Things I dislike about Jamaica (Jam-ache-r vs. Jah-mek-ya): Sort out yulife Jamaica

Traffic jams – some roads are more tolerable when there are less people on the road. It is amazing how the same journey can be radically different.

      Housing – apart from the fact that people live in the hills (no Valentine’s gift for your car), the houses can be lacking in quality looking terrible from level ground. Various places have irregular housing where everybody wants to do their own thing, especially comes out terrible and tacky. Calling out Independence City, Gregory Park, Cumberland, Greater Portmore. Miley Cyrus’ song ‘Wrecking Ball’ comes to mind. I detest the unpainted houses with steel sticking out the roof. That needs to stop. I am also calling out the new developments for simply not being high quality enough. That’s right New Era, you could have done a better job with Caymanas Estates (whose entry road needs fixing and had too many complaints from residents) and Caribbean Estates (whose entrance is terrible as highlighted by the news). I’d like to see this better regulated. Simply saying all new houses should have rainwater harvesting is not enough. Address the quality issues. I also don’t like the fact that we wait till the night to come home to cover up what we don’t want to face in the days (an issue of Omar Davies vs K.D. Knight). And why do new built houses have proper landscaping, a bigger issue I explain later.

Smoking buses – why does the JUTC buses have to smoke and why are there so many old buses on the road.  Ok, they say ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ but I don’t believe it. Some are cramped, there is this foolishness about the SMART and SMARTER cards and of course naming them “chi chi” doesn’t help.

Narrow, low quality roads – could they have planned it so that the roads are not so narrow (bad town planning), where the houses are so close to the road. Yes Liguanea, I calling you out. Also, the surfaces of most roads tend not be one uniformed tough nut to crack, but a series of patches. You have a small car and you feel it. Sad for the non-SUV owners.  Some roads are not in a line, non-straight or smoothly curved roads making for a terrible driving experience. Some of these terrible roads lead to good places. Is this protectionism? Just because a road is smooth doesn’t mean that when empty all people are going to speed. Most people I observe try to drive at a decent pass although you have to watch out for the swervers.

      Jamaica House not as revered as the White House – I don’t remember growing up and hearing anyone speak about being filming or taking a picture of Jamaica House.  At least no one has made a movie called ‘Jamaica House Down’. Why also does it have to be in a place called Devon.  Does it have the devil in it? Why is the House of Parliament named George William Gordon and why is the place called Jamaica house at a place called Devon (excuse me if your sons have either of those names)? It just doesn’t say positive.  Why not consider at alternate place for the House of Parliament and another place for Jamaica House.  I know I am not scoring any political points but if Devon is a poorer part of England and suggests “the devil is on”, then why are we placing Jamaica House there that should be representative of all the houses. Really can someone explain this to me, seriously?

   
 Businesses not a pleasure to enter – This may come as a surprise, but only the high-end customer can get this pleasurable feel when travelling from home to a business place, but they are often too close to the road, too many long lines (calling out you banks) and too many that don’t say high quality as you enter them. On the last point, note there is a difference between liking the culture and quality and that this should be expounded upon as there are great examples of where the two meet.  I am also calling out the Tastee in Patrick City which is a crisp place beside a dilapidated building, such a turnoff.

Transport doesn’t make sense – An example is travelling on the Nelson Mandela highway.  This may not be a good experience on the bus, cars certainly have a hard time and bikes make their dangerous trecks through traffic. In a idealistic sense, I would see a train going there. Everybody, however wants their own comfort and there is a sense that we’ve tried that and the ‘numbers’ don’t crunch. The toll road in Portmore is often a mess in the mornings, yet another episodic fit of persons going in the same direction.

   
Said to be a country of bad parenting, irregular naming of people, domestic abuse – I would say this is true on some level but this is everywhere.  People get disgruntled with themselves and some can’t seem to figure out they are doing it wrong, whether it is the decision to get married, have children and create a home. I remember going into a church asking to write my name on a piece of paper and not having my name called. I wonder it was a mistake or whether the concept of my name didn’t sit well with them. They say all people want to do is eat a food and them all right.  I think that being honest is important, but don’t degrade the lives of others with you. It is important that we find some way to live with each other, but realize that as difficult as that may be, God made you with advantages and you have to maximize that. A deed poll can fix many a things, just be honest about it and don’t change your name to Anderson as some thought was the way to success.

    

    
Quality of high schools – This starts with the overall look of the buildings. How do the classrooms look, how does the library look (and who it is named after – is it a good name?), does the principal have a nice office and is the staff room up to par? What about the accompanying church, is it up to scratch? I remember loathing going to chapel, but sometimes I sing a chapel song I remember both for fun and seriously. Do they have proper bathrooms which are well treated by the students? We can’t time when we go, but we all have to go. The landscaping, sport facilities top notch. Again, I sound idealistic, but many schools have talent, then why not have good sports facilities. All schools should have some form of sport facility as a decent level.

 
Pursuance of quality/Approach to Technology  –  In general I am upset with the fact there isn’t a free way to watch Jamaican television by iPad (although Flow says this is coming). At least not free in the sense of not having to subscribe and pay a fee. This I feel affects the way the maximum amount of us can see the country and judge what is good and bad. Do the televisions in public establishments have to always be grainy. On an off topic, is it possible to have a better depot for instance. What about the online marketplace to buy and sell goods? Do we structure our houses with mailboxes to facilitate such commerce? Is that feasible and is the current system effective.  Why doesn’t Jamaica have a ‘there is an app for that culture’.

