The Jamaica Observer reported in this piece that Audi's sales have increased by a whole 50% in September, it did not state whether it was over the previous month or the corresponding period in 2012, 1911 or any period for that matter. I used to love the brand with the four rings until ATL Motors took it over, hate the direction they have taken it and hate the people who think it is a necessity to own one (and all the brands ATL carries - especially Honda) and I do not want to be associated with them. Therefore, my ultimate vehicle is a Toyota and if Luxury is ever in my intention, it most likely will be a Lexus.
Anyway...
O.K., um, 2 units were sold in the previous month and this month 3, is a
50% increase, huge figures as a percentage but rather modest sales figures in reality if you consider the actual numbers rather than the percentage. Anyway, some local figures would be really nice and comparisons
with BMW's sales would also be nice! Since we are into performance, if we are to gauge any performance we need benchmarks, BMW (Audi's local target and a nice benchmark for comparison), could
have sold 100 units in the corresponding period and not sold any for the
same period under comparison (from my hypothetical figures above), that
would still mean that BMW is outperforming Audi in actual sales but not as far as percentage goes, again, some figures would have been helpful! I'd much rather have been in charge of sales for the latter rather than the former had I been some 'big-waist' car sales executive.
This
is irresponsible reporting, percentages always sound good, even better
when the figures are small as any change would reflect large percentages
the smaller the number. Statistics is a very destructive yet very helpful area of study. We keep hearing percentages being thrown about everyday in the media and by governments the world over and figures are quoted that sound impressive as percentages when had we been given actual figures we would have seen that the wool has been pulled over our eyes.
Andrew Lang once said: "He uses Statistics much like a drunk uses a lamppost, for support rather than illumination."
Moral
of the Story: Be careful of those who quote only percentages and don't
give figures to support, it is the hallmark of the under-performer who
is seeking to paint a rosier than actual picture!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Making Money on the Internet
Life is hard - yes. What my salary could by last year, week, month or even night for that matter, it cannot buy now. I was never really able to save much before so it is exponentially harder now. I do manage to save but those are as a result of compulsory savings attached to a loan I have running so I guess that's not half bad - guys, join a credit union somewhere. I am not talking the COKs or the big ones who are almost as terrible as the commercial banks. I am thinking of one that small and has a little niche thing going on. You will be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to deal with one of the smaller credit unions.
Anyway, to the matter at hand, making money online. Let me point out one thing before I go any further, please do not expect to make zillions of dollar or to see money rolling in overnight - unless you are very lucky or are among the first to be a part of the next big opportunity (or scam). All methods are some of what I have tried and have actually seen money coming in albeit slowly and unpredictably, but money comes in nonetheless and a little extra never kills.
I know you want to get the details but to be able to make money you will need somewhere to keep it - right? Since accepting payments online on your own is very hard I suggest getting one of two of the following:
For me, I have both accounts and I will proceed to explain the pros and cons of each.
Paypal
This is pretty much the de facto paympent processing system on the internet. It is as ubiquitous as kitten memes, and that annoying Gangnam Style video. From my very very informal personal survey it is used by more than 75% of the sites I have shopped on and everybody and their dog has a Paypal account. Once you have access to email you can accept paypal payments. The fees to both sell and to receive money through it are fairly small that you should not complain about unless you are this woman.
So, if you have a website that sells rocks or people's toenails or whatever curio you may think is a sure-fire way to make a quick dollar, then you ought to go paypal.
Aah, but not everything in life is all about smooth-sailing right? Yeah, if you are lucky enough to have happened upon the next"new hype" that sells like Moringa leaves, pod, seeds, sap and pretty much every imaginable aspect of the tree on the streets of Kingston and Montego Bay, and you plan to peddle your wares on the good old "interweb" then a paypal account would serve you well but the one drawback I found is in order to take advantage of your new found wealth, you would have to request a cheque from paypal and wait for it to be mailed which is typically 2 weeks and then you have to wait a further 30days to have that cheque drawn on a US bank to clear. Well, if you are making money hand over fists then that shouldn't be much of a problem. There is fee for each withdrawal of US$5, this can be avoided however if you are lucky enough to have a US bank account to which you can have the money wired. There are also monthly spending limits and sending and receiving limits, these limits can be raised if you have a verified account, this can be done by inputting your credit card details. What's that, you don't have a credit you say, well, you can open an account at the Bank of Nova Scotia (I hate commercial banks like a strong dose of poison and politicians), they will give you a Visa debit card that acts as one once there is money in your account. If the little hurdle of getting a Scotia account is too hight to overcome then you are hopeless and should consider other methods of earning a living.
Then there is...
