Girl With a Purpose (GWAP)

GWAP Blog's "Hot Deals Mondays™!!!", Features Hot Deals from ABT Electronics!

"Girl With a Purpose" Blog is pleased to present our brand new section, "Hot Deals Mondays!!!™".

This week, on "Hot Deals Mondays!!!™", we introduce scorching hot deals on your favorite technology gadgets and accessories, electronics and appliances from ABT Electronics!

Shop and get an additional 5% off of ABT Electronics' already low prices on brand name Flat Panel LCD TVs, Digital Cameras, DVD players and more!

Thousands of items in stock!

You can find these hot deals in our section entitled "Hot Deals Mondays!!!™". It can be found to the  left-hand-side of our posts, just above the section, "Computer Courses for Beginners". (It is the 11th section from the bottom of the blog). 

(These deals will expire on Sunday, November 4, 2007, so get yours now, before it's too late!)

Gillian

Jamaica's New Government: The Saga Continues

Ok friends, after about five (5) weeks of legal rambling, there is finally a decision for the constituency of West Trelawny, in Jamaica. Professor D. K. Duncan (from the People's National Party) has won the seat by 10 votes.

He gained 6,068 votes to the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP's) Barrington Gray's, 6,058 votes.

The JLP has said that they will be contesting the results in the Supreme Court - the highest court of the land, since the ballots that were improperly opened by the Presiding Officers in the constituency, had not been counted.

(The Presiding Officers ripped open a few of the ballots, so badly, that they could hardly tell which candidates the electors voted  for.)

The seat count for Parliament (for now) is:

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP): 32 seats

The People's National Party (PNP) 28 seats.

(In all, Jamaica is divided into 60 constituencies, for the purpose of electing 60 members of Parliament. Each Parliamentary member occupies a seat in Parliament, hence 60 seats.)

Sources Include:

1) Power 106 5:00 p.m. News, October 26, 2007

Gillian

Introducing "Hot Deals Mondays!!!™"

In our effort to bring you dynamic content that will empower your personal and professional lives, Girl With a Purpose Blog is pleased to present our brand new section, "Hot Deals Mondays!!!™".

On "Hot Deals Mondays!!!™", we introduce scorching hot deals on your favorite technology gadgets and accessories, electronics and appliances!

This means that on every Monday, from now until the end of Christmas, you can get huge discounts on all technology gadgets and accessories, electronics and appliances, featured in this new section on our blog!

[You can find this section to the left-hand-side of our posts, just above the section, "Computer Courses for Beginners". (It is the 11th section from the bottom of the blog). It is entitled, "Hot Deals Mondays!!!™" with the featured deals underneath the section title.]

This week's featured deals come from CellHut!- The phones and accessories are going fast!..so get yours now, before these deals expire!

(These deals will expire tomorrow!)

Gillian

Uhambe Kahle (Goodbye) Lucky Dube

Early yesterday morning, South Africa's premier Reggae artist, Lucky Dube, was shot and killed, in a botched carjacking, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa.

He had just dropped his 15 year-old son and 16 year-old daughter at school, when he was mudered in front of them.

Lucky was so named by his mother, after his birth on August 3, 1964, following the unsuccessful pregnancies that she previously had.

Lucky's musical career started when he was eighteen, when he played traditional Zulu music,with his boyhood band, "The love Brothers".

However, he noticed that Reggae and the social consciousness that it carried, really appealed to his live concert audiences.

So with the rhythmic sounds of Hi-Five (South African pop music) as a backdrop, Dube was able to infuse these rhythms with Reggae, thus producing a distinctive sound (akin to the haunting rhythms of Jamaican Reggae artist, Peter Tosh) which rocketed Dube to fame, both in South Africa and the world.

[When Lucky Dube performed at the opening ceremony of the Cricket World Cup in Jamaica, in March of this year, his music brought back strong memories of Peter Tosh. (Peter Tosh played bass guitar for the Wailers - the back-up band for Bob Marley. He went on to become a popular Jamaican Reggae artist, after Bob Marley's death.)

Jamaicans have always loved Lucky, but I think we loved him even more, for giving us a special premier to his opening ceremony performance, at a concert in Trelawny, the night before.)]

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South Africans have expressed shock and anger at Lucky's death.

This incident has served to futher enrage them, due to the apparent refusal of South African President, Thabo Mbeke, to effectively deal with the worsening crime problem in South Africa.

In all, Lucky Dube recorded 22 albums in Zulu, English and Afrikaans over a 25-year period.