Shopping Malls – I don’t know what it is but Jamaica has yet to build a shopping mall that I love.  This means that there is still the need to ‘fly out’ to get high quality clothes and other items. This is more of a privilege than a luxury.  Economics may prevent this from happening but I think it may be a focal point for people to consider if their homes are high quality enough, is what they are wearing the best and at the best price and if they drive decent cars.  Some malls have terrible roads leading into them (calling you out Boulevard).

     
Energy Prices – Stop comparing our energy prices to Trinidad’s when you are not using some sort of standard of living quotient. That being said, energy prices are too high and it is as if Jamaicans are finding ways to be richer, faster which is why the money is being constantly devalued and prices inflated.  Can we get some growth when it reaches $120 to $1. What about Electricity theft costing us 17 cents out of the 42 cents we pay for. Getting that oil out of the ground doesn’t pay for itself.

     
The ‘if you give them an inch they’ll take a mile attitude’ – I have heard this said, not written, because of course it has been said that black people don’t read. While I don’t remember the context, I am not talking about the patty crumbs in the car. I am talking about things like electricity theft which makes our electricity prices almost twice as high.

Hospitals – after visiting the Spanish Town Hospital, I lament that better care in terms of facilities not the doctoring is being given to patients.  I can’t imagine the conditions a woman has to give her children birth in and this seriously makes me not even want to think about it. Let’s not even start on Kingston Public Hospital and the Bustamante’s Children Hospital where the doctors have to use ingenious methods to make ends meet. If only more places can be like the Tony Twaithes wing. Can this new Health Card (along with the NHF one), help to eliminate clutter in the hospitals.

Improper party culture – Don’t want to expound too much on this but I think the extravangant parties need be private cordoned off affairs that are not televised to the open public. Sort of makes our culture look trifling and unsophisticated. I just think there is no excuse for that.

Sort out yu life Jamaica: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y11vTFrAJeI

Cartoons are from Clovis: Jamaica Observer. All rights reserved.

Verdict & Royal Birth

Having not blogged for a while, I see fit my return given the issuance of the not guilty verdict by the jury of the George Zimmerman case and the birth of the Royal Baby who is male with a high apparent possibility of being called George.

First I will go over the reactions to the verdict.  Outrage, yet expectancy ruled the day as George Zimmerman was set free from manslaughter charges for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.  His plea of self-defence was accepted as not guilty because the jury felt that 'the prosecution did not sustain its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt' [Howard University Law Response, Howard Law Student Leaders Response]. Demonstrations or protests, whichever way you may call it, occurred last week into major protests on Saturday, July 20 in the major cities of the United States. Even Beyonce and Jay-Z were part of the protests along with Al Sharpton. Attorney General Eric Holder has apparently promised that the investigation continues and it was reported that there may be civil rights charges brought up against Zimmerman. Whatever the conclusion it is clear that both parents, mother Sybrina Fulton and father Tracy Martin want to keep the case in the public eye.  Also upcoming on July 26, 2013 is the movie Fruitvale Station about the killing of Oscar Grant, a 22-year old black guy in the Bay-area in the United States during the early hours of New Year's Day by local police [Wiki, IMDB].

William and Catherine have been in the public eye as a couple for about six or so years. They married in a televised wedding on April 29, 2011. Today, July 22, 2013 they have had a son, yet unnamed, but the fanfare around the birth has been massive. According to reports from the Guardian, the boy was born at 4:24 pm and weighed 8 lbs 6 oz at St. Mary's Hospital in London in the Lindo Wing . The baby will be third in line to the throne after grandpa Charles and father William. There was much talk about the law having been changed or possibly changed so that a girl being born would ascend to the throne if she was the first born, and not have to be passed over for the throne by any boy who would later be born. There was also a break away from tradition again where in the past the Royal Baby was given birth to in Buckingham Palace. With the birth of William and now the birth of his son both in the Lindo Wing, it looks like the Royals have changed that tradition.  Had a girl been born a couple of things would have happened. The royal line would have been Female-Male-Male-Female meaning that Queen Elizabeth could be Queen or stop being Queen knowing that another King was on the way. It makes it that much more unique Elizabeth II's rise to be Queen. Secondly, it would have meant that the male heirs would have been under a Queen and to their knowledge succeeded ultimately by a Queen. The pomp and circumstance surrounding the delivery of the birth note to Buckingham palace to the Queen first and then being placed on a easel to announce the birth along with celebratory town criers made it an occasion in history.  The Prime Minister David Cameron congratulating the new parents was an added touch in a tradition-filled day [The Guardian Royal Baby Blog].

Celebration

Having a birthday is something that is unique and special. It is a measure of the change of time according to a 365 day calendar. The 27th Birthday in particular has been an important milestone in the lives of many, with the 26th being significantly difficult for some during the progress of their careers.  I liken it to the alphabet, 26 letters, so maybe at 26 there is a full development of the English language in a person (maybe, maybe not).

