Category Archives: Spirit

Of Yum and Celebrity Gurus

By petchary on March 16, 2013 | 6 Comments

“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”

The communist philosophy and aesthetic (all those ugly buildings and drab uniforms) have never appealed to me, personally. But Karl Marx pretty much hit the nail on the head for me with this famous 1834 quote. Jamaica has the highest density of churches per square mile in the world, and a crippling crime rate, as we all know. Maybe the drug is wearing off, or the populace has become resistant to it. But Jamaican keep on taking it in ever larger doses, in the hopes that it will eventually work. There are “crusades” at high schools, the evangelistic churches “bawl out” for divine help, and there are prayers before every meeting, large and small.

The first- and second-grade students of the traditional Kingston high school for boys Jamaica College recently took time off from their studies to engage in a “Gospel Crusade.” (Photo: Ian Allen/Gleaner)

Having said that, I am personally fascinated by the rituals and trappings of organized religion. The announcement of the new Pope this week is a case in point. Who did not feel the slightest little shiver down their spine at the sight of the adoring, happy masses, waving flags and singing; the candles, the marble buildings, the light at the window, the opening of the net curtains on the balcony? It was almost magical. Aha, yes – magic, indeed; but I do know that magic isn’t real.

Fairytale tradition: In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis looks at the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose the name of Pope Francis, is the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. (AP Photo/L’Osservatore Romano, ho)

Recently, I met a man who, with a great deal of modesty, described himself as a “reluctant author.” We were at our lovely neighborhood bookstore in Kingston, Bookophilia, which I highly recommend). It was a nice, cozy evening with a group of uptown Jamaicans, mostly women (I find that middle-class Kingston ladies are the most enthusiastic explorers of what one might call “alternative spirituality”).

Chungliang Al Huang at Bookophilia, Kingston last month. (My photo)

Mr. Chungliang Al Huang is the founder and president of the Living Tao Foundation, on the beautiful, wild coast of Oregon in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. He also founded the International Lan Ting Institute, a conference which takes place in China. Although he was brought to Jamaica under the auspices of the University of the West Indies‘ Confucius Institute (set up with Chinese Government funding) he has actually lived in the United States since 1955 and has traveled widely. His family fled from communist mainland China to Taiwan – a country disapproved of by both the People’s Republic and Jamaica. Be that as it may, here he was. And he’s really very famous, described as “a sage for the modern age.”

Chungliang Al Huang in perfect balance. (Photo: Living Tao Foundation)

Now, the sixties were heady times, in more ways than one. In those hippie days, we embraced various religions (mostly of the eastern variety) one after the other; at times we got them all mixed up together. I was a university student then, meditated like crazy, and was pretty good at chanting, too. It was my early fascination with Zen Buddhism that led me to take up studying Japanese.

The austere beauty of Zen. (Photo: www.zenplicity.org)

The austere beauty of Zen. (Photo: http://www.zenplicity.org)

Of course, when Mr. Al Huang moved to Big Sur, California in the sixties (almost the coolest place in the Universe at that time), he became an “instant guru,” he told us, with a wry smile. “I was in the right place at the right time,” he added cheerfully. A groovy, far out Tai Ji master, in a red jumpsuit. But let me be fair: He had already had a very solid upbringing in the classic scholarly Chinese arts – not only Tai Ji but also kung fu and calligraphy, in particular. He knew his stuff. But because of the times, he also became a celebrity. And he was a dancer; he knew Sammy Davis, Jr. and Fred Astaire.

Fred Astaire flies through the air. (Photo:www.doctormacro.com)

Fred Astaire flies through the air. (Photo: http://www.doctormacro.com)

Big Sur is breathtaking. No other word for it. (Photo: Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California)

At this point, the name-dropping began – for which he kept apologizing. But the names of his various collaborators over the decades kept on slipping out. The Chicago Bulls basketball coach, Phil Jackson; the zany British comedian John Cleese of Monty Python fame; the Dalai Lama (who, he said, once committed the sinful act of killing a mosquito when he met him in Bali); and Jane Goodall, the extraordinary naturalist, anthropologist and activist, who is a close friend. He also hung out with the fashionable New Age philosophers Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers; the brilliant violinist Yehudi Menuhin; the awesome jazz man Charles Lloyd; and singers John Denver and Joan Baez. Among others. He loves jazz and rock and classical music, and musicians. I vaguely wondered what he would make of dancehall, then dismissed the thought…

Charles Lloyd, jazz’s Spirit Warrior, back in the day. This is a great album, by the way.

And it goes like this… Chungliang’s lightness of being. (My photo)

I have started dipping into the book which I purchased that evening, “Tao Mentoring.” I have learnt that, according to Tao, “all existence is circular,” and that there is no “either/or” scenario. In my youth, I had an enamel Yin and Yang pendant that I was very fond of, so all this sounded familiar. Emptiness has negative connotations in the Western world, Mr. Al Huang told us; but in Taoism, it signifies humility. You are a humble receptacle, ready to be filled (hopefully, with wisdom and enlightenment). So the “half-full, half-empty” cliché doesn’t work for him. I can certainly see that.

Chungliang Al Huang at Bookophilia. (My photo)

The Yin Yang symbol.

And he talked about crisis, which he described as “danger and opportunity” co-existing – it’s all circular, remember. Let’s remember this when dealing with the IMF. Mr. Al Huang’s book “Quantum Soup“ ( play on words – won ton soup, get it?) is sub-titled “Fortune Cookies in Crisis.” Also recommended is his most famous book – despite the reluctance he claims, he has written quite a few - “Thinking Body, Dancing Mind.” Again, that buoyancy of thought – a spiritual dancer, so to speak.

The “Third Eye” according to Chungliang Al Huang. (My photo)

Book signing with a special calligraphic flourish. (My photo)

Quantum Soup, by Chungliang Al Huang.

I asked him about enlightenment. One thing I loved about Zen was the concept of “satori” - the Japanese word meaning a kind of sudden, intuitive understanding: you “see the light,” so to speak. But you don’t get satori just like that. It only occurs after years of rigorous discipline, meditation and lots of koans (these are sort of spiritual riddles that you have to solve, like the famous one about “What is the sound of one hand clapping?”) It’s really tough going, indeed.

But no, said Chungliang; the Chinese aren’t like the Japanese (how many times have I heard that before?) The Japanese are austere, rigid; they have lots of tests and levels of spirituality, like the various belts in aikido, judo and karate. The Chinese aren’t like that, he informed me; they are big and rowdy, and often impatient, and they laugh more. So they don’t worry about such things. If you are ready to be taught, then you are ready. No need for all those tests.

OK, but I kind of like austere.

Chungliang Al Huang. (My photo)

But I liked Mr. Al Huang’s self-deprecating humor, too. He smiled most of the time, with a lightness of spirit that was most endearing, as he sat with his hands on his knees in front of the children’s book section (which is very good, by the way). People make hell out of their own lives, he said, reminding me of that Bob Marley line,“think you’re in heaven but you’re living in hell.” He used the vivid analogy of a banquet. Those feasting happily at the banquet are feeding each other, smiling. Those who are in hell are the ones with such tiny mouths that they cannot eat the delicious food. It was a macabre image that nevertheless made us all laugh. And he demonstrated the wink of the “Third Eye” which he always uses when teaching, if his students are getting too serious. It brings a smile to their faces, as it did ours. Profundity and humor make a delightful mix.

I must mention another popular modern-day guru (the word, by the way, is Sanskrit for “teacher” or “master”). His name is Dr. Deepak Chopra, and he has a huge following. Born in New Delhi, he is the founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, California. He is a medical doctor who has written some 65 books (how is that even possible?) My favorite is “Perfect Health.” I follow Dr. Chopra on Twitter. I wrap my mind around his regular articles for the Huffington Post, on everything from perception to depression, from climate change to consciousness. And there is a Daily Deepak, available on iPhone and iPad. So you need never be without him. And I, for one, wouldn’t want to be. I think he understands me.

The Man: Dr. Deepak Chopra (Photo: Jeremiah Sullivan/entrepreneur.com)

And then there are Dr. Chopra’s 21-day meditation courses. If you have not meditated, you should definitely take that trip. The current set – three weeks of free guided meditation online, with the relevant mantras and thoughts for the day – is a collaboration with that super-famous Renaissance woman, Oprah Winfrey (and if you haven’t heard of Deepak, you must have heard of Oprah). You will find it hard not to get hooked on the combination of hypnotic chill out music and Dr. Chopra’s soft, deep voice guiding you along the way.

Deepak and Oprah: Two celebrities who just launched their latest meditation challenge.

There is scientific proof now, I understand, that meditation is mind-altering, in the best possible way. Brain scans of meditators done at Harvard University last year suggest that meditation “may result in enduring, beneficial changes in brain function, especially in the area of emotional processing.” I think we already knew that, really.

(Image: andrewnewberg.com)

A few days ago, we had to meditate on the mantra “Yum.” I know it is a real Sanskrit word, but I found this a tricky one, especially as one had to keep repeating it, mentally: “Yum…Yum…Yum…” Visions of a banquet – a Chinese one, perhaps – floated in front of me. I tried to dispel the images, but food kept rising to the surface. I was glad when we returned a couple of days later to the good old familiar “Om.” I think Mr. Al Huang would have found “Yum” amusing, too.

Seriously, now, try a little meditation. Tune in, turn on, drop out. And you can do it without the use of any drugs at all.

Who needs that opium?

Related articles:

https://www.livingtao.org/home/ Living Tao Foundation website

http://www.esalen.org Esalen Institute, Big Sur

http://www.deepakchopra.com Deepak Chopra website

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/ Deepak Chopra on Huffington Post

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/11/meditations-positive-residual-effects/ Meditation’s positive residual effects: Harvard Science

http://petchary.wordpress.com/book-review/the-banquet-bug-by-geling-yan/ The Banquet Bug by Geling Yan: Book Review by Petchary

5 Things Deepak Chopra Can Teach You About Leadership & Marketing (rohitbhargava.com)

Clarity (bondingbirth.org)

Posted in: Music, Society, Spirit | Tagged: Big Sur, book, California, Charles Lloyd, China, Chungliang Al Huang, Deepak Chopra, Esalen Institute, guru, Jamaica, Karl Marx, meditation, Opium of the people, Oprah Winfrey, Oregon Coast, Pacific Northwest, Pope, Sammy Davis, Sanskrit, Tai Ji, Taoism, United States, University of the West Indies, Zen

Take a Deep Breath Now: Sunday March 10, 2013

By petchary on March 11, 2013 | 5 Comments

Or perhaps, don’t inhale too deeply. Some things don’t smell so good.

I am not talking about the Riverton City dump this week. But I am disturbed.

Firstly, what is happening with our justice system? I went through a range of emotions this week on hearing that a police sergeant was acquitted of the murder of a mentally ill drug addict by a judge who dismissed the case because the prosecution’s case was so weak. Sergeant Lloyd Kelly’s defense was not even heard. Now, we all saw a video recorded on a cell phone, aired on TV news on July 31, 2010. If you have the stomach for it, you can view the TV newscast including the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC54pcNNaR0. You are warned: it is not easy to watch. The man was unarmed. He was injured, having been beaten by residents as well as the police, after he had just allegedly committed a murder. He was lying on the ground. Sergeant Kelly (described by residents as a model policeman) could have arrested the man. But no. Egged on by a raucous crowd (reminiscent of a pack of wild dogs circling, anticipating the kill) he showed them what a “good cop” (their words) he was. On television, Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn pointed out that the maker of the video was not available; the pathologist who conducted the post mortem was not available – in fact, not even a senior person at the Ministry of National Security knew where in the world he was; and the prosecution witnesses sounded more like defense witnesses. The Crown Counsel “fought valiantly,” she said. But in vain. “Justice has been served,” said one resident of the small town of Buckfield, St. Ann where these horrors occurred. Justice? What do we call justice, these days?

The hard-working Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn. (Photo: Gleaner)

Superintendent Harry “Bungles” Daley. (Photo: Gleaner)

A policeman who had also hired highly-paid, high profile lawyers won his appeal against a corruption conviction on Friday. The Appeals judges were less than happy, reprimanding both the investigating officer (the then head of the police Anti-Corruption Branch) and the resident magistrate involved. Superintendent Harry “Bungles” Daley had been arrested during a sting operation as he allegedly sought to extort money from a businessman in Ewarton, St. Catherine. The chubby-faced “Bungles” wept copious tears in court. It’s clear, though, that there were so many discrepancies and errors in the case that the Appeals Court had no choice.

Meanwhile, the police killed seven Jamaicans in alleged shootouts in Kingston this week (although I could not find them all identified). Note that we always used that word “alleged.”

The problem is, justice is not “seen to be done” by the Jamaican man/woman on the street. The justice “system” barely works. Cases are postponed daily, either at the request of the prosecution who is not ready or because the defense is employing delaying tactics. As I have served as a witness and a juror on more than one occasion, I have seen this for myself. It is mind-numbing, frustrating, exhausting. Hours and hours are wasted daily. Other major causes of delay and the collapse of cases are the absence (or disappearance, or even elimination) of witnesses, incomplete documentation, the incredible shortage of jurors, and more. It’s even worse in the Coroner’s Court. The lobby group Jamaicans for Justice has bemoaned this for at least a decade now. Nothing has really changed. Nothing

The Director of Public Prosecution‘s office is over-burdened. Only the defense lawyers, who sweep into court in style (often late) seem quite comfortable with things the way they are.

This gentleman in Washington State in the United States was targeted by Jamaican lotto scammers, who have defrauded U.S. citizens of tens of millions of U.S. Dollars. (Photo: Gleaner)

But there was some good news on the crime-fighting front. National Security Minister Peter Bunting tabled the long-overdue legislation to tackle the utterly shameful “lotto scam,” which has continued virtually unchecked for several years. Many elderly and unsuspecting American citizens have been robbed of their life savings by these criminals. The necessary legislation was not in place, despite the sometimes desperate efforts of a police task force. Anyway, the Lottery Scam Bill (the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act, 2013) will reach the Senate next Friday. Minister Bunting said on radio that he “hopes” legislation on DNA and anti-gang measures will be tabled in the next three months. We have been hearing about those for at least a couple years now…

National Security Minister Peter Bunting. (Photo: Gleaner)

Sunday Gleaner columnist Ian Boyne made a “moral” issue out of the lotto scam in his column today (how we love that word). Another commentator, theologian and academic Dr. Anna Kasafi Perkins, liberally sprinkled her lecture last week with the same word, along with “ethics” and “values.” The annual Grace Kennedy Foundation Lecture 2013 which Dr. Perkins delivered was entitled “Moral Dis-ease making Jamaica ill? Re-engaging the Conversation.” This and all the public lectures can be found at the link below. One question (or three): Whose morals, Dr. Perkins? Whose ethics? Whose values?

