Victims of Entitlement

Remember that University of the West Indies (Mona) examinations fiasco where those who were barred from sitting exams proceeded to disrupt those legitimately entitled to sit from doing so. That was a matter of funding (or lack thereof in the case of those who disrupted the exams). I do not agree with the behaviour of those unfortunate victims of circumstances (whatever those may be) to maliciously disrupt those who are able to fund their tuition by whatever means they have from sitting exams. Now, there was a long-winded debate as a result of that, many individuals, the likes of Carolyn Cooper and others who went on to say those who were unable to pay their tuition and proceeded to prevent those who could from sitting exams were all victims of entitlement. While I may agree whole-heartedly with such claims, the hypocrisy that tends to belie such claims is what I find very distasteful.

Now, I tend to read the local Newspapers a lot and in the Gleaner a story was entitled: "I deserve Government Funding - Atkinson." Now, many parallels may be drawn with the aforementioned issue and this. If these students can be labelled as such then there is no real reason Alia Atkinson cannot be so called.

Now, glory or whatnot, I believe those students are more entitled than an athlete. What real benefit, potential or real does Jamaica stand to gain from her winning gold in all the events she will participate (best case scenario an highly unlikely)? I believe students at the University are in a better position to benefit the country than an athlete. Yes, we get fame and recognition and a brand new track and all, but what REAL benefit does every Jamaican gain from setting records and winning gold, yes we feel good for our athlete but can we put that in a pot and cook it? Can we take that to the tax office or to our children's school to pay fees or can that be used to fend of the relentless attacks of the JPS? NO!!!

My advice Ms. Atkinson, grow stronger, do better than fourth, win a few gold medals in world record time and then you will have the sponsors clamouring to have your derrière plastered with their logos, that helps. Usain Bolt, Shelly-ann, VCB, even Asafa Powell all have lucrative contracts from tonnes of sponsors home and abroad, why - because "dem tun dem han an meck fashan," they worked with the little they HAD! It is unfair and selfish to think the Government and by extension the overburdened taxpayers must foot the bill of your ultimately selfish quest for personal glory! Which at the end of the day is what it really is!!! Jamaica is only a secondary abstract beneficiary from such exploits. So, quit whining and get a gold and make a statement and then private sponsors will see the benefit of funding your exploits and taxpayers wouldn't have to fund something that won't benefit them directly.

I am sickened by what gets negative and positive media spotlight in Jamaica, Alia Atkinson's claims are no different than those of the students who are unable to pay their tuitions being barred from sitting exams. They have a more real benefit to our Country than an athlete who undoubtedly is past her best. Jamaica tends to celebrate mediocrity far too often.

50 Shades of Garbage

Had the displeasure of reading a few paragraphs of the much talked about 50 Shades of Gray. It was hardly anything to speak of. In other words it was paper bound rubbish, Literature in its worst state. What ever happened to writing of the calibre or Thomas Hardy, Oscar Wilde, Harper Lee, J.D. Salinger, The Brontë Sisters, Victor Hugo, Voltaire and countless others? It shows the state our minds have fallen into when numerous authorities are pushing crap down our throats and calling it "The Arts". Music and movies have also fallen victim to this insult, rubbish is being released and forced through our eyes and ears into our minds and we are led to believe that if for some reason we do not take kindly to this insult there is something wrong with us. There still are in existence people with a yearning for the Arts in its truest form, good movies, music and literature, yet it seems to be an unprofitable venture to try to fill that need. It is my belief that there needs to be no more books written, movies, made and music produced subsequent to 2002, that was when something went wrong in entertainment, for we are no longer entertained, well at least those of us who know the use of our brains aren't in any way entertained by the garbage that people are passing off as Art. I did do a piece on movies here, so there is no need for me to go on about that.

It seems to be the trend nowadays for persons to not think for themselves, to go whichever way the corrupt winds of our morally, and artistically depraved society blow. It is no longer cool to like things because we like the way it makes us feel or because we like it or want things because we want it or feel feelings because we feel it.Everything has been since of late all about what everybody else does, wants, likes or feels. Who is everybody? Nobody! Nobody seems to have the nerve to think, feel or like for themselves it is always what somebody else thinks, feels or likes. Our children are growing up in a world totally devoid of any intellectually stimulating activities and I would hate to see the world 40 years hence.

