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Blackberrys - Why they are still cool (Blog Jamaica)

2011-12-27 11:57:22

I have been seeing a lot of BB hate recently. Some people will have you think that blackberries are going the way of the dinosaurs but I am here to tell you the reason's why BB's are still rocking it high in Jamaica and parts of the Caribbean.

Support / Backwards Compatibility

You can meet a hot girl on the beach or a party and pin her even though she is uptown and rocking a BB Touch 3 while you are rocking a Bold 1 - doesn’t matter its all the same thing. I see some people rocking the old BBs with the little ball that spins in the middle and I'm like waaa? Some guy said he replaced his ball like 10 times but just loves his phone so much that he will never get any of the new ones. On the flip side Android/iphone users sell their phones every six months i.e. if the screen doesn't crack first.

Battery Life

Until recently most BB phones are really slow, so they last a good 2 days on a single charge, even when you are typing away on BBM or scrolling through 4 gigs of pictures, its designed to conserve battery life. The few games you can actually get in the app store make it even easier to conserve battery life. No Apps IS a feature, lol.

Optimized for Slow Networks

Now let us be honest Jamaica probably has some of the slowest cellphone networks in Latin American ( sorry @gordonswaby the are never gonna call give us our own region ). I always watch television and see advertisements where lightning is falling from the sky and people are doing stuff so fast that they are doing them IN THE FUTURE. From my experience in reality, downloading anything on a cellphone in Jamaica is like Slow like honey. The BB often is able hide this and makes it a little more barable, plus it doesn’t lock up or check the network too often to the point where you have to start turning things off.

Data plans

Presently the blackberry phone plans cannot be beat, especially if you get the BB Social Plan it will save you some money for ONE EXTRA DRINK AT THE BAR. With the economy the way it is not many people can afford to dish out 3000 dollars a month to play Angry birds. I donot remember what the going rate is for data in jamaica but I think they charge PER MEGABYTE! Really? Until there is a cheaper way to download stuff over the network I don’t see myself getting a Android phone.

Old BBs still get Software Updates

As I said before there are some people in the BB world rocking some old phones - I am talking BBOS4 like there is no tommorow, yet they still work and are chatting like nobody’s business. Popular apps such as twitter and facebook still get regular updates every couple of months. This may be to RIM's downfall but you have to appreciate their ability to support older phones without making them slower.

Blackberry Phones are Cheap to Buy

No only the Data plans as mentioned before but the actual phone itself. I do not know about some people but I am not going to spend 600 USD on a phone when I could buy a laptop or a 30 INCH TV for the same cost - fts. Unless you like playing games on a small screen with bad touch controls, getting the latest most expensive cellphone is pointless and really most people do not have the money to dish out on things that cannot prevent AIDS. Although buying the phone directly from the cell companies is still ridiculously expensive it is easy to find on USED blackberry for sale and because it still gets updates its not that bad a compremise.

BBs are on 27/4

With a fixed monthly, weekly or daily BB prepaid plan you can pretty much rock BB around the clock except for that one week when the network went down for an entire week. Aside from that the BB network is pretty much always on, I don’t have to stalk WIFI networks at local restaurants to get my twitter updates.

Durability

Seriously I see 13 years olds rocking more expensive BBs than even I am able to afford. Don’t ask me what their hustle is but whatever, puss and dog no have the same luck. Point is no matter how big you hands or deep you purse the BB will usually keep working as long as you pop the battery every now and then plus keeping the ball clean.

Conclusion

If those points are not enough to convince you and you still want to play Angry Birds while you are driving down I95 then more power to you - just don’t crash in to anybody. There is no point to having all phones being big glass touch screens! Touch screens are annoying and only good for scrolling and swiping. Diversification in the phone market is the only way for it to survive. Having 50 types of Android phones is not going to make it any more attractive than the expensive iPhone. And lets not even mention WindowsPhone which has a fixed screen size and aspect ratio - U MAd Bro? Face it Steve Jobs have you guys beat and no matter how many new Android phones come out people will still think you are using a iphone. The Blackberry is what it is because it has a dependable, boring and simple.

