http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/ JamaicaObserver.com, the most concise and in-depth website for news coverage on Jamaica and the Caribbean. Updated daily 7 days a week, 24 hours a day en-us copyright Jamaica Observer, 2011 http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/A-task-for-the-next-50-years---an-inspiring-new-Parliament-building THE central focus of a capital city is the reason it is the capital — the legislative building. Our Government is based on the system which began in London, in the complex we know as Westminster. We are also no doubt familiar with the National Assembly in Paris, the Capitol in Washington, the Kremlin in Moscow and Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Each of these fine structures or complex of buildings says something about the character of the people those edifices represent. Local Opinion Sat, 26 May 2012 02:05:08 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Plenty-money----little-sense_11540548 I COULDN'T believe the story when I heard it. A teenage boy had turned up at a property to make a bid for a house and land. He could meet the purchase price. He had it all in a stack of money in a bag which he carried. If the story wasn't coming from a police officer of impeccable reputation I'd have expressed my disbelief, but the officer wasn't lying. Local Opinion Fri, 25 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Usain-is-our-Othello---Love--sex--power-and-racism_11540844 Colour and race are powerful symbols and we are in danger of losing our cachet — a tolerant, "out of many one" nation. In 1947, Seretse Khama married a white woman in the UK and tribal elders balked but "forgave" him. White racist South Africans had him exiled so he could not return to rule Botswana. Local Opinion Fri, 25 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/As-your-bishop_11494817 A lightly edited version of Bishop Howard Gregory's sermon at his enthronement as the 14th Lord Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands last Thursday. Local Opinion Thu, 24 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Credit-unions-and-crisis-leadership_11525500 THE Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League will have its yearly convention and annual general meeting this weekend in Montego Bay. Local Opinion Thu, 24 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/No-such-person-as-a-good-don_11529501 A few year ago, I entered a little two-stool joint at the top of Cassava Piece and within two minutes I was in conversation with a foreign engineer who had been there a few minutes before me and was then employed to Boygues, the French outfit handling the construction work on Highway 2000. Local Opinion Thu, 24 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Crosskill-s-departure-from-TVJ-marks-end-of-an-era_11519019 SIMON Crosskill dropped yet another media bombshell last Friday morning on TVJ's Smile Jamaica, It's Morning Time show when he disclosed that today, Wednesday, May 23, would be his last appearance on the show. Local Opinion Wed, 23 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Issues-to-consider-during-Child-Month_11519908 AS we celebrate Child Month during May, we should appreciate the lives of all children in Jamaica, the more fortunate and less fortunate, and those suffering as well as those doing well. We should focus deeply on how we can prevent or alleviate the ills that plague many of our children in this society. We should ask ourselves, 'How much value do we place on our children?' Local Opinion Wed, 23 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/-Compassion-without-Compromise---Church-throws-down-the-gauntlet_11517392 DEAR READER, Local Opinion Tue, 22 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Gloria-Palomino--A-lifetime-of-voluntary-service-to-the-police_11517390 AS Jamaica celebrates 50 years of Independence, the nation should pay homage to businesswoman Gloria Palomino who has given 66 years of voluntary service to the police force. Local Opinion Tue, 22 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Fast-fall-in-a-slow-system_11512572 THERE was a prayer chain going for Mikayla Manasseh, the five-year-old who went missing in Great Pond, St Ann, last week, and much thanksgiving when she was brought back two days later. Local Opinion Mon, 21 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Parents-have-ultimate-responsibility-for-their-children_11510366 THERE has been quite a bit of buzz lately about crime and violence against our children. Several newspaper reports have been rightly focusing on the re-emerging trend of these atrocities against our children. Yet, as beneficial as these news reports have been, it is unfortunate that many of them carry a particular bout of sensationalism. Local Opinion Mon, 21 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/IOP-ball-back-in-Omar-s-court_11494809 CONTRACTOR General Greg Christie last week deepened the controversy over Government's