A statue of Simon Bolivar towers over four government ministers, plus the Venezuelan Ambassador to Jamaica Maria Jacqueline Mendoza Ortega, as they lay a wreath at the statue near Kingston’s National Heroes Circle on Thursday. (Photo: Norman Grindley/Gleaner)

Dr. Anna Kasafi Perkins. (Photo: Catholic News)

And then the President of Venezuela died, causing much hand-wringing (but perhaps not a lot of genuine grief?) around the Caribbean. What of the PetroCaribe deal, which we all eagerly signed on to in 2005? PetroCaribe provides us with oil at preferential prices and a loan to be repaid under very generous terms. We will have to wait until after general elections. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller led a weighty delegation to Caracas for the funeral – perhaps rather overweight. Someone tweeted that it was like the distant relatives coming from near and far to see if there is anything in the will for them – with a bunch of hungry “pickney” (kids) in tow. There were questions as to the cost of this delegation, considering that we Jamaican citizens are now tightening our belts. Are the politicians doing likewise? That recurring “sacrifice” theme again.

Minister Omar Davies, what is “optics”? In Parliament last week, the former Finance Minister brushed aside calls for a smaller Cabinet and possibly even a pay cut/wage freeze for politicians (gasp!) Just a little symbolic gesture of goodwill towards the Jamaican people perhaps? In his usual off-hand way, Minister Davies used the word “optics.” Take a deep breath…

Ms. Shanique Myrie arrives at the Caribbean Court of Justice hearing in Kingston. (Photo: Gleaner)

Then, in the week of International Women’s Day, the case of Ms. Shanique Myrie came up in the first-ever sitting of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). There was not much detail available, as much of the evidence was written and not made publicly available, according to keen observer Dionne Jackson-Miller. This seems odd to me. Meanwhile, details of Ms. Myrie’s attire in court; the rather difficult Barbadian accent of the lead attorney; and the literacy level of one of the witnesses seemed to preoccupy the media. Ms. Myrie is not a woman from what some call the “upper echelons” of Jamaican society. I admire her bravery in challenging the Barbadian immigration authorities over what must have been a deeply humiliating experience. Good for her. Sad and ironic, though, that the first case in the illustrious CCJ involving Jamaica should be dealing with perceived discrimination by one of our Caribbean neighbors against our citizens.

Javed Jaghai. (Photo: Davis United World Scholars Program/Dartmouth College)

The intrepid Dionne Jackson-Miller tackled the topic of religion in schools on her weekly program “All Angles.” If you have time, please do watch the program on the link below, in which the Minister of Education (and Reverend) Ronald Thwaites continuously patronizes, rudely interrupts and completely loses his cool over views expressed clearly and intelligently by youth activist Javed Jaghai. At one point he even points his finger at Mr. Jaghai and can hardly restrain himself from angry outbursts. How dare this young upstart contest the fact that all Jamaican children should – and must – be exposed to religion (Christianity)? And on a daily basis, because it is “good,” and “wholesome” and – oh yes, “moral.” That word again. The argument that children can “opt out” if they want to doesn’t hold much water; allowed to stand at the side of the room, they remain a captive and passive participant in the “daily religious indoctrination,” as Mr. Jaghai put it. But the Minister embarrassed himself. I doubt he apologized. After all, he is a government minister and a church man, with considerable influence and piety on his side.

Education Minister Reverend Ronald Thwaites.

I must again commend young columnist Jaevion Nelson, who is doing a great job of challenging Jamaicans’ preconceived notions. He took up the same topic in his Gleaner column this week, asking simply, “Can you imagine how much better off we would be if the church was vocal about governance and corruption?” But the Church does not use its huge power and influence for this purpose.

The humorous and perceptive columnist Robert Lalah. (Photo: Gleaner)

Kudos also to another young writer Robert Lalah, whose column this week was honest, moving and real. Why are we so cold, so hard-hearted towards homeless gays, he asks? They are Jamaicans. I have always enjoyed Mr. Lalah’s humorous columns depicting country life in Jamaica. In this column, he again showed his humanity. Thank you.

This week was the Kingston Book Festival, organized by the Book Industry Association of Jamaica. Although publishing is not a huge and thriving industry in Jamaica, sad to say (I worked in that field for eight years myself) the enthusiasm for writing, sharing, reading and performing prose and poetry continues unabated here. Special congratulations to Ms. Kellie Magnus and her team for putting together a vibrant program of events, creating some great partnerships and collaborations. It’s also wonderful to welcome home one of our ex-pat writers, Andrew “Kei” Miller, for a few months. I am sure he will have much to contribute and enjoy, and hope he will be doing lots of outreach. Don’t stay cloistered at the University of the West Indies, Kei. Venture forth!

Jamaican writers Roland Watson-Grant (left) and Kei Miller at a Kingston BookFest workshop. (My photo)

Jamaican writers Roland Watson-Grant (left) and Kei Miller at a Kingston Book Festival workshop. (My photo)

Ms. Kellie Magnus, organizer of Kingston BookFest, at a publishing workshop at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston last week. (My photo)

A lovely gentleman, Garveyite Frank Gordon, passed away last week at the age of ninety. Mr. Gordon was drawn to Marcus Garvey’s Liberty Hall in downtown Kingston from the age of twelve. He became a steadfast follower and key figure in the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), where he served as president for many years. A man with a deep grasp of history and the importance of Jamaica’s self-determination, he is the kind of person you wish would live forever, so that he could share his wisdom and guidance with future generations.

P.S. Did you know that Caribbean Earth Hour is March 23, 2013 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.? Would you like to turn off your lights/electricity for just one hour, in symbolic recognition of the challenges of climate change? If you have any ideas, plans or would like further information, do contact Heather Pinnock at h.pinnock@gmail.com.

P.P.S. Our son used to love school swimming competitions when he was young. Many happy, sunny days spent at the National Stadium pool… Special “big ups” to Excelsior Primary School, the first primary (state) school to win the Preparatory/Primary School Swim Champs!

Once again, it was a sad week for some Jamaicans, who are mourning the loss of loved ones killed by their fellow-citizens. My heart goes out to them.

Mr. Frank Gordon. (Photo: Jamaica Observer)

Unidentified man, Orange Street, Kingston

Copeland Coulbourne, 80, Content District, St. Catherine

Christopher Williams, 40, Homestead, St. Catherine

Unidentified man, Sydenham, St. Catherine

Unidentified man, Westchester/Portmore, St. Catherine

Maurie Redding, Little London, Westmoreland

Killed by police:

Rohan Armstrong, 18, Regent Street, west Kingston

Four others in west Kingston

Weng, National Heroes Circle, Kingston 4

Unidentified man, National Heroes Circle, Kingston 4

Related articles and websites: Local blog posts in purple – do read what my fellow Jamaican bloggers have

http://www.gracekennedy.com/corporate-citizenship/grace-kennedy-foundation/public-lecture-series Grace Kennedy Foundation Public Lecture Series: GraceKennedy.com

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130304/cleisure/cleisure4.html Cross-dressers not deserving of sympathy? Robert Lalah column/Gleaner

http://www.og.nr/rbt/12447-tanya-stephens-defends-gays-rants-against-bigots-in-facebook-tirade.html Tanya Stephens defends gays, rants against bigots on Facebook: On the Ground News Reports

http://www.sdgln.com/news/2013/03/08/rgod2-angeline-jackson-lesbian-activist-homophobic-jamaica Meet Angeline Jackson, lesbian activist in homophobic Jamaica: sdgln.com

http://www.caribjournal.com/2013/03/07/women-and-the-jamaican-work-force/ Women and the Jamaican work forces: Op-ed by Marcia Forbes/Carib Journal

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=43235 SSP Dathan Henry was poisoned: Gleaner

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/vanessa-wints-case-forwarded-to-special-coroners-office Vanessa Wint’s case forwarded to special coroner’s office: RJR News

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130310/cleisure/cleisure1.html The Buckfield case and the DPP: Sunday Gleaner editorial

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130310/news/news5.html ”Bungled”: Senior cop and resident magistrate chided by appeal court as it frees Harry “Bungles”: Sunday Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130310/cleisure/cleisure2.html Using science to control crime: Frank Phipps op-ed/Sunday Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130310/focus/focus1.html Lotto scamming, bling and morality: Ian Boyne column/Sunday Gleaner

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/more-florida-seniors-fall-victim-to-lottery-scam More Florida seniors fall victim to lottery scam: RJR News

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/US-cooperation-to-stem-lottery-scamming–Bunting_13808439 U.S. co-operation to stem lottery scamming – Bunting: Sunday Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Reluctant-witnesses-help-clog-court-system_13808517 Reluctant witnesses help clog court system: Sunday Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=43234 Wildman promises positive development in Cash Plus case: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130304/cleisure/cleisure1.html The CCJ: A declaration of relevance: Gleaner editorial

http://dmarcuswilliams.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-ronnie-thwaites-carolyn-cooper.html How Ronnie Thwaites and Carolyn Cooper disappointed me: D.Marcus Williams.blogspot.com

http://redforgender.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/the-ccj-and-shanique-myrie-how-to-signify-good-taste-and-respectability/ The CCJ and Shanique Myrie: How to signify “good taste” and “respectability”: redforgender.wordpress.com

http://newsandviewsbydjmillerja.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/jamaican-leg-of-shanique-myrie-case-ends-points-to-note/ Jamaican leg of Shanique Myrie ends: Points to note: Dionne Jackson-Miller blog

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33182s Gender equality public education campaign launched: Jamaica Information Service

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/reggie-cameron/diana-king_b_2827726.html?utm_hp_ref=tw Diana King on Jamaican homophobia and coming out: HuffPost

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130310/news/news4.html Young, homeless, hopeless: More people under 40 swell the street dwellers population: Sunday Gleaner

http://www.caribjournal.com/2013/03/07/dennis-chung-the-cost-of-cultural-habits-in-jamaica/ The cost of cultural habits in Jamaica: Op-ed by Dennis Chung/Carib Journal

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130303/business/business1.html NCB staff sues bank: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130308/cleisure/cleisure1.html More to be done on wage agreement: Gleaner editorial

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130306/news/news1.html Jamaica is NOT in a currency crisis…But could it be by the end of 2013? André Haughton op-ed/Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/A-good-time-to-bury-bad-news–cash–politics–media-and-corruption_13800883#ixzz2Mx89PPQ4 A good time to bury bad news: Cash, politics, media and corruption: Franklin Johnston column/Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/That-Jamaican-delegation-to-Venezuela_13808356 That Jamaican delegation to Venezuela: Sunday Observer editorial

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130307/lead/lead4.html Venezuela and Jamaica: The ties that bind: Gary Spaulding op-ed/Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130304/lead/lead9.html Don’t waste another year in Parliament: Gleaner

http://digjamaica.com/blog/2013/03/08/5-facts-petrocaribe/ 5 Facts: PetroCaribe: diGJamaica.com

http://digjamaica.com/petrocaribe The History of PetroCaribe in Jamaica: diGJamaica.com

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=43329 English only in the Senate, president tells Justice Minister: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130304/letters/letters3.html Unfortunate attack on Ruel Reid: Letter to the Editor/Gleaner

http://www.televisionjamaica.com/Programmes/AllAngles.aspx/Videos/24759 Should religious activities be banned from school? All Angles/TVJ

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130307/cleisure/cleisure3.html Misplaced Christian priorities: Jaevion Nelson column/Gleaner

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33171 Climate change documents to be tabled in Parliament: Jamaica Information Service

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Outstanding-Garveyite-Frank-Gordon-passes_13780222 Outstanding Garveyite Frank Gordon passes: Jamaica Observer

http://digjamaica.com/blog/2013/03/05/holywell-park-mother-nature-at-its-finest/ Holywell Park: Mother Nature at its finest: digjamaica.com

http://as-told-by-nella.blogspot.com/2013/03/friday-link-love.html Friday Link Love: nella.blogspot.com – more local blog links for you to explore…

Guyanese, Jamaicans top list of CARICOM nationals denied entry to Barbados (kaieteurnewsonline.com)

Is It Really March Already? Sunday: March 3, 2013 (petchary.wordpress.com)

Posted in: Americas, Books, Environment, Human rights, Money, Society, Spirit | Tagged: Caribbean, Caribbean Court of Justice, Director of Public Prosecution, Ewarton, Facebook, International Monetary Fund, Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service, Kingston, Omar Davies, PetroCaribe, Portia Simpson Miller, Shanique Myrie, Tanya Stephens

Seeing Red with the Stanleys

By petchary on March 2, 2013 | 9 Comments

Margaret and Michael Stanley are artists. Inspired by the brilliance of their tropical surroundings, they have never been afraid of color. And their new joint exhibition at Kingston‘s Grosvenor Gallery positively glows. This is the Stanleys’ first joint exhibition in Jamaica for twenty years, and the works complement each other beautifully.

The exhibition glows. A peek inside the Grosvenor Gallery’s front door. (My photo)

The Stanleys settled in Jamaica from south London in the late 1980s with their young daughter. We have known them since our London days together; in fact Margaret held her first exhibition at the then Creative Arts Centre in 1983. Since 1988, the British/Jamaican couple have contributed greatly to Kingston’s vigorous arts scene. Mike paints and Margaret is a textile artist. They have also been dedicated and energetic teachers at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and the University of Technology‘s Caribbean School of Architecture; Margaret joining what was then the Jamaica School of Art’s fledgling Textile Department on her return to her native Jamaica. They have exhibited in London and Jamaica.

Admiring Michael Stanley’s work. (My photo)

“Red…and Other Colours” - which opened last weekend and will close on March 9 – is a richly emotional feast for the senses. There is nothing neutral here. Margaret notes that red is a particularly “compelling” color. It’s not a color you can ignore. Often, you can’t refuse it, either. Margaret’s “Put on Your Red Dress, Baby” is a perfect example of this – voluptuous, warm and with a delicious tulle frill at the bottom. No dancehall queen could resist putting this one on.

Margaret Stanley’s flamboyand “Red Dress.” (My photo)

Red is a favorite color in the Jamaican dancehall.