Most people I see saying that bb is dead are people using androids and want more locals to join their party - its not going to happen - people want buttons. The 9900 maybe a faster curve with a touch screen and drains battery but its still a bb. Once the bb becomes an android phone it will lose all the things that make it unique. I don't understand why people can't see that.

by owen () comment

SRC/PIOJ: Innovate or Die - Nov 29, 2011 - What I learnt (Blog Jamaica)

2011-12-01 10:28:23

What I learnt from the SRC/PIOJ: 'Innovate or Die' Panel Discussion held at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel on Tuesday, Nov 29, 2011;

Services instead of products

Basically the only thing investers will fund are service industry activities. They are very easy and are of little risk to investers. Avoid anything physical, because it would require too much initial investment and the risk of failure is too much for the local market.

Food, Herbs and Food Additives

Do not even think of producing anything that is taken internally or are considered to be a medicine or food additive. It is simply too risky and investers are not willing to take a chance on anything that is removely difficult or requires a large amount of human testing or research. You are on your own.

Outsource your labour to other countries

At some point you will have to leave Jamaica. Find a country overseas for your factory where there is cheap labour and lower electricity rates. If you want to compete in the global market you simply cannot physically operate in Jamaica - its just too expensive.

Go big or go home

Avoid markets which are dominated by bigger companies because there is simply no protection for you in the global economy. The only way to compete is through efficiency, and if you are not as efficient as a multi-billion dollar company you might as well not try because your idea (if it is profitable) will be stolen in an instant.

The Jamaican Consumer Society

Avoid targeting the local consumer base in any large scale, at least in the long run, it will not support you. The Jamaican people are conditioned to buy overseas products in fancy packaging. Provide a service that is attached to foriegn product such as software apps, cellphone repairs or auto-mobile repairs, invest in fancy-high quality packaging. Build your customer base quickly and watch the market closely.

Government Policies

Better not to wait on the government to help you out. Government policies may do you more harm than good and will probably take 20 years to come to reality ( fruition ). The government is busy and is probably spending their money on more important things. You will have to be creative without putting yourself into too much debt - nothing tried - nothing done. Register your company and get the appropriate licenses for your operation, it may take a while and seem rather haphazard but at least you will reduce the chance of you getting raided and locked up by the police. Pay your taxes.

In Closing

Innovation is a tool. Stop doing the same thing over and over. Invest money in a research department and encourage employees to suggest ideas on improving efficiency and creating new products and services. Research is a investment, you may not see results today or tommorow but when you strike gold the returns will be 10 fold. Do not be afraid to try something new because you are never sure when the next iPad will come out and you will not be able to afford the USD to buy one.

by owen () comment

Can 3-D save the cinemas? (Blog Jamaica)

2011-05-27 08:42:00

Avatar is the best 3d movie I've seen and most people will a test to that. Its not the amount of 3d shots but the quality of the shots IMHO. eitherway 3d is not going save the theatres if they continue to be greedy. People who watch movies every week (sometimes several times a week) will continue to do that no matter what happens but I personally will not be affected by the new influx of 3d movies because 3d doesn't add much value to the movie. In fact they just use it as another means of price rape. The theatres now have crazy ads before, during and after the movie. Its just a matter of time before they have scrolling message bars at the bottom of the movie. Movie theatres need to release that movies are no longer important to the general population. They have other stuff to distract them.

CINEMA group Palace Amusement has tripled its capital expenditure amid a Digital 3-D build-out project earmarked as a saviour in an industry ravaged by pirates, even while the firm continues to operate in the red.

-Observer

If you triple your expenditure in a single year, how can you expect to re-cope that money during the same year?

They should work on keeping their loyal fans who love them and leave the rest of us alone. They should realise no matter what they do some of us just want to see one good movie every month or every quarter, we just want to watch the movie, we don't want to see advertisements or buy expensive snacks. We want to watch movie trailors before the movie starts, not cellphone advertisements. If we cannot watch trailors then tell us exactly when the movie is going to start so that we can come to the theatre at that time.

If they want to drive a bigger Benz then they should charge more for the movie but of course they know they cannot do that without making their regular weekly customers angry so I guess they are in a between a rock and a hard place. I have no problem waiting 2 years for a movie to come out on cable but I know movie buffs love their movies and I think that the movie buffs are the ones who suffer most in this period. I am the type of movie watcher that can see a worthless movie coming from just the name alone, even before I see the trailor. And worthless movies are EVERYWHERE. I have been punked by a dubious trailor before but it is a rare occasion. The movie industry is running out of ideas and they need us as much as we need them. 3d movies, superhero movies, remakes of old movies and explosions not enough to get me to come to the theatre every week, sorry, I have video games, internet and cable.

