Portie Trip and A New Notebook

Well Christmas come and gone, and without the usual hype! It seems the Yuletide season has suffered from the global economic downturn also. but despite the drying cash flow I hope you all got a chance to enjoy yourselves over the holidays and the long weekend for you non-shift workers. My holidays... well weren't really holidays as I had to work on both Christmas and Boxing days. But I did get a chance to enjoy the weekend with my spoogie... well one day of the weekend.

Winniefred's Beach Portland.

We went to Portland to soak up some of the warm turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea at Winniefred's Beach and of course to get some of the famous Boston Jerk Pork and Chicken. The North Coast Highway is well on it's way and has almost reached it's final destination at Port Antonio. I must admit, the road feel sweet nuh ratid! driving to Portland has never felt so good, especially since the beginning of the highway construction. The road has been paved all the way up to Norwich, which is only about 10 miles outside of Port Antonio. However, the roadway from Norwich to Port Antonio is nothing to sweat about as it has already been primed for paving so you can still drive with relative comfort. I guess Portland will be seeing more of me next year! Road trip anyone?

My new HP Pavilion dv5

On another note, I have received my new notebook, yay! I decided to get myself the HP Pavilion dv5, which was on special earlier this month. My older notebook is well... old. It was getting a bit slower, but it was also running out of hard drive space, not because of files, but because of the programmes installed and I didn't have a DVD burner. So I decided I need to get a newer notebook with better specs. I found this awesome deal on the HP website and so I decided to grab it. The specs include 4GB RAM, 2GHz dual core Pentium processor, 320GB Hard Drive, DVD burner and a built in web cam, all enclosed in a sleek design. All of this for just over US$600. So I am currently in the process of moving my files as I have already installed my programmes. In fact I am writing this post using my new notebook and the keys feel great as I type. Well of course it is running Windows Vista, as Windows XP is almost extinct these days and the only problem I have with this notebook is that it doesn't warn you that the battery is running out of charge, it just goes to sleep. This should be able to keep me for the next three years... or longer based on this economic climate.

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Yesterday is History, But It Was Great!

Yesterday is history but it certainly was great flashback to the music that was real music! Great music, great vibes and music that you can actually dance with someone to. The music kept flowing from the speakers with awesome mixes of music from the not too distant past, 90's early 2000. The genres kept the vibes going and ensured that no patron got bored: Dancehall, R&B, Hip Hop and Lovers Rock from the days of my earlier youth. Everywhere you turned you could see people dancing to the music that filled the air at the Mas Camp in New Kingston. Forwards were abundant and the chorus of patrons singing along to their favorite songs from the past, while their waists rocked and wined to the beat.

Since it was Heineken Yesterday, Heineken Beer was free all night long, much to the delight of the partying patrons. I didn't have any beer as I am not that much of a beer fan, so it was mixed drink for me. It wasn't as jam packed as it usually is, but it was still a huge crowd. But the turnout is understandable as there are so many competing events at this time of the year. I had a great time at Heineken Yesterday, as was expected. One thing, Yesterday and Good Times are the real parties, parties where you are guaranteed to have fun! The day one of these events flop, it the last day I go to any party, lol! Yesterday was certainly a good day... or should I say night.

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Celly Celly Christmas!

The cellphone market here in Jamaica has certainly heated up in these cooler months, nearing the Christmas season. Ever since the telecoms giant Claro came into the Jamaican market, it has been stirring some serious waves, waves that has disturbed the smooth sailing of the "bigger, better network", Digicel. Both mobile providers have gone all out and have launched an attack against each other with the aim of pleasing the Jamaican mobile consumers.

It is rumored that Digicel went into one of Claro's strongholds and caused an upheaval as it snatched some of Claro's customers. This no doubt angered Claro, who came to Jamaica with one thing on it's mind, revenge! And with that in mind Claro bought out then Miphone, the smallest player in the Jamaican market and has taken aim at Digicel. Now it seems the battle is on as Claro fights to gain customers and Digicel fights to retain it's share of the market. As for LIME (Cable & Wireless), well it's somewhere there in the foggy background trying to grow its market.

This Christmas brought along some serious goodies for telecoms customers in our little cell loving country. LIME started the ball rolling... well, let just say LIME did something first with their single main prize of a whopping US$1 Million! Then Digicel dished out it's Christmas bag with a major prize that promises 14 MIMI coopers for 14 winners, one from each of the 14 parishes in Jamaica. Claro then struck back, by not "mini-mizing", with their grand prize of 9 C-Class Benz! So it seems the Jamaican mobile customers have a lot to look forward to this Christmas season!

Digicel promotions have connected with their market over the past years it has been here and Claro seems to be a quick learner as their promotion looks like it to connects with the local market. With each of these promotions, there are several small prizes, but the main thing is that there are also several grand prizes. This means that everyone has more than one chance of winning the top prize. People are more willing to participate in these promotions when they know they have a better chance of winning something, which works in the favour of Digicel and Claro. Now LIME, seems to be in a completely different world, and seem to be a real slow learner. Well as with the others LIME too has many small prizes, however they are just offering one huge grand prize. Hence only one person can win the grand prize, and not just one person in Jamaica, but just one person in the entire Caribbean! Now what are the chances of me actually winning that grand prize?

