficult for me to extract from life and nature all the gems you find in the book. And of course, as a science person, I like to come to the point very quickly and this is one of the things poetry does. Poetry can give you a life in a few lines.

PP: So the transition wasn’t difficult…

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

Siesta Warned The sands of time have rendered fear Blue skies on high no longer clear Stars were bright whence they came Now dimmed, obscured, pollution’s haze.

Crystal clear our waters gleamed Fish abundant, rivers streamed Ocean floors sandy white Now littered, brown, pollution’s plight.

Trees towered high above Trunks baring professed love Birds chirping from sites unseen Gone, paper joined pollution’s team.

One can’t blame pollution alone As they say, you reap what you’ve sown So let us plant a better seed Tear out old roots, cultivate, weed.

Protect what has been given for free Our waters, skies, wildlife and trees For once they’re gone, don’t you say Consider yourself warned of that fatal day.

By Sylvia Stults

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Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

– dreams of one day making it big on international export market

By Utamu Belle

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hat started off as just a curious business venture between two women has led Linden entrepreneur 49-yearold Pamela Bradford down the path of creating her own line of natural coconut oil products. The businesswoman, who is the creative mind behind Pam’s Coconut Oil Products, has recently ventured from simply making, bottling and selling plain coconut oil to residents in the community, to establishing her own line of scented coconut oil hair products. Residents in the community, more so 'naturalistas' are intrigued by the latest development as Bradford offers a diverse line of appealing fragrances which means, no more plain coconut oil scent! The exciting new fragrances include cherry, jasmine, vanilla and lavender infusing the all-natural benefits of coconut oil. Her other coconut oil products include virgin coconut oil and the special ‘Pam’s Herbal Hair Oil’.

Coconut oil has been used for centuries and with its countless nutrients, is noted to have amazing health benefits for the hair and skin. Bradford has been in the business of local coconut oil pro-

duction for approximately three years with the idea coming from a friend. She recalled how she first started during an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine.

“I was friends with this lady and she said, ‘Pam, we could do this coconut oil business together.

We started it together, but then...

I branched off...She’s not doing it much now, but I continued it,” Bradford reminisced.

The multi-talented businesswoman, who is now producing on a medium scale, is a vendor at the Wismar Market in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice), where she also operates a floral design business. She explained that she started off with producing virgin coconut oil as her first product.

She then went on to create coconut hair oils, and more recently, added the scented coconut oils. With no harsh chemicals added, Bradford’s products include natural herbal oils such as castor and carrot oils and water. Apart from use in the hair, the coconut oil products can be used in the treatment and prevention of diaper rash and stretch marks and during massages. The herbal hair oil has benefits such as repairing damaged hair, fighting frizz and deep conditioning. With the enchanting fragrances and su-

perb labels, the oils are set to take the local market by storm.

“It’s herbal oils made from the virgin coconut oil and other herbal ingredients like the cherry fragrance,” Bradford explained.

There is a ready supply of coconuts in the community, given the fact that almost every yard has a tree. Bradford explained that this makes it a lot easier to pursue the coconut oil business.

“We got a lot of coconuts in

Linden,” she noted.

With her latest invention, she noted, however, that the fragrances are brought in from overseas, as she pointed out that she would like to see the fragrances being developed and made available on the local market. Highlighting another challenge, Bradford related that her plastic bottles are bought from a bottle factory on the East Bank of Demerara, but apart from this, she would have to ship her bottles into the country.

“Getting the bottles is a big challenge ... because you don’t normally get them. But I went online and I saw it at them, so that is how I end up purchasing from them...,” she explained.

Bradford said she envisioned her business one day making it on the international market and hopes to develop other lines of products using the cheap and readily available coconut oil. She noted, however, that it would take assistance and collaboration with the relevant authorities.

“I think if I get the kind of help that is needed, then the business would grow further, even out of Linden. I would like to see more opportunities for expansion,” she said.