Moneybooker/Skrill
This happens to be my favourite, like Paypal, people can pay with their credit cards or Skrill/Moneybookers account through all the ways Paypal allows, they also apply fees per transaction much the same was as Paypal but they take it a bit further, they added the one thing Paypal overlooked which is allowing persons to wire money to their personal commercial bank accounts regardless of the country, this attracts a pretty standard US$30 fee per transaction and the money is usually in your account and clear within 24 hours - neat huh? That little extra thing is what makes me prefer this option. However if making a little extra online is on the books for you, and you don't already have accounts with them, then visit the sites and have a look around.
I notice that we are not particularly fond of reading so I will save the meat of the matter for my next post which will be available here.
Anyway, to the matter at hand, making money online. Let me point out one thing before I go any further, please do not expect to make zillions of dollar or to see money rolling in overnight - unless you are very lucky or are among the first to be a part of the next big opportunity (or scam). All methods are some of what I have tried and have actually seen money coming in albeit slowly and unpredictably, but money comes in nonetheless and a little extra never kills.
I know you want to get the details but to be able to make money you will need somewhere to keep it - right? Since accepting payments online on your own is very hard I suggest getting one of two of the following:
For me, I have both accounts and I will proceed to explain the pros and cons of each.
Paypal
This is pretty much the de facto paympent processing system on the internet. It is as ubiquitous as kitten memes, and that annoying Gangnam Style video. From my very very informal personal survey it is used by more than 75% of the sites I have shopped on and everybody and their dog has a Paypal account. Once you have access to email you can accept paypal payments. The fees to both sell and to receive money through it are fairly small that you should not complain about unless you are this woman.
So, if you have a website that sells rocks or people's toenails or whatever curio you may think is a sure-fire way to make a quick dollar, then you ought to go paypal.
Aah, but not everything in life is all about smooth-sailing right? Yeah, if you are lucky enough to have happened upon the next"new hype" that sells like Moringa leaves, pod, seeds, sap and pretty much every imaginable aspect of the tree on the streets of Kingston and Montego Bay, and you plan to peddle your wares on the good old "interweb" then a paypal account would serve you well but the one drawback I found is in order to take advantage of your new found wealth, you would have to request a cheque from paypal and wait for it to be mailed which is typically 2 weeks and then you have to wait a further 30days to have that cheque drawn on a US bank to clear. Well, if you are making money hand over fists then that shouldn't be much of a problem. There is fee for each withdrawal of US$5, this can be avoided however if you are lucky enough to have a US bank account to which you can have the money wired. There are also monthly spending limits and sending and receiving limits, these limits can be raised if you have a verified account, this can be done by inputting your credit card details. What's that, you don't have a credit you say, well, you can open an account at the Bank of Nova Scotia (I hate commercial banks like a strong dose of poison and politicians), they will give you a Visa debit card that acts as one once there is money in your account. If the little hurdle of getting a Scotia account is too hight to overcome then you are hopeless and should consider other methods of earning a living.
Then there is...
Moneybooker/Skrill
This happens to be my favourite, like Paypal, people can pay with their credit cards or Skrill/Moneybookers account through all the ways Paypal allows, they also apply fees per transaction much the same was as Paypal but they take it a bit further, they added the one thing Paypal overlooked which is allowing persons to wire money to their personal commercial bank accounts regardless of the country, this attracts a pretty standard US$30 fee per transaction and the money is usually in your account and clear within 24 hours - neat huh? That little extra thing is what makes me prefer this option. However if making a little extra online is on the books for you, and you don't already have accounts with them, then visit the sites and have a look around.
I notice that we are not particularly fond of reading so I will save the meat of the matter for my next post which will be available here.
Making Money on the Internet II
This is a continuation of my series on Making Money on the Internet. I know that you have sent the previous post to everybody in you address book who you care about and are aching to read on so let me not keep you waiting any longer.
Please bear in mind that these methods are in no way an exhaustive list and are just ways that I have used in the past to see a dollar or two pop up and if at least the same effort I put in is I did then you stand to make a couple extra dollars on the side like me.
Ebay
Yes, everybody knows about Ebay - "if its on your mind its on Ebay" is quite possibly the truest statement I have ever heard. Go ahead, test my little claim, think of something this minute, go over to there and do a search for it and see if I was wrong, you will be surprised. That said, there is great potential to make tonnes off this site selling pretty much literally anything from used underwear to old horseshoes. Do a search, so if you can look around and see anything that may be worth a couple small ones then go ahead, get an Ebay account if you don't already have one and get it listed. There are various types of listings on Ebay, you can "auction" or or offer the option to "buy now" and so on. I prefer the buy now option as you have immediate control over your price. "What about shipping" you ask, well you will have to use your head on that one. Find out which is the most feasible method of shipment and don't forget to charge the buyer what it will cost you, some people use this as a means to make some more money but I think that is robbery. If you really look into it your Post Office has very reasonable rates to ship to various parts of the world, they are far more reasonable than the DHLs, and FedEx, takes a bit longer but it is a lot cheaper and all parcels are shipped through registered mail and I am yet to have any issues shipping.