One thing is for sure, telecoms customers are excited for the many goodies they can win, as the service providers try to entice with many dazzling prizes. And quite a few customers will be a little happier by the end of the season. Competition is good and we can certainly see it!

PS: There is a related poll at the bottom of the page.

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Drawing Blank - A Random Post

Wow! I haven't posted in an entire week! It seems I have been drawing blanks for the past week. It just seems I could not find a thing of interest to post about, or maybe I was just too mentally lazy to draft up something. I haven't even visited any blogs, I was busy a one point in the week but for the rest of the week I was just feeling... well blah. I haven't even been posting on my photo blog, it seems I am suffering from a total blog breakdown. I guess we all go through periods like these... it's not like I'm running out of steam... right?

I have to admit it, I'm hooked, addicted... yes I am officially a junkie. No, I'm not addicted to any illegal substance like coke, crack or heroine, but to Scrabble! Ever since I discovered Scrabble on Facebook, I have been playing almost every day! I have to be busy not to play Scrabble... maybe they should make Scrabble illegal. Scrabble is one of my favorite board game, just below Monopoly and Chess... wait it may just be above Chess right now! I have been trying to limit myself to only one or two games per day so I can actually have a productive day and not waste away in front of the PC playing Scrabble.

After my last post, I recalled even more cartoons from my past that I used to enjoy watching! I can't believe I forgot to list these on my last post... must be signs that I am really getting old. Anyway without further ado here they are:

• Defenders of the Earth
• Captain Planet
• Mask
• GI Joe
• Paw Paw Bears

Hope you all had a great weekend and are now ready to take on another week as the yeas draws to a close. Can you believe 2008 done already!!!

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The Toons of Yesteryear... Nostalgia

A random conversation at work this evening, sparked of a rather nostalgic moment for me and my coworkers as we recalled the cartoons of our childhood. Yes, the days when we were carefree and the only important things were playing with our friends and of course watching cartoons! I can still recall heading home from school as the bell rang and making a mad dash with my friends to get home to watch my favorite cartoon, and waking up early on Saturday mornings for the cartoon block. I just can't help that feeling of nostalgia as I look back in mind at those days, even though it makes me realize how old I am now.

As a kid of the 80's and only had one television station at the time, Jamaica Broadcasting Company (JBC), I was exposed to a mixture of cartoons from the 80's and some from much earlier. So here are my top 10 greatest cartoons from my early childhood, you can click on the links to see the intro for the cartoons as the post would be too long if I added them all:

1. Silver Hawks
2. Transformers
   
3. Thunder Cats
4. Jayce and the Wheel Warriors
   
5. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
6. Flintstones
7. Tom & Jerry
8. Popeye the Sailor
9. Tiger Sharks
10. Pink Panther
    

Those are my top cartoons, but I know you all used to watch at least few cartoons in your younger days, so what are your favorite cartoons?

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Frog, Soup, Depression

I have been hoarse for over two days now, I am talking about really hoarse! Frog in the throat? Hell no, looks more like a cow in my throat! It seems my sinus has gone hay wire again and this time with a vengeance, mucus overload! (sorry to gross you out) So as a result it has affected my throat, leaving me with almost no voice at all. I had to find myself to the doctor who after inspecting me, prescribed some antibiotics and sinus tablets, so I am now on drugs. I am feeling a lot better now, and I am sounding more like I am talking instead of just making faint, croaking sounds. Hopefully I will be back to normal soon, even though I have decided to take the rest of the week off to rest my throat and stay away from the air conditioner.


As they say chicken soup is good for a cold, and so I swung by Juicy Patties to get some Chicken Foot soup and man was I glad I did! the Chicken Foot soup at the Half Way Tree Juicy Patties restaurant is the bomb! I had bought soup there before, but only the cup and I had wished I had bought a bigger one. But this time I made sure I bought myself at least the small soup, which went well with a beef patty. So if you are in the Half Way Tree area and feel for soup, you can check out the Juicy Patties restaurant.

Well by now most of us have accepted the fact that we are in a global recession, so I have a little quiz for you to see how well you would survive if things get worse and we have a depression. I took it and here is my result, I guess i have some chance, yes? Go ahead, what's yours?

You Are 52% Likely to Survive Another Great Depression

Even though you may not be expecting the worst, you're the type of person who prepares for the worst. You live a relatively modest life. You don't overspend, and you aren't very materialistic. You are also quite self sufficient and independent. You have many useful skills. You can take care of yourself and those you love... which is crucial to surviving another Great Depression.

Could You Survive Another Great Depression?

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World AIDS Day 2K8

Today is World AIDS day, a day when the world pays even more attention to the ruthless killer. A killer disease that knows no bounds and respects no life, man, woman, father, mother, child, it kills indiscriminately. HIV/AIDS has made such an impact on our world's societies, since it first manifested itself and it still continues to claim many lives despite the desperate attempts of our leading researchers.

