Saturday, April 28, 2007

Earthquake in the UK

The longer I live in England the more it becomes like Jamaica! First gun and knife crime is on the up and hurricane like storms happen and now earthquakes.

There was an earthquake in Ken this morning (about 8a. UK time). It measured around 4 on the Richter scale and was large enough to cause structural damage to buildings. The pictures I've seen have bricks from walls and houses lying in the street.

I didn't think things like that happened here at all. Well you live and you learn. Hope they don't come up north.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Third World? Think Again

In many respects Jamaica is in no way undeveloped and the UK is very undeveloped.

I tried to borrow 1984 and The Memorandum by Vaclav Havel from my local library. Neither are there. Now fair enough on the Havel but 1984?

I wanted to re-read the Havel play because I had read it at high school - it had been in the school library. Can you imagine? Leeds central library outdone by a 'third world' high school library.

And also using your ATM card at the checkout without having to sign a slip. They've just started doing that here in the UK since last February when we've been doing that in JA for years.

I've come to learn that the definitions need to be ignored as broad brushes.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

The Media Are Collossal Hypocrites

One short point to make this evening. Nearly all newspapers and news shows have been saying how terrible it is that the video of the evil nutter who shot up Virginia Tech has been shown - all said underneath a still from said video!

Puleeze!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

The Devil Wears Prada

I finally saw this movie last night. (I wait until movies are on cable before I see them - cheaper). I read the book ages ago and loved it - Miranda reminded me of many female bosses I have had over the years (marmee, make it stop!!!)

Whew, sorry about that - I try to forget these women.


Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the move was good even though they hollywoodized it in some respects. I really like Meryl Streep's performance - she was very good and she looks god with more weight on.


It's not often I see a 'nice' film - so often in the recent past I have been bitterly disappointed, which is why I no longer go to the cinema to pay £7 unless I am sure it will be good. Anyway, if you haven't watch this - even His Royal Highness liked it so it isn't a chick flick. Now I await Borat on cable . . .

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Only One Story or No News Today!

If you live in the UK today depending on your viewpoint there has only been one story or there has been no news at all.


ALL headlines (barring the eminently sensible Independent kiss kiss!) state that a man and a woman in a relationship have broken up.


Like I said - no news today.

See you tomorrow - perhaps then a man and a woman might go out to dinner? How terribly terribly exciting, what!

Friday, April 13, 2007

Racists Idiots again and a dancing Tyson.

http://business.guardian.co.uk/onamerica/story/0,,2056553,00.html

You see how the racist arsehole ( I know, I know, it’s a tautology) has been forced out of his job. When will these fools realise that being sorry you were caught is not the sames as being sorry for being an uncivilised animalistic jackass?

For those who aren’t familiar with the story, a US radio DJ by the name of Don Imus referred to the ladies on a basketball team (only two in the team were white) as ‘nappy headed hos. I’m sick of white people saying stuff like this and then saying sorry. Sorry my arse! If you didn’t mean it you wouldn’t have said it. Racist comments like that do not just slip off the tongue with no connection to the sayer’s heart. And they consistently bleat on and on that they aren’t racists, it was just a slip up. **** off to that I say!

As for the CBS executive, they are a million times over arseholes! Making it seem like they are making a principled stand when initially they did nothing, then when Al Sharpton tore them a new one they suspended the idiot Imus for two weeks. Only when the big bucks started to flush away down the toilet did they fire the man. An amoeba could tell that they are not concerned with ensuring their people are human and civilised – just with cash.
***
A headline from today’s Guardian (link to story here) http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2056819,00.html

Tyson to dance his way into Bollywood

My fada! What next?

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Leo (Justin) Whyte Dead

Just read this story in the Gleaner http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070412/lead/lead6.html about the death of Justin Whyte. He used to be the entertainment editor at the Gleaner and for many years was the director of the Glenmuir Choir. I knew him - not well but because of my involvement in the music world in Ja.

Things seem to be escalating in Ja. I keep reading about more and more people being killed - in terrible ways - and more and more I am knowing the people. It is incredibly sad.

I pray that his family will be comforted. Same for Slow Poke.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

No to Forced Fatherhood

Saw today that a lady who had taken her case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights lost.

The background is a woman was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She and her then partner had embryos made and frozen so that they could have kids after her treatment. Following her treatment the lady wad infertile and she and her boyfriend broke up. But she still wanted to have his child. He however didn't want to have kids with her as their relationship had ended.

