JAMAICAN-BORN Anita Antoinette delivered a soulful rendition of Bob Marley's Redemption Song on Monday's airing of NBC's talent competition, The Voice. Throughout her performance, the Season Seven audience sang along and swayed from side to side. Once again, her performance wowed the judges, who were not hesitant to express their sentiments. "There is something about your voice that is soothing and relaxing. Great job!" said country and western singer and judge Blake Shelton. "I'm so proud of you. That song is one of the most important songs ever written. You should be proud you get to be an ambassador to Jamaica," Adam Levine chimed in. Even prouder was her coach Gwen Stefanie who said that Antoinette's performance was authentic and incredible. Incidentally, Jamaica's Tessanne Chin -- Season Five winner of The Voice -- sang the Marley anthem enroute to her victory. Redemption Song is from Marley's 1980 album Uprising. The single is considered one of Marley's greatest works. Rolling Stone placed the song at number 66 among The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. Born in Kingston, Antoinette migrated to Boston at eight. This is her second crack at the competition. She was unable to impress any of the judges in Season Three.
Congrats Anita Antoinette you made top 10 on The VOICE. Make JAMAICA proud. #TeamAnita #TeamAnitaAntoinette #TAA #RulaBrownNetwork
JAMAICAN-BORN Anita Antoinette delivered a soulful rendition of Bob Marley's Redemption Song on Monday's airing of NBC's talent competition, The Voice. Throughout her performance, the Season Seven audience sang along and swayed from side to side. Once again, her performance wowed the judges, who were not hesitant to express their sentiments. "There is something about your voice that is soothing and relaxing. Great job!" said country and western singer and judge Blake Shelton. "I'm so proud of you. That song is one of the most important songs ever written. You should be proud you get to be an ambassador to Jamaica," Adam Levine chimed in. Even prouder was her coach Gwen Stefanie who said that Antoinette's performance was authentic and incredible. Incidentally, Jamaica's Tessanne Chin -- Season Five winner of The Voice -- sang the Marley anthem enroute to her victory. Redemption Song is from Marley's 1980 album Uprising. The single is considered one of Marley's greatest works. Rolling Stone placed the song at number 66 among The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004. Born in Kingston, Antoinette migrated to Boston at eight. This is her second crack at the competition. She was unable to impress any of the judges in Season Three.
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Police in the Kingston Central division Target Thieves Preying On Students Along North Street... According to the lawmen, at least six students from KC, St. Georges College have been robbed in recent months.
Published: Tuesday | November 18, 2014
Police in the Kingston Central division say they are clamping down on a band of robbers who have been plaguing students walking along North Street and in its surrounding communities.
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| Students make their way home along North Street in Kingston after school yesterday. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer |
According to the lawmen, at least six students have been robbed in recent months.
That number, the police believe, is an under-representation, as most students' robberies go unreported. At least two of the victims were students of St George's College, while three were from Kingston College (KC).
The administration at the nearly Holy Trinity High School also said its students were being targeted, but indicated it could not put a number to the instances.
"I have been urging the parents to come out and make some noise about it, report it to the police, because I feel that if there is a greater voice, then something will be done about it," said Margaret Campbell, principal of St George's College.
"In the last two weeks, I have had two robberies. I think they stole cellular phones in both cases. But two is significant in just two weeks," she argued.
Meanwhile, KC principal, Dave Myrie, counted another three robberies involving students attending KC's North Street campus. Everton Burrell, vice-principal of KC's Melbourne campus, said that from time to time younger KC students making their way home on Elletson and surrounding roads are also targets.
Burrell could not speak to the number, but confirmed that there have been robberies in recent months. more
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Grand Jury Decision
The Huffington Post | By Ashley Alman Email Posted: 11/17/2014 3:32 pm EST
Gov. Jay Nixon (D) issued an executive order on Monday declaring a state of emergency in Missouri as the nation awaits a grand jury decision in the case of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.
Citing "periods of unrest" in the city of Ferguson and other places in the St. Louis area following Brown's Aug. 9 death, Nixon announced the executive order as a measure to protect the citizens and businesses of Missouri from "violence and damage."