Margaret’s work often reflects different periods and stages in her life; and she is certainly in celebratory mood now, embracing the “passion” of living. Her husband (whose early influences include the American abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock) indulges in some red, too. His two paintings “Le Rouge” and “Le Noir” were inspired by the 1830 novel by Stendhal, where the colors referred to the contrasting uniforms of the army and the church, respectively.

Mike’s paintings, spanning his work over the past three years, are celebrations too. He pays tribute to two lives: that of his teacher, mentor and friend, artist John Hoyland, a leading British abstract artist. Hoyland was by all accounts “quite a character,” as we British would say; and always aware of his working-class Yorkshire origins, despite long sojourns in London and New York.

The other life Mike had in mind during the past three years was the sadly shortened life of talented British singer Amy Winehouse, who actually died in the same month and year as Mr. Hoyland (July, 2011) at the age of 27. Amy’s exuberance and eccentric persona is reflected in Mike’s textured and vibrant paintings. You can almost hear that husky contralto.

Fellow artist and former Vice Principal of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts Hope Brooks introduces the Stanleys’ exhibition on the verandah of the Grosvenor Gallery. At right is gallery owner and art collector Douglas Reid. (My photo)

Fellow artist and former Vice Principal of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts Hope Brooks opened the exhibition on February 23, commenting on the challenges of the artist’s life. Of course, this has always been the case – I recall the image of the starving artist in his attic in mid-winter, from my childhood in England. I actually thought artists did, literally, starve. In the tropics, it is and mostly has been the same. But as Ms. Brooks noted, why is Jamaica not “cashing in” on its astonishingly rich culture? Politicians pay lip service to “Brand Jamaica” (how am I wearying of that phrase) – but that is it. “Just talk,” Ms. Brooks exclaimed.

We are not just talking about the performing arts and sports (we all know about reggae and Usain Bolt) but also of course the visual arts, which are flourishing despite the economic recession in which Jamaica is sinking. Just look at the National Biennial at the National Gallery of Jamaica (which also closes on March 9, by the way) if you want any further proof of the diversity of the Jamaican artistic expression. And where are the museums?

“Pimk aur anari” by Mike Stanley. Mike will give you the translation. (My photo)

“I am not talking about using government funds to develop culture. Money for culture is out there. It is called ‘off-budget funding,’ but it requires certain structures to be put in place and the necessary capacity building at the government level to access it,” Ms. Brooks suggested. She has a point.

In any case, let’s not have any more words on the creativity of Jamaicans. Perhaps we could just make it happen. In this respect, the efforts of Michael Thompson, an overseas-based Jamaican who is seeking to build a Reggae Hall of Fame on Kingston’s waterfront are to be applauded, said Ms. Brooks. Mr. Thompson was also the inspiration behind last year’s hugely successful International Reggae Poster Competition. One wishes him every success.

I will leave you with words from the artists: Says Michael: “The language of painting, as I have come to practice it from my background, is how I dialogue with art from the present and past, and with subjects from my life both public and private.” Margaret adds: “At this point in my life I want to keep my passion and move onward and upward. The work was made in this spirit.” And Hope Brooks observes that the Stanleys “like all artists do what they do because they love it, and art- making without that love and commitment, discipline and self- motivation would not be possible. But artists need support and the lack of public attention for the arts sends a negative message. Artists deserve better…”

Indeed, they do.

For further information on Margaret and Mike’s work, you may contact them at mstanleys@gmail.com. The Grosvenor Gallery, an old house nestled comfortably off a busy thoroughfare in Manor Park, Kingston 8, is well worth a visit. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and if you are in the neighborhood tomorrow (Saturday March 2) you can drop by and meet the artists from around 10:30 a.m.

Please support Jamaican art wherever and whenever you can! It will enrich your life…

Related articles:

Amy Winehouse…in red. (Photo: People magazine website)

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/a-burst-of-biennial-magic/ A burst of biennial magic: petchary.wordpress.com

British abstract artist John Hoyland. (Photo: Gary Calton/Guardian UK)

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/the-global-spirit-of-reggae-music/ The global spirit of reggae music: petchary.wordpress.com

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/aug/01/john-hoyland-obituary John Hoyland obituary: guardian.co.uk

Michael Stanley with his painting “Le Rouge” (My photo)

http://www.amywinehouse.com Amy Winehouse home page

Margaret Stanley’s “Bad Red” includes images of blood, rage and violence. (My photo)

Margaret Stanley (in blue) with “Put on Your Red Dress, Baby.” (My photo)

Posted in: Americas, Art, Books, Family, Music, Spirit

Silver Lining Sunday: February 24, 2013

By petchary on February 25, 2013 | Leave a Comment

The drought is relentless, but one day of rain felt like heaven. This week, I am trying to find silver linings wherever I can (like the Oscar-nominated movie “Silver Linings Playbook,” which I heartily recommend. And I plan to do a rain dance on what is left of our parched front lawn.

So let’s start with the heartening news that the police may be winning the armed struggle against the gangs of Spanish Town that has been going on for years. For at least the last decade the “Old Capital,” with its crumbling historic buildings, narrow streets and zinc-fence slums pressing against its boundaries, has been best known for the One Order gang and the Klansmen Gang – both ostensibly politically-affiliated. We became sadly familiar with their names and the names of their leaders. Not out of the woods yet, but by all accounts things have calmed down. There will be ”shootouts,” the necessary evil that Security Minister Peter Bunting predicted a few weeks ago – in which the alleged criminals always come off the worst. Two alleged extortionists were shot dead by the police last week. But in general, as you can see below, the tally of murders is way below the usual level.

The incarcerated leader of the Klansmen Gang of Spanish Town, Tesha Miller, is appealing his fifteen-year sentence for armed robbery this week. (Photo: Jamaica Gleaner)

The issue of the root causes of crime has not even been touched on or addressed. Curfews and patrols and shootouts by our military-style police (who could easily be mistaken for soldiers these days) are no substitute for real employment opportunities (not short-term work programs); training for jobs that actually exist or can be created; and decent living conditions with toilets, running water and garbage collection. How long can one hold the lid down on a pressure cooker filled with despair? Social conditions have not changed, and are likely to worsen.

A policewoman frisks a resident in Newlands, St. Catherine. The police often use curfews to control outbreaks of violence in poor communities across the island. (Photo: Ricardo Makyn/Gleaner)

And the justice system creaks along, like a very old man bent with arthritis, unable to straighten up any more. An important case was postponed last week until July 1, to make way for the hearing of a nine-year-old murder case against a policeman charged with shooting a colleague. When that case came up, the prosecution could not find the main witness. The case of Keith Clarke (the middle-class Jamaican who died in a hail of bullets at his uptown home around the time of the May 2010 Tivoli Gardens massacre) was also put off until July 1, amidst uncertainties over the origin of the bullets that killed him. Time and resources wasted, and lives put on hold. Justice delayed is….

On the topic of justice, there is still none for the families of over seventy Jamaicans who lost their lives during a police/military assault on the community of Tivoli Gardens in May, 2010 (euphemistically called the “incursion.”) Since the administration met with the Public Defender, who has not yet produced an interim report on the matter, there has been a deafening silence. What is really happening?

The National Housing Trust (NHT) issue generated heat this week – that is, the decision by the government to “raid” the NHT to the tune of J$11 billion a year for four years, to bail us out of our current economic agonies. A pressure group called Citizens Action for Principle & Integrity (CAPI) has filed suit in the Supreme Court, challenging what seems to have been a hasty and somewhat desperate decision by the government as the twin swords of Damocles, the debt burden and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), hang over us. Make that one big sword, perhaps. Some regard the CAPI lawsuit as unnecessary, cynical, even unpatriotic (one talk show host called it “silly political games,” not in the country’s interest). To that I would retort, is it in our interest to allow the government that we elected to railroad through the NHT funding, when it is clear that this will be to the detriment of contributors, and may be illegal? Working Jamaicans have contributed to the NHT for years, many hoping to be able to purchase a house at reasonable cost one day. Simple but important point. Housing is a basic need. No one would deny that. Why, too does the National Housing Trust have such a huge surplus? Why wasn’t it building houses with all that money? And is this drawdown going to be even feasible? The NHT chairman said the Turst had only worked out the payments for the first two years. And on another note, why is the housing program for the very poor (under the auspices of that often-elusive JEEP program) in such confusion? It seems if you leave these things in the laps of Members of Parliament, there may be great inefficiencies in the administration thereof.

And if the National Housing Trust isn’t really a trust, as its directors claim, then why was it called the National Housing Trust? Well, we shall see how things turn out. Meanwhile, the Finance Minister is suggesting that if what they are doing is illegal, the administration may have to amend the law accordingly.

Jamaica Observer editorial cartoon: February 18, 2013

Going back to the IMF for just a minute, I was taken aback by the Prime Minister’s announcement in St. Mary last week. It was what the Jamaica Information Service called a “wide-ranging speech” in St. Mary last week. I can’t find a copy of it anywhere, and I wonder what else she talked about? Anyway, former Finance Minister and current Transport Minister Omar Davies is to chair the oversight committee that will monitor Jamaica’s progress towards getting in line with the IMF requirements. I am disappointed, to say the least, as I had hoped the committee would be private sector-led and by “independent” Jamaicans. And of all people, Minister Davies? Who are the other committee members, please?

I am going to mention these real quick as I have told myself to be more “positive” this week (how am I doing, by the way?) but I have to mention: the economy contracted by 0.6% in the October-December 2012 quarter; there was a fiscal deficit of J$16.7 billion during the review quarter, J$6.7 billion more than budgeted; unemployment rose by 0.9% over the previous quarter; and the Jamaican Dollar continued its decline to around J$96/US$1. Someone pointed out that this is way higher than the Haitian Gourde rate to the U.S. Dollar. (Comparisons with Haiti are a favorite obsession of ours). Oh, and the Net International Reserves (NIR) are now reportedly at the minimum level that is internationally acceptable. Help…

But hey, here’s some silver linings:

Keith Lyn, (left) Catholic school ministry team leader, in discussion with Margaret Brissett-Bolt, principal of the Holy Trinity High School, on Monday during the handover of $200,000 of hardware items by the Kiwanis Club of Eastern St Andrew to the school. Also in the picture are students of the institution. (Photo: Norman Grindley/Jamaica Observer)

My faith in Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell (which had been flagging somewhat recently) may be restored by the announcement of measures to stimulate alternative energy production, including solar power equipment; I know at least one firm that is delighted by this and believes it will stimulate investment. Other measures he has announced in the sector seem to make sense to me, although I don’t have the technical knowledge to understand the details very clearly. You will see further links below. Minister Paulwell likes to announce that he will be making an announcement in Parliament, and then make it with a just discernible tremor in his voice. After that, we often ask questions, starting with “But…?” But, the man is trying. Let’s give him credit. But Jamaica Public Service head Kelly Tomblin – who seems an honest and up-front lady – was not quite so enthused during a radio interview; JPS is losing money, for a start.

The Principal of Holy Trinity High School, Ms. Margaret Brissett-Bolt (a truly dedicated educator) was thrilled to receive a donation of J$200,000 worth of equipment from the Kiwanis Club of Eastern Kingston. Many schools – especially those in less “desirable” areas – are struggling with meager resources.

Hooray for the women and their supporters! The Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC) has been collaborating with a number of organizations, including the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre, to discuss what the budget really means. A well attended session for women’s organizations concluded that women must pay more attention, gather knowledge and use it boldly and wisely. The JCSC will share the conclusions of these sessions with the government; the JCSC has already met with the Ministry of Education and will meet with the Justice Ministry soon. Plus Opposition Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, a lady who does her homework, put forward a proposal not to penalize girls who are automatically thrown out of the education system once they get pregnant. Plus youth and human rights activist Jaevion Nelson wrote another excellent column in support of women’s rights this week. Nice going.

Opposition Senator Kamina Johnson Smith. (Photo: Gleaner)

Joy Crawford of Eve for Life (left) and colleague Patricia Watson participate in last week’s JCSC session on budget issues. (My Photo)

A fellow blogger wrote a marvelous article (the link is below) about the creation of a vertical wall garden in African Gardens, a small section of the impoverished community of August Town. The University of the West Indies, whose campus is just a stone’s throw away, began the UWI Township initiative some years ago, under the aegis of the late Professor Barry Chevannes – a great believer in social empowerment. This is a low-cost project that, if maintained, has great potential for the self-sufficiency and raised self-esteem of the community. Congratulations to CUSO International and all those involved in the project, which could be easily replicated in other neighborhoods. Isn’t it sad that many of these inner-city areas are called “Gardens” – Arnett Gardens, Seaview Gardens etc – and yet there are so few gardens in them? We could do much more in this area.

Residents and volunteers examine the suspended wall garden, here initially some were filled with flowers and artificial plants. (Image provided by Doudou Kalala/CUSO)

My final “silver lining”: It is a corny old saying that there is opportunity in adversity. But, as young diaspora leader David Mullings commented in his Sunday column, “We must be optimistic.” We must be, yes! We must all pull together! We must make this work! We must pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, put our shoulders to the wheel, and… I will soon run out of clichés.

Much as I loved that movie (and Jennifer Lawrence deserved her Oscar), perhaps silver linings are a cliché, too. But there may be one, somewhere.

The lovely Jennifer Lawrence in her Oscar-winning role as Tiffany in “Silver Linings Playbook.” (Photo: Total Film website)

Guarding the squatter community of Gravel Heights near Spanish Town. (Photo: Garfield Robinson/Observer)

P.S. A young journalist hosting a radio talk show began the program by exhorting young people to take all their opportunities, as help and institutions are out there just ready and waiting to help them find a job. I think he should take that speech to inner-city Seaview Gardens or deep rural St. Thomas, where unemployment is around 50% or more, and see what kind of response he gets.

