It started with a Twitter update.

There was a leak.  Wild, and not-so-wild, accusations flew.  It was the printer's fault!  Tribe planned the leak!  The butler did it!  Anyone with a serious mas bone in their body got anxious... quick.  Word spread quickly enough, and pretty soon, the (by now) infamous Tribe 2010 leaked brochure was in my inbox.

Naturally, like thousands of others, I looked.  And there were masqueraders, bloggers, the indifferent, who refused to look, opting instead for the anticipation of the band's upcoming launch. Insert applause here.  But these leaks point not only to the malicious nature of band competition, vicarious sideliners, or the exuberance of some masqueraders that "just can't wait!", but to the very nature of the Carnival beast - a beast that, recession notwithstanding, keeps growing and looming over us all, whether or not we choose to partake.

'Last' year, leaked images of Island People's 2009 costumes were received around the world, multiple times, in a matter of a few hours.  And the urge to click 'Forward' continued unabated.  And now, especially given the exclusive nature of Tribe, I can't say that I'm surprised. That, and it's Trinidad. So, in a country where there are only about 3 degrees of separation, it makes you wonder - can Carnival surprise us anymore?