Roleli Speaks

I got my Jamaica Sunday Gleaner and surprise, surprise Cash Plus Financials can be found in Section F. It includes a breakdown it seems for Cash Plus Group, Cash Plus Development Limited and Cash Plus Limited. Now I am no financial Analyst so I will not comment but will leave that to the more qualified. I no eagerly await the analysis tomorrow. It will make interested reading and might answer many question as well as it might only stir up more confusions. Items to watch are deferred tax, inter-company recievables Hopefully the RJR reports are false and the Cash Plus workers were indeed paid and those shaky investors trying to get back their money were successful ones while the more confident ones got there 'Christmas' investment cheques. Related: Investors Protest and Cash Plus Centers

Jamaica Gas Prices has now launched two new features we hope that our users will find useful. Blog We have launched a blog to complement to other services and we hope it will give users more opportunities to comment and give feedback. Plans are in place to launch a forum where users can talk and share all the want about the gas and energy issues facing the world. http://www.jamaicagasprices.com.jm/blog/ Gas Prices on your Mobile Phone In addition users can also get and post latest gas prices via there PDAs, Blackberries and other Internet enabled mobile phones. http://mobile.jamaicagasprices.com.jm/ In addition there are many features in store so keep you eyes only, watch the gas prices and let us know how much gas is being sold in your area.

Recently Khamal Knight, the son of Senator K.D. Knight died. I attended the funeral and I was glad I did. It as a touching service as speaker after speaker spoke about this young man in a honest and frank way. They spoke of his weakness characterized stubbornness, hinting at his over indulgences and so on, in essence human tendencies and failings. They also spoke of his strengths, kindness, loving spirit, his believe that all men where equal and should be treated as such and his belief that he could do anything he put his head and hands to and finally his deep trust in God. Senator K.D. Knight himself was excellent as he read the eulogy, punctuated with his own special brand of humor that if you were not careful you would have forgotten that you was at a funeral service. Indeed he too showed he was a strong man, and that big men can cry, as at one moment, overcome with grief, he shed a few tears before collecting himself and continuing. Indeed my own respect for the man grew. Ther...

The PNP leader is re-energised after refusing to concede defeat and an ugly speech on election night and now is promising to be a strong opposition. She was heard recently saying in another ugly speech, "it ain't over baby", and pointing out that she would be watching Bruce and the JLP everywhere they go every step they take. If that was not enough she proclaimed that she would be the JLP's worst nightmare. On the downside Prime Minister Golding's call for unity and working together has all but been ignored by Jamaica's first female Leader of the Opposition. Interesting times lie ahead. Portia Simpson-Miller - JLP's worst nightmare. Nightmare Already - Bruce Golding responds

Despite all that problems with Dual Citizenship, uncounted boxes and Portia Simpson-Miller's initial refusal to concede or sit on the platform at the swearing ceremony, the business of the country had to go on. The Jamaica Labour Party ( JLP) named the cabinet ministers and subsequently the state ministers but not without controversy. Personally I don't like the cabinet size or make up and I believe the JLP missed the boat but I will talk about that another time. The major talking point was the appointment of Don Webhy . The JLP either seeing the inability of Audley Shaw to manage the Finance Ministry alone or the serious financial mess the country is in, appointed two(2) other ministers to the finance ministry, Don Wehby , now formerly of Grace Kennedy, and Dwight Nelson, Trade Unionist. Don Wehby was formerly a high ranking member of the Douglas Orane led Grace Kennedy Group which includes First Global Bank Limited and Bill Express and they are also local operators/a...

The Jamaica election has come and gone. The Jamaica Labour Party( JLP ) won defeating thePeoples National Party( PNP ), 31-29 initially but after recounts the results now stand at 33-27. There has been some issues in Eastern Hanover and South East St. Mary that remain unresolved. The results in these constituencies now favouring the JLP are shaky to say the least. In Eastern Hanover, where less than 100 votes decided the winner the problems with which ballots to count continued in the supreme court up until yesterday. In the South East St. Mary ,where less than 100 votes again decided the winner, two boxes where not counted, by mistake or design now one really knows, neither in the first count and the official recount. Now that issue is before the court, whether or not the boxes should be counted. There is also the problem of dual citizenship court actions hanging over the head of Daryl Vaz of Western Portand and Shahine Robinson of North Eastern St. Ann. We can only hope that t...