Bradford said she was happy with the progress made thus far, regardless of the challenges, but shared her beliefs that there is room for much more improvement.

“I need more help because I don’t have my own grater. I have to pay to grate the coconuts. I have to pay workers also. If I get the help to have my own grater I wouldn’t have to pay to grate it and then I can afford to sell the oils more reasonable than how I am selling it now,” she posited.

Presently, her virgin coconut oils are sold at $1000 for 10 ounces, $1800 for 500ml and $3000 for 1 litre.

“I teach a lot of young people to do what I’m doing here, but you would always hear them saying things like they can’t do it off of their own, they got to get financial help,” she noted.

But the businesswoman has advice for other entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs.

“I would always advise persons to be independent... I would encourage anybody, once you put your mind to something, go ahead, run with it and just focus on what you want to do. Be independent, be progressive and everything else will fall into place,” she counselled.

8 Sunday Times Magazine Feature

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he Miss Earth Guyana 2019 delegates recently displayed their Recycled Fashion Pieces as part of the preliminary stage of the competition. Here are some looks that were presented.

JUNE 9, 2019

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JUNE 9, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine

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Health

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idney stones (renal lithiasis, nephrolithiasis) are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form inside your kidneys.

Kidney stones have many causes and can affect any part of your urinary tract — from your kidneys to your bladder.

Often, stones form when the urine becomes concentrated, allowing minerals to crystallize and stick together.

Passing kidney stones can be quite painful, but the stones usually cause no permanent damage if they're recognized in a timely fashion. Depending on your situation, you may need nothing more than to take pain medication and drink lots of water to pass a kidney stone. In other instances — for example, if stones become lodged in the urinary tract, are associated with a urinary infection or cause complications — surgery may be needed.

Symptoms

A kidney stone may not cause symptoms until it moves around within your kidney or passes into your ureter — the tube connecting the kidney and bladder.

At that point, you may experience these signs and symptoms: • Severe pain in the side and back, below the ribs • Pain that radiates to the lower abdomen and groin • Pain that comes in waves and fluctuates in intensity • Pain on urination • Pink, red or brown urine • Cloudy or foul-smelling urine • Nausea and vomiting • Persistent need to urinate • Urinating more often than usual • Fever and chills if an infection is present • Urinating small amounts Pain caused by a kidney stone may change — for instance, shifting to a different location or increasing in intensity — as the stone moves through your urinary tract.

Causes

Kidney stones often have no definite, single cause, although several factors may increase your risk.

Kidney stones form when your urine contains more crystal-forming substances — such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid — than the fluid in your urine can dilute. At the same time, your urine may lack substances that prevent crystals from sticking togeth-

er, creating an ideal environment for kidney stones to form.

Types of kidney stones

Knowing the type of kidney stone helps determine the cause and may give clues on how to reduce your risk of getting more kidney stones. If possible, try to save your kidney stone if you pass one so that you can bring it to your doctor for analysis.

Types of kidney stones include:

Calcium stones. Most kidney stones are calcium stones, usually in the form of calcium oxalate. Oxalate is a naturally occurring substance found in food and is also made daily by your liver. Some fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts and chocolate, have high oxalate content.

Dietary factors, high doses of vitamin D, intestinal bypass surgery and several metabolic disorders can increase the concentration of calcium or oxalate in urine.

Calcium stones may also occur in the form of calcium phosphate. This type of stone is more common in metabolic conditions, such as renal tubular acidosis. It may also be associated with certain migraine headaches or with taking certain seizure medications, such as topiramate (Topamax).

Struvite stones. Struvite stones form in response to an infection, such as a urinary tract infection. These stones can grow quickly and become quite large, sometimes with few symptoms or little warning.

Uric acid stones. Uric acid stones can form in people who don't drink enough fluids or who lose too much fluid, those who eat a high-protein diet, and those who have gout. Certain genetic factors also may increase your risk of uric acid stones.

