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CONTENTS UNDILUTED pays tribute to John Maxwell by featuring two previous columns by him from the Hot Calaloo UNDILUTED archives:
Not just a book but an invitation to join the Goodwill
Revolution against an unfair, unjust and deceptive system that
keeps the world poor and without hope. Find out how you can join,
quit the rat race, and achieve a happier more meaningful life for
yourself and others through goodwill to all
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For
the Life of Laetitia
by Trinidad -born Merle Hodge
Price: $10.54a wonderful book about a young girl in the Carribean, the first of her family to go to secondary school.
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Decenber 2014Police
killing of unarmed blacks – America’s shame
People all over the world are
shocked and outraged at the wanton killing of innocent
unarmed black males, even a 12-year-old boy, by
American police without any fear of legal punishment. They kill them and
do not even come to trial. So the killer cops go untried and unpunished in
spite of videos like the following:
St
Kitts-Nevis nationals now need visa for Canada
Effective from November 22,
citizens from the twin-island the St. Kitts-Nevis Federation will need a
visa to enter Canada. There has been speculation that Canada had imposed
the new visa restrictions based on that island's Citizenship by Investment
Program (CIP) under which investors are provided with St Kitts-Nevis
passports in return for making substantial investments in the country. Canada's position may have been influenced by an Iranian national
holding a diplomatic passport issued by the St Kitts-Nevis government. The
Iranian national told Canadian border agents that he was entering Canada
for meetings with the Canadian Prime Minister on behalf of the government
and people of St Kitts Nevis, and that "the claims by the Iranian
national of a meeting with the Canadian prime minister were categorically
false. This occurrence in Canada led to immediate concerns there as to the
safety and security of that country's borders. As a consequence, the media
reports confirmed that the Canadian authorities made urgent
representations to the Government of St Kitts and Nevis raising serious
concerns about not just this but other incidents involving St Kitts-Nevis
passport holders entering or seeking to enter Canada using the visa free
status currently granted by that country to nationals of St Kitts and
Nevis. St. Kitts-Nevis identified the Iranian gentleman and confirmed that
this Iranian national had been granted diplomatic status by the Cabinet.
They also confirmed that the
Iranian national was made a special envoy for St Kitts and Nevis to Turkey
and Azerbaijan. As early as May 20, 2014 the US issued an advisory in which the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network warned the world that the St Kitts-Nevis citizenship by investment programme was being abused by foreign nationals who wished to engage in illicit financial activity.
Marley
weed coming
Several new strains of marijuana (ganja) bearing the name of Julian
Marley will become available in the American market in the next few
months. According to www.streetinsider.com, Marley — son of reggae king
Bob Marley — has partnered with company Drop Leaf to launch Julian
Marley JUJU Royal Premium Marijuana. "I am happy to speak out in favour of decriminalisation and I
salute Drop Leaf as a proud participant in the movement and struggle to
make this natural super plant available for all who need it and it's
healing properties," the 39-year-old, Julian Marley was quoted as
saying. Drop Leaf and DNA Genetics, seed company at the forefront of the global
cannabis industry, are currently conducting research and development to
produce the signature strain. Once developed, it will be made available to
dispensaries, caregivers, and worldwide where it is legal. In keeping with American states Colorado, Washington DC and Oregon,
Jamaica recently announced proposed relaxations to its laws on marijuana.
People caught in possession of ganja weighing two ounces or less will not
be arrested, but will be ticketed and required to pay a fine. Following in his father's footsteps, Marley is known for his albums Lion In The Morning, Time and Space and Awake. The latter earned a Grammy nomination.
DLP
win Dominica elections again
The
ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) secured its fourth consecutive
term in office with Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit winning his third
consecutive term in office in a race against the main opposition United
Workers Party (UWP. Preliminary results showed that the DLP won 15 of the
21 seats while the UWP held six. Although it was a historic fourth term
for the DLP, the UWP won an additional three seats. None of the
independent (IND) candidates were successful.
Thousands
of Haiti protesters demand president to step down
Thousands of anti-government protesters in Haiti called Tuesday for the
resignation of President Michel Martelly, whom they accused of trying to
reinstall a dictatorship. Opposition politicians called for the protests,
which took place in several neighborhood of Haiti's capital,
Port-au-Prince. The protests were held amid worries that Martelly could try to rule by
decree when parliament expires in January following three years of
election delays. Demonstrators carried signs calling for democratic
elections and a new government, and demanded the release of jailed
opposition activists. The protests were dispersed before demonstrators
reached the national palace, where police had erected barricades. Haitians were supposed to go to the polls on October 26 to elect 20
senators, 102 deputies and municipal officials, but the National Assembly
did not pass an electoral law in time because of a political impasse. The
mandate of the parliament and senate is set to expire on January 12 and if
elections are not held, Martelly could take over amid a political vacuum.