After a hectic month, I am on a one week break. Hurricane Dean and Jamaica Elections 2007 all but consumed my life. So look out for a flood of posts I will be release many of the thoughts filling up my mind.

September 3, 2007 is the new date for General Elections in Jamaica originally set for August 27, 2007, a radiojamaica.com news item reports. Finally the wait is over and now it makes me even more upset as now I can't see the why the date could not been announced already. Why the delay can someone tell me? It looks like someone was backed into a corner. With hints of resignations coming from the Electoral Office and the Electoral Commission, somehow I get the feeling that the Prime Minister is not very happy with the new date but had little choice. Feelings and what is the truth is often two different things .

These are my experiences: Mobile CWJ Bmobile won hands down. Digicel's network might have been up but either was not working or could not handle the traffic. Digicel greeted you with busy signals, dropped calls, poor connections. I found the ' press release' from Digicel in the Gleaner nothing more than hilarious. This conversation on Power 106 FM's Both Sides of the story summed up Digicel's problem. Cuffe: We have Harry Smith from Digicel on the Line. Cuffe: Hello Hello mmh Hello Hello silence Cuffe: Well we had him but it seems like we lost him... That pretty much summed up the experience on Digicel Network. Bmobile on the other had few incidents of 'check system status or something like that' but on those few occasion on a second try , calls went through and there was no dropped calls, no poor connection and no busy signals. Interestingly I found it easier to call a Digicel phone from CWJ phone than from a Digicel phone. Internet On the internet s...

Madam Prime Minister or The Governor General of Jamaica or whoever is responsible please name the date. So far we heard that there is a recommendation that the Jamaica elections be postponed. I am not even sure that there has been an official announcement that the elections have been postponed. Until this point we have not heard when the new date is. We have seen downright irresponsible journalism in my opinion from the Jamaica Observer by their stating that the new election date will be September 3, 2007. That date has not been backed up by any official announcement and the Prime Minister made no mention in address to the nation last night of the new date. I have had enough of the political campaigning and politicians paying political football with peoples lives and schedule. The fact is all that is going on here is political games. Those who are supporting the Jamaica Labour Party(JLP) and want to capitalise on the momentum and swing to the JLP would probably want the elections now...

Either Prophet Phinn is a fraud or those being advised are not listening or maybe it is a a plan My wife keeps reminding me that when I heard that Portia had announced that August 27, 2007 was the election day I had commented, what a time to call a election and what a mess if Jamaica was affected by a hurricane in August. Now I am no prophet, but every idiot knows that the end of August into mid-September is the peak of the hurricane season. This has been historically so and has been especially so in the last 4-5 years. Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Katherine and now Hurricane Dean. Two do the most destructive hurricanes of the twentieth century were hurricanes Andrew(1992) and Gilbert(1988) also came during this period. Now I have a question for Prophet Phinn, did he not see Hurricane Dean in his visions? Maybe he did and this was what he saw would ensure that Portia got her mandate.

The rains came and the winds blew, the damage was plenty in some areas and minimal in others. In spite of every thing, we thankful that Hurricane Dean was traveling so fast and secondly that the eye did not come on-shore. If it had, I tell you the damage would be three times what it was. Once again Jamaica survived, as Dr. Jeff Masters of Weatherunderground said in 2004, it was clear the locals prayed Hurricane Ivan away. Once again, Jamaican prayed to be spared from Hurricane Dean and the result was it changing course. I have not posted since August 17, 2007 as my schedule has been very tight. What with Hurricane Dean imposing itself on my schedule and elections still to come having been postponed, I have been very busy. At work all sort of requests are now flying. Today I hope to look at them and arrange them in order of priority and see how I am going to deal with them. At home, the demands are equally challenging. As a result I am pretty much left greatly stressed. I love my wi...

