CLARO Again!!!!

Christmas 2009 belonged to Claro! Their advertising campaign was catchy and witty. The use of a children's choir was a novel idea and that alone stole consumer's attention. Now its Valentines and Claro again has an early start out of the blocks with another well thought out promotional plan. Fact is, regardless of the fact that the concept was used when they started their campaign earlier last year is secondary. They have done enough to 'kill' the competition.
Whatever Digicel does now will be seen as 'follow fashion', unless, they go back to the drawing board and come up with something genius and not only genius... they need to come up with it fast!
I'm watching, coz just maybe the cellular wars are about to heat up again.

The three year-old Drama King!

Have you noticed how dramatic and expressive these latter days children are? When they are making a case for rudeness, they are the most expressive, most convincing humans on the earth. Take for example, my three-year old 'drama king'... Mr. Xavier Kahlil McDonald... when he makes a case you cannot help but be convinced even if it is the rudest thing on the planet he just conceptualized.
But I should have known because at 6 weeks old, he woke up one night and refused to go back to sleep. He wasn't crying. I checked his diapers, fed and burped him, yet he just laid on the bed staring at me. Meanwhile, I was there the bewildered mother, begging him to go back to sleep, after all it was about 2 or 3 am, but Xavier just laid there and stared at me. Suddenly out of nowhere a big smile popped onto his face as if to say, 'trouble' and just as quickly as he smiled he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Since then, 'trouble' has been his daily mantra. One Saturday evening, he announced that he was going to brush his teeth. Against my better judgment (he had brushed his teeth about an hour before because he had taken a shower) I gave him his toothbrush and left him alone. I heard no noise, water was running but there wasn't usual singing or singular banter which I have become accustomed to from him. So I kindly went to check what was happening. Xavier stuffed the bar of soap into the sink hole of the wash basin and filled the basin with water. When I got to the bathroom, the water was just about ready to run over onto the floor. Startled that I caught him, he announced "Look Mommy, big wata". I just took the toothbrush from him, chased him out of the bathroom and released the water.
One wonders where they come up with these things. It also makes me wonder if I did the same things as a child. There are quite a number of characteristics that I see in him that I know I possessed as a child. Mischievousness is one such characteristic.
Xavier will see his Uncle (who is 11 years old) sitting quietly reading or watching TV and proceed to either slap him and run or stand in front of the TV.
Then there is the lip on him!!! That's for another entry.
Seriously though, I am a happy Mother because you know I do not have to worry about a sad child. Xavier loves life. He's adventurous and looks for the fun in everything and that's what being a child is about. So let him enjoy himself. Hopefully, I will see the fun in his actions too.
Lata,

Extend a helping hand... Haiti needs you!

Today is a bittersweet day for me. Generally speaking I feel good but my spirit is troubled. It is troubled because my brothers and sisters are in trouble. The lives of the people of Haiti have once again been thrown into turmoil due to acts of nature. As if four hurricanes, back-to-back, in 2008 were not enough, they now have to deal with the devastation of the biggest earthquake, this side of the world in the last decade.
Have you seen the pictures? Devastation everywhere. Dead bodies piled high on top of each other. Tears and blood mixed with debris from the buildings streaming down the faces of women and children. The sense of loss, not only of belongings, but of life, hope and a future. They must be asking themselves, "how many times do I have to rebuild?", "what should I do now?"
Aside from the physical provisions of money, food and clothes, what encouragement can you now offer to these people? Do you say, 'God loves you' and 'He's going to fix it'? How exactly do you comfort a survivor who has lost every member of his or her family, home, job and sense of self?
The answer to these questions lies in our response to the affected. We answer these questions and many others with our actions. You see, God has no other hands and feet to use but ours. Now is the time to be our brother's keeper.
Time and distance ceases to exist because we must reach out. Friends, let us extend ourselves. I know times are tough but just imagine Jamaica in the same situation with no one to help. Extend a hand today. Pray for the people of Haiti and donate something, anything ... nothing is too small to give.
Love,

How come Jamaica, how come?