According avert.org an estimated 33 million people worldwide are infected with HIV/AIDS, which is a staggering number! But even worse is that there are a lot of persons living with this infection and don't even know. This is also so true of our tiny island Jamaica and many of our neighboring Caribbean islands. Despite the many AIDS campaign and effort to curb the rate of infection, this malady continues to grow like an unstoppable monster. The indicated global trend shows that the number of infected persons is growing at an alarming rate every year.

While scientist attempt the impossible of finding a cure and the most plausible task of making a vaccine, this disease will continue to ravage humanity, the most we can do is to take steps to protect ourselves from ever contracting the disease. I know we all have heard the three major ones before, but I guess it doesn't hurt to repeat:

• Stick to on faithful uninfected partner
• Use a condom
• Practice abstinence

We are all affected by this disease in some way or the other as it is a worldwide disease and not limited to any nationality or ethnic group. So let us always protect ourselves from this killer disease. Also HIV/AIDS does not discriminate, so neither should we, and as such we should treat people living with this disease as a fellow human beings.

Condolences to the families who have lost loved ones to HIV/AIDS and my sympathy goes out to those who are suffering from this terrible disease.

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Sightings!!!

No this is not a photo I stole from a porn website, but one of several very provocative pictures that surfaced in the media of Dancehall artistes Vybz Kartel and Spice, scantily clad and skin to skin! These pictures were so compramising that it is reported by The Star that Spice's boyfriend and Baby's Father was pretty upset! Upset to the point that it is reported that Spice was beaten by her upset boyfriend! It seems the photos were a part of a promotional photo shoot for a new song, Rampin Shop, the artistes did together. But it seems due to the graphic or should I say the pornographic nature of the photos, Spice's boyfriend didn't take it lightly. I woulda bex to fi si my girl skin to skin dem way deh wid a nest man! If you are interested you can click here to view the rest of the photos, and jusdge for yourself.

Old ride (left) and my new ride (right)

What are the odds of you ending up parking your new car right beside your old car that you sold? Well, that's exactly what happened on Wednesday when I went to the gym. At first all I saw was an empty parking spot and I rushed to get it, backed and stepped out of the car. But then I noticed something, A familiar sight, a dark green 1998 Honda Civic sedan. On close inspection I noticed it was my old ride! I must admit the guy I sold it to did some fixing up, new rims, lower profile tires, cleaned up the headlights and the car was looking pretty decent! A sight like this doesn't occur everyday, so I just had to take a picture.

Another weekend has dawned upon us and signals the end of another week, damn the the time is going by fast! Well after my daring partying and working last week, I will be taking it easy this weekend. Well not really, as I have work all weekend, but no plans of partying this time though. Enjoy unuh weekend crowda people!

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Good Times Indeed!

It was indeed a good time at Good Times on Saturday night! The music was right, the turnout was just right, and the vibe was great! I arrived at approximately midnight with my JM$800 (US$10) admission in hand and joined the line which was a bit long, however it moved along rather quickly. I had intended to buy the ticket before, but due to how I was feeling on Friday and even earlier in the day on Saturday, I wasn't sure I would make it to Good Times. But by Saturday night I was feeling about 85% better so after getting phone call at about 11:30 from one of my coworkers expressing how the vibe was right, I decided to head out.

The music bouncing from the turn tables made it hard for you to resist shaking your legs as the DJ's played one good tune after the other. The music spanned over three decades of hits from all genres of music and the crowd just kept eating it up with one forward (expression of acceptance) after the other. I totally enjoyed myself as I danced until both my under shirt and shirt were wet. I didn't have much to drink nor did I have any hard liquor, just a Heineken and a Guinness due to the fact that I took a dose of Panadol Multi-symptom about six hours earlier.

The music played and the dancing continued until some minutes after four in the morning... well for me at least as that was the time we left. Even then a few patrons were still rocking to the music that continued to play. The only bad thing is that I had work at eight in the morning! So I had only a few hours to catch a nap for work. Let me tell you, that was the longest nine hours I spent at work, by the end of the day I was a walking zombie. Suh yuh know who nah do nuttin like dis again! But I did have fun, it was definitely Good Times!

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Friday Random Roundup

New TV
So as I have expressed before, my good ole TV was hit by a surge cause by lightning. So after committing my TV to more than two weeks of electronic resurrection at the repair man, I finally gave up. Everyday I called I got another excuse, and if your electronics are giving such a hard time to fix, might as well you write it off as a loss. So after waiting two and a half weeks, I decided to go get myself a new TV. When I went to the jewellery store, yes those same Syrian/Indian stores, and almost all the TVs inside were LCD flat TVs! Since I had a 27 inch TV before, I couldn't go smaller and the same size LCD flat TV was at least JM$60000 (US$780). Too much over my budget which is half that price! So I decided to get the newer Sharp slim CRT TV which is slimmer than the original CRT TVs (the type TV most of us still have). The TV looks pretty much like the new LCD flat TV from the front and has a slightly sharper image. But this TV is like one of those "pretty dunce" girls back in primary school. All looks and not much features as it lacked a S-Video port and a headphone outlet, which my former Toshiba TV had. Of course I didn't notice until I bought the TV, as I was assuming it would have all these features considering it is newer than my previous TV. Note to self, again, stop ^!%@^@&! assuming!



