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Saturday, 11 July 2020
COMMUNITY BEAT: Aerodrome in St. Bess to be upgraded, plus more parish news
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LIFE & STYLE: White egg, brown egg / Introducing the Amazon Smart Oven / What ‘toolbox divas’ know
According to nutrition experts, the shell colour doesn’t indicate anything significant about the egg’s quality or its nutritional value. That is determined by hen breed. Hens that lay brown eggs tend to be bigger and require more food, which is why those eggs tend to be more expensive.
Technology is making food preparation that much easier for busy households. Say hello to the Amazon Smart Oven, one of the buzziest new appliances taking the market by storm. You can sync this oven with an Echo device and ask Alexa to preheat it. Or why not scan your packaged food with the app and then let the oven take over the cooking? Alexa will alert you when dinner is ready.
This DIY site, which aims to empower women all over the world by teaching them handy skills, was started by savvy US-based entrepreneur Timisha Porcher. “[Doing things myself] started out as a budget necessity,” she tells Better Homes & Gardens. “But it has turned into the thrill of looking at something and thinking, I made that! It gives me a sense of pride.”
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Thursday, 9 July 2020
NEWS FEED: The Sexual Harrassment Bill / Birth of the JPP / Attracting more tourists to Falmouth
Specifically, sexual harassment is not recognized on the books in Jamaica. Given the call for a statute to be introduced to protect citizens, a Sexual Harrassment Bill is now being reviewed by a joint select committee in the House of Parliament. The bill outlines the types of conduct that constitutes sexual harassment, while prohibiting certain related conducts. It also makes provisions for the complaints to be filed by persons who’ve been victims of various degrees of harassment. Committee chair Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange says it’s long overdue. “We need to put money into a public education programme to change attitudes and to change the culture,” she says. “We have to invest in making people more aware and to sensitize the public [about certain behaviours that] need adjusting.”
Shutting down strip clubs, abolishing income tax, raising the minimum wage and resuscitating the national carrier, Air Jamaica, are only a few of the target points being weaved into the developing narrative of the newly formed Jamaica Progressive Party (JPP), a church-based organization headed up by President Gilbert Edwards, a medical technologist by training, and General Secretary Pastor Robert Rainford. By mid-July, the Electoral Commission of Jamaica will decide if the party has been officially approved and stands to become the fourth party registered by the ECJ to contest the General Elections constitutionally due next year. “We have been doing work for four years,” General Secretary Rainford (above) noted in in an interview with the Gleaner, “and we are just now coming out for the public to see who we are and to support us going forward.”
As is in answer to the prayers of Trelawney residents who’ve long lamented the absence of a major attraction to serve as a strong foreign-exchange draw for Falmouth and its environs, the tourism ministry just announced the impending opening of an artisan village in the resort town – in the vicinity of the Falmouth Pier. Per Minister Ed Bartlett, the official opening of the village, constructed to the tune of $700 million, will hopefully coincide with the return of cruise ships to Falmouth later this year. “A few final details surrounding electricity are to be completed,” the minister points out, “separate from that, the village is ready. One hundred and seventy-five persons have been trained to offer [a] unique experience to Jamaicans and visitors alike.”
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Saturday, 4 July 2020
MAN IN THE MIRROR: David Tulloch steps into the political ring fuelled by hope and ambition
THE CANDIDATE: “I’m not going to let my inexperience cloud my judgement,” says the 39-year-old contender.
FOR the last ten years, David Tulloch has been patiently waiting for an opportunity to enter the world of political representation. His time has come. But, interestingly, for his first assignment, the rookie politician (freshly minted PNP caretaker for North East St. Andrew), is going up against a juggernaut of Jamaican politics. “Delroy Chuck is a veteran, and he’s had the constituency for the last five elections,” Tulloch points out, speaking with TALLAWAH in New Kingston.
What Tulloch has in his arsenal is that famous blend of drive and determination, reliability and a willingness to go the extra mile for a cause he wholeheartedly believes in. “I’m not going to let my inexperience cloud my judgement,” he says. “People and progress is what I love. And win or lose, I’ll still be the party’s caretaker for the constituency, and that’s a responsibility to be taken seriously.”