I am so distraught when I look at and think about my country these days... imagine at almost 48 years old, Jamaica - the country with the most potential on the planet - walking up and down the streets of the world like a mendicant - hat in hand, begging to supply her daily needs!
When I think of Jamaica, I think of the little train that could, but didn't. We have the most talented people on earth, yet, we refuse to produce. We are contented sapping up the name-brand this and that, from every where else in the world. Our people have this 'get-rich-quick' mentality that pisses me off daily. No one is willing to work anymore, everyone wants a hand out. It is this culture that has been cultivated by our politicians and unfortunately, this same culture has taken root.
Most people (particularly men) are content, sitting on the roadside from 'cock crow' in the mornings until dogs howl at night, digging out their hand middle. When will we realize that no one can change our destiny but ourselves? Bob Marley phrased it aptly when he said 'None but ourselves can free our minds'! When will we realize that if we depend on the state and politicians, we dig ourselves deeper into a mire from which we may never recover?
People, Jamaica is a great nation and Jamaicans are a great people. There isn't a corner of this earth that does not have a Jamaican living there. Our people are excelling all over the world. The world has our attention. Our brand is big! Nothing makes me prouder than when I am in foreign and here a local artist on the radio or see a local brand in the supermarket.
In August 2008 & 2009, our athletes forced the world, to stand at attention and to go as far as to learn the Jamaican National Anthem, because it was the most popular song in Beijing and Berlin. When will we recognize our potential? When will we begin in take ourselves seriously? When will we love and appreciate ourselves for who we are and stop trying to change our skin colour or hair texture to fit into another's mold? Come on Jamaica... wake up! We are in a crisis but we are not the crisis. Like the great Marcus Mosiah Garvey, I challenge us this morning, "Up ye mighty race (Jamaica), you can accomplish what you will".

Teenage crush!

Teenage crushes!!! I'm sure we all have had a crush on one someone at some point in our lives. Well, I've had my fair share of crushes but the teenage ones were the worst! I remember having a crush on this guy when I was about 14, oh Lord, I was pathetic. I would go past his house just to have a glimpse of him and if I didn't see him, I'd go past again. But you know what was the worst part about this crush: he never gave me the time of day! Didn't even know that I existed!
While I daydreamed about having his children and taking long walks on the beach, he would go past me, if he said 'hi', it would be fleeting and that's IF he said 'hi'.
But you know, life is so full of irony because guess who I 'buck up' a few months ago???? Same guy, but my have the tables turned. To put it mildly, I'm not the one doing the chasing!
Why am I saying all of this? When we are young, we sometimes react to another person's affection unfavorably. Totally ignoring someone because you don't feel the same way is rude! Feelings get hurt and self-worth gets crushed in the process.
So may I ask you to teach your children to be polite to each other. Teenage years are the most critical years in a young person's life. This is the point where we all want to fit in and sometimes we do some strange things to be accepted.
Looking back, I know I was willing to do anything for this guy to like me... yes, just about anything! But I was not even allowed to do: ANYTHING (lol)
Regardless of how well you teach your children, they need to interact with their peers as well, and it helps when they are polite to each other, instead of laughing at someone because they are not your type, treat that person with respect... after all you may have a crush on someone else ... and they may never give you the time of day! Imagine how that would feel...

The good ole' days

Remember those days... the good old days when things were just nice... well maybe not all of us think of it as the good old days but there are somethings that we miss every now and then, we wish those could come back. Here's my list of those things that I think of 'every now and then'

MONEY
- 5 cent sweetie
- 10 cent bulla
- When $1 could buy 20 icy mints
- When $5 could buy a loaf of bread

TV
- MacGuyer on a Saturday night
- When Cosby Show was 'THE' comedy to watch
- Dick Pixley - JBC on Friday nights - "MONEY, MONEY, MONEY - IT'S A RICH MAN'S WORLD"
- Good evening, I am Charles Lewin for JBC News
- Good evening, I am Erica Allen for JBC News
- Dennis Hall on School's Challenge Quiz
- Sunday afternoon international football on JBC
- Saturday morning wrestling on JBC
- 'Getting up Harry' - the Andrews Commercial

SCHOOL DAYS
- Marbles
- Chinese skip
- Nutrimilk & nutribulla
- When slingshot was called a 'bingie'
- Toy cars made from juice box, bamboo and bottle corks
- Wheelie pon di BMX
- British Knights sneakers

EVERYDAY
- Sir Florizel Glasspole, Governor General of Jamaica
- Mayor Marie Atkinson - Kingston's Mayor forever!!!
- Rialto Theatre on Windward Road
- Rainbow Skateland
- Jamaica Telephone Company

FASHION STATEMENTS
- Matey Bag
- Big Blouse & Tights
- Everybody wore a jherri curl
- Nasty Jherri curl on the shirt collar
- Kid N Play hair cut
- Gold Teeth
- When men wore pants with pleats

Feel free to add your own lists too!

Say thanks man.... sheesh!

