The Last Week to Vote for the Best of Jamaica 2012 & Win A $100 Do you love Jamaica? Do you live in a city that has a Jamaican presence? Then vote in our 2012 Internet poll to help discover why Jamaica and Jamaicans are truly wonderful! Categories in the poll include Tourist Life, Jamaica Life, Jamaica Shopping, Restaurants, Jamaican Foods and Diversions/Entertainment. Vote Now for a chance to Win A $100 (USD)!!! Vote for the Best of Jamaica in Jamaica here. Vote for other cities here: Los Angeles, Ft Lauderdale, New York, Miami, London, Toronto, Atlanta, New Jersey, Hartford, Orlando, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, San Francisco, Boston, Palm Beach,  Chicago.

Vote Now for the Best of Jamaica 2012 & Win A $100 Do you love Jamaica? Do you live in a city that has a Jamaican presence? Then vote in our 2012 Internet poll to help discover why Jamaica and Jamaicans are truly wonderful! Categories in the poll include Tourist Life, Jamaica Life, Jamaica Shopping, Restaurants, Jamaican Foods and Diversions/Entertainment. Vote Now for a chance to Win A $100 (USD)!!! Vote for the Best of Jamaica in Jamaica here. Vote for other cities here: Los Angeles, Ft Lauderdale, New York, Miami, London, Toronto, Atlanta, New Jersey, Hartford, Orlando, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, San Francisco, Boston, Palm Beach,  Chicago.

Reggae’s Terminal Illness and grim prognosis Reggae music is approaching middle age and as such should be enjoying the perks, privileges and entitlements that are part and parcel of middle age status. Is this the case? Even if you are looking at the genre through rose colored glasses, it’s impossible to ignore the remnants of a terminally ill entity that is ravished by years and years of abuse, mistreatment and corruption.

Choose the Right Pair of Boots and Reflect Your Own Style Boots represent a staple among the fashion choices of most women. In particular, women who live in cold climates must wear boots in winter to stay warm! Luckily, there is a wide variety of choices in winter boots, which have been recognized as the perfect means to show off new trends in fashion. Boots represent both comfort and style in a stylish wardrobe.

I need my name on the title my Jamaica dad died and left to me I am in the United Kingdom, but got the will of my deceased father probated. He would like for me to inherit his property. All I need to know is how can I now get my name on the title?

Jamaicans in Business: Marcia “Faye” Bent , Statutory Fingerprinting & Notary, Inc. This week in our “Jamaicans in Business” interview series we feature Marcia “Faye” Bent owner of Statutory Fingerprinting and Notary, Inc. She founded the company in June of 1995.  Here is our conversation with Marcia “Faye” Bent.

What legal process can force my family in Jamaica to show me a will by a Jamaican? A family member has dies and left a will (we believe); how can family members who believe they may be beneficiaries get access to a will if the executor does not provide it? Just wondering if there is a legal process to compel a will to be disclosed to family members.

Conversation with Mike Johns Founder and President of Digital Mind State This week we interview Mike Johns, the Founder and President of Digital Mind State, the Los Angeles based company that bridged wireless technology and hip-hop culture. A true liaison between urban youth culture and the mobile industry, Johns has been successful at building and maintaining profitable business relationship with some of the biggest company names in mobile industry including T-Mobile, Zed, Fun Mobility, Nokia, Microsoft, amongst others. Motivated by leveling the playing field of the “Digital Divide,” he’s been dubbed “ambassador” of the urban/hip-hop lifestyle segment as well he’s achieved numerous “first” in the mobile entertainment space.

Conversation with Jamaican Filmmaker, Christopher Henry This week we have a conversation with Christopher Byfield, CEO & Founder of Christopher Byfield Films. His first film is the critically acclaimed short film titled ""Red, Amber, Green". The film won numerous awards in the Caribbean, included the best short film at the 2012 Reggae Film Festival. 

Book Review: Missing Joe Joe, Dilys and their son Sean are all outsiders in the small English town where they live. Joe because of insidious racism, Dilys because she suffers the remaining stigma of her alcoholic mother and mentally ill father, and Sean because he seems slow. As Dilys and Sean become increasingly and unhealthily co-dependent, Joe is pushed to periphery of their lives. So much so that when he vanishes, Dilys is neither surprised nor concerned.

The Language Of Commerce - Patois vs English As expounded on by aspiring social worker and Pre-University student Nikita Connoley, reigning champion of the Honey Bun School days Sing-A-Thon, it seems an elegantly and entertainingly resolved conundrum, affirmed by other recent developments such as the completion of a Patois Bible (New Testament) and the upcoming Language Awareness Day at the Edna Manley College.

How long does it take to remove a Jamaican's name from the title? I have a lawyer in the US and my mom have a house in Jamaica, my dad passed away and my mother is left on the title. My lawyer is doing the title exchange, but it have been awhile and no response. How long does it take to get a title?