Cystine stones. These stones form in people with a hereditary disorder that causes the kidneys to excrete too much of certain amino acids (cystinuria).

Risk factors

Factors that increase your risk of developing kidney stones include: Family or personal history. If someone in your family has kidney stones, you're more likely to develop stones, too. And if you've already had one or more kidney stones, you're at increased risk of developing another.

Dehydration. Not drinking enough water each day can increase your risk of kid-

ney stones. People who live in warm climates and those who sweat a lot may be at higher risk than others.

Certain diets. Eating a diet that's high in protein, sodium (salt) and sugar may increase your risk of some types of kidney stones. This is especially true with a high-sodium diet. Too much salt in your diet increases the amount of calcium your kidneys must filter and significantly increases your risk of kidney stones.

Being obese. High body mass index (BMI), large waist

size and weight gain have been linked to an increased risk of kidney stones.

Treatment Treatment for kidney stones varies, depending on the type of stone and the cause. Most small kidney stones won't require invasive treatment. You may be able to pass a small stone by drinking water, pain relievers and medical therapy.

Kidney stones that can't be treated with conservative measures — either because they're too large to pass

on their own or because they cause bleeding, kidney damage or ongoing urinary tract infections — may require more-extensive treatment.

Procedures may include using sound waves to break up stones, surgery, among other procedures. (Mayo Clinic)

10 Sunday Times Magazine

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JUNE 9, 2019

Feature

Berbice Race Course, New Amsterdam, Berbice, British Guiana n.d.

East Street, Georgetown, British Guiana n.d.

Estate Manager's House, British Guiana n.d.

European quarters, Demerara Bauxite Co., British Guiana n.d.

Main St Georgetown looking north 1886

New Amsterdam, British Guiana n.d.

Private residence in New Amsterdam Berbice, circa early 1900s

Stabroek Market 1923

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 9, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Recipe

Home & Cooking

Home Décor

D

ecorating your home may not be the easiest thing to do without a professional interior designer, but if you utilize a few simple décor pieces, you can change the look of your space. If you've got your eye on a piece of furniture you absolutely love but it's a bit of a statement-maker, don't be afraid to buy it. There's always a way to make even the most eye-catching pieces work in your home.

Ingredients • 1 medium peach, peeled and

chopped • 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

• 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper • 3 tablespoons finely chopped red

onion • 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil • 1 tablespoon lime juice • 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce • 1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided • 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided

Ingredients • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar • 1-1/2 cups chopped and

seeded plum tomatoes • 2 tablespoons finely

chopped shallot • 1 tablespoon

minced fresh

basil • 2 teaspoons olive oil plus

3 tablespoons

olive oil, divided

• 1 garlic clove,

minced • 16 slices French bread baguette or

any sturdy bread

• Sea salt and grated Parmesan cheese

Ingredients •

• • • • •

•

• •

•

1 package (11.30 ounces) pecan shortbread cookies, crushed (about 2 cups) 1/3 cup butter, melted 4 cups heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon coconut extract 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup Key lime juice 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted Optional: Maraschino cherries with stems and sliced Key limes

Directions

1.

In a small bowl, mix crushed cookies and butter. Press onto bottom and up sides of a greased 9-in deep-dish pie plate. In a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and extract; beat until stiff peaks form. In another large bowl, beat cream cheese, condensed milk and lime

•

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Directions 1. For salsa, in a small bowl, combine peaches, avocado, red pepper, onion, basil, lime juice, hot sauce, lime peel, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

2. Sprinkle chicken with remaining salt and pepper. On a lightly greased grill rack, grill chicken, covered, over medium heat 5 minutes. Turn; grill until a thermometer reads 165°, about 7-9 minutes longer. Serve with salsa.

Directions 1. In a small saucepan, bring vinegar to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 3 tablespoons, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, shallot, basil, 2 teaspoons olive oil and garlic.