Spoilers Ahead...
If you want a summary of the book, pick up any $2.00 romance novel with Fabio on the cover and thats it. It is merely "Hardcore" Soft Porn, like a $2.00 romance novel with a fresh coat of the most God-awful golden-brown paint and a set of 24 inch chrome "spinner" rims. It is not worth the few million brain cells you will no doubt kill reading it. My suggestion: get yourself a bottle of cheap vodka/rum/whiskey and take a few swigs until you pass out and that would be a better read (yes read) than this book.

The Bigger Better Network?

Or is it? Jamaica has been blessed with a very liberal and harshly competitive mobile phone market and some say that this benefits the consumers, or does it? I've been a customer of Jamaica's Bigger Better Network for the past 10 years at least, had a few numbers over the years, was happy to get very good service in comparison to the other option at the time. Remember the days when you paid astronomical bills for unreliable crappy service and dropped calls and poor customer care and then came our beloved saviour from high prices and terrible services - the bigger better one. Now, eleven years have passed, numerous millions have gone both ways customers to service provider and vice versa (more one way than the next). So much so that our tiny little island nation with what is among the highest Debt to GDP ratios in the world, widespread poverty and leaders who lack leadership is responsible for the changes in fortune for the bigger better network's chief principal for the better, he now jet-sets and rubs shoulders with the best of them. That is not a problem, he seems to be one to hold giving back to the community and the country that literally made him in very high regard as we can see from the numerous sponsorships and charities his company is so involved in, he has also blessed us with the auspices of his worldwide head office on the Kingston waterfront that is in terrible need of some significant facelift that we hope was set off with the second coming of the bigger better network, and we love that, so much so that we are enamoured by the presence of the "chosen company" that we plunk down millions everyday in tithes and offerings, but hey, we are giving back. The listless leadership of losers (the Government) has nothing but picked up on this love that we have for chatter that it too has seen the possibility of extra income from the customers and applied the usual taxes as it thinks seems to be the solution for years of mismanagement perpetrated by previous incarnations of itself. 

Now, eleven years later, what can happen after the golden age of cellular technology in Jamaica? The advent of cutting-edge technology, relatively fast internet speeds, widespread almost island wide cellular coverage and what is one of the highest cell phone penetrations on the planet, where better to go than down? Down in quality of service, market ingenuity and concern for the very fabric of its existence - its customers. It has to be one of the worst companies in Jamaica as far as concern for its customers is (for want of a better word) concerned. It has adopted the approach of a Customer Service/Care Centre that ironically is a disservice to the customers. There is a literal disconnect between the customers and the policymakers of the company with the adoption of the Customer Care Centre. Customer Service Reps are, with the least bit of disrespect intended the least valuable and least useful employees in any organisation from the perspective of truly serving the customer and this I can conclude from working for some time as one in another company. The Customer Care Centre is a buffer between the higher-ups who are responsible for "make or break" decisions in a company and the very reason the company exists. This obviously does more harm than good, of all the information that comes into the Customer Care Centre, at least the vast majority of this information including customer suggestions is lost in this buffer zone, as a result, very valuable information that cannot be gathered from even the best Market Surveys is lost, and seriously, does that make sense? Similarly, the unsavoury or ineffective aspects of the company's service delivery are also lost which cannot be good news for any company. I've been slavishly paying for what this company calls "4G" which is truly a sophisticated "Wi-Fi" Network and not true 4G for some time and the service has been horrible at best. Each time I call "Customer Care" I am met with the usual facade of Customer Service which truly turns out to be a disservice to me, a loyal paying customer. The experience serves to only lead one down the proverbial garden path, distract me from the problem by literally lying and in actuality not in any way addressing the concern that I - a loyal customer have. The service in my area is horrible and I believe that this bit of information is valuable to any company if true customer satisfaction is the intention, yet I have made numerous calls to its Customer Care Centre and after at least two years the issue of horrible internet is yet to be resolved, guess what, because I am not in anyway indebted to this company (because as a consumer I have choices, thank God), I will exercise my right to choose and the minute I move from this house I am living at which is by the end of this year, I am going to get the competitions internet and cell phone as my way of exercising my freedom to choose, call me retarded but that is my way of standing up for myself and letting them know that i will not stand for it. I know my little $3,200 less every month is really chicken feed, I feel good within myself that I did in fact stand up for myself and not taken bullshit.