That's it for me with today's posting, the next in my series will be put up as soon as I am finished writing, you can follow me on and Twitter to see when they go up, you will be the first to know.
Please bear in mind that these methods are in no way an exhaustive list and are just ways that I have used in the past to see a dollar or two pop up and if at least the same effort I put in is I did then you stand to make a couple extra dollars on the side like me.
Ebay
Yes, everybody knows about Ebay - "if its on your mind its on Ebay" is quite possibly the truest statement I have ever heard. Go ahead, test my little claim, think of something this minute, go over to there and do a search for it and see if I was wrong, you will be surprised. That said, there is great potential to make tonnes off this site selling pretty much literally anything from used underwear to old horseshoes. Do a search, so if you can look around and see anything that may be worth a couple small ones then go ahead, get an Ebay account if you don't already have one and get it listed. There are various types of listings on Ebay, you can "auction" or or offer the option to "buy now" and so on. I prefer the buy now option as you have immediate control over your price. "What about shipping" you ask, well you will have to use your head on that one. Find out which is the most feasible method of shipment and don't forget to charge the buyer what it will cost you, some people use this as a means to make some more money but I think that is robbery. If you really look into it your Post Office has very reasonable rates to ship to various parts of the world, they are far more reasonable than the DHLs, and FedEx, takes a bit longer but it is a lot cheaper and all parcels are shipped through registered mail and I am yet to have any issues shipping.
That's it for me with today's posting, the next in my series will be put up as soon as I am finished writing, you can follow me on and Twitter to see when they go up, you will be the first to know.
Planning a Trip or Vacation to Jamaica?
Aah, the world knows about us, beaches, sand, sun etc. We are well-known for our Cruise ships that come here, our world-famous coffee from the Blue Mountains and our rum, the T-Shirts, the Music. The potential for weddings that are breath-taking and an equally wonderful honeymoon and the people, that is a lot of the positive stuff for which we are known. I deliberately left out the athletics, due mainly to the negative publicity we have received recently and no, Marijuana (weed) is not positive if you ask me. Anyway, since Jamaica is so renowned worldwide, I figure many people plan trips to travel to Jamaica. The North Coast is by far the most beautiful portion of the island in my opinion. I love especially the portion that stretches from Portland in the north-east to roughly about Discovery Bay in St. Ann., Ocho Rios being my most favourite part of the country.
I'm pretty much an average Jamaican person, I have stayed in a little more than my fair share of hotels on the island and after every single stay I wonder if I am the only Jamaican that has had less than fantastic stays there. I hear tourists go on and on about how wonderful Jamaica and Jamaicans are but I can't help but concluding that especially in the hotels, staff are wonderful to you if you are not black and if you are black you need to meet two criteria to be treated at least like you are spending money, these are: you have to have an accent from a North American or European country (or anywhere the staff will feel as if you are a big spender) and the other is you will have to be a big spender.
Jamaica (in my estimation at least) is no longer the destination of choice for the world's wealthy, all-inclusive hotels don't help. We are like the crack-whore of the tourism world. We don't partial any visitor neither do we direct our advances to any specific group, we target any and all foreigner with a dollar to spend. That waters down your product offering and though these offerings were once great and are in fact still great, the beauty and appeal is lost on those who don't care about it, they only care for the weed and the liquor and the sex. That is a sad state of affairs that unfortunately we have found ourselves in and that does not add to the value of our tourism product.
I have had my fair share of profiling visiting these hotels, I am not scared to relate on very terrible experience I had at the Iberostar Hotel in Rose Hall, St. James. I stayed there on two occasions and both occasions were terribly horrible! The first, my daughter was a few months old, my wife and I after checking in requested a crib for her at about 4:00pm, we were assured that we were getting it in a couple of minutes - 20 minutes to be exact. Suffice it to say, their 20 minutes turned out run from that time until 11:30pm or thereabouts, all this not before it took nearly 3 hours for us to get our room. When we go to the room, it wreaked of tobacco, and was hardly prepared. By this time I was just so tired of waiting for the room that I figured I would just go to sleep. In the middle of the night there was a knock on the, there was a young man holding the crib I had requested six hours prior, I felt like asking if it took them so long to make the crib but upon inspecting it I found that it was a dirty old crib that probably was borrowed from a nearby home in the adjoining community. In an effort not to be rude or disrespectful, I took it and went to bed, my daughter was already asleep on the bed so the need for the crib was no longer there. The next morning I went on the balcony to just sit and what I saw was the most disturbing site, on the edge of the balcony there was dried, what was obviously vomit. I went straight to the front-desk to register my disgust, I was sent to who was apparently the manager of something or the other. I explained the situation to "Miss" Manager and was told to write an email and send it to some person or the other, that I did and since 2010, I am awaiting a response.