Cover and refrigerate until serving.

2. Brush remaining oil over both sides of baguette slices. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

Top toasts 3. with tomato mixture.

Drizzle with balsamic syrup; sprinkle with sea salt and Parmesan.

Serve immediately.

A

Accent Walls n accent wall can really spice up a space with a few coats of paint. They work perfectly in any room like the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom, and even work in a more unusual place like an entryway. If you don’t want to make the wall bright and bold, consider something neutral that will give the space a bit more depth.

But if you are feeling bold, choose a dramatic wallpaper.

P

Pillows atterned pillows are interior design pieces that can be used in any room in your home. You can match them to any room or mismatch them to make them stand out a bit more. They can make a simple chair look less plain or make a bed look luxurious. Since pillows are so easy to switch up, you can change them out depending on the season.

juice until blended. Fold in 2 cups whipped cream.

Spoon into prepared crust.

2.

Top with remaining whipped cream; sprinkle with coconut. Refrigerate until serving, at least 4 hours.

If desired, garnish with cherries and limes.

A

Area Rugs n area rug will not only warm up a space and reduce the echo, but it can act as a statement. If you don’t want to invest in colorful furniture, an area rug is an option. Look at an area rug as artwork for your floor, especially if it is a rental space. There are so many designs and colors to choose from; the options are endless.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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JUNE 9, 2019

Puzzles

ACROSS

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Singer -- Etheridge Skip stones -- dixit Just washed 2-deck card game Hoarfrost Fair grade Loaf Appoints, officially Heroic quality Captured insect (2 wds.)

Corn crib Billboards Mulled quaffs Sea eagles Buddy Unser and Gore Mr. Moto’s reply (2 wds.)

Kind of benefit Opposite of ruddy MD assistants Education Wears well Shackles Circle the Earth

88 SSW or NE

89 Nigerian people (var.)

90 Spats

91 Abbot’s underling

92 “Bhagavad- --”

93 Subside 94 Dawdles

95 Consumer advocate Ralph - 96 Full-size

97 Lariats

99 Store info

100 Antler prongs

101 Roaches and mice 102 Thong 103 Matter, in law

104 Pie pro

105 Big clock

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107 Yielded territory 109 Dice 110 Obama daughter

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124 Darwin’s ship 125 Specify

126 Organic compound

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Custard dessert San -(Riviera resort) Fifty-fifty Deejay’s platters Model Brunch favorite Volcanic outputs Take -- -- stride Pinball no-no Language suffix Mien Horned animal Soft shoes Hunky-dory (hyph.)

Erase Ms. Rogers St. Johns Shocking

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- ENCUMBERS (ENCUMBERS: en-KUM-bers: Weighs down; burdens.)

Average mark 40 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 57 or more words in ENCUMBERS? TODAY'S WORD -- ENCUMBERS ecru ember embrue ensue ensure enure erne numb number nurse cense censer censure crumb cruse

cube cumber curb cure curse umber user menu mere muse been beer bemuse berm brume

burn busmen rebus recuse rescue resume reuse rumen rune ruse scene scree screen scrub scum

sebum secern secure seem seen seer sere serum sneer snub suer sure

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

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In the lead Quaker colonist Cays Roman magistrate Din Narrows down Slangy thousand Blood, -- and tears Refusals White -- -- ghost Secluded valleys Premier -- Zedong Ave. crossers Load lifter

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Takes a bite, maybe Common phrases Blockhead A favorite relative Season-ticket holder Hesitant sounds Command KP workers Square of glass

92 Terrier threat

94 Jacket part

95 Goddess of joggers?

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100 Boxtop pieces

101 Plush fabrics

103 Stop working

104 Kept afloat

105 Waco university 108 Grief

109 Latin American dance

110 Nearsighted Mr.

111 “Lou Grant” lead 112 Nibble

113 Actress -- Chaplin 114 Inferior

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116 Lucy Lawless role

117 Huck Finn’s craft

118 Shakespeare villain

119 Qatar neighbor

120 Jarrett and Sparks

123 Mammoth entrapper

124 Quagmire See Solution on page 14

Natural Disasters and Severe Weather

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JUNE 9, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

T

he gloom surrounding Huawei ever since its blacklisting by the US has been pierced by a ray of Russian sunshine, as the Chinese company announced it’s signed a 5G development deal with MTS, Russia’s biggest mobile operator.