Silly Season has begun, with presidential candidates apparently having decided on their running mates. The Republican Party under the auspices of Mitt Rommey, former governor of Massachussets has chosen 42-year old representative Paul Ryan to be the next Vice President of the United States.

So significant were the celebrations for Jamaica50 that the events created a sense of euphoria not felt in a very long time. The Digital Generation had the ability to experience it in many ways and many took advantage of the relatively free services on show.  It was indeed special to watch the Olympic events with Jamaica gaining 12 medals (4 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze).  That was significant in terms of the simplicity with regard to the year signalling that we were keeping it simple, symmetric and unique.  The timeliness of the medal presentations helped Brand Jamaica capture a great amount of potential tourism possibilities and promotion of national products. Hopefully there are positive ramifications from the event in London.

The landmark African-American sitcom, House of Payne, has apparently finished with 254 episodes and while not the traditional network sitcom, it set records on cable television with shows like For Better or For Worse doing ok.

Jamaica has come up with a number of new shows that maintain their market share on both major local stations and the former third station LoveTV is apparently not broadcasting. There is a sense that the focus has changed to the major economic focuses in the island with respect to education, wellness, tourism and the arts. A particular improvement in Graphic Artists and presence on the internet with a directory focus has made the country better at driving business as necessary.  Hopefully, there is a gain in these possibilities as a number of promises have been kept in terms of improvement in civil works.  Jamaica to the World...it is good that it has collectively caught up to other countries and it is hoped that it improves. One other Caribbean country celebrates 50 yrs in the form of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on August 31st.  The winning of the Javelin gold medal by Keshorn Walker was of particular significance.  The two countries ceded from the West Indies Federation in 1961 and were among the first to become independent nations, with Jamaica on August 6th. 

Reset

With traning and nutrition being top priorities of athletes for the London Olympic Games, the first games in London since 1948 provide an interesting challenge for the athletes from the various competing countries.

The run-up events have not provided that glitz and glamour tuning up that has previously been felt in the series of sports.  Injuries have plagued a number of athletes and baton dropping in some relays have changed the fate of national pride.  The top four fastest 100m men's runners are from a world-renowned island in the Caribbean (3) while there is one from the United States. The women have improved their times although there have been some changes among the top women from 2004 to 2012.  Other events have gained persons of greater notiriety including swimming and diving with the United States and Britain represented by Ryan Lochte and Tom Daley respectively.

The sport of tennis will be played at the home of the Championships Wimbledon.  There the best in the world should be looking to improve the status of the sport in the Olympics with golf set to be introduced in 2016 as an Olympic sport in Rio de Janiero Brazil.  

The reset button is represented by a still strong media and banking influence present in the United Kingdom. Many of the best scripted shows have been translated for use in other cultures, the exact quality is for others to ascertain.  However, the athletes who are representing their countries must have a sense of decorum befitting the situation as their abilities could be further tested under adverse weather conditions.  The quest for that elusive gold medal does not compare to competing for one's country, an tiring but necessary good performed by some athletes whose natural talents lend to the sport.  The representing is a good thing that stand the test of time and hopefully will be relevant in the very least to the families who have participated.

Much work was done to ensure that the facilities to ensure usability and unlike the Commonwealth Games in India that was poorly attended because the stadium was only built last minute.  The coinciding of many post-colonial country celebrations (as mentioned in previous posts) should only serve to provide a contrast that could make an interesting games.  The book, 'The Power and the Glory' was recently released and hopefully if one display in London should make an interesting read for prospective patrons.  Idyllically, there will be a reset after the games end on August 12, representing a sort of post-colonialism that will have a weird feeling as a senior games or World Cup in Europe is unlikely for some time.  Maybe Madrid 2020 but that is anyone's guess.  The reset approaches.

Movie Stars: Where are you?

This year has seen the passage of a number of stars that have chartered the landscape of cinema.  Ernest Borgnine, that charismatic actor who was awarded in the 1950's.  The multi-lingual speaker, English, Italian and German starred in the film Marty, a film largely based on a man's portrayal of self-image and relationships (as far as I have seen so far).  Andy Griffith also passed and he starred in a number of influential positions including as the Georgia barred lawyer Matlock as well as the famous Andy Griffith Show.  Donna Summer's repretoire was brought to life with songs like the Last Dance and Hot Stuff.  Robin Hugh Gibb of the Bee Gees also passed away contributing to songs like "Lonely Days", "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" "Boy's Do Fall In Love", and "Secret Agent".

The movie "Sparkle" is set to come this summer starring Whitney Houston, another cinematic wunderkind who featured in the Bodyguard, the Preacher's Wife, Cinderella among other movies.  The controversial death caused massive undertones of evangelical outcry...largely because of her church roots.

The loss of these stars that helped to centralize generations.  That centralization helped to bring together generations interested in the cinematic process that ensues.    The likeability and originality of the characters must be something to note.  Having had a writer's strike over greater remuneration for projects (especially those that are successful), there has been a steady generation of material some of which has done well at the box office.

Link 1 Link 2

Space

An interesting report came out speaking about Nigeria and Ghana entering the space race. Although late, these countries whose population exceeds that of over 250 million, must seek to implement tools to ensure their own protection in years to come.  These countries have implemented educational programs targeted at making their populations the best of the best when it comes to science and technology and have faculty that are pioneers in their fields.