"I further direct the Missouri State Highway Patrol together with the St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to operate as a Unified Command to protect civil rights and ensure public safety in the City of Ferguson and the St. Louis region," Nixon wrote in the order, noting that citizens reserve their right to assemble peacefully.
Protesters have already begun demonstrating throughout Ferguson, St. Louis and the surrounding areas, as the grand jury's decision on whether to indict Wilson could come at any moment. On Monday, a group of protesters gathered in Clayton, where the grand jury is deliberating. Othersstaged a "die-in" in University City, lying down on the street and pretending to have been shot. more
ST. ELIZABETH, JAMAICA: 'Better them did cripple him,' mother of murdered 16 y-o teen, Shemar 'Brenton' Blackwood laments...."How you coping?" one wanted to know. "Coping?" she asked. "Every day I cry. I cry and cry and cry because mi still cyaan believe."
BY PAUL HENRY Co-ordinator — Crime/Court Desk henryp@jamaicaobserver.com Tuesday, November 18, 2014
ST ELIZABETH — "Dem kill me baby," Melleta Cunningham said during an interview with the Jamaica Observer on the weekend, four days after rampaging gunmen terrorised the mountainous Pisgah/Huntley Castle district of north-west St Elizabeth, robbing them of the life of 16-year-old Shemar Blackwood.
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| Shemar 'Brenton' Blackwood who was killed by gunmen last week Tuesday at the shop his family operates in Huntley Castle, St Elizabeth. BLACKWOOD... never expected anything like this to happen to his family |
Cunningham's comment was uttered in a calm, even tone that did nothing to blunt the pain engulfing her since the night of Tuesday, November 11 when Shemar, the last of her four children and a student at Maggotty High School, was cut down in an unexpected and most violent manner.
"He's my baby. I have no more baby and that tear me up. Tear me up. That really tear me up inside," she said on Saturday, her eyes appearing void of life.
"It's terrible, man," she said and sighed deeply. She then repeated the words "terrible man" at least twice and trailed off into a whisper.
"Better if my son did even cripple and I know I have the challenge to take care of him. It would be hard, but at least he would still be my baby," said Cunningham, who said she hasn't eaten since last Tuesday night.
During the intervi ew at the shop where the incident occurred, Cunningham's friends stopped by on the way from church.
"How you coping?" one wanted to know.
"Coping?" she asked. "Every day I cry. I cry and cry and cry because mi still cyaan believe."
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| Melleta Cunningham shows the spot where her son was shot dead by robbers. CUNNINGHAM... every day I cry because me still cyaan believe |
"A wah really happen?" another asked and Cunningham again started relating the story.
"If you don't want to talk bout it, don't talk. And let me tell you this, if you feel fi cry don't hold back the tears. Don't try fi hold it back. You see tears, it good fi you," another of the women said at one point.
The women went on like this for a while in an attempt to comfort Cunningham.
"Mi feel it. Mi cyaan stop cry over it. The way how mi halla, it come een like a outa mi own womb him come from," said the same woman. more
Musicians do Holt tribute at singer's funeral at the Holt Trinity Cathedral in Kingston....saw several artistes performing Holt’s vast catalogue of hits. Among the performers were Luciano, Karen Smith, Boris Gardiner, and toaster U-Roy.
Monday, November 17, 2014 | 2:12 PM
KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The funeral service for late veteran singer John Holt is currently under way at the Holt Trinity Cathedral in Kingston.
A musical tribute, which preceded the service, saw several artistes performing Holt’s vast catalogue of hits.
Among the performers were Luciano, Karen Smith, Boris Gardiner, and toaster U-Roy.
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| John Holt's daughters (left - right) Natalie Holt, Stacy Holt, Carol Holt and Debbie Holt- Buckmiller |
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| Wife of John Holt, Meryl Holt looks on as the singer's casket sits in the hearse (Photos: Joseph Wellington) |
The funeral also attracted a huge turnout of entertainers and players of instruments. Several government representatives were also in attendance.
Holt, 69, died in London on October 20. He had been diagnosed with colon cancer in June.