Immigration: Obtaining Permanent Residence "Green Card" Without a Family Member or an Employer This month we have received a number of questions about obtaining permanent residence "green card' without an employer or a spouse. It appears that a large number of individuals are now becoming more interested in submitting a self-petition for their permanent residence without involving a spouse or having to find an employer.

Book Review: The Girl From The Lane The Girl from the Lane is a fictional a love story that is set in the Caribbean island of Jamaica during a time that regional historians recorded as marking a period of pivotal social, economic and political change in the island. The story is set in the transient socio-political period of the late 1970’s to late 1980’s, and explores issues of honesty, integrity, spiraling criminality and the influence of drugs, money, and power.

A Queen for All Seasons: An Interview with Chantal Zaky, Miss Universe Jamaica 2012 When you hear the title “Beauty Queen,” what comes to mind? Little girls often admire Queens and hope to one day be considered a Queen in someone’s eyes. This week, we talk with Chantal Zaky, Miss Universe Jamaica 2012, to hear her thoughts on leadership, self-confidence, and her love of our homeland.

Book Review: Jubilation!: Poems Celebrating 50 Years of Jamaican Independence In this compilation, more than 50 contemporary Jamaican poets reflect in outspoken, meditative, humorous, and outrageous ways upon the historical and existential moment of Jamaican independence. Ranging from the lyric and the pastoral to the declarative and the celebratory, these poems employ language registers across the full spectrum of Jamaican English and patois. Often surprising and sometimes alarming, this book affirms the contributors’ recognition of what it means to be Jamaican.

Caribbean Americans Voting is Your Power Voting is a fundamental piece of the puzzle of democracy.  One person, one vote.  Collectively, each of these votes could transform a community, a state, a country, and quite possibly, the world.  Despite all attempts to curtail this sacred right across America,  no one can take away your right to vote.  Simply, if you are a US citizen, 18 years old (not a convicted felon), you can vote with picture ID in most states.   It is your responsibility to confirm your requirements to vote in your state and to exercise your right.

The titles office said my Jamaica land costs more and refused to give me a title.. HELP!! I paid somebody monies last month to apply for a title for my land which was surveyed at 83 acres in the upper Red Hills area. It is being cut from a bigger portion of land. My representative whom I gave power-of-attorney told me the National Land Agency bounced it because he had put four million dollars as the value of the 83-acre piece that we seek title for.

Jamaicans in Business: Sandy Isaacs, Break Away Moments Born in Kingston, Jamaica and having attended boarding school at Servite Convent of the Assumption in Brown's Town and St. Andrew's High School in Kingston, Sandy Isaacs graduated from Queens College, City University of New York in 1981 with a degree in Early Childhood Education and was initiated into Kappa Delta Pi, National Honour Society in Education. She worked as an elementary school teacher for 25 years, most of which was with Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Florida. Sandy retired from teaching in 2006 to pursue fully her own business, Break Away Moments. 

He did not serve the summons I paid him to, I need back my money I paid someone at the Courthouse downtown to serve a summons and he gave me the date to go to Court. I went to Court at Sutton Street, but my name was never called. The name of the person I was bringing to Court was never called either.

Book Review: Huracan Loosely based on the author’s own family history, 'Huracan' tells the story of Leigh McCaulay, who after unhappily leaving Jamaica at FIFTEEN, now in her thirties, returns home in the wake of her mother’s death, to reconnect with her birthplace, her estranged father and the family secrets that he holds. As she builds an adult life, she discovers the stories of her abolitionist and missionary ancestors who came to Jamaica in the 1780s and 1880s, and she grapples with the burdens of this historical legacy.

Immigration: The Top Three Things that Will Have a Positive Impact on Obtaining Permanent Residence "GREEN CARD" for a Spouse. You all know the story. A United States citizen meets a wonderful person from foreign country and they fall madly in love. The couple now wants to build their life together in the United States. Now while most couples are aware that they will need to apply for permanent residence for the foreign spouse they are very unaware of just how involved Immigration will be in their romantic relationship.

Can she return suddenly and get full custody of our son in Jamaica suddenly? A fight developed at the school, and she took me to the criminal court after she had me locked up for a night for hitting her. After that she went to the Family Court in Jamaica to get full custody of my son. Can she really get our son?

Book Review: Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories confronts the subject of bullying by using a well-known Caribbean folk tale, "Anancy, Snake, and Tiger," in the multicultural setting of Miami, Florida.

A Conversation with Joelle "Wendy" Cohen Wright on her new book “A Soh It Goh!” This week we interview  Joelle “Wendy “ Cohen Wright who recently penned her second book “A Soh It Goh!”. Joelle "Wendy" Cohen Wright is fast becoming one of the Caribbean's well-loved comedy writers. With her irrepressible sense of humor and a flair for dramatics, Joelle's writing style has the right comedic timing that is sure to induce laughter through her storytelling abilities in Jamaican patois.

