Saturday, October 24, 2009

TIME AT OUR CONVENIENCE

Let’s pause to appreciate the ease with which we now process daily activities as opposed to 30 or more years ago. Although I am not one for latest gadgets in technology, I must confess, my life would be a tad strenuous if it werent for the use of advance technology as we have them today

Just try to imagine if you (alone) were trapped in the technology of 30 years ago while the world advanced, how would you cope? Other than being healthier from the amount of physical exercise to lift, pull, push, chop, and others such as manual work you would have to engage in; apart from the absense of increased radioactivity from the latest electrical and electronic devices and accessories within your intimate space; separate from the increased pollution due industrial and commercial development; plus the stress associated with information bombardment, tell me how would you cope............

Already you may be thinking ‚’I dont know, that is such a long time ago’, as most of the U20 year olds tend to describe any period thats over 5 years as ‚’ancient’. But 30 years ago, the advanced technology of the time made life as comfortable as we enjoy ours now, And although I am tempted to explore the wide gamut of impact of today’s modern technology, I will restrict it for this article to the effect of time.

Already my information is dated, but 30 years ago, it would be fresh for publication to the next day’s readership. Then , articles and other items for the print media were written in minutes and took a day to submit the piece or pieces. Today, information like the latest scientific technology buzz concept is moving in nano-seconds.

So, all that said, let’s take a look at some of the more common domestic activities which we take for granted:

30 Years Ago... Over 4 hrs to hand-wash a pan load of clothes
Present... 1 hr to machine wash 2 pan loads of clothes
30 Years Ago...15 mins to reheat dinner via steam or on the stove (before the use or prevalence of microwave)
Present... 2-3 mins to reheat dinner in microwave
30 Years Ago...1 week for fitting and making of dress suit
Present... (1 hr to decide which dres suit to wear and) 1 minute to purchase it
30 Years Ago...10 hrs to travel via public transport from Kingston to MontegoBay
Present... 3.5 hrs to travel via public transport from Kingston to MontegoBay
30 Years Ago...14 days for delivery of local postal mail
Present... 4 seconds for delivery of email
30 Years Ago...1 week or more (dependent on the use of film) to access photo from photographer
Present... 1 second to access photo from your digital camera
30 Years Ago...Weeks and months for transport of sea cargo goods
Present... Days to transport sea cargo goods
30 Years Ago...Availability of news, 3xs per day
Present... Availability of news every second
30 Years Ago...Stenographic copying & dot matrix printing took minutes
Present... Laser printing & copying take seconds

Can you think of other examples in which technology has shortened the processing time for our convenience? Please share it.

Banana Boat Humour

A Jamaican man whose greatest wish was to get to the USA got that wish when his friend suggested he stow away on one of the monthly Banana Boats that sail between the ports of the island and northeastern tip of the USA. Planned and ready to go, the man and friend gathered their stuff consisting of a paint brush, can of green paint, a pack of water crackers and a large bottle of water for the voyage.

Laden with green bananas and a 7-man crew, the finally left port but not before the men painted their bodies and merged comfortably amongst the green bananas with food stash for the journey which they calculated would take about 3-4 days...

1-2-3-4 days passed and no docking. They waited and waited another few days then weeks and finally, the ship reached harbour.
Since it took about 4 weeks to complete the voyage, the bananas - which are perishable foods - became ripened. What do you think happened when unloading began?

Please share your Banana Boat jokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Ananda or Good Girl Gone Bad Alert?

Yet another Ananda Alert (AA) has been issued today. [The death of Ananda Dean, an 11-year old gave birth to the Ananda Alert programme , May 2009, which is aimed at finding missing children as quickly as possible]. It has beenn three reprted cases now in as many days and God knows how many more represent the actual figures on a day to day or week to week basis... But even though i am perplexed by this new and frightening phenomenon, i cant help but place myself in the circle side and wonder. Just wonder...

Should we channel all our energies into Ananda Alerts or split them down the middle to accommodate a possible solution which may very well be a 'Good Girl Gone Bad' Alert? How many of our 12 and over year old children (especially girls) turn out mising, (not indefinitely) but return home when they have sufficiently fed their appetites of indiscretion and revelled in their acts of defiance and selfishness? When do we issue AAs and what are the parameters of qualification? I ask that seriously because if checked - some of the ’children’ who go missing when ’found’ or ’returned’ - our jaws would drop like comets plumetting to earth from shock or sheer envy by the revelations of their rendezvous doing the time we were busy consuming our sharp energies, putting stationary through the grind, shattering nerves, inciting greater paranoia, filling air time and employing all other possible resources simply to locate them.
Is it any wonder this song so aptly titled by Tarus Riley and Konshens comes readily to mind...?