This past week has been unusually “quiet” – far fewer homicides than usual. I wish this would be the same every week – let’s hope so. My deepest condolences to the families and friends of the following Jamaican citizens who lost their lives – including, tragically, an infant allegedly killed by her mentally troubled mother. But every life lost is a tragedy, isn’t it…

Salverna Josephs, 1, Brompton, St. Elizabeth

Owayne Sinclair, 28, New Kingston

Denzil Boyd, 63, Queensborough, Kingston

By the police:

Tyrone Heron, 18, Spanish Town, St. Catherine

Seon Taylor, 20, Spanish Town, St. Catherine

Related articles/links: (Jamaican blog posts highlighted in purple):

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/What-have-we-become_13674828 What have we become? Letter to the Editor/Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/What-is-being-done-with-our-taxes–Prime-Minister_13657475 What is being done with our taxes, Prime Minister? Letter to the Editor/Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130220/cleisure/cleisure1.html The other side of the IMF agreement: Gleaner editorial

http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21572223-imf-again-lenten-diet?fsrc=scn/tw_ec/lenten_diet Jamaica: Lenten diet: The Economist

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130222/business/business4.html Economy contracts 0.6%: Gleaner

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-104/33054 Statement from the Ministry of Finance on the acceptance and extension of the NDX: Jamaica Information Service

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130219/cleisure/cleisure1.html Another way to skin the NHT cat: Gleaner editorial

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/pm-defends-drawdown-of-nht-funds PM defends drawdown of NHT funds: RJR News

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130222/lead/lead1.html ”We’re still viable”: NHT confident $45b government swipe won’t hurt operations: Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/NHT-to-modify-programmes-to-ensure–44-b-handover_13690389 NHT to modify programs to ensure $44 billion handover: Jamaica Observer

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/capi-fast-tracks-plans-to-challenge-government-on-nht-funds CAPI fast-tracks plans to challenge government on NHT funds: RJR News

http://www.capijamaica.org CAPI Jamaica

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/paac-chairman-calls-for-divestment-of-mobay-convention-centre PAAC chairman calls for divestment of Mobay Convention Centre: RJR News

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130220/cleisure/cleisure2.html PM, don’t deceive the people: George Davis column/Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Can-the-poor-take-any-more-_13652219 Can the poor take any more? Jean Lowrie-Chin column/Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Designing-a-political-path-for-a-different-economic-result_13651976 Designing a political path for a different economic result: Claude Robinson column/Sunday Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130220/lead/lead1.html Prepaid power? Gleaner

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33033 CET suspended on energy-saving devices: Jamaica Information Service

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130220/business/business1.html Paulwell slows process in order to fast-track energy proposals: Gleaner

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-111/33028 Energy conservation critical to IMF agreement – Minister Paulwell: Jamaica Information Service

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/energy-ministers-presentation-to-parliament-on-jps-changes Energy Minister’s presentation to Parliament on JPS changes: RJR News

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33026 Reduction in electricity rate: Jamaica Information Service

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130220/business/business2.html Revenue, profit plunge at JPS: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=42995 Air traffic controllers say no to wage freeze: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130221/news/news3.html 7,000 public sector posts to be abolished: Gleaner

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33017 Norman Manley Airport management to be privatized: Jamaica Information Service

http://www.digjamaica.com/data/view/inflation_rate_monthly Inflation rate – monthly: diGJamaica.com

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/Grounded–Jamaica-Air-Shuttle-seeks-partners_13669655 Grounded: Jamaica Air Shuttle seeks partners: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-113/33030 VW actor to help promote Brand Jamaica: Jamaica Information Service

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130221/news/news5.html KSAC to sign off on housing projects despite mass resignation of committee members: Gleaner

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/tighter-measures-in-place-to-protect-government-information-robinson Tighter measures in place to protect government information: RJR News

http://cucumberjuice.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/a-suspended-wall-garden-in-african-gardens-jamaica/#comment-1181 A suspended wall garden in African Gardens, Jamaica: cucumberjuice.wordpress.com

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Police-take-back-Spanish-Town_13692423 Police take back Spanish Town: Sunday Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/-Stray–bullet-_13698573 Ammo found may not have come from soldiers’ weapon, says JDF: Sunday Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Vicious-gays_13677272 Vicious gays: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Opposition-wants-second-chance-for-pregnant-schoolgirls_13701933 Opposition wants second chance for pregnant schoolgirls: Jamaica Observer

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/bail-revoked-for-police-inspector-dadrick-henry Bail revoked for police Inspector Dadrick Henry: RJR News

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/cop-accused-of-killing-colleague-appears-in-court_1 Cop accused of killing colleague ten years ago appears in court: RJR News

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Guns-and-bullets-once-again_13688049 Guns and bullets once again: Ramesh Sujanani op-ed/Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/teenage/OCR-appoints-ambassadors-to-help-raise-awareness-about-child-abuse_13660593 OCR appoints ambassadors to help raise awareness about child abuse: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130223/letters/letters1.html Are we proud of how we treat our children? Letter of the Day/Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130221/cleisure/cleisure3.html Women must truly have equal rights: Jaevion Nelson column/Gleaner

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/plans-to-establish-entertainment-zones-islandwide Plans to establish entertainment zones islandwide: RJR News

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/environment/Lionfish-decreasing_13653509 Lionfish decreasing: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33029 Agriculture Ministry to lobby EPA on pesticide use: Jamaica Information Service

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/environment/-God-blessed-dirt-_13569435 Up to 2,500 per cent higher concentration levels in Jamaica’s red mud: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130220/lead/lead4.html Jamaica College kicks off Gospel Crusade 2013: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130221/news/news6.html Holy Trinity High 11th-graders get well-needed hardware boost: Gleaner

http://newsandviewsbydjmillerja.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/that-burning-jamaican-flag/#comment-1495 That burning Jamaican flag: newsandviewsbydjmillerja.wordpress.com

http://dextercommunications.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/jamaicans-harlem-shake-while-germans-desecrated-jamaican-flag/ Jamaicans Harlem shake while Germans desecrate Jamaican flag: dextercommunications.wordpress.com

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=43048 Opposition fumes over burning of Jamaican flag in German commercial: Gleaner

http://www.saturn.de/mcs/shop/die-welt-braucht-bessere-technik.html?et_cid=46&et_lid=128&et_sub=bessere_technik Die Welt braucht bessere Technik: Saturn.de video

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130220/cleisure/cleisure3.html Gehry Reggae Museum – no insult intended: Michael Thompson article/Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/US-medical-mission-treats-2-000-St-Mary-residents_13651944 U.S. medical mission treats 2,000 St. Mary residents: Jamaica Observer

Posted in: Americas, Environment, Film, Human rights, Money, Music, Society, Spirit | Tagged: cybercrimes, Finance minister, gangs, Gleaner, Haitian Gourde, IMF, International Monetary Fund, Jamaica, Jamaican dollar, JPS, Kingston Jamaica, National Housing Trust, NHT, Spanish Town

The Sacredness of Life and the Importance of Attics

By petchary on February 22, 2013 | 7 Comments

A fellow-blogger and author, Jack Scott, shared this story on Twitter the other day. The life of Ms. Tina Strobos, who died last year, moved me so deeply. At age nineteen she joined the Dutch underground movement against the Nazis, and personally saved the lives of at least 100 Jews during the Second World War. My friend Jack found this story on the New Humanist Blog of the UK’s Rationalist Association. Here is their introduction, followed by Tina Strobos‘ obituary from the “Washington Post.”

“Reading the obituary of Tina Strobos, who contributed to the rescue of more than 100 Jews in the Netherlands during the Second World War and who has died in New York at the age of 91, I was struck by a line concerning her motivation for risking her own life for such selfless ends. Speaking in 2009, Strobos explained why she participated in the Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation (she delivered arms and equipment to resistance fighters) and helped to hide Jews to evade deportation to the death camps by hiding them in her attic:

“I never believed in God, but I believed in the sacredness of life.”

The argument over whether it is possible for atheists to be “good” has always struck me as a particularly absurd aspect of the religion debate – of course the non-religious can be good, and you can find evidence of that in the incredible life of someone such as Strobos, as well as in the innumerable actions of people living in less extraordinary times. So I don’t offer this quote from Strobos as a contribution to a dispute over who is more moral, the faithful or the faithless. People of faith and people of no faith committed extraordinary acts of bravery and compassion in the face of the slaughter of innocent people during the Holocaust, but at the same time millions, both religious or non-religious, participated, collaborated or stood idly by. That’s an uncomfortable truth, whichever side of the God debate you come down on.”

And here (from me) is a quote from Elie Wiesel:

There may be a time when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.

By Emily Langer, Published: February 29, 2012

Tina Strobos, a psychiatry student who joined the Dutch underground during World War II and helped save the lives of more than 100 Jews by giving them refuge on the upper floor of her Amsterdam rowhouse, died Feb. 27 at her home in Rye, N.Y. She was 91 and had metastatic cancer, said her son Jur Strobos.

Tina Strobos in 2009 (Photo by Charles Seton)

In 1989, the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem recognized Dr. Strobos and her late mother, Marie Schotte, as “righteous among the nations” — people who, without seeking personal reward, risked their lives, freedom and safety to save persecuted Jews during World War II.

To save one person “was an extraordinary feat,” Donna Cohen, executive director of the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center in White Plains, N.Y., said in an interview. Dr. Strobos, who saved dozens, was “the ultimate rescuer.”Her story has been recounted in numerous volumes of Holocaust history. About 80 percent of the 140,000 Jewish residents of Holland during the Nazi occupation died in the Holocaust, according to Yad Vashem.Among them was Anne Frank, the young German-born diarist who hid with her family in another Amsterdam attic just blocks away from Dr. Strobos’s home. The Franks were betrayed by an informant and deported to concentration camps, where everyone in the family except Anne’s father died.Dr. Strobos retained a lifelong regret about the fate of Anne Frank and her family, whose hiding place lacked an escape route. “If I knew they were there,” she told her son, “I would have gotten them out of the country.”Dr. Strobos was just shy of her 20th birthday when Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940. When she and her university classmates refused to sign an oath of loyalty to Adolf Hitler, the medical school was shut down and many students, including Dr. Strobos, joined the underground resistance movement.

In the beginning, she worked primarily on arming and equipping the resistance fighters. She ran guns, explosives and radios, sometimes hiding them in her bicycle basket during journeys of 50 miles.

But as armed resistance became increasingly dangerous, she turned her efforts to helping her Jewish friends and, later, others seeking a way out of the country. One of the Jews she saved was her then-fiancé, Abraham Pais, who became a celebrated physicist and biographer of Albert Einstein. They did not marry but had “ties that will never break,” Pais once said.

Rescue efforts in the Netherlands were especially perilous, given the low-lying Dutch terrain, which offered few forests and no mountains for cover. Dr. Strobos and her mother turned their three-story home, which was just behind the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, into an initial stop on the underground railroad. They provided their guests with food and medical care as well as false passports to replace ones marking them as Jews.

Obtaining fresh documents to falsify sometimes required creativity. Once, at the funeral of an aunt, Dr. Strobos rifled through mourners’ coats. She enlisted the help of train-station pickpockets, who stole travelers’ papers for the cause.

“I wasn’t alone in all this, you know,” Dr. Strobos told the Westchester County Journal News in 2009.One day, a carpenter from the resistance showed up on her doorstep and offered his services. In the attic, he fashioned a wall that closed off a gable and created a hideaway for up to four people. The gable’s window provided an escape route.

The wall was so skillfully made, Dr. Strobos’s son said, that when he and his family returned to the Amsterdam house in the 1970s, they could not find the entrance to the hideaway without their mother’s help.

Dr. Strobos said that she was arrested nine times and that her house was searched eight times.“I never believed in God,” she once said, “but I believed in the sacredness of life.”Tineke Buchter was born May 19, 1920, in Amsterdam. An only child, she grew up mostly with her mother after her parents divorced. Her grandmother had been involved with the labor movement of the late 1800s, and her mother, a socialist atheist, had housed refugees during World War I.Dr. Strobos received a medical degree from the University of Amsterdam in 1946. Later, she studied in London under the direction of Anna Freud, the daughter of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, whose family had fled Austria to England during the Nazis’ rise to power.Dr. Strobos immigrated to the United States in 1951, became a U.S. citizen and practiced psychiatry in New York until she was 89. Many of her clients, her son said, were indigent and handicapped.

Her first marriage, to Robert Strobos, a neurologist, ended in divorce. Her second husband, Walter A. Chudson, an economist, died in 2002 after 35 years of marriage.

Survivors include three children from her first marriage, Semon Strobos of New Braunfels, Tex., Jur Strobos of Washington and Carolyn Strobos of Newport-on-Tay, Scotland; two stepchildren, Lucy Chudson of New York City and Paul Chudson of Mamaroneck, N.Y.; and nine grandchildren.

For years, Dr. Strobos once told an interviewer, she had forgotten many of the events that took place in her attic during the war.

“I’m sure it was because I didn’t want to remember all those things,” she said. “So you just close the whole attic of your memory.”

FAMILY PHOTO RESTORED BY CHARLES SETON - HANDOUT PHOTO: Tina Strobos and her fiance, Abraham Pais, on the rooftop of Dr. Strobos's Amsterdam home where she and her mother hid more than 100 Jews during the Holocaust. Dr. Strobos died Feb. 27 at her home in Rye, N.Y. She was 91. (Family Photo restored by Charles Seton)

FAMILY PHOTO RESTORED BY CHARLES SETON – HANDOUT PHOTO: Tina Strobos and her fiancé, Abraham Pais, on the rooftop of Dr. Strobos’s Amsterdam home where she and her mother hid more than 100 Jews during the Holocaust. Dr. Strobos died Feb. 27 at her home in Rye, N.Y. She was 91. (Family Photo restored by Charles Seton)

http://newhumanist.org.uk New Humanist (Rationalist Association)

http://perkingthepansies.com Perking the Pansies: Jack Scott’s blog includes details of how to purchase his lively, humorous books!

Ann Frank Exhibition (jonmichail.org)

Holocaust stories (charlotteobserver.com)

http://www.verzetsmuseum.org/museum/en/museum Dutch Resistance Museum, Amsterdam

http://www2.webster.edu/~woolflm/netherlands.html Survival and Resistance: The Netherlands under Nazi Occupation

Obituaries Today: Joseph VanderVlist, 87, fought Nazis in the Dutch Underground during WWII (mlive.com)

French rescuers group snubs Holocaust commemoration (roshpinaproject.com)

100 imams to commemorate Holocaust in France (timesofisrael.com)

Posted in: Human rights, Spirit | Tagged: Amsterdam, Anne Frank, Dutch resistance, Elie Wiesel, Holocaust, Nazi, Nazism, Netherlands, resistance, Tina Strobos, World War II, Yad Vashem

Book Review: The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam

By petchary on February 22, 2013 | 1 Comment

This novel is a sequel to “A Golden Age,” which I reviewed on an earlier page. “The Good Muslim“ continues the story of one family – an intense, deeply personal story of the enduring pain and sacrifice of a bitter civil war in Bangladesh. It is the second book in a planned trilogy.