Review: Do the Reggae: A Celebration of Jamaican Culture through Film at BAM - New York This year, Jamaica celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence from Great Britain. The essence of this celebration is the idea that Jamaica, as a nation, is a reflection of several key themes that relate to human survival. That a nation of little over 2.7 million people could have such a great impact on the world is a remarkable fact. It is then no doubt that Jamaica is blessed beyond belief with people who have remarkable talent, remarkable strength, and remarkable aspirations.

Jamaicans in Business - Interview: Urcia Pearson This week in our “Jamaicans in Business” interview series we feature Urcia Pearson owner of GlamDuo™ . It is an Atlanta-based a full service Wardrobe Consulting and personal shopping firm. Urcia also has a blog “I Am Here For Style” which seeks to help anyone to stay in “style” on a limited budget.  Here is our conversation with Urcia Pearson.

Interview with Jamaican photographer and author, David Muir An interview with Jamaican photographer and author, David Muir. He recently published the book "Pieces of Jamaica" which is a collection of photographs that captures the candid beauty of the Jamaican people and its rich and diverse landscape.

Can my uncle chase us from family property in Jamaica? Hi, I grew up on a property in Jamaica with my dad. The land was a family land where everyone just lived until they were old and died. There is a woman who married to one of the family members, and although not the owner she was paying the tax for my great great grand uncle as he could not read. So where my dad was alive he used to pay taxes by giving the lady money to pay.

Is this neighbour really selling my land in Jamaica, how can I stop him? My family own land in Jamaica, and the brother that had the title died. The problem is that there is a man living who says he is the head of the committee for the community and he is selling my family land, or we have been told that he has. He does not have the title for this land, but we were told that he is gone to Kingston to try and get papers. What I want to know is what can I do to help my family in Jamaica as they are they are poor people farming to feed there family and the community. I live overseas I need to know what I can do to stop this man please. Thank you have a blessed day.

Wasting Jamaica On the morning after the 2012 beach clean up of Ft Rocky by the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), one of our staff members went to check on the site. There he found the mountain of waste taken off the beach by over 2,000 volunteers uncollected – the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) had been said to be “on their way” the previous afternoon.

Book Review: A Jamaincan’s Journey to Time and Patience: Broken Vows, Shattered Dreams, Redeeming Grace A Jamaican’s Journey to Time and Patience is Derrick Garland Coy’s portrait of his multi-ethnic family whose African, Chinese, and European roots merge in Jamaica during the 1800s, then scatter across the globe in the mid 1900s, sending him on an odyssey to discover and fulfill God’s call in his life, heal family wounds, and share Christ’s message of redeeming grace and love.

Our Unity Is More Important Than The Remarks Of One Man - A Zimbabwean Response to President Mugabe In the song Africa Unite, Bob Marley sang “How good and how pleasant it would be before God and man....to see the unification of all Africans... we can safely assume that Bob was expressing a yearning  for the African diaspora at large.

Can I ever get a copy of the Will anywhere in Jamaica? Hi good day. I would like to know how do I go about obtaining a copy of a will from the supreme court in Jamaica.

Book Review: My Darling You A collection of six short stories set in Jamaica. They all deal with a love theme. From first love between teenagers to the aftermath of lost love for the more mature, love doesn't always end in 'happily ever after' even when there's a bit of fantasy thrown in.  Each story provides food for thought about romantic love and relationships.

Book Review: New Beginnings New Beginnings is a contemporary rags to riches tale set in the island of Jamaica. It gives us tantalizing glimpses of the Jamaican inner-city life along with the completely opposite lifestyle of the rich and famous. It also touches on the decisions that one girl has to make between two completely different lifestyles and two completely different men, one an inner city don and the other an uptown Casanova.

Can I pay taxes for my Jamaica property from America? I'd love to pay my property taxes from the New York, America (USA). Can one can apply to get the amount of property tax figures he/she owes from any website online. Do you know if it possible also to pay up taxes for property online.

Conversation with Kitty Fashionz Swimsuite designer, Jamaican Candice Peart This week we have a conversation with Candice Peart the owner of Kitty Fashionz. Candice  is a young, ambitious, woman, aspiring to show her creativity through various art forms. In June of 2008, Candice began designing clothing and found she had a passion for swim wear. Candice’s brand for her swim line, has been featured in multiple fashion shows in Jamaica.  She is an upcoming Jamaican designer and one to watch. Here is our conversation with Candice.

My Personal Bolt Story: Why For Me Usain Can Do No Wrong! With the euphoria of the 2012 London Olympics all but waning, I have listened to all the discussion in the public arena about the whys and the wherefores of Usain and his personality, prowess, longevity and the like! But I tell you, none of those discussions hold much weight for me because of my personal experience with Usain Bolt. This story I have shared with a few when I speak in defence of Usain whenever I hear any ill-word about him.

Book Review: The Unrepentant Mother This is the story of a little boy, who was left in Jamaica by his mother when he was 6 months old. He was living with his maternal grandmother. He was then given the chance to go live with his mother in Canada. But when he went there, he met a mother he had never met before. He came to learn something about her that he wished he had never known.