This issue or non-issue has brought out comments from the Director of Election. The Gleaner reports Mr. Walker comments in this quote: However, Mr. Walker cautioned the media and the public "not to fall prey and be misled by election or political 'gimmickry' in this sensitive period leading up to the general election". - August 17, All 146 candidates legitimate - Walker. On the other side, The gleaner reports the following: "In a Gleaner interview yesterday, Mr. Pickersgill said his party has gathered credible information about JLP candidates who have sworn allegiance to a foreign power, but added that it was seeking to obtain irrefutable evidence, before proceeding to court. " - August 23, 2007, People's National Party (PNP) probes allegiance - Seeks irrefutable evidence to disqualify Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidates. With Hurricane Dean gone, the Dual-Citizenship storm is strengthen to become a Hurricane. Please listen for futher bulletins and ...

I seem to have got it all wrong and Dean looks like it could be in the Jamaican Waters in 2-3 days. I am very concerned for the people of the Lesser Antilles as Dean has just about reached those islands. I will be listening for reports later today. In the meanwhile we will pray for their safety. Hurricane Dean has just kept on going West at 23-24 mph(39 km/h) with Maximum winds of 100 mph(160 km/h). The system is not slowing down which is not a bad thing but at this rate Jamaica will have to be on the looking on Sunday. Effectively we will have to finish preparing tomorrow afternoon the latest. I notice our Meteorology Office is only sending out measurements in the name of metricfication and because of that I added the speeds and distances in km/h. My friends get your stocks and keep safe. It looks like we have a problem here. At 5:00 Hurricane Dean was 14.3. N and 60.9 W. Go Jamaica Weather

The rumors have been swirling but now the written complaints are now lodged that several Jamaica Labour Party(JLP) candidates are U.S. Citizens. The Jamaican constitution forbids a citizen that has sworn the oath of allegiance to another country to run in the elections or hold political office. In effect they could be prevented from contesting the General Elections on August 27, 2007. "Rumors dem spreading?" The the rumors and allegations are Daryl Vaz, James Robertson, Shahine Robinson , her brother Peter Fakhourie , Devon McDaniel and Everald Warmington are US citizens. Devon McDaniel has come out already and outrightly denied the allegations and has threaten to sue the People National Party. Mrs. Robinson has been evasive and there has been no word from the others. At least 4 candidates are in seats that although the voting results could be close could prove decisive if the JLP is to win their first General Elections since 1980(or 1983 if you count...

I awoke this morning to the news that tropical storm Dean has been upgraded to Hurricane Dean. The predictions are flying left, right and center, pretty much like the election predictions in Jamaica. The only difference there are no polls to rely on only historical data and computer models projecting a course based on the past data and prevailing conditions. At Accuweather , their 'experts' Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski and Senior Meteorologist Paul Walker have suggested that Dean will take a 'Gilbert-Like' path. Now that is interesting but certainly not funny. Over at National Hurricane center the thinking is pretty much the same but just a little south of Jamaica. At Weatherunderground , the story is much the same, even daring to predict that by Sunday or Monday will be in the area of Jamaica. I doubt that timeline though, but I am not an expert, as historical Hurricanes general slow down, to region of 12 MPH to 15 MPH, as they become larger. Gilbert(1988)...

I am back on hurricane watch. I am not paranoid as this storm in theory is 10-13 days but I am keeping a close watch on this system. Yesterday I would have told you to keep one eye on this system today I will tell you keep both eyes open. The system has developed into the fourth tropical storm of the 2007 season and has been given the name 'Dean'. The storm has continued to track west and the center of the storm at 11:00 p.m. was latitude 12.0 north and longitude 42.3 west. Today at least four computer models had Tropical Storm Dean entering the Caribbean basin in 3-5 days. Once in the Caribbean basin, We would be looking at another 5-7 days as the storms usually slow down by as they get bigger. This means that in 8-12 days we could be in for some bad weather if, and a big if, this storm decides to target Jamaica or areas in the vicinity of Jamaica. For those who read my blog and especially those who live in Jamaica keep your eyes open we could have two storms at the end of ...