The launching of satellites into space represents the ability to increase the defence mechanisms of both countries and increases their capability to understand their terrain, roads and infrastructure from above.  Particularly, it aid in the defence mechanisms relating to adverse meteorological conditions.   After establishing a new satellite in 2003, NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X were released in August 2011 and a 15-yr hybrid geostationary satellite called NigComSat-1R that serves as ideal tool for television and internet services within the region was released in December 2011.

For the purpose of engagement in space exploration with students and young professionals, and Ghana Space Science and Technology Centre (GSSTC) was established in May 2012 and combines with the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC).

The initiatives presented show that there must be real applicabilities to development and protection in two countries so important to the socio-economic backbone of West Africa. Additionally, because Kenya in particular has increased it's use of mobile technology, there needs to be a proactive effort to engage people in the diaspora with technology management with respect to youth and how jobs are provided.

The greatest effort to quell an unemployment rate of 16.5% between 16 and 24 year olds, particularly about 30.2% for African American youth, is unfounded given initiative like the above to establish a space program. A 2.7 million dollar joblessness gap is staggering and continued efforts in the United States through the job corps like Peace and AmeriCorps have enabled students to place particular emphasis on personal development locally and internationally.  Given that fellow collegemates have done this level of volunteer work and have survived, non-aweing initiatives like these should be promoted for personal development.

                                                                 Link1  Link 2 Link 3

Transition

The Anglophonic Youth have reached the stage where a generation has been marked by the arrival to the age of 30 by Prince William of Windsor. The recent healthcare bill has been upheld by the United States Supreme Court in a landmark 5-4 decision as reported on NBC breaking news with respect to issues dealing with the tax penalty.

The summer is now in full swing.  The Championships at Wimbledon are on and going somewhat predictably except for the first round loss by Venus Williams. The Strawberries and Cream are out in full force yet no Bud Collins due to health reasons.

The month of June 2012 marks an important transition in the lives of the generation starting with the 1980's and the rest of the year including the London Olympics, the events in the Europe and the United States will set the tone for the rest of the years.

Tiger Woods has improved to 2nd on the all time list of golfers who have won a title to 74 passing the 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus and trying to approach Sam Sneed's record of 82 titles.

While major sporting events dictate the proceedings other events that are meant to spark pride are occurring because this year is a marker for a number of events, ranging from the event known as the leap second to the independence movement in the former British West Indies in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, marking their 50th anniversary with the other islands in the Eastern Caribbean yet to celebrate.  With Jubilee celebrations drawing to a close, there are many socially sensitive events that are occurring from June to November and as the opening up of business in the former British territory of Burma and the election of the Pro-Democracy leader to the position of Opposition leader having recently visited the United Kingdom including her alma-mater on an official visit.

With new freedoms come new responsibilities.  Get Smart.

Competition

The greatest business driver is competition.  This is clearly a different paradigm in an age where access to worldwide information is less difficult.  General Colin Powell spoke in an interview with Tavis Smiley that he grew up in an analog age but is adapting to digital grandchildren.  There was also the statement that education was such a necessity in his household that if he wasn't able to go through, that his parents would probably get another child.  Such is the competition for dollars where there needs to be particular emphasis on positioning and responsibility so that there is a greater and more impactful trenching to prevent other entrants.

While there is a great adage that 'He who has the dough makes the rules', the digital world has resulted in the enabling of independent competition in the form of independent publishing, web content and other similar endeavours.  Due to price scaling, the availability of these resources are different in different places.  The spread of public services to approach more universality is a difficult concept for some to grasp in the age of competition.  The established entrants are the ones who give the greatest exposure to the widest number of people and because the independents often lose traction over time to the established entitties, framing the argument that competition facilitated by more entrants is positive is good, does not necessarily hold water.

One particular agency had a person who decided that approaching a spin-off after being relieved of a position to target underserved communities was an immediate way of promoting competition.  How long will this last is yet to be seen, but there needs to be a concerted effort to approach the point where marginalization of this entity is not promoted to such a degree because of the established entrants reputation of occasionally envisioning dodgy service.

Choosing the right media to get your point across is also a very important mechanism along with timing.   Ingredients to catch one's attention and then satisfy one with useful outcomes is difficult.  To compete or appear to compete over time is a difficult task to be sure, especially when potential apparent conflicts of interest linger.

Compete Compete Compete  - 38 days to London 2012

Ownership

The thrill of youth often involves construction towards either renting an apartment, owning a house, buying a car or some other form of vehicle.  Often youth attempt to solve their transportation issues with the acquisition of a car or bike early and this has been thought to have an interesting.

There are a number of champions who have had car crashes. One into a fire extinguisher and the other into a rail near a major bus park.  Both have relatively good reputations and have excelled in their fields. The vehicles were a Buick and a BMW.  Both situations reflect the interesting situations for positive reinforcement of driving standards and more emphasis on following up on what was the route cause.