Sick Like Dog
After being Flu-free for over a year, I finally succumbed to an attack which took out a few of my coworkers, and now I am sick like dog. It all began on Wednesday with what seemed to be a sinus attack, but by Thursday evening a work I started to feel like crap. By the end of my shift in the night I was feeling cold, a sign of a fever and I was feeling really out of it. Since I had be so resistant for so long, I didn't have any Panadol Multi-symptom in my medicine chest. I stopped by a few gas stations in the wee hours of the morning, but no luck finding any Panadol Multi-symptom. So I opted for the closest thing an Advil Cold and Sinus. It seems to have stopped the fever and I feel a whole lot better today, even though I have an occasional cough. I armed myself with some Vitamin C and some Panadol Multi-symptoms today. I am still considering going to the doctor to get some cough syrup prescribed just in case the cough gets annoyingly worse. Hopefully I will be better by tomorrow so I can go to Good Times. If I do then you will know as that will be the next post.



More Magna Liquor
On a brighter note, I got another Magna cheque, which means my liquor collection has grown once again. I decided to get myself a Smirnoff Twist Green Apple Vodka and a Ponche Kuba! Now my liquor collection is looking more like a real liquor collection, yay! So if you all want to drop by for a drink you're more than welcomed. After buying the Smirnoff Twist Apple Vodka I got an idea for a new mixed drink! Subtle Deception Martini, as you hardly notice the liquor in the drink. A mix of Smirnoff Twist Apple Vodka and Ocean Spray White Cran-peach, as illustrated below.

Subtle Deception (Martini)
2 parts Smirnoff Twist Green Apple Vodka
3 parts Ocean Spray White Cran-peach
1 Slice green apple

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KRW: Guilt Trip

As you all should know by now, Kingston Restaurant Week (KRW) is here and almost all of Kingston is taking the opportunity to dine at the better restaurants for a discounted price. I too am one of the large throng of people who want to enjoy some good food for the right price. This time I didn't have a date, so I opted for a group outing with some of my coworkers and their friends. The destination of choice was Guilt Trip.

I have never had food at Guilt Trip, but I often heard that their pastry was good. So when they suggested that they wanted to go there due to the financial constraints, I agreed as I too am under some financial crunch with the possibility of buying a new TV looming. So it was off to Guilt Trip on Saturday night for a 9:00 pm reservation. by the time I got there it seemed all of Kingston was there as I couldn't find any parking in the plaza, even after circling a few times. It was after deciding to park at the opposite, burger King that the security at Burger King pointed out the additional parking. Now that was settled, it was time to meet up with the group and start the eating of the delicacies they had. Or so I thought...

The KRW special menu had multiple choices for the appetizer, entree` and dessert, but I found that the choices for the entree` wasn't that much appealing. The appetizer wasn't too bad, it was a bit of a tease as it was decorated gourmet style and of course just as small as gourmet style servings. I don't remember what it was called, but it had a selection of meats.

The appetizer

After having my appetite stirred and waiting for what seemed to be an eternity, it was time for the main course. I had selected the Divine Swine Burger with Sweet Potato Fries, being a pork lover, and being flustered by the lack luster choices of entree's. I'll just say, it was a good thing I was hungry, else that meal wouldn't have made it past the first two bites. And worse of all, they don't serve freaking Ketchup... what the ra..! It was good that we had a complimentary Stinger, Ting mixed with Smirnoff Vodka, so had a little alcohol to calm our nerves.

The Divine Swine Burger... far from divine! This looks a lot better!


The Entree` one of my friends had... maybe that would have been better.

After that disappointing main course it was time for the dessert. this should be good, I thought, as Guilt Trip is known for its pastry. I could not resist selecting the Black Forrest Cake and was very optimistic that this would pleasure my dissatisfied palate. The slice of cake looked oh so tempting and mouthwatering, but looks were deceiving, and yet another disappointment! The cake was like a light sponge, and seemed as if chocolate sauce wasn't all over it, it would just float out of the plate! Some of my friends too the Cheese Cake, which wasn't too bad, as I had to taste it to help my palate forget the awful experience of the Black Forrest "Sponge" Cake.

Black Forrest "Sponge" Cake... totally and deceivingly awful!

Guilt Trip certainly lived up to it's name, as I felt so guilty for spending my money on their food! The best thing was the Stinger and the appetizer, but they ruined my KRW. I'm highly doubtful I will go to any other restaurant for KRW as I am almost sure by now that I will have to buy a new TV. One thing is for sure though, Guilt Trip is one trip I will never take again!

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Stinging!