August 27 is suppose to be election day in Jamaica but there might just be a little storm selecting Jamaica for day. I have been watching this little system on weatherunderground.com since Saturday night. Now it is early days but the system has been upgraded to Tropical Depression number four. The commentary by Dr. Jeff Masters of weatherground.com suggest that it might not enter the Caribbean basin and models from the National Hurricane center's website seem to support his thoughts. However, Josh Nagelberg on Accuweather seems to have other thoughts, suggesting that it could be a powerful hurricane by the end of the week and will more that likely enter the Caribbean basin Personally I don't think it be an issue(I am not a meteorologist) but we will need to keep our eyes on it. If come this Friday and the system is anywhere between 10-15N and 50-55W then we will have to open our eyes real wide. Until then, we simple keep one eye on the tropical system while the other on our...

The heat is on and in two weeks we will know the direction the Jamaica is going, changing course or not. The electoral debates were interesting and in my opinion based on what I seen so far the JLP won overall. This is my breakdown. Scores out of 10 Debate 1 Peter Phillips : Ken Baugh 8:7 Both debaters were good but Philips edged out Baugh with his better use of the time limits. Truthfully much of what he said was fluff but debaters do that from time to time leaving you to pick out the critical points. Phillip's explanation of the crime problem, linking it primarily if not entirely to the drug for guns trade, was lame and pretty much explains why we have continued to have this problem for the last eighteen(18) years. Baugh I think pointed to the issue of poor social conditions and joblessness which comes closer home to the problem. The problem with corruption is so deep in the country, to the point where two of the prime minister's bodyguards are seemingly involved in car stea...

We are now down to five weeks to election in Jamaica. It seems like it going every so slowly. Bruce Golding was upset that the date was so far away while initially I did not mind as it gave me time sort out some issues, having to do with work-related plans. However two weeks later it is becoming apparent that many people are not happy the long period between announcement and Election Day include the Education Minister. Interesting things to watch I waiting to see what will happen between July 31 and August 7, the period declared no campaigning time by the Prime Minister. Will the campaign ads not be run during this period? Nomination day is August 7 and it will be interesting to see how candidates will be put up by third parties and how independent candidates there will be. The other thing of interest will be how the political parties will time their advertising campaigns, message wise and from a financial position. It such and long campaign period you have got to manage it right. Not...

This could be dedicated to ????. Listen and let me know what you think. The song was spotted in feedback to a Gleaner Weekly Poll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA Thanks to Delroy for sending me this link. While I might have some issues with some things he said from a Christian perspective, on the whole I agree with much of what he said. Full Text: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505

I have to respectfully agree with this gentleman and disagree with the statement made by Dr. W. Hughes. Like this writer I was very disappointed to here such a statement from from such an esteemed gentleman Dr. Hughes is reported to have said in an address at the launch of a new money management company in Jamaica that "capital was no longer the main barrier or constraint to investment from a national perspective". He is quoted: "The problem is that we have the money, we have the land, we have the labour, but to put that together in terms of being inventive, innovative, and entrepreneurial is where we lack the talent." Read more at Wesley Hughes, you are very wrong!

We are at an interested stage in the history of tertiary education in Jamaica. A decade or so ago we basically had only one University in Jamaica. The University of the West Indies(UWI) was the synomymus with the word University. If you where going to University it was UWI, if you where going to listen to the Univeristy Singers with was the University of the West Indies Singers, if you were going to the University Campus it was the University of West Indies' campus. Today things have changed and we now have at least six locally/regionally based Universities and a host off-shore ones. The local ones include University of the West Indies (UWI) University of Technology Jamaica (Utech formerly College of Arts Science and Technology(CAST)) Northern Caribbean University(NCU formerly West Indies College(WIC) University College of the Caribbean(UCC) International College of the Caribbean (ICC) Mico University College(Former Mico Teachers College) The amazing thing is how the University of ...