It’s a story that, it seems, will not go away. Current events in that country have brought the narrative into even sharper focus. Just last week – and even today as I write – at least half a million protesters gathered in Shahbag, an intersection in the capital Dhaka. They are demanding justice for atrocities committed during the 1971 war of independence from Western Pakistan and the death penalty for war criminals. The Bloggers and Online Activists Network organized the rally of mostly young people. According to the international blogging website Global Voices Online, the protests began “after the Secretary General of Bangladesh’s Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami Abdul Quader Mollah was found guilty of war crimes committed during 1971. He was sentenced to life in prison on 344 counts of murder, rape and arson by the International Crimes Tribunal on 5 February 2013.” According to protesters, Abdul Quader Mollah should receive the death penalty under Bangladeshi law.

Huge crowds of protesters in Dhaka last week. (Photo: Andrew Biraj/Reuters)

Almost immediately after the protests began, one of the most influential Bangladeshi bloggers, Ahmed Rajib Haider (who wrote under the pseudonym Thaba Baba – Captain Claw) was murdered. Meanwhile, people are asking: Why are young Bangladeshis so passionately engaged with events that occurred before they were born? The bitterness has carried over, somehow.

: Bangladeshi blogger/activist was murdered two weeks ago (Photo from his Facebook page)

I believe that Maya would certainly join the protests at what is now being called the Bangladeshi equivalent of Tahrir Square.

When we meet her as “The Good Muslim” opens in 1984, Maya has stayed true to the idealism of the war. A midwife by profession, she sits in the third-class carriage on her way back to the capital. She is returning after a long absence – several years – away from home. She has maintained an awkward, polite correspondence with her mother, Rehana Haque (the widow Rehana’s story of determination, sacrifice and patient love for her family is told in “A Golden Age.”) Maya had left Dhaka after the nine-month war of independence ended, to volunteer in refugee camps. She started her own clinic in the rural town of Rajshahi, working with and seeking to empower desperately poor women. But now, thirteen years after her country’s liberation, Maya’s liberal views are no longer quite so welcome in the town. She is forced to leave, followed by bitterness, anger and, above all, ignorance. She leaves with a scar, where a whip has caught her neck.

Dhaka circa 1984 has changed; the old city is festooned with huge posters of what the writer calls “the Dictator.” Maya returns to her once-beloved childhood home to find the kitchen filled with women in black burkhas, preparing to mourn the passing of her sister-in-law Silvi, whom we met in the first book. Silvi was one of the passionate fighters for the country’s liberation – one of the group of young people that Rehana worried about and cared for. Silvi married Maya’s brother, Sohail. And it takes a while for Maya to even find her brother, on her return. He is distant, in more ways than one.

Like Maya, we try to understand Sohail all the way through the book. After his belated return from the war, his mother and sister are grateful and happy; everything will be back to normal. But the beautiful, comforting routine of the house only returns in fleeting glimpses: The delicious meals, the nurturing garden, the love they shared. And by the way, descriptions of the landscape and people of Bangladesh – a trip down the Jamuna River, a walk through a Dhaka market – are finely drawn, although not as rich perhaps as in the first novel.

But why did Sohail change, soon after his long-awaited return from war? Why did he withdraw, burn his books and become a charismatic religious leader, “worshipped” by his followers?

The sense of unease persists through the novel. Maya continues her tentative efforts to draw closer to her ailing mother. She rekindles a friendship with Joy (in this case, a man’s name) – a friend of her brother’s who had also fought in the war, and who has lived in New York for a while, driving a taxi. And her heart is captured by Sohail’s son, the vulnerable and neglected Zaid, whom she protects and nurtures. Through these relationships, she tries to find her way back to her beloved brother, who used to wear jeans and fall asleep after late night discussions on politics. She has lost him, she believes.

But has she really lost him? Families are complicated. Siblings grow apart, then together again. Is there still hope for Maya and Sohail? They say blood is thicker than water…

As the story weaves back and forth, from 1972 to the 80s and back again (which I did find rather distracting at times) several female characters appear and disappear. These women, none of them fully fleshed out, serve to illustrate the oppression of women. There is their terrible suffering during the war; and afterwards, the growing and insidious pressure of religious fundamentalism on their lives. The seductive power of fundamentalist religion – alongside the pretentious cocktail parties of the middle class – are portrayed like small, sharply focused windows into the world of post-independence Bangladesh.

Dhaka, Bangladesh. 11th February 2013 — Activist Lucky Akter shouts slogans as students from different institutions join the protest demanding the death penalty for all war criminals at Shahbagh in the capital. Many brought flags and banners to continue the four-day protest. — Shahbagh protesters have called upon their countrymen to observe a three-minute silence from 4:00pm to press home their demands for the death penalty for war criminals. (Photo: Demotix/Global Voices Online)

When I was at school, I loved to play netball. I was captain of the school team. Then, one day I fell and injured my knee. The wound refused to heal; it opened repeatedly, became infected over and over. My netball career ended, and when the wound eventually healed, I was left with a large scar. A small piece of grit is embedded in it that is there to this day.

Sometimes wounds never heal. And some revolutions are never resolved. The only thing we can be certain of is change.

Related links:

: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/02/14/bangladesh-unites-at-shahbag-for-42-year-old-war-crimes/ Bangladesh unites at Shahbag for 42-year-old war crimes: globalvoicesonline.org.

http://petchary.wordpress.com/book-review/ Petchary’s book reviews

Shahbag protesters versus the Butcher of Mirpur (guardian.co.uk)

With #Shahbag, Bangladesh Protest Movement Blows Up on Twitter (techpresident.com)

Portland to Shahbag: No War Criminal Can Escape (ireport.cnn.com)

The Female Factor: Bangladesh Protests Break Boundaries (forbes.com)

With #Shahbag, Bangladesh Protest Movement Blows Up on Twitter (techpresident.com)

Shahbag, Dhaka: The Beginning of Another Tahrir Square? (aisjournal.com)

The war Bangladesh can never forget (independent.co.uk)

4 killed in Bangladesh violence (gulfnews.com)

War crimes trial reopens Bangladeshi wounds (nzherald.co.nz)

Blogger’s death rekindles anti-Islamist protests in Bangladesh (nbcnews.com)

Tahmima Anam was born in 1975 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She grew up in Paris, New York and Bangkok, because of her father’s position in the UN; and now lives in London and Dhaka. She attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and obtained her Ph.D. in social anthropology at HarvardUniversity in 2005. She maintains close ties with Bangladesh, where her father Mahfuz Anam edits the country’s largest English-speaking newspaper, the Daily Star. Published in 2007, her first novel, “A Golden Age,” was the winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book, and has been translated into 22 languages. Read more about Ms. Anam, at http://www.tahmima.com/, where the author gives you a short video tour of the city of her birth and discusses “The Good Muslim.”

Posted in: Books, Family, Human rights, Society, Spirit | Tagged: A Golden Age, Bangladesh, Bangladeshi, blogger, book reviews, Dhaka, Global Voices Online, Independence, Jamaat-e-Islami, Shahbag, Tahmima Anam, Tahrir Square, The Good Muslim, war, war criminals

A Week of Strange and Disturbing Events: Sunday, February 17, 2013

By petchary on February 18, 2013 | 12 Comments

The past week has been one of unusual and alarming events, globally…

Frame grab from a video of the meteorite that landed in Russia on Friday. (Source: Nasha Gazeta newspaper/Voice of America website)

A meteorite the size of half a football field hurtled out of the blue sky and exploded in mid-air near a Siberian city with a blinding flash, injuring 1,200 people and smashing thousands of windowpanes. It entered the earth’s atmosphere at 44,000 miles per hour and exploded with the power of thirty Hiroshima bombs, fifteen miles above the heads of the freaked-out residents of Chelyabinsk.

Pope Benedict XVI threw the Catholic Church into shock by announcing his retirement from Popedom – the first Pope to do so for six hundred years. He plans to settle down quietly in a convent in the Vatican, presumably surrounded by nuns. Hope he doesn’t cramp the new Pope’s style too much.

On the same day as the meteorite’s startling arrival, asteroid 2012 DA14 whizzed past our planet just over 17,000 miles above us – closer than many satellites and closer than any other known asteroid. If it had decided to change course, I guess I would not be writing this today.

The fascinating, handsome and heroic athlete, South Africa’s Oscar “Blade Runner” Pistorius, sobbed in court as he was charged, astonishingly, with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend inside their high-security compound in Pretoria, on Valentine’s Day. The compound is surrounded by a high wall topped with an electric fence, but he still had a gun, baseball bat etc in his bedroom…Sigh.

Oscar’s blades. (Photo:Antonin Thuillier/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)

In Jamaica we have had some surprises of our own, mostly of the fiscal variety. But today, half of uptown Jamaica was out in its finery (designer sports gear etc) in support of the annual corporate Sigma Run, now in its fifteenth year. In case you didn’t know, charity runs/walks have developed into the latest occasion to see and be seen in Kingston – they are multiplying. But at least it’s in a good cause, while the well-toned upper St. Andrew residents get to show off their taut bodies on the street and talk in loud voices along the way. Many do seem to take it seriously, though, and the organizers are hoping to raise J$16 million for local charities. Good for them.

But I digress. Back to our tottering economy. Firstly, we had another nationwide broadcast, which I mentioned in last week’s post. Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Finance Minister Peter Phillips were a tag team. The PM did the usual “let’s all work together” spiel, while Minister Phillips filled in with the hard stuff. He announced that Jamaica will embark on a National Debt Exchange (NDX). This has been in the offing apparently since around last September, according to Bank of Jamaica governor Brian Wynter. The People’s National Party (PNP) administration cannot, of course, call the exchange by the same name as a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) program, That was the JDX, and this is the same concept. The government hopes to reduce the debt “by 8.5 per cent or around $17 billion per year between now and 2020,” according to Minister Phillips. But of course, “it’s a process,” as government technocrats love to say. The private sector has to buy into it. Will they? The offer closes on February 21 and will be settled the following day, and already at least two financial institutions (Bank of Nova Scotia and Sagicor) have said they are in.

So, we did learn from this broadcast that the Simpson Miller administration, pushed and prodded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, will be making moves to reduce our incredibly high debt (now one of the highest in the world). According to the Bank of Jamaica, our debt to GDP ratio is around 150 per cent.

OK. Moving on. But the following afternoon the Finance Minister dropped his bombshell. He announced a huge taxation package (J$16 billion) not mentioned in the broadcast in the House of Representatives. His side of the house insisted that the package be approved that very afternoon, without debate. You can read details in the links below. The JLP was naturally taken aback. Opposition Finance Spokesman Audley Shaw claimed that the government had not even mentioned the taxes in a meeting the day before – at which the NDX was presented to them pretty much as a fait accompli. Opposition Members of Parliament slowly and deliberately gathered up their papers, their bags and laptops, and walked out of the Lower House, holding a press conference in a nearby meeting room immediately afterwards. Generally, I hate to see these “Opposition walkouts,” which happen fairly regularly – but on this occasion I sympathized. And ironically, one television station aired a clip of the Finance Minister (then in Opposition) railing against the imposition of taxes without consultation in a Rotary Club speech! One radio talk show host considered the whole affair the height of arrogance and disrespect to all stakeholders.

Finance Minister Peter Phillips.

Of course, the tax package was passed. So much for our democracy. And aren’t the Opposition members of the house elected by the people, too? Yes. Thought so.

The private sector was extremely sour about all this. It all came as a complete surprise to them – a bolt from the blue, like the Russian meteorite. Business leaders have not minced their words. Union leaders and civil society groups have also expressed discomfort over the “Nicodemus” tactics of the government (Jamaicans love to refer to Biblical characters; Nicodemus came at night – but was he a bad guy?) Thus, the taxes were sneaked in under the radar, so to speak… Phrases like “lack of trust” were bandied about. Just not good enough.

Nicodemus turns up after dark. (Source: Wikipedia)

Besides the $16 billion tax package, the government also proposes to take $11 billion per year for four years from the National Housing Trust (NHT), to which all working Jamaicans contribute. Now, the Chairman of the NHT is Mr. Easton Douglas, a former People’s National Party Member of Parliament and Housing Minister; there are other PNP members on the Board too. Mr. Douglas told journalists Emily Crooks and Naomi Francis on radio last week that he had not had to twist the arms of his board to comply with the administration’s wishes, but that they had a good “discussion” on the matter and agreed to it some three weeks ago. He added that despite the huge dip into its funds, the NHT will certainly remain “viable and sustainable,” noting that there will be a “paradigm shift” in the government agency towards lower income housing.

Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips (left), emphasises a point as he addresses a press conference at his National Heroes Circle offices in Kingston, on Friday, February 15, at which the media was provided with an update on the IMF negotiations. Others (from second left) are: Head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission to Jamaica, Jan Kees Martijn; and Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) Governor, Brian Wynter. (Photo: Jamaica Information Service)

And of course, this is not the end of it. Although at the end of the week the government and the IMF announced that they had reached a staff-level agreement, I don’t think this is much more than a Memorandum of Understanding on the way forward. What about the IMF’s required “prior actions”? What about the public sector wages, which I have been mentioning every week recently? The police are getting edgy, now. What about waivers and incentives? What about actual, real tax reform? And how will the JDX 2 (sorry, NDX) affect bondholders, pensioners and others on fixed incomes?

Mr. Easton Douglas (left) and his wife, campaigning with prospective councilor and daughter Kari Douglas in Kingston last year. (Photo: Ricardo Makyn/Jamaica Observer)

Longville Park housing scheme built by the NHT. (Photo: Jamaica Observer)

So now, everyone is looking to pick up the pieces – rather like the Russians, who are busy searching for fragments of the exploded meteorite. Like them, so far we have only found the huge hole the tax package has already created.

I really enjoyed my friend Earl Moxam’s program “It’s a Wrap” on RJR today as he discussed the issues with an interesting group, including financial analyst Errol Gregory. Mr. Gregory regards the IMF agreement as a “temporary reprieve,” giving Jamaica time to put its house in order and “get production going.” But “growth has simply eluded us,” Mr. Gregory added. And all agreed that the crisis facing the country, and this lack of growth over decades, was not just about economics, but about “social attitudes.” Ian Wilkinson of the Jamaican Bar Association said that by now, “We should be fishermen, not begging fish.” We should also get out of campaign mode and party considerations. You just cannot govern while still in campaign mode, ranting and raving on party platforms. NO! Enough of that! Judith Wedderburn of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung pointed out that we should not “rely on mega-projects funded by the Chinese” to stimulate growth; small business and agricultural production must be encouraged, with short term projects built in to address the needs of vulnerable groups. Ms. Wedderburn described them as “slipping and sliding.” How true.