A really sad time for her but I agree with the courts. You can't force someone to have a kid with you or at least you shouldn't be able to. I hope she comes to term with it. She's only 34 so she should be bale to adopt.

In other matters what a prekeh with the Man U Roma game tonight eh? First a big ole fight outside of Old Trafford and then a big dussing 7:3 to Manu U. Ouch!

Monday, April 09, 2007

Murder Seems to be on the Rise in the UK

I haven't researched any official figures, but lately there have been a lot of knife and gun murders in the UK. And sadly, the majority of them involve young black men as both perpetrator and victim. It's terrible. I wonder what is causing it? It's very disturbing and for the first time in six years I am a bit nervous about going to London (which is where the majority of these crimes happen).

The latest gun crime though involves white people. Some guy shot a pregnant woman over some feud apparently - read the story here http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2053217,00.html

I hope things don't go down the road of the US or Jamaica - God help us if they do.

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Bigging Up the Funk Brothers

Watched a documentary last night (or rather this morning, it was on after midnight) on BBC 4 about the Funk Brothers.

Now for those of you who don't know, the Funk Brothers were the house musicians at Motown during the golden years in Detroit. I also happen to be reading a biography of Diana Ross right now so they were relevant. I've read in many places that they were not credited on the tracks they played for because the powers that be didn't want rival labels to steal them so it was lovely to see them get some recognition.

As far as I know, these talented musicians played on all Motown tracks of that time and were responsible for a lot of great music. If the above is true it's a crying shame that their own people denied them the recognition they deserved. I hope the remaining guys (a few have died) are prospering now and will continue to be remembered!

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Hypocrisy about Slavery

Recently at a church service at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade, protester Toyin Agbetu disrupted the service stating that the Queen and the church should be ashamed.

There's been a lot of talk lately about the collective hand wringing and back patting of white Brits about this issue. There have been a lot of events around the abolition of the slave trade but the focus has been on people like Wilberforce. Almost nothing has been said about those brave black men and women like Nanny and Toussaint who fought against slavery.

Toyin's protest and his feelings on the subject speak to this fact. I agree with him. He maintains that nothing has been learned from the experience and instead of being ashamed of their part in it and instead of trying to learn from their mistakes and come to understand black people, white English people see themselves as superior beings because they were the first ones to abolish the slave trade.

Unbelievable! Slavery was abhorrent and saying it is a positive that the perpetrators of it abolished the trade (note not the practice) is as ridiculous as congratulating a killer who is in the process of strangling someone, for stopping mid strangle becaus eit's obvious the victim has no cash.

I see no reason whatsoever for congratulating any white person for ending either the slave trade or slavery. At the end of slavery those bastards actually compensated the plantation owners with vast sums of money and gave the former slaves nothing to start out in life. This immediately put black people at a major disadvantage and it is only through our own collective efforts that just over 100 years later we are where we are. White people were never concerned with the betterment of our kind in getting rid of slavery - it just started to be un-profitable with the advent of mechanisation and a change in economies.

I also have no doubt that there were many white people who believed it was wrong but this is not why it ended. It ended in spite of them.

Even today white people here in the UK haven't a clue as to the ramification of slavery - they have little knowledge of what even went on at the time. The only people who do know are those old enough to have seen Roots which was shown in the late 70s and has yet to be re-broadcast! Why? Because it isn't taught in school here.

I agree with Toyin's sentiment, expressed in an article I read (can't remember where, sorry, try googling him). He posits that white people collectively never did nor do they want now, equality for black people. Any progress has to come from ourselves - by creating our own wealth and institutions, by supporting those mainstream institutions that behave properly and in educating ourselves about the truth.

Check out the story from the BBC about what happened and like I said, google this guy - very interesting. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6523327.stm

Monday, April 02, 2007

I'm Back!!!

Yes, the show is over and I'm back. It was a great success - check out the pix and reviews at http://www.thelaos.com

Was reading the Ja papers and saw that story on the Rasta Miss Universe - wicked. Who would have thought it eh? As a woman who wears locks too (though not a rasta) it was good to see - and hers are rally pretty but that is not the point, I know, I know.

Check out the story here http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20070331T180000-0500_121178_OBS_RASTAFARIANS_EMBRACE_FIRST_BEAUTY_QUEEN_.asp

Later.