Point: don't waste your money at Iberostar!
I guess they would have treated us with a bit more respect had I been either:
1. White
2. Black but obviously a big spender or
3 Black with a non-caribbean accent.
Stay tuned, I have the story of my subsequent stay at the same hotel as part of a conference that was held there.
One question I have before I go, isn't a dollar in the hands of a black Jamaican worth the same as that in the hands of a white foreigner?
I'm pretty much an average Jamaican person, I have stayed in a little more than my fair share of hotels on the island and after every single stay I wonder if I am the only Jamaican that has had less than fantastic stays there. I hear tourists go on and on about how wonderful Jamaica and Jamaicans are but I can't help but concluding that especially in the hotels, staff are wonderful to you if you are not black and if you are black you need to meet two criteria to be treated at least like you are spending money, these are: you have to have an accent from a North American or European country (or anywhere the staff will feel as if you are a big spender) and the other is you will have to be a big spender.
Jamaica (in my estimation at least) is no longer the destination of choice for the world's wealthy, all-inclusive hotels don't help. We are like the crack-whore of the tourism world. We don't partial any visitor neither do we direct our advances to any specific group, we target any and all foreigner with a dollar to spend. That waters down your product offering and though these offerings were once great and are in fact still great, the beauty and appeal is lost on those who don't care about it, they only care for the weed and the liquor and the sex. That is a sad state of affairs that unfortunately we have found ourselves in and that does not add to the value of our tourism product.
I have had my fair share of profiling visiting these hotels, I am not scared to relate on very terrible experience I had at the Iberostar Hotel in Rose Hall, St. James. I stayed there on two occasions and both occasions were terribly horrible! The first, my daughter was a few months old, my wife and I after checking in requested a crib for her at about 4:00pm, we were assured that we were getting it in a couple of minutes - 20 minutes to be exact. Suffice it to say, their 20 minutes turned out run from that time until 11:30pm or thereabouts, all this not before it took nearly 3 hours for us to get our room. When we go to the room, it wreaked of tobacco, and was hardly prepared. By this time I was just so tired of waiting for the room that I figured I would just go to sleep. In the middle of the night there was a knock on the, there was a young man holding the crib I had requested six hours prior, I felt like asking if it took them so long to make the crib but upon inspecting it I found that it was a dirty old crib that probably was borrowed from a nearby home in the adjoining community. In an effort not to be rude or disrespectful, I took it and went to bed, my daughter was already asleep on the bed so the need for the crib was no longer there. The next morning I went on the balcony to just sit and what I saw was the most disturbing site, on the edge of the balcony there was dried, what was obviously vomit. I went straight to the front-desk to register my disgust, I was sent to who was apparently the manager of something or the other. I explained the situation to "Miss" Manager and was told to write an email and send it to some person or the other, that I did and since 2010, I am awaiting a response.
Point: don't waste your money at Iberostar!
I guess they would have treated us with a bit more respect had I been either:
1. White
2. Black but obviously a big spender or
3 Black with a non-caribbean accent.
Stay tuned, I have the story of my subsequent stay at the same hotel as part of a conference that was held there.
One question I have before I go, isn't a dollar in the hands of a black Jamaican worth the same as that in the hands of a white foreigner?
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Jamaicans and what is "Right"
There has been much rambling lately on which laws should be "repealed" (note 'repealed' and not 'amended'). Now, people are too easily given to upholding what is convenient or what supports their position or thinking and too ready to oppose what goes against their views. The Towns and Communities Act of 1843 states clearly that it is illegal to sell items on "Sundays, Good Friday, and Christmas Day, except in pharmacies, in shops within
the terminal buildings of the Norman Manley and Sangster international
airports, and public markets." The Women (Employment of) Act of 1942 clearly states that it is illegal for women to work after 10pm. There have been much calls lately since the Jamaica Gleaner ran a piece on "obsolete laws" for these laws to be "repealed" (note the quotes). Many are pointing out the dates as a supporting argument for the removal of these statutes from the books. This argument is totally flawed and therefore worthless to anybody who at least thinks without setting off a migraine.
The one thing that I use to discredit such an argument, I am sure the law that applies to murder (Offences against the persons act) was in existence in some way similar to its current form long before these "obsolete" laws. In other words, I am sure it was as illegal then as it is now to commit murder. Therefore, one cannot use time to determine the usefulness of an act. The act that criminalises 'buggery' aka anal sex in Jamaica was on the books since at least 1861 just about 20 years after the one that bans selling on Christmas day and nearly 80 years before an equally obsolete one that bans women working after 10pm. Now, if age or time the Act was passed is important in determining its applicability then all these laws should be repealed.