Besides, Tulloch feels the people of North East, largely comprise of middle-lower income families, are ready for new representation. And he’s the man for the job. “I think, generally, people are ready for a younger and more innovative approach to the job of MP,” he notes, highlighting such communities/areas as Grant’s Pen, Constant Spring, Standpipe, Barbican and Shortwood, which have no shortage of socio-economic woes.
“The youth need to be engaged more. A lot of them are unemployed and that can lead to miscreant activity. Also, a lot of the residents are business people but most of those businesses are located outside the constituency. That is something I’m very passionate about changing.”
Passion has always been a driving force in David Tulloch’s life, charting his journey from academic standout at Wolmer’s to multi-award-winning thespian and show producer to his current perch as a second-generation politico. (David’s father, Francis, now 80, served constituencies in Hanover and St. James back in the day.)
Compiling material for a couple of book projects and working on new plays have not exactly taken a backseat, but Tulloch is clear as to what his immediate professional priorities are. What’s more, there’s been widespread talk, especially in recent weeks, that Jamaicans could go to the polls later this year, though the next General Elections are constitutionally due in 2021. “I’m now putting together a campaign team,” he reveals, “and raising funds to sustain the work that I plan to do.”
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Tuesday, 30 June 2020
SOCIETY, SOCIETY: Juicy Derrick Smith memoir on the way … Mr. Chuck regrets … Vasciannie returns to Mona Campus …
>> We are calling this one The People vs. The Justice Minister! Delroy Chuck has done the sensible thing by issuing an eloquent apology to victims of sexual harassment. After coming under fire for comments he made (about #MeToo and the time period within which non-criminal sexual harassment complaints can be made) during a sitting of the Joint Select Committee on the Sexual Harassment Bill last week, Chuck is asking for forgiveness. “I unreservedly apologize to anyone who found my remarks inappropriate, as I never intended to disrespect the #MeToo movement or to diminish the seriousness of the emotional trauma caused by sexual harassment,” he offers. “On reflection I understand the concerns raised by members of the public.” The Caribbean Women Theologians for Transformation were among those who took Chuck to task, arguing that his comments made light of the challenges that attend victims of sexual abuse and harassment.
>> Derrick Smith is whetting appetites for his forthcoming autobiography, Turning Points, in which he’s spilling the beans about his vast and myriad experiences in politics and public service, including his stint as National Security Minister under then Prime Minister Bruce Golding. According to an Observer sneak peek, one very vivid chapter of the tell-all book (which is now about 98% complete) is titled “Humiliation,” and chronicles “the embarrassment that engulfed Smith’s family” when they discovered, through a newspaper report (!) that he’d been fired from the Golding Cabinet as Security minister less than a year after the JLP took office in September ’07.. Sound like Mr. Smith could have a hot bestseller on his hands.
>> Milestones: Congratulations are in order for Pearnel Charles Sr. and Gloria Charles, who are celebrating 50 years of marriage. Here’s to another half-a-century and more… Big Ship maestro Freddie McGregor just turned 64, marking his earthstrong recently with a musical feast and virtual concert, alongside family, friends and well-wishers.
>> Question of the Week: It’s been reported that Chris Gayle will not be suiting up for the St. Lucia Zouks after all, opting to sit out the 2020 Hero CPL tournament to spend more quality time with the family. Will he be back next year – or is this retirement?
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Saturday, 27 June 2020
NEWS & NOTES: PEP results released / Carlo Redwood leaving Flow / Noted decrease in number of missing-children reports
The results of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations have been released, and the Education ministry is reporting that 80% of the 39,689 Grade Six students who sat the exams were placed at one of their preferred high schools. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which forced schools to close their doors and give lessons online, not all components of the PEP exams were administered. The sixth-graders were assessed using the Grade Four Numeracy and Literacy tests done in 2018, the Grade Five Performance Tasks exams in 2019 and this past February’s Ability Test. In the end, students were placed based on a grading system that weighs 30% for Grade Four, 20% for Grade Five and 50% for Grade Six.
What’s next for Carlo Redwood? The industry veteran is stepping down from his post as Flow’s marketing director at the end of the month. The telecomms company made the announcement via a press release on Wednesday. Prior to his eight-year stint at Flow, Redwood (who is credited with refreshing their brand strategy and significantly expanding their mobile subscriber base) served in several other marketing capacities in the corporate world, including at Pepsi-Cola Jamaica. Working at Flow, Redwood says, was super-productive for him because of the overall team effort. “It was packed with career-defining milestones and filled with great memories,” he says. “I would like to acknowledge the local and regional leadership of the business, the many external partners and stakeholder groups and, most importantly, the Jamaica marketing team for their tireless support.”
