Judge a Book by its Cover

Is any Ponzi Schemer’s library really complete without a copy of Greed INC and License to Steal? Carlos Hill, the embattled boss of the failed Cash Plus investment scheme doesn’t seem to think so. Both books were found by liquidators after he vacated his three-storey residence in the upscale neighborhood of East Armour Heights last week. This is just one of his many properties that are to be liquidated to repay clients of his failed investment scheme. Mr. Hill quite possibly formulated his plan to swindle an entire nation while rifling through the pages of these texts. He would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for those meddling folks at the Financial Services Commission.

See article here

Music Video Premiere: Alone

I’ve embedded a copy of Tony Rebel’s music video for his latest single “Alone”. With lyrics like “I like it alone, more than a miserable home” it’s the new soundtrack for failed relationships everywhere, something we can all relate to. The song is on Jamplified Records one-drop Movements Riddim, hats off to Rick for the brilliant production. I spent one day on the set and learned that the sun is the hottest when it’s in the middle of the sky, it takes several hours and multiple retakes to arrive at a three minute music video and finally, black people do tan. After seeing the finished product, it was all worth it in the end. It was also a pleasure meeting veteran roots reggae icon Tony Rebel.

The Alpha Male: An Endangered Species

I pride myself with being very masculine, I consider myself an Alpha Male. I’m not an extremist so I don’t have a beard like Chuck Norris, I can’t open a 3 star ratchet merely by swinging my forearm and I don’t open my beer with my teeth. I was born in 1975 and grew up during a time when blue was for boys and pink was for girls, with no exceptions. My father was the very epitome of masculinity. I can still remember the smell of his Big Wheel and Old Spice colognes, the very fragrance of manliness. He was the head of the household, emanated quiet confidence and had “swagger” long before the name was coined. He was, and still is a very cool dude. Come to think of it, all the men that played a part in my upbringing were very manly. It is for this reason that I have such a hard time adjusting to this new species of Jamaican male who insist on blurring the gender lines. What’s the deal with wearing pants so tight you have to carry your wallet and keys in your hands? When did it become fashionable for men to bleach their skin and tweeze their eyebrows? Who is importing the scarves into the country? I need answers! By comparison more and more Jamaican men are beginning to make Boy George look like a ragamuffin. I have no problem with grooming but please don’t go overboard. If you take away the mane how will you differentiate between the king of the jungle and one of his lionesses?

Yesterday was January

"Time flies", so cliché yet so very true these days. Can you believe that we’re almost half way through 2009? Last time I checked 60 minutes was still an hour and 24 hours was still equivalent to one earth day, yet here we are in June the sixth calendar month. I had so many plans for the “new year” but June still finds me doing battle with my proverbial arch nemesis, procrastination. Time is what we want most, but…what we use worst. Jaded by past misadventures in entrepreneurship I’m like the hunter that is more interested in the thrill of the hunt than actually firing a single shot. While it appears that I’ve lost the battle, I can only hope to win the war against procrastination. A coworker once told me that ideas are like parasites "they move from host to host", so once again I’ve recommitted myself and am determined to implement any one of my viable business ideas. Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely. Experience teaches me that time waits for no man and that...tomorrow is December.

Illegal Pedestrian Crossings

I didn’t take long for me to figure out what the more “industrious” Kingstonians were doing yesterday. The winner, and still most popular Labour Day project in the corporate area is...drum roll please…painting illegal pedestrian crossings across the nation’s thoroughfares. I passed three such suspect pedestrian crossings on the way to work this morning. Though traditionally a job for the National Works Agency (NWA) it has become a favourite Labour Day activity in most communities. Who cares about the legitimacy, feasibility, safety and whatnot? Jamaica is quite possibly the only country where citizens can paint their own pedestrian crossings wherever they damn well feel like without consequence.

Review: Digicel Electronics Expo 2009

I went to the Digicel Electronics Expo held at the Hilton Kingston on Saturday. While I didn’t expect to see any alien technology, I was hoping for a little more than the usual suspects (flat screen TVs, game consoles and car stereo equipment). I was a little disappointed because I can see these things on any given day if I visit the plazas. I questioned the organizer’s decision to include an insurance company, car dealer, day spa and credit union (Globe, New Line, Adam & Eve and COK) as exhibitors at an electronics expo. I also thought the legion of scantily clad twelve year old promotion girls was inappropriate. I found the surveillance (IP cameras) and vehicle tracking product offerings from Digiview Security Systems particularly interesting. Entertainment included body painting, a magician, live shows and performances. The only thing missing was the cotton candy. This marriage of school fair and electronics expo was well promoted and well attended. Sadly, It would’ve only been worthwhile for techies if they brought along their entire family.

$5,000 Bank Note

The $1,000 bill just lost its position as the “high note” in Jamaica. The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) has announced plans to issue a $5,000 bank note in September. The note will bear the portrait of late former Prime Minister Hugh Lawson Shearer. Is the new note justified? Is there any other reason for the new note besides commemorating the life of the late prime minister? That can easily be achieved by naming a school, park or a highway after him. Generally the premise for a higher note is because the current one has lost its purchasing power and no longer carries the same value. Yet local financial analysts insist that the new note isn’t an indication that our economy is headed in the same direction of other countries with very high inflation rates and equally high-value notes. The highest denomination of currency for other Caribbean territories like Trinidad, Barbados and Cuba is $100. The Jamaican government has just announced to the world that our economy is on life support. What message are we sending to the global financial community and potential investors? No point in objecting now, it’s already a done deal they’ve already made the stencil, ordered the ink and paper. Now if they would just do us all a favor and discontinue some of these damn coins.

See article here