Timed to coincide with a three-day visit by Chinese president Xi Jinping to Moscow, the deal signals a desire for a closer relationship between the two Asian powers, and it unites the fates of two of their respective leading companies.

A

mazon is a behemoth of online retailing, but there’s one sector it has yet to crack: fashion. To help dig into this lucrative market, the company is introducing a new AI-powered tool named StyleSnap which will help customers find clothes to buy.

StyleSnap is basically Shazam for clothes, built into the Amazon mobile app.

Users can take a picture or upload an image and StyleSnap will use machine learning to “match the look in the photo” and find similar items for sale on Amazon.com.

Amazon’s consumer worldwide CEO Jeff Wilke unveiled the feature at the company’s Re:MARS conference in Las Vegas today, saying: “The simplicity of the customer experience belies the complexity of the technology behind it.”

But lots of startups offer similar services, includ-

T

Russian leader Vladimir Putin, quoted by his national news service TASS, has said that cooperation between Russia and China is now “at an unprecedently high level,” and the sentiment has been echoed by president Xi. Both countries appear to be finding comfort from American aggressions in each other’s arms.

For Huawei, securing this deal is a welcome reprieve from the torrent of bad business news that was triggered by US president Trump’s harsh rebuke and

ing online fashion giant Asos.

And it remains to be seen if StyleSnap can live up to Amazon’s claims. It might be easy for AI to identify basic items of clothing, like pencil skirts or flannel shirts, but that doesn’t really help consumers who can usually identify these items themselves.

Whether or not the feature can match niche items and styles will be the real challenge.

Amazon hasn’t exactly proved it’s a fashion guru, either. Back in 2017 it introduced the Echo Look, an AIpowered camera that gave users fashion recommendations. In our review, we found the software regularly made mistakes, failing to identify different outfits in images and churning out the same tips over and over (it particularly liked our reviewers’ jacket). (The Verge)

wo years after their original introduction, Google is updating its SOS Alerts with more real-time information about areas affected by natural disasters, and new navigation warnings in Google Maps to help route you around danger. The changes will also show you more detailed visual information about earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods, with a visual overlay to show the impacted areas.

For hurricanes, Google will attempt to forecast their route, and will display a crisis notification card in Google Maps if you’re near an affected area. Flood forecasts will show an overlay on a map of affected areas, along with information about severity. Finally, earthquakes will also get a crisis card, which will show you its epicenter, magnitude, and areas affected.

Google’s SOS Alerts are a way to provide essential information quickly in the event of a natural disaster.

If you search for a relevant term, then Google will surface a summary of relevant news,

prohibition. Monday, it was revealed that Huawei is selling off its undersea cable business, which analysts interpreted as being at least partially motivated by the increasing toxicity of the Huawei brand. At the same time, Huawei is also reducing smartphone production orders with Foxconn, owing to its loss of the Android license from Google that allows it to ship devices with preloaded Google apps and services.

On the 5G front, Japan’s SoftBank opted for Nokia and Ericsson equipment in-

G

oogle released the fourth beta for Android Q, which was made available via OTA updates for Pixels and might have hinted at improved face unlock for future devices.

Unfortunately, some number of Pixel users who downloaded and installed the Over-The-Air update have run into problems: their phones “bootlooped,” going into a constant reset state.