Now many youth are trying to find their stake in a world where there is a great pre-ponderance of joblessness, insecurity and uncertainty.  Growth is not as apparent as the 1990's and certainly the pace of innovation has been followed by acquisition and increased understanding.  The status quo is a weird concept to speak about as the seeming static nature of things while there is incredible change in the interim.  The regime changes of the past two years and municipal changes have charted the course of the second decade. Baby boomers are going into retirement and additionally, having just celebrated a long time of service by many heads of states, the status quo has changed to that being set by the youth and how they will use their tools (some new) to operate in the same environment as their ancestors.

The understanding that 50 years of television in most independent countries should change the viewpoint of the locally and internationally and how our individual views (I'd like to call it a vote) relates to us.  What we can see is in the public domain is important but not.  For example, Bill Gates recently went to India and has had appreciation for the eradication of polio among the population to the point where it is possible that it will soon be the case it may be declared that the country is polio free. There has been an increase in the infrastructure being put in so that there are more people with education that is translational and that there is a life-meaning force which translates into better use of basic resources. But I cannot completely vouch for this as this is his opinion. Trains are still crowded going home and there is still abject pollution and poor conditions.

As the youth of this generation attempt to translate how they are going to build their lives in a cross-defined era, it will be interesting to see the changes that are made.  Every-place is different and so are the theories behind it.  How can this translate into a better translation of how you view yourselves to others?

The Issue With Jobs

It has been one year since the death of Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple with Steve Wozniak, and there has been a steady increase in Apple sales. Particularly, the release of the IPhone and the IPad are signifcant to the profit margin of the company.  Many mobile phone carriers have been recalcitrant to pick up Apple as a major subscriber because the customer money tends to be channeled into the product rather than into the mobile phone or internet service provider. Virgin has recently picked up a number of Apple products.

While Job's work continues, including a documentary in the 1980's featuring the stalwart, a number of companies have systematically changed their corporate structure to adapt to the new technology that abounds and creates more efficiences.

Earlier this year, 35,000 postal jobs were on the chopping block speaking to closing of post offices across the nations primarily because of the cost to tax payers.  The move was stopped by lawmakers in the US and the planned refurbishment will be revised in order to alleviate unneccessary expenses in the Postal system.

The electronics industry has been particularly hit with 10,000 jobs lost with Sony, 2,000 jobs lost with Yahoo, 50 stores being closed by Best Buy, 30,000 jobs with Hewlett Packard, 2,000 jobs with Research in Motion and 2,700 jobs with Olympus.

The boost in technology in some places takes away the need for jobs and the profit margins of companies suffer when the number of paid employees who do not facilitate company development begins to take too much money from the revenue stream of companies.

Polaroid in 2001 decided to undergo a US$4.5 million dollar restructuring attempt, while ten year later Kodak has done the same with $8.5 million in restructuring involving 200 dowstream workers and 119 middle management workers.

It is maybe that the job market for some of these larger companies is indicative of a lagging economy for youth attempting to enter the workforce (even though micro, small and medium businesses tend to make up the bulk of the economy).

As Eric Schmidt the Google CEO said in a previous post during commencement addresses to both Cal-Berkeley and Boston University, turn off your mobile device for 1-hour a day and turn to the person that you love.  It might save jobs.

The Problem With Syria

The regime of Bashir Al-Assad has reached the point where Reuters pre-ponders that there could be an upcoming Civil War.  The importance of natural resources to meeting the basic needs of the people of the Middle East has become increasingly important.  As the world changes into a more open democracy (although all eligible voters do not get to vote) and there is an increased openness in communication between member countries, along with the launch of satellites for countries like India and China, there must be a need for greater focus on policies that allow countries to adapt to an increasingly international climate.  Kofi Annan, the UN-Arab League Envoy, has come up with a six-point plan for Syria. The omission of the Syrian ambassador to the United Kingdom from the guest list of the April 29 Royal Wedding was significant enough to make news way before the 14 month conflict that has emerged until now.  The United Nations now has to deal with 1.5 million Syrians who are able to meet basic needs. The situation becomes even more unstable when the people of Syria are unable to meet needs for future generations.  Currently, the 59 UN monitors on the ground are going to explode into 300 monitors in the not-too-distant future.  Reports from the Middle East diginitaries that they think that Annan's plan will fall, and that is significant given the overarching experience that Mr. Annan possesses in International Affairs.  The six-point plan features some key points including freedom of the press including freedom to travel, implementation of humanitarian aid, bring about a cessation to the carrying of heavy weaponry and cessation of armed violence, a relay that carries messages from the Envoy to and from the government as well as an increase in arbitration.  The Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, has called for the removal of Al-Assad, and as a number of countries may send missions including China, Russia, Italy, and the United States with the latter only obliging for 90-days till the Assad regime complies with U.S. regulations.  Given the geographic importance following events in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, it is bodes that the conflict in Syria be pacified as much as possible. The former Security General needs to contain this through his diplomatic and peacekeeping efforts.  Hopefully the people of Syria will experience better times.
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Internet Security, Mobile Commerce and Commencement

