Where am I?

Did you see the US/England match up? Germany's massacre of the poor Aussies? DID YOU SEE TSHABALALA'S GOAL FOR RSC? What a beaut! Anyhoo...catch unnu likkle later

Howard Drive Chronicles Part IV

IT IS OVER! After 2 letters to management, and numerous phone calls, freedom. What is freedom? A bigger kitchen & sun room & a tension free, quiet night (one of many).

I should update the last chronicle by saying, the I owe her thing didn't last long...she was back to yelling, slamming, banging, and carrying on in short time. Not necessarily at me (she isn't particular). How wild can one person be? Especially one with a young, impressionable child. I guess this is how people like my neighbor are raised...by crass, angry, poisonous people. The cycle continues. Hog & goat indeed. I leave her to people with time and energy to waste. I'm trying to do so many things right now, I don't have the time or energy.

Sorry to say this is the end of this saga. That's the one sad thing. Let's see if I get anymore entertainment. If so, I promise to share.

Celebrations & Fun for Memorial Day 2010

This Memorial Day holiday we traveled into 4 different states, drove for over 13 hours, and had FUN. To kick off the weekend, there was Ren's graduation from law school in Washington, D.C. (state #1) on Friday morning. I couldn't be more proud of her. She's done really admirable things with her time at law school - really expanded her horizons and developed as a person. I have barely managed to keep up, experiencing different countries and cultures through her eyes has been fantastic. We had nyammings in Virginia (state #2)...great food, hilarious convo, and nice chill time.

"I hope your dreams take you...to the corners of your smile, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known."

Saturday we hung out with Ren's fam by the pool & had a ball. Tons of fun times...Ren & I slept and others had a ball in the water (this would be in MD, state #3). Then we were back in the tri-state area where I celebrated my friend's mom's 50th birthday on a Spirit of NJ dinner cruise. I had always wanted to go on one of these. It was nice but I realize my constitution doesn't love being on a boat on open water. I don't know about any future cruise plans I may make...anyhoo, I did get to view some NY landmarks. After living on this side of the US for a decade I still haven't experienced any of these. I guess I'm only a good tourist when I'm traveling (does NJ count? I think not, but NY can be state #4).

Lady Liberty

Ellis Island

Brooklyn Bridge

Then, as with all summer weekends, it ended off with soccer and a visit to see family (and be fed). The actual holiday (Memorial Day) was spent in bed watching movies/TV and catching up on sleep. Had a mango ice cream cone, snuggled in bed, unpacked a bit...quite the mellow holiday.

The end of May marks the end of my May weight challenge. Do I have to state after all the eating this weekend that I lost nothing? At least I didn't gain...anyhoo, the May challenge has become the summer challenge.

Jamaica bleeds for our "war on drugs"

The chaos in Kingston is symptomatic of the failure of US-led cocaine prohibition. This tragic violence must force a rethink

The tragedy unfolding in Jamaica is symptomatic of a wider crisis of organised crime, armed violence and political corruption caused by a failed "war on drugs". The tangled political and economic roots of the problem run very deep.

Caribbean nations were born from the violence of chattel slavery and rebellion, colonial domination and the struggle for liberation and self-determination. The postcolonial flight of capital and structural readjustment have been compounded by the end of transatlantic trade agreements that have led to the collapse of the region's agricultural economic base. High levels of unemployment and extreme marginality have been the result for many communities.

By accident of geography, the Caribbean islands sit uncomfortably between the Andean coca producers and the cocaine consumers of North America and Europe. Although the Caribbean routes account for only a small proportion of the cocaine traffic (estimated by the UN to be worth as much as $125bn), the islands' physical location, unprotectable coastlines and transport links to the metropolitan centres of North America and Europe make them an ideal jumping-off point for the traffickers.

The "war on drugs" was supposed to destroy coca production, stifle trafficking and eliminate cocaine use in the US and beyond. It has achieved none of these things. Instead, supply and demand are resilient, and so the "harsh medicine" of drug prohibition has created a lucrative clandestine market with entirely predictable iatrogenic side-effects of political corruption and armed violence. The collateral damage is all too evident across the region – most obviously in Jamaica, but also in Trinidad, Guyana and many other places on the Caribbean rim that have seen gunshot murders escalate to levels equivalent to a bloody civil war.