Laws should not be repealed solely because of their perceived obsolescence but due to it actually being obsolete. Consider the current trends and conditions that prevail in society then determine whether they are to be amended to be in line with international standards and above all morality.
The one thing that I use to discredit such an argument, I am sure the law that applies to murder (Offences against the persons act) was in existence in some way similar to its current form long before these "obsolete" laws. In other words, I am sure it was as illegal then as it is now to commit murder. Therefore, one cannot use time to determine the usefulness of an act. The act that criminalises 'buggery' aka anal sex in Jamaica was on the books since at least 1861 just about 20 years after the one that bans selling on Christmas day and nearly 80 years before an equally obsolete one that bans women working after 10pm. Now, if age or time the Act was passed is important in determining its applicability then all these laws should be repealed.
Laws should not be repealed solely because of their perceived obsolescence but due to it actually being obsolete. Consider the current trends and conditions that prevail in society then determine whether they are to be amended to be in line with international standards and above all morality.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Prophetic Words
The song begins "While I'm living, thanks I'll be giving" One of Reggae music's most touching prophetic renditions from the mind of a stupid genius. I will not be like everyone else and say Mark Myrie O/C Buju Banton was "framed" or set-up or the gays were out to get him. I am here to talk about the Prophetic Words of one of his greatest songs - Untold Stories from the album Til Shiloah released in 1995! This heart-moving rendition is a word-for-word description of what we are faced with as Jamaicans today, this was released when I was in first-form, some 18 years ago (man I'm old) when $50 could get me lunch for the day and $400 could fill your tank with leaded low-octane gasoline! It sums up perfectly all we are faced with as Jamaicans.
All I see people a rip and a rob all a grab
No love for the people who a suffer real bad
Who can afford to run will run (Senate President. Redwood?)
But what about those who can't they will have to stay
While trying to put this together, I realised the futility of this undertaking - the prophetic nature of the entire song is so profound it would be a thorough waste of time to try to take out phrases that have prophetic meaning as the entire song does that quite well. This song was written at the height of the Patterson Administration and yet again in another incarnation of that uncaring administration only difference is Dr. Omar is no longer Chief of Staff/War Minister leading the onslaught on helpless taxpayers, he has been relegated or re-assigned (I opt for the latter) and another "Doctor" is to administer bitter medicine - Dr. Peter Phillips. There has never been a more applicable time than now for the words of this song. Instead of listing the lyrics here is a version of the song for your ears, also I directly copied the uploader's version of the lyrics for you to read through, some aspects are not correct as far as the language is concerned but that does not diminish the prophetic message of the song, enjoy!
While I'm Living
Thanks I'll Be Giving
To the Most High You know,
I am living while I am living to the father I will pray
Only he knows how we get through everyday
With all the hike in the price
Arm and leg we have to pay
While our leaders play
All I see people a rip and a rob and a grab
Tief never love fe see tief wid long bag
No love for the people who a suffer real bad
Another toll to the poll may God help we soul
What is to stop the youths from get out of control
Full up of education yet no own no payroll
The clothes on my back have countless eyehole.
I could go on and on the full has never been told
Who can afford to run will run
But what about those who can't they will have to stay
Opportunity a scarce, scarce commodity
In these times I say..When mama spend her last and send you go class
Never you ever play
Its a competitive world for low budget people,
Spending a dime while earning a nickel
With no regards to who it may tickle
My cup is full to the brim
I could go on and on the full has never been told
All I see people a rip and a rob and a grab
Tief never love fe see tief wid long bag
No love for the people who a suffer real bad
Another toll to the poll may God help we soul
What is to stop the youths from get out of control
Full up of education yet no own no payroll
The clothes on my back have countless eyehole
Could go on and on and the full has never been told
(On and On)
Though this life keep getting me down
Dont give up now
Got to survive somehow
Could go on and on and the full has never been told
Who can afford to run will run
But what about those who cantthey will have to stay
Opportunity a scarce, scarce commodity
In these times I say When mama spend her last and send you go class
Never you ever play
Its a competitive world for low budget people,
Spending a dime while earning a nickel
With no regards to who it may tickle
My cup is full to the brim
I could go on and on the full has never been told
I could go on and on the full has never been told
I could go on and on.
The full has never.
Been..
Toooooold.
Most Outstanding Phrases
"With all the hike in the price Arm and leg we haffi pay While our leaders play"All I see people a rip and a rob all a grab
No love for the people who a suffer real bad
Who can afford to run will run (Senate President. Redwood?)