Interment is scheduled in the Dovecot Memorial Park in St Catherine. more
Another Woman Comes Forward To Accuse Bill Cosby Of Rape...Bill Cosby Refuses To Answer Sexual Assault Questions On NPR...Bill Cosby's Lawyer Issues Statement On Sexual Assault Allegations....
The Huffington Post | By Andrew Hart Email Posted: 11/17/2014 12:40 am EST
Another woman who claims she was raped by Bill Cosby has spoken out about her encounter with the embattled comedian.
The accusation is just the latest of numerous allegations of sexual abuse by Cosby, and follows the claims of another alleged victim who spoke out earlier this week.
In an essay on Hollywood Elsewhere, music industry publicist and journalist Joan Tarshis claims that Cosby sexually assaulted her twice in 1969 when she was 19. The former actress and Cosby were both working at Universal Studios, and she said he took an interest in her. Cosby often pushed alcohol on her, Tarshis said, and on one instance when the two had been working on material together, she fell unconscious at his bungalow after having a cocktail he made for her.
"The next thing I remember was coming to on his couch while being undressed," Tarshis wrote. "I thought I was being clever when I told him I had an infection and he would catch it and his wife would know he had sex with someone. But he just found another orifice to use. I was sickened by what was happening to me and shocked that this man I had idolized was now raping me. Of course I told no one." more
Is your online boyfriend A CON ARTIST? Listed are some signs your online lover may be a con artist....1) Their story is inconsistent 2) He does all the calling 3) He has an overactive imagination & much more...
Monday, November 17, 2014
ALL it takes is a friend request, Christian Mingle message or Tweet for some people to find long and lasting love on the Internet, even if they've only seen photos of their betrothed.
However, all that glitters is not gold, and the brewing romance online could easily turn into a predator-and-prey relationship if you're not careful.
Relationship counsellor Wayne Powell said Internet dating is a route many individuals take because of the freedom it allows them.
"The online dating service is usually the last resort for people who have been unsuccessful in making live connections or who have had a string of bad experiences. There is a certain intrigue with the online connection, partly because distance allows you to exercise your imagination and allow it to take you as far as you want to go," he said.
"There is safety in distance as well, as you won't have someone knocking at your door at 12 am or leaving at 4:00 am," Powell said.
But what many people fail to realise is that behind the computer or phone screen are many lies that may not come to light before the emotions get entangled.
"The risk of him already being in a committed relationship is always there. He or she may be a stalker, domestic violence abuser or a serial rapist. He or she may be much older or younger than you thought; have a life-threatening communicable disease, and you are a target or potential victim. He or she may also have a sinister plan to fleece you of money you inherited or earned," he warned. more
Jamaican dies on board plane in The Bahamas
Monday, November 17, 2014 | 7:08 AM
NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – The police in The Bahamas are investigating the death of a Jamaican on board an aircraft en route from New Providence to Bimini on the weekend.
The police report that on Saturday afternoon they received information that a man died on board a plane.
When the plane landed at the Bimini International Airport the police responded and a doctor from a nearby clinic pronounced the man dead.
Up to late Sunday his name was not released. Story Developing......
2014 CARIBBEAN CUP: Jamaica, Reggae Boyz defeat Haiti 2-0 to face T&T in final
Sunday, November 16, 2014 | 10:30 PM
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – Jamaica defeated Haiti 2-0 in their Group B encounter in Montego Bay a short while ago to meet Trinidad & Tobago in the 2014 CFU Caribbean Cup final on Tuesday at 8:00pm
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| Jamaica's Dane Richards (left) take on Haiti's Kim Jaggy in Sunday evening's CFU Caribbean Cup Group B game at the Montego bay Sports Complex. Jamaica won the game 2-0 and advanced to the finals against Trinidad on Tuesday. (Photo: Paul Reid) |
The Reggae Boyz led Haiti 2-0 at half time in the do-or-die match with Simon Dawkins opening the score in the 13th minute.
Jamaica had more of the ball and in the 20th minute a neat pass from captain Rodolph Austin caught the Haiti defence out of position.
Darren Mattocks running on slotted home from the right to make it two.