By the way, diGJamaica.com has been posting a series of very useful graphs and statistics on our current economic state. There are a couple of links below. As noted before, this is a very good resource for all things Jamaican!

OK, I know this means little or nothing to the Jamaican man/woman on the street. But they will be seeing the effects of all of this before too long. One hopes that the media will seek to clarify it all in a more digestible way for the average Jamaican. Meanwhile, the good thing is that (one sincerely hopes and believes) there will be a much higher level of transparency and accountability from here on in. This is absolutely essential for the Simpson Miller administration, going forward. It must really make huge efforts to engage the Jamaican people on what to expect, when and how. However unpalatable it may be (and some of the medicine will be very bitter – we are still using the former Prime Minister’s analogy) please tell us the truth! The truth shall set you free! Or at least, as close to it as you can get without jeopardizing your chances of winning the next election… And let’s get on with – somehow – producing a real growth strategy (highways don’t count) that enhances productivity.

Can we get real, please: Local churches are frowning on the sale of lottery tickets on Sundays – the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches, to be precise. “While we are in this plight we have to bear in mind the values or the importance of our morals,” says the group’s Reverend Gary Harriott.

Reverend Gary Harriott of the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches (Source: World Council of Churches)

Speaking of “morals”… Perhaps a higher priority for our church people might be, for example, the sexual exploitation of young girls (many under the age of consent of sixteen) by older men. This issue came starkly into focus during the week, when sixteen-year-old Martha Byrowe, was stabbed to death – allegedly by a 33-year-old man whom she was living with (for at least a year) in a small rural community. The girl’s mother lived just down the road. Mom has declared her innocence, after being charged with failure to report a child in need of care and protection and failure to exercise proper care and guidance to a child. She says the man was an old friend of the family, almost like a brother. The surrounding community is also expressing equal surprise and puzzlement over the developments, although they seem to have been fine with the schoolgirl’s alleged domestic arrangements. We shall see.

Martha Byrowe was stabbed to death in Knockpatrick, Manchester.

The point is, though, that such arrangements are not unusual in Jamaica. It is complex, and not easy to understand or explain, but mothers will turn a blind eye to, condone (and sometimes encourage) relationships between their young daughters and older men. Some reasons are clear: In a society where men are still earning more than women and where there are still higher levels of unemployment among women, mothers who are struggling (often as heads of households) are glad for whatever monetary support the man can offer. They are prepared to sacrifice their daughters’ wellbeing for this. Please read my fellow blogger Damien Williams’ very apt post on this topic, below.

I have to write more on this topic at a later date, but can we please start seeing our young girls (and boys) however precocious, as children. Children need nurturing, love, guidance; they need to be protected. For some reason, no one wants to talk about it. The community where young Martha and her lover lived seem to have adopted the “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil” approach. The much-hackneyed phrase “It takes a village to raise a child“ would be the best policy in communities, one feels. So please tell older men who are watching young girls in their school uniforms: Leave the girls alone! Let them grow up, let them study and develop naturally! Forget this “force ripe” idea; it’s not the girls’ fault. And having sex with a child is nothing to be proud of. In Jamaican parlance, No Guh Deh! For more information on this, please contact Eve for Life Jamaica, the local non-governmental organization that supports women and children living with HIV. Support their campaign! (And by the way, girls aged ten to nineteen years are three times more likely to contract HIV/AIDS than their male counterparts).

The house where Martha was murdered. (Source: Jamaica Observer)

Let me get down off my soap box.

Please share this graphic from Eve for Life Jamaica, and encourage men to “no guh deh.” Leave our children alone!

Just a couple more things, as I am running out of time… Our former “Bronze Queen,” Merlene Ottey, paid a rare visit to Jamaica this week to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Technology. The social media included many snide comments from younger Jamaicans about Ms. Ottey, that I thought were unkind and uncalled-for. Ms. Ottey did a great deal to put Jamaica on the map in athletics. In 1980 she became the first female English-speaking Caribbean athlete to win an Olympic medal. She remains Jamaica’s most-decorated female athlete. She became a Slovenian citizen in 2002. There were controversies along the way, it is true; but I think we should recognize Ms. Ottey’s achievement. And yes, she probably does not speak English that much any more, hence the peculiar “farrin” accent. OK?

Heather Little-White was an incredibly warm person, and a former Fulbright Scholar, who overcame personal challenges with a smile. I noticed that at the huge thanksgiving service for her life yesterday, former Prime Minister Bruce Golding was in attendance. I thought he looked tired, thinner and very serious. Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff, however, was jolly as ever – he just won a Grammy Award. I wish he would visit our shores more often.

And finally – big ups to the Jamaica Public Service Company and its energetic CEO, Ms. Kelly Tomblin, for its participation in the Valentine’s Day global effort to raise awareness about violence against women - One Billion Rising. I hear Ms. Tomblin was dancing up a storm at the celebration in Kingston. My only complaint is that this was not advertised much more widely. Along with my colleagues at the 51% Coalition, I would loved to have been a part of it. I couldn’t find any photos of the event… Next year, let us plan ahead!

Question of the Week: What sacrifices is the Portia Simpson Miller making, while asking the Jamaican public to do so? Trade in the Prados for Honda Accords, perhaps? “Just asking…”

Jamaica's "Bronze Queen" Merlene Ottey. (Photo: Gleaner/diGJamaica)

Jamaica’s “Bronze Queen” Merlene Ottey is now 52 years old and still going strong. (Photo: Gleaner/diGJamaica)

I am so sad that the following Jamaican citizens were killed violently in the past week. My deepest sympathies to all their families and friends, who must be suffering grief and loss at this time:

Sebastian Smith, 48, Robin’s Bay, St. Mary

William Barrett, 52, Robin’s Bay, St. Mary

Anthony Williams, Bishop Lane, St. Mary

Levy Cohen, Greendale, St. Catherine

Jermaine Walker, 23, Linstead, St. Catherine

Martha Byrowe, 16, Knockpatrick, Manchester

David Lee-Chung, 55, Anchovy, St. James (Chinese national)

K. Duncan, 32, Darlington, Westmoreland

Shot dead by the police:

Jermaine Reid, 35, Red Pond, St. Catherine (Feb. 9)

“Sekou,” Big Lane/Central Village, St. Catherine

Earth and the Asteroid. (Photograph: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/EPA)

Related articles (local blogs highlighted in purple):

http://digjamaica.com/blog/2013/02/12/new-taxation-measures/ Ministry Paper: New taxation measures – diGJamaica.com

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/32964 Address to the Nation by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller and Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips: Jamaica Information Service

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-104/32978 Government looking to raise $15.9 billion in revenue: Jamaica Information Service

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/-16B-in-new-taxes_13630287 $16 billion in new taxes; government also taking $45 billion from NHT funds: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/No-love-lost-_13629477 No love lost: JLP, JCSA, CAPI scream foul on “Nicodemus” taxes: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Fewer-NHT-houses-in-wake-of-Gov-t-drawdown_13653627 Fewer NHT houses in wake of government drawdown: Sunday Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130217/lead/lead1.html Finance Minister accepts that Government must prove its commitment to sound economic decisions: Sunday Gleaner

http://digjamaica.com/blog/2013/02/15/net-international-reserves-at-lowest-since-january-2001/?utm_source=Subscriptions&utm_campaign=c1e39118cb-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email Net International Reserves at lowest since 2001: diGJamaica.com

http://digjamaica.com/blog/2013/02/17/chart-of-the-week-trade-imbalance-widens/ Chart of the Week: Trade Imbalance Widens: diGJamaica.com

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/list/32970 Finance Minister to make announcement on tax waivers: Jamaica Information Service

http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2013/pr1343.htm Statement by an International Monetary Fund mission to Jamaica: http://www.imf.org

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-104/32996 IMF and Government reach staff-level agreement: Jamaica Information Service

http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2013/pr1351.htm IMF Mission and Jamaican Authorities Reach Staff-Level Agreement on Key Elements for EFF-Supported Program: http://www.imf.org

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/police-groups-call-for-urgent-meeting-with-government Police groups call for urgent meeting with government: RJR News

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Blackness–Monkey-and-Mawga-Dawg_13626906 Blackness, Monkey and Mawga Dawg: Grace Virtue op-ed/Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/Leadership-crisis-in-Jamaica_13628167 Leadership crisis in Jamaica: Letter to Editor/Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/Dear-Prime-Minister—_13601822 Dear Prime Minister: Letter to Editor/Jamaica Observer

http://www.caribjournal.com/2013/02/12/mcneill-jamaica-must-press-ahead-on-new-tourism-projects/ McNeill: Jamaica must press ahead on new tourism projects: Carib Journal

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Palisadoes-shoreline-project-completed-within-budget—Davies Palisadoes shoreline project completed within budget – Davies: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/32966 HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy tabled in the Senate: Jamaica Information Service

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/JPS-crew-stoned_13652710 JPS crew stoned: Residents offer resistance: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130215/cleisure/cleisure5.html#.UR7G9YBEvc8.facebook End scare tactics on gays: Javed Jaghai op-ed/Gleaner

http://redforgender.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/751/ Gay student challenges Jamaica’s anti-sodomy law: redforgender.wordpress.com

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/Unprotected-gay-sex-is-medically-unsafe_13628288 Unprotected gay sex is medically unsafe: Letter to the Editor/Observer

http://dmarcuswilliams.blogspot.com/2013/02/when-being-woman-is-criminal.html When being a woman is criminal: dmarcuswilliams.blogspot.com

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/churches-frown-on-sunday-sale-of-lottery-tickets Churches frown on Sunday sale of lottery tickets: RJR News

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/male-students-in-st-catherine-forming-gangs Male students in St. Catherine forming gangs: RJR News

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/8-injured-in-Nannyville-attack_13652655 Eight injured in Nannyville attack: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130214/sports/sports1.html Ottey will keep going: 52 year-old sprinter sets sights on World Champs: Gleaner

Posted in: Americas, Family, Human rights, Music, Society, Spirit, Sport | Tagged: Audley Shaw, Bank of Jamaica, Brian Wynter, Catholic Church, Finance minister, International Monetary Fund, Jamaica, Peter Phillips, Portia Simpson Miller

Belated Post: Sunday, February 10/Monday, February 11, 2013

By petchary on February 11, 2013 | 2 Comments

My apologies! Yesterday proved to be such a busy day (including a slight hangover from our delicious trip to St. Elizabeth the day before) that this post eluded me.

This week is beginning with a heightened state of nerves over another national broadcast this evening. This is unusual, in that it will be a joint broadcast by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Finance Minister Peter Phillips. It springs from the visit of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) team to Jamaica; the team arrived almost a week ago, and some members have since departed. The remainder will leave on February 15. Meanwhile, the address was recorded yesterday. What does it contain, and why is it a joint address? One talk show host believes the ministers will announce that the administration has abandoned the prospect of an IMF agreement. My concern, too, is that I don’t get the sense that any of the “prior actions” - which Minister Phillips has hinted are problematic – have been achieved, or are likely to be. I did hear that the Minister traveled to Washington, DC on Friday – but nothing more. Did this actually happen? Also, I thought I heard the Prime Minister comment recently, as an aside, that perhaps Jamaica might not sign an IMF agreement, or words to that effect. Did I hear correctly? If not, please let me know, dear readers.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Finance Minister Peter Phillips recording their joint broadcast yesterday. (Photo: Jamaica Information Service)

The broadcast will take place on all media at 9:00 p.m. Jamaican time and on CVM Television at 11:00 p.m. The video will be available on the Jamaica Information Service website at http://www.jis.gov.jm. Fingers crossed… But I don’t have a good feeling.

And the financial analysts – such as Ralston Hyman on CVM Television – continue to stress the importance of things like productivity for our economic bottom line. What are we doing about that?

The Jamaican House of Representatives as it must have looked for a large part of the day on Tuesday. Please tell me I am wrong and that other important national business was under way here… (Photo: Jamaica Information Service)

Meanwhile, we heard that last Tuesday, the House of Representatives’ session lasted just 45 minutes. “Guess there is nothing that really needs their attention at this time,” observed one of my online friends with just a hint of sarcasm. And why only 45 minutes? An investigative journalist should take this up and see how many hours the people we elected to represent us have actually spent working on the nation’s business – say, since the Christmas vacation. What about those important pieces of legislation (DNA, lotto scam, libel/slander laws, etc) that are pending? Let alone private members’ motions and so on. It would be fantastic to have a complete breakdown from each ministry of pending legislation and the status thereof, with timelines for completion. Or are our lawmakers just coasting down towards April 1, when the new budget year begins?

I do not understand the inertia. As another online friend tweeted last week: “Why does it take us so long in Ja to DO anything? #perplexing.” Perhaps this question, which I have often asked, has answered itself. As a former U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica commented many years ago, I prefer to applaud achievements, not announcements. Action needed, please!

Meanwhile, I hear at least one government minister is visiting the fair isles of Trinidad and Tobago this week… Yes, Carnival time is here! But then, as we say in Jamaica, their bread is buttered…on both sides.

It’s party time again! A scene from Trinidad Carnival. (Photo: The Playmakers Group)

They also say that empty barrels make the most noise. Certainly, the rumblings over the “Enemy of the State” comment by our Prime Minister subsided last week. Ms. Simpson Miller put her foot down, and strongly (and I mean strongly) rejected any suggestion that she should apologize for her remarks – which suggests that they may well have been scripted. “Apologize for WHAT!” our fearless leader snapped at a broadcast journalist. She also issued a press release suggesting that “leaders should be careful with their statements.” OK. I tell you what… Let’s move on. I commend to you my fellow-blogger Damien Williams’ comments on the topic. See link below.

Another discussion that continued to rattle on last week was the VW ad that aired during Superbowl – remember, the one with the Jamaican accent (not patois)? Two schools of thought emerged. The largest school was that it was all great for us, as it portrayed our culture in a positive light and helped promote “Brand Jamaica” - some discussion too, around what Brand Jamaica really IS. A second school of thought, to which I belong, suggested that the ad perpetuates the “Everyt’ing irie, mon” stereotype of the happy Jamaican sitting under a coconut tree, lazing the day away. Those in the first school accuse those in the second of being miserable, negative and possibly unpatriotic. I have started a third school, called “Enough already!”

The Jamaican-accented Minnesotan is part of a bigger project by Volkswagen, which has bought into the “Fun Theory.” Learn more at thefuntheory.com.

