Tower Of Babel

As an independent woman, who believes one can do anything, it is intriguing how one little incident can change the way you may decide to live your life.

Now, I don’t have a Batfink complex.. (”my wings are like a shield of steel”!!) - growing up in Jamaica has well equipped me to being aware of my environment. However, I am mentally ill prepared to deal with an invasion of my space.

In the Kingdom, it is the season of nuff fetes and merriment, all of which requires substantial resources. By extension therefore,it is also the season of petty theft.

My street is similar in profile to a Hope Pastures settup - older people, mostly professionals, nicely manicured gardens etc. Thieves will pass through to see what they can see. And since the trade dispute with the land of the Hummingbird, the fishermen have moved from flying fish to purses. My St. Lucian girlfriend who was staying with me lost her cash a month ago - so I have indirectly been a victim - they broke in (or fished out as it were), and therefore I think I am now exempt. Well….
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I got this email recently, and decided to share it with you all. Check it out:

A big corporation recently hired several cannibals. “You are all part of our team now,” said the HR rep during the welcoming briefing. “You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat, but please don’t eat any of the other employees.” The cannibals promised they would not.

Four weeks later their boss remarked, “You’re all working very hard, and I’m satisfied with you. However, one of our secretaries has disappeared. Do any of you know what happened to her?” The cannibals all shook their heads no.

After the boss had left, the leader of the cannibals said to the others, “Which one of you idiots ate the secretary?” A hand rose hesitantly, to which the leader of the cannibals continued, “You fool! For four weeks we’ve been eating Managers and no one noticed anything, but nooooo, you had to go and eat someone they would miss!

It is a popularly held notion that most managers are underworked and overpaid, is it not? Why is that, I wonder? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the joke, and also, that you will enjoy your weekend! I know I plan to enjoy mine fully!

OK, today is Friday, and this one even better, as it starts a long weekend. I man naw go back a work ’till Tuesday! Why? Monday is Independence Day….but it nuh end dehso. Next week Friday is also a holiday….Emancipation Day! So we have a three day work week ahead, with two long weekends, back to back! Sound good, nuh true?

So, now that I have managed to frig up your Friday vibe, by making all those of you who don’t have long weekends coming up jealous, let me add fuel to fire and say TGIF! I’m basically waiting for another twenty minutes to arrive, as at 0800 hours, my name is off the rota. Trus me, yesterday was a rough one, but me still deh bout, so respec due to the Almighty for giving me the strength and stamina to carry on. There are times when things get a bit stressful, man get frus out and feel like seh, away wid dis to rahtid. Anyway, this is not the topic of the post, so let me get to the task at hand.

The title is ‘other medicines’. I have said it before, a doctor cannot effectively practice if he/she is unaware of the cultural beliefs of the people they are doctoring. The bush doc plays a big part here in our country. Skin diesase is by no means left out of the domain of the obeah man, bush doctor or herbalist. Basically, a lot of medicine is all about belief…similar to the faith those of us who are believers have in a Supreme Being. If a patient does not have faith in a doctor or their prescription, it may well not work….hell they may not even fill the damn thing much less use it.

Recently, one of our HIV positive patients who has Psoriasis claimed that a ‘bleach bath’ cured his Psoriasis. Indeed, we were a bit taken aback, as he did look good compared to his previous clinic. (Dr. D suddenly wondered if he should run go buy shares in CLOROX to rass! ) The effects of the bleach were not long lasting, however! Anybody who finds a ‘cure’ for Psoriasis, a sit well pretty, u zimi.

This week, we admitted a man who has a lymphoma, he was not using his required medications, claiming that he had no money to buy them, BUT, he was anointing himself in Olive Oil and taking a wealth of Herbalife products, which are not cheap by any means! Last week, another patient asked me if he could drink Noni juice for his eczema. My reply was sure, but make sure to continue what we have prescribed as well, as they did not teach me about the positive effects of Noni juice in medical school.

Don’t feel that I am cussing these people, they believe in these alternatives to western medicine. Particularly when they have a condition that we don’t offer a cure for….they get desperate, they want to use something ‘natural’ that is not going to ‘poison’ their system. They want to suck garlic for their ‘pressure’…it is cheaper than the pill and free from side effects…..naw cause man fe lose him nature (ability to get a good erection)…..dem sorta suppem. Like I say, do what you want to do. But, when you stop taking what we western medics (who know nutten) have prescribed, and you turn to the ‘natural’ stuff that can’t harm you because its natural (yeah, right), and eventually, you tek down bad…..why are you bathering to run come to hospital for us to bail you out? Go to you herbalist and mek dem treat you!