Haiti could have pulled one back in the 89th minute but were unable to convert from the penalty spot.
Jamaica and Haiti were locked on four points each in the Group from two games, but the French-speaking nation lead the zone on goals scored, with both teams locked on a plus three goal difference.
Freddie Mcgregor and John Holt In Symphony LIVE in London, UK to a packed house with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Cast: John Holt, Freddie Mcgregor
PLOT DESCRIPTION:
John Holt has enjoyed one of the longest and most diverse careers of any artist in reggae music,
and for this concert video he goes where no other reggae singer has dared to go before -- a performance
with a symphony orchestra. John Holt in Symphony was recorded during a special concert Holt staged with
the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, and features the veteran star performing a set of material
spanning his entire career.
Selections include "The Tide Is High," "Mr. Bojangles," "Love You to Want Me," "Loving Pauper,"
and many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
This 90 minute concert features Reggae Legend John Holt in symphony with the Royal Philharmonic
Concert Orchestra live at the London Apollo. Recorded in superb Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound,
this performance combines one of JamaicaÆs greatest voices with the classic sound of the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra to create a perfect setting for a night of unforgettable music. Includes a
special guest performance with Freddie McGregor!
Peace and Love Academic Scholarship (PALAS) Board sets goal to award 125 scholarships and 125 computers to students in the Caribbean in 2015....Estimated value is US$90,000 (J$9.9 million).
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| www.PALAS1.org |
Food for the Poor helps Cordell Green, 25 y-o medical student at UWI...An absentee father put a strain on the family, and his mother had to raise goats and sell goods on weekends to earn a meagre income for the family to survive.
By AINSWORTH MORRIS Career & Education writer Sunday, November 16, 2014
THE charming smile reserved for patients on the wards at the Kingston Public Hospital would have, up to recently, belied the struggles Cordell Green was facing.
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| Cordell Green (left) accepts his scholarship cheque from Food for the Poor executive director David Mair. |
But Green was always a fighter, and even the prospect of not being able to complete medical school didn't make his energy falter.
The 25-year-old final-year medical student at the University of the West Indies (UWI) had always struggled, from the time he was a boy growing up in Buff Bay, Portland, raised by his mother with five siblings who alternated going to school because of poor finances.
An absentee father put a strain on the family, and his mother had to raise goats and sell goods on weekends to earn a meagre income for the family to survive.
With the little they earned, Green said he and his siblings took turns on weekdays to attend Buff Bay Primary School.
After sitting his grade six exit exams, young Green got a place at Annotto Bay High School in St Mary, but his mother told him she couldn't afford secondary schooling.
He decided to contact his father with the news, with the hope of getting assistance.
"My father said he would assist me only if I came to live with him and attend Happy Grove High School in Portland. I got the transfer, but to my surprise, I went to live with my grandmother in St Thomas. I had to assist her with selling, but I still did not attend school as often as I should have. I was not at the reading level that I should be, and I was failing at most of my subjects," said Green, who was last week awarded a scholarship from Food for the Poor Jamaica to complete his studies. more
THIS IS SICKENING: Denying Daphne - 99-Year-Old Woman, Daphne Thompson Waits 40 Years To Collect $1m for 900 acres of land From Jamaican Government For Land Sold To The State....especially in light of the recent decision by the National Housing Trust to spend $180 million to purchase just over nine acres of land in Trelawny.
Barbara Gayle, Justice Coordinator Jamaica Gleaner Sunday Nov. 16, 2014
If the Government of Jamaica had paid Daphne Thompson $68 per day, each day since 1974, they would have paid in full the near $1 million owed to her family for 900 acres of land by now.
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| File Photo: Grandmom |
At 59 years old, no one could have told Thompson that after 40 years, she would still be waiting to collect the money that her family is owed by the Government.
But that is the reality that now faces the senior citizen who has waited through the years for the final payment from a land deal.
"How much longer does a 99-year-old Jamaican woman have to wait for what is rightfully hers?" asked attorney-at-law Jacqueline Cummings, who is representing the Thompson family. "Why does any Jamaican family have to wait 40 years to be paid by the government for their property?" added Cummings.