But what about those who can't they will have to stay
While trying to put this together, I realised the futility of this undertaking - the prophetic nature of the entire song is so profound it would be a thorough waste of time to try to take out phrases that have prophetic meaning as the entire song does that quite well. This song was written at the height of the Patterson Administration and yet again in another incarnation of that uncaring administration only difference is Dr. Omar is no longer Chief of Staff/War Minister leading the onslaught on helpless taxpayers, he has been relegated or re-assigned (I opt for the latter) and another "Doctor" is to administer bitter medicine - Dr. Peter Phillips. There has never been a more applicable time than now for the words of this song. Instead of listing the lyrics here is a version of the song for your ears, also I directly copied the uploader's version of the lyrics for you to read through, some aspects are not correct as far as the language is concerned but that does not diminish the prophetic message of the song, enjoy!
While I'm Living
Thanks I'll Be Giving
To the Most High You know,
I am living while I am living to the father I will pray
Only he knows how we get through everyday
With all the hike in the price
Arm and leg we have to pay
While our leaders play
All I see people a rip and a rob and a grab
Tief never love fe see tief wid long bag
No love for the people who a suffer real bad
Another toll to the poll may God help we soul
What is to stop the youths from get out of control
Full up of education yet no own no payroll
The clothes on my back have countless eyehole.
I could go on and on the full has never been told
Who can afford to run will run
But what about those who can't they will have to stay
Opportunity a scarce, scarce commodity
In these times I say..When mama spend her last and send you go class
Never you ever play
Its a competitive world for low budget people,
Spending a dime while earning a nickel
With no regards to who it may tickle
My cup is full to the brim
I could go on and on the full has never been told
All I see people a rip and a rob and a grab
Tief never love fe see tief wid long bag
No love for the people who a suffer real bad
Another toll to the poll may God help we soul
What is to stop the youths from get out of control
Full up of education yet no own no payroll
The clothes on my back have countless eyehole
Could go on and on and the full has never been told
(On and On)
Though this life keep getting me down
Dont give up now
Got to survive somehow
Could go on and on and the full has never been told
Who can afford to run will run
But what about those who cantthey will have to stay
Opportunity a scarce, scarce commodity
In these times I say When mama spend her last and send you go class
Never you ever play
Its a competitive world for low budget people,
Spending a dime while earning a nickel
With no regards to who it may tickle
My cup is full to the brim
I could go on and on the full has never been told
I could go on and on the full has never been told
I could go on and on.
The full has never.
Been..
Toooooold.
Victims of our Own Aspiration (If it ain't broke)
When the Israelites enviously asked of God for a King because they wanted to be like the heathen nations, God gave them what they asked for. It is not a matter of the system that was in existence at the time was failing, or was not carrying out its mandate, it was a matter of them wanting something different and something everybody else had - they wanted to be like the heathen nations. So, a King they got and what a King he was, they were given Saul - a handsome and outstanding individual, a brilliant, affable man with the gift of using words quite capably. His story can be read in 1 Samuel Chapters 9 and 10. Now we need not be reminded of how horrible a leader he turned out to be, we all remember that from Sabbath/Sunday School. Now, I am not comparing any leader past or present that we have or may have had, I merely put this forward to prove a point, however, I am aware that this can be open to various interpretations and that I happily welcome. Anyway...
Jamaica is no different, it can be argued that we have found favour in the eyes of the Lord and are therefore blessed beyond compare, we have far more then many countries greater in size and population than us can boast. If in case you are unaware of the numerous blessings we as Jamaicans are given I will not remind you - too bad if you were living under a rock and missed the pass 50 years of our existence as an independent nation. We have however squandered those blessings time and time again, Jamaica should have been leaps and bounds ahead of where it is today. But we somehow were able to waste the opportunity of a lifetime to achieve Vision 2030 by 1970. How a country can pull that off is beyond expression - words can explain anything under the sun but can't express everything, that's about the only shortcoming words find themselves with, one would be lying if the same were to be said about our Government. Moving on...
Proverbs 29:18 and 19 of the Good News Translation sums up pretty well our predicament and is a brilliant launchpad into my article, it reads as follows: "18: A nation without God's guidance is a nation without order. Happy are those who keep God's law! 19: You cannot correct servants just by talking to them. They may understand you, but they will pay no attention."
The Government has chosen to revisit the sweetheart deal the teachers have as far as study leaves and other leaves are concerned read. I will not argue against the fact that this deal is quite an enviable one for other Public Sector workers and the teachers 'get weh' as put in our terms by getting such an arrangement. I will not dispute that because I am in agreement, however to put things into context, our Education System has seen a steady decline in quality and standards since independence, teachers are faced with the effects of a nation turning its back on God and they have to deal with that first-hand yet we expect them to work magic. Others have also pointed out that the teachers have been given such a deal because they now work at far less than the international average pay and at even far below international working standards. Now, the government has (as it has proven in the past to have a tendency to do) unilaterally decided to change those arrangements and cite 'austerity measures' as the reason for doing so.So...
