Forum: News & Topical Issues
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| Keith Duncan (left), group CEO of JMMB, in discussion with Minister of Finance Audley Shaw at the company's quarterly seminar on economic issues held Tuesday at the Terra Nova Hotel and Suites in St Andrew. |
WITHIN hours of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) and Finance Minister Audley Shaw making up, a second business group has lashed the minister for his sharp criticism of those not paying their taxes.
"The Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of Jamaica (CBFFAJ) deeply regrets the statement by Finance Minister Audley Shaw, concerning the alleged involvement of Customs brokers in acts of corruption which 'rob the Treasury of vitally needed money to run the country'," the CBFFAJ said in a press release yesterday.
"We view the statement as being potentially damaging to the profession," said Christopher Kennedy, president of the 40-year-old CBFFAJ.
The statement came shortly after Shaw appeared to have resolved differences with PSOJ President Chris Zacca over a speech last week in which the minister chastised the private sector for the low level of tax compliance.
Addressing last week's PSOJ's annual Economic Forum at the Bank of Jamaica in downtown Kingston, and in front of the visiting president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Luis Alberto Moreno, Shaw charged: "Sixty-eight per cent of the arrears of which we speak are corporate income tax arrears, and the truth is that right now we have a situation where. it's like one per cent of Jamaica paying 75 per cent of corporate taxes, so we have a lot of work to do."
The finance minister also suggested there was collusion between the private sector and corrupt customs officers to deprive the treasury of taxes, and he welcomed new tax commissioner, Danville Walker, in the fight against this practice.
"Customs has been a hotbed of corruption and Mr PSOJ president, I am going to be blunt, it is a hotbed of corruption because private sector importers themselves are participating along with customs officers and customs brokers in robbing the treasury of vitally needed money to run the country," said the finance minister.
Shaw and Zacca, who was accompanied by PSOJ VP Richard Chen, who chairs its economic policy committee, met at midday on Tuesday to discuss the PSOJ's concerns that the minister had used a broad brush to paint all business people as not paying their taxes or colluding with corrupt customs officers to defraud the government of money.
Zacca felt that Shaw's comments were counter-productive, bordering on the unfriendly and could cause some investors to wonder whether the Government was backtracking on its pledge to be business friendly.
"We have always maintained strong support for administrative reform and have consistently called upon everyone to pay their taxes," Zacca was quoted as saying. "But we have also suggested to the Government that it was necessary to lower taxes at all levels, as a means of getting greater compliance."
The PSOJ president said his organisation had been working with the Government to align their views on how to solve the tax compliance problem in a context in which tax levels were seen as onerous. "With lower taxes you can get 40 per cent more compliance and we want a practical way out of this problem," said Zacca.
Following their meeting Tuesday, Shaw appeared later that evening to have softened his strident tone, when he addressed the economic seminar staged by the Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston.
He said his comments were not directed at the membership of the PSOJ, but at the private sector as a broad generic group. However, he insisted that the "figures don't lie", maintaining that the country's tax compliance rate was too low.
He noted that the total tax arrears, without interests and penalties, stood at approximately $59 billion with the bulk owed being corporate income taxes.
"Sixty-eight per cent of those arrears are held by people.falling within the corporate income tax section," said Shaw. Overall tax compliance, the minister said, was not encouraging with GCT, at 65 per cent compliance, being the best performing tax group. "Every other tax type is below 50 per cent and the worst of all tax types is corporate income tax."
Against that background, the finance minister said that he was instead seeking a partnership with the private sector in fighting corruption. "I am not attacking the private sector, but I am saying to the private sector we need a partnership.
"Lift compliance rate by 20 to 30 per cent and automatically we will be able to significantly reduce the overall tax rate," Shaw said.
The finance minister added that transfer tax on the sale of real property which saw a 1.5 per cent decrease in April, would see continued reduction until it was totally abolished.
But he argued that tax reform measures being considered by his Government could not be seen as a condition for improved tax compliance, but rather the opposite.
"If we reform the tax system (and) bring the tax rates down, in this culture of non-compliance and tax is reduced, what happens,?" he asked rhetorically, suggesting that there would still be high levels of non-compliance .
In the speech, Shaw strongly denied being against private sector interests. "I want to give the country the assurance that the Government of the Jamaica Labour Party is not anti-private sector. Nothing could be further from the truth."
Zacca sounded at peace with Shaw in an interview yesterday morning with Power 106's Ronnie Thwaites and Ralston Hyman, in which he spoke about the meeting with Shaw, acknowledging that the minister had a point and reiterating the PSOJ's position that all should pay their taxes.
"We would back any call by any minister for everyone, big or small, to pay their taxes, and we would participate in any programme to improve the tax collection administration of the government," Zacca said.
"But we are not all to be painted with the same brush, which was our main concern that it would be seen by the general public, based on the reports in the media, that we are all non-compliant in the business sector. And we have a quarrel with that because there are huge numbers of hard working business people who are doing what they have to do, under, very very difficult circumstances," said Zacca.
He said the minister had taken the point, going by his comments to the JMMB seminar after their meeting. "Those who are not paying are wrong but those who are paying should not be lumped with them."
Zacca wanted it clear that the PSOJ was not against businesses paying their taxes.
"But what we are arguing is that the burden of taxes, where the rates are now, and the structure that exists, demand tax reform...We wanted in our meeting yesterday to clarify whether the Government was still in favour of tax reform."
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| Richie Spice |
Ending months of speculation, singer Richell Bonner, better known as Richie Spice has formally confirmed that he has parted company with his long time management team, Fifth Element Records.
A release from Bonner Cornerstone, which has also been an integral part of the artiste's management team, noted that Fifth Element and Richie Spice "have parted on amicable terms" and that the decision taken in the best interest of Richie Spice's career.
"Fifth Element Records can be credited with shaping the career of Richie Spice, one of the world's most critically-acclaimed reggae artistes, and has expressed their blessings for him on his journey. After spending so many years atop charts around the world, Richie Spice has taken a decision to invest more time and energy into his own, previously formed, family-based management company, aptly titled Bonner Cornerstone Music," the release stated.