My suggestion is that they should enjoy their monopoly while it lasts and cater to their core audience who watch movies on a regular, treat then right and they will remain loyal and encourage their friends to fork out the money. But right now 3d is not going to make encourage other people give theatre more profit. If its more profit they want then they need to invest into more local movies and directors instead of sending all that extra profit overseas. Heck the local movies may suck in the beginning but with social media as it is, a good local movie will draw a crowd and ensure the continued improvement in quality. Better mus come - eventually.

Side Note on Bootleggers

Bootleggers really don't care about 3d and what makes matters worst is that 3d will never become the defacto standard of watching a movie at anywhere because it seriously gives some people headaches and adds very little to the movie experience. Advertise more and offer better deals in order to get more people to choose the theatre over bootleg, otherwise, watching a movie at the theatre will continue to be the exception as opposed to the norm for most people. You could always try banding the importation of flat screens into Jamaica, lol.

by owen () comment

Re: The ‘Shebadarization’ of Kartel (Blog Jamaica)

2011-05-19 10:18:08

This is a response to The ‘Shebadarization’ of Kartel by constructedthoughts. I will start addressing some points from his article then I will go off on a mad rant which has nothing to do with his article but more about Jamaica society in general. Anyway here goes;

Whether or not the commenter; Jack Andrews is a Kartel supporter does not make his point any less correct. Elephant man had his hair in a twist from ages ago, even had it "coloured" and it did not bring forth the Armageddon.

Shebada is a highly "respected"-ish and well paid actor that portrays a broad section of Jamaica's culture. Using his stage name in a derogatory manner only highlights your disconnection from that part of Jamaica's culture and likewise the people who he represents.

Pundits tend to draw for the "I'm not very familiar with dancehall but..." card which is fine but only paints a picture of ignorance rather than constructive opinion. Constructive opinion warrants an understanding of the subject matter. If you do not listen Dancehall then what do you listen to, how does Dancehall affect you if you manage to escape it death grip? If your entire argument comes from Dr. Hope’s 2006 book (PDF) then you need to read some more books.

Now your opinion is all well and good, I'm not sure if Kartel's latest attempt to bring forth the Armageddon will work. I thought sorely the bleaching fiasco and the daggering would have most have definately done it. But I guess the will of the Jamaican people is strong enough to resist one man's influence, even if we cannot resist the influence and oppression of our political parties and the "Gangs of Jamaica House".

I have said it before if Kartel has as much influence than you say he has then why don't we use him to stop the murders in our country and help our economy grow to the heights it truly deserves? Why not make him president? Why not him mayor of the Gaza? Of course none of these things will happen because the span of influence that Kartel has is only as much as the Jamaica people will allow him to have. The Jamaican people are not babies, sheep maybe, but not everybody lives on the same farm. We are all sheep, slaves to different masters. Despite what you may think the large majority of Jamaicans listen Dancehall music, sweep the roads early in the mornings and work for minimum wage so that they can buy hot clothes and hair extensions and eye liner and tight jeans. I am not going to look down on anybody because they cannot get a 9 to 5 job at a Jucci Beef. It is no longer acceptable to delegate the poor people of Jamaicans to a lower class of sheep. People who as you would say are "ghetto and loose and sketels". Is being uneducated or without a high school diploma make you any less Jamaican or any less capable of being a active part of Jamaican society?

Internet access and BB service is a luxury - not a birthright. They are many people in Jamaica society who can live well off for a whole week with nothing but the money you waste on these luxuries of the 21st century.

Of course anybody can sit on a high seat and critizise anything - its human nature. At this very moment I am sitting in mine, ranting like a mofo. I am sure some good will come from it, but criticism should come with a goal. Before you speak, know the goals: What problem is the work trying to solve? Is it that you want to rid Jamaica of everybody that wears tight pants? Drives around in 92 Toyota Corollas? Fags and Gays? Batty man? I have yet to understand what the final goal of all the attention that is aimed towards Kartel is suppose to produce. Train your child up it the way you want he/she to grow. Kartel is not a teacher, lol, he has just as much influence on your children and society as you do. But I guess most people would rather point fingers. Maybe Kartel is the problem with Dancehall? Or is Dancehall itself the problem?

