A normal Christmas

I call Christmas 2019 "a normal Christmas" as I am unaccustomed  to freezing during this period, and thank heavens, I didn't this year.

Christmas 2018 was warm inside but not outside

You see, last year I made the crazy decision to spend Christmas with my daughter and granddaughter in Colorado and that is something someone from the tropics should avoid doing!



Actually I enjoyed going to my granddaughter's Christmas party and reading Jamaican stories to the kids, but heck we can do that at their end of year party in the summer can't we, for the photo below tells the name of the game there in December.

You know, it's not that I am exceptionally cold in the snow when I decide to dress properly, but as a 'shorts and  t shirt' person, I hate having to wear all the heavy clothes, so always end up not wanting to leave the house , and after a day cooped up in the house, ta-da claustaphobia!

Posing with Kevin

 So,  this year, it was back to 'normal' as I spent the Christmas  with my cousins Junior and Kevin in Florida, along with their spouses and a few other relatives, not to forget the star, two year old Major.        

We had a whale of a time.

Scheming with Junior

The food, ambiance and camaraderie were all great, then there was the movie afterwards.



The coup-de-grace was however BINGO.



You see, I have a gambling problem.



It is not the normal gambling problem that most people seem to have where they cannot stop chasing the dream. Mine is the stingy version for I always allot a very small amount which I am more then prepared to lose, then after that, no more.



That's it. Even when I go to exotic places like Las Vegas or Atlantic City, that habit prevails. After that, I don't mind watching other people chasing their dream but I ain't betting another cent.



Yesterday was no different. My gambling budget  for bingo was the huge sum of $4 and alas, I lost it very quickly as usual.



After that, I hung around watching everyone else. Rosie, Junior's wife was the lucky one as she just kept winning. If I were her, I would buy a Florida lottery ticket right away, before the lucky streak runs out.

Bingo!

Despite losing my proverbial shirt at gambling as usual, I really had a good, warm time with relatives and friends, though missing my daughter and granddaughter.



But will see them in July, hopefully, which is probably the only month it doesn't seem to snow in Colorado!

AMERIKKKA?

If President Obama had done anything close to what president Donald Trump has been accused of, he would not have been impeached but lynched.

That was the consensus opinion of the participants of color, who in their latest podcast entitled “Politics across generations,” discussed the current impeachment process being conducted by Congress. They based their opinion on the premise, that the laws in the USA are enforced differently when people of color are accused of anything as opposed to when the privileged whites are. (link; https://anchor.fm/politicsacrossgenerations/episodes/Impeachment--democratic-candidates-e9d50s.)

These podcasts are hosted by 24-year-old Shadrach Williams, a 2017 graduate of Florida International University (FIU) and author the popular self-help book “A month to re-create Reality” available at Amazon.com link; https://www.amazon.com/Month-Re-Create-Reality-Change-Mentality-ebook/dp/B07V78Y8ZT/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=a+month+to+change+your+reality+by+shadrach+williams&qid=1573.

The podcasts provide Political education from the perspective of the Baby Boomers and the Millennial generation coming together to understand each other’s viewpoints and discuss the issues, candidates, as well as their ideas, for the upcoming 2020 elections. 

Joining him in the discussions are; fellow FIU graduate, Psychology major Shadaen Stephens and author Joan Williams who recently published; 2020 DECISION; SOCIALISM, RACISM OR HAPPINESS, an outsider’s perspective of the choices available to voters in the USA for the 2020 presidential elections. It is available at; https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ40KG

Delving further into Trump’s actions which are being sanctioned by the Republicans, it was observed that one defense being put forward was that because the economy is doing well, Trump’s criminal activities should be overlooked. However, that was rejected on the grounds that, simply because one is successful in one area, it does not mean their criminality in other areas should be overlooked.

The discussants compared how laws in the USA are enforced against people of color versus how it is against whites. This was reinforced by the revelation that America is now being spelt by many Generation Z youth, with 3 k’s (KKK!) 

Participants also found it intolerable that a US president can never be charged for a crime while he is in office, not even murder.

Turning to Democratic Party politics, it was observed that there seems to be a level of dislike for billionaires in that party, with one participant wondering if this was not based on a philosophy of “envy” among the socialists in that party!

During the animated debate that followed, the observation that in the USA, money can buy lot including delegates, was made and the other discussants were reminded by the moderator, that in 2016, Trump was supported Vladimir Putin, who is allegedly the richest person in the world. 

Moderator Shadrach Williams can be contacted via; gratestj@gmail,com

Vladimir Putin, a master puppeteer

According to Generation Z podcaster, Shadrach Williams, Vladimir Putin must be an evil genius, as he has broken many world records and done what had been otherwise considered impossible.