According to the reports, in 1974 Thompson's husband Jasper and a friend agreed to sell the Government 900 acres of land comprising two properties in Newfound River and Kilmarnock, Hanover. Cabinet approved the purchase and an agreement was signed between the men and government officials. The Government paid them a portion of the purchase price with a balance to be paid to complete the sale. more
Anita Antoinette Not Daunted - Jamaican 'Voice' Contestant Not Deterred By Tessanne Comparisons....Her fan base has been growing steadily, with Jamaican entertainers Shaggy and Lady Saw joining Tessanne Chin, Dahlia Harris, and Nikki Z
Shereita Grizzle, Gleaner Writer Sunday Nove 16, 2014
It's on to the next round for Jamaica-born Anita Antoinette, coached by Gwen Stefani, as she advances to the final 12 in this season's staging of the United States singing competition 'The Voice'.
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| Anita Antoinette |
Last Tuesday, the singer delivered another memorable performance as she belted out the lyrics to Meghan Trainor's popular hit All About That Bass. Not only did she do justice to the song, but a reggae twist to the original version and a few saucy dance moves had the live studio audience totally captivated.
The performance guaranteed her a spot in the final 12 and saw Antoinette leading the pack of finalists on the popular iTunes chart, much like she did the previous week with her version of MAGIC!'s Rude.
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| Anita- top 12 |
FAN BASE GROWING
Her fan base has been growing steadily, with Jamaican entertainers Shaggy and Lady Saw joining Tessanne Chin, Dahlia Harris, and Nikki Z on the singer's list of supporters. As her support list continues to grow with each performance, so does the comparison between her and last year's winner, Tessanne Chin.
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| Tessanne |
Many feel the young entertainer truly has what it takes to make it all the way to the top, while there are others who believe she is merely 'piggybacking' on the fact that she is Jamaica-born. In a recent interview with the singer, Antoinette said she was well aware of the comparisons and the negative remarks that are made, but revealed that the feeling she gets from the love shown by many across the region overrides any negativity.
Jamaica Parliament studies raising the age of consent.... "My fear is that by moving from 16 to 18 years old, you are just creating a broader band of criminals,"....108 out of every 1,000 babies born in Jamaica are born to teenage mothers, and that 25 per cent of babies born in Jamaica were to girls between the ages of 10 and 19 years old. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
BY BALFORD HENRY Senior staff reporter balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com Sunday, November 16, 2014
CHILDREN'S Advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison thinks that Jamaica can learn lessons from Canada about increasing the age of consent.
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| (L-R) FRAZER BINNS… asked what was the mischief that the Office of the Children’s Advocate was trying to correct. JOHNSON SMITH… not sure that the age of consent was the root of the problem |
She noted that in May 2008, by virtue of its Tackling Violent Crime Act, the Canadian Parliament amended its laws and increased the age of consent.
But, although they only increased the age from 14, as it had been since 1890, to 16 years, which is similar to Jamaica's, she felt it supported the view that it is generally expected that governments should enact laws best suited to their domestic realities.
"It is perfectly acceptable, and even expected, that domestic government(s) should pursue and enact laws which are best able to address their domestic realities," she told the joint select committee of Parliament reviewing the sexual offences Acts at Gordon House last Wednesday.
She said that the Canadian law was precipitated by the case of a 31-year-old male predator who travelled from his home in Texas in the United States to Canada to meet a 14-year-old boy, with whom he had communicated on the Internet.
The man engaged the child in sexual activity and committed the act of buggery upon him. However, when he was arrested, he could only be charged with the relatively minor offence of possession of child pornography, because the young boy, who reportedly suffered from suicidal tendencies and social anxiety disorder, insisted that he had consented to the sexual activity.
"Additionally, because there was no relationship of authority or dependency, there were no other alternatives open to law enforcement," she explained.
In June 2006, the Canadian Government proposed a bill to raise the age of consent from 14 to 16, while creating a close-in-age exemption for sex between 14-15 year olds and partners up to five years older, and keeping an existing close-in-age clause for sex between 12-13 year olds and partners up to two years older.