Bonner Cornerstone Music currently handles the affairs of the Bonner brother, Spanner Banner, Snatcha Lion and Richie Spice himself.
According to Richie Spice, the change was necessary, as he "desires to take his career on a different path".
Richie Spice joins the roster of artiste to leave the Fifth Element camp, as deejay Chuck Fenda and singers Anthony Cruz and Etana were also once a part of the outfit.
A Chicago jury has acquitted R. Kelly on all counts at his child pornography trial.
The verdict came six years after the R&B superstar was first charged with videotaping himself having sex with a young girl. Prosecutors had said she was as young as 13 at the time.
Kelly had faced a maximum 15 years in prison.
Both Kelly and the now 23-year-old alleged victim had denied they were the ones appearing on the tape, which was played for the jury at the beginning and end of the trial.
The prosecution's star witness was a woman who said she engaged in three-way sex with Kelly and the girl from the video. Defence attorneys argued the man on the tape didn't have a large mole on his back, as Kelly does.
-- Edited by Chabee at 10:32, 2008-06-14
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-- Edited by vybz10107 at 08:44, 2008-06-13
LAKERS OR CELTICS 4 2008 N.B.A CHAMPIONSHIP...WHICH TEAM UNNO A CARRY???
LAKERRS TO D WURL MI SEH ENUH
A Love Story: The cat and bear best friends who simply can't bear are to be apartA love s
As far as lifelong friendships go, Muschi thinks her large and loveable friend Maeuschen is the cat's pyjamas.
The feline, which struck up the unlikely friendship with the 40-year-old Asian bear eight years ago, now can't bear to be apart from her friend.
In fact, the pair are so close that zookeepers at Berlin Zoo had to reunite them after Muschi, or 'p*u**yy' in German, pined for Maeuschen - 'little mouse' - after they were separated.
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Best friends Muschi, the cat and Maeuschen the bear are so close that zookeepers in Berlin have had to reunite the pair after they were separated
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The two lovable chums have become a star attraction at the zoo since striking up a friendship eight years ago
The pair were split up last October when the bear was locked in a cage while her living space was enlarged.
The distraught cat soon caught the attention of zoo keepers after she remained sitting outside the bear's cage pining for her friend.
This week, keepers took the unusual step of allowing the feline into the cage with her shaggy-haired pal.
'They greeted each other and had a cuddle and now they're happy,' said Heiner Kloes, a member of the zoo's management board.
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The friends share everything including an enclosure and food at Berlin Zoo
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'The cat has a real fan club, mostly among our older, regular visitors.'
But where Muschi, a normal black domestic cat, came from remains a mystery.
'She appeared from nowhere in 2000 and we decided to leave them together because they got on so well,' Mr Kloes said.
'They sunbathed together and shared meals of raw meat, dead mice, fruit and bread.'
The enlarged enclosure will reopen in the spring.Richie Spice leaves Fifth Element
Richie Spice and his long time management company Fifth Element Records have parted on friendly terms. Following months of speculations, company officials confirmed the rumours reminding fans and media members that it was a mutual decision taken in the best interest of Richie Spice's career.
Fifth Element Records helped in shaping the career of Richie Spice; and has expressed their blessings for him on his journey. After spending so many years atop charts around the world, Richie Spice has taken a decision to invest more time and energy into his own previously formed family based management company, aptly titled Bonner Cornerstone Music.
Bonner Cornerstone Music currently handles the affairs of family members, Spanner Banner and Snatcha Lion.
According to Richie Spice, the change was necessary, as he desires to take his career on a different path.
------------------------------
The Ban on Bonner
Richie Spice's latest entry on the albums chart, "Gideon Boot" has been slapped with an indefinite ban by the IRIE FM Programmes Department.
The ban extends not only to the material found on the album "Gideon Boot", but to all songs from his repertoire. According to IRIE FM officials, the song contained an expletive that could faintly be heard after the song had ended, and came as a surprise to Announcer Elise Kelly who was playing the song in her shift.
Representatives from VP Records also expressed their shock upon hearing of the ban, and have begun taking corrective steps to rectify the situation.
The album was part of a deal with ace producer Bobby Digital, who was charged with the responsibility of selecting the final copies of the songs for the album, released on VP records label. Unofficial word from insiders is suggesting that a mistake was made on the part of the person charged with the responsibility of mastering the songs for the final album cut.
Members of Bonner Cornerstone Music, at which Richie Spice is now officially based have expressed outrage at this mistake being made; one which is definitely casting a negative light on the singer who is noted for his cultural songs.
CARLISLE, Pa. (AP) -- A man facing sentencing on a drunken-driving conviction couldn't get a ride to court. So he start walking. And walking.
Stephen Shoemaker was scheduled to appear at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday for sentencing.
Shoemaker, 33, of Shippensburg, doesn't have a car or driver's license. So he started hoofing it to the courthouse at dawn. He kept walking for about 25 miles in 90-plus-degree heat.
Shoemaker arrived about 3:30 p.m. - after a detour to a hospital, where he was treated for dehydration.
Judge Edward Guido had issued an arrest warrant when Shoemaker failed to appear. But he agreed to defer sentencing until July. Guido said he hesitated only because "that means he'll have to walk back to Shippensburg."
Deputy Public Defender Anthony Adams volunteered to give Shoemaker a ride home.
She went, she saw and conquered. That is the only appropriate description for what Yendi Phillips, the reigning Miss Jamaica World accomplished at the Miss World 2007 Pageant.
She created history when she became the first contestant to make it to the finals of all categories. Out of 107 contestants, she was 1st runner up in the Miss World Beach Beauty and a finalist in the Miss World Sports, Miss World Talent, Miss World Top Model and the Beauty With A Purpose Award. And, during the live telecast, she made the top 16.
Yendi visited the offices of YardFlex, at shop #118 on the Princeville Plaza, Constant Spring, and had a grand "yard chat." On her entry into the office, the "irie" lady started rocking instinctively to the sounds of music being played on a DVD. Noticing her vibe, I asked, Yendi what kind of influence she had on other contestants. She responded, "I took music along with me, so my room mate and the other girls heard quite a bit of Reggae and Dancehall music." She revealed that she was surprised to know that Miss Guatemala was a big fan of Busy Signal, especially the song, "Step Out."