Over the years, sadly businesses have taken on an approach of profit at all costs and even if that means making money from immoral, misleading or illicit methods. The consumers are the idiots for falling for it, picking up the ruse yet still handing over their money religiously despite not getting what is paid for, its as if we are paying for a disservice, the bigger, better one is exactly that as a result of the same blunders made by the previous big and only network, it doesn't pay to be arrogant and in the end things will work themselves out and nothing that is based in ill-intent, greed or solely to make money really lasts, So, Digicel needs to look into its practices lest the cash cows move to greener pastures, regardless of the lavish prizes that are given away yearly like clockwork to consumers to make us feel special, we at times do get the feeling of being robbed and will move to better prospects or greener pastures because we can and our loyalty is not set in stone or ordained by God if that were so, then it would not be loyalty, it would be our duty and it clearly is not our duty to continue like moths to a flame to spend our money regardless the source to be treated with the disrespect and disregard that is on the increase in companies over the years.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Jamaican Exclusivism

Why does everything in Jamaica have to be just so exclusive it is essentially counter-productive? I happen to love the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a dream of mine is to get the chance to see them perform live. I just heard this morning that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has arrived in the island to perform at two venues, one in Mandeville and the other in Kingston. What bothers me is these performances are to be held on the 13th (tomorrow) and the 17th of September. Talk about short notice. An event of this calibre should have been advertised the minute it was conceptualised. I understand the space constraints that we have with no venues available here being capable of ideally accommodating a performance of that nature.

I would have been happy to go to both concerts had I known about it earlier and had the opportunity to plan for it, but such short notice makes this event irrelevant (to me at least). What has "got my goat" or my "jaw tight, tight, tight" is the fact that the inner circles of which the organisers and planners are members knew about it all along and were able to get those who they think are more deserving of such a privilege the opportunity to see them perform (whether they appreciate it or are able to relate is not what we are here to discuss). What really upsets me is that we have evidence time and time again that the real creativity and the real movers and shakers in our society are not who we consider the "people of substance" but regular Jamaicans with talent.

I believed and have seen enough evidence to conclude that such practices of cronyism and nepotism stands only to water down an art form or a practice or whatever, if the determinants are solely because you know somebody or "have clout" then having talent is "neither here nor there." This stands to stifle creativity and water-down quality. It is essential that we integrate all of society in whatever practices we may have, wider exposure presents a greater talent-base from which the best can be selected - I need not point this out because this is common-sense, but then again, the decision-makers seem to be devoid common sense and as a country we will only suffer for it.

Those who plan and organise these things wouldn't know talent if it hit them in the face wearing a T-shirt that said "I am talent." It hurts to see some talentless people hogging the spotlight just because they "know people" or " have money" when the people with real talent are left to languish in poverty and non-exposure. Jamaica would be so much better if those who deserve better were given exactly that!!!

Thirsty Goats

Saw these goats this morning obviously under the morning heat taking a drink at a leaky standpipe. Over 66% or two thirds of the water treated by the National Water Commission (NWC) is unaccounted for by way of various factors - goats and leaky standpipes, illegal connection, and an archaic distribution system. O.K., let's break that down for the more obtuse among us, the NWC knows it treats e.g. 1 million litres on any given day over 666,000 litres of that water that they spend money to treat and distribute goes to waste. Put another way, for every $1 million they spend on distribution $666,000 is wasted. That's our money down the drain consumers must demand better.

Mugabe being Moogs...

This is indeed making a mountain over a molehill. Leave Mugabe alone!!! The man has the freedom (obviously) to do and say whatever he wants. Before I go any further, let me put things into perspective. Our champion of African Nationalism the esteemed Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has made claims that Jamaica is (notice the quotation marks) "a country of marijuana smokers, where women are now taking charge since men are always sloshed" (a way cool way to say stoned, in my opinion). He went on further to say: "while marijuana is illegal in Jamaica, citizens are free to smoke and that men are always drunk, while universities were full of women." Well, being Jamaican and trying to be frank and unbiased let me ask one simple question - is the man lying?