University professor Dr. Carolyn Cooper, who writes frequently on cultural issues considers this car ad a “reminder, yet again, that Jamaica is a cultural superpower.” The colonial oppressors are gone, and Jamaica rules the waves with reggae and champion sprinters. And as she says, “it’s all in good fun.” OK then, let’s lighten up a little – but let’s not expect millions of U.S. dollars to flow into the country’s coffers as a result of one TV ad, either. One of Dr. Cooper’s colleagues is not so amused by a British policeman, former Assistant Commissioner of Police Les Green,whose comments in the UK press on the inefficiencies of the Jamaica Constabulary Force continued to reverberate last week. Not good for Jamaica’s image. But those Jamaicans who don’t live in ivory towers seem to fundamentally disagree with Dr. Orville Taylor’s anti-colonial fulminations, accusations of racism etc. They claim Mr. Green is speaking the truth! The truth. Ah, where art thou, truth?

Former Assistant Commissioner of Police Les Green. (Photo: Gleaner)

An online commentator noted: “We keep harping on the achievements of or artistes and athletes as a benchmark for performance. Where are the scientists, inventors, innovators?”

So much for the aftershocks. Last Tuesday was a pretty serious day for the residents of Majesty Gardens, a deeply impoverished community which has been represented by the Prime Minister for the past thirty years or so. The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), which is seeking to “regularize” the many thousands of squatters who have never paid an electricity bill, moved into the community that day and disconnected 2,857 illegal connections. TV footage showed light poles festooned with “throw ups” - illegal wiring – like spaghetti. Only three legal connections were found. Three! The residents protested and mumbled and said they were willing to pay something, but… The overriding, undeniable factor in this is, of course, poverty.

Benjamin Morris, a 65-year-old resident of Majesty Gardens off Spanish Town Road, shows a Sunday Gleaner news team the poor condition of his home during a recent visit to the depressed community. The piece of cardboard in the ceiling is used to insulate the home from the scorching heat beating down on his zinc roof. (Photo: Gladstone Taylor/Gleaner)

A JPS man disconnects illegal wiring. (Photo: Jamaica Observer)

Talking about energy, media reports have been so conflicting and confusing that I, for one, would love someone to explain to me what is going on. Where is our energy plan, Minister Paulwell? I am afraid that, at this point, I am rethinking my enthusiastic endorsement. I am disappointed. Something has gone wrong – quite out of sync. I hope that we will hear more – specifics! We need to know where we are going in terms of alternative energy and so on. The prospects of cheaper electricity in the near future look increasingly bleak.

I continue to enjoy the CVM Television program “Live at Seven,” hosted by the very sharp Simon Crosskill. Last week I caught a report and discussion on the state of the Pedro Cays, where, according to the Jamaica Environment Trust, six hundred Jamaicans live! With no sanitation or amenities, these tiny islands have become a mini-slum of zinc and cardboard shacks and piles of garbage. Government officials (who, as usual, haven’t got it quite clear which of several agencies is responsible for this appalling state of affairs) told Mr. Crosskill last week that they have a plan for managing the cays. After twenty years they are just coming up with one. But hey, surprise! there is now no money for implementation of the plan!

Garbage on Pedro Cays. (Photo: Gleaner)

One more thing has been bugging me since last week. Twenty-seven Haitian men, women and children arrived on our shores (in the eastern parish of Portland, as usual) in a rickety boat. They obviously intended to flee to the United States but ended up in Jamaica instead. Instead of discussing asylum and other issues, our government speedily “processed” the refugees (a word normally used when young men are rounded up and finger-printed by the police in inner-city communities). Within three days, they were shipped back to Haiti on a Jamaica Defense Force coast guard boat. One understands that the small rural community where they landed had no resources to house or support the refugees, and I know we have enough problems of our own, but… Isn’t Haiti a fellow-member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) where there is supposed to be freedom of movement? In fact, isn’t Haiti the current chair of CARICOM? Don’t the refugees have any rights to a hearing? Would Cuban refugees be treated the same way? The United Nations High Commission on Refugees has expressed concern. And Haitians are also the only CARICOM citizens that have to obtain a visa to visit other CARICOM nations. Is this right?

These Haitians, CARICOM nationals, were treated like criminals when they arrived on our shores last week. (Photo: Gareth Davis/Gleaner)

Throwing some bouquets… To my community of fellow-bloggers in Jamaica. They are becoming stronger, and more outspoken, and just more interesting altogether! Keep up the good work. And please, Jamaicans, do not steal the ideas and language of bloggers and reproduce it as your own original thought! This happened recently with a blogger I know, whose work was shamelessly plagiarized and repackaged into a letter to the editor. The sharing and amplification of ideas is one thing. Theft of another’s creative expression is a different thing entirely.

I am impressed by the work of the Road Safety Unit and the National Road Safety Council. They have been doing quiet work to stem the madness that stalks our highways and byways in the form of speeding vehicles of every description. And they are getting results! Take a look at the Council’s excellent website: http://www.nationalroadsafetycouncil.org.jm. Fatalities on the road were considerably lower than the targeted 300 last year, and are 12 per cent down so far this year. Keep up the good work!

One of the National Road Safety Council’s posters featuring athlete Melaine Walker.

The Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC) partnered with the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC) and others last week for the first in a series of seminars on budgeting for gender equity. Tonight they will meet at the Trench Town Community Centre. Listen in if you can’t make it – Nationwide News Network, which does sterling service in live-broadcasting these democratic forums, will be airing it. I will write more about this worthy effort soon. Congratulations to all concerned, including the 51% Coalition that seeks to empower women and strengthen our democracy through increased participation for all. And it’s not only gender equity, but equity for all Jamaicans, which the JCSC seems now to be focused on. Excellent!

Dr. Mae Jemison speaking at the U.S. Embassy last week. (Photo: Ian Allen/Gleaner)

Last week, the U.S. Embassy brought another inspiring African American scientist to Jamaica in recognition of Black History Month. Her name is Mae Jemison and she was the first African American female astronaut in space. She has visited Jamaica before (the last time was in 1998) but this time the aim was for her to inspire students and young people, scientists and educators to promote the importance of science in the country’s development. I had planned to attend – Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson’s talk at the U.S. Embassy recently was fascinating – but could not make it. However, I understand that Dr. Jemison got people fired up.

And I am so pleased that the University of Technology (UTech) have taken the bull by the horns and instituted a campaign for tolerance on campus. Some students may shrug their shoulders and say it is not needed, but – yes, it is. And what harm can it do to encourage all students to treat their fellow Jamaicans with respect and decency? After last year’s nightmarish experience (the mob attack and beating of an alleged homosexual student on UTech’s campus), the university administration has clearly taken a sober look at things. The aim is not just to rein in homophobic attacks, but it is a broader campaign. A very good move, and an example that the other two main tertiary institutions – the University of the West Indies and Northern Caribbean University – might like to follow. They are by no means immune, as I know that similar “mob rule” behavior has taken place there, too.

And the mindless violence continues. For some, it seems, praying and going to church is the only answer. With so many churches per square mile, it is ironic that we have the third highest murder rate in the world. How is that possible, when we are all so “God-fearing”? I leave you with a comment from Sunday Gleaner columnist Martin Henry, who concludes his weekly column thus: “It is certain that Jamaica will not progress well without a stronger adoption of the virtues of religion.”

Really, Mr. Henry? Really? Shouldn’t we already be virtuous enough? No, more hours in church needed, it seems. Oh. Do read Mr. Hilaire Sobers’ column, below, for clarification.

My deepest condolences to the family and friends of all those who were killed in the past week. I feel saddened that the list at the end of each week’s post appears to be getting longer (seventeen by my count, which means two or three murders daily), while the police killed seven Jamaican citizens last week. Minister Bunting, is your policy of “there will be more shootouts” really working? And what happened to “community policing”?

Omar Bailey, Portmore, St. Catherine

Tafari Harvey, 17, Bog Walk, St. Catherine

Oneil Ormsby, Spanish Town, St. Catherine

Tyreena Gayle, 24, Spanish Town, St. Catherine

Damion, Denham Town, Kingston

Unidentified man, Milk Lane, Central Kingston

Unidentified woman, Milk Lane, Central Kingston

Lloyd Williams, 48, Molynes Road, Kingston 10

André Roberts, 26, Maxfield Avenue, Kingston

Unidentified man, Deanery Road, Kingston 3

Omar Myers, 31, Eastwood Park Road/Half Way Tree, Kingston 10

“Starry,” Standpipe, Kingston 6

Unidentified, Frome, Westmoreland

Alvin Rochester, 43, Greenvale, Manchester

Kevin Haughton, 36, Montego Bay, St. James

Lennox Campbell, 22, Lilliput, St. James

Gladstone Smith, 50, Epsom, St. Mary

By police:

“Slaughter,” Caledonia Meadows, Manchester

“Sekou,” Big Lane/Central Village, St. Catherine

Nicholas Mitchell, 27, Norwood, St. James

Unidentified, Norwood, St. James

Unidentified, 27, Alexandria Road, Central Kingston

Jonoye Glaze, 20, Brighton, Westmoreland

Related links (local blog commentary highlighted in maroon)

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130205/lead/lead8.html Prime Minister and Finance Minister to address the nation: Jamaica Information Service

http://repeatingislands.com/2013/02/04/native-tongue-speaking-with-a-caribbean-accent/ Native Tongue: Speaking with a Caribbean accent: repeatingislands.com

http://carolynjoycooper.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/superpower-jamaican-accent-for-the-super-bowl/ Superpower Jamaican accent for the Superbowl: carolynjoycooper.wordpress.com

http://newsandviewsbydjmillerja.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/that-vw-ad-jamaica-no-problem-offensive-or-good-exposure/#comment-1450 That VW ad – Jamaica No Problem: Offensive or good exposure? newsandviewsbydjmillerja.wordpress.com

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Our-dual-natures_13583905 Our dual natures: Tamara Scott-Williams column/Sunday Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Why-brand-Jamaica-won-t-work-for-us_13563923 Why brand Jamaica won’t work for us: Henley Morgan op-ed/Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/-Tell-what-you-know-_13535976 Tell what you know: Holness tells residents to expose child killers: Jamaica Observer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4z1d4UnaEU&feature=youtu.be Andrew Holness speech at PSOJ Chairman’s Breakfast Forum: YouTube

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/death-in-paradise-the-real-life-policeman-1571092 From London to Jamaica: The real “Death in Paradise” policeman: Daily Mirror, UK

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/I-am-not-surprised_13559895 ”I am not surprised”: JFJ’s Goffe backs Les Green: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130205/letters/letters3.html Les Green’s comments on the police racist? Letter to the Gleaner from Colin Campbell

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130210/focus/focus1.html Was it worth it? Orville Taylor column/Sunday Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130205/lead/lead3.html Denham Town victim campaigned for peace: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130205/letters/letters5.html Reach out to at-risk youth: Letter from Boys’ Town to Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Help-me-out-please–Prime-Minister_13536880 Help me out please, Prime Minister: Mark Wignall column/Sunday Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130205/cleisure/cleisure4.html Take offense or take action: Andre Wright column/Gleaner

http://dmarcuswilliams.blogspot.com/2013/02/who-is-enemy-of-state.html Who is (the) Enemy of the State? dmarcuswilliams.blogspot.com

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/32900 PM Simpson Miller says leaders should be careful with their statements: Jamaica Information Service

http://newsandviewsbydjmillerja.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/parliament-called-upon-again-to-work-harder/ Parliament called upon (again) to work harder: newsandviewsbydjmillerja.wordpress.com

http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20130205/news/news1.html Driver shot for not stopping: Jamaica Star

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/of-darkness-and-bears/ Of darkness, and bears: petchary.wordpress.com

http://www.og.nr/rbt/11833-man-crushed-to-death-woman-raped-at-kingston-funeral-home.html Man crushed to death, woman raped at Kingston funeral home: On the Ground News Reports

http://www.og.nr/permalink/11730#.URKWUJ3S69w.twitter Lotto scammer sends threatening messages to U.S. woman: On the Ground News Reports

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/Let-us-stop-demonising-gays_13545427 Let us stop demonising gays: Javed Jaghai letter to the Jamaica Observer

http://www.og.nr/rbt/11872-jamaican-gay-activist-challenges-buggery-law.html Jamaican gay activist challenges buggery law: On the Ground News Reports

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Buggery-law-review-promise-was-a-political-sham_13584250 Buggery law review promise was a political sham: Mark Wignall column/Sunday Observer

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/utech-launches-project-to-increase-tolerance UTech launches project to increase tolerance: RJR News

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/The-facts-about-homosexuality_13581293 The facts about homosexuality: Cynthia Burton op-ed/Sunday Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130207/lead/lead6.html Female astronaut encourages scientists to soar above expectations: Gleaner

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/haitians-sent-home_1 Haitians sent home: RJR News

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/haiti-could-take-caricom-imposed-visa-restrictions-to-ccj Haiti could take CARICOM-imposed visa restrictions to CCJ: RJR News

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/unhcr-concerned-about-repatriation-of-cubans-and-haitians UNHCR concerned about repatriation of Cubans, Haitians: RJR News

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/Work–work–work—–instead-of-pray–pray–pray_13534246 Work, work, work…instead of pray, pray, pray: Letter/Jamaica Observer

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/dalley-moves-to-support-public-defenders-office Dalley moves to support Public Defender‘s office: RJR News

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130205/lead/lead8.html IMF team in Jamaica: Gleaner

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/tough-measures-expected-in-joint-address-to-nation Tough measures expected in joint address to nation: RJR News

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/computer-hacker-breaks-into-dpps-files Computer hacker breaks into DPP’s files: RJR News

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130210/business/business1.html Lights out at Palmyra: Sunday Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/JPS-removes-2-857-illegal-connections-in-Majesty-Gardens JPS removes 2,587 illegal connections in Majesty Gardens: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130205/lead/lead1.html Blame government for high JPS bills – OUR boss says high energy cost is political leaders’ fault: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130204/news/news3.html Renewable energy data now available on PCJ’s website: Gleaner

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-106/32902 Over 1,000 eye surgeries performed under Jamaica/Cuba program: Jamaica Information Service

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/undp-donates-to-dengue-control-programme UNDP donates to dengue control program: RJR News

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=42687 Busy Signal faces more charges over passport fraud: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=42690 Olint investors want money back: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130205/cleisure/cleisure3.html Reason and faith are like oil and water: Hilaire Sobers op-ed/Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130210/focus/focus5.html Religion and development: Martin Henry column/Sunday Gleaner

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/road-safety-unit-reports-reduction-in-road-fatalities Road Safety Unit reports reduction in traffic fatalities: RJR News

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/pollution-flowing-from-land-to-sea-the-un-caribbean-environment-programme-part-1/ Pollution flowing from land to sea: The UN Caribbean Environment Program, part 1: petchary.wordpress.com

Posted in: Human rights, Money, Music, Society, Spirit, Travel | Tagged: Andrew Holness, Boys' Town, Caribbean, Carolyn Cooper, Denham Town, homicides, International Monetary Fund, Jamaica, Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica Observer, Les Green, Parliament, Portia Simpson Miller, Prime minister, Superbowl, Television advertisement, Volkswagen, YouTube

Of Darkness, and Bears

By petchary on February 8, 2013 | 5 Comments

I am generally an optimistic person. I think some of my friends would call me “feisty,” in fact (in Jamaica, this is pronounced “facety.”) But yesterday was one of those days when that positive energy seemed to fade away. The stars withdrew into their deepest holes, and it became dark. Full dark.