Yendi gave her outlook on what it takes to be successful in an international event like the Miss World Pageant, and related that it requires spontaneity. "We (contestants) would be aware that there would be different activities to participate in, but on all occasions we were given relatively short notice." She added that the competition was very "taxing" on the body, asserting that, "If a contestant is not focused and mentally strong, she could unravel."
On a lighter note, Yendi said she had little trouble with choosing food within the colourful Chinese culture, because she is a vegetarian.
She learnt the basic necessities, which were to say, "Hello", "how are you", "thank you" and "you are welcome". The Jamaican girl said she had no issues with getting along with fellow contestants, although not all contestants got along with each other.
Her stay in China spanned November 2 to December 2; however, she said she would not live in China because, "It is not home." Yendi said a stark resemblance of communism in China is a major reason behind her sentiment.
Regarding her future, though she was "iffy" she gave YardFlex enough
reason to look out for a possible entry to the Miss Universe competition
New York Passa Passa
A no inna Jamaica one mix up deh bout which entertainer a fish, it deh a New York to. Well 876 got the news that several big timers, both men and women, mix up ina de slackness. Woi, what a piece a nastiness! Anyways mi know normally wen people a give out information dem no normally give out names, well we have all a de name dem fi unu today. We hear seh the whole a di fish dem a form b**ttyman crew. Well see de name a de fish dem yah: Dougie, Omar, Earl Fashion, Shawn Sharp, John John, Mickey Speng, Tambo, Paulisha, Bravo Platinum, Omar Platinum, Moses 300 and Dawn Lexxus.
Of couse the likkle scavenger dem a deny it bout nutten no go suh wen we source tell we seh him have proof. But no tink a video proof. De same man dem weh dem go get mix up wid a the same man dem go chat. At the same time a no other man one dem deh wid but dem inna the crew a sex dem one annoda. Lawd dem man yah want some good beating! but me leave dem to God.
The source of dis information seh the whole a de man dem call and threaten him but him no fraid a no fish, a dat him seh. The man dem a sex fi money, clothes and big vehicle. Better dem stay poor dan tun fish fi get money or get a buss ina life.
The funny ting bout it is some a de man dem woman inna denial. Dem no want accept de fact dat dem man love other man. Dem all a defend dem to. Well mek dem tan, cause a dem ago get diseases and bacteria inna dem cratches when de man dem done sex man. Ano dat alone - afta dem a pick up fi de man, dem no have nutten a drive and de man dem weh dem man deh wid a roll out ina big vehicle. Wat a piece a stress!
CRUISE SHIP OR AIR PLANE WHICH DO U THINK IS MORE SAFE
-- Edited by vybz10107 at 09:59, 2008-06-13
IF U FOUND OUT THAT YOUR SEX ORGAN WAS FAILING U WHAT WOULD U DO LOL
HOW DO U LIKE YOUR SPOUSE HAIRY OR SHAVED (NOTHING FREAKY) LOL
Concerned citizens in Allman Town in central Kingston yesterday called police to the home in the community where a seven-year-old child was tied up in an ants nest as punishment.
The police who went to the residence made the shocking discovery after residents called them when they saw the child left outside for several hours.
It is alleged that the child was being punished and so was chained up outside the yard in an ants nest. It is reported that this was not the first time the child was being ill-treated, and has suffered other forms of abuse, including being burnt.
The mother of the child and the landlord for the premises where the abuse took place were arrested and charged with child abuse.
Both persons and the child were immediately taken to the Family Court yesterday and the child was removed from the home and put into a place of safety.
The police also had to call a locksmith to remove the chains that were attached to the child's leg. The mother and landlord are to return to court on June 24.
AP Photo: In this Feb. 26, 2008 file photo, NBC's Tim Russert speaks to the crowd during
WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, who pointedly but politely questioned hundreds of the powerful and influential as moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," died suddenly Friday while preparing for his weekly broadcast. The network's Washington bureau chief was 58.
In addition to his weekly program, Russert appeared on the network's other news shows, was moderator for numerous political debates and wrote two best-selling books.
President Bush, informed of Russert's death while at dinner in Paris, swiftly issued a statement of condolence that praised the NBC newsman as "an institution in both news and politics for more than two decades. Tim was a tough and hardworking newsman. He was always well-informed and thorough in his interviews. And he was as gregarious off the set as he was prepared on it."
NBC interrupted its regular programming with news of Russert's death and continued for several hours of coverage without commercial break. Familiar faces such as Tom Brokaw, Andrea Mitchell and Brian Williams took turns mourning his loss.
Williams called him "aggressively unfancy."
"Our hearts are broken," said Mitchell, who appeared emotional at times as she recalled her longtime colleague.
Competitors and friends jumped in with superlative praise and sad recognition of the loss of a key voice during a historic presidential election year.
Bob Schieffer, Russert's competitor on CBS' "Face the Nation," said the two men delighted in scooping each other.
"When you slipped one past ol' Russert," he said. "You felt as though you had hit a home run off the best pitcher in the league. I just loved Tim and I will miss him more than I can say."
The cause of death was not immediately clear. The network said on its Web site that Russert died of a heart attack, but Michael A. Newman, Russert's internist, later said that resuscitation was begun immediately and continued at Sibley Memorial Hospital, to no avail. An autopsy was pending, Newman said.
Russert, of Buffalo, N.Y., took the helm of the Sunday news show in December 1991 and turned it into the nation's most widely watched program of its type. His signature trait there was an unrelenting style of questioning that made some politicians reluctant to appear, yet confident that they could claim extra credibility if they survived his grilling intact.
He was also a senior vice president at NBC, and this year, Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Russert had Buffalo's blue-collar roots, a Jesuit education, a law degree and a Democratic pedigree that came from his turn as an aide to the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York.
One of his books, "Big Russ and Me," was about his relationship with his father.
On Sunday's program, Russert was to have interviewed Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a national co-chair of the McCain campaign, and Joe Biden, D-Del., an Obama supporter, in a debate format as surrogates for the two presidential candidates. The network said plans for Sunday's show were now uncertain.
