A time when it was rolling calves and three foot jacks!

Who remember when their parents or grandparents used to tell them stories about rolling calf? What about three foot jack? Whooping bwoy? I for one used to enjoy them, even though sometimes hearing them would leave me scared and shaken up. My brother and I would sit in the evenings and listen to my great grand uncle telling us stories of rolling calf and three foot jack. The thought was that, if you ever see a rolling calf, ensure that you find a cross road before it does else, you know what. Hearing ‘duppy’ stories was one of my favorite past times, I would look forward to it. Generally, storytelling was an essential aspect of our culture, whether it was ‘duppy’ stories or otherwise. Is it gone forever?

When I was in fifth grade in primary school, whenever the teacher is not in the classroom, my friends and I would get together and share ‘duppy’ stories that our grandparents told us, as well as our own experiences. The most common one would have been the one about a person trying to catch up to somebody because he/she needs company but cannot seem to do so, hence the conclusion is that it is a ghost. The principle of ghost is nothing new per se, even in the Bible you have references to ghost. When Jesus appeared to the disciples after in the resurrection while the door was closed because they were afraid of the Jews, they thought it was a ghost but Jesus said a spirit does not have flesh and bones. The ghost stories were always interesting and exciting to me.

I remember one morning I got up early, about 4 a.m. and look through the window, I saw a car driving on the road and the light shined and two things that appeared to be playing in the road, up until this day, I don’t know what they were, but I saw the car stopped reverse and turn back, I was like what? You may say I was dreaming, could be but I know I wasn’t and what I saw. I had other experiences which I swear I saw ghosts and only God alone can tell me it wasn’t so, but I guess you might say my mind was playing tricks on me. I once asked my great grand uncle, why it is that ghosts are not prevalent as in your day. He replied by saying that because of the introductions of cars and street lights it drove them away and I was like okay then.

I also heard about methods one can employ to see ‘duppies’, but I implore you, do not try them at home. I heard that if you wash you face with rice water, that is the water after you wash the rice, you could see them, also if you put dog matter in your eye, eewwww! I also hear if you used seven rice grain you will see the seven Chinese duppies. I used to hear about the black heart man, who will offer children gifts and take them way to sacrifice them. These stories were legendary. But now, ask any child if they know about rolling calf or three foot jack, then ask if they know about candy crush, subway surf and temple run. Smart phones, tablets, laptops and social media have consumed them, and they miss out on the fun that I use to have. Those stories bond families together, but healthy social relationships, that is all the past, I guess the black heart man has retired and we have found some way to get rid of the duppies. Oh when it was about rolling calves and three foot jacks!

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Is world peace possible?

What does it mean to build peace in our hearts and minds? How does it relate to the world around us? These are indeed thought provoking questions, can they really be answered? Can we really build peace in our hearts and minds? And if we can, how does it relate to the world around us? I have been struggling to come to grips with what his happening in the world around us. Not that I am surprised but that it can scare you to know that a man can just put a bullet in your brain just because he doesn't like you. It is a shame to know that human being, homo sapiens, who is said to be above other species in thinking and reasoning is doing such cruelty to one another. I would to love to wake up one day and see on the news and in the papers, "World peace at last!", but I guess that is fairy tale, mere fiction, something that will never come to reality. 

With acts of terrorism and hundreds of people been killed, we are left to wonder when is the next genocide, forgive me for thinking negative but the status quo gives me no choice. But how can we build peace in our hearts and minds? I think one of the biggest barriers to this is ourselves. If we cannot see others how we see ourselves that it can never happen. Building peace in our hearts and minds being one with nature, fully connected by engaging the mind, body and soul, and to seek holistic development. It means that we all envision a world independent of war, violence, crime, hatred and work towards it. It means we will first, love ourselves and second, spread that love throughout, so that others can feel it, be touched by it so much that they cannot contain it and as such, burst open and spread it to others.