appointment of an Independent Oversight Panel (IOP) to oversee three major investment contracts when he placed what appeared to be onerous demands on the panel. Local Opinion Sun, 20 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Needed--a-collective-voice-in-the-G20-for-developing-countries_11494829 Between May 10 and 14, two meetings took place that were of significance to the people of developing countries, particularly small states. The outcomes of the meetings will depend on the unity of developing states in advancing their common causes, and the readiness of leaders to champion them. Local Opinion Sun, 20 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/No-growth-without-social-cohesion_11494815 NO reasonable Jamaican believes that the country is currently on track to deliver the growth that is needed in order to reduce the fiscal deficit. Unfortunately, we have grown too accustomed to growth rates in the one per cent region while seeing a massive portion of Government revenue going towards paying down debt. Local Opinion Sun, 20 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Let-s-get-our-priorities-right_11494831 THE budget estimates have been read and we should be concerned as there is no slush fund or extra money for the traditional largesse and handouts to the loyal. Local Opinion Sun, 20 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/A-high-price-to-pay-for-physical-perfection_11494825 All over the world men like women with curvaceous hips, and Jamaica is no exception. But increasingly women are going to extremes to get the desired look. Local Opinion Sun, 20 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Don-t-go-there--Ronnie_11494808 In making his contribution to Parliament's Standing Finance Committee last week, Education Minister the Reverend Ronnie Thwaites said that spending on children's education "must come before the nails, before the hairpiece, before the rum, before the cigarette". Local Opinion Sun, 20 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/A-time-to-deal-with-the-CAL-Liat-conflict_11494833 ALTHOUGH it is not an official agenda issue for this weekend's meetings in Barbados by Caricom leaders and ministers, it would be surprising if the ongoing concerns over the unhealthy competition on regional routes between the Trinidad and Tobago-owned Caribbean Air Lines Ltd (CAL) and the intra-regional carrier, LIAT, were not addressed. Local Opinion Sun, 20 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Greece-gets-another-chance-to-tackle-its-fiscal-dilemma_11501941 POLITICIANS, bankers, bureaucrats and citizens across Europe are no doubt mindful these days of the words of the ancient Roman poet, Virgil: "Equo ne credite, Teucri. Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes." Local Opinion Sat, 19 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Time-for-a-revolution-in-education_11493706 EDUCATION is our largest business. The notion that education is State-funded schools plus Independent schools is tosh. And so at last we are about to document and quantify this vast enterprise. Local Opinion Fri, 18 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Obama--President--not-Pastor-of-America_11493993 IT'S no secret. I am a great fan of the president of the United States of America. I couldn't vote for him but I still have my Obama "Yes we can" campaign T-shirt and buttons. Every time I see a photo of him and his gorgeous wife and lovely daughters, I say "Yeh man, Respeck!" Despite my exuberance, however, I'm not so fool-fool as to ignore the fact that the man has one of the most difficult jobs in the world and since he's only human, he won't be able to please everybody. Local Opinion Fri, 18 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Taxi-drivers-and-a-clean-Kingston-Harbour_11481851 WE heard in the throne speech last week that the government is hoping to rake in a certain amount of money from traffic offences. Nine years ago in 2003, I wrote in my column that increasing traffic fines only means an increase in the bribes asked for by some policemen. I am still of that view. And P J Patterson, who was prime minister at the time, said that he would look into the matter. Local Opinion Thu, 17 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Obama-s-brave-but-risky-evolutionary-trip-on-gay-marriage_11485464 A recent CBS/NYT poll has shown that 67 per cent of respondents were of the view that President Obama endorsed gay marriage because of political reasons. Local Opinion Thu, 17 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Caribbean-to-join-social-media-invasion-of-London-Olympics_11471445 YOU have to hand it to the RJR Group for the way they are handling the disappointment which they must have felt when CVM secured exclusive broadcasting rights for the London 2012 Olympic Games from International Media Content Limited (IMC) — the parent body of subscriber cable network SportsMax. Local Opinion Wed, 16 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT