The Parrot daily reads the dailies thoroughly. I do not just look at pictures alone like some many familiar people. Remember the old-time school-days children’s game, “picture like a picture, no-picture”? Can’t? It basically involved a book which contained both pictures and words. The person in possession of the book would ask another, “picture like a picture, no-picture”. The other person would guess and say either picture or no-picture. The book was then randomly opened; picture the person won; no-picture, they lost. Simple and childish. Very.

Reading at least one of the local dailies, this game immediately comes to mind. This particular paper, the name of which connotes a large local body of fluid hydride of oxide, often presents the best tool, the “book” that is, for this yesteryear children’s game. I presume you know that hydride of oxide is H2O; water. Elementary Chemistry, right? Good. Now that you are hopefully in the realms of enlightenment as to which newspaper I am referring to, this squawk can continue.

Any random perusal of this said Waterfall paper would reveal a preponderance of pictures that are used to not only grab attention at newspapers stands, but as has often been the case, to sensationalise. The paper earned this reputation and has become synonymous with sensationalism. With this unenvied status, the paper’s predisposition in this regard, continues unabated. Its formula is predictable; big picture, no story; big picture, small story; irrelevant picture, irrelevant story.

The latter category was very evident on the front page of Monday, October 05, 2009 edition. Big picture, almost half the page, about the newly elected executives of the Guyana DePressed ASSociation and a very long “buse”, sorry, story. Now, how new is new? Go-Mo from the CaPITal City news was acting as President for some months now since Shop-brawl left citing irreconcilable differences with the said ASSociation. Go-Mo is now the ASSociation’s President. Nothing new; he acted and is now confirmed. Noiszima was returned as Treasurer. Kneel, Ny-gel, Quewsi, Wolf-ford and Uncle Adam were either re-elected or would have served before.

Seven out of nine served the ASSociation before. Two, according to my knowledge, are new. So why such a big-big picture and long-long story about a NEW executive when in reality, it’s old? Hmmm. Was it because Uncle Adam is back and he wanted to show that he is on a body? The Parrot must admit that the picture grabbed its attention simply because Uncle Glenn was missing from it; noticeably missing! Why? Given his agitation over the last few months, one would have expected that Uncle Glenn’s election as the ASSociation’s President, was automatic. He is not even on the committee!

Should the Parrot believe that he was deemed an “incapacitated voter” because he carries his voting hand in a sling? If that’s the case, then the voting process speaks volumes for the lack of democracy within the ASSociation. In General elections for the country, provisions are made to accommodate incapacitated voters. Why not in the Guyana DePressed ASSociation? If it is that Uncle Glenn sought a position and was defeated, then it doesn’t augur well for a man of his stature and his advocacy. If he didn’t seek office, then he got a position by proxy! Yes, Uncle Adam’s. As the boys dem seh; “six of one, half-a-dozen of the other”.

So Uncle Glenn, despite his absence from the picture mentioned, he is still “in” through Uncle Adam. In analysing the executives listed, it shows that two-thirds of the said body is from the Waterfall paper! Three out of nine; Kneel, Uncle Adam and Charming, the ASSistant Secretary/Treasurer. The ASSociation should be re-named the “Waterfall Press ASSociation” or “Uncle Glenn’s ASSociation”. The Parrot wonders how these three and the two from the “Beacon” paper would amicably “co-inhabit” in the meeting room given Uncle Glenn’s and his paper ads-related tirades against the paper based in industrial site?

Is it a coincidence that the Waterfall paper has the most people on the ASSociation’s executive body? Another hmmm. Uncle Glenn’s proxies? Given the 77.77% make up of the ASSociation, an excess of a two-thirds majority comprising of the Waterfall paper, CaPITal City News, the Big Market paper and Crime Knews, a certain type of Chemistry is pellucid; an engrained Chemistry to disparage Uncle Bharrat. This Chemistry has been very evident over the years. Who will dispute that Uncle Adam, Go-Mo and Wolf-ford don’t revel in such expositions? Just check the pictures in the related paper and Tee-Vee news. “Picture like a picture”? Squawk! Squawk!