Click image to enlarge

At this time of the year the temperature is certainly a whole lot cooler and some even say they can already feel the Christmas breeze blowing in the air. The plazas and shopping centres have started to become more busy as more people stroll through these areas as the weekends progress to the biggest shopping time of the year. But this is not the only thing that this time of the year is known for!

Other things are blowing through the air, yes words, insults, challenges and hints of lyrical wars! Yes even though the time has cooled significantly since the winter (or should I say cooler season as we are in the Tropics) things are certainly heating up in the musical arena. Artistes have been dropping words, hurling insults and even subtly challenging each other. But what could be causing this sudden upsurge of competition?

Well my friends, what has been staged as "The greatest one night show on earth", Sting, is drawing close! But you may ask how could a stage show cause so much drama? Well sting is well known for controversy and the inevitable "clashes" among rival Dancehall Artistes. These "clashes" are mainly lyrical warfare among artistes with artistes crafting lyrics that will appease to the fans more than the other artiste but at the same time insulting the rival. But, words at times have turned to violence as proven in the on stage fracas between Vybz Cartel and Ninja Man in recent times.

Now it's 2008 and December is drawing near so all the ill feelings during the course of the year are reaching their climax. Vybz Cartel is throwing words against his former mentor Bounty Killer and his group of Dancehall Artistes called the Alliance, which Vybz terms as the "appliance". Vybz cartel has also been even challenging is nemesis Mavado with insults on the latest Entertainment Report (ER) last Friday. Merciless has also been sounding the alarm, as he seeks to make his comeback on the Dancehall scene. Ninja Man has not been his usual self and has remained quiet thus far, but don't be surprised if this changes within a few weeks! No doubt more challenges will be issues before December 26, 2008 when many Jamaicans will be filing into the Jamworld Entertainment Centre in Portmore, to see the culmination of the battle taunts.

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The Dragon Passes

Byron Lee 27 June 1935 - 4 November 2008

On November 04, 2007 while many Jamaican's and Caribbean nationals alike celebrated the victory of Borack Obama, a great loss was in the making. Byron Lee of Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, another of Jamaica's greatest music legends, passed on.

Byron Lee is synonymous with Soca here in Jamaica and no doubt in other Caribbean countries. His musical career spanned some fifty years and he was also one of the foremost persons credited with the inception of the Jamaica Carnival. Byron Lee and the Dragonaires was the headline band for almost all of the Carnival and Soca events, but his music extends even to other functions and events throughout the year. He was recently conferred with the Order of Jamaica during a special ceremony at the hospital last week by Governor General Sir Kenneth Hall and the Prime Minister, Bruce Golding.

Byron Lee has been fighting a battle with bladder cancer since 2006, but finally lost against this killer on November 4, 2008 at the age of 73. Byron Lee, also called the Dragon, a true icon of the Jamaica Music industry and Soca will be dearly missed.

Here is a little flashback to one of his most famous Songs, Tiney Winey.

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History Created... Barack Wins!!!

On November 4, 2008 a historic moment was made, when Barack Hussein Obama II became the first Afro American, Black man if you may, to become the president of the United States of America! So much persons in the US, in Europe and in the Caribbean was hoping and keeping their finger crossed that Obama would carry home the victory. It's almost unheard of, a non-white being elected as the president of the United States of America!

The issue should be who is best suited for the job and not the colour of ones skin, but one cannot help but to feel proud that a black man has accomplished what most if not all of us felt was impossible... well until now. I wasn't cheering for Obama just because he is black, but because I do think he is better suited or the job based on my limited coverage of the whole campaigning.

I am not into politics, but I can't help feeling overwhelmed with emotions after witnessing such a great historic moments. Congratulations Barack Obama!!!

This is just the beginning though, there is a lot of work at hand for the new president. The American economy, the world economy, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the environment and international relations. What does his victory mean for us in the Caribbean? Will we benefit form Obama's victory? Will he truly make a good president? Will his policies make the world better? There are a lot more questions to be answered along with these and only time will tell.

Until then, let us bask in this moment and hope for the best! "Yes we can!" Barack Obama: 44Th president of the United States, fist black president of the United States, one of the (thanks for the correction Abeni) youngest presidents of the United States. History Indeed!

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No TV

I went to bed about 2:00 am on Thursday morning after just watching a little TV, only to be awaken at about about 5:00 am by a loud crashing sound, one of the loudest thunders I have ever heard. But as I am not afraid of a little thunderstorm and since I was really tired I quickly fell back asleep. I woke up later in the morning and after making some breakfast I sat down to eat in front of the TV, i took up the remote and pressed the power button, but nothing happened! No static, so sound, no picture, the entire TV was dead!

I tried the button on the TV, in total disbelief, everything else was on: the DVD, the cable box, the radio had power... but the TV was still not turning on. I reset the switch on the power strip and that didn't solve the problem. Then that awful, feeling crept in and I sunk to a new low, when I finally accepted the fact that the TV was hit by a power surge. Then, could feel my big jackass ears grow longer as I though to myself, "... this is a power strip, it doesn't offer any @$@!&@%! protection, stupid!". You see I had the TV and other stuff in the power strip 9also called power tap), while the computer and computer related stuff were in the real surge protector. I was supposed to have bought another surge protector for the TV and other entertainment electronics, but just never remembered to do it.

