To our Amercian and American-based friends, GWAP Blog wishes you a Happy 4th of July!!
Yes, the USA is 233 years old, today...having become independent in 1776..
And you have accomplished quite a lot since 1776...you are one of the most influential countries in the world, due to your financial and military might.
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Independence Day is usually celebrated by Americans having family reunions, concerts, barbeques, parades, picnics, baseball games...
...And at night, fireworks fill the sky!
But I wonder if most Americans realize how blessed you are?
You have great governance...one that is constitutionally bound...
Your leaders can't just get up one morning and decide to make decisions that are not in your best interest.
...You live in a country where most people can make a good, honest-living, if they work hard...despite a recession.
Hmmh!
So now that you're a year older, we wish you prosperity: spiritually, creatively and financially...
May you continue to be a nation where equality is attainable and may you continue to hold your leaders accountable for the decisions they make that affect your daily lives!
"Canada Day is seen as an opportunity for Canadians to reconnect with their communities and to remember their history and heritage passed down through the works of Canadian authors, poets, artists, performers, scientific researchers and entrepreneurs.
....As we look ahead, we have every reason to face the future with confidence and enthusiasm".
Wow, that's huge!
...A country that actually celebrates creativity, scientific research and entrepreneurship, is definitely going to be rich for decades!
No wonder Canadians have such an optimistic view of the future!
Well, we celebrate with you and wish you every success in all your endeavours!
The rest of the world could learn a lot from you, Canada!
Big Up!! (Jamaican, meaning, "Kudos to you!!")
(I would like to thank Janusz ZL for the use of his Flickr inset photo of Canada Day celebrations in Canada).
When 'Poor and Boasy' was crowned Magnum King of Dancehall in April 2009, I was overjoyed...not only because this young man is a good DJ, but because he's coming from literally nothing.
["Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall" is an annual dancehall DJ competition that exposes Jamaican dancehall (singing) talent to Jamaica and the rest of the world. It's main sponsor is Magnum Tonic Wine.
NB: This is not an endorsement of Magnum Tonic Wine...but of their ability to propel poor Jamaican youths to stardom...which results in a better standard of living for these youths].
'Poor and Boasy' (Omar Johnson) stood out in this competition because he was:
1) A street-boy...living on the streets of Kingston and making his living by cleaning the windscreens of cars that stopped at the intersection of Hagley Park Road and Eastwood Park Road.
2) He's a really good DJ.
His main prize from the competition was Jamaican (JMD) $1 million (US $11,226).
Poor and Boasy's being sought by the police
Now he's being sought by the police for a stabbing incident that occurred during a card match, last week.
'Poor and Boasy' is still on the run and his lawyer is apparently waiting for the right moment to let him turn himself in to the police.
When I heard this news...I shook my head in disappointment.
I was sad that this young man with so much promise, allowed himself to succumb to the common Jamaican malady that affects young and old alike - our inability to resolve conflicts, peacefully.
Every day for the past four (4) days, the news has been awash with murders by the gun and knife, with the perpetrators, oftentimes being members of the victim's own family.
Jamaicans die, due to our inability to effectively deal with conflict
Jamaicans die, due to our inability to effectively deal with conflict.
This is a big problem in Jamaica and needs urgent attention by our churches, government, community groups and individuals who know better and do better.
As Jamaicans, we need to learn that:
1) The knife and gun are deadly instruments, more-so in the hands of people who are angry
2) Arguments will occur, but we must be able to "talk it out" or "walk it out".
What this means is:
a) We must learn that people can disagree with our viewpoints..they have a right to think differently than we do.
We must be able to tolerate differences of opinions and listen to the other person's point of view.
We must listen and then speak. God gave us two ears and one mouth, we must use them in that proportion.
When "talking it out" - (having discussions when we disagree), we must have our facts...if we have none...then we need to forget about the discussion, for we are basing our argument on emotions and not facts.
During an argument, we need to learn to calm ourselves down (by counting to 10 or to even 40) and mutually agree to hold the discussion at some other time, when we are calmer.
Continuing a heated argument is futile and results in both parties saying and doing things they'll both regret, later.
We must know the point at which an argument is getting very heated, and if this is so, then point b), below, follows:
If someone irritates us to the point of extreme anger - it's best to just walk away
b) If someone irritates us to the point of extreme anger - it's best to just walk away from the argument...