These include;
a) Employing his political genius to manipulate himself from the position of spy chief to president of Russia.
b) Skillfully using a hand-picked president while he was prime minister, so he could return to become the powerful, long lasting, unbeatable president of his well-armed country.
 c) Allegedly being the richest person in the world.
d) Manipulating the president of the powerful USA, so now he carries out his wishes.
e) Having not only the President of the USA but also leading members of the Republican party, debunking the findings of 18 US Intelligence agencies while parroting the Russian intelligence service’s propaganda.

According to Williams, his impression that Putin is pulling Trump’s strings, was solidified after listening to the facts provided at the recent impeachment hearings.

This led him to pose the following questions to his fellow discussants.:  

Question; Who was Trump helping when he held up the delivery of arms needed by Ukraine to assist them in their war with Russia? Answer; Putin.

Question: By taking the word of the Russian intelligence agency over the unanimous findings of the 18 US intelligence agencies that it was Ukraine who hacked the Democratic party’s emails and not Russia, who is Trump helping? Answer: Putin.
Question: When elected members of Congress and the Senate follow Trump’s lead and parrot Russia’s intelligence service propaganda over their own security experts, who are they helping? Answer; Putin.

These troubling facts were discussed in the latest podcast of “Politics across generations” available at https://anchor.fm/politicsacrossgenerations.

The podcasts which cover a series of issues raised as we approach the 2020 elections, provides Political education from the perspective of the Baby Boomers and the Millennial generation coming together to understand each other’s viewpoints and discuss the candidates, as well as their ideas.

The moderator, Shadrach Williams, a 24-year-old Afro-American who is a graduate of Florida International University (FIU) and author of the self-help book “A month to re-create reality,” (link ; https://www.amazon.com/Month-Re-Create-Reality-Change-Mentality-ebook/dp/B07V78Y8ZT/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=a+month+to+change+your+reality+by+shadrach+williams&qid=1573251512&sr=8-1; ). Other discussants are fellow Generation Z FIU psychology major, Shadaen Stevens, and yours truly, the baby boomer .

During the discussions, the possibility was discussed that if Trump loses the elections in 2020, violence in the streets could become a  real possibility.

This is based on the premise that since the Russians seemed to have been successful in assisting the Trump campaign to win in 2016, what would prevent them from sending soldiers (undercover) to try and keep him in power in 2020?

This is not just a conspiracy theory, as Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, did tell Congress that he feared violence would break out in the streets, if Trump lost. This plus other evidence to boost this theory was reproduced in the book entitled “DECISION 2020: SOCIALISM, RACISM OR HAPPINESS? ( link; https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ40KG), which I published in September this year.

Shadrach also expressed his frustration with many of his fellow Generation Z minority peers, who are so distracted by music and entertainment that they are not paying enough attention to politics and how their decisions today can affect them in life. For example, many do not understand that it’s not only the presidency that will be decided in 2020 but much more. This includes many state officials who will determine the type of judges and justice that will exist for years to come.

He added however, that many young people consider the electoral college, undemocratic, as it does not reflect the will of the people. To them that therefore, means, their votes do not count.

Shadrach Williams can be contacted at; williams.shadrach@yahoo.com

Pete Buttigieg disrespectful of blacks

By trying to compare bias against homosexuals with racism, Pete Buttigieg demonstrates how disrespectful and uncaring he is of people of color.

This was the unanimous response of participants on the podcast about the November Democratic  debate, in the series entitled Politics across generations, which is aired at; https://anchor.fm/politicsacrossgenerations.

These podcasts which cover a series of issues raised by persons vying to become president in 2020, provides Political education from the perspective of the Baby Boomers and the Millennial generation coming together to understand each other’s view points and discuss those candidates, as well as their ideas.

The moderator is Shadrach Williams, a 24-year-old Afro-American who is a graduate of Florida International University (FIU) and author of the self-help book “A month to re-create reality,” (available at Amazon.com). Other discussants are fellow generation Z member, also a FIU graduate Shadaen Stevens and me the baby boomer.

The angry response to the attempt by the Mayor from a small town in Indiana to equate biased response to homosexuality with racism, elicited comments like; Buttigieg does not care about minorities, he told blacks at a demonstration that he didn’t want their votes, his Douglas Plan is a cheap attempt to bribe black people, he demonstrated ignorance about history and what racism has led to.

For in our view , if Buttigieg was honest, he would admit that blacks were tortured and murdered to force them to work to enrich whites, and even now economic apartheid keeps us back, while homosexuals have never endured such treatment from heterosexuals.