Jamaica's problems are particularly acute. Political violence can be traced back to the 1940s at least, and escalated at key moments throughout the 20th century, most notably during the 1980 election when guns were funnelled into the island from the US – allegedly by the CIA – to arm the leaders of the "garrison communities".

In the poorest Kingston constituencies, the two main political parties – the Jamaica Labour party and the People's National Party – continue to vie for power, with more than 90% of voters turning out for one or other of the parties. Local politicians and the "dons" exert control but also inspire loyalty among their constituents. In the past, the dons worked as enforcers for the politicians, but they have now accumulated an independent economic power base from drug- and gun-running, protection rackets and corrupt government contracts.

The attempt to extradite Christopher "Dudus" Coke to the US to face trafficking charges has turned from farce to tragedy. At first, the government, led by JLP Prime Minister Bruce Golding, prevaricated, no doubt mindful of Coke's connections to the party and his ability to deliver votes, but also the power of a man whom many people think of as a godfather who can deliver security and other goods. Bowing to both domestic and external political pressure, the government's attempt to execute the arrest warrant has so far left at least 44 people dead – without delivering Coke.

Sadly, loss of life at the hands of the authorities is far from rare. Last year, the Jamaican police killed more than 250 people – deaths denounced by human rights groups as extrajudicial executions.

In the short term, there is an obvious need for the authorities to work to restore peace to the affected neighbourhoods. This is going to require fortitude, but also restraint. Preservation of life and the minimal use of force in pursuit of peace and safety should be the guiding ethos, even while the situation remains volatile. Too many lives have been lost already and the danger of escalation is clear and present.

The challenge for the Jamaican people, after that, is to understand the roots of political corruption and armed violence and seek ways to disentangle organised crime from politics, business, the state and civil society more generally. Removing guns and corruption from the body politic is not going to be easy and cannot be achieved by military firepower: war on the streets of Kingston is the problem, not the solution. It will require a peace process akin to the Northern Ireland experience, perhaps with truth and reconciliation, and certainly with some means to decommission weapons and demobilise the young men in corner crews who define themselves as "soldiers" fighting on the front line of garrison communities.

There is a wider challenge facing the region and the international community. The "war on drugs" has not only failed, but positively promotes corruption and armed violence – not only in the Caribbean, but also across Central and South America, West Africa and in the inner cities of Europe and North America.

Could the tragic loss of life in Jamaica bring the world to its senses? People are sick of warfare. We should instead direct resources to building a lasting peace.

The Guardian

Ben Bowling

If I keep this in, it will poison me...

I am not quite sure if I have the appropriate words but if I say nothing, I fear all the angst I have trapped in my heart and mind will poison me. Now, I'm no politics and public affairs guru but I am a born and raised Jamaican and there are certain indisputable truths re: the situation currently taking place in my island home. I'm not even going to get too specific because I don't even think the issue is related to the situation currently taking place...it is a result of a culture of denial and stigma that has existed in my island home for as long as I have been alive (and certainly, before).

I am angry at us. Me, you, all Jamaicans. The Jamaican citizenry. I mean, how long have we lived with, ignored, sometimes benefited, or suffered at the hands of corruption on the island? I know only too well that when reported, the victims are ignored or silenced. However, what if by some miracle, literal and definitely spiritual (because only GOD can help), we all decide to say NO. Regardless of the outcome. No to the shady cops. No the extortionists. No to the slippery slimy politicians. No to the connection to help you get off from paying some fee/tax/fine/ticket. JUST #$%! NO. What if? What if we stop frickin' inheriting our political alliances? What if? This is not damn sports day. This is our future.

When I hear of the Jamaica of my parents and realize the damage that can occur in just one generation, I could weep. As a babe, I still had the opportunity to experience the well advanced rail transport system. My parents can talk of the number of well-equipped hospitals/health care facilities, the excellent tradition our small island had in academic, athletic, and cultural achievement (& to a lesser degree we still do due to blessings I tell you and not because we value and support the talents we've been entrusted with). Not to mention the richness of our soil and the beauty of our island, natural and man made.