I have not posted in a while as I have been very busy both at work and home (with marriage). This marriage thing is very demanding so ensure that you count the cost before you make the step.

This is a very good article and we all should read it . After we have read it, those of us that have this country at hear need to think about what we are going to do. Are we going to boycott companies like Cable and Wireless that continue to support artistes like these and use them in their advertising campaigns. What ever have to that coalition of companies that sometime ago decide not to sponsor anymore stage shows? I wonder who were the sponsors of that show in Montego Bay. This is a an excellent and easy way where the churches can tell their members to stop buying the products and services of companies that continue to support this kind of slackness. This is about being our brother's keepers, protecting them from those that promote violence and hail gunmen. It is time we stand up for justice and truth and play our part in the advance of our nation Jamaica. http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/20070405/cleisure/cleisure1.html

It is Cricket World Cup time and here in Jamaica at Sabina Park Reports are surfacing that CWJ is allegedly guilty of overcharging international journalist on access fees to the internet. Two leading cricket sites along with the Jamaica Observer have raised the issue the rates it seem are so ridiculous and in no way compare with the rates charged at the last world cup, FIFA world cup, IAAF championships or the Olympics. What is Cable and Wireless up to. If these reports are true, shame on on them. Cable and Wireless seems bent on destroying their reputation.

For the first time in the history of the Miss Jamaica World Pageant a queen will have to give up her crown. The reason is that she is pregnant and that goes against competition norms. Although Sara takes a fair share of the responsibility for this situation, more blame rest with that irresponsible boyfriend. Whether we want to accept it or not the reality is that men are the more logical beings while women the more emotional. This is why when the two comes together their is suppose to be balance. As the man, the logical one knowing what was at stake, he should take logical steps to prevent this. Too often women get all the blame for unwanted pregnancies but as a man that is something I do not buy. Here is a beautiful black Jamaican young lady, who has followed her dream won the Miss Jamaica World, won the Miss World Regional (Caribbean) while placing sixth at the Miss World contest in Warsaw Poland. She has formed many new friendship and become the inspiration to countless others, in ...

Congratulations must go out to the operators of an Allied Cesspool truck in Jamaica. These persons saved the day when they saw danger and risked their lives to put out a fire at a Shell Gas Station in Manor Park, Kingston. What is interesting is that the men and the gas station personnel tried in vain to contact the Fire Brigade. With no answers coming, the operators of an Allied Cesspool truck took matters into their own hands and used the smelly contents of their truck to douse the fire. The men even reported on TV that they called their company and asked to send a truck with water, which they did, and they used that second truck to finish cooling down operations. When the Fire Brigade , finally arrived, all they had to do was the investigation and cleaning up. Again congratulations to courageous citizens you made the difference but serious questions remain about our fire services.

On February 28, 2007 I clashed with a policeman at the tax office or strictly speaking he clashed with me. It all started when a man in a line became a little loud in expressing his dissatisfaction with the movement of the line. In no time, in comes the policeman and removes the man from the line and begins having words with the man. On seeing the situation, I lamented the irony of the matter. Here it is, people are standing in snail-moving lines to pay taxes that eventually pay him and he is harassing the man who wants to pay his taxes and just wants the line moving faster. Those comments drew the policeman’s anger and he pointed at and then told me to shout up. I responded to him and said for what. After that many other people joined in as we discuss the problems country and how as soon as people express their dissatisfaction with the state, the same people we pay to protect turn and harass us. After the policeman was completed talking to the man, He spoke to two other people and th...

