The Lions and Leos of Downtown Kingston have a monthly feeding at the St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Allman Town. Though a few months ago, Suga is happy to highlight how they started their year under the theme, ‘Relieving World Hunger’, feeding over 100 senior citizens on Sunday, January 25, 2015.
The seniors were treated to a scrumptious, filling meal of Curried Goat, Rice and Peas, Tossed Salad and Fruit juice, topped off by Ice cream and Fruit cake for dessert.
It was also an inspirational day, as members of the St. Matthew’s Anglican Youth Fellowship offered prayers and inspiration via songs to the seniors present.
Items of clothing and shoes were offered to individuals in need as well.
Kudos to the Lions and Leos of Downtown Kingston for keeping up such a thoughtful and helpful initiative.
After a long day of work, ready to unwind with the Spurs-Heat NBA game on TNTUS, I saw it was blocked. I was not the least bit amused. It was a mixed feeling of panic, shock and anger all at the same time. My favourite sport blocked?! This was not a Tv show I could find online later or watch at my leisure when ready, it was a LIVE game. FLOW stated, ‘Digicel Sportsmax have bought the rights’, so I called immediately to subscribe. What about persons that do not have or wish not to spend more money on subscription channels? After all, I AM already paying for TNTUS. I then think I am missing a huge part of the game since it took 35 minutes to speak to a FLOW agent. The 2 Sportsmax channels were finally added. Angry but ready, what do I turn to Digicel Sportsmax to see? Football! on one channel, ok, the next? Sports Zone! News!, telling me about their big announcement yesterday about their ‘ideal’ acquisition with the NBA to show the games. Great. How about actually showing the game then?! Waiting any minute for them to cut and show the game, nope, did not happen. They chose to only show the second game scheduled on TNTUS that night, Warriors vs Clippers. At this point I was Irate.
So with investigation and according to digicelgroup.com, yes, Digicel Sportsmax have secured NBA rights in more than 30 Caribbean territories, making Digicel the official partner of the NBA in the region. They now have a MULTI-YEAR partnership with the NBA that will deliver live games and extensive NBA programming. Where was