Now I have to pay the ultimate price for my stupidity and absent mindedness. I called the repair man who came on Saturday to look at the TV, he changed a rectifier that was shorting but that didn't work either. He whisked away the TV to perform further surgery, but has advised me that the microprocessor seemed to have took a hit and will need a replacement. Hopefully this doesn't cost me an arm and a leg to fix and I certainly don't have the money to go buy... oh Lord... buy and new one!

Today is Monday and I'm still without my TV, bored as hell! Even though I don't watch TV that much, it just feels like such a big loss without it, like a void in my life and especially a void on my TV stand! To ensure you guys don't make this stupid mistake I have posted a few pics and make sure you all have a surge protector not a power tap!

Real surge protector I had the computer on.


Real surge protector/voltage regulator I now have the computer on.


Evil impostor power tap I had the TV on (beware)!

Choose wisely my friends and get a real surge protector!

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Daggering!

No it is not some violent means of killing people, but if you look at it it certainly looks like a very violent activity! Daggering is one of the latest craze in the Dancehall these days, it may be refereed to as one of the new dances, even though I do not consider it a dance at all. To me Daggering is more like an over exaggerated sexual act or very dangerous and violent dry humping. This new, so-called, dance has been a staple at almost all the Dancehall sessions held on a daily basis... yes I did say daily.

Daggering is a dance that is performed by a male and a female and consist of over the top gyrating, heavy pelvis thrusting and daredevil leaps by both dancers on each other. I am proud of the fact that as Jamaicans our creativity seems to be boundless as we create new dance moves almost every day. However, Daggering is not one of these dances that I am proud to claim as Jamaican, to me it is... barbaric and makes Jamaicans look extremely uncivilized. I am still in disbelieve that people go out on a nightly basis just to behave like this. Well that's just my opinion on this new dance called Daggering, but you decide for yourself.



No sah no Daggering for me!

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Truckin' Ain't for Sissies! (Truckfest 2008)

Damn right!

On Sunday I went to Truckfest with a few of my friends with the hopes of seeing some well tricked out trucks. But despite a few well polished and outfitted trucks, it was mostly ordinary truckes that were cleanup for display. The event itself wasn't as organized as an event should be and for something that was also dubbed family fun day we were rather pissed that we couldn't bring in our igloo. But despite the obvious disappointment I did manage to get a few decent shots. So here are a few of the pictures I took. You may olso go to my photoblog for some more photos. As usual you can click on the images to enlarge.

Mean monster trucks

Big red tiger trucks

Well polished, fancy interiors

Trucks with their polished engines on display

Trucks with bright pretty lights

Trucks that breathed fire

All kinds of trucks!

That was truckfest in a nutshel, well in a few shots. I hope you liked the photos.

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Murder!!!

Our small island, called Jamaica, has what seems to be one of the highest murder rates in the region. The gruesome crimes have become such a common item in the news these days that it doesn't even seem to be shocking anymore. Shock and awe of these terrible murders have been removed from the list of emotions I feel when I watch the news. In fact I have to come to expect to hear at least one person murdered during the each of the daily newscasts. However, such feelings have been replaced by sorrow and empathy for bot the victims and there families, when innocent persons are abducted, raped and murdered.

But no matter how such items are reported on in the news and your emotions get stirred up, it does not hit home until someone you knows suffers this terrible fate. On Saturday both the printed media and the television news told the story of a young female pharmacist who was abducted, raped, murdered and her violated lifeless body burnt. When I watched the news I couldn't help but to feel a mix of emotions bubble through my body, a violent mixture of sorrow and anger. As I read the article in the Jamaica Observer and saw the picture of the young lady the feeling sank in even deeper as her face looked more and more familiar. But it was not until I got a call from one of my friends, who jogged my memory. This was a girl that went to the same University I went to, the same time I went to the university, someone I saw on several occasions with her twin sister on campus, someone who got married to one of my dorm mates. My heart plunged when I though of her ordeal in her last moments and the loss her husband, child and other family members must be feeling. My anger blazed to think someone, some evil being could carry out such a wicked and heartless act.

This was not the first time I have experienced such emotions and in a world like this I'm sure it might not be the last. One of my friends from the University I used to attend suffered such a fate, it hurt even more as this was someone who I was close to while I was on dorm. A girl who had a crush on me and someone who was fun to be around. She was abducted too, some time after I entered the working world, no doubt raped, then murdered and dismembered. I couldn't stop thinking about that gruesome act and having the emotions bubble in my system up to my throat like a well hot soup still in the fire, a fire fueled by grief and anger. I even recall having dreams of her still alive, like flashbacks of us still on the dorm hanging out, even a few weeks after I heard of her demise. But now only memories of the great person she was is left in the minds of those who knew her.

