Sunday, December 24, 2023

A night to remember

It was truly a night to remember.

It was the celebration of another year in the life of  the preeminent  Dr. Christine Edwards/Smith, maternal/fetal specialist in 
Coral Springs, Florida.
 
Friends and family came from all over to celebrate with her.
 
The birthday girl

Her proud mom Miss Vie, (Joan, my views: Search results for violet edwards (joan-myviews.blogspot.com) didn't miss a beat.

Ms. Violet Edwards

 Neither did her loving husband, noted attorney Everett Smith.


It was a wonderful night. Everything went well from the valet parking, the beautifully decorated venue, the hors d'oeuvre, the delicious meal, the entertainment to the spirits that flowed all night.

For me, the best thing of all was seeing so many family members whom I hadn't seen for years and meeting many others for the first time.

This will be a more wonderful Christmas, given this great start!

Memories.









The couple being serenaded












Wednesday, December 20, 2023

A.J delivered! πŸ’“

The reason why I attended the advertised Christmas concert at the Redeeming Word Christian Center, was because the great A. J Brown was advertised as a performer!

And boy did he ever deliver!
                                        

The audience was so overwhelmed, that he had to do an immediate encore.

For the benefit of those who don't know of him, A.J. Brown is Jamaicans greatest tenor.


He started his career from the ninteen eighties as a cabaret singer at a few hotels on Jamaica's north coast. I don't know if he is properly appreciated in Jamaica, but he is so well known in classical music circles, that he spent five years performing on the famous Las Vegas strip.


About ten years ago, he released a classic C.D. with about eight great songs which had been made made famous by the three tenors, Jose Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti, and Placido Domingo. He sang in Italian, and If you closed your eyes, you would not have been able to distinguish him from any of them!


He is cooling down a bit now, as he is singing with Third World, a popular reggae/ pop band. 

While on stage with them recently however, he shocked the crowd by doing "Time to Say Goodbye"  from that album and in Italian too! 


He sang it last night and immediately elicited an encore. He obliged and 
I got goose bumps throughout! 


This was not a well organized affair though as it was advertised as a Christmas Concert when apparently the main purpose was to raise funds to buy sneakers for children in Jamaica who are still walking/ running barefooted in Jamaica in 2023.

 In true Jamaican bad planning style too, it started 45 minutes late😑.


It was a worthwhile fund raiser though but the main goal was in such small print at the bottom that I suspect, only the members of the church where it wasn't held knew what it was about.

Incidentally, the organizer who was introduced as Mr. Grange, said he is the brother of Jamaica's current Minister of Culture, the accomplished Olivia Gange, fondly called, Babsy.

At this concert, they also launched a go fund me  and took up contributions for a young man who was shot, while walking on the street.

These are really worthwhile projects, but not properly advertised. 

You can still donate to both by contacting  the organizers featured on the flyer above, though.

But back to the concert itself.

Consul General Mair with backup singers!

 It was held under the aegis of the Consul General of Jamaica. 

The incumbent, Oliver Mair is an outstanding thespian in his own right. 

He on several occasions last night, when we were getting a bit bored, took the stage and woke up the audience with his excellent comedy and general performance.

Consul General Oliver Mair, joins a performer on stage

Another star performer who was advertised was the once-great Pluto Shervington. I had no idea he was not well and had virtually lost his voice.   

Pluto had to sit on a stool

They played his hits in the background while he courageously attempted to recapture his luster.

My heart goes to him as he was once among the most prominent entertainers that Jamaica produced.

Listen to his monster hit, " Ram Goat Liver" here on You tube:

https://youtu.be/92etuOM3QrI?si=A1xg95W4xcadSmTn.


Incidentally, Ernie Smith, another great performer was there, but he was not asked to perform, so I suspect he may not be well either.
                                      
       The Cross family had good vibes.

Such a pity, as most as what is being produced as music in Jamaica these days, is not up to any standard!

With my friends Carol and Judy


Snippets from other performances.





An amusing skit was performed by Maxine Osborne and  her nephew Elijah.

Empress  Unique was excellent 











Sunday, December 10, 2023

Political bankruptcy

 Sometimes politicians seem so overwhelmed by the problems they face that their solutions make no sense at all. 

Or maybe they just say things when they are drunk.😫.