The issue of internet security has arisen in a number of shapes and forms as this new medium of communication expands.  Just like other technologies before it, the younger generation have been said to adapt to it faster than the old, but one article in particular highlights the need for parents to get up to date and monitor their children's activity as well as mediate their own.  New laws have been placed through parliament which supposedly are to supposed to protect internet rights.  The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) Internet Securtiy Bill has been voted upon in the U.S. House of Representatives to a 248-168 final tally.  The Bill specifically looks at protecting against cyber attacks and investigating such attacks by sharing information concerning such security. Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) was the predecessor to this bill and along with the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) Bill.  Both bills were under intense scrutiny by groups like Facebook and others which have attempted to stop the passage of such bills before proper and intense discussion about some of the clauses within the bill which was delayed by Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid and placed back into law.  http://tiny.cc/2ipoew

The African continent has increased it's use of monetary transfer by mobile phone especially in those areas where remoteness precipitates the need for greater interaction of business entities much like the Grameen initiative in Bangladesh. Kenya in particular is utilising mobile phones for business transactions for certain items. The widespread use of this is yet to be seen. http://tiny.cc/qhpoew

Given the numerous commencement speeches that exist, the one that received a lot of attention is that of Eric Schmidt of Google where he said that the challenge to college graduates is to take their eyes off of the screen for at least an hour a day and turn to the person they loved.  The increased use of Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and Tumblr and numerous other social networks consume many a college students days, so the importance of interpersonal interaction being imputed on these graduates says a lot about the challenges faced in communication but also because of the utilization of many different avenues of communication.
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Development Goals or Home Runs

Amidst abuse of the Earth, Earth Day was recently celebrated with much furor on the social networks, in the press and through celebrated world events.  Rio20+ or the Rio Earth Summit in June is the year's major event at which there is expected to be a binding agreement on Climate Change. This, after the much hyped agreement that should have been formed in Copenhagen and the rushed non-binding agreement that was drafted in Durban, much attention is being given to this event, particularly to the apparently possibility that some climate change goals may be shifted to 2020. Given Canada's stance as a detractor as well as the non-eagerness on the part of others to adapt their policies, the success of the summit is highly questioned.

As described in a recently read article, the term, 'Ecocide' could be adapted as the 5th crime against peace and is described as the committing of actions which lead to resource depletion, that maybe immediately precipitate to war. It was mentioned in a previous post that the Lebanese-Israel border has the potential to cause war based on infringement in demarcated zones.  The perspective of some European countries towards a large percentage of their energy originating from renewables by 2050 shows great promise. Such countries include Scotland and Denmark.  Significant ecological Earth events include; the Popocatepetl volcano awakening in Mexico, the Iceland Volcano spewing ashes over Northern Europe, the many earthquakes including that have occurred in Japan and Indonesia, and the droughts that have occurred in England over the past two years.  Sustainable practices should neither be evidently adapted in order to be anti-business or because abundance tells them not to, but also because it is the right thing to do for the individual's perspective contribution to society.
Link (http://tiny.cc/6cl8cw).

Much of the progress of the developing world (formerly the 3rd world) has rested in ingenious people trying to think of means of adapting global solutions to local situations.  The name Haiti comes from the Taino/Arawak word meaning mountainous. This has created historical difficulty in creating credible infrastructure (due to terrain issues) in Haiti resulting in the 2010 Earthquake.  The fertility of the soil made it a rich multi-culture economy, where there was an abounding amount of agricultural products as well as labour that was steady in amount.  What made it the more interesting was that through the ameliorative proposals of Code Noir, there were attempts at appeasement of the enslaved persons ('should not be called slaves') in the colonies.  Further, the dichotomy that existed between the blacks in the North and the coloured in the South in both racial harmony and wealth served to create an inbred culture of hate.

The Dominican Republic has consistently increased the number of baseball players headed to the United States.  Invented by Alexander Cartwright (and not Abner Doubleday), the sport has expanded to islands that have strong associative ties with the United States.  Particularly, Sammy Sosa who played from 1989-2007, was born in San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, took to the sport as a kid. Others from that city included Luis Castillo, Rafael Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano.  Link (http://tiny.cc/n968cw).

A new documentary film call Baseball In The Time Of Cholera 'is the story of Joseph, a young baseball player, and a Haitian Lawyer fighting for compensation for the victims. As the epidemic spreads, the two stories intersect in the struggle for survival and justice'.    Link (http://tinyurl.com/cwv6zrs).

The incidence of diseases like Cholera in Haiti have been a terrible endemic, caused by improper sanitation and non-clean water. The cost of US$1.1 billion to eradicate the endemic allegedly caused by UN soldiers of Nepalese descent is both mortifying and questionable as has the question of allocation of aid and time resources for the commitants to aid in disaster relief.

The film is in English (hence anglophonic) and the concepts of people being appreciated for their humanity and not their statistical contribution could be seen as admirable. 7,000 out of 7 billion are featured as suffering, but as we still speak with high regard about Einstein, Newton, and Gallileo as just three human beings. The 7,000 sick are just as important, each in their own right.  Two years ago, a devastating earthquake shook, homes were destroyed, and food items (including government and foreign rice) rationed.  Films like this highlight a plight that many miss because the concentration of media coverage in places like Haiti often don't peak during non-crises times nor have the origination centralization to command attention to the outside world. Since these people have been historically marginalized in, what is described as dire circumstances, this film brings to light the trials of a representative group of people of the black Haitian population. A widespread vaccination programme is necessary, as well as, the commitment on the part of the representatives and the people to demand more humane conditions.  Link (http://tiny.cc/yc78cw).