The president has vowed to call elections early next year if the impasse
is not resolved.
New
repair- imported-damaged-cars industry for
Jamaica
A totally new car industry could be born in Jamaica. Industry,
Investment, and Commerce Minister, Anthony Hylton, says the importation of
damaged motor vehicles has been identified as a potential area for job
creation and increased business development that would positively impact
Jamaica’s economy. “Jamaica is already the
major transshipment port in the Caribbean, and this will be used to our
benefit through the creation of the special economic zones (SEZs) which
will be a vehicle for establishing the facilities in which repairs to
imported damaged vehicles will be conducted, depending on the scale and
scope of the investment,” said Hylton. Hylton said re-examination of the ban to determine if it should be
lifted resulted from representation made by stakeholders to this effect,
as well as recognition of the positive impact damaged motor vehicle
importation could have on Jamaica’s logistics-centred economy. He said several accruable positive factors that will also be considered
include:
Editor’s Note: I think this is a great idea which I myself have considered for some time.
Falling
oil prices worry T&T
The fall in oil prices from US$110 a barrel in June to US$65 spells big
economic problems for Trinidad and Tobago. “The imminent danger posed by
a sustained decline in oil prices was compounded recently by the news that
a leak in National Gas Company’s (NGC) 56-inch pipeline aggravating an
already tight gas supply situation and interrupting some electricity
generation. The Minister of Finance has indicated a loss of $1,879.4 million on an
annualised basis. He further expects the reduction in fuel subsidy of $507
million thereby mitigating the overall increase in the deficit to $1,372
million. In seeking to calm fears, Minister Howai reiterated that T&T
is more of a gas economy, producing approximately 800,000 barrels of oil
equivalent per day, only ten per cent of which is oil. One is left with
the distinct impression that gas will supplant the loss in oil.
Jamaica
cane fields increase yields considerably
Jamaica’s Minister of State for agriculture, labour and social
security, Luther Buchanan, says interventions such as the Cane Expansion
Fund and investments in field and factory rehabilitation have led to a 22
per cent increase in cane production in the last crop year. Production has
moved up by more than 300 per cent over the past three years. The 2013/14 crop year, which began on December 8, 2013, and ended on
July 21, 2014, resulted in 15,436 tons of sugar being produced by six
factories across the island. According to the association's annual report,
the total amount of cane delivered by farmers for the crop year was
744,394 tons, representing an increase of 30 per cent over what was
delivered for 2013.
Cuba
and Venezuela on top
The
first group of over 100 Palestinian students have arrived in Venezuela,
under Venezuela's newly launched Yasser Arafat Scholarship Program.
The program aims to educate 1000 Palestinians in fields such as medicine.
As the students arrived, the World Bank released a new report that found Venezuela
is among the countries in the world which most invest in education as a
percentage of GDP. While Cuba was recognized by the organization as the
world's biggest investor in education relative to GDP, Venezuela and
Bolivia both made it into the top 10. Cuba's education expenditure was put at 12.8% of GDP, while Venezuela and Bolivia each recorded 6.9% of GDP.
Crackdown
planned on fake Blue Mountain coffee
Jamaica’s Coffee Industry
Board says it will be cracking down on the sale of fake Blue Mountain
coffee, particularly in the island's resort areas. Local gift shops,
supermarkets and craft markets are the main targets of the authorities,
who say they expect that more of the counterfeit products will appear
going into the festive season. "We have numerous reports from persons staying at some of our
hotels that the taste profile of coffee purported to be Blue Mountain
coffee is different from the... taste to which they are accustomed He said
that the board has been receiving complaints that people, both here and
abroad, have been "passing off" beans from various origins as
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, thus negatively impacting the brand. Checks have also revealed that people have been misusing the Jamaican
Blue Mountain coffee trademark, trading in Blue Mountain coffee and
importing the commodity without a license. Upon close inspection of the products that falsely claim to have been
"roasted and packaged by small farmers in Portland, Jamaica," it
was found that some of the
beans were actually packaged in the United States, Spain, and as far away
as Germany. Individuals caught trading in coffee that has either been illegally
imported, or which violates the registered Blue Mountain Coffee trademark,
can be fined up to J$600,000 or sentenced to six months in prison. In 2013, Jamaica's coffee production fell from more than 500,000 boxes
annually, to just over 100 boxes due to the effects of a series of
diseases and hurricanes. Export earnings from the commodity have also fallen along with
production. In the last two years alone, earnings fell by just under US$4
million, down from just over US$15.5 million in 2012.