There has been a noteworthy decrease in the number of Jamaican children being reported missing. According to the National Children’s Registry, the latest figures released represent the lowest they have been since the May 2009 launch of the Ananda Alert system. As the new statistics (supplied by the National Intelligence Bureau) reveal, between January and June of this year, 516 children were reported missing. Of that number, 387 have returned home, leaving 129 kids still to be found. For the same period in 2019, some 836 kids were reported missing. Of that amount, 740 were reunited with loved ones. “We have seen for the past two years a real reduction in the number of reports for missing children,” NCR Deputy Registrar Warren Thompson noted during a recent online child-protection forum. “We are coming down from figures of around 2,000 per year. For 2018/19, we were in the 1,500 region.”
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Wednesday, 24 June 2020
NEW MUSIC REVIEW: Hot new tracks from D-Major, Squash, Popcaan, Alkaline and Dre Island
“Be Okay”
Off one of the most buzzworthy reggae albums of the year (Now I Rise, out now), Dre Island’s captivating collaboration with fellow messenger Jesse Royal brings a timely social message backed by impressive vocal work and haunting melodies. [Take a listen] A-
Squash
“Bandulu”
He’s been keeping a low profile lately, but Squash proves he’s still a leader in dancehall’s new school. He scores a touchdown with this slick, swagger-drenched track, which references everything from success to fast girls to side-stepping the playa-haters. [Take a listen] B
D-Major feat. Busy Signal
“Something New”
Singer-songwriter D-Major (né Damian Codlin) has been crafting some of the smoothest, sexiest songs in modern/contemporary reggae for years. He gets a solid assist from Busy Signal on his latest, a repeat-worthy late-night jam sure to put her in the mood. [Take a listen] B+
Popcaan
“Buzz”
Teeming with his signature fusion of attitude, clever wordplay and energy to spare, the prolific dancehall hitmaker continues his winning streak with this slim but memorable tune. [Take a listen] B
Alkaline
“Cree”
The Vendetta boss has a lot on his mind. He puts his rivals on notice with this fierce, take-no-prisoners number, laced with the kind of grit and bare-bones honesty that has come to define his best work. [Take a listen] B+
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NEWS & NOTES: Japan makes $262M donation to boost Jamaica's fight against COVID-19...
>> Countless university-bound students will be relieved to hear that the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) is waiving all application and loan processing fees for the 2021 academic year. Making the announcement in the House, Finance minister Dr. Nigel Clarke said tertiary education must remain “affordable and accessible” to all Jamaicans. “It has never been more affordable to [receive] loans through the SLB,” he noted. “We want our students to be able to access and continue their education.”
>> To allow residents the ease of purchasing locally sourced ground produce and at a “much more reasonable price” than at the markets, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries will be establishing food marts at strategic locations across the country. On Friday, June 26, residents in and around Lacovia in St. Elizabeth will have the opportunity to make their purchases at the mart being set up at the Lacovia Community Centre.
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Tuesday, 23 June 2020
THE E-BUZZ: Another theatre space gone / Festival Song top 10 selected / Tuning up for Buju’s Upside Down
Say it ain’t so! Centrestage Theatre is closing down its New Kingston playhouse, located at Cinema 2 on Dominica Drive. TALLAWAH got the scoop on Saturday afternoon as workmen carried out major removal work at the premises. When TALLAWAH arrived at the scene, seats, props and stage woodwork were being removed. According to an inside source, Jambiz International, operators of the Centrestage Theatre, have been given notice by the owners to vacate the property. Said source also revealed that the multi-award-winning team (including Admin Director Lenford Salmon, co-directors Trevor Nairne and Patrick Brown and veteran leading man Glen Campbell) will be on the hunt for a new home in the Corporate Area to mount their annual productions.
Scoring a guest spot on one of the most hotly anticipated reggae albums in modern history – Buju Banton’s comeback record, Upside Down – is certainly a hot ticket. As expected, the Gargamel meticulously selected his creative collaborators for the project, opting to work with fellow Grammy winners Stephen Marley, Pharell Williams and John Legend and hot British newcomer Stefflon Don. Due out on June 26, it’s Banton’s first album in a decade and the follow-up to Before the Dawn, which copped the Grammy for Best Reggae Album. Dave Kelly, Donovan Germaine and Banton himself are among the producers featured on the disc, which will also mark his first major project since being signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label.