Praise flowed quickly from those who knew Russert across the television interview room.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Russert was "the best in the business at keeping his interview subjects honest."
"There wasn't a better interviewer in television," Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential contender, told reporters in Ohio.
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Obama's rival for the White House, hailed Russert as the "pre-eminent journalist of his generation."
Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the House Republican leader, said Russert was "one of the smartest, toughest television news journalists of all time. ... I can say from experience that joining Tim on 'Meet the Press' was one of the greatest tests any public official could face."
Carl P. Leubsdorf, president of the Gridiron Club, an organization of journalists, said in a statement, "It was a measure of the degree to which Tim Russert was respected in the journalistic world that he was the first broadcaster elected to membership in the Gridiron Club after the rules were changed in 2004 to end our century-old restriction to print journalists."
"He was an enthusiastic member and a willing participant in our shows. His fellow Gridiron members join with all of those who knew and respected Tim in mourning his untimely death."
"It is my sad duty to report this afternoon" that Russert collapsed and died while working in the network's Washington studios, Brokaw said when he came on the air.
"He'll be missed as he was loved greatly," Brokaw said.
The network said on its Web site that Russert had been recording voiceovers for this Sunday's "Meet The Press" when he was stricken.
Russert had dozens of honorary college degrees, and numerous professional awards.
He won an Emmy for his role in the coverage of President Ronald Reagan's funeral in 2004.
He was married to Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine. The couple had one son, Luke.
R. Kelly is accused of making a home sex video with an underage girl at his child pornography trial.
1 of 2 The verdict came six years after the R&B superstar was first charged with videotaping himself having sex with a young girl. Prosecutors had said she was as young as 13 at the time.
The Grammy award-winning singer dabbed his face with a handkerchief and hugged each of his four attorneys after the verdict was read. The singer had faced 15 years in prison if convicted.
Minutes later, surrounded by bodyguards, he left the courthouse without comment. Dozens of fans screamed and cheered as he climbed into a waiting SUV.
Both Kelly and the now 23-year-old alleged victim had denied they were the ones appearing on the tape, which was played for the jury at the beginning and end of the trial.
The prosecution's star witness was a woman who said she engaged in three-way sex with Kelly and the girl from the video. Defense attorneys argued the man on the tape didn't have a large mole on his back, as Kelly does.
The jury of nine men and three women included the wife of a Baptist preacher from Kelly's Chicago-area hometown, as well as a compliance officer for a Chicago investment firm and a man in his 60s who emigrated from then-Communist Romania nearly 40 years ago. Eight jurors were white and four were black
Jurors took the sex tape at the center of the trial with them, and a monitor was set up in the jury room in case they wanted to review it.
Kelly was charged with 14 counts of videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl, who prosecutors say was as young as 13.
The 41-year-old superstar's trial was repeatedly delayed, once because the judge seriously injured himself falling off a ladder and another time because Kelly had emergency surgery to remove his appendix.
Despite his legal troubles, Kelly -- who rose from poverty on Chicago's South Side to become a star singer, songwriter and producer -- still retains a huge following, and his popularity has arguably grown in recent years.
The singer has released more than half a dozen albums, most of them selling over a million copies. He's also had a multitude of hits and gone on tours. Kelly has a new song, "Hair Braider," out now, and is due to release a new album in July.
Kelly, always meticulously dressed in a suit and tie, appeared tense at times during the trial, furrowing his brow. He seemed particularly ill at ease when prosecutors played the sex tape in open court after opening arguments.
In the video, entered into evidence as "People's Exhibit No. 1," a man has sex with a young female, who is naked for most of the recording. She is often blank-faced. The man speaks to her in a hushed voice, and she calls him "Daddy."
In one scene, alluded to in one count of the indictment, the man urinates on the female.
The issue of whether there was or wasn't a fingernail-sized mole on the man's lower back was a subject of hours of testimony. A defense witness told jurors there was no mole on his back, proving it's not Kelly, who has such a mole. But a prosecution witness displayed freeze frames of the video where a dark spot seemed to appear as the man turns to take off his pants.
One surreal moment came when a defense expert played a segment of the tape he doctored showing two headless bodies engaging in sex. The defense said that backed their argument that Kelly's likeness could have been computer-generated.
Cross examination was often heated. Several witnesses cried on the stand.
The star prosecution witness, Lisa Van Allen, became teary eyed as she told jurors she engaged in several three-way sexual encounters with Kelly and the alleged victim, including once on a basketball court. Kelly videotaped the trysts, she said.
Van Allen also claimed Kelly used to carry a duffel bag stuffed full of his homemade sex tapes.
The defense called several witnesses in a bid to discredit Van Allen, accusing her of trying to extort money from Kelly. Under cross-examination, Van Allen admitted she once stole Kelly's $20,000 diamond-studded watch from a hotel.
BEENIE 'ATTACKS' MARLEYS - 'The Doc' lashes out at Bob's sons in London interview
Self-proclaimed King of the Dancehall, Moses 'Beenie Man' Davis, has voiced his obvious dislike for members of the prestigious reggae clan, the Marleys.
In a taped interview with radio personality Chris Goldfinger on the British-based radio station BBC Radio 1 (97-99 FM), Beenie Man spoke about an alleged run-in with Stephen Marley. The video of the interview is available on the Youtube website entitled Beenie Man Interview Exclusive Part 2.
The feud between Beenie Man and the Marleys is reported to have gone public during a concert in The Bahamas in April this year. According to one popular entertainment website, Beenie, while performing, said that his time was cut short.
Diss stephen
Stephen Marley
He is said to have proceeded to describe Stephen and Damian in a derogatory manner.
In the interview with Goldfinger which was posted on www.you-tube.com on May 24, the deejay gave his side to what happened at that concert. After boasting about having 1,562 hits, more than any other dancehall artiste, he went on to say, "... Dem invite mi to dem show in di Bahamas. When mi go a di show, dem gimme 25 minutes to work. .... (name deleted) Marley go pon stage and seh 'yeah, mi love Beenie Man, yes, but di people dem need more Elephant Man', when di people dem nuh want no more Elephant. Di people dem waan hear more Beenie Man, no disrespect to Elephant Man 'cause a mi artiste, no disrespect. Mi love him to death."