Our beloved Government has chosen to correct its servants by talking to them, an act which Solomon in all his wisdom spoke out against in no uncertain terms in the above passage, clearly, the teachers understand the demands of the Government, after all they are teachers and I think the ability to understand simple directives is second nature to them at least if it isn't a quality seen in the other areas of our under-productive and overly-bloated Public Sector. However, they will not accept the argument the government is putting forward as justification for the move and rightly so. In countries such as Norway and the Bahamas leaders have opted to take pay-cuts in solidarity with those who they are asking to do the same, in the U.S.A. Jamaica's beloved Barack Obama decided to return $20,000 of his salary, I agree this can be argued to be political posturing to seem caring and concerned. Whether real or fake, these are qualities leaders should exhibit despite the circumstances that lead them to do so. Now if the teachers were to take industrial action for the rest of the year I would happily support such a move.
Instead of our Government freezing our salaries and cutting/limiting entitlements unilaterally, it would have augured quite nicely for the current administration had they said, "My fellow 'Jumaicans', in light of the current crises we are faced with as a nation my cabinet and I saw it fit to take a massive slash in salary (*stressing 'massive cut' and 'salary', conveniently disregarding allowances*) of 5% in solidarity with those who we are asking to do the same." The 5% would have gotten past the masses of un-educated that eat out of the government's hands. But the gesture would be the salient point. Which brings me to this next point...
Coming out of the last set of 'wage talks' with the government, Public Sector workers failed to predict and prepare for the "three-card" tricks the government had up its sleeves and happily rolled the 'loaded' dice ignorant of what was to come. The Unions, who ironically are set up to fight for workers' rights accepted the false promises of the government and gave away their birthright for not a bowl of lentil soup but empty promises which unlike getting a bowl of lentil soup, in essence works out to us paying to give up all, so we lose twice.
At the risk of damaging the tone of my article I will continue.
The per kilometre cost of the mileage allotted to travelling officers was increased by 17% a whole one-fifth. So, technically a travelling officer could get the same amount of work done with the same amount of travelling put in and be paid a whole 17% more on his mileage, or at least that was what was understood. This is where the under-handed, three-card tricks up the government's sleeve came into play once more, many departments were directed to strictly limit travelling by the "bevehicled" among us to as little as 100 Km/month. Now, it is beyond me how the prior levels of productivity (whether good or bad) are to be maintained with such knee-jerk measures. It is a popular belief that in times of shortages of money, expenditure should be cut/limited, this is and should be the last resort it is the wise investment (which is spending) of money on which emphasis is to be placed. For the sowing of a seed is in essence spending of the seed which in turn presents a return on investment in the future of that spent seed. I am no 'Doctor of Economics' and that came without much effort. In these times efficiency is what is to be stressed, apparently not on the list of 'things to do' for this administration. If I used to claim 500km/month as travelling, under the previous 30/Km I would have been paid $15,000 for that month please bear in mind that is just compensation for the work the officer uses his vehicle to carry out, and is in no way beneficial to the officer. Now, if that were to be calculated at the current 17% increase 35/Km then I would have been paid $17,500 for that month, now pay attention, the masterful sleigh of hands by our 'Three-card' government is so slick you need to pay very close attention to see it: now, with mileage restricted to as little as 100Km/month, we cannot claim more than 100Km, now let us multiply that 100 by 35 and we get the wonderful sum of $3,500!!! Remarkable savings on the part of the Government but let us see how that works out, shall we? Immediate knee-jerk 'savings' more often than not are always guaranteed to cost us far more in the future, and let me draw once again on the timeless wisdom of Solomon from Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" KJV. And on that note...
Jamaicans rolled the loaded dice in 2008 that promised people-power and prosperity that returned people-problems and poverty shrouded in the beguiling isea of change, well 'better' has finally come!
I conclude....
Jamaica is no different, it can be argued that we have found favour in the eyes of the Lord and are therefore blessed beyond compare, we have far more then many countries greater in size and population than us can boast. If in case you are unaware of the numerous blessings we as Jamaicans are given I will not remind you - too bad if you were living under a rock and missed the pass 50 years of our existence as an independent nation. We have however squandered those blessings time and time again, Jamaica should have been leaps and bounds ahead of where it is today. But we somehow were able to waste the opportunity of a lifetime to achieve Vision 2030 by 1970. How a country can pull that off is beyond expression - words can explain anything under the sun but can't express everything, that's about the only shortcoming words find themselves with, one would be lying if the same were to be said about our Government. Moving on...