“When that [winning] song is selected, we want to hear that song on the lips of every Jamaican,” says culture minister, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, making refrence to the finalists vying for top honours in the 2020 Jamaica Festival Song Competition. The competition got a mjpr dose of (super)star power this year. Among the top 10 contenders are Buju Banton (“I Am a Jamaican”), Toots & the Maytals (“Rise Up Jamaica”), Freddie McGregor (“Turn up the Sound”), LUST (“Wave the Flag”) and Sakina Deer (“We Are Jamaica”). Rounding out the list are Shuga (“One People”), Papa Michigan (“Jamaica Dance”), Radix OD (“Place to Be”), Xtra Bigg (“Jamaica Ah Paradise”) and Oneil ‘Nazzle Man’ Scott (“Jamaica Nice”). The grand finale is slated to take place in mid-July. The overall prize package amounts to a $3 million purse.
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Thursday, 18 June 2020
THE BEAUTY PAGE: Expert tips to treat pool hair, freshen your strands – and serve great face
>> Try this pro tip!
When blow-drying your hair, tip your head upside down and gently lift the roots to add instant airiness to your hair.
>> This week’s hot pick: Olay’s Tone Perfection Serum
“It’s brightening, protective Vitamin C is a proven skin-care hero. I use it every morning. This serum also has anti-inflammatory niacinamide,” raves Brian Underwood, O Magazine beauty director
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Wednesday, 17 June 2020
COMMUNITY BEAT: News and notes from Negril to Morant Point
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THEATRE REVIEW: Tulloch’s Prayer Partner remount packed with lessons, laughs and family drama
PLAYING HOUSE: Castmates in one of the funnier scenes from the production.
Prayer Partner (Probemaster Productions)
Director: David Tulloch
Cast: Donald ‘Iceman’ Anderson, Ricky Rowe, Sashana Lamont, Dacoda Mitchell and David Tulloch
Venue: Phoenix Theatre, New Kingston
GIRLS growing up with single fathers often fall into one of two categories: pampered daddy’ princess or victim of an overprotective military officer. The life of Danielle Jackson (newcomer Sashana Lamont is fascinating combination of the two.
The central character in David Tulloch’s revival of his amusing and thought-provoking play Prayer Partner, Danielle adores and respects her pop (Donald Anderson bravely tackling the role of a patriarch, but on the other hand she’s often frustrated by his stern rules, especially those concerning who she can and cannot date.
That said, Mr. Jackson is not a fan of Giovanni (Ricky Rowe), the playboy with the sweet talk and slick moves that Danielle has been seeing lately. Mr. Jackson would rather see his daughter spending time and later walking down the aisle with her friend Peter (Tulloch), a shy nerd who’s just returned from overseas.
Peter has always had the hots for Danielle, but tongue-tied doesn’t even begin to describe his attempts at ‘making the move.’ But he knows what he wants. When an opportunity presents itself for Peter to cross-dress and land a job as Danielle’s prayer partner/housekeeper he jumps at it.
Things get complicated super-fast when the prayer partner network sends along the all-fired-up Sister Grace (Dacoda Mitchell, strong), who doesn’t hesitate to square off against this curious individual with the high-pitched voice named Peter-Gaye.
Will Peter’s plan to win Danielle’s heart bear fruit? Or will Giovanni’s loverboy routine still prevail? In any case, to say that Danielle’s world gets turned upside down is a massive understatement.
You always want to judge the remount of a play on its own merit, but one can’t help but draw comparisons to its previous incarnations. In this case, Prayer Partner stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its predecessors, minor shortcomings aside.
The performances are on-point, especially Mitchell and Tulloch, whose Peter-Gaye scenes never fail to raise the play’s humour quotient.
The show’s set and lighting design are rather low-key, but this in turn allows the comedy and the cast chemistry to seize the spotlight.