He continued, "... di fact is, yuh caan go pon stage and seh dat when yuh is a Marley, weh yuh a pay mi fi come do your show. Wah yuh do? Pay mi fi disrespect mi? Carry me come a di place fi disrespect mi fi mek yuh know seh yuh nuh rate me? So mi mek a strong statement, mi seh 'mi know di whole a unnu nuh rate me because yuh neva put me on a show in Jamaica yet, yuh put Bounty Killer and a bag of man and yet it neva work out'...
Getting used"Mi definitely see seh mi a get used, the people dem a seh 'Beenie Man, Beenie Man' and yuh a call up a bag of different artistes. When di time done is 20 minutes left, how yuh can give a big man like me 20 minutes weh have over a 1,000 hit songs? Dat nuh mek no sense. A disrespect, so mi feel offended, so mi go pon stage and talk mi mind."
Beenie Man then goes on to discuss a separate incident that occurred at a concert in Germany where he and the Marleys were booked to perform. He said "When mi deh at Germany now and di promoter go and tell them seh alrite yuh have 80,000 people inna di venue weh every year when yuh come ya is 40,000 people, now yuh have 80,000 people inna di show 'cause a Beenie Man, mek Beenie Man close di show. Dem look pon me and tell me seh dem a royal family of reggae music dem nuh work before no deejay. So nobody shouldn't find dat offensive?"
He continued, "... Dem nuh show mi no respect so why should I show dem di respect? I show Bob Marley di respect, I show Ky-Mani Marley respect 'cause him show mi respect. Stephen Marley go on like him too tough, and dem nuh tough like mi, 'cause dem nuh know nutten 'bout 'gangsta-ism' nor ghetto life. A deh so mi grow, deh so my music come from and dem nuh tougher than mi, a so my ting stay."
Efforts to get a comment from the Marleys proved futile at press time.
Doctor uses claw hammer to remove nail in man's skull
SHAWNEE, Kan. George Chandler says he didn't know a 2 1/2 -inch nail was driven into his skull until his buddy spotted it stuck through his cap.
Chandler said he felt only a sting.
"It never did really what you call hurt," the Shawnee man said today on NBC's "Today."
Chandler said his friend Phil Kern was using a nail gun to mount lattice on Chandler's deck when a hose on the powerful tool became caught.
Chandler said he stood up just as Kern tried to free the gun and it discharged. At first, they couldn't locate the nail. But then Kern saw it, he ordered Chandler to sit down while he called 911.
An emergency room doctor tried unsuccessfully to remove the nail with a pair of pliers.
"He looked at me and said, 'I need a claw hammer,'" Chandler recalled. "I thought, 'Ah, he's just teasing.'"
So the doctor borrowed a claw hammer from a worker to finish the job and sent Chandler home with a few stitches.
"He got a screwdriver at the same time, and he took the screwdriver and pried the nail up a little bit and got the claw hammer," Chandler said.
Grieving mother appeals to public - Seeks information on son's murder
Life for Joyce Williams has not been the same since Friday, June 6. It was on that day the body of her youngest of three children, 19-year-old Andrew Atterbury, was discovered in Vineyard Town, confirming her worst fear.
Williams said she last saw her son alive on May 31, when she was leaving for work that morning. Her son was still in bed, sleeping.
"I came home from work at exactly 5:05 that afternoon. He wasn't there when I got home, but that is the case sometimes so I didn't get too worried," Williams said.
Found comfortShe added that he did not come home that night, but she found comfort thinking that he must have been spending the night at his girlfriend's house in Vineyard Town, which he did occasionally.
The mother, however, became concerned after her son did not return to their Allman Town home on Sunday.
"When he didn't come home on Sunday or Sunday night I started to get concerned, so the first thing I did was call his girlfriend on Monday morning to find out if he was there, but she said she had not seen him either," Williams said.
Williams said she made countless other calls to family members and friends, trying to find out where her son could have been, before reporting the matter to the Cross Roads police on Thursday, June 5.
Heart- wrenching newsThe distraught mother was hit with some heart-wrenching news the following Friday, however, destroying the hopes she had that her some was still alive. Her daughter called her, telling her that Atterbury's body was found in Vineyard Town with three gunshot wounds.
Williams said she was now appealing to the public to come forward with any information that may assist the police in solving the murder of her son, whom she remembers as a jovial and loving teen. She said there have been arguments that her son was taken away by men in a grey Toyota Corolla motor car before being killed. But, she does not know if they are true.
Persons with information are being asked to contact the nearest police station, or the Elletson Road police who are investigating.
For many years our local entertainers have been the scape goats used by Government and certain sectors of society to blame for the uncontrollable monster now wreaking havoc throughout our society.
However with the dawning of the new year, many of our entertainers stepping to the fore to give some hope to the youths of this country, in recent times heading the list is reggae icons Buju Banton who recently made a public declaration to all his fellow entertainers to clean up their lyrics and public personas, this was met with mixed criticism but more positive than negative.
Surprisingly the call has been answered by one of Dancehall's most notorious bad boy, the leader of the Portmore Empire, Vybz Kartel who has vowed to join the campaign to bring peace and lyrics that are more edifying to the youths.
Kartel said that entertainers are very powerful people and also the voice of a nation but they can only do so much and no more as the media and disc jocks have to do their part.
According to Kartel "Mi sing a song name 'Broad Day Light' and it get play fifty (50) million times a day, but di song weh seh 'Everybody Wanna Tun A Badman' if you hear it three (3) times that nuff, so yuh see di media haffi do their part to dem also have a responsibility fi educate the nation".
In another Interview Kartel was quoted as saying that himself rival bad boy Mavado among other prominent entertainers will be joining forces to campaign for peace in the coming months as that is what the industry needs right now for all of us to operate as a united front and do away with the confrontation.
Kartel who just months ago was freed along with fellow deejay Aidonia of gun-related charges is enjoying some steady success with the launch of his Vybz Rum and a cadre of new singles saturating the local airwaves.