The initiative also maintains a temporary exception for already existing marriages of 14 and 15 year olds, but forbids new marriages like these in the future.
Gordon Harrision said that another reason for increasing the age of consent was to help teenagers feel less pressured to have sex at a younger age, as it provides an effective negotiation tool for those who may be more inclined to say no to early sexual activity, because the law has set the tone by making it illegal.
She said, however, that she was not proposing that the Canadian initiative should be a blueprint which would bind Jamaica in any particular way.
"If this honourable committee finds favour with the idea and the theory of it, it would be for us to craft carefully established age bands that this particular Parliament would be comfortable with, and move forward with what is actually acceptable here," she stated.
SHATTERED DREAM: 18-year-old road traffic victim, Leshawn Grant wanted to become JAMAICA's first female Governor General.... "She said, 'Mommy, we have a female prime minister, how is it we don't have a female governor general? I want to be the first one',"
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Leshawn Grant dreamt of becoming Jamaica's first female governor general.
That dream, however, was shattered on August 10, 2012 when the 18-year-old Rusea's High School student was killed on Norman Manley Boulevard in Negril by a speeding car at approximately 5:15 pm.
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| Lashawn Grant |
The tragedy occurred approximately five minutes after she completed her fourth day as a receptionist and had walked out of Traveller's Beach Resort to seek transportation home.
According to her mother, Carol Hale, 55, her daughter told her she wanted to become head of state months before she died.
"She said, 'Mommy, we have a female prime minister, how is it we don't have a female governor general? I want to be the first one'," Hale told Jamaica Observer last week.
Hale said that if her daughter were alive today, she would be at the University of the West Indies, Mona, pursuing a degree which would enable her to become a psychologist.
"At school she was a peer counsellor. She liked being in the position of hearing the stories of her peers, being their confidante and counselling them on issues which deeply affected them. It is [for] those reasons, she told me, she wanted to become a psychologist," Hale told Sunday Observer.
Hale said although it has been two years, three months and three days since she lost her only child, she still has sleepless nights, counts the days since the tragedy and tries her utmost not to become a victim of depression.
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| Lashawn and her parents |
"As a single parent who has worked hard to take care of just one child, spending time moulding her into becoming a loving human being, it's not easy for me to move on. She was my only child. She had so much potential. She was not someone who stood behind. We were both looking forward to her completing sixth form and gracing a hall at the University of the West Indies in September last year, and it's painful to have this constant reminder that one speeding car just took her life," Hale said. more
$114m for school tablet computer content...Hon. Minister Phillip Paulwell said Jamaica's educational landscape is being transformed through the use of this critical aid. Content is available for the subject areas of mathematics, English language, and the sciences from the lower primary to the secondary level. Contract signed with Bryan’s Bookstores Limited
Friday, November 14, 2014
THE Government has spent $114 million for the provision of electronic content on the tablet computers, under the Tablets in Schools pilot programme.
Content is available for the subject areas of mathematics, English language, and the sciences from the lower primary to the secondary level.
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| Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell (left), President of Bryan’s Bookstores Limited Paul Bryan (centre), and Minister of Education Rev Ronald Thwaites sign a contract for the provision of electronic content on tablet computers, under the Tablets in Schools pilot programme, during a ceremony at the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), New Kingston, on Wednesday. Standing are Board members of e-learning Jamaica Limited, Lloyd Lovindeer (right) and Trevor Francis. |
This was disclosed by Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell, during a $76 million contract signing ceremony with members of the local and international publishing fraternity for the supply of additional electronic content on the devices.
"The contracts being signed are for the purchase and satisfactory delivery of content for the Tablets in Schools Project and includes publication in e-book form as well as web-based resource material," the minister said.
He informed that the process used in selecting the five local and four overseas content suppliers has been transparent and every effort has been made to ensure cost-effective delivery.
"The content and general uses of the computer tablets are in tandem with the curriculum approved by the Ministry of Education and as far as possible, local books that are available electronically and satisfies the ministry's criteria, have been considered," he said.
Paulwell said Jamaica's educational landscape is being transformed through the use of this critical aid.