Once we can build peace with our minds and hearts, then we will be inclined to spread it throughout the world. Like a disease that spreads, we will replace what is wrong, with what is right and that is peace and love, forgiveness and honestly, all the qualities that will make each individual exception and irresistible. The question is asked again, what does it mean to build peace in our hearts and minds? Do you have an answer, what say you?  

Are politicians the biggest scammers?

In Jamaica, scamming can be no doubt placed in the top ten highest paying jobs. The way it has been publicized, it has now been considered as a career that children wants to pursue. Children are encapsulated by the type of life that scammers live, the big house, the nice car and the lavish lifestyle have consumed them. When we take a look at print and online media sources, time and time again we read that scammers have been caught and investigations are ongoing. A few have been convicted and some are still doing their thing. The question I want to ask is what do we think of scamming?

A dictionary definition tells us that a scam is fraudulent scheme, especially for making a quick profit. I will not explore the reasons why people scam because that is, I think, self-explanatory. I am not so fully knowledgeable of how the scamming thing works entirely, but the little I know should be able to capture the essence of where I am going. Now, a scam works by tricking people of their money and in return promise them goods or service which could be in form of a prize or something tangible that is of worth. A scammer will call persons and convince them that they have won millions of dollars in cash and prizes, but in order to claim it, they have to pay a ‘processing fee’. After they send that money to whoever, they receive nothing and never hear from that person again. How would you feel?

Considering other things like Ponzi schemes such as cash plus and Olint. Those ventures caused persons to lose a woefully and it affected many lives. Even today people still have not recovered from those schemes. Today people are finding creative ways to scam people, even their own. A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud that involves the payment of purported returns to existing investors from funds contributed by new investors. Ponzi scheme organizers often solicit new investors by promising to invest funds in opportunities claimed to generate high returns with little or no risk. It is a carefully orchestrated financial scam that is completely illegal.

How is it that Ponzi schemes were able to, and can still flourish in Jamaica? Hear what Delano Franklyn had to say “First, known and reputable persons and institutions were involved. A list of the names of the institutions and persons published by the FSC indicates that even persons who propagate the highest form of ethics and moral values in the society were involved in the collection of funds, some of whom are now on the run from people who are demanding repayment.

“Second, the high level of informality which exists in the Jamaica economy. Studies have shown that the size of the informal economy in Jamaica is almost 50 per cent. This informal economy is characterised by a 'hussle' mentality. It operates above, around and under the regulated economy. Its culture is one of anti-regulation. It settles its own scores where there are differences. It is not class or social specific. All types are involved, the rich, the poor, the social, the anti-social and big and small businesses.

“Third, the existence of selective morality and ethical values in the country. The owner of a business in Jamaica has no difficulty conspiring with another to extract electricity from the Jamaica Public Service, but rightly, calls in the police if an employee is caught stealing; a provider of professional services has no difficulty operating two books in order to avoid the payment of taxes, but complains bitterly about the irregularity with which his garbage is being collected; and there are persons among us who have no respect for planning or building laws. They build anything, anywhere.” (Jamaica Observer, April 25, 2012)

Having considered the whole notion of scamming and Ponzi schemes, I have been considering the question, is politics the biggest Ponzi scheme and politicians the biggest scammers? Look at it, politicians promise to do this and that and in the end, collect a big pay check and do nothing for the people. Look at how the government works, it collects people tax money, yet they do nothing for them in return. At the end of the day the people are scammed out of their hard earned money. Which politician doesn’t own a big house or drive a decent car? Which politician know how it feels to can’t find food to eat? The poor is getting the worst end of the bargain.

On April 30, 2014, the Jamaica Observer carried the headline “PM promises over 21,000 jobs in 2014/15”. The article stated “The prime minister, who was speaking in the Budget Debate in the House of Representatives, explained that close to 80 per cent of the jobs will be created under the Government's minimum wage emergency works scheme, the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP), and its rural food production-boosting agro parks development programme.” Did that actually came to fruition? Were 21,000 jobs issued? Is politics one big Ponzi scheme? What say you? +Mario Boothe