As Android Central notes, Google has updated a post on Reddit to say that it is pausing the rollout of the latest Beta while it looks into these issues. Google writes: “We’re aware of an issue with Android Q Beta 4 related to installing updates. We’ve temporarily paused Beta 4 OTA updates to all Pixel devices as we investigate the issue. We apologize for any inconvenience, and will provide an update once the issue is resolved.”

Pretty boilerplate, but it’s weird that this note is appearing just as an update on a Reddit post — the Android twitter account hasn’t even noted it yet.

It’s also a black eye for what has otherwise been a fairly reliable pro-

emergency phone numbers, safety tips, and Twitter updates. In the most serious cases, Google will send out a push alert to users in the affected area.

The new visual SOS Alerts will be rolling out to users in the coming weeks, but supported platforms and regions vary between the different natural disasters.

The Google Maps navigation warnings and earthquake indicators will both be available globally. Earthquakes will be visible on Android, iOS, desktop, and the mobile web, while the navigation warnings will be on iOS and Android only.

Meanwhile, flood visualizations will be supported on Android, desktop, and the mobile web, but they’ll only be available in India where the risk of drowning in a flood is particularly high. Finally, hurricane visual forecasts will be available across all platforms in the US, Mexico, Caribbean, Western Europe, Japan, Taiwan, China, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and South Korea. (the Verge)

stead of Huawei, which had been a provider of 4G equipment for the carrier. The tumult in Huawei’s plans and business-to-business relations looks set to continue for a while, but for today at least, the company has a significant new agreement to celebrate.

As its founder Ren Zhengfei said in an interview in February, “If the lights go out in the West, the East will still shine ...

America doesn’t represent the world. America only represents a portion of the world.” (The Verge)

gram for Google over the years. It’s especially ironic because Google has been working to change the way Android installs updates work. There is a method called “A/B (Seamless) System Updates” which is supposed to a little like how Chrome OS does it: when a new OS update comes in, it’s installed in a separate partition.

When the phone resets, it checks out the new update and if it’s fine, it switches over. If it’s not, Android should be able to just revert back to the known good version of the OS. For whatever reason, that safety net failed for this beta update.

If you’re on the beta and haven’t installed the update yet, you should definitely hold off if it appears on your phone. If you’re one of the unlucky ones, Android Central has a few steps you can try to recover your phone (but it might involve a factory reset, sorry).

For everybody else: this is why you shouldn’t install beta builds of software on your primary phone. No matter how normalized it’s become in recent years with both Google and Apple offering public betas, they’re called “Beta” for a reason. (The Verge)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 9, 2019

Bollywood/Hollywood

A

ctors Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan’s latest film, Bharat has leaked online. A report in The Indian Express says the film was leaked on notorious website Tamil Rockers after its release on Wednesday.

This year itself, films like Kalank, Gully Boy, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, Uri: The Surgical Strike, The Accidental Prime Minister, Thackeray, Maharshi, Aladdin, Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame were also leaked on the torrent site.

However, the film’s makers still have a lot to celebrate.

Bharat emerged as Salman’s biggest opener ever, and Katrina’s second biggest, with first day collection of Rs 42.3 crore. It ranks second on the list of Bollywood movies with

the biggest opening day collection, second only to Thugs of Hindostan.

Salman on Thursday took to social media to thank his fans for giving “me my career’s biggest opening ever”.

He tweeted: “Big thank you to all for giving me my career’s biggest opening ever.”

K

offee’s resume just keeps on growing. This week the 19-year-old singer/deejay was listed on Apple Music as one of the next breakthrough artists this year.

The reggae/ dancehall community already see her as a shining star, and it appears Rihanna also saw greatness in her. California rapper Haiti Babii recently spilled the beans during an interview with BET where he revealed that the “Toast” singer is writing for RiRi. “She [Rihanna] FaceTimed yesterday morning when the song dropped,”

“What made me the happiest and proudest is when during a scene in my film, national anthem is recited and every one stood up as a mark of respect. There could be no bigger respect for our country than this... Jai Hind,” Salman added.