Minister of Education Rev Ronald Thwaites said the ultimate objective is to ensure that the new curriculum, which is being developed, will be available by virtual means.
"This is not a substitute or disrespect for books, but it is to centrally locate the future of education and a very significant element of it is in the realm of virtual learning," he said. more
TRIBUTE- 20 Years since GARNETT SILK passed on Dec 9,1994. "Mama Africa", "Oh Me Oh My" & more
35 minutes of Garnett Silk classic tunes played by Rula Brown...Smith
was born in Manchester, Jamaica. His musical career began at the age
of twelve, when he performed under the name Little Bimbo.[1] During the
1980s he worked as a deejay on sound systems such as Conquering
Lion, Soul Remembrance, Pepper's Disco, Stereophonic, and Destiny
Outernational (where he first met Tony Rebel).He recorded his first track
in 1985, but it would be two years later before his first single, "Problem E....
Marley weed coming...Several new strains of marijuana (ganja) bearing the name of Julian Marley will become available in the American market in the next few months.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
SEVERAL new strains of marijuana (ganja) bearing the name of Julian Marley will become available in the American market in the next few months.
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| Julian Marley |
According to www.streetinsider.com, Marley — son of reggae king Bob Marley — has partnered with company Drop Leaf to launch Julian Marley JUJU Royal Premium Marijuana.
"I am happy to speak out in favour of decriminalisation and I salute Drop Leaf as a proud participant in the movement and struggle to make this natural super plant available for all who need it and it's healing properties," the 39-year-old, Britain-born reggae singer was quoted as saying.
Drop Leaf and DNA Genetics, seed company at the forefront of the global cannabis industry, are currently conducting research and development to produce the signature strain. Once developed, it will be made available to dispensaries, caregivers, and worldwide where it is legal.
In keeping with American states Colorado, Washington DC and Oregon, Jamaica recently announced proposed relaxations to its laws on marijuana. People caught in possession of ganja weighing two ounces or less will not be arrested, but will be ticketed and required to pay a fine. more
Man steals chainsaw valued at $600.00, stuffs it down his pants and guess what happened after that? (VIDEO) Read more...
POSTED 5:26 AM, NOVEMBER 13, 2014, BY KYLEE WIERKS –
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| Man in red marker stuffing chainsaw down his pants |
That’s right, this surveillance footage shows the man calmly hiding it and walking away. According to the TC Palm, the accused chainsaw crook walked in Treasure Coast Lawn Equipment and asked for $1 worth of change. When the cashier wasn’t looking, He picked up a Stihl chainsaw valued at more than $600 and left, fleeing on a bicycle. The TC Palm reports that employees chased the man, later identified as 28-year-old Anthony Ballard. Ballard ultimately ditched the saw before he got away. The saw was recovered, and police searched the area but couldn’t find Ballard. A half hour later, workers at Treasure Coast Lawn Equipment called 911, saying they spotted the accused chainsaw thief looking for the saw where he left it behind. When police arrested him, he said he was back near the store because he had a change of heart, and he wanted to return the saw to the store. Ballard, listed as homeless, was arrested on a grand theft charge. more
Cops learning how to cut down on lethal force : A group of Jamaican police officers is taking a course with United States trainers to practise ways of subduing people without permanently injuring or killing them...Peter Bunting announced that the US had provided $2 million worth of batons, pepper spray, handcuffs and utility belts for the Jamaican police.
Friday, November 14, 2014
A group of Jamaican police officers is taking a course with United States trainers to practise ways of subduing people without permanently injuring or killing them, officials said yesterday.
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| (From left) National Security Minister Peter Bunting; Elizabeth Martinez, chargé d'affaires at the United States Embassy Kingston; Police Commissioner Carl Williams, and an unidentified member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) with some of the crimefighting equipment donated by the United States Government to the JCF yesterday. The occasion was the launch of the Less-lethal Force Train the Trainer Course at the National Police College in Twickenham Park, St Catherine. (PHOTO: KIMMO MATTHEWS) |
Twenty-six officers with the Jamaica Constabulary Force are enrolled in the Less-lethal Force Train the Trainer Course at the National Police College in Twickenham Park, St Catherine. The course focuses on the use of weaponry like batons and pepper spray to avoid lethal force. The participants are expected to return to their divisions and train others.