Jamaica's motto is "out of many one people", though I'm not sure that still is the case because alongside the ghetto people, the uptown people, the tight pants people, the white people, there lives the passive aggressive people who live only to target the obvious of things without proposing any real solutions to any of the problems Jamaica faces today. OH NO SUICIDES HAVE GONE UP! LETS START A SUICIDE HOTLINE FOR OUR KIDDES. Per adults call in the dam line! Mass serial-love-triangle murder-suicide killings by Policemen. I told my mother that its only in the water in Manchester so she does not have to worry. I'm sure the NWC is looking into the issue. The truth is, the times are getting hard and harder for people and we need to band together and look after our neighbours and MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALRIGHT. And when I say neighbours I mean YOUR LITERAL NEIGHBOURS. Don't leave your yard and go preach to the hedonists in Half-way-tree when you sister is dating a married man or your father is not filing his tax returns while under paying his employees and over charging his customers so that he can afford his expensive S-Class Benz that he drives around by himself everyday. Jamaica is going to hell but not all of us are dammed, the young will rise again and when we look at them we will hate them for their youth. Why? Because a so it go, life is a bitch.

Anyway don't condemn people because they dress a certain way or work in Burger King or are rocking a old school BB 8300, all of us do not have the same opportunities and some of us are just dam lazy, especially the dam big grown ass man dem that wipe car wind-sheilds at intersections - annoying bastards.

by owen () comment

Is Kartel the Bob Marley of our generation? (Blog Jamaica)

2011-03-15 14:26:19

Adidja Palmer (born January 7, 1976), better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He is commonly known in Jamaica as both the Teacher and Gaza (the nickname of his home town).

I don't know. There are varying views on this hot topic, I made sure not to read Annie Paul's article before writing my own. Who is to know what the future will bring? Who is to know what future generations will look back at today and say.

Really, in the present economy and the recent interviews and his lecture up at UWI, Kartel is EVERYWHERE in the news. Either he is today's Bob Marley or he is a really crazy devil worshipping Dancehall artist. He has some good points though, people do hate what they do not understand and fear what they cannot conquer.

As I mentioned in my last article Dancehall is about controversy. Controversy in Jamaica drives EVERYTHING. Concious people only talk about concious things and concious events, rarely is topic deemed important if it is not taboo. Maybe it is just human nature.

With the The Manatt Dudus Enquiry soap opera on the tv everyday, this maybe the best time to be controversial because that commission of inquiry is not going anywhere but in the pockets of the lawyers involved. if this is how boring regular court room activities are I pray I do not end up on the witness seat. Dorothy is either a strong black woman or a good liar.

Anyway back on topic.

Is Kartel a roll model for Jamaica's youth? In his view parents should raise their children and not leave it up to Dancehall music. Many a interview have tried to "corner" him into accepting the fact that his is a social leader. The topic of who is a social leader is tricky. Even I don't know who in Jamaica is a social leader - everybody doing them own thing. Pasters carry licensed fire arms, politians rarely live in the constituencies which they represent, Business people drive over expensive cars like drug dealers, Politicans all have dual citizenship in case Jamaica goes to hell they can fly away and send their kids to be educated in America. It all appears to be a bad batch of goat soap and double standards. It is a complex topic. In most cases I would like to believe that everybody is roll model or a social leader but I would not allow my kids (if I had them) to look up to Bruce Golding as a role model or Kartel or any Politian or even Bob Marley but then who? Who do you think is worthy of such a position? And even if there is such a person - what guaranties are there that you child will follow them?

There is no doubt that Kartel is intelligent even more so that I am is certain respects. I doubt I could have survived an interview on certain topics in Jamaica culture - I stay far away from discussing religion because there is no right answer to any questions involving some ones faith and people who try to forward their own personal beliefs are usually self-righteous-bastards.

Conclusion

If I could release some tracks I too would be singing dancehall and making the money and driving the cars that he is driving. Is that not measure of a man? The kinda car you drive? The size of your bank account? The area in which you live? The cellphone you have? The color of your skin? The letters you have behind your name? The texture of your hair? These and many other things are what truly plagues our people as a nation. As they say there are 3 kinda of people in this world: the rich, the poor and the in between.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. - Martin Luther King Jr.

by owen () comment

Dancehall, Bleaching and Di Gal Dem (Blog Jamaica)