Among the most memorable and engaging works in the David Tulloch canon, Prayer Partner offers audiences a great blend of laughs, lessons and family drama. Tyrone’s Verdict: B+
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Friday, 12 June 2020
GOOD MEDICINE: Clearing mental clutter / Keeping your lunch apple fresh / The health benefits of olives and sweet potatoes
Many kids and adults alike like having an apple in their lunch bags. Even better when it's sliced up from home. Trouble is, the fleshy apple starts to get brown before you can enjoy it. This is caused by fruit-browning oxidation. To keep the fruit from losing its appeal: cut up the apple then secure the pieces together as a whole with a rubber band before putting it in the lunch bag, thereby keeping it fresh and limiting its exposure to air, which causes the fruit-browning oxidation.
When your to-do list grows too long or you're simply feeling overwhelmed, closing your eyes for 60 seconds can quickly calm your frazzled brain, improving your recall and focus for an hour by at least 25%. According to a team of Canadian researchers, giving yourself even a brief break from visual distractions calms the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that controls your anxiety level and your ability to truly focus on one task at a time.
- Natural Remedies -
* Improve your heart health with olives: Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat found in olives, prevents "bad" LDL cholesterol from building up in the arteries.
* Reverse aging with sweet potatoes: These produce are rich in beta-carotene, which aids in the repair of cells to minimize fine lines on the face.
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NEWS + NOTES: Millie Small’s legacy / Vernon James elected new IAJ head / JTA takes key lessons from COVID-19
Vernon St. G. James is the new President of the Insurance Association of Jamaica (IAJ). He was elected to the post at the body’s recent Annual General Meeting. James succeeds Peter Levy (BCIC’s Managing Director), who served as president for the past two years. He brings more than 20 years of financial-sector experience to the job. James is currently CEO and Managing Director of NCB Insurance Company Limited.
President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), Owen Speid, says the 24,000-member body will emerge from this historic coronavirus period even more resolute to execute the vision and mission. “COVID-19 has taught us some resounding lessons, and it is now upon us to showcase to the world that we have taken notes and are at a state of mental and physical readiness to undertake the requisite adjustments with respect to digital revolution in the interest of nation-building,” he said, delivering his 2020 Education Week message. Teachers should aim, he further stated, to get better and better at their jobs. “[The pandemic] has opened up the floodgates for new and creative thinking,” he argues. “We should never allow our minds to return to a state of the old normal, but strive to embrace the new normal.”
“She’s the person who took ska music international,” says Chris Blackwell. He is referring to Jamaican-born entertainment legend Millie Small, who died in England last month. She was 73. Small’s world-famous hit song “My Boy Lollipop” became the first Jamaican song to make it on to the British and American charts, reaching number one in Britain and number two in the United States in 1964. A country girl at heart, Small was born in Vere, Clarendon, on October 6, 1946 and grew up on a sugar plantation, later moving on to pursue her education before the music bug bit at the dawn of the rocksteady era. “She was such a sweet person; very funny with a great sense of humour,” recalls Blackwell, founder of the venerable Island Records. In 2011, Small was conferred with one of Jamaica’s highest honours, the Order of Distinction (in the rank of Commander) for her contribution to the development of our music.
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Wednesday, 3 June 2020
CHAT 'BOUT: Ardenne's Nadine Molloy tackles the CXC controversy / Emanuel DaRosa says goodbye / PM Andrew Holness gives the back-to-work order
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"We will now go about the business of making the logistical arrangements so that no one who is taking these exams, beyond the challenges that they have already had, will in any way be compromised." - Karl Samuda, Minister with responsibility for Education, on preparations for the July 13 start of this year's CXC/CAPE exams
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"We intend to allow persons other than our vulnerable population, who are working persons, to return to work effective June 1... The various new protocols for factories, workplaces, banking halls etc. are being developed in conjunction with the PSOJ." - PM Andrew Holness at a virtual press conference at the OPM on May 18
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"I am proud of what we as a team have accomplished in my time with JPS, and I'm predicting that in the next five years you will see JPS rise to the top of electricity providers not only in the Caribbean but well beyond." - Emanuel DaRosa, outgoing CEO of the Jamaica Public Service
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"It was never my intention to damage the T20 tournament, as playing in the CPL has guaranteed an opportunity for the past [seven] years to play in front of the great fans of the Caribbean. This is a privilege which I genuinely appreciate and have never taken for granted." - Chris Gayle, issuing a statement in the wake of backlash stemming from the release of his much-publicized YouTube video
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