I am not implying that Prime Minister Andrew Holness is a drunkard. Not at all, I don't even know if he drinks, but I couldn't help wondering what part of his brain conjured up the idea of establishing a new ministry in his government! 

 This he threw out at the recent JLP conference as a possible solution to the increasing violence in the country!

 When did increased bureaucracy ever solve a problem in the world Mr. Prime Minister?

 In my book, more bureaucracy only opens up other avenues for more corruption

Poor Auditor General. Poor Jamaica!

 Already this little country of under three million souls has some sixteen ministries plus a bag of junior ministers without portfolios operating out of the Prime Minister's office. 

Only God knows what they all do!

 At a recent function in Mobay, the highly respected Chief Justice had to reiterate a well known fact.

 Harsh punishment cannot solve crime if people are not being caught and convicted.

For if people know their chances of being caught and convicted are zero, what's the deterrent?

That's when he exposed the shocking fact that Jamaica has the LOWEST CONVICTION RATE IN THE REGION. 

LESS THAN A 30%! 

We already have large, expensive Justice and Security ministries, so shouldn't he be concentrating on  how to get the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution and the Police  within these two ministries, to become more effective, rather than piling up another bureaucracy?

If we head into 2024 with this type of bankrupt thinking, we are really in serious trouble! 

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Fern Forrest Nature Center


Yup, it's true. Take my word for it.😑

Unfortunately I never knew about that until I got to the park. 

And guess what, these mosquitoes even love air conditioning, as there they were in the lady's room too!










Despite those pests, it's a lovely place, peaceful, lush with lovely walkways, rest areas and of course with all the information you need to know about the local flora and fauna.


I had hoped to see a bobcat though but alas, all I saw was these two squirrels, both of which were fast asleep. Oh well I had never seen squirrels sleeping before 😊.

And I shouldn't complain too much about the mosquitoes too much for as I strolled on the elevated walkway, I wondered if the notice above was an exaggearation for only one mosquito visited me.


Then after a peaceful stroll, I came off the boardwalk and headed to Maple Walk .

That's where they were laying in wait for us😑. 
Not just me, but everyone who looked like they wanted to go further had to make a quick retreat!

It's a lovely, nature trail in Coconut Creek, Florida though and it had a lot of visitors when I went there on Sunday.

However, take the mosquito warning seriously. And would you believe the coincidence, for as I escaped into my car, there was a program on the radio with  panelists discussion on mosquito borne diseases!😁





88 not out!

 Uncle Rudy is surely doing well and looking sharp on his birthday ❤️.

88 years strong.

With daughter Carolyn.


And boy did she put on a splash for close friends from near and far to break bread with him, so to speak😊.







It was a nice get together for a few of his friends to celebrate with a wonderful person who, is also an avid domino player.😊




And their home and entire street was ready for Christmas already, a visual joy as usual for those traversing the streets in Plantation, Florida.








Thursday, November 30, 2023

Biased US media


As long as the strong continue to oppress and tyrannize the weak and vulnerable there is a role for militants/guerillas.

For how else can the victimized win/regain their freedom from those with superior arms?

Remember, it was militants, also dubbed terrorists by the well-armed oppressors and their powerful supporters, who brought the fight and eventually justice in the United Kingdom (the IRA), South Africa (the ANC) etc.

Freedom fighters should never lose their humanity in their struggle though, and that is what HAMAS, under the leadership of Mohammed Deif, did on October 7th, when they invaded sections of Israel, killed, maimed, and kidnapped innocent women and children, instead of those who had their heels on their necks.

I had no idea the so-called free press in the USA which influences so much of the world, was so biased until they started to report on this bloody tragedy. For if you had just come from Mars, you could be excused if you thought this latest flare-up in that region happened in a vacuum. For, the main media houses seemed to be in competition among themselves to determine who could sound more like the official spokespeople of the Israeli government! As to News Nation, which was only launched in 2020 as a cable news station, they in my book, have the most unhinged reportage on the Gaza affair.

In the USA, where press freedom is supposedly held up as being sacred, suddenly all criticism of the Israeli government’s actions which led to the inexcusable actions by HAMAS, are condemned by the traditional media organizations as either anti-Semitic, taken out of context or simply censored.

This despite the fact that the Israeli government comprised of Likud and other far-right malevolent parties and led by Netanyahu since 2022, is extremely unpopular and has been facing massive resistance at home.