2011-02-15 14:46:19

I was going to leave this topic alone because I thought that it would not last as long as it has. I seem to have lost touch with the gritty underbelly and attention span of the common man. Now as many of my fellow, more serious writers have pointed out, Vybz Kartel is on the scene (again!) and he is eroding the very fabric of Jamaican culture with his Cake Soap. Truth be told "Bleaching" has been around since the beginning of time, since Toots and the Maytals "Monkey Man", and Mr Lexx was singing Monkeys Out. Now “Cool like mi wash mi face wid the cake soap” has become the tag line for what seems to be countless discussions about Proactive, Foundation and the now infamous Cake Soap. It all started with the song: Straight Jeans And Fitted back in the summer of June 2010. I definitely thought the song was going to become exceptionally popular, (I even made it one of my songs of the year) but I could never have guessed how.

Now on to the bleaching topic;

Back in the 90s, bleaching in dancehall music was mostly focused on women since back then the obsession was about being a browning. As I have mentioned before dancehall is a mish-mash of things happening in the country at various point in time. In dancehall there is never one thing going on, it is a constantly changing medium. If it is corrupting our youth is a matter of opinion and more so "perspective", because in this day and age nothing corrupts our youth more than failing high school math and not getting a good job so that the major banks in Jamaica can rape them with service fees. Improving customer service tastes good if you cook it with some butter.

Nothing in dancehall ever stays around too long, (and it never goes away forever) because as a people Jamaicans are dynamic, easily distracted and talented people (well most of us). We love our black women. I heard albums by musicians in America a full 3 years before the record labels decided to release it as a "new" album, such is not the case with dancehall, because it is much harder to stay relevant if all your music is 3 years old. And you have to face it, some people just are not relevant - AT ALL. Rnb I'm looking at you.

As I write I am trying to decide whether I should keep on the topic of bleaching, brownings or general dancehall music because anything that bobbles to the top of dancehall music is more than just "music". It is a means of documentation, a writing on the wall. Dancehall runs the range of social topics such as Crime, Volience, Homophobia, Vanity, Money, Spirituality, Promiscuity, Sexually, Infadelity, Money, The Police, The Government, Dreams and more issues than I can even think up to list or even Ian Boyne can cover in a 5000 word article. Truth be told, most of us would rather avoid anything to do with these issues because they are either too difficult to solve or we do not care as long as they are far from our gully side. Because of the sensitivity and helplessness of these issues what results is controversy. I was was on the bus and a 5 year old was trying to beat me in a staring contest and upon failing proceeded to give me "the finger". I was SHOCKED! I wondered where she learned that - must be the dancehall music.

Dancehall music goes hand in hand with controversy. I would go as far as to say that the best Dancehall music is the most controversial. Of course that last sentence is written purely to invoke thought on the part of the reader because in Jamaica - most people will ignore anything that is not staring them in the face or overcharging them. I have explained to people that at some level, Dancehall is a competition of controversy, you can see it in the dancing, the lyrics, the money, the parties - EVERYTHING. Staying controversial in dancehall is a tricky tight rope to walk. You have the uptown people on one side, the government and the police and the Broadcasting Commission on the other monitoring and regulating the industries, balancing the interests of consumers, the industries and the creative community in implementing public policy and law. It is a tricky game of cat and mouse.

Now what is the point of all this text and links? I am not sure really because people will always have personal bias towards certain things and all the advertisement on television will still have a browning wife, a strong black husband and 2 cute chinese-australian children with curly hair. The path to knowledge, wisdom and understanding is a long, expensive and dangerous road to travel. As I get older things may change or they may stay the same but one thing is for sure: Dancehall and Jamaican Music will always be around and will always be controversial. Naw watch no face. photo source

by owen () comment

January 2011 News Round Up (Blog Jamaica)

2011-01-28 20:33:02

Sometimes I read too much into things. I cannot tell if this is a good start to the year or not. (what)

This afternoon I was listening to the news on the radio and it was reported that the most wanted Dog Paw was captured in the presence of 2 females in Red Hills. The females were said to be graduates of a prominent university in Kingston. I guess it just goes to show that (having gone to a University)

university really doesn't teach you any life lessons and that Good Girls will always go for the Bad Boys. So it go.

The Gangs seems to be in turmoil. Lots of innocent people getting killed in the mix. I though(t) all the gunmen died in Tivoli during the Incursion and extradition of Dudus. I guess Dudus may in fact be just another one of the many unnamed gangsters waiting to made a person of interest.

