Jamaican Festivals- Weekend Post

International Reggae Day is a blowout musical festival in Jamaica. Usually celebrated in July, this festival hosts not only musical talent shows, but a talent search, workshops and a lecture on the life of reggae icon, Bob Marley. This concert is broadcast live all over the world via satellite television and the Internet.
Reggae Sumfest takes place the first week in August each year in Montego Bay. The best in reggae are brought together for a week of sonic celebration. Visitors can purchase tickets for just one night of partying or can spend a little more and get weekend passes, or even a pass for the whole week. Some tickets even include backstage passes. Some reggae artists that perform at this event include Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Sean Paul, Vybz Kartel, Mavado and many others. In addition to this, there is sometimes an international festival that takes place  in which international singers come and perform. For example, Toni Braxton performed at the event in the summer of 2009 for the first time. Without a doubt, Reggae Sumfest is a great way to enjoy a week of music. To see more Jamaican festivals, click here.

                     

Folktales tell a story

Well now, that rascal Brer Fox hated Brer Rabbit on account of he was always cutting capers and bossing everyone around. So Brer Fox decided to capture and kill Brer Rabbit if it was the last thing he ever did! He thought and he thought until he came up with a plan. He would make a tar baby! Brer Fox went and got some tar and he mixed it with some turpentine and he sculpted it into the figure of a cute little baby. Then he stuck a hat on the Tar Baby and sat her in the middle of the road.Brer Fox hid himself in the bushes near the road and he waited and waited for Brer Rabbit to come along. At long last, he heard someone whistling and chuckling to himself, and he knew that Brer Rabbit was coming up over the hill. As he reached the top, Brer Rabbit spotted the cute little Tar Baby. Brer Rabbit was surprised. He stopped and stared at this strange creature. He had never seen anything like it before! "Good Morning," said Brer Rabbit, doffing his hat. "Nice weather we're having." The Tar Baby said nothing. Brer Fox laid low and grinned an evil grin. Brer Rabbit tried again. "And how are you feeling this fine day?"
The Tar Baby, she said nothing. Brer Fox grinned an evil grin and lay low in the bushes.
Brer Rabbit frowned. This strange creature was not very polite. It was beginning to make him mad.
"Ahem!" said Brer Rabbit loudly, wondering if the Tar Baby were deaf. "I said 'HOW ARE YOU THIS MORNING?"
The Tar Baby said nothing. Brer Fox curled up into a ball to hide his laugher. His plan was working perfectly!
"Are you deaf or just rude?" demanded Brer Rabbit, losing his temper. "I can't stand folks that are stuck up! You take off that hat and say 'Howdy-do' or I'm going to give you such a lickin'!"
The Tar Baby just sat in the middle of the road looking as cute as a button and saying nothing at all. Brer Fox rolled over and over under the bushes, fit to bust because he didn't dare laugh out loud.
"I'll learn ya!" Brer Rabbit yelled. He took a swing at the cute little Tar Baby and his paw got stuck in the tar.
"Lemme go or I'll hit you again," shouted Brer Rabbit. The Tar Baby, she said nothing.
"Fine! Be that way," said Brer Rabbit, swinging at the Tar Baby with his free paw. Now both his paws were stuck in the tar, and Brer Fox danced with glee behind the bushes.
"I'm gonna kick the stuffin' out of you," Brer Rabbit said and pounced on the Tar Baby with both feet. They sank deep into the Tar Baby. Brer Rabbit was so furious he head-butted the cute little creature until he was completely covered with tar and unable to move.
Brer Fox leapt out of the bushes and strolled over to Brer Rabbit. "Well, well, what have we here?" he asked, grinning an evil grin.
Brer Rabbit gulped. He was stuck fast. He did some fast thinking while Brer Fox rolled about on the road, laughing himself sick over Brer Rabbit's dilemma.
"I've got you this time, Brer Rabbit," said Brer Fox, jumping up and shaking off the dust. "You've sassed me for the very last time. Now I wonder what I should do with you?"
Brer Rabbit's eyes got very large. "Oh please Brer Fox, whatever you do, please don't throw me into the briar patch."
"Maybe I should roast you over a fire and eat you," mused Brer Fox. "No, that's too much trouble. Maybe I'll hang you instead."
"Roast me! Hang me! Do whatever you please," said Brer Rabbit. "Only please, Brer Fox, please don't throw me into the briar patch."
"If I'm going to hang you, I'll need some string," said Brer Fox. "And I don't have any string handy. But the stream's not far away, so maybe I'll drown you instead."
"Drown me! Roast me! Hang me! Do whatever you please," said Brer Rabbit. "Only please, Brer Fox, please don't throw me into the briar patch."
"The briar patch, eh?" said Brer Fox. "What a wonderful idea! You'll be torn into little pieces!"
Grabbing up the tar-covered rabbit, Brer Fox swung him around and around and then flung him head over heels into the briar patch. Brer Rabbit let out such a scream as he fell that all of Brer Fox's fur stood straight up. Brer Rabbit fell into the briar bushes with a crash and a mighty thump. Then there was silence.
Brer Fox cocked one ear toward the briar patch, listening for whimpers of pain. But he heard nothing. Brer Fox cocked the other ear toward the briar patch, listening for Brer Rabbit's death rattle. He heard nothing.
Then Brer Fox heard someone calling his name. He turned around and looked up the hill. Brer Rabbit was sitting on a log combing the tar out of his fur with a wood chip and looking smug.
"I was bred and born in the briar patch, Brer Fox," he called. "Born and bred in the briar patch."
And Brer Rabbit skipped away as merry as a cricket while Brer Fox ground his teeth in rage and went home.

To see more folklores, Click Here

The Two Americas

Based on Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, he believes there is two Americas. In simplicity, Dr. King means that one America has an abundance of jobs and opportunity for its citizens. On the other hand, he speaks of the lack of respect for African- Americans and how African- Americans have no jobs and even if they do have jobs, their pay is severely low compared to white people. Today, I do think that racism is still about in the world, but we do not see many cases of racism today. -      

In addition, the majority of all people are given the same opportunity when it comes to jobs. Due to the recession the country is in now, there are not as many jobs which means that the country is not really overflowing with an abundance of milk and honey. Similarly, the other America today is poor. The Declaration of Independence says that all men are created equally, so why should anyone be treated differently.

MLK Speech sound bite

High School Student Tasered at a Basketball Game

Click Here for CW Pittsburgh News Article
Click Here for Fox News Article

Recently, I have read the news and learned that a high school student was tasered after a basketball game at his school. First off, a taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. In my opinion, the officer and the school staff was to be blamed. The officer seemed to carelessly use his taser on the student when the student technically didn't do anything wrong. The officer should have took action in different ways by handcuffing the student to keep him still and try to resolve the matter. The staff as well did nothing to aid in the situation. As I watched the video, I didn't see any adult try to aid in the situation by at least trying to clear the hallway with all the students. Despite the fact that the student did play an active role in what was happening, he should partially take the blame. This is because the student should have respected the authority of the officer. He should have stood still knowing that if he made sudden movement, the officers would immediately take action.

 A TASER IS AN ELECTRICSHOCK WEAPON THAT USES ELECTRICAL CURRENT TO DISRUPT VOLUNTARY CONTROL OF MUSCLES. THIS WEAPON WAS USED ON THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT!!!

sCRIPT- bROWN sound bite