Proverbs 29:18 and 19 of the Good News Translation sums up pretty well our predicament and is a brilliant launchpad into my article, it reads as follows: "18: A nation without God's guidance is a nation without order. Happy are those who keep God's law! 19: You cannot correct servants just by talking to them. They may understand you, but they will pay no attention."
The Government has chosen to revisit the sweetheart deal the teachers have as far as study leaves and other leaves are concerned read. I will not argue against the fact that this deal is quite an enviable one for other Public Sector workers and the teachers 'get weh' as put in our terms by getting such an arrangement. I will not dispute that because I am in agreement, however to put things into context, our Education System has seen a steady decline in quality and standards since independence, teachers are faced with the effects of a nation turning its back on God and they have to deal with that first-hand yet we expect them to work magic. Others have also pointed out that the teachers have been given such a deal because they now work at far less than the international average pay and at even far below international working standards. Now, the government has (as it has proven in the past to have a tendency to do) unilaterally decided to change those arrangements and cite 'austerity measures' as the reason for doing so.So...
Our beloved Government has chosen to correct its servants by talking to them, an act which Solomon in all his wisdom spoke out against in no uncertain terms in the above passage, clearly, the teachers understand the demands of the Government, after all they are teachers and I think the ability to understand simple directives is second nature to them at least if it isn't a quality seen in the other areas of our under-productive and overly-bloated Public Sector. However, they will not accept the argument the government is putting forward as justification for the move and rightly so. In countries such as Norway and the Bahamas leaders have opted to take pay-cuts in solidarity with those who they are asking to do the same, in the U.S.A. Jamaica's beloved Barack Obama decided to return $20,000 of his salary, I agree this can be argued to be political posturing to seem caring and concerned. Whether real or fake, these are qualities leaders should exhibit despite the circumstances that lead them to do so. Now if the teachers were to take industrial action for the rest of the year I would happily support such a move.
Instead of our Government freezing our salaries and cutting/limiting entitlements unilaterally, it would have augured quite nicely for the current administration had they said, "My fellow 'Jumaicans', in light of the current crises we are faced with as a nation my cabinet and I saw it fit to take a massive slash in salary (*stressing 'massive cut' and 'salary', conveniently disregarding allowances*) of 5% in solidarity with those who we are asking to do the same." The 5% would have gotten past the masses of un-educated that eat out of the government's hands. But the gesture would be the salient point. Which brings me to this next point...
Coming out of the last set of 'wage talks' with the government, Public Sector workers failed to predict and prepare for the "three-card" tricks the government had up its sleeves and happily rolled the 'loaded' dice ignorant of what was to come. The Unions, who ironically are set up to fight for workers' rights accepted the false promises of the government and gave away their birthright for not a bowl of lentil soup but empty promises which unlike getting a bowl of lentil soup, in essence works out to us paying to give up all, so we lose twice.
At the risk of damaging the tone of my article I will continue.
The per kilometre cost of the mileage allotted to travelling officers was increased by 17% a whole one-fifth. So, technically a travelling officer could get the same amount of work done with the same amount of travelling put in and be paid a whole 17% more on his mileage, or at least that was what was understood. This is where the under-handed, three-card tricks up the government's sleeve came into play once more, many departments were directed to strictly limit travelling by the "bevehicled" among us to as little as 100 Km/month. Now, it is beyond me how the prior levels of productivity (whether good or bad) are to be maintained with such knee-jerk measures. It is a popular belief that in times of shortages of money, expenditure should be cut/limited, this is and should be the last resort it is the wise investment (which is spending) of money on which emphasis is to be placed. For the sowing of a seed is in essence spending of the seed which in turn presents a return on investment in the future of that spent seed. I am no 'Doctor of Economics' and that came without much effort. In these times efficiency is what is to be stressed, apparently not on the list of 'things to do' for this administration. If I used to claim 500km/month as travelling, under the previous 30/Km I would have been paid $15,000 for that month please bear in mind that is just compensation for the work the officer uses his vehicle to carry out, and is in no way beneficial to the officer. Now, if that were to be calculated at the current 17% increase 35/Km then I would have been paid $17,500 for that month, now pay attention, the masterful sleigh of hands by our 'Three-card' government is so slick you need to pay very close attention to see it: now, with mileage restricted to as little as 100Km/month, we cannot claim more than 100Km, now let us multiply that 100 by 35 and we get the wonderful sum of $3,500!!! Remarkable savings on the part of the Government but let us see how that works out, shall we? Immediate knee-jerk 'savings' more often than not are always guaranteed to cost us far more in the future, and let me draw once again on the timeless wisdom of Solomon from Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" KJV. And on that note...
Jamaicans rolled the loaded dice in 2008 that promised people-power and prosperity that returned people-problems and poverty shrouded in the beguiling isea of change, well 'better' has finally come!
I conclude....
Thursday, January 17, 2013
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, 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.
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