The murder of Terry-Ann, someone who I have personally seen several times and of my friend just only gives a glimpse of the sorrow and emotions of what other closer friends and family members must be feeling. Tragedies like these also just underscores how fragile life is and how fortunate we are to be graced with another day on the face of the earth in such a vile and heartless world. The murders in this country increase with every passing year, but has also shifted focus from killings associated with gang wars and robberies. The elderly, women and children have now become a target of this scourge on our nation. The government and the security forces just seem powerless in the face of these heartless crimes that are being committed in our small island. We can't be too careful these days, even in the comforts of our homes we need to be wary and give thanks for each day we survive unharmed.

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Bleaching for Dummies

I would say something about this, but it would evoke words like stupid, idiots, fools and an assortment of &@^#$*#^&! So watch the video and draw your own conclusions.

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Just for Smiles!

I haven't posted a joke or two in a while, and especially in these trying times we need to put a smile on our faces as hard as it is. So this is for you:

Ethel

Ethel was a bit of a demon in her wheelchair, and loved to charge around the nursing home, taking corners on one wheel and getting up to maximum speed on the long corridors.

Because the poor woman was one sandwich short of a picnic the other
residents tolerated her and some of them actually joined in.

One day Ethel was speeding up one corridor when a door opened and Kooky
Clarence stepped out with his arm outstretched. 'STOP!' he shouted in a firm voice. 'Have you got a license for that thing?' Ethel fished around in her handbag and pulled out a Kit Kat wrapper and held it up to him. 'OK' he said, and away Ethel sped down the hall.

As she took the corner near the TV lounge on one wheel, weird Harold popped out in front of her and shouted 'STOP! Have you got proof of insurance?' Ethel dug into her handbag, pulled out a drink coaster and held it up to him. Harold nodded and said 'On your way, Ma'am.'

As Ethel neared the final corridor, Crazy Craig stepped out in front of her,Butt- Naked, and holding his 'You-Know-What' in his hand. 'Oh, good grief,' yelled Ethel, 'Not that Damn Breathalyzer Test again!'

The Wedding Night



Fred and Mary get married but couldn't afford a honeymoon, so they go back to Fred's Mom and Dad's house for their first night together.

In the morning, Johnny, Fred's little brother, gets up and has his breakfast. As he is going out of the door to go to school, he asks his mom if Fred and Mary are up yet. She replies, 'No'. Johnny asks, 'Do you know what I think?' His mom replies, 'I don't want to hear what you think! Just go to school.'

Johnny comes home for lunch and asks his mom, 'Are Fred and Mary up yet?' She replies, 'No.' Johnny says, 'Do you know what I think?' His mom replies, 'Never mind what you think! Eat your lunch and go back to school .'

After school, Johnny comes home and asks again, 'Are Fred and Mary are up yet?' His mom says, 'No.' He asks, 'Do you know what I think?' His mom replies, 'Ok, now tell me what you think.' He says, 'Last night Fred came to my room for the Vaseline and I think... I gave him my airplane glue.'

Hope that made you smile and made your week a little better.

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A Legend Passes

Another great legend of the Jamaica music scene, Alton Ellis, has passed. One of the kings of the Jamaican lover's rock, Ska and Rocksteady, Alton Ellis had the power to sway his audience both young and old to his soothing music. He was one of the crowd favorites and a highlight of the Heineken Startime show. This great Jamaican singer is best known for lovers rock such as Muriel, Dancecrasher, Girl I've Got a Date, I'm Just a Guy and I'm Still in Love. In 2003, dancehall superstar Sean Paul and singer Sasha had a minor hit in the United States with their cover of his song, I'm Still in Love.

Alton Ellis succumbed to his fight with Lymphatic cancer on Friday at the age of 70 in London, where he has been living for some time now. This great Jamaican music icon will be dearly missed.

Here is a live performance I found on YouTube of this great Jamaican artiste.

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KRW 08 is Going to be Great!

Once again the aroma of scrumptious delicacies will once again permeate the air as Kingston's top restaurants will unleash the culinary skills to a eager throng of Kingstonians! the ordinary citizen of the the working class Jamaica will once again have the opportunity to sample the mouthwatering feast only normally reserved for those with deeper pockets. No there is not a mas increase of bay or mass bonus! It is that time again for the annual Kingston Restaurant Week (KRW)!

KRW 2008 will run from November 8-15 under the theme "Eat. drink. Savour the City". This years urban culinary festival will see the participation of 35 of the city's restaurants offering fixed priced, three course meals, that is appetizer, main course, and dessert, at a 30% discount. The restaurants are grouped into five main groups, partially based on price:

• Tasty: $1,350
• High rollers: $1,600
  
• Savory: $1,600
• Delectable: $3,000
• Epicurean: $3,500

This years onslaught of restaurants includes the big names as Mac's Chop House, Columbus Restaurant and Strawberry Hill and Red Bones Blues Café, just to name a few. But if these big names sound financially intimidating then there is a great selection of other wonderful restaurants to choose from. Click here to see a full list of the participating restaurants.