Red
Stripe brings you sorrel Beer
The fusion of the authentic Jamaican Christmas drink with the island's
signature lager is being hailed as a first for the alcoholic beverage
industry in Jamaica and will introduce "an unexpected combination of
beer, sorrel and ginger extracts, infused with exotic spices to deliver an
unforgettable taste experience", reported Red Stripe Brand Manager
Erin Mitchellr. The new beer, which is available on shelves tomorrow, comes on the
heels of a long line of firsts by the Diageo-owned company, with next
week's introduction accounting for Red Stripe's third innovation over the
last seven months. However, Jamaicans in the diaspora will miss out on the
new blend because the product will only be sold in Jamaica. "Every
Christmas going forward, consumers can look forward to enjoying Red Stripe
Sorrel," Mitchell said. Two months after introducing the one-litre Red Stripe to the market in
June this year, Red Stripe followed up with a 473ml canned version. In 2012, the company started production of Red Stripe Light in three flavours -- Apple, Ginger and Lime, and introduced Tallawah beer in celebration of Jamaica's 50th anniversary of Independence.
New
Caribbean airline
A
new Caribbean airline company
has taken off. interCaribbean Airways has announced the commencement
of new non-stop services to and from Kingston, Jamaica and Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic to Port au Prince, Haiti .
The interCaribbean Airways is based in the Turks & Caicos Islands,
operating for the last 23 years to connect travellers and the Caribbean.
Services are via EMB 120 and BE99 aircraft connecting the Turks &
Caicos to the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
International services also connect Jamaica to the Dominican
Republic and Haiti, and the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico.
Domestic flights are operated in The Turks & Caicos Islands and
Jamaica. New services are planned to the Eastern Caribbean.
Jamaica
hospital gets one dozen Cuban health workers
Once again Cuba has come to the rescue of Jamaica. Twelve of the 30
Cuban health workers who arrived in the island recently have been assigned
to the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA). The team, consisting
of eight doctors and four specialist nurses, will be deployed to health
facilities in the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew and St Thomas. SERHA provides health care services to approximately half of the
population and so the additional manpower is most welcome. The team will
provide services in specialty areas such as pathology, dentistry, primary
care, oncology, neonatology and mental health. The health workers started off with a three-day orientation, which the
region has customised to ensure that they are able to effectively function
in the health facilities where they have been assigned.
Antigua and Barbuda name
Hollywod’s DeNiro special envoy
Renowned Hollywood actor, Robert De Niro, has been named a Special
Economic Envoy of the island of Antigua and Barbuda. De Niro’s
appointment to the post by Prime Minister Gaston Browne recently came as
the actor signed a Memorandum of Agreement for an investment project
valued at over US $250 Million on the island. De Niro, who is a regular visitor to one of Antigua and Barbuda’s
most prestigious vacation resort Jumby Bay, signed the MOA giving the
green light to the renovation and expansion of the K-Club on Barbuda into
an exclusive 5-Star resort. De Niro and Australian businessman James
Packer will help renovate and expand the former five-star luxury resort
that closed several years ago. The award winning actor who has appeared in over ninety films,
including the Godfather Part II and Raging Bull is also a film director,
restaurateur and hotelier. He noted that he is happy and excited to do business in Barbuda and
pointed out the project will be unique and “great.” De Niro also
thanked Prime Minister Browne and his Cabinet for accepting his team into
the Antigua and Barbuda family and pledged not to let the government and
country down.
Jamaica
swimmer stuns with world record gold medal
Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson became the first black woman to win a world
swimming title when she triumphed in the 100m breaststroke at the world
short-course championships recently in Doha, Qatar. She claimed the title
and equaled Ruta Meilutyte's world record of 1:02.36 in the process --
although under governing body FINA rules this still equates to a new
record. World record holder Meilutyte appeared on course for a successful
defence of her title only for Alia to overtake the Lithuanian's on the
final touch in a stunning upset.
Ja
PM credits Cuba with assisting Jamaica’s athletics
success
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has credited neighbouring Cuba
with assisting Jamaica to become a world leader in athletics. Simpson
Miller said that the GC Foster College, which was a gift to Jamaica from
Cuba in the 1970s, has been responsible for training many of Jamaica´s
outstanding athletes and coaches. According to Simpson Miller, through the GC Foster College, Cuba has
also assisted several nations of the world, which are larger and more
resourceful than Cuba itself. She noted that following a visit to China and a request from China’s
President, Chinese athletics coaches have studied at the GC Foster
College. Chinese students are now pursuing degrees in athletics coaching
at the college on scholarships provided by the Government of Jamaica. Simpson Miller also commended the Cuban Government and medical
professionals for their “expression of humanity” in relation to the
scores of Cuban doctors and other health professionals who have
volunteered to combat Ebola in the affected countries of West Africa. The Prime Minister noted that Jamaica has also benefitted from Cuban
expertise in this area through President Castro’s positive response to a
request from her to send experts to train Jamaica’s health professionals
on Ebola prevention, treatment and care. Let us know what you think. Email us at hotcalaloo@yahoo.com
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