...Don't try to win points - yes we may feel that we are less of girl, woman, boy, or man, when we walk away, but we are greater men and women...
...For we live to see another day and we leave our would-be-opponent in a quandary (confused), as he/she doesn't know how to respond when we just walk away.
Walking away also gives us the opportunity to calm down and to face the person, anew and refreshed, some other day.
3) We must only attempt to "talk it out" with someone who's reasonable...if the person is not (from our previous knowledge of the person, or from what the person has been saying)...walk!
(The unfortunate thing in Jamaica, is that even when you walk away, there are people who still seek you out to kill you, just because you and them had an argument).
4) No one, no one is worth going to prison over...no one is worth your upsetting yourself to the point of extreme anger...not even your relatives or girlfriend, boyfriend, wife or husband.
Sure, you may want to defend a family member, but this goes so far and no more...
Sometimes we try to defend family members who are wrong and have done wrong...this is wrong.
We must be able to differentiate wrong from right and encourage our family members to do the same.
If you can't do this, then you need to find a Bible-believing church to go to, where you can be instructed in what is right and wrong in God's eyes.
Leave revenge to God
5) Leave revenge to God...He will judge that person and his/her relatives to their fourth generation (Deuteronomy 5:9)...
When He is finished judging that person and his/her family, that person will be well-dealt with. (Judging here means punishing someone for his/her bad behaviour).
When God says, "vengeance is mine, I will repay" (Romans 12:18-20)...He means it.. He will sort that person out better than you could...leave vengeance/revenge to God.
6) Every argument can be resolved peacefully...find that route to peacefully coming to a conclusion about that disagreement).
7) Do not argue with people with short tempers...even in jest (joke)...these people are like time bombs...stay away from them!
The Bible even warns us against befriending angry people (Provers 22:24-25)...because we, ourselves, become angry, when we associate with them..
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It is my hope that 'Poor and Boasy' will in fact turn himself in and allow a court of justice to judge this case.
He needs to set an example to other young men, that, when they are being sought by the police, they must, with their lawyer, turn themselves in and allow lady justice to take her full course!
(I would like to thank kibwemcgann for the use of his YouTube inset video above, of 'Poor and Boasy's' winning performance at the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall competition, this year).
Girl With a Purpose (GWAP) Blog wishes all our mothers, a very happy Mother's Day!
Moms, we really love and appreciate you!
You've nurtured and looked after us when we were defenseless... you've taught us right from wrong and have made us into the girls and women we are today.
So we just want to say a big Jamaican big up and thank you to all our moms and our fathers who have mothered us!
To celebrate the day, we have a special gift to all our friends in the USA and Canada.
You can can now get our blog feeds on your mobile phone. Just press the button that follows each of our posts!
Please email me to let me me know how this new feature is working for you!
Thank you!
[I would like to thank Jasmic (the photographer), for the use of his Flickr inset photo above, of a beautiful orchid.
The photographer has added the word (opexy) to "orchid"...orchidopexy is a surgery to move an undescended testicle into the scrotum and permanently fix it there...the photographer thought it would be a great "play on words" (pun) :)].
This last cricket match in the Digicel 5-Test Series was nail-biting down to the very last ball bowled...
With England declaring at lunch, at 237-6...England was determined to bowl the West Indies out.
However, this was not to be, with West Indies at 107-8 (107 runs and 8 wickets down) and 3 overs left, as Fidel Edwards (bowler) and Denesh Ramdin (wicket keeper) used their bats to block balls spinning at them from all angles (from superb bowling from James Anderson and Monty Panesar), in a very deteriorated pitch at the Queens Park Oval, in Trinidad.
These two West Indians stuck it out like true warriors.
In the end, West Indies has won the series 1-0, thus regaining the Wisden Trophy. [The trophy has been in English hands for the past nine (9) years].
This win represents the first Test Series win for the West Indies in five (5) long years!
Girl With a Purpose (GWAP) Blog sends a hearty congratulations to the West Indies cricket team.
We hope that this will be the first of many more victories for you and that you will learn from the mistakes made in this series, so that you can win the One-Day Tests and 20-20 match coming up between March 15 and April 3, 2009.
(Please see West Indies vs England 2009 Itinerary, here ).