Bharat, directed by Ali

Babii said. “It was night time wherever she was. She was in a club partying. She was like, ‘I like this song, yo. It’s dope, yo.’ I was like, ‘Alright, yeah. She’s messing with it.'”

Haiti Babii says he then asked Rihanna about Koffee and she already knew everything about the Jamaican sensation and even encouraged the rapper to link up with her. He also revealed that RiRi confirmed that Koffee is writing for her.

“I asked her, Ri, what’s up with Koffee? Do you know who that is? “the rapper said.

“And I spelled the name wrong at first, but she was like ‘Koffee? Yeah, that’s one of my writers. You guys definitely have to link. I need something now. I was like, I’m on it, Ri. I’m on it.”

Rihanna is nearing the end of re-

Abbas Zafar, is an official remake of the Korean film An Ode To My Father. The Bollywood film depicts the history of India along with the life of an ordinary man.

After receiving a positive response from the audience, Zafar said in a statement: “It is humbling to be showered this kind of love by audiences. I have tried to present Salman Khan in a totally new light and as a totally new hero with Bharat. “I’m ecstatic that audiences have liked our attempt to make Bharat a thoroughly entertaining joyride that also has its soul in the right place,” he said.

The film also features Sunil Grover, Jackie Shroff, Tabu, Satish Kaushik and Disha (Hindustan Patani.

Times)

cording her highly an- ticipated dancehall album. She enlisted the services of several Jamaican producers and songwriters for the project, but so far there is no release date or title, except that it’s tentatively called R9.

As for Koffee, she has a new music video out now with Spanish Town native Govana who she taps for Rapture (Remix). The track is featured on her debut EP which has been doing very well since it was released in March.

“Rapture” is the title track on the project and one of the most popular track. A few weeks back we saw Lil Uzi Vert posted a video of himself vibing the song which is a major endorsement for the 19-year-old singer. (Urban Islandz)

A

ctor Taapsee Pannu has several films in hand, one of them with her Baby co-star Akshay Kumar.

Like Taapsee, Akshay, too, features in multiple films each year and will be seen with Taapsee in Mission Mangal.

Talking about Akshay, Taapsee told Deccan Chronicle in an interview, “I have these kind of conversations with Akshay, that even I have four releases this year. But if I reach even half the place where he has, I think I will retire after that. He has done so many things that it’s commendable.”

Taapsee has already delivered her first hit of the year, Badla with Amitabh Bachchan. Apart from Mission Mangal, Taapsee will also be seen in psychological thriller (Tamil-Telugu bilingual) Game Over and Saand Ki Aankh with Bhumi Pednekar.

While Akshay’s Kesari has already emerged as a hit this year, he has two more films lined up for release in 2019 besides Mission Mangal. He will also be seen in multi-starrer comedy Housefull 4 and with Kareena Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh and Kiara Advani in Good News. He is currently working on the Rohit Shetty film, Sooryavanshi

C

arrie Underwood extended her run as the most decorated act in the history of the CMT Music Awards with her 20th win Wednesday night.

Underwood won two prizes at the fan-voted show, including video of the year for “Cry Pretty” and female video of the year for “Love Wins.”

“Fans, thank you so much. I saw you guys doing the Twitter parties and getting together and doing your thing and voting,” she said.

“None of us would be able to do any of what we do if not for you guys. You guys put us here. You guys keep us going. You guys let us live out our dreams.”

When she won the first televised award of the night, Underwood acknowledged her husband’s birthday (she is married to former hockey player Mike Fisher, who sat in the audience).

“It is my husband’s birthday today — look what they got you,” she said.

The Grammy-winning country star also performed at the show honoring the year’s best country music videos, which took place at the Bridgestone Arena in

A

lec Baldwin will prove yet again he can take a punch, this time around at least the verbal kind, when he sits for a Comedy Central roast this summer. “The Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin” will be taped in New York; the taping date and airdate will be announced later.