Yesterday, at the official launch of the course, government, police and US Embassy officials were given a demonstration.
Afterwards, National Security Minister Peter Bunting announced that the US had provided $2 million worth of batons, pepper spray, handcuffs and utility belts for the Jamaican police.
Bunting said the donation followed a commitment made by the US in 2012 to provide the equipment. He noted that the donation, coupled with an order made for similar quantities of the devices, will be enough to equip front-line police personnel.
He said that the kits, which are of a high quality, are an investment for the medium and long term. more
20 PART SERIES, 20 Days of Silk, starting November 14 : Next month marks 20 years since the death of roots singer Garnet Silk, who died there on December 9, 1994: On the Silk Road as Family remembers late reggae singer....Silk had numerous hit songs such as Zion in a Vision, Mama Africa, It's Growing, Nothing Can Divide Us and much more...
Next month marks 20 years since the death of roots singer Garnet Silk. Today, the Observer reflects on the incident that claimed the lives of himself and his mother. It leads into a 20-part series, 20 Days of Silk, starting November 14.
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| Garnet Silk |
HATFIELD Ward Park in Manchester is like many rural districts in Jamaica -- several corner shops, construction sites and lush vegetation.
Manchester is known for producing some of reggae's finest acts. Among them are Tony Rebel, General Degree, Ce'cile, Ernie Ranglin and Luciano.
But Hatfield Ward Park is best known as the birthplace for one of reggae music's brightest stars whose light was extinguished far too early.
It produced a singer called Garnet Silk, who died there on December 9, 1994, along with his mother Etiga Gray. The fiery incident happened at 4:00 am, robbing contemporary reggae of its most promising figure who had enjoyed a remarkable rise in just two years.
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| Garnet Silk family members |
The Rastafari singer was part of a roots revival that wrested the Jamaican dancehall from artistes spewing suggestive and crime-driven lyrics, inspiring a wave of Afro-consciousness last seen in the 1970s.
Recording for a number of producers, Silk had numerous hit songs such as Zion in a Vision, Mama Africa, It's Growing, Nothing Can Divide Us, Lion Heart, Fill Us Up With Your Mercy and Love is the Answer.
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| Paul Cassanova, brother of Garnet Silk and survivor of the deadly fire. Paul Casssnova shows his burned hands |
Just three nights before his death, Silk performed at the Mirage nightclub in upper St Andrew. From all reports, he did an outstanding set.
News of his death shocked Jamaicans and the international reggae community. His songs were played on radio stations throughout the world.
Almost 20 years later, the sleepy community where the tragic incident took place still mourns. On Wednesday when Splash visited, Silk's nephews Joseph Bent and Kedar Palmer, along with a few friends, applied their mechanic skills to a car in the yard. more
Rosetta's Spacecraft Successfully Lands On Comet
AP/HuffPost | By Alana Horowitz Email Posted: 11/12/2014 11:29 am EST
European Space Agency's Rosetta space probe on Wednesday successfully deployed its robotic lander Philae on the Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
This is the first time a spacecraft has ever landed on the surface of a comet. The mission was ten years in the making. EU science chief Anne Glover tweeted that, "I think Europe just boldly went where no one else has gone before."
Philae touched down on an area of the comet named Agilkia, using harpoons and screws to latch on to the surface. To see a minute-by-minute recount of the historic landing, check out HuffPost Science's liveblog.
Here's a timeline of the spacecraft's historic mission, courtesy of the AP:
DARMSTADT, Germany (AP) — The European Space Agency said it landed a spacecraft on a comet Wednesday for the first time ever. The Philae craft pulled off the audacious landing hours after it was released toward the giant ball of dust and ice by the unmanned Rosetta space probe.
The landing is the highlight of a decade-long mission to link up with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Here's a look at key moments during Rosetta's incredible trip:
___March 2, 2004: Europe's unmanned probe Rosetta takes off from Kourou, French Guiana, after a series of delays, including an abandoned January 2003 launch window because of a rocket problem. more
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