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The final scores are as follows:
Ist Innings score:
England 546-6 declared
West Indies (W.I.) 544
2nd Innings score:
England 237-6
W.I. 114-8
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Again, a Big GWAP Congratulations to the West indies Cricket Team!
I would like to thank Caribbean Cricket for the use of their Flickr inset picture of Denesh Ramdin,above.
Gillian
Sources Include:
Digicel 5-Test Series coverage on Television Jamaica, March 10,2009
Just the way in which he looks at her gives you goose pimples...
Just the way in which he loving held and kissed her throughout his campaign to become US President, makes you gasp and say, "Wow! this man is really enthralled by this woman and they're married to boot!"
(Most celebrity marriages seem to last the length of time that it takes an iguana to shed its skin and grow a new coat - a maximum of 4-6 weeks).
...From the Obamas' using every spare minute, during their busy Presidential Campaign schedule, to show each other just how much they really care.
...to the vivid photos of them endearingly touching heads just before Barack Obama's inauguration as US President...
...to the romantic way in which they danced together at the inaugural balls after his inauguration...
...it seems that President Barack Obama and First Lady, Michelle Obama, are really in love.
Wolf Blitzer's (the anchor of CNN's "Situation Room") claim that if Americans follow in the romantic footsteps of the Obama's, they may all need a hosing down (to cool them down), is instructive of the magic that Barack and Michele Obama exude, when together.
But I think the thing that keeps us, the public, intrigued, is the fact that Barack and Michelle Obama are still in love after sixteen (16) years of marriage.
...and they're not afraid to show just how much they mean to each other.
You could say that the Obamas' marriage has the kind of substance that we all (both single and married people) desire for our marriages...one in which after sixteen (16) years of marriage, love still blossoms as if it were at it's first bloom.
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But the story of how the Obamas came together is quite instructive:
You could say that Michelle Robinson had waited all her life for a man like Barack Obama.
She didn't have many boyfriends and according to the articles, below, she always wanted a man who reminded her of her father, Mr. Fraser Robinson.
...a man who went to work in snow, rain and hail, despite having Multiple Sclerosis...
A responsible, black, family man who, along with his wife, looked after their children - guiding and nurturing them from birth into young adulthood.
Michelle Robinson realized the importance of finding a man with good moral and family values and "held out" until she met such a man.
She pursued a career in law and met Barack while he was a first year student at Harvard and a summer associate at the law firm for which she worked.
Being both minorities from the same law school (Harvard), Michelle Obama's supervisors thought it fitting that Michelle should mentor Barack Obama, even though she was 25 years old to his 28, at the time.
Barack was immediately smitten and asked her out. She reluctantly agreed because she at first thought his request,a bit tacky, seeing that she was his mentor.
Nevertheless, she agreed and after their first date, she, herself, became smitten of him.
Her brother, who was protective of his younger sister, noticed his sister's interest in Barack and thought that it wouldn't last.
Michelle, being a wise young woman, asked her brother to test Barack's character...in a game of basketball, for according to Michelle Obama, you can tell if a guy is a jerk or not, by the way in which he plays on the court or on the field.
...You can also tell if he's a team-player or selfish.
Her brother also researched Barack's background by asking Barack's friends about him.
Happily, her brother had great things to report, including the fact that Barack was the real deal (not a phony).
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Barack Obama has continually told young men that they should marry young women who are superior to them..
(An aside: To me, this is a sign of a mature and self-assured male, as many men marry women who do not "threaten" them, because their "masculinity" will allow nothing more. (These men's low self- esteem predominates their view that women more accomplished, will trample all over them and make them seem small.)
Barack found his superior woman in Michelle Robinson.
He married Michelle on October 3,1992.
And from all accounts, this marriage has thrived accordingly...
(Iron strengthens iron, as we would say in Jamaica - meaning that strong people,when working together, will strengthen each other.)
The Obama's marriage is a testament to both single and married people across America and the globe that:
1) True love does exist
2) True love is worth waiting for
3) People who are right for each other, should marry, work out their differences and stay together.
It is my prayer that the President and First Lady's love will continue to blossom and bloom and that they will continue to be great examples to the world, that strong marriages and families do result in strong and well-balanced societies.
(I would like to thank NeighbourhoodBall for the use of his YouTube inset video above. It shows President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, having their first post-inaugural dance together (at the Inaugural Neighbourhood Ball), to the song, "At Last", written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon and sung by Beyonce.)
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