Stories about Jamaica from October, 2010
Caribbean: Hurricane Tomas
Trinidad and Tobago, the twin island republic that seemed to be directly in Tomas‘ path on Friday, was spared its effects, but as the storm veered north, islands that had previously been out of its path were suddenly thrust into storm warning mode. Tomas is now situated south-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico; the hope remains that the Category 2 storm, which is expected to gather more strength, will steer clear of Haiti.
Caribbean: Perception of Corruption
Repeating Islands re-posts the results of Transparency International's latest Corruption Perception Index, and reports that Caribbean nations have not fared so well.
Jamaica: More Tributes to Isaacs
Regional bloggers continue to pay tribute to the late reggae legend, Gregory Isaacs, with Annie Paul noting: “Times like this you realize not just the breadth but the depth of Jamaican music…”
Jamaica: Farewell to the “Cool Ruler”
Jamaican reggae icon Gregory Isaacs, popularly known as the “Cool Ruler”, died this morning at this home in London, after a long battle with cancer. Possessing one of the most soulful voices in the reggae genre, Isaacs was probably best known for his song “Night Nurse” (from the 1982 album of the same name). The Jamaican blogosphere has been active upon hearing news of his death, to the point where the late singer has become a trending topic on Twitter.
Jamaica: Rain, Rain, Go Away
The Phoenix in a Gas House lists her top 5 reasons to avoid getting caught in the rain in Kingston.
Jamaica: A Year of Blogging
“Using social media has provided us with [a] very rewarding and effective way to communicate with existing and new audiences…”: National Gallery of Jamaica Blog celebrates its first birthday.
Jamaica: Mother & Child
“I wondered what kind of frustration would cause an upset mother to unleash such unbridled anger on her child … and if the child did not cry because he had become accustomed to it”: Ruthibelle witnesses a phenomenon that is becoming all too prevalent in the Caribbean.
Jamaica: Blogging for Action
Adding her voice to the Blog Action Day initiative, Labrish Jamaica says: “The global water cycle is speeding up and countries in the tropics are taking the brunt [of] it.”
Jamaica: Bail for Buju
As news breaks that Buju Banton has been granted bail, Girl With a Purpose says: “The conditions of his bail are so onerous, that I'm wondering if he shouldn't just save himself the expense and remain in prison until December”; The Wickedest Time, on the other hand, sees the development...
Jamaica: Eliminating Gender-Based Violence
As reggae artist Bounty Killer makes “a pledge to support the elimination of violence towards woman in the region”, The Wickedest Time quips: “Holla at me when he signs up for anger management classes!”
Jamaica: Banton Petition
YardFlex.com reports that fans of music icon Buju Banton “have started a drive to get 15,000 signatures on a petition to US Attorney General Eric Holder, urging him to step in and thwart the prosecution's bid to keep him languishing in jail.”
Jamaica: Storm's Perspective
Active Voice posts an interview with Storm Saulter, the director of Better Mus Come, Jamaica's latest feature film.
Jamaica: The Force of Film
Annie Paul reviews Better Mus’ Come, which she says “signals the end of a long drought in Jamaican film-making and shatters the formula the few movies that have been made here have followed.”
Jamaica: (Wo)man of the Year
Active Voice explains why Diana McCaulay is her candidate for Man of the Year: “It takes balls for a single woman to go up against the state in the way [she] has…Diana McCaulay has almost singlehandedly been taking the fight to the authorities on the matter of the proposed transformation...
Jamaica: Bail for Buju?
As the judge presiding over the Buju Banton drug trial considers whether the singer should be granted bail, Girl With a Purpose says: “Many Jamaicans and those who love Jamaica and Reggae music are still holding our breaths…”
Jamaica: Don't Blame Nicole
In the wake of Tropical Storm Nicole, owensoft.net says: “It's not all Nicole's fault…if you look at the situation closely most of the road infrastructure simply was not designed to handle long periods of rain fall.”
Jamaica: Communities & Climate Change
“Where politicians fail to take the threats to our planet seriously, a strong grassroots movement is mobilizing and taking action to fill the void left by political and corporate paralysis”: Labrish notes that Jamaica is among the Caribbean nations that will take action on climate change come October 10.
Jamaica: Nicole's Aftermath
Jamaican bloggers are still discussing the effects of Tropical Storm Nicole.
Jamaica: Parboosingh, the Pioneer
National Gallery of Jamaica Blog features the work of another of the country's late art pioneers, Karl Parboosingh.
Jamaica: Social Not-working?
Grasshopper Eyes The Potomac is “not inclined to believe that social networking sites like Facebook are behind things that are not working in society. It may make them more visible or magnify them, but the root is somewhere else.”
Jamaica: After the Storm
“Heaven knows why we don't learn from the lessons of our past and ensure that our infrastructure is properly maintained”: Given the long list of damage caused by Tropical Storm Nicole, Girl With a Purpose wonders when Jamaicans will “wake up”.