The list of resignations involving JLP Parish Council Mayors continues to rise. In summary : Raymond Notice - Mayor of St. Catherine. ( former) Alleged wife beating Case came to court but eventually dropped Wife had tumor that contributed to behaviour and trouble in marriage Wife now treated and all seems to be well Delroy Giscombe - Mayor of St. Ann ( former) February 2007 Alleged illegal firearm possession and assault occasioning bodily Arm Incident involved him allegedly found in bed with a Taxi-Man's wife. Lester Crooks - Mayor of Hanover (former) January 2007 Conflict of Interest Involved in pushing a reduction in building fees owed to the Hanover Parish Council. Own trucks that was involved in a trucking contract with Fiesta in Hanover, while as Mayor It has been a rough road for the Jamaica Labour Party Mayors but it just shows you how hard it is to find upright men to lead in the country. How many female Mayors do we have now? Looks like we need a few some. Related News ...

There seems to have been a tremor at about 4:00 p.m. on February 4, 2007 in Kingston Jamaica. It turns out that it was of the Magnitude 5.3 on the Richter scale accourding to the University of the West Indies Sesmic Unit. Interestingly reports have surfaced that the at it center the quake could actually measure 6.1 according to US seismologists. Please don't jump to the conclusion that it is another case of under reporting in Jamaica. In Jamaica we might have felt a 5.3 but at the center, which was 75 Miles(120 Km) NNW of Montego Bay, it could have been a different story. The earthquake seems to have been felt islandwide. It did not seem particularly intense but the water in the "Catherine's Peak" 5 gallon bottle on my kitchen counter registered that some shaking occured. I myself did not feel it but my wife sure did. Related Strong 6.1 earthquake hits between Jamaica and Cuba Sesmic Monitor U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program

I have a copy of the much talked about cartoon that was subsequently even removed from the Jamaica Gleaner Company's website. Actually I am prepared to buy a copy of it. In my personal capacity, my first impressions was that the Gleaner might have gone too far but on second reflection, I think not. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case I will try to present a few words on a few events that inspired the cartoon and what it is saying. The first event is a speech the Prime Minister made while she was Minister of Tourism in reply to accusations made by Mr. Audley Shaw. In that speech she made the a comment something to the effect 'mine you draw my tongue'. The other incident it captures is the idea of the Prime Minister having to walk(not sure if it was barefoot) to the Half Moon hotel after being caught up in the height of the Jazz Festival induced traffic nightmare on the Rose Hall Main Road in Montego Bay Jamaica. The other thing captured...

This week-end the police ended the lives of five(5) alleged gunmen in Montego Bay, Jamaica. One of those dead turned out to be a Collin Palmer, leader of the Collin Palmer Gang. What caught my eye was that he was a Calabar Graduate, Mico Graduate and a former teacher at three of Montego Bay's prominent High schools in the 1990s. His nickname was "Teacher". What went wrong? How does one with an interest in teaching students to be better persons and helping them fit in to society end up leading a group of outlaws and becoming a misfit. We get a little hint from one of Mr. Palmer's friends as reported in the story. This friend said he spoke with Mr. Palmer and encouraged him to change his ways but Mr Palmer's response seem to have been that he had no choice as he had no work and he had children to feed. The question is who is going to feed those children now? It is a pity he did not consider the possibility of this being his end. It would be interested to get his ful...

Before I wish you happy New Year, let me express my condolences to the family of the Lyn's, policemen Eubanks and Genus and others and their relatives who have lost love ones to the senseless violence occurring in the country. I would like to express my sympathy to the blind man, Mr. Elliot, who fell in to a hole while walking on one of Kingston's pothole riddled sidewalks and has struggled to get medical attention from the Comprehensive Clinic or Kingston Public Hospital after four (4) days. You can just imagine the problem he has if motorists blessed with vision can't avoid potholes on the deplorable roads in the country. Why does this country have supposedly two top entertainers, 'BM' and 'BK', mashing up stage shows while arguing about what each did or could not with an 'angel' and that rubbish continues to make the headlines and clogging the airwaves. We also are waiting to see if the Trafigura money described as "peanuts" and "ch...