Originally: April 24th 2012

Sports and Revolution

Fields of no dreams have destroyed the lives of aspirants to sports that have recently taken on more international character. The story of Cambodian tennis is interesting because sports has served such a significant role in the development of the character of individuals, served to appease the competitive drive and allowed for the display of mastery and discipline simultaneously.  Imagine if all sports were eradicated from a country like the United States with revolution taking the country by storm. Imagine the sudden non-existence of the prized baseball game and American Football.  What of Europe, where the peradventure to sport is significant to the overlay of socialization, business and the integrally cultural need to exercise.  Well, Cambodia experienced this.

One of the top tennis players of the 1970's recounted the massacring of the top players in the country at a time when tennis was becoming more and more open with winners such as Arthur Ashe and Evonne Goolagong-Cawley. Having to quit the game and work in the fields while taking up football was an interesting tactic. The Khmer Rouge's ascension in 1975 prompted the desolution and destruction of anything Western, including changing concepts of agricultural practice and dismantling of certain structures.  The killing of minorities including the Cham Muslims featured as the heaviest human desecration. Intellectualism was seen as evil and associated symbols eradicated. Many ethnic Chinese were driven out.  The recent ascension to the Davis Cup through participation in a 'tie' and the possession of a ranked player on the ATP tour are signs that Cambodia is attempting to challenge their fighting spirit through clean and clear competition. The business class and younger Cambodians (including internet users) have taken to speaking English because of the large influx of English speaking tourists. With the rising star of Bun Kenny it is hoped that Cambodia's tennis fortunes can rise from the Ashes. (http://tinyurl.com/c2ou8zs).

Many African countries have had events cancelled and teams pulled out of competition because of revolutionary factions. Togo had to pull out due to a bus attack, which resulted in the deaths of the goal keeper, assistant coach and press officer. Emmanuel Adebayor, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur, was on the bus and as a contracted member of a top English Premier League Football Club, much investment had been placed in him that had serious potential financial consequences for a club that is situated in a slow-growth area that featured prominently in the 2011 riots (http://tinyurl.com/6w2bjrp).

For what reason would a gentleman jump into the Thames in order the protest prompting officials to take a deeper look at security for the upcoming Olympics?  The after-thought by one spectator was that the interruption left the race unfinished. This was after an excellent media campaign particularly on the part of Oxford to show how difficult it is to be dedicated to such a dynastic battle.  The quieter in outside publicity, the better, I think.  As the London 2012 Olympics approach, where the escalated budget has been juxtaposed with readiness of many facilities and resumption of practice by national and international athletes well before the start of the games, security is obviously a concern.  The influx of visitors who are not used to the old-world charm remains a challenge to be seen and hopefully, protests will be made in the planning boardroom and not in the streets.  The protest against elitism from an LSE graduate named Oldfield is interesting, although one name Oldguard would have been better, especially as one rower described it as the culmination of his career.  A case of tiny revolution against the aristocracy, which he names at length in his blog, caused unusual headlines about a prestigious competition sometimes sleepily-perceived outside of the United Kingdom (http://tinyurl.com/csyzc9a).  

Simply put, sporting events can be the highlight of one's week in a world that can be filled be stresses of expectation, a need to drive growth and commerce as well as consequential and needfully repetitious example of the will to win.  The masses need alliances. In a world which is not overtly characterized by 'phased wars', the battlefield is sports and may the best man/woman/team win.


101 days to go to the next Revolution July 27-August 12!


Side Note:
Congrats to Dr. Jim Yong Kim, named 12th President of the World Bank on the 16th of April 2012. Hefty mathematics for someone who has dealt with youth as former president of Darthmouth College. (16-4=12 & 16+4 = 20  - nice nerdy appointment math). The sport of fencing applies in this case as the students of Darthmouth took to breakdancing to say to the medical doctor (not economist doctor) 'Let the force be with you!'

Validating Work and Human Rights

One of the most difficult concepts when working is to try to validate the effect of one's work. We often try to speak in terms of equity and fairness and this argument sometimes feels like it falls short. One of the business lessons that I have learned is the concept of identifying an opportunity and getting in first (1st-mover advantage). This results in market domination by the primary entrant, which at times may give the primary entrant the need to lead autocratically, sometimes resulting in problems associated with a certain amount of lack of leverage. One person in church on Sunday spoke about his right to analyze and criticize something, which is important in a world where many suffer an inability to do so based on pre-conceived notions. The issue of use of technology to validate work is interesting because the physical effort is not what our parents say when they think about 'work'. We often hear old folks talking about the need to 'shovel that walkway' as a means of teaching good old discipline. 'I used to walk in 4 feet of snow to get to school, after having de-iced my father's car and scraping out the gutters on the roof'. Things are easier now because of technology and innovation. The inequity between those who have access to resources such as computers and telephony devices can be prohibitive. The choice such resources to have them should be available under meritocratic circumstances. 'Work' under the guise of risk and quality are sometimes difficult to measure under the best of assessments.