I'm seriously beginning to like this blogging thing... it gives me an opportunity to speak whatever is on my mind. I don't have to worry about saying something untoward or inappropriate because they are, after all, my thoughts. So here I go again, blogging about something that's had me thinking from the time it happened: American Airlines, Flight 331!
Yes, you remember the one... that ill-fated Boeing which flew over the runway at NMIA and landed like 2 meters from the beach... yup, that's the one.
On my way to work this morning, I was listening to Full House Friday (yes, the same one with the mad people dem - Francois, et. al) and they were talking about this same flight. Particularly, they were referring to the reactions of passengers who exited the plane. It was as if they were singing a chorus because they voiced my opinions exactly. Every passenger who was coherent was cussing out the pilot, the police, the airport staff and anyone else who had anything to do with first response... but no-one, not one passenger stopped to say 'Thank You, Jesus/Allah/H.I.M/Krishnah'!
Now my friend, me a tell you the truth - after my life done flash before me, and I see all the sins I committed yet I am still here, maybe with some minor scratches and bruises, but me still deh above and not beneath - the only thing I could do at that particular juncture is to give praise to the One who brought me through! After that, all the cussing and carrying on could occur. Bags to claim and monies to be paid to me for my pain and suffering and loss of employment could happen - but that is after me give thanks!
As I go about my daily business, I recognize that we are not so much of a thankful people anymore. We complain when bad things happen but when we make it through those situations, we never say thanks...
As this is a new year, we can make saying thanks a part of our resolution... it takes less than a second and after all, it's the polite thing to do!!! So instead of complaining all the time, stop for a minute and say thanks man.... sheesh!

Do something good for someone today!

Despite the individual challenges we face daily, there are so many opportunities to do good deeds. One needs to understand that a good deed is not necessarily monetary but refers to the many ways that we touch and inspire each other to become better people.
Spending time to read with a child, combing a senior citizen's hair, or assisting a blind person to cross the busy street, all qualify as good deeds.
So let's look for opportunities today. Bless someone with your presence. Smile or laugh with someone and if necessary cry with them too... but spend some time and do something good for someone today :)

Feedback... Stop blaming the church

Firstly, I want to thank everyone for their feedback on yesterday's blog... It caused such a furore! As they say, if you want to get people passionate, throw a little religion or politics in the mix... lol!
But the conversation actually took a different spin. My point was that individuals should take responsibility for their actions and stop blaming others. My commentators however took it to another level - they felt that the church only takes from poor people and gives no significant benefits back to society. Because I am of a contrary opinion, I thought it would be prudent to make some comments...
1. There are hypocrites in the church as there are in almost every other sphere of life
2. There are individuals who go into the Church because of what they can get out of it. In fact, many of these church leaders live a better quality of life than some of their members.
3. Equally however, there are individuals whose main intent for going into the Church is service to God and man. These individuals go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that their parishioners/members are assisted in every aspect of their life.
4. There is hardly a school in Jamaica that is not aligned to a church. This is not because the church gives financial benefits to the school but it acts a moral compass which guides the Teachers who are molding our children's lives.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that if the church is doing something, money is insignificant and 'the Lord will provide' therefore they should walk blindly into situations. Friends, whenever a church has a crusade for example (this is what is defined as Missions) there are costs associated with it. Let me give you a breakdown;
- Rental of the tent
- Electricity
- Rental of Chairs
- Accommodation & stipend for visiting pastors
- Rental of Port-a-potties
- Setting up of the infrastructure
- Transportation & Labour costs
- Refreshments
Imagine if this crusade is for a week or two - Rental of the venue, permits to host the event... it costs whole heap a money!!! And bear in mind, this is a core duty of the church - they MUST evangelize!

Then there are the visits to the shut-ins, senior citizens and children's homes, they cannot go with empty hands - 'Praise the Lord' cannot full belly so there has to be provisions for these homes. There are the educational exploits. Skills training for interested persons - alliances which are created through organizations such as HEART and USAID.

Jobs are provided through the church. The office staff - administrators, anxillary, kitchen staff, security & drivers.

As we always say, give credit where it is due. The church does a number of outreach programmes. Persons are benefitting. I maintain that maybe what they need is a public relations arms to toot their horns!!!

Stop Blaming the Church

Can I tell you I am sick and tired of society blaming all its ills on the church. Everyday someone else gets up and complains "The Church has lost its way", "The church is failing".... blah, blah, blah... but I am asking what I believe is a pertinent question, what has happened to good old responsibility? Why is no-one taking responsibility for their actions anymore? The church did not tell gunmen to go out and kill and maim innocent people. The church did not culture or cultivate thieves. The church did not authorise revellry, gambling or any other 'carnal sin'. Yet, daily the church is being blamed because of the results of these behaviours.
The fact is friends, no one even listens to the church anymore because everybody is caught up in thier own righteousness. We are more concerned about 'living comfortably in ourselves' and 'being spiritual'. We all want to do what we want to do when we want to do it.
It is time that people begin to take responsibility for their actions. We reap what we sow and many of the behaviours being exhibited today are a result of years sowing in the wrong vineyards. The chickens are now coming home to roost!
Stop pointing fingers at others because of what you have become... start with the man in the mirror and make the change!