Good Girl Gone Bad :
[Intro:]
Head concussion (yo Tarrus)
Well, who cyan hear dem a go feel mi seh
When you finga mash no badda cry mi seh
Alright den...

[Verse 1: Tarrus Riley]
Dem big inna body
And will tell yuh dem ready
Mi nuh need no glass fi see dem force ripe
And thru bad company some likkle pickney
Nah tek no talk a straight road, a street life

[Hook:]
Mama likkle princess gone bad
Daddy's likkle angel bruk out
Mama likkle pearl, tell mi seh she ready fi di world
Walkin' out...

[Chorus:]
Just anodda good girl gone bad
Once she was a good girl but now she gone bad
Story of a good girl gone bad
And she don't know what she have
Driving the family mad

Good girl gone bad
Once she was a good girl but now she gone bad
Story of a good girl gone bad
And she don't know what she have
Driving the family mad

[Verse 2:]
[Konshens:]
She go suh hard
Who she impressing
The shortest clothes dem she always dress in
[Tarrus:]
She loves to drink, she's into smoking
And ecstasy, she's already floating
[Konshens:]
Mi seh a whole heap a man dem gyal yah back it up pon
From inna di church, di school bus, di taxi or minivan
And if you follow dem gyal yah,
Dem mek you bawl fi yuh madda from behind the prison bars
Worse if yuh a star nuh gih dem no par

[Hook:]
Mama likkle angel gone bad
Daddy's likkle princess bruk out
Mama likkle pearl, a tell mi seh she ready fi di world
Wah tek dis likkle girl

[Chorus:]
Just anodda good girl gone bad
Once she was a good girl but now she gone bad
Story of a good girl gone bad
And she don't know what she have
Driving the family mad

Good girl gone bad
Once she was a good girl but now she gone bad
Story of a good good girl gone bad
And she don't know what she have
Driving the family mad

[Bridge:]
Who cyan hear dem a go feel mi seh
When you finga mash no badda cry mi seh
Who cyan hear dem a go feel mi seh
And when you finga mash no badda cry mi seh
Aright den...

[Verse 1: Tarrus Riley]
Well, dem big inna body
And will tell yuh dem ready
Mi nuh need no glass fi see dem force ripe.
Tarrus, and thru bad company some likkle pickney
Nah tek no talk a straight road, a street light

[Hook:]
Watch yah...
Mama likkle princess gone bad
And mi seh daddy's likkle angel bruk out now
Mama likkle pearl, tell mi seh she ready fi di world
Walkin out...

[Chorus:]
Just anodda good girl gone bad
Once she was a good girl but now she gone bad
Story of a good good girl gone bad
And she don't know what she have
Driving the family mad
Good girl gone bad
She was a good girl gone bad
Dis likkle good good good good girl gone bad
And now she don't know what she have
Driving the family mad

[Outro:]
Who can hear dem a go feel mi seh
When you finga mash no badda cry mi seh, hey
Who can hear dem a go feel mi seh
And when you finga mash no badda cry mi seh
Russian...
As i listen the song over and over again in my head and its lyrics and the commandinfg rhythm holds me prosoner and its sound keeps resonating again and again with amplified appeal, i wonder:
1. How many of our missing children are true ’Anandas’ on that they really deserve the attention and effort of the nation in retrieving or locatiing them?
2. How many of them were actually abducted as most of the news item tend to lead us to believe?
3. How many of them are actually below the age of 12 (child) years old?
4. How many of them are females above 12 years old?
5. How many of these females are sexually involved with men/ boys?
6. How many of these females go missing after a heated argument with their parent/s or guardian?
7. Where were they last seen?
8. How many parent/s or guardian report that these midding children have returned home?

I am not only perturbed by the climbing incidence of missing children, but with the less than responsible corresponding behaviours of parents and guardians who by their action or spoken intent may be the direct cause of the child going missing or in some other form, influence the child’s dangerous behaviour.

What do you think?
React… Reflect… Reciprocate….!

Welcome

Since I currently have time at my leisurely disposal, I have again ventured into the world of unbridled expressions to share my views on issues of the contemporary, the obscure, the mundane, the paradoxical and much more that have previously affected me, are affecting me at this time and undoubtedly will impinge on me, within this collective space called living existence, we all share. I therefore invite you to join the discourse and allow me insights into your thoughts, your emotions, your judgments and if you dare, your unholy thoughts on the issues presented.

So why not react… reflect… and reciprocate…!?