Barrel Kids?
I was sitting in the monthly meeting of a Jamaican based organization in the U.S.A. when the attendees were challenged by one of the officers sharing a story that “touched her heart.”  She had read an article stating that the rate of suicide amongst the “barrel kids” (children whose parents are overseas but receive the regular barrel filled with clothes, shoes, food, etc.)  is greater than those whose parents are with them; and compared to the other Caribbean nations, Jamaica’s children fared worse. 

Jamaicans Should Prepare to Feed Themselves as Global Food Crisis Looms
Sometimes simple logic can provide answers to complex problems. Take the looming food crisis, for example. Many informed and intelligent voices have addressed the problem recently, warning of the ripple effects of the global financial crisis and the meltdown of stock markets around the world. But the answer is as plain as the nose on your face.

Midlife Crisis
What would drive a 50 year man to walk away from his wife of 25 years and run in into the arms of a younger woman who is in the same age range as his daughter?
The same question is asked of the woman who leaves the matrimonial home after 20 years to live with a young man who could call her mama as he is half her age.

Jamaicans- In the midst of world economic turmoil
As the concerns of global financial and economic stability continue to fragment with talks in the United States on the economic package bailout, one cannot help but reflect on the Jamaican economy. From the standpoint of a poor Jamaican, one wonders how, or if the Jamaican economy will withstand this financial turmoil.

Hope For The Wild and Loose in Jamaica
My September article, Wild and Loose, dealt with abandoned dogs and cats on the streets of Jamaica.  Much has happened in the two months since then.  To begin with, the male and female dog did what comes naturally and produced four puppies. 

Sweet Home, Jamaica : Jamaican Book Review
Sweet Home, Jamaica has a universal appeal, but will be particularly attractive to Jamaicans who want to reminisce, remember their country traditions, and touch base with home. It is a bold first novel, and a compellingly delicious "must read". The book is also a refreshing addition to contemporary Caribbean Literature.

Technology Breakthrough Offers Hope for Jamaica's Ethanol Project
Reading an item in The Daily Gleaner recently about the Jamaican Government’s proposed waste-to-energy facility, I felt a familiar sadness. Before the proposal was even unveiled, naysayers were at work. It seems the same old spirit of “Choh! No waste me time” is alive and well in Jamaica.

Book Review: Olga - A Daughter's Tale
Olga - A Daughter's Tale is based on the true story of a kind, naive and gentle girl who was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. One of eleven children from a close-knit coloured Catholic family, she came to London in 1939 to live with a malevolent, alcoholic aunt intending to study dance and stay for only six months.

Summer Vacation Over
Decision time again in regards to the new school year, summer vacations are over and the children are out of school for the summer and as parents, we are faced with the task of finding money for back to school expenses which is escalating everyday. Not only does one have to worry about these additional expenses, but one has to also worry about the safety of our children as well. This is not even a political thing. It is not a JLP or PNP issue.

Jamaican Style Money Management
Let’s look at some old-time Jamaican sayings that can help us to understand the basic principles of sound money management.

Honoring Our Olympians
I continue to read, with excitement, the outpouring of accolades, and the national pride that is being experienced as a result of the stellar performance of the Jamaica contingent to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With the unprecedented number of medals won, and the records set.

Weathering the Weather by American Retiree in Jamaica
With Jamaica located in the tropics, most people tend to think of the island's weather as constant balmy breezes, and blazing sun.  While this is true most of the time, we do have our changing weather patterns, like rainy season.

Jamaican Movie Review: What Goes Around, A Movie By Steve "Tehut-Nine" McAlpin
What Goes Around is a bold movie that follows the romantic  relationships of two brothers. It takes us through their triumphs and failures. The tangled webs they weave with the women they love, like or just 'check for'.

Wild and Loose in Jamaica
Abandoned animals are found throughout Jamaica.  These dogs and cats roam from place to place looking for whatever food they can find.  It isn't unusual to hear dogs fighting over choice morsels throughout the day while cats seem to confine their confrontations to the evening and overnight periods.

Dealing with the Power Crazy people in the organisation
The workplace is where you spend most of your waking hours and as such the time spent should not only be productive but enjoyable.  There are persons however who dread going to work not because of the high stress nature of the job but because they have to interact with individuals at the workplace whose agenda it is to make your life a living hell.

The Other Woman – Who Is She?
She has been vilified as the vixen, home wrecker, hussy and a whore. She has been told that she has no shame, no class, unhappy little tramp, seducer of the poor family man and other degrading names too numerous to mention. Who is she?

The Color of Ice- A Canadian Serenade: Jamaican Book Review
After his father’s death, Eric Taylor is left to fend for himself on a small farm in the mountains of Jamaica. He decides to seek his fortune abroad, and chooses Toronto as his new home. It is a decision he immediately regrets. Alone and half-frozen, he longs for the sunshine and sensuality of his homeland.

Harsh Crime Fighting Policies Keep the Peace in My Little Corner of the World
This little corner of Florida is very quiet. I am confident that no groups of rowdy youths will come trooping down my street this evening. It is highly unlikely that robbers will break into my home or vandalize my car. I will not be accosted when I go to the supermarket. I have no fear that I will be car-jacked as I was in Jamaica. How does this part of Florida achieve such a level of calm? And why is Jamaica in such turmoil?

Driving in Jamaica - An American Retiree in Jamaica
 Driving in Jamaica isn't for the faint of heart.  Much can be said for the cultural differences between this Third World country and that of my native America.  The art of driving is just as different.  Most of my tourist friends shudder at the thought of getting behind the wheel of a rental car here.  The bulk of their fears is largely that of driving on the left side of the road.  In Jamaica, left is right or should I say correct. 

No Yamaye Taíno Heroes in Jamaica – The Jamaican Coat of Arms Debate
During a recent stay in my island home of Jamaica a local television announcer posed a question about the island’s Coat of Arms. The query was, “Should Jamaica change its Coat of Arms?” One interviewee said, “The Coat of Arms should have black people on it.” The theory was that the island’s Coat of Arms should have images that reflect the island’s African Jamaican majority.