My thoughts of folk with many children is the need to subdue a place so that they work can be done for a collective feeling of comfort. I say this carefully, as I have also been told that people have many children because they have sex without protection (for religious or non-religious reasons). Some were never taught family planning and have to adjust for their needs. The presence of a large number of persons has made the presence of technology contentious, as it has been said to cut jobs. The adjustment of population to technology seems like an interesting concept to study. The change in the range of population between 5 billion and 9 billion by 2050 could be affected by the advent of technology. There is also the issue of responsibility when it comes to technology, but this can't always be perfect. This is a major challenge that youth in the 21 century face. How do you use technology to achieve work, and what are the laws governing this? Do I just want my website to get a certain number of hits and then say I have worked, or is this a service that people actually need?


It is a digital world and we had better get going. A government minister spoke about the world changing to digital and her thoughts were featured in an editorial which sought to speak on the issues of the digital switchover to high definition channels (HDTV), the purchase and regulation of equipment and appliances, the disposal of old equipment and appliances and the effect on the environment.
Link (http://tinyurl.com/d8eccvw)


One famous delivery services company has been accused of discriminating against job seekers including men and women of Hispanic, Asian, African-American, Caucasian and Native American 'ethnic' background. They have decided to settle with the Labor Department in order to avoid costly litigation fees but having allegedly discriminated against 21,000 qualified personnel for 1,703 positions and entry-level work handling packages at 23 facilities in 15 states. The $3 million dollar settlement was agreed based on technology, where statistical analysis was done of computer and seemed to prove that qualified applicants were possibly not considered based on their race. Link (http://tinyurl.com/d7jvxxk)


I was reading an article published by a Saudi princess who appeared to give great thought to her people. She spoke on a number of issues pertaining to human rights.

1) The importance of civil law where all men and women are treated on the same footing before the law. Basic human rights are protected regardless of sex, status or sect. An adaptation of law not so strictly western, but one that inculcates our religious principles.

2)Stopping abusive divorce laws. The manipulation of them in favour of the men is something she actively speaks out against. (In some western cultures, they are heavily skewed towards the women).

3) Stripping of what she calls inherently abusive ideologies that are ingrained in the education system based on possible misinterpretation of her religion sometimes decrees as the absolute position of a woman in that culture. Particularly, she does not want her people to so shield themselves that they then lack innovative-ness and a spirit of contribution. The focus on texts in her faith that are focused on origins that are deemed to be uncertain rather than other books seems to be of great importance to her.

4) Adequate social services are to be provided to women who seek refuge, especially in the case where her aggressors are more powerful and sometimes abusive. She wishes that for those kind of women, the shame that comes with seeking refuge would not be so great because of the circumstances.

5) Address the issue of non-chaperoned freedom of movement where the presence of pirates in times past prevented the woman's freedom of movement.

6) Considering the right of the woman to drive but only when there has been sufficient education and promulgation of laws to prevent potential abuse of women drivers.

Link (http://tinyurl.com/7f9z99n)

The country that I was born in has a way of allowing folk to voice issues, hopefully under the guise of sincerity and transparency. The existence of talk radio, as monotonous and non-contributory as it has been sometimes branded to be, has always led me to believe that there is an avenue for issues to be resolved. There is a room of thought that there should be a balance between transparency and privacy because of the train of thought that everyone can't handle everything. I am usually up for transparency because everyone won't understand all the information that is placed before them.

I read an article about the importance of water as a basic human right, particularly in regions such as the border between south Lebanon and Israel where three tributaries form a great source of contention between the people. The installing of a pump in one (the Hasbani) nearly caused civil war. Lebanon gets 1% instead of 15% under conditions of equity. It must be important for cultures to co-exist peacefully, but the basic right to life is often an important step in assuring that peace. UN World Water Day passed on 22nd March 2012 and an article discussed the importance of water simply as the human need for 2-4 litres per day, the use of 1,500 litres of water per kg of wheat produced and 15,000 litres of water per kg of beef produced. Clearly, the need for water for human, plant and animal consumption are contributory reasons why water is so crucial to the economy of a state and especially that of one where access is limited.

Link (http://tinyurl.com/cp9dczy) & Link (http://tinyurl.com/642yzev)

Doctors in the United States often face malpractice suits which force them to subject patients to a number of tests, up to 45 diagnostic tests in some cases. Recently, they have decided to call for an end to so much testing. The issue is contentious because insurers want to ensure that they are not scammed out of money through numerous settlements, because doctors are wary because they are in the middle of powerful insurers and because the issue of obeying the Hippocratic oath which speaks about the patients right to life and also earning money, and a patient who hopefully just wants to maximize their health to be able to increase the quality of their life.

Link (http://tinyurl.com/7y8ef49) & Link (http://tinyurl.com/7az4vg4)

The balance for human rights is difficult in a world of good and evil. Who gets to decide who is good and not good? The premise of basic human rights seems to come from the premise of dedication to God rather than one's own beliefs and that although human beings look, sound and believe differently they all have purpose and place on an Earth that has given way to their existence. One of the people that makes me proud is the Attorney General from California who has been pushing for laws which govern technology including those of online dating sites, privacy laws and copyright laws. This does not apply to everyone as only 35% of 7 billion people have access to the internet up from 18% of the 6.5 billion people in 2006.

Link (http://tinyurl.com/79u3ohw)

http://tinyurl.com/cevkj3n