Who is your favorite martial arts action hero?
-- Edited by titus at 19:55, 2008-06-10
PUTNAM COUNTY, FL -- Crabbers like Woody Hoyt of Palatka make their living trapping and selling blue crabs from the St. Johns River.
A recent increase of crab trap thefts over the last six months have hurt him and other crabbers.
Hoyt said, " These guys that do this take hundreds of dollars of stuff a week from us. It's not just one or two guys that do it. There's a lot of people who do it."
Thursday morning, Florida Fish a Wildlife investigators arrested 49-year-old Bret Colin Warwick.
They say he stole crabs from commercial traps in the river near East Palatka in May.
Lt. George Pottorf with Florida Fish and Wildlife said, "The river is not a real populated area and there are many wilderness areas. There are not many people around it. But fortunately this time there were four people that did witnessed the crime."
Pottorf said they all signed sworn affidavits saying they saw Warwick take crabs from traps.
After Warwick got out of the Putnam County Jail Thursday, he told First Coast News he did not steal anything from the crab traps. He said he just moved them.
However, that's still against state law. Warwick said, "Yeah, [another crabber's trap] was on top of mine -- four or five feet from my trap. I pulled his up and chucked it over the other sIde of the boat. Yeah, I was wrong in doing that. I confess to that."
As for Hoyt, he's not one of the victims in this case, but he said thieves need to be prosecuted in order to stop the crime that robs crabbers of their livelihood.
Lil Wayne sold 423,000 copies in fist day of release!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unweighted first-day sales of "Tha Carter III" at nine leading accounts through the close of business yesterday (June 10), stood at 423,000. Sources close to the album project "Carter" could shift between 850,000-950,000 in its first full week.
That would easily give Wayne the biggest sales week of the year, surpassing the 463,000 start that greeted Mariah Carey's "E=MC2," and the best since Kanye West's "Graduation" started with 957,000 last year.
To compare, "Graduation" saw a first-day Building number of 437,000 from eight accounts, about 3% more than that posted by "Carter."
DO U LIKE HAVING SEX IN THE DARK OR WITH THE LIGHT ON
GAYS OR CRIME SHULD BE END IN D THE WORLD...WAH UNNO THINK ON ZONE???
THE LESBIANS N D FISH MAN DEM
OR
D GUNZ N KILLING N RAPPING IN D WURL????
-- Edited by Dj.Delvito at 23:24, 2008-06-12
THE VERDICT IS IN FOR R. KELLY TRIAL AND THE RESULTS ARE...........
Not guilty on all counts
-- Edited by Crazypickney at 16:41, 2008-06-13
Yet another sex video featuring popular local figures is being circulated and the latest one features a well known comedian and his popular girlfriend.
The video which is being circulated by email features two clips. In the first clip, the comedian's face is clearly seen as he has unprotected sex with his girlfriend, whose face is not seen.
In the first clip which lasts for 1 minute and 58 seconds, the girlfriend appears to be the person taping the episode as it focuses on the sex actions as well as the comedian's face.
In the second clip which lasts for 1 minute and 33 seconds both the comedian and his girlfriend are clearly seen in the afterglow of their lovemaking. They laugh, kiss, talk and stare directly into the camera in this clip.
While the sound of the clips are not clear, the STAR was able to enhance the sound to hear what was being said. In a movie-like sequence the female participant details the couple's sex life. The girlfriend speaks first stating, "this is how we sex."
Rather graphic termsIn rather graphic terms, the female later describes what normally takes place between the two in bed saying, "...baby these are the times you like to ...... " She then moves on to ask, "...do you love me baby?"
She continues, "...even in the morning when our breaths are stink and there's matta in our eye and boogger in our noses and there's food caught in our teeth from the night before, 'cause we never remember to brush our teeth, we love each other all the time."
The two laugh throughout the speech as the girlfriend closes the clip with a quick "Bye!"
Efforts to reach both parties were unsuccessful as their numbers were constantly busy.
On Tuesday THE STAR published another story in which a popular host of an entertainment programme pleaded to the public to desist from circulating a clip of her performing sexual acts.THE Court of Appeal ruled Tuesday that a policeman accused of taking a $10,000 bribe from a motorist in 2005 be retried.
It will be the third trial for Constable Handel Bernard, who last year took his case to the Court of Appeal after being fined $250,000 or being faced with a six-month prison term.
The appeal court judges made the ruling after accepting submissions made by the policeman's attorney, Carlton Collman, that the second trial was void as proper procedures were not followed.
According to court documents, on September 26, 2005, Bernard was among three officers on duty at the entrance to the Sligoville Police Station when the complainant was held during a random spot check. It is alleged that after checking the complainant's documents and discovering that the insurance certificate had expired, Bernard took him to a room in the police station where he allegedly demanded $10,000 in order not to prosecute him.
The complainant, however, visited the Duhaney Park Police Station the following day where he made a report to the police. The police, in turn, set up a sting operation.
On the day the money was to be paid over, the court documents said, the complainant allegedly met Bernard at a supermarket in Spanish Town where he paid over the money. The police, after allegedly seeing the exchange, swooped down on Bernard and arrested him.
But during the constable's trial in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's court, it was discovered that the indictment form used to lay charges against Bernard was used wrongfully by the prosecution, as a breach of the Corruption Prevention Act is not an indictable offence. Bernard, it was noted, should have been charged using an information form, which is used for less serious offences.
Collman argued that the trial was a nullity on the basis of the wrongful use of the indictment form. In arguing the matter before the Court of Appeal, Collman said the presiding magistrate fell into error when she allowed the prosecution to proceed with a re-trial of the case without re-calling the witnesses to give evidence against Bernard for a second time. This, he said, therefore made the trial void. The prosecution subsequently conceded to Collman's arguments, and the judges ruled that Bernard's sentence be quashed and ordered a retrial.
The matter is to be mentioned again in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court on June 24. Bernard's $80,000 bail was extended until that date.