We are all champions of the "Freedom of Speech" Ideal until somebody says something that "mash wih corn" the right and proper way. Bear in mind youngsters - there is no true freedom to do anything, we are fooled into believing that living in a state that has laws, once we are not "shackled" then we are "free." Fallacy!!! The law is indeed a shackle (nice segue into something totally unrelated to the issue - I should have been in politics). Anyway, there is some truth in what the man says or it deserves some looking into at least. Before we get upset examine what was said and see if there is merit to it. The truth a go hurt them and the backlash from Moogs' remarks is evidence to support that claim.

Remember the Human Trafficking Claim the US laid against Jamaica? Everybody (and dem dog) who was anybody was hopping mad or at best offended, then when the dust settled and we were all distracted by either the ignoble distinction of being murder capital of the world or the fact that we had a government in absentia, though they were right there in Gordon House, there were more committees on Human Trafficking set up than you could shake a stick at, or more aptly put - than there are fishes in (eh em) the aforementioned "House". Well, any well thinking career criminal knows never admit right away, give it a few months.

It is not the unflattering remarks that were passed that hurts, it is the fact that they are so truthful and strikes well home that we are offended at the fact that someone has pointed out the bit of dry snot (booger) that's in our nose so ostensibly that its not what was said that hurts, it's how its said, where its said and in what context. Well, that is to be expected from a man who is known for not mincing his words, he doesn't hold down his mouth when he is talking. I'd rather hear the truth from a man like that than hear words of obvious "adulation" from the most eloquent of speakers.

Update....
Let me point out one thing, when last have all of you people who are shooting down Mugabe's comments really walked down the streets? When last have you really gone to UWI, UTech or NCU and seen what really takes place there? Are we totally oblivious the "sloshed-out" men who are always "digging-out" there hand middles and the pubs on every corner packed to the rafters with strong able-bodied men? There is in fact some truth to what Moogs has said. We are just hurt that it took a loudmouth the likes of Mugabe to point it out. Had it been one of the more affable World-Leaders like Obama or any less unsavoury personality we wouldn't have had a problem with them. But it seems to be cool in international circles to whale on Mugabe the minute he opens his mouth, because of his allegedly racist and misogynistic actions in the past .

I am blessed to be part of a dying breed of Jamaicans, the educated male, I have heard Moogs' exact sentiments relayed in other quarters by other individuals who are less-unsavoury like Carolyn Cooper and Glenda Simms without the same backlash as those met by his. It obviously is not a matter of what was said but who said it and where and in what context. As Jamaicans you have to have your heads buried in the sand to not be aware of the truth (that may or may not be stretched a bit) that is inherent in these remarks. Apparently, we [Jamaicans] never like when someone points out our flaws so ostensibly. It does hurt like hell as the truth often happens to do from time-to-time.

Teach a Man a Fish'n

My mother is a teacher - one of the last good career teachers left in the classroom, sadly she is about to retire, her doing so marks the last of the real teachers who actually taught (not thought) because they wanted to, taught because they see teaching as something noble and in keeping with our National Pledge (if you don't know which part of the pledge you should be ashamed of yourself). She ensured as best as she could that children learned or at least were empowered to do whatever honest means they needed to do to get by, she was and is still of the opinion that regardless of what is thought not every child can learn, but every child can help him or herself, this coming from someone who has been in the classroom for almost 40 years, I won't dispute that, experience teaches wisdom, she should know, she has taught Accountants, Lawyers, Doctors, Teachers, Police, Soldiers, Plumbers, Masons, Electricians, Farmers - pretty much every occupation (good and bad) you can think of.

My point, her days saw teachers who taught because they loved it, it was what they went to school to do - their career, now we see teachers who are just teaching as something to do, not what they aspired to doing but what they do as a third or fourth option, when as a result of their idling their days in school have now found themselves in positions where they are not qualified to do what they dreamed of doing - so get into a Teacher's College and idle their way through the three years and at the end they obtained some form of certification that in theory states they are competent teachers. Well, we are now reaping the fruits of such occurrences. I believe Teacher's Colleges should be the hardest institutions to get into, teachers will be charged with educating the nation's children, we can't leave such an important and demanding task in the hands of people who see it as just a way out - we need serious people who will go above and beyond what is expected of them to ensure that a child is taught how to fish.

In closing, these idlers have taken to teaching and as a result we see the fruits of their work in the CXC passes, not necessarily Patois (its place in the delivery of education in Jamaica is questionable) or English, just idlers who teach or fail to do so.