Lawyers (are) charging $30,000 JMD per hour; its no wonder people have to demonstrate for "Justice" all the time. There is really no other way to attain it. Really I think they should block the road more often. Clearly only politicians can afford justice and SUVs to protect them in accidents. That dual citizenship lady must have been a hot girl in high school cause she has friends in high places. Accidents are bad overall and I mean, they are accidents but people keep driving and using their cellphones. If it is a female in the accident people assume she was sleeping, if it was a man then he was speeding on NOS. I guess stereotypes have a purpose. Condolances to all the families, I don't think this year will be under 300 deaths in car accidents.

I am really not going to say anything about Manatt, Phelps & Phillips except that everytime I hear it reference I hear rythme for Straight Jeans and Fitted in the back of my head. There is a live stream that you can watch online - not sure how exciting that would be but somebody will link it in the comments. These people need to have people watching over them at all times, why wait a whole year to investigate shit? They old, they probably done forgot how it went down.

Soon people will start striking for more pay again, even as the minimum wage gets a slight increase. there are bi easy ways to grow the economy, this will not be a come back year.

by owen () comment

Merry Christmas 2010 (Blog Jamaica)

2010-12-22 11:19:57

Wow, year done already. Now is nothing but a steam roll to my next birth day. It has been a long year. Lots of people died and loved ones morn their loss. I could try to some up everything in the news but I can't bother. I'm just going to go to Mandeville and sleep. All the best for the new year and have a safe holiday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ITpUeqbJDw

by owen () comment

Hurricane Proof - Not water proof (Blog Jamaica)

2010-10-06 23:01:59

Now that the rains have subsided we can go back to arguing about politics and the life of crime and partying. Alas, not before we get to use this fuzzy new word called "BILLION". It seems like the politicians were itching for a reason to drop the B-bomb since - I don't know - the sell-my-jetta recession but there never quite was a good, believable reason to use it. Now they dropping B-Bombs left, right and center. Seems like regular millions can't do anything anymore. Give me a 100 million dollars and you won't hear from me again - you can count on that. Straight, Jeans....

If I can digress for a moment, I'd like to briefly mention that every time I hear the phrase Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, I start to sing it to the rhythm of Vybz Kartel's song: Straight-Jeans & Fitted. Who can do a quick remix?

Its like a couple months ago after the whole Dudus thing when they said they needed a BILLION dollars to fix the Coronation Market. A BILLION dollars? really? You need a billion dollars to fix a market where poor people have to toil day in and day out to sell their goods in order to "barely" send their kids to school? A BILLION DOLLARS? You would think that the market was hit by a missile or maybe it was rotting away over the years to the point of disrepair - I don't know. I stopped following that story when I heard a cell company jump up and say they donating money towards the project. It done yet? I think bright red is a nice color for a market.

Which brings us back to the title of this post. Now clearly Jamaica is in a much better position to deal with hurricanes than it was a couple years ago. Problem is hurricanes, usually come and go pretty quickly. Barring the people that live in dangerous locations (who either don't know better or can't do better) the country is usually able to bounce back.

The situation with Nicole now is a whole other different story (aka kettle of fish). First of all she kinda snook up on us all of a sudden ( like an angry ex with a knife) and the supermarkets never get to make any money off the millions of people rushing in to buy last minute supplies. Secondly she kinda stayed too, like that neighbour that came over you house to borrow sugar but stayed for a game of wii sports and snacks. Thirdly, everybody and them mother was still driving around in the rain helping the mash up the poor roads that neva build good in the first place. Mek unnu no tan a unnu yard when rain a fall?

If you look at the situation closely most of the road infrastructure simply was not designed to handle long periods of rain fall. Its not all Nicole's fault, in fact it takes 2 to tango, if you look at the Highway 2000, not a single puddle of water settle anywhere on that big ass expensive road. As for the rest of the roads? every pot hole turn into a crater or trench depending on various factors such as elevation, asphalt thickness, constituency, traffic and a number of other factors. I've seen potholes appear in the most unusual places like US citizens in the Jamaican government. I can't even spot them any more I just look for a trail of look gravel and I know that its there, somewhere, waiting, hiding below the water, ready to mashup my new Clarks.