In June of last year, I experienced that darkness, after two young homeless men were found beaten to death, just a few minutes away from my home. The young men were reportedly homosexual. Whoever committed this act (was anyone charged? I don’t know) and whether the victims were gay or not had, to me, no relevance. The fact is they were homeless. They wandered the streets every day with their friends. They are still on the streets, and their sometimes unruly behavior has become, for some of my worthy and upright neighbors, a “problem.” There was curiosity for a few days, and all kinds of lurid stories of the young men’s lifestyle. For me, it was a dark day. The plight of these young men – of the homeless in general – was ignored. Like the poor, they are objects of ridicule, to be paraded on the evening television news. (I would love one of these self-satisfied neighbors of ours to imagine – just for a minute – what it feels like to be homeless? To wake up on a grass verge with the rush hour traffic passing by? Dirty, cramped, hungry, thirsty, sick?)

A homeless man in downtown Kingston. (Photo: Ricardo Makyn/Gleaner)

That was a dark day. Yesterday, the shadows crept into my mind again when I heard about more violent death – that of youth advocate Omar Bailey, who was reportedly shot dead in the head, chest and neck. His body was found in an open lot, face down in a pool of blood, in Westchester, Portmore last Sunday. Omar was a National Youth Parliamentarian, among other leadership challenges he willingly took on. He was a leader, an activist, and he was influential. As one of the earliest members of Youth Crime Watch of Jamaica as Head Boy of Waterford High School, I was honored to know him and many other enthusiastic young people training for that program in 2004; I used to look back fondly at the long list of names of all those youth who participated. We shared a hot, hectic and exciting week at St. George’s College in Kingston during the training. Looking at the names, I used to wonder how they were all getting on, several years on.

I still wonder how those Jamaican children are doing. And now one of them is dead.

There is a term which government technocrats love to use – Most At Risk Populations (MARPs). To me, Jamaica’s youth, whether male or female, gay or straight, uptown or downtown, urban or rural, need to come at the top of this list of MARPs. To quote another youth activist, Jaevion Nelson: “Jamaican youth are at risk in a number of ways that affect their overall quality of life. Unemployment, sexual violence, under-education, poverty, early sexual debut, teenage parenthood, and systemic disenfranchisement are among a litany of concerns they face in a society that is already struggling to address a host of other issues affecting its citizens.”

Lunch break at a Youth Crime Watch summer camp, University of the West Indies, Kingston. (My photo)

Lunch break at a Youth Crime Watch summer camp, University of the West Indies, Kingston, 2012. (My photo)

A litany of concerns, indeed – the list is long. Jamaica’s youth need all the help they can get. We need to help them fight back the shadows.

Meanwhile, I had a sleepless night. And bears had a lot to do with it. Yes, bears.

I had an extended and extraordinarily vivid nightmare – you know, the kind that seems to go on all night, like a movie in your head? And even when I woke up, disturbed and confused, and fell asleep again, the dream continued. I could not shake it off.

I was at a conference of some sort; in a lovely setting, as conferences often are. It was a long, low, rather beautiful old house, by the sea. The coastline was rocky. The sea was blue and festooned with white waves. The breeze was fresh and bracing. Yes, I did actually feel that wind. The house was surrounded by tall trees with feathery leaves. It was sunny and bright, but inside the house the rooms were gloomy, with low ceilings. We seemed to move from one room to another, bewilderingly, and constantly, holding meetings and talking, talking, talking.

And then there were the bears. At first, there were glimpses of them. A huge, furry paw. A black nose. An unmistakable silhouette, under a feathery tree. They were inside the house. And they were outside the house. After a while, we could not find people. We would be sitting round a table talking, and someone would say, “Where is so and so?” There seemed to be fewer of us. Confusion reigned. We even tried to do a roll call.

And I attempted, single-handedly, to conduct a search for a missing colleague. I went systematically through the house, and realized, to my growing horror, that there were bears in every room. I entered one bedroom, where (oddly, considering the growing sense of panic in the house) two people were sleeping soundly in separate beds on each side of the room. There was a cupboard in the wall. It was increasingly dark and hard to see (and none of us turned on any lights, for some reason) but I saw the door of the cupboard swing open, as I entered. There was a bear in there, I knew. I shut the door quickly, leaving the two sleeping ones to their fate.

There were various varieties of bears. Some were grizzlies, built like a small house, towering on their hind legs occasionally. Others were smaller black bears with very spiky fur and pointed faces. And there were polar bears, too; we identified at least two. These were the most terrifying of all.

There were bears like this. I saw the nose – and from a distance.

Even when I couldn’t see them, I knew they were there.

They were all planning what to do with us. It was only a matter of time. And as our fear grew, we all just left, chaotically. There was no announcement that the conference was over. We just fled. We didn’t pack our bags; we jumped into our cars. Some left on foot, braving the trees where bears lurked in plain sight now. I heard screams, but didn’t see anything. We made panicky phone calls. The sun had set and the sky was burning red.

And I woke up.

Fear is a funny thing. One of my favorite writers, Graham Greene, was very good at writing about these dark emotions:

“One of the things which danger does to you after a time is -, well, to kill emotion. I don’t think I shall ever feel anything again except fear. None of us can hate anymore – or love.”
—- Graham Greene - The Confidential Agent(1939)

Related links:

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/dark/ Dark: petchary.wordpress.com

http://petchary.wordpress.com/book-review/full-dark-no-stars-by-stephen-king/ Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King: Book Review

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/rights-and-wrongs/: Rights and Wrongs: petchary.wordpress.com

http://wildernessarena.com/dangers/animals/other-dangerous-animals/bear-danger-and-defense-against-attack Bear Danger and Defense against Attack

Youth advocate Omar Bailey (Photo: On The Ground News Reports)

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2533.Graham_Greene?auto_login_attempted=true Graham Greene: goodreads.com

Posted in: Books, Environment, Human rights, Spirit | Tagged: bears, Graham Greene, Homelessness, homosexual, Jaevion Nelson, Jamaica, Kingston, Kingston Jamaica, Portmore, youth at risk

I admire this young man

By petchary on January 29, 2013 | 7 Comments

One news item I did not touch on in my weekly news post was the re-emergence of the problem of young, homeless gay men who live and move around in the very area of Kingston where I live. Two front-page articles in the “Gleaner” newspaper have once again sparked a flood of condemnation and anti-gay sentiment.

Just to point out a couple of things:

This is a very small group of gays who are very troubled, attention-seeking and hard for anyone in this “respectable” uptown residential area to live alongside.

They are by no means representative of the Jamaican gay community in general, as most Jamaicans should know.

They are loud and harass people, but if they break the law they should be arrested, like any other Jamaican who might be trespassing on private property, etc.

May I introduce one young, openly gay Jamaican whom I admire greatly. His is smart, he is hard-working, he has a great sense of humor. Did I say he was bright? Like many other young Jamaicans, he wants to “make a difference” in his country. He does the normal everyday things that Jamaicans, and young Jamaicans, do.

He IS a Jamaican.

The only unusual thing about Javed is his courage as an openly gay Jamaican. And that is enormous courage.

Javed’s letter to the Jamaica Observer appeared in yesterday’s newspaper. I am reprinting it below, along with the link to a video from YouTube that he recorded recently.

Dear Editor, Sir:

The Christian Brethren Assemblies Jamaica (CBAJ) recently hosted a press conference at which they discussed their position paper on homosexuality. While reading through the document, I lamented the fervor with which church leaders use homosexuality as a wedge issue to keep themselves relevant in public discourse on morality.

I encourage anyone interested in seeing firsthand the moral bankruptcy that guides The Church’s teachings on homosexuality to read the position paper. Its contents are used as talking points by all major Christian organizations.

Among the most predictable claims outlined, we are told that “homosexual behavior can be changed” because “many individuals who desire to abstain from homosexual acts have been able to do so.” However, sexuality is a well-defined predisposition that exists whether or not someone is sexually active. A celibate gay person, or a gay person who initiates intercourse with someone of the opposite sex for functional purposes, is still a gay person.

The position paper goes on to explain that “some homosexual [sexual] acts are physically harmful because they disregard normal human anatomy and function.” Firstly, gays and lesbians do not have a monopoly on any sexual practice. What the position paper refers to as “homosexual acts” really are just “sexual acts”. Secondly, while the CBAJ believes the gay “lifestyle” is “obsessed with and/or dominated by personal sexual fulfillment,” “homosexual acts” also include deciding between bush tea or coffee, going to work, volunteering at community-based charities and supporting friends and family.

Church leaders persistently employ double-speak in addressing homosexuality and homophobia. On one hand, they claim that “anyone struggling with homosexual temptation should evoke neither scorn nor enmity, but evoke our concern, compassion, help, and understanding.” On the other, “the Christian community must help society understand that homosexuality has grave spiritual, emotional, physical and cultural consequences” and “Christians should oppose legislative attempts to grant special rights based on sexual behavior.”

As self-proclaimed guardians of public morality, their statements sound noble, until one sees the well-oiled propaganda machine that church leaders utilize to demonize, disenfranchise and silence gay and lesbian people.

You cannot actively work to sustain the cultural environment that makes violence against gay people permissible while claiming you support non-violence. That is barefaced hypocrisy. In addition, it is telling that the CBAJ would label as “Special rights” the demands made by social justice advocates to recognize the humanity of gays and lesbians. The rights to privacy, to love, to self-expression and to dignity cannot be “special rights” if these are human rights and if these rights are already held by the majority.

The position paper includes a number of colourful fables about gay people: homosexuals engage in active recruitment, because, obviously, same-sex attraction is induced, never innate; homosexuals are non-monogamous and promiscuous by nature, while heterosexuals, by deduction, are predisposed to monogamy; homosexuality and pedophilia are essentially twin perversions, even though pedophiles are repulsed by adults and often molest children of both sexes, while the majority of child sex offenders who have adult relationships are heterosexual; and homosexual parents raise homosexual children, in the same way, I suppose, that heterosexual parents raise only heterosexual children.

Antiquated and harmful narratives about gay people get entrenched when those of us who know better refuse to challenge the fear-mongering and the ignorance of those we consider arbiters of morality and paragons of virtue.

The Church is dead wrong in its stance on homosexuality and it will pay dearly for its intransigence. As more gay and lesbian people affirm their sexual identities, it will become obvious that most are upstanding citizens who are struggling alongside heterosexuals to make the best of a difficult life in Jamaica. The ranks of the most respected professions are replete with gay people. In fact, many Jamaicans are employed and supervised by gays and lesbians.

As more Jamaican Christians engage with gay couples at home, at school, in communities, and in workplaces, they will reconsider whether God is truly infallible and if his admonition to condemn same-gender loving people is morally absolute. The lies woven into the fabric of public consciousness will begin to unravel and The Church will be held in contempt.

Sincerely yours,

Javed Jaghai

I love and admire Javed. If you met him, I think you would love him, too.

Javed Jaghai - http://youtu.be/BS2P6TvzuFM

Related articles

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130129/lead/lead1.html ”Arrest errant gays”: Human rights advocate says homosexuals who run afoul of the law should face its full brunt: Gleaner

http://www.jflag.org/2013/01/j-flag-supports-police-intervention-in-new-kingston/ J-FLAG supports police intervention in New Kingston: http://www.jflag.org/

Let’s Build Our Country - http://youtu.be/ffys1xXGq3E

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130125/lead/lead1.html Gays wreak havoc: Cops say homosexuals too much to handle in South East St. Andrew: Gleaner

http://anniepaul.net/2013/01/25/the-creation-of-our-collective-homophobia/?replytocom=3277 The creation of our collective homophobia? Annie Paul.net – Jamaican blogger

http://www.og.nr/rbt/11417-gay-man-set-ablaze-in-st-andrew-central-open-lot.html Gay man set ablaze in St. Andrew Central open lot: On The Ground News Reports

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Rowdy-gays-upset-J-FLAG Rowdy gays upset J-FLAG: Sunday Observer

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/jamaican-press-ignores-ground-breaking-gay-rights-video-campaign/ Jamaican press ignores ground-breaking gay rights video campaign

Weekly Brief, Sunday 27/Monday 28 January, 2013: The Dawn of the New Scrap Metal Age (petchary.wordpress.com)

Jamaica is my HOME: Javed Jaghai and the We are Jamaicans campaign (anniepaul.net)

Prominent Jamaicans Speak Out Against Homophobia in Powerful New Video Campaign: WATCH (towleroad.com)

J-FLAG, Jamaica’s gay rights group, launches YouTube video campaign, ‘We Are Jamaicans’ (miamiherald.typepad.com)

Posted in: Americas, Human rights, Society, Spirit | Tagged: child sexual abuse, Christian Brethren Assemblies Jamaica, Christianity, Gleaner, Homophobia, Homosexuality, Jamaica, Javed, Kingston, Kingston Jamaica, violence against gays, YouTube

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Petchary's Blog

Category Archives: Spirit

Of Yum and Celebrity Gurus

Take a Deep Breath Now: Sunday March 10, 2013

Seeing Red with the Stanleys

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The Sacredness of Life and the Importance of Attics

“I never believed in God, but I believed in the sacredness of life.”

Book Review: The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam

A Week of Strange and Disturbing Events: Sunday, February 17, 2013

Belated Post: Sunday, February 10/Monday, February 11, 2013

Of Darkness, and Bears

I admire this young man

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