Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer

Bruce Golding - Peta-Gaye Clachar/ Staff Photographer

My dears, hurricane or storm, the party must go on. And so it is my dears, this in the age of Virgo. Those born under the sign, Virgoans all over, celebrate with the gusto and joie de vivre known only to them!

Dovecakes, among the Virgos celebrating are bespoke taylor Winston Wilson who celebrated on the 25th of August. The charmingly lovely Roseanne Delfosse-Newman celebrated on the 26th, as did the lovely Sherida Sharpe Dujon. The awesomely talented musician Paul Kastic took time off his busy international schedule to fly home to be with family and friends in the wake of Gustav, celebrated on the 28. The absolutely fab Cecile Levee, whose birthday was on Friday, August 29, placed the celebrations on hold due to the passage of Gustav. The statuesque style maven Sonja Sutherland Dumetz celebrated on Tuesday, September 2.

Celebrating

Also celebrating on the 2nd were the absolutely talented and oh so fab, Michelle Facey, who did the partying in Florida; Paul-Navarro Jackson, 'Che' to his friends, who celebrated in Long Island, New York; Nafthalie Floyd Walsh celebrated on Wednesday the 3rd; as did Garth Barakat.

The elegant Debbie Hamilton and former parliamentarian Arnold 'Scree' Bertram share the 6th. Miss gorgeousness herself, Nathalie St Louis, celebrates on the 11th; the 12th will see the charming Dawn Young taking a bow. Montego Bay socialite and glamour Princess Fenella Kennedy-Holland celebrates on the 18th; but tomorrow, Saturday the 6th, its all about Capt (ret) Michael Lyn, as he celebrates in fine style.

Also celebrating this season are Dr John McHardy, Dr Gayle McGarrity, Hazel King, businessman Marlon Creary and police Superintendent Harry 'Bungles' Daley, among others.

Dears, it's definitely time to break out the Champagne and then some!

And speaking of breaking out the Champagne; dears, it's the first anniversary of Bruce Golding's ascension to political power. And while the review in general is mixed, Champagne is in order here, too, as many a pundits were taking bets that between the legal challenges to the constitutionality of the Government itself, (due to the questions of nationality), a year has come and gone and the government is firmly in power, much to the chagrin of its many detractors.

Then my dears, while our athletes in Beijing proved to be the stars of the 29th Olympiad, back here, those covering the stories are definitely in need of some coaching themselves.

Television editors and producers, please note; in the future, if the plan is to record a spontaneous reaction from parents and relatives of those competing, then do them the courtesy of first visiting their homes and make the place and the subjects 'camera-ready' to add that air of professionalism to the entire broadcast.

In this the age of Youtube and Facebook, anything else simply won't do!

Prime time

The idea of airing 'live' comments from people's homes while they are obviously not prepared for prime time is wholly inappropriate and thus unacceptable as it does not serve the best interest of those being interviewed or their triumphant offspring!

There's an old story that has been making the rounds from the '70s. Fact or fiction, it speaks to the reason the all-time Children's programme Ring Ding, hosted by legendary folklorist Louise Bennett, was no longer aired live, as was the custom. It's the same principle that obtains for 'live broadcasts' by most institutions in the business of live presentations - the five or so second delay.

Let's serve our people and do so well. The rush to have inexperienced cub-reporters thrusting microphones in the face of unsuspecting and unprepared subjects is not the way to serve those who make us proud!

My dears, the international jet-setters and gad-abouts are all a-preening in preparation for the annual staging of one of the Caribbean's premier social events - the Pineapple Ball on October 4.

Pumpkins, it promises to be an all-time smasheroni, and then some, with some of the region's leading socialites, power brokers and politicos expected to attend!

Dears, more definitely, anon!

Cecile Levee

Sonja Sutherland-Dumetz - file photos

Marlon Creary

Michael Lyn