-- Edited by Garrick at 07:56, 2008-06-13
Elderly Man Who Fatally Shot His Wife is Released From Jail
DELTONA, FL (AP) -- An elderly Volusia County man accused of fatally shooting his sick wife is out of jail. Robert Benjo was released on his own recognizance after a hearing Wednesday. His doctor, public defender and family testified that the shooting was a 'mercy killing.'
The 82-year-old told authorities he wanted to end his wife's pain from cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The shooting happened at their Deltona home last week. Benjo was ordered to live with his son in Seminole County, undergo a mental evaluation and comply with any treatment suggested. His arraignment is scheduled July 2.
In December 2000, another elderly Deltona man fatally shot his wife in what was termed a "mercy killing." He was placed on probation for 10 years.
LAREDO, TX -- A Laredo family returns home with a miracle baby - a baby named Macie Hope.
Surgeons had to remove a tumor, the size of a grapefruit.
The baby actually had to be removed from her mother's w**** and then be placed back inside - it's the first surgery of its kind in Texas.
She had to be taken out of her mother Keri's w**** to remove a tumor that would've killed her.
The fetus was then placed back inside.
Today the family looks forward to the simple things many take for granted.
"For us to wake up and all be here - the last few mornings they all come into our room because macie is there, it's so neat too you know," said father, Pastor Chad McCartney.
"It's been three and a half months since we have woke up and been able see our whole family together."
She's at home now with her brothers and sister taking turns holding her and wanting to be close to her.
But her journey home was long. "Basically the baby has less than a ten percent chance of surviving, it was an utter shock to us," said McCartney.
Macie Hope was having to fight to keep alive.
On what was supposed to be a trip to the doctor's office ... turned into a race to save her.
"We had all piled in the van and we had brought all the kids, the big excitement was to find out whether it was a boy or a girl."
"When we got there, we were in the ultra sound tech, immediately noticed this large mass."
After learning that Macie's little heart was growing tired by the minute and that it couldn't pump *lo** to her body and the tumor, the family broke down.
"It was a long ride home," said mother, Keri McCartney.
She chokes up at what she believes is a miracle of God and it's something they say they couldn't have pulled through without help of the community.
"We are just incredibly humbled by the support of so many people back here that have prayed for us and has supported us."
There were times where their faith was tested.
Right after the surgery where Macie Hope was fragile.
"Both of us got to the point, we always knew that Macie was God's child as are all of our children. At that point we just released her back to the lord, she is yours and if you want to take her you can," said Keri.
In the end the family relied in their faith in god to pull them through and ultimately that lead to hope in this case a little girl named Macie Hope.
Defeated People's National Party (PNP) candidate in last year's general election, Abe Dabdoub, has filed an application in the Court of Appeal, to strike out the appeal filed by ousted Member of Parliament Daryl Vaz.
Dabdoub is contending that Vaz's appeal against the ruling of Chief Justice Zaila McCalla is frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of the process of the court. The Chief Justice had ousted Vaz because of his US citizenship which is in breach of the Jamaican Constitution.
Dabdoub is asking for the appeal to be struck out because he said Vaz admitted in Parliament on May 13 that he accepted the court ruling and had renounced his US citizenship.
Strategic appeal
Dabdoub referred to comments Vaz allegedly made in a newspaper that the filing of his appeal was strategic.
A date has not yet been heard for Dabdoub's application. Dabdoub, who brought an election petition which led to Vaz being ousted, is also appealing against the court ruling.
Although the Chief Justice ruled that Vaz was not eligible to be a MP, she did not give the House seat to Dabdoub. She ordered a by-election.
Dabdoub is seeking to be returned as the duly elected MP for West Portland in the September 3, 2007 general election.
The appeal will be heard during the next court term, which begins in September and ends in December.Vaz will remain in Parliament until the appeal has been heard because he has been granted a stay of execution of the Chief Justice's ruling.
Despite having done more than his share of violent lyrics, a more mature Bounty Killer says artistes should seek to be better role models, as society is losing its morals.
"When mi hear Kartel song, bout him mus guh a hell, him nuh know God, him cannot be a successful man in dis worl fa long. Him don't know wha him a do, yuh cyan play wid God word, cyan play wid God name. An sey him reach 33 degree a masonry ... any man whe mek dem statement deh, you blaspheme, an yuh ungodly ... an yout, a success yuh sey dat fah yuh nuh ... yuh jus waan soun like yuh wickeda dan Mavado," Killer said.
He added, "Dem ting dey whe yuh a instil inna di people dem is bad. A dat mi a tell yuh bout some artiste bo' yah, dem do any ting fi mek a dolla."
Higher roadBounty says he is taking the higher road as an artiste because society has lost its morals.
"Nuh morals nuh dey again. Dat's why, yuh si, me cyan run dis place again, ca' dem immorality yah, me cyan do it. Ca' di tings whe yuh haffi guh sey fi please dem immoral people yah, yuh cyan sey it, yuh haffi guh soun like Kartel dem, an me cyan sound like dem people deh, mi haffi sound like one a di wise one.
"Why yuh think me nah sing certain ting ... why yuh tink mi nuh waan run dis? Ca' if mi a run it mi haffi guh harda dan Mavado now, an mi haffi guh sey triple time wha him a sey, an picture me a sey triple time pon whe a gwaan or whe him a sey ya now. It nuh woulda escalate inna a time b****?"
ResponsibleBounty says artistes need to be more responsible in the kind of messages they are sending.
"Di res a artiste dem out deh nuh tink bout dat? Yuh tink Vybz Kartel an dem care bout dat? A dem belly dem a tink bout an how much money dem can mek. Yuh tink dem care bout di culture or care bout di future or di youts dem a tomorrow?"
Bounty says artistes should also play their part in the fight against crime and violence.
"Wha we can do is speak out against these activities and behaviour, mek dem (fans) know sey musical art and musical expression is different from my personal expression, an I don't support these behaviour an these vigilante killing an violence," he said.
"Dem (fans) love wi an dem rate wi, but dem hear wi sing certain tings, suh sometimes it mislead dem an mek dem tink sey wi all right wid dem ting yah ...
All we can do is jus mek dem know sey me don't support these tings an wi don't look up to unnu when unnu do dem sum'n yah, an it nuh look good an unnu nuh have no good future."