There's more in me but I am spent.

See why I have nothing to say? Because people with the power to say something and actually effect change always sit silently or feel sorry for 'those people' in times of war but when everything quiet down, do nothing. Because we aren't being shot at, because we survived another flare up, and of course there's Hawkeye/Kings Alarm/gated communities/friends in high places to protect us. No one is piling bodies of our family and friends feet high because none of us have to live in or loot in or fight in/against or die in the ghetto. So, when it is all over, we go back to work and play, and the struggle continues in the rural and urban ghettos of Jamaica. More children. More frustration. More injustice. More poverty. More sickness. More starvation. More death. More sadness. More anger. Less opportunity. Less education. Less self worth. Less value.

PLEASE, let us not forget!

From the Sunday Herald - Even if Bruce Golding does not resign he has lost the moral authority to continue as Jamaica’s Prime Minister. This is underscored by the unprecedented numbers of national organisations either calling for his resignation or expressing disappointment in the handling of the Christopher Coke extradition and the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips issue.

Never in the history of Jamaica’s parliamentary democracy, since it was first introduced in 1944, has a Prime Minister ever been called upon by so many national organisations and a wide cross section of civil society to tender his resignation.

The call for Mr. Golding’s resignation is even more pronounced given the fact that 15 years ago when he formed the National Democratic Movement (NDM) Mr. Golding spoke about a new approach to governance.

When he explained in 2002 his reasons for going back to the JLP, he was at pains to point out that if given the opportunity he would lead the process of transforming Jamaica’s party political landscape and the system and nature of Government. As a result of these pronouncements he was able to sway many of the persons and institutions now calling on him to resign.

Promises made

In 1995 he said that there must be a severance of the link between political representatives and those who do not uphold the rule of law.

Yet, by 2010 he is being perceived by many inside and outside of the country as preventing the extradition of a person wanted for gunrunning and drug trafficking.

In 1995 he said that what Jamaica needs is a Cabinet of no more than 14 persons. Yet, by 2007 when he became Prime Minister, he formed a Cabinet consisting of 18 persons.

In 1995 he spoke about the importance of a non-partisan and effective civil service bureaucracy. Yet, by 2008 having disagreed with the proposal for the appointment of Stephen Vasciannie as Solicitor General by the Public Services Commission (PSC), he caused the dismissal of all members of the said PSC.

He forgot that at the launch of the NDM on October 29, 1995 he lashed out against the central feature of Government when he said: “The central feature of the Westminster system is the enormous concentration of power in the Executive and more particularly in the hands of the Prime Minister, which undermines the real purpose of Parliament and deprives the people of effective representation.”

In 1995 he spoke about the importance of dialogue and openness with public bodies, particularly those critical to the operation of a successful Government, the teachers, nurses, and the security forces. Yet, by 2010 he unilaterally broke off bargaining and negotiation with the said organisations, resulting in a standoff between these organisations and his Government. In 1995 he said, which he repeated in 1997, that nominations to the position of Ambassadors and Directors of Statutory Boards and Public Corporations should be made by the Prime Minister and approved by the Members of each House of Parliament. Thus far, Mr. Golding has ignored this promise.

Role of the judiciary

The most earth shattering about-turn by Mr. Golding, however, is how he has dealt with the Coke extradition affair. In October 1995 Mr. Golding said: “‘We (NDM) are committed to the effective separation of powers between the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary… The Prime Minister should be responsible for the control and direction of policy, which would include the executive management of the State services as well as Budget preparation and implementation…

The judiciary should be responsible for adjudicating questions of law and interpreting the provisions of the Constitution.’

Yet, in March 2010 in defence of a person whose extradition is being sought by the United States Government under an extradition Treaty between the USA and Jamaica, Mr. Golding has sought to use the Executive to usurp the functions of the judiciary by saying that the evidence against the person was ‘illegally obtained’ and, therefore, inadmissible in a court of law.

Mr. Golding was wrong in law because illegally obtained evidence is admissible in court so long as the evidence is relevant to the point or points in issue. If Mr. Golding had sought to uphold his views expressed 15 years ago, he would not have found himself in his current predicament.

Politics and crime

The extradition affair as well as the way in which Mr. Golding has sought to deal with the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips issue raises the fundamental issue of the relationship between our political parties and political leaders with alleged criminals, criminals and criminality.

It was on this point that Mr. Golding was most strident between 1995 and 1997, when he called upon the people of the country to rally behind him in his effort to de-link the relationship between politics and crime.

In November 1995 he said, “This custom” must be rooted out of Jamaican politics and that he would be doing everything if given the opportunity to dismantle garrison politics in Jamaica. At the time Mr.

Golding had lots of support for what was termed his “principled position.”

He had the support of wellknown persons, for whom I have a lot of respect such as, Bishop Herro Blair, Tony Hart, Howard Mitchell, Reverend Ralston Nembhard, Peter Thwaites, David Wong Ken, Robert Russell, Dr. Andre´ Foote, Wayne Leahong and Wayne Chen.

Today, Mr. Bruce Golding has apparently turned his back on his former principled position and by extension those who were with him in 1995 to 1997. Not only did he grab the garrisoned West Kingston constituency with both hands, but he is now using his position as Prime Minister to lead the defence of a man who former Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for West Kingston Edward Seaga, having given then Commissioner of Police certain information, went on to say as reported on September 29, 1994:

“He is a gang leader (and that) none of what is happening in West Kingston (violence) could have happened without his vesting.” Continuing, Mr. Seaga said, “I have no control over these fellows — I have no control over these 13 men who have a pattern of brutality that I will not tolerate…

They have blown off the leg of a young girl who at 20 years old has to walk with crutches; they have killed two sons of one lady within three days; they have killed a sevenyear- old, and nine-year-old boy.

They sent 15-year-old boys with guns into the Rema Community in order to chastise, in order to mete out what they call justice.” If this is the case, how can Mr. Golding exercise any moral authority in the fight against crime and violence staking the land? How can Mr. Golding speak with convincing authority about breaking the link between politics and crime? How can he successfully wage a battle against Jamaica being perceived, unfortunately and embarrassingly as a ‘narco state’?

Source of funds

The extradition of Mr. Coke is being sought by the US for gunrunning and drug trafficking.

Mr. Golding at first denied knowledge of the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips being hired either by the Government or the JLP to lobby members of the US Government on behalf of Coke.

Mr. Golding, thereafter, under pressure from the Opposition and national organisations, admitted that as Leader of the JLP he sanctioned the deal. He also stated that the funds to retain Manatt, Phelps & Phillips were paid by the JLP. It would be interesting to find out who were some of the donors to such a cause. Of course, Mr. Golding ought not to have a difficulty with this, as in regards to funds raised by political parties, he said in 1995, albeit speaking about campaign financing:

“Political parties should be required to disclose to the Electoral Commission the source of financial contributions or the monetary value of contributions in kind which, in any one year exceeds twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000) in the case of individuals or two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) in the case of organisations or corporate entities.”

Mr. Golding’s recent backpedalling on the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips affair has mortally wounded his position as Prime Minister. It is unbecoming of a person who had pledged that he would do everything, if given the opportunity, to break the link between politics and alleged criminals. Now is the time for all of those who believe in this ‘principled position’ to speak up and speak out, including those who rallied around Mr. Golding between 1995 and 1997, when he was ‘new and different’.

Delano Franklyn is an attorney at law, author and a former Government State Minister of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade.

http://www.sunheraldja.com/2010/05/bruce-golding-let-us-not-forget/

Harder they come...

This diet is harder than I thought. Summertime was not the best choice.

I did pretty well last week but the weekend was horrid. I even made Oreo cheesecake bars...who does that on a diet? At least I only had one. I leave the rest to the skinny minnies. Even though my eating wasn't so good, I did go to the gym 4 times. Not too shabby. This week I can only make 3, so I don't know if there's weight loss hope for me next week.

So get to the point Shumpy. Ok, ok. I lost a whopping 1 lb LOL. I feel like one of those biggest loser contestants trying to break a barrier. Most of them are trying to get under 300 lbs or 200 lbs - things aren't so rough with me but if I could do another 5 lbs off, I'd be somewhat content.