“Getting roasted will be the greatest honor of my lifetime besides being a father, a husband, hosting ‘SNL’ seventeen times, receiving Golden Globes, Emmys, and working with Martin Scorsese,” said Baldwin in a statement.

Said Jonas Larsen, EVP Talent and Development, Comedy Central: “Alec Baldwin has done so many

Nashville, Tennessee.

Thomas Rhett, Little Big Town and Trombone Shorty kicked off the event with a performance of “Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time.” More collaborative performances followed: Brett Young sang “Here Tonight” with Boyz II Men, even blending in some of the R&B group’s “Water Runs Dry” for the performance. Sheryl Crow and Maren Morris teamed up onstage, while Tanya Tucker — whose new album will be produced by Brandi Carlile — sang “Delta Dawn” with the Grammy-winning Americana singer, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Lauren Alaina and more acts. (Page Six)

great things it will be a unique treat to spend a night focusing on everything he’d rather forget.”

“The Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin” will be executive produced by Joel Gallen from Tenth Planet Productions, who also served as Executive Producer and Director of the Comedy Central Roasts of Bruce Willis, Rob Lowe, Justin Bieber, James Franco, Charlie Sheen and Donald Trump, as well as the Emmynominated Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner.

Christian McLaughlin is the Executive in Charge of Production and Jordan Ellner is the Talent Producer for Comedy Central. (Page Six)

Crossword Solution

which will release next year. Apart from that, he also has Laxmmi Bomb, the Hindi remake of 2011 Tamil film Muni 2: Kanchana scheduled to release in 2020.

Taapsee and Akshay are part of the multi-starrer Mission Mangal that also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Vidya Balan, Kirti Kulhari, Sharman Joshi and

Nithya Menon.

The film will revolve around the scientists who were involved in India’s first Mars Orbiter Mission. According to latest reports, Mission Mangal was earlier scheduled to release on Independence Day, August 15 but may now have been preponed to August 9.

(Hindustan Times)

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JUNE 9, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JUNE 9, 2019

Fun Times

Archie

Check out what is going on behind the scenes. Looks can be (March 21deceiving, so unless you have April 19) done your research carefully, you should be reluctant to make an unnecessary change.

ARIES

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

GEMINI (MAY 28June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

You are a trusting individual, but being too generous with your personal information will have negative repercussions. Avoid sharing details regarding your valuables, assets or financial status.

Be a careful shopper.

Don’t be enticed by a fast sales pitch, no matter how mesmerizing. Lending and borrowing are best avoided today.

In order to gain favorable attention at work or home, you should put in extra hours ensuring that you have taken care of your responsibilities adequately. Your dedication will be appreciated.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Attend industry venues if possible. The knowledge you gain from participating in workshops, seminars and business meetings will be informative and put to good use in all aspects of your life.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Money matters look promising. This is a favorable day to check out real estate or property deals.

Conservative long-term investments will pay off. A change will do you good.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Peanuts SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Calvin and Hobbes

You need to back off if you have been too demanding or overbearing. Let others have their say. Matters will move along much more smoothly if you are willing to give as well as take.

You are outgoing and craving companionship, so get out and socialize. First, however, you should take care of business before an unhappy family member criticizes you for not honoring a promise.

Stay on good terms with your co-workers and peers.

As part of a team, you can work toward improvements or changes in the workplace that will benefit everyone.

A unique project can turn into a profitable venture.

Use your creativity to put together something that is totally yours from start to finish. Romance is on the rise.

If you have done everyAQUARIUS thing to the best of your (Jan. 20- ability, don’t get upset if Feb. 19) someone makes uncalled-for comments. Jealousy is best left to dissipate on its own.

Make sure your friends, PISCES (Feb. 20- family or loved ones know Mar. 20) what you are up to. You will be caught off guard if you are blamed for something that you didn’t do.