He was 43 years old. (You may read his biography here.)

He is survived by his wife, Zanele and their seven children.

We at Girl With a Purpose Blog offer our condolensces to Lucky Dube's family and to our extended family of South Africa, at the loss of one of South Africa's premier sons.

("Uhambe kahle" is Zulu, for the English word, "Goodbye".

Zulu is the prominent language of poor, black South Africans.)

The inset shows the videoclip of Lucky Dube's, "Prisoner", - one of his more popular songs. It was uploaded by Eternitylures, at YouTube.com.

Sources Include:

1)  Lucky Dube Biography, Wikipedia.com

2) Article, "Lucky Dube's murder throws Spotlight on crime in South Africa" by Jonathan Clayton, The Times

3) VideoClip, Lucky Dube's, "Prisoner", uploaded by eternitylures, YouTube.com.

Gillian

Who Would Qualify to Become Jamaica's Modern-Day, National Heroes?

Today we celebrate National Heroes Day in Jamaica.

It's a day when we remember the seven Jamaican national heroes (including one heroine) who sacrificed their lives, time and freedom, so that we as Jamaicans could be free from slavery and British colonization and could become an independent nation.

(National hero is the highest order that can be bestowed on any Jamaican citizen, by the Government of Jamaica.The last time the honour of national hero was bestowed on a Jamaican citizen, was in 1975, on Nanny of the Maroons.)

Jamaica has seven national heroes: Sam Sharpe, George William Gordon, Nanny of the Maroons, Paul Bogle, Sir Alexander Bustamante, Norman Washington Manley and Marcus Mosiah Garvey.

Please read more about these heroes and how they contributed to Jamaica's development, here.

National Heroes Day is also the day when the Government of Jamaica, gives national awards to men and women who have sacrificed themselves for others and for the development of this great nation of ours.

In this vein, a boy (Joel Solomon Francois Davidson) got the Badge of Honour for Gallantry, for saving his eleven year-old friend from drowning. Demonstrating that heroes don't have to be old and grey to be named as such, but can be normal, everyday people like you and me.

But who is a national hero?

To get this answer, we will define a hero and then a "national hero".

Answers.com defines a hero as:

"A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: e.g. soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war."

Hmmh :)... Let us try to understand what this definition truly means, by examining what a feat is:

According to Answers.com, a feat is a notable act or deed, especially an act of courage.

So, a hero not only does notable and courageous acts, but also sacrifices his/her life, continuously, in pursuit of these acts.

Using this defintion, then, and extending it nationally, a national hero is someone who does notable acts, in a country's best interest, so much so that he/she will continue to do so, even though his/her life is at risk.

Hence suggestions for national hero status for Bob Marley (world renown Jamaican reggae artist) and Louise Bennett-Coverly (world renown Jamaican comedian, cultural activist and educator), would be justified, as both tried to keep Jamaica's culture (the heartbeat of a nation) alive, despite pressures and persecution from the then Jamaican government and members of the Jamaican populace.

(There were even attempts to kill Bob Marley because of his determination to speak against the police abuse of Rastafarians and the political injusticies of the 1970's.)

Please read Louise Bennett-Coverly's biography here and Bob Marley's biography, here.

However, the suggestion to make former Prime Minister (PM) of Jamaica, Michael Manley, a national hero, would be unjustified, based on our definition, above.

Yes, he did implement a few societal changes for the betterment of the Jamaican people (e.g.  overtime pay and maternity leave) in the 1970's, but his policies and outright disdain for the Jamaica people's human rights and freedoms and him nearly causing this country's economic collapse in the 1970's, has disqualified him, according to our definition of national hero, from ever gaining this status.

(In the 1970's, then PM Michael Manley, restricted the importation of basic necessities like flour, without empowering farmers to produce more staples as substitutes, thus creating a national food shortage. He forced the majority of the middle and upper middle class to flee from Jamaica, by telling them that there were only 5 flights per day, that would be available for them to get out of Jamaica and encouraged the poor to take over their houses and businesses, when they left.

You can read more about Michael Manley's escapades, below:

1.Article, "The Election of Portia Simpson-Miller as First Female Prime Minister Brings a Renewed Hope to Jamaica", by Francis Wade, TheNewBlackMagazine.com

2. Michael Manley's biography, Wikipedia.)

Interesting, huh?

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Which other Jamaicans, besides Loiuse Bennett-Coverly and Bob Marley, do you think would qualify to get national hero status, based on our definition above?

Do you agree/disagree with the suggestion that these two Jamaicans should be given national hero status?