Look on this Gleaner article…….she want breadfruit leaves fe gie her auntie for her high blood pressure. My advice? If you want to give you auntie breadfruit leaf tea to control her pressure, fine, just mek sure that the pill that doc give her swallow every day also. Me done argument.

Is Friday, man in good spirits and looking forward to later…plus the gods were nice enuff to provide me with a ’smalls’ to put into the bank from de likkle private work! So, I can buy two VX later…..anybody want one? Mad Bull , Angry Dawg? Onoo don’t hesitate to answer quickly you nuh, the offer is not a long standing one. Have a good one my crew…I sure plan to!

Well, you probably are tired of hearing me speak about cleaning up the drug barons here. Yes, I’m all for it and the present admisintration gets my for it. Have to give credit where it is due. See what the Observer has as its lead story today. Now, Glen Abbey is about ten minutes from where I live, if that much. I don’t know anyone living there…..but, I don’t blame them for what they have done. Weed them mofos out. We waan breathe some clean air in this country that should be the pearl of the Caribbean…easily.

That’s it for now. Have a productive day.

Well… am I finally here??? It is two days later than I anticipated, but better late than never.

In an attempt to further my personal growth on this big blue marble, I have decided to do a blog for one year (at least)! Being at a total loss regarding the whole technology thing, bear with me - not so many bells and whistles (hey - maybe I will eventually get to be as good as MB!!)

Two days ago was yet another anniversary of my birth…and a fine day was had by all in the kingdom. For a full account you have to read….
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Here is a short one. This is basically a lesson in what can happen when people get angry. Now, we all lose it from time to time and sometimes, it is necessary. But when you tihink of it, anger is sort of non-productive. See what can happen when we lose it! I wonder who footed the repair bill!?

ADDENDUM: News spreading like wildfire through the Kingdom of blogs…… “THE PRINCESS HAS POSTED!!” Go pay your respects to her Highness! If not, you may get (Not at all, just a joke.)

Wah gwaan people? Well, me wake a bit earlier today than usual after hitting the bed ’bout 1AM. The walk yesterday was irie and I shall most likely go again today. I believe my ab wheel is now getting tired of being used…complete change from previously where it was a sort of conversation piece a gather dust to rahtid.

Weatherwise, it seems as if our usual afternoon showers that are an ever present feature of August-September (the month of my birth) have started a bit early this year. No complaints from me still….beats the sweltering heat we had in June, keeps the hills around us green and puts water into the dams.

Being a bit early today I surfed the usual blogging crew sites and notice seh de corners well quiet…whappen to everybody? Me waan hear some noise still. So, I licked the Gleaner…..today’s news nuh post yet (at the time of writing here). Checked the Observer and read about this hoax. People out here copying too much o de friggrey dem see going on in foreign…or they following what they see in movies. Where people find time to call emergency numbers with hoaxes eh? Then again, I suppose is nuff people out here who nuh have any job…but almost everybody have cellular. Cho…dem sorta unproductive situations jus mek man waan cuss claat! But, I will be decent (yeah right) and bite mi tongue.

Last nite, I spent a long time chatting on IM. Enjoyed the rap nuff nuff. Yes, person I was chatting to is female! Ladies always welcome. Now, though I do not know the person I was chatting with, I had to mention how easy it was to ‘talk’ with her. It made me realize that using the net, a blog, and so on, is a much different situation to a telephone conversation, where you can hear the person, and even more different to a live conversation face to face. Now, I have realized this from long ago. We can hide behind a ‘facade’ on the net or a blog personality, that can be quite different from who we really are. Now, for myself, lots of what you get out of my posts is me. But, I suppose for those of my readers who really don’t know me, to get the full picture, you would need to meet me. Now, don’t get me wrong….my blog is no hoax.

IM chatting now has a sort of adventure to it in that you are never quite sure who it is that you are talking to (if you don’t know the person on the other end.) In fact, that can be good and bad at the same time. The element of the unknown always adds a certain degree of mystique to a situation when you wish to know more about an individual. Think of how your mind wonders what someone that you have an interest in looks like physically, in underwear…or better still in the raw. Let me behave myself, lest you all feel I’m some sort of perverted voyeur. But, the mind can conjure up some really serious images. At the same time, you may end up with images that are far from the truth…..so I recommend just going with the flow and not prompting a situation. A person may look completely different from the image that the mind creates and behave differently when one finally meets them. Rahtid….a thought just came into mi head….suppose is a man I was chatting to last night……posing on the net as a woman! That IS a possibility…but I will hold down dem thoughts. Basically, that means that people can be deceitful on the net, and I don’t want any such thing to happen to me.