So whether you are on a tight budget or you have a little change to treat yourselves, there is a price range for everyone, and an opportunity for you to sample some of the city's many cuisines. Reservations for the event started on October 4, 2008, nuh linga, make your choice now and dine in style for less!

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Child Killers

A nation without a future is what we are about to become if we continue on the path of reckless, uninhibited carnage and genocide against our nation's children. This callous and loveless behavior towards our children, our nation's future by wicked elements in our society is growing with each passing year and is ballooning with no solution in sight. In many of these cases a perpetrator is never found so that justice could be served to give the grieving relatives and friends closure to this horrid act.

A little over two weeks ago 11 year old Ananda Dean was reported missing, which prompted the desperate pleas of her parents and relatives on both our largest local television station. But on Sunday morning every one's worse fear seemed to have become a reality when a decomposing body of a child was found in the Belvedere Hills of St. Andrew, several miles away from where Ananda Dean was last seen. The nude, advanced decomposed body was found in a precipice with uniform and other clothing items scattered nearby. This story is not a strange one to me, as I have heard this story played out several times before in my short life so far. It is so hard to imagine someone doing such a devious and evil act against anyone, much more a poor child. Yet this is something that just seem to happen, rendering the parents and police powerless in the face of such evil.

However the nation would not get a chance to breathe again before another shock, as on the following Monday night news broke of a NINE (9) MONTH OLD child that was molested and slain. Just the though of a infant that young suffering such a horrible act send shivers down my spine, and makes me blaze with anger! Such acts aught not to happen! How could this happen in our society? How could people allow such an act to be carried out under their roof?

These two acts are also just on the heels of another gruesome murder, where another child's dismembered, decomposing body was found in a bag in some bushes. The death tool now stands at 57 children and the year has not ended, thus based on this trend we can brace ourselves for more of these heartless acts. It seems nothing is being done to stop this carnage. Or is it that nothing can be done to stop it?

Parents need to more vigilant where their children are concerned, they need to be protective and to teach their children to by wary of strangers form an early age. But parents can't be with their children all the time and all the preparation an teaching a parent does is not a guarantee that the child will be safe. The police have to play a part, the school has to play a part, the government has to make the necessary legislative changes and enforce through the law, and society has to also look out for our children. It may not stop theses incidents, but maybe it can reduce these frequency of the carnage one our youths.

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Ring, Ring...

On Sunday I went to a graduation ceremony and dinner and during the entire programme all I could hear was the ringing of cellphones and various songs that were selected as ring tunes. This is not the first time I have been to a function and was totally annoyed by the ringing of cellphones interrupting everyone. I mean come on, at this time and age when cellphones have been around for such a long time and people still can't figure out how to silent their phones? People can't get it through their heads that it is a common courtesy to silence their phones when at a function?

I was at my Cousin's funeral some time ago, when the entire sermon was being punctuated and interrupted by the loud ringing of cellphones. And even after the admonition of the pastor to silence or turn off the phones just till the end of the programme, there was another cellphone ringing, and then another. I was so annoyed, that in the midst of my grieving, these inconsiderate bastards didn't have the decency to be respectful and silence their damn phones. I would hate to think people are just so dumb to figure out how to silence their cellphone. Or so stupid to think that they should just silence their phones when they are at a function. Maybe it would be more comforting to think so, than to think people are just so callous and inconsiderate to the point where they deliberately leave their phones on knowing it would disturb the programme.

I always practice to silence my phone whenever I am at a function or at a meeting, I may forget sometimes, but fortunately I remember before it rings and silence it quickly. But the point is, i at least put out a conscientious effort not to disturb others with my cellphone. So it can't be that hard for people to just consider others, consider the other people in the audience trying to pay attention, consider the speaker who is trying his/her best to impart a delivery, be considerate enough to just slice the damn ra.. phone! I think meeting rooms and auditoriums need to have a signal scrambler or blocker to keep these annoying phones from ringing. If that can't be done, then at least, please make it legal to do this...

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Dutty Wata!

They say that water is life, but judging from the colour of the water coming from my tap lately, water might take my life! Ever since the passing of tropical storm Gustav, my tap water has never been the same. I doubt I have had the clear, clean water I had before the storm even for one day since the storm passed. The water has ranged from slightly cloudy to almost chocolate brown!

I understand that the water quality would have naturally decreased due to the heavy rains and loss of power at the various plants. But having dirty water in my pipe even up to a month after is simply ridiculous! Yes we have been having heavy afternoon showers basically every afternoon, but gosh these brief downpours can mess up the water so bad? I think NWC (National Water Commission AKA Nasty Wutliss Creatures) need to do better! There must be something they can do to improve our water supply, especially in a metropolitan area where it has so many customers in a concentrated area. As a result I have to resort to buying bottled water every week, testing the water to see it I can at least cook with it and looking at the colour of the water before I wash my clothes.

Seriously NWC unnuh need fi do better!!!

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