Bounty says artistes like Mavado who are hot now, he has encouraged to tone down his violent lyrics.
"I've been telling him (Mavado) dat since di last few months an him been doing it now. Ca' yuh establish yuh self already, they know how hard you can be, so jus show dem whe you really a come from now... Tell wi bout yuh gully bank life now, Overcome, Special So Special, an (P)On Di Rock an dem sum'n deh, wi want dem out a yuh now an some nice girl sum'n, di fun-filling song dem."
"A dem ting deh wi a try get out a him now, cause a him di youts dem a listen to right now. Suh wi get him pon a level now whe him si sey tings really serious an him a tek heed an a do some nice songs, suh wi jus hope him mind frame nuh change from dat," Bounty said.
image006.jpgThe sensational new book on the life of dancehall king Beenie Man has finally been scheduled for worldwide release this summer. The forthcoming biography, Who Am I? The Untold Story of Beenie Man, will treat fans of dancehall music to more than four hundred pages of intrigue, eye-opening revelations and never-before-seen colour photographs depicting the young superstars life.
Who Am I? The Untold Story of Beenie Man is the worlds first-ever dancehall biography, and is being published by Jamaican publishers Great House OmniMedia in time for Reggae Sumfest. Written by noted Jamaican journalist Milton Wray (pictured left above), the story tracks the twists and turns of Beenie Mans dramatic life, following in great detail the reggae superstars rise from childhood to the Grammy Award, numerous other honours and musical firsts, including an unequalled string of chart-topping hits.
The author worked on the project for more than eleven years, documenting Beenie Mans tabloid-rich life and career as they unfolded. After first contacting the artiste in 1994, Wray eventually took a sabbatical from Jamaican journalism to live and do research in New York City for more than a year. While in the United States, he conducted interviews and collected vast amounts of information on Beenie Man and his international impact on the music business. While writing the book in Jamaica, Wray did in-depth research by interviewing a host of persons including relatives, friends, associates, music business personnel, rivals and, of course, the girlfriends of the reggae/dancehall icon.
Readers who might be concerned about not getting the full story of Beenie Man have no reason to worry, says the author, who promises an unvarnished view of The Doctor. Who Am I? is a journalistic work, Wray insists, and the primary objective is to be accurate. While Beenie Man did cooperate by supplying information and photographs for the publication of the book, he did not have approval of the manuscript, and never saw a page of it before it was completed.
The intention was not to put out a public relations piece for the artiste. The facts are presented as they occurred, whether or not Beenie Man likes those facts. He has led a very controversial life, and he acknowledges that; he recently told me as much. I believe he is prepared for whatever revelations may come from this book.
Its going to be very exciting once it hits the streets, Wray continued, commenting on the completion of the work. Who Am I? is something that readers will not be able to put down, because Beenie Man has had such an amazing life from his childhood in Waterhouse to the present day that its going to be mind-blowing. The book is as engrossing as any novelonly everything in it is factual.
Set to be launched in Kingston in early July, the book will be distributed in North America, the European Union, the CARICOM region and Japan before the end of the year. For its Asian release, Who Am I? will be translated into Japanese.
According to Great Houses Michael Grant, who began conducting preliminary promotions and answering readers queries at the recent Calabash Literary Festival, Interest in the Beenie Man Biography is already high for something that has not yet been advertised or offered for sale. Readers are going to be surprised by the touching humanity and detail of this true story about Beenie Man, both as a person and as an international phenomenon. In many ways, its also a mini-history of dancehall, giving insight into the inner workings of the local music industry in much the same way the Jamaican hit movie, The Harder They Come, did in the 1970s.
Commenting on the secrecy behind the production of the highly anticipated work, Grant said Because some of the details in the book have never been publicly revealed previously, it was important for the author to be able to work without giving advance interviews. After all, some of the events in the story were unfolding as he worked, and he managed to get the story behind many of the stories we often read in the press, especially about his private life. As one can imagine, the controversies surrounding Beenie Man have made almost every page of Who Am I? top-secret. His fans cant wait to get their hands on this very well-researched and well-written accountthe first of several volumes, probablyof a spectacular life and career still in progress.
Reviewers copies of the book have been sent to a select number of entertainment press in markets where the book will be available. Local distribution will be handled mainly by Novelty Trading Company, while the bulk of North American and European markets will be serviced by A&B Books in New York City. A distributor in Barbados will oversee the availability of the book in the CARICOM region, while a reggae promotions company will manage the production and sales of Who Am I? in Japan.
WOULD IT MATTER IF YOUR GIRLFRIEND HAVE A SIZE 11 OR 12 FEET
IF U R A VIRGIN WOULD U LIKE YOUR FIRST TIME TOBE WITH A VIRGIN ALSO R A PROFESSIONAL
Teen Killed After Woman Crashes Truck into His Bedroom
MARIETTA, GA (AP) -- A 14-year-old boy was killed and his 13-year-old sister was injured early Sunday when a truck crashed into their Cobb County bedrooms.
Police say Janette L. Eason of Dallas was likely drunk when she drove into the one-story home at about 3 a.m. after knocking down at least three mailboxes and small utility boxes in the neighborhood.
Elliot Savry was killed and his sister, Leah, sustained leg injuries in the crash.
The truck entered the Savrys' garage and then exited the home before crashing into Elliot's bedroom and running over him.
The truck pushed him through a wall into a second bedroom where Leah slept before finally stopping, pinning the girl against an exterior wall, her brother's body underneath.
Cobb County firefighters spent several hours pulling the teens from the wreckage.
Eason is in custody and charges are pending against her. Funeral arrangements for Elliot have not been announced.
Baby Hit In Head With Hammer, Possibly By Relative
COLUMBUS, GA (AP) -- A suspect is in custody in connection with the weekend stabbings of two sisters in Columbus. Police arrested 27-year-old Ronald Ragin and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, burglary and possession of a knife.
Authorities said the attacks occurred Sunday night after Ragin targeted the women's apartment for a burglary. Police said the sibling were slashed, but were not seriously injured. Investigators said a tip from the public led to Ragin's arrest.
He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday.
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