However, it was revealed that none of us had listened to the entire debate, as it was felt, it was too large and unwieldy and came over like a lot of noise. All of us therefore admitted that we got our information on the debate from the news media.

This caused moderator Shadrach, an admirer of Democratic hopeful Andrew Yang, to reveal that Yang’s supporters are so upset about the poor coverage their candidate receives from the traditional media, that it gave birth to the hashtag “Yang media black out” on social media. He said, this victimization of the candidate is because the powerful people who own the media houses do not want the masses to hear what Yang has to contribute, as he is trying to empower regular people.

Although this podcast set out specifically to deal with the latest Democratic debate, Buttigieg’s inappropriate assertion caused the discussion to veer into other areas inculding the serious problems transgender’s are causing in female athletic events.

Moderator Shadrach Williams can be contacted at. wlliams.shadrach@yahoo.com  

The white establishment would never allow the ‘Douglas Plan’ to succeed

That was the consensus among us discussants reviewing the marshal-style-plan for minorities of color, put forward by presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg.

The discussions took place between Generation Z podcaster Shadrach Williams, his fellow millennia member, psychology major Shadaen Stevens and me the baby boomer author. 

We are all people of color. 

Williams, a recent graduate of Florida International University (FIU) and author of   the self-help book “A month to re-create reality,” (available at Amazon.com) expresses his political views via the podcasts entitled “Politics across generations” which are aired at; https://anchor.fm/politicsacrossgenerations. These podcasts which cover a series of issues, provides Political education from the perspective of the Baby Boomers and the Millennial generation coming together to understand each other’s view points and discuss the candidates, as well as their ideas, for the upcoming 2020 elections. 

According to Buttigieg, his Douglas Plan seeks to tackle systemic racism which has kept Afro-Americans, down for decades. The Plan is named after Frederick Douglas, an escaped slave who became a prominent activist, author, leader in the abolitionist movement. He fought to end the practice of slavery, before and during the Civil War.

This is the only plan with concrete solutions being put forward by any of the politicians seeking the Democratic party’s nomination, to redress to the  inequities suffered by descendants of the slaves, for the economic apartheid which has kept black people in poverty for centuries. 

Some aspects are: a pledge by ‘President’ Buttigieg to award 25% of federal contracting to small business owners from underserved communities; the Walker-Lewis Initiative to triple the number of entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds within a decade, and creating 3 million new jobs in minority communities.

However, the Generation Z discussants regarded the proposal as a cheap attempt to try and bring in black minority support for his campaign. They further opined that even if Buttigieg is genuine with this proposal, there is no way that the white establishment which controls the power in the USA, would allow such a program to succeed.

They backed up their arguments by citing actions by the white senators and congressmen, who frustrated every effort for justice, made by President Barak Obama, the USA’s first afro American President.

This view was further reinforced by evidence presented in my latest book entitled ‘2020 DECISION; SOCIALISM, RACISM OR HAPPINESS?, which is available at:  https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ40KG. For I went to  great pains in this publication, to back up my claim (from an outsider’s perspective), that the Republican Party is fully racist.

Podcaster Shadrach Williams can be contacted at; Williams.shadrach@yahoo.com

Generation Z Podcaster examines the issues

According to young podcaster Shadrach Williams, very few of the candidates for the upcoming 2020 presidential elections, are addressing the issues that affect his generation.


The 24-year-old Williams who has already authored the popular self-help book “A month to re-create Reality” is a 2017 graduate of Florida International University (FIU). 

His new project is to educate his generation on the issues through the podcast called; POLITICS ACROSS GENERATIONS aired at; https://anchor.fm/politicsacrossgenerations or;https://www.breaker.audio/politics-across-generation

This podcast provides Political education from the perspective of the Baby Boomers and the Millennial generation coming together to understand each other’s view points and discuss the candidates, as well as their ideas, for the upcoming 2020 elections.

 Joining him in the discussions are; fellow FIU graduate, Psychology major Shadaen Stephens and author Joan Williams who recently published; 2020 DECISION; SOCIALISM, RACISM OR HAPPINESS, an outsider’s perspective of the choices available to voters in the USA for the 2020 presidential elections. 

Feedback to the podcasts are welcome.
Contact ; williams.shadrach@yahoo.com

2020 DECISION; SOCIALISM, RACISM OR, HAPPINESS?

It is uncanny that the rich, powerful USA, with its booming economy and lowest unemployment in years, has fallen five places in the 2019 World Happiness Report.

This trend surely defeats the goal of 'pursuit of happiness' set out in the Declaration of Independence! 

The World Happiness Report measures how happy citizens are with life in their countries. For the 2019 report, residents from 156 countries were polled by the credible Gallup World organization.

When one considers how America’s less wealthy neighbor, Canada, has constantly featured in the top ten, meaning their citizens are twice as happy as Americans, I can only conclude that it is policies introduced by the Trump regime, which have caused the level of unhappiness to rise so dramatically in the USA in one year.

Some of these damaging policies are;  tax measures that only benefit the rich, the chipping away at health care, ignoring the will of the majority on gun safety regulations and the hacking away  at regulations designed to protect the health of citizens and the environment.

In following the debates in the USA and especially the plans and programs being put forward by some seeking nomination to become the representative of the Democratic Party, I see every possibility that Americans could have caring and exemplary leadership, to steer them toward real happiness though. 

That is, if the Democrats make a wise decision in choosing their nominee for the 2020 Presidential elections. 

To begin with, charges that the Democratic Party is socialist, are totally ridiculous. For, apart from the aging Bernie Sanders and a small fringe, not one other candidate vying to become the Democratic Party's nominee, supports the oppressive system of state control of the resources.

In fact, all the other potential nominees are proposing policies which are very much in synch with those in the top ten "happiest countries in the world."

These include suggestions to better regulate the economy in the interest of the majority and the introduction of humane social policies that can definitely assist the middle class in the USA in their 'pursuit of happiness'. 


podcast; https://anchor.fm/shadrach-williams

AMERICAN INDIAN DAY

On Saturday 28th September 2019,  I obediently followed my GPS to Micccosukee Casino, somewhere in the Everglades, for as someone who just loves other cultures, I was hoping to learn a lot about the native Americans who populated the state of Florida before the violent immigrants arrived.

Big disappointment.

For this event turned out to be more a promotional affair for the casino and a play day for kids than  anything else.

Oh no, I have nothing against play days for kids, but how about some education instead of just rides that they could get at any third rate amusement park?

Yes, there were some clothes and crafts on display which were quite good and reminded me once again how close the culture of native people from far-flung places all over the world, from south east Asia to Latin America and north America are entwined.  What still remains the big mystery in the world though is for how and when
did all these people who are clearly related, end up in such diverse places all over the world?

But this event did not even try to address this or any other issue.

There were lots of food stalls there too, but indigenous food? I couldn't find any to sample!

One thing that grabbed me in the ad about the day too was Alligator wrestling, and I really looked forward to that.

The alligator in the corner never moved a muscle!

Yes there was, but it was a big joke as one alligator seemed to be so drugged that it never moved at all.

The other with which they did the tricks, though weighing over 500 lbs they claimed, never even moved his normally lethal tail but just opened his mouth on command.

So harmless were these so called monsters that they even charged $5 for kids to sit on their backs and take photos'. The gator's mouth was bound but it was mostly for show I suspect.

On display was a monster vehicle used to maneuver through the everglades

Anyway I am happy I went, for it means next year I wont be conned into putting it in my diary as an 'event not to be missed'!

Decision 2020; Socialism, Racism or Happiness?

I have just released my new book Decision 2020; Socialism, Racism or Happiness? as an ebook on Amazon and am now working on the paperback then the audio book. It is here; https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Deision+2020+socialism%2C+racism+or+happiness%3F&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

Am so excited.


A brief description
 In this book I dismiss socialism, as there is no stomach for state control of the resources of the nation in this era in; the Democratic Party, the greater USA , or any other country in the world.

I also discount the entire Republican party as it appears to have totally embraced the racist philosophy of its leader Donald Trump, so cannot represent as diverse a people as the citizens of the USA.

Analyzing the top ten happiest countries as they appear in the 2019 World Happiness Report, which incidentally includes Canada, I see great hope for Americans, who are currently according to the report, twice as unhappy as those neighbors!

That hope lies in some of the candidates vying to become the nominee in the Democratic Party, for they are promising to go in the direction of better regulation of the market economy, fairer taxation and more humane social programs, as are normal in those top ten countries.

The Declaration of Independence in the USA, outlines "the pursuit of happiness" as one of its goals, so Americans, if they make the right choice in 2020, will finally have the necessary leadership to achieve that illusive goal.

THE PAPAERBACK IS NOW AVAILABLE AT; https://www.amazon.com/dp/1696578523?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860


https://youtu.be/LvUJXyiJKKM

Miss Lou; Drama Queen Extraordinaire

In early September 2019, Jamaicans all over the world got together to celebrate the 100th anniversary  of the birth of our most revered cultural icon  Rt. Hon Dr. Louise Bennett-Coverly, lovingly  known as Miss Lou.

Guests mingle at the cocktail reception

Not to be left out, The Louise Bennet-Coverly Cultural Heritage Council in Broward County,  Florida, which is itself chaired by a cultural icon, Colin Smith, artist, musician, and dramatist, put on a magnificent show.

 It was dubbed 'Full hundred' and part proceeds from the event, are to be donated to the Edna Manley School of the Arts, in Jamaica,  so our culture can continue to wow the world.

Before the entertainment begun, the mood was set at a small cocktail reception but after that, it was pure niceness all the way.

The cultural show which followed was chaired by a well-known folklorist, Joan Andrea Hutchinson, OD-(the bumpy head gal) who, has demonstrated so far that she is indeed Miss Lou's natural successor.

The main two-hour entertainment package which was immensely enjoyed by the  full house at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, was professionally delivered (as usual!) by the Jamaica Folk Singers with masterful backing from the versatile Tallawah Mento Band, led by Colin Smith himself. 

Jamaica Folk singers in action

The opening segment appropriately called "Come mek we dance an' sing"  thrilled the audience with popular  Jamaican folk songs like "Long gal mi nevva si yu" made famous by Miss Lou herself.

Their performance was interspersed with contributions from  well known dub poet Malacai Smith and Maxine Osborne.

It was a great night memorializing the invaluable cultural awakening that this celebrated giant  has left for us and that event at Coral Sprigs will be remembered by all who attended, for years to come.

Even I, for Miss Lou's anniversary, wrote a tiny tribute about the influence that she has had  had on all our lives.

It is; "When Louise Bennett-Coverley affectionately known as Miss Lou, was born in Kingston on September 7^th 1919, her parents could never have imagined what an outstanding, poet, teacher, social commentator, actress, comedienne, expert on Jamaican language/culture and television star they were bringing into to the world of that fateful day. Neither could they have expected that she would be dubbed the “first lady of Jamaican comedy” and receive honors ranging from O.M., O.J., M.B.E., to Hon. D. Litt., in her short lifetime.

Members of Tallawah Mento Band at extreme right

However, from as early as age ten, her slew of talents began to emerge when she started to pen poems. By age fourteen, she staged her first paid stage performance.  It is not insignificant though that her extraordinary literary talent was initially discovered by Eric Coverley, who accidentally ran into a copy of one of her hand-written poems in his friend’s car. Instantly impressed, he invited her to perform it at a concert.

He eventually became her best friend and her loving husband.

In explaining her early immense interest in language and culture, in an interview entitled “Miss Lou and the early Jamaican Theatre” produced by the National Library, she explained that it was her exposure to women from all walks of life from an early age, which stoked her passion. For her mother had been a dress-maker with clients ranging from the wives of governors and other “top a naris people” to those from the humblest circumstances. To her mom though, everyone was a lady from, “coal lady” to “governor wife lady.”

What she observed early from their interaction with her mom and each other, was how important humor was to conversation and most importantly, how everybody was speaking the language of the common people when they became comfortable.

At the time, our own Jamaican language was not considered “acceptable “and was not widely used by those who had arrived, but clearly it was what everyone spoke once they relaxed!

This is what convinced the young Louise taking it all, that our language should indeed become nationally accepted and be brought out of the closet, so to speak.

When she was taken to the country to attend a Dinky Minnie which lasted eight days, there was no turning back for the young talent who had this burning desire to write.

Her creative drive - combined with her love for the folk songs her mom sung everyday which were popular in her birth parish of St. Mary but totally unacceptable in the schools where only English could be used - cemented the young poet’s desire to change it all.

Her first book of poetry published in 1942 was “Jamaica Labrish” and she was never too shy to perform on stage anywhere.  As her fame increased and her talents became recognized, she was awarded a scholarship to go to London to hone her acting skills at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. But even when she was given her own cultural program in London on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio, it could not salve her longing to return to her homeland where she was determined to shake up the cultural norms.

It was the pantomime being put on by expatriates in Kingston and which was being performed in the queen’s English, which became her first target for change. So, in 1948, she wrote in patois and acted in, Bluebeard. It totally revolutionized the theatre landscape in Jamaica.

In the ensuing years, Miss Lou kept us entertained with programs such as the “Lou and Ranny” show on radio and finally, delighted her audience while educating children in the performing arts, with “Ring Ding” on Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC TV).

Despite all her other achievements, I opine that her most impactful work is her influential publication “Aunty Roachy Seh” where our social consciousness as a nation is awakened, through her inimitable humor.

This is the 100 th anniversary of the birth of this great Jamaican lady whose influence on our language, social norms, culture and theatre can never be allowed to fade. So, it is incumbent on all of us to keep her flag flying while we never fail to say “Tenk yu Miss Lou.”