Do you think we need any more national heroes?

Please let us know what your thoughts are, by clicking on the "Comment" link, below.

Thanks. :)

Gillian

Sources Include:

1) Webpage, Jamaica's National Heroes, JamaicaWay.com

2) Definition of hero, Answers.com

3) Definition of feat, Answers.com

4) Article, "The Election of Portia Simpson-Miller as First Female Prime Minister Brings a Renewed Hope to Jamaica", by Francis Wade, TheNewBlackMagazine.com

5) Bob Marley's Biography, Wikipedia.com

6) Louise Bennet Coverly's Biography, Disabled Women's Network Ontario's website

7) Michael Manley's Biography, Wikipedia.com

8) Jamaica National Awards, Jamaica Information Service (JIS) website

9) Jamaica National Awardees 2007, JIS website.

Jamaica Awaits New Police Commissioner!

Yesterday, October 10, 2007, Jamaica's Commissioner of Police, Commissioner Lucius Thomas, announced to the Officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and to the nation, that he would be resigning, effective October 31,2007.

From interviews seen on TV, most of the Officers expressed shock at his decision.

They said that he is a very humble man, with a long career in the force, who was really concerned about the welfare of the members of the Jamaican Constabulary Force and, as such, were sad to see him go.

Commissioner Thomas' resignation comes amidst pressures from the Jamaican populace, that the new Government of Jamaica, do something about the burgeoning crime problem in Jamaica and police excesses in the form of police brutality and corruption.

It also comes after the alledged killing of Grants Pen resident, Andre Thomas, by four policemen who allegedgly shot him without cause, in the Grants Pen community, on Friday, September 28, 2007.

The policemen took three (3) days to return the vehicle that they allegedly used to transport Andre to the hospital, alive, according to his father. This was despite orders from Comissioner Thomas and the Police High Command, that the men turn themselves in and return the vehicle.

(Grants Pen residents claim that  Andre was stopped and shot by the police along Grants Pen Road. They claim that he was shot in the arm and leg, then taken up by the police who drove away and finished him off. He was pronounced dead at the Kingston Public Hospital, allegedly with two more bullet wounds than he had originally received.)

As a result, the Grants Pen community, which was a model inner city community, due to it's ability to maintain longstanding peace, for a period of 3 years, has been in uproar, with random killings and reprisal killings.

(The public pressure was so great that Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Kent Pantry, ordered the policemen's arrest. They have been charged, but are presently out on bail on aprroximately JMD $220,000 each.)

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The following persons are said to among the shortlist of nominees to become the new Police Commissioner: Deputy Commissioners of Police - Charles Scarlett and Mark Shields, Assistant Commissioners - Carl Williams, Keith "Trinity" Gardener, Novelette Grant and Owen Ellington.

But we also hear that Director of Elections, Mr. Danville Walker, is likely to get the nod for the job.

Well, this may be so, but most Jamaicans are in favour of former Police Commissioner and former Jamaica Defence Force (the Jamaican army) Colonel Trevor MacMillan, getting the post.

[This I garnered from word on the streets (over the years) on the person, Jamaicans feel that could get crime under control and an informal poll, that was conducted by Betty-Ann Blaine, on her radio Talk Show, "On the Agenda", on Nationwide Radio, this morning.]

When Colonel MacMillan was Police Commissioner during 1993-1996, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) underwent radical change, with rogue cops being disciplined and the members of the JCF augering a new respect from the Jamaican populace, due to the change in the JCF's discipline and its treatment of Jamaicans.

(Colonel MacMillan insisted that all policemen, no matter their rank, respect all Jamaicans, poor and rich, alike. He also insisted that they be trustworthy, so that Jamaicans would be willing to share intelligence re criminal activity, with them.)

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The Police Services Commission, the body responsible for selecting the new Commissioner, has said that it will advertise the position.

Well, we await news of who the new Commissioner will be, as the person appointed, will really indicate  to us as Jamaicans, if the new government and the Police Services Commission are really serious about curbing Jamaica's crime problem.

Gillian

Sources Include:

1) Nationwide Radio, September 28 - October 11,2007

2) Television Jamaica 10:00 p.m. News, October 9,2007

3) Article, "Walker for Commish? - EOJ President heads shortlist for top cop in Jamaica", by Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Cooridinator, Jamaica Gleaner, October 11,2007

4) Article, "Police puzzle - Arrest them! DPP wants cops involved in Grants Pen shooting arrested", by Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Cooridinator, Jamaica Gleaner, October 5, 2007