Another thing about IM chatting that I don’t particularly like, is that things said, can be misinterpreted both ways. It can result in misunderstanding. I guess that is where the use of smilies comes into play. Difficult to express emotion and voice intonation by typing alone. The human voice and face in particular, is very versatile at expressing feeling. Anyway, having said that, the net is a wonderful and fairly cheap way of interacting. I have made a number of friends on the net…some I have met, others I am still yet to encounter face to face. So, I guess I’ll end this ramble by asking you to share your views about the net and meeting people. Hey, I didn’t even get into cybersex….what y’all feel bout dat? Still…..can’t say I’ve done that….I think as a warm blooded male, I will stick to virtual reality in that department!

Off to get likkle breakfast before me head out. Back to read comments this evening. Tek it easy nuh.

Now, I’m here having a rather heavy breakfast for during the week….some of the leftover liver that was cooked Sunday…hey, it was in the fridge…and man easy to force. Topped it off with a half apple and a kiwi….a fruit that I have learned to appreciate in recent years….I sorta think of it as a ‘ristocratic cousin to naseberry! (I could be wrong though.)

Surfed the newspapers and it is an Observer story that got me.

Now, as a yute growing up, I can’t remember giving my parents any major heartache…I basically towed the line. Hell, I wasn’t any angel, but certain shyte was just not even considered in my home. The thought of Daddy’s facial expressions alone would jus mek you put any thought of wayward behaviour to rest. Yes people, as a yute I knew that one of my major responsibilities was to put me head inna me book dem, and mek sure seh no teacher need to see my parents on account of poor grades or bad behaviour at school. That rass jus was not tolerated.

I stumbled on this article and asked myself, what is wrong with this sixteen year old. Now, I am not yet a parent (tough shit that is). But, were I placed in such a situation with any future offspring, if you asked me now what I would do… testosterone, anger and so on would dictate that she get a good rahtid beating and hear a few claats.

But, when I think about it, her staging her own ‘kidnapping’ is simply in my opinion, attention seeking behaviour. Her family needs to sit down with her and find out what a gwaan. She already is going to feel a penalty from the legal system. Probably they need the assistance of a Psychologist who is sensitive to the needs of adolescents. They have to watch this young teen. I wouldn’t put it past her to attempt suicide as a means of getting attention. Brings back to mind a case I dealt with as a medical student…girl was seventeen….very rebellious…had been expelled from several of our high schools….poor attitude, drug abuse etc. One night she took suppem like a dozen Valium….then told her mother ’bout it, went on the driveway to puff on a cigarette after…they brought her to Casualty against her will! Boyfriend at the time was suppem like thirty. I doubt she benefitted from the Psychotherapy at all and am unable to say what happened to her after. Girl left hospital after one night….claiming she was fine, not in need of help and that we never knew what we were doing anyway!

If you think about it, parents are to blame as well as the media. Parents naw spend nuh time with their offspring…they don’t know what they are up to. Movies, MTV and all that give kids the wrong ideas. Lots of the ‘role models’ give bad vibes. I don’t know, maybe I’m too analytical or unable to see through the eyes of people who do this sorta crap as I am not into that. Parenting is no easy task. If the good Lord grants me with the gift of children, I hope He will be kind enough to allow me to raise them in the right way. Any thoughts?

Guess you have all seen the secrets that the Angry Dawg exposed ’bout me. Him betta watch it. Like 9/11….tings may well ketch him by surprise…..wake him outta him kennel from sleeping bliss to rahtid! Lata.

BTW, anybody know what happen to the Princess? She gone into exile?? Yamfoot??

Hey, I suppose y’all have met the mangey mongrel mutt (is that what they call an aliteration?) that has been barking ’round the site and crapping all over the place as well. Yeah, said one name Angry Dawg. Well, mek me tell onoo suppem. Up ’till now, I really had not a damn ‘ting to post tonight. But, it seems that the Dawg don’t waan live too long still. Him claim seh him a release secret ’bout mi! Look what the dutty dawg claim seh him a release as secret about me doah eh. Him better watch it. At the rate him going, him blog soon end and de next time you link it you will read suppem like, “Sorry, the Dawg has died…here endeth this blog!” Jus cool rude bwoy. Me skin nuh thin sah, I man can tek a joke! Trus me, your time a come! Thou hast been warned. Weh my two shotta yute dem deh!?

Hey, Mad Bull is always very interested in beauty contests, both here in the Caribbean and international ones like Miss World and Universe. Jamaica has a pretty good record for producing winners in the Miss World and Universe Contests over the years.

I wonder if Mad Bull would wish to have a photo of this beauty contest winner in his Natural Beauty section??? I wonder…..

BTW, just in case you are wondering, this is NOT my main post for the day. Right now me jus a bit idle!