For it is not all Israelis inside and outside of the Zionist state who support the oppression and the campaign by settlers operating under the protection of the Israeli Defense Force, to murder and terrorize Palestinians to steal their land, as is the regular practice in the West Bank.

So, while HAMAS has to be condemned for the brutal attack on civilians on October 7th which left some 1200 civilians dead and more than 240 taken hostages, the vicious retaliation on all civilians in Gaza by the Israeli army which killed almost 7000 children in 40 days is beyond the pale.

Interestingly, in the US, most of the voices that condemn Putin for his brutal attacks on civilians in Ukraine saw little wrong with what could only be described as the start of a genocidal campaign against innocent Palestinians in Gaza.

In this latest campaign, the Israeli government has not only relentlessly bombed over a million civilians, destroyed their homes, all possessions, even bombing hospitals carelessly but also, later deprived those who managed to survive, of food, water, and electricity.

 This is simply beyond evil.

 “When war is declared, truth is the first casualty' declared by Samuel Johnson and what we were told by most of the mainstream media in the USA,  is the most blatant evidence of this I have ever seen.

You know, the US and Israel had long boasted about Israel being the only democracy in the Middle East but what the world is now getting full evidence of is that what really exists there, is a vicious apartheid system.

As I write, there is a temporary respite from the bombing as some Israeli hostages are being released as well as Palestinian ‘prisoners.’

This exposes is the truth behind the popular perception that Gaza is the largest prison in the world. For we now understand the trivial grounds they had been using to create prisoners there. For prominent among these ‘prisoners’ are women and children who were detained and locked up indefinitely without due process, for ‘crimes’ as trivial as tweeting or throwing stones at Israeli soldiers guarding settlers who stole their lands after killing and maiming their parents and relatives!

According to well-respected Dr. Gabor Mate in an interview with Piers Morgan,  ‘a poll in 2005, found that the most traumatized children in the world were to be found in Gaza.’ 

That was long before the unconscionable bombing in Gaza since October 2023, he emphasized.

Dr. Mate is a child of Holocaust victims and is one of the many Israelis worldwide, who are vocal and passionately opposed to the continuing vicious treatment of Palestinians by the Israelis.

The US media tells us how traumatized Israelis are, and the Israeli government insists that this pause in the bombing is only temporary and they will resume the campaign shortly.

The world cannot sit by and allow that country with the backing of the powerful USA, to continue this vicious and unconscionable campaign against women and children in Gaza. (Thank goodness they fired Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahuy who flippantly suggested using nuclear weapons on the Palestinians!)

For murder, destruction, land grab, and brutality can only lead to the creation of more HAMAS.’

Dare I remind them that it was Einstein who declared that ‘the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”!


Link; https://youtu.be/CMtMFg4LTho


 


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Monday, November 20, 2023

An interesting evening

 It took me quite a while to find this address on Google Maps, but I am happy I persisted. Yup, for when I couldn't find how to get there I was just about to undress when my mind instructed me to try once more.

You know what I dislike about TÑmarac? It's the fact that some streets have different names😑.

 Take the long and popular Commercial Blvd. I have resided close to a section of it for years, yet had no idea that it is also called N.W. 50th Street!

Not till I tried to find that address. 

Frustrating.

I am happy I persisted though, for it was an interesting event, as Dr. Trisha Bailey has accomplished so much despite the early hardships. And she has done it all before becoming 50 years old.

Maybe it's because she hails from close to my bush in St. Elizabeth😁.

Dr. Bailey (center) opens her newest pharmacy. At right is R. Oliver Mair, Jamaica's Consul General in Florida

She grew up in impoverished circumstances in Woodlands District in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. As a teenager, she had to survive the horrors of sexual abuse at home from her step-father, then as an adult, domestic violence.

It was however in the USA that she entered that hell though, after migrating from Jamaica at age 13.


That kind of life would have broken the best of us, but as they say, it is the heat of the fire that makes the steel so strong. 

So she overcame such ultimate tribulations to become Jamaica's first female self-made billionaire and the owner of a chain of pharmacies in the USA, called Bailey's Medical Equipment and Pharmacy. 

Oprah Whimprey's 1993 autobiography was a great inspiration to her for it gave her hope, she said.

She summarizes it all in her book appropriately entitled UNBROKEN.



              Snippets of the entertainment