Elephant man now has an exercise video. I think it could be a hit. View for yourself.

I listen to online radio outside the US and it seems everyone else in the word believes the US is in a recession. The “R” is one the current US government refuses to use. They keep saying we are in a “slow down”. John McCain has broken with his party and used it.  How will they spin this now.

Hilliary Clinton is now saying “More people went to the polls for me” because she can’t say she has won the popular vote. It is her “spin” to say if Florida and Michigan are counted she has the popular vote. It is amazing how politicians spin words.

Finally people are talking about the elephant in the room when it comes to polling. Many have tried to avoid it but race plays a major role in why Obama cannot “put” Hilliary Clinton away. Now the questions is can someone come up with a formula that factors in race when polling. Here are a few interesting stories on this: “A measure on Racism” and “Obama Gets Encouragement and Warning From Wilder“

As many of you are aware the Jamaicans government announced that casinos are going to be coming to Jamaica. What is a little surprising to me is I am not hearing a major backlash. There is some grumblings in the online Jamaican newspapers but nothing major. Has the debate about casinos worn out everyone? Maybe the timing of the announcement played a role. The world economy is down so people are more concerned about making ends meet…it is just a little too quite…

Do you remember the days when satellite dishes were on the roof of every other house in Jamaica. In some cases one home on the avenue would have the dish and share the transmission with the homes around them for a “fee”. I came up on this company (meraki) that provides hardware that will allow you to share your internet access for a fee.  This could be next…

For the past 3 years the Jamaica College Old Boys Association of Florida plays the St. George’s College Old Boys Association of Florida in a annual soccer match to commemorate Dennis Ziadie who coached both school to Manning cup championships. I am very involved in planning of the event each year as the past president of the chapter. The planning keeps me busy the weeks leading up to the match. But on the day of the event the memories of the 1984 Manning Cup finals match we lost to St. George’s comes back to haunt me. The team the St. George’s fields is full of all the players from that year. They have been the JC old boys the past 3 years.

But back to my haunting memories. What was most hurtful about that final match was we played to a draw on the Saturday the finals was played. So a second match was scheduled to decide the finals that following Monday. We scored first and I was sure we had the game. I remember “highfiveing” and celebrating in the stand. I could taste victory. Our defense was one of the best. We had “hog eye” (nickname of our best defender) in the backfield and he would “clean up” anyone that try to get between him and the goalie. Went in with a lead at half time and eventually lost the match 2-1. I will never for get that week at school. It was like someone had died. Most of the guys on that team were in my year. They never came to school that week. It was like we all died. It was very sad because on that very Monday we lost our Basketball team won a championship. I left the national stadium to go over to the arena to watch them win…

I think every high school boy in Jamaica wants to be “there” (attending school) during the year you win a Champs or Manning Cup. You get to boast and brag that you were there when the school won something. There is nothing like it.

So this April 26th I will re-live these memories. It may be a little easier this year as JC won the Manning cup last year. Yes…we still own the most manning cups (had to brag a little) . But that 1984 Final will leave with me forever.

PS: The one good thing that came out of us losing the final was me “cling” to basketball. It was the only thing we won in 1984 and 1985. My love for basketball continues today as many of you know.

Forgive me if this post seems like a brain “dump” but there is so much related this topic that I can’t help it. It may seem disjointed but it will come together.

Last week at lunch a friend and I were discussing society morals. We were talked about our Jamaican backgrounds and the sense of morals. We discussed how it compares to the US. We discussed the lack of men in the lives of their children and the effects. She is a psychologist.

During the discussion I mentioned that what was detestable 20 years ago is now acceptable. I mentioned a lady having 1 child by 1 man out of wedlock 30 years ago was looked at with disdain. Today a lady having 3 children by 3 different men out of wedlock is acceptable. In Western culture is used to be unacceptable for a man to have more than 1 wife or even a wife knowing her husband’s “side” girlfriends. A friend recently told me that he knew men in Jamaica that have their wives who take care of their husband’s baby mother children while he goes out with the baby mother (and the baby mother does the same). I believe there is a popular R&B singer of African decent (Not African-American as the term is uses in the US…I hate that term) who is reported to have more than 1 wife. It is acceptable and everyone knows about it.

This leads me to ER (I told you I would be all over the place). Last weeks episode of ER opened with a man in bed with 2 women. Yes…a threesome. I have watched ER for years and I believe one of the agendas of the show it to make what people see as morally wrong to right. I remember 2 seasons ago a devout Christian on the show suddenly was transformed into a party girl who had sex out of marriage. They try to humanize every moral issue and take the side the probably most in society see as wrong. With that said..What most see as wrong now will probably be seen as right a few years from now.

PS: Don’t be surprised if the uproar of about the Mormon church that was raided in Texas comes to a TV near you and is humanized to send a subtle message.