Several people have died, others are homeless, river-less and their cliff-side home has fallen into the gully. The minister of Agriculture says there is nothing to worry about - all our chickens will arrive in time for Sunday dinner. Many people have more water than they can drink, so much so that them flood out of home and land. I guess the drought prayers from a couple months ago are now being answered. Where are we going to find all them billions? I don't know, all I'm saying is Nicole is not all at fault, some of these roads where bad from long time, the rain water just show it up. The Bog Walk Gorge flood every time it rain - why are people still surprised? There is this road in front of Portmore Community College that falls to pieces and develops pot holes EVERY TIME IT RAINS! I'm not defending a tropical depression with a very common name - I'm just saying. We are living in interesting times, excuses abound and new car season is around the corner - it sucks in case you neva KNO. That Touch not going to but itself pay your taxes! Walk good.

(Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of owensoft and its esteemed team of editors and directors)

by owen () comment

Amateur video footage implicates policemen (Blog Jamaica)

2010-08-04 08:10:40

A video has surfaced on the national news of a man being beaten and shot by policemen in St. Ann last friday. The video was released after the CCN's made a press release about the incident. Critics argue that the video does not match up with the press release and this incident maybe typical.

The Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) had initially reported that Lloyd was shot dead after he attacked them with stones and attempted to stab a member of the team. Watch Video.

Human Rights Organisations are calling for the CCN to dismantled because it serves no purpose but to propogate Hearsay, misinformation and scripted police reports. Various human rights agencies in Jamaica have come out to say that his latest incident is a clear indication that the aforementioned CCN (Constabulary Communication Network ) body has out grown its usefulness to the public at large.

Relatives of the woman who was allegedly killed by the man who was killed by the police man have come out in defence of the police man on CVM TV. The daughter of dead woman quoted scripture "an eye for an eye" as she spoke in defence of the policemen involved in the killing.

The head of the CCN in its defence stated that it would be impractical to disolve the body over a single incident and further stated that measures have been put into place to prevent this incident from re-occuring. It was not disclosed what these measures are or how they were concieved/implemented so over a holiday weekend. Knee-Jerk Effect?

The video of the incident has now become a mainstay of the local news for the pass 3 days. The Jamaica Broadcasting Commission may not noticed it as yet so as to ban it from public viewing. International media seems to not have caught wind of the incident and hence it may not affect the tourism product.

It has also been reported that up to the time of this writing the police officers have yet to be charged for any crime. It maybe a interesting turn of events if the "60 day with out charge or reason" crime bill passed in parliment only applies to civilians, poor people and those who do not have access to lawyers and cheap tertiary education.

Reports have also surfaced that one of the suspected policemen is suffering from heart palputations and had to be hospitalized. Lawyers of the accused are saying that the showing of the video may have created a bias in the eyes of the public towards the policemen. Added to the fact that the policemen where so swiftly arrested upon the release of the video without proper investigation and consultation on the matter. These actions may make it hard for the jury to be fair and balanced towards the policemen.

It is too early to tell how this will all pan out. All we know are the facts. One man of possibly unsound mind, a murdered woman, a team of policemen, a crowd of individuals egging on the policemen to "light him up" and a cellphone video that has changed the lives of the people involved.

Article image attributed to alancleaver.

by owen () comment

5 oclock Roadblock (Blog Jamaica)

2010-07-20 16:55:59

I have not started a war with my neighbor in roughly 2 months. Mostly because I keep getting stopped by police and soldiers on the road on my way to work. Resulting in me being all edgy almost like I have a warrant out for my arrest (or my name is on some kinda interesting list). I cannot wait for this state of emergency thing to be over so that I can return to my regular life of servitude and crime. Last week a few rogue soldiers decided to set up a road on Marcus Garvey Drive. A road block which caused the Portmore traffic to pile up all the way back to the Air Jamaica building aka Air Trinidad. Only God knows how much further it went by the time sun set. Its is a minor inconvenience hopefully they catch the people who are committing all those murders and that dude that cut me off in traffic this morning on the narrow toll road (that they fixing).

Freedom is a minor inconvenience. Thank god I don't look like a criminal or look like a pastor cause dog woulda nyam mi suppa. I saw the soldiers pull over a guy in a suit that looked like Reverent Al Miller. Obviously he wasn't a pastor because he was driving a Toyota. Maybe he was going to a wedding. Remind me not to wear a tie to work again. Dem did a pree everybody, I hope they find who they were looking for. Pray you car doesn't have on dark tint or you are going to get stopped and searched. It maybe a good time to take that vacation to the country that you have been planning for the last couple a years.

Its only a matter of time before they start house to house searches in your neighborhood. I don't know how people live in Tivoli, I wish I could relate, I can't. If anything you can say that the one good thing that came out of this state of emergency is the fact that JPS got to go into the community and set up new anti-theft meters. So it go. Free paper bun. This state of emergency is obviously for poor people but the reduction in crime is merely a temporary side effect. The devil will always find work for idle hands. You have to give us work or make the lotto easier to win. I hope somebody is happy cause I'm not.

Hopefully with the help of Contractor General, Jamaica can be return to the heights of glory that it was was pre-1970s. We can go back to good old tourism and sugar cane. All I want is to be left alone with my microwave oven, chicken steak and cinemax.

by owen () comment

The price we have to pay (Blog Jamaica)

2010-05-28 11:14:25

I was listening to Mutty on the radio this morning. He is saying that this is the price we have to pay. Its not looking good for Jamaica at all. At some point we have to forget about tourism and worry about what really matters: the people of Jamaica.

The jokes are building up as fast as the rumors and the death count. The people who live outside of the danger zone have nothing to do but pray and coin new jokes about the situation that few of us have lived to experience. PEOPLE ARE THROWING STONES IN THE DAMN GLASS HOUSE.

The latest slogan I heard; Osama-Bin-Dudus. LOL, I myself take serious thing make joke but what else is there to do? The whole Tivoli Gardens thing is turning into a Bush-Sadman-WMD tragedy; 77 killed and 6 guns found? Something is definitely wrong with those number. I can't even link to all the news and rumors that is coming out, it is just too much and changing too rapid.

The whole thing also has a splash of Hitler in it IMHO, especially since people keep talking about "bombing" Tivoli aka genocide. Clearly these have never been to the community and are warm at home with their microwave ovens and FB. Tivoli itself is quiet a big place. Not to mention the concentration camp that is housing 500+ adult and young males at the National stadium which as being "processed". I can't remember the last time I was processed and I doubt I would like it very much.

Lets not talk about FB and twitter because everybody is either quoting somebody or spreading hearsay.

Others about mass graves in May Pen Cemetery and dead bodies being burnt/dumped. Mothers and daughter who may never be able to collect the bodies of relatives. I am not sure how long it takes a body to start decomposing but it seems to be hasty.

There is just too much news, pictures and rumors. Too many parallels to draw. Your opinion is as good as mine cause i'm not going down there to see for my self.

by owen () comment

State Of Emergency (Limited to Kingston and St Andrew Only) (Blog Jamaica)

2010-05-26 09:08:35

So it seems this is going to take longer than I had hoped. I'll be undating the news section if I get any interesting links but I was hoping that this would have been over from yesterday. My Sister just called and said we made the front page of the times news paper and my paycheck reach the bank but there is no one there to process it. So it go.

If you more interested in documentaries then here is a old video from roughly 2003 which explains some of the issues in jamaica today; Ross Kemp On Gangs Jamaica (old video). Its 45 minutes long so go to the bathroom first.

In the meantime be safe and hope hurricane Dudus no cause di electricity fi cut off. For your listening pleasure; The timeless Bob Marley and the Wailers.

(link)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIoeuWizSoo

by owen () comment

Water Crisis Worsens (Blog Jamaica)

2010-04-09 14:47:30

As the water situation worsens some people may be taking it to hurt;

NB. Views expressed are not necessarily those of owensoft and company or kittens. Rated PG 16.

(link)

There maybe more at TheIanlyn youtube page.

How is the lack of water affecting you?

by owen () comment

Late 80s music (Blog Jamaica)

2010-02-23 09:44:30

No new post this week, I have too many brainy drafts that I need to get rid of. Its a good thing I have a whole Jamaica section where we can celebrate In the mean time check these old youtube videos out;

I will survive is really different for everybody I've talked about it with;

(link)

Some Too tricky, some hard to please, yup, true, true

(link)

Long time LT. Stichie a tell the young girls;

(link)

In this video you will see a grown man in a tiger print jump suit.

(link)

Now two white girls on a mini bus has absolutely no educational or lyrical value but at the time it pure comedy. Rubadub style can never get old;

(link)

I could go on and but I had to force my self to stop searching for videos. Discuss and post links to other favourites from the late 80s in the comments. (just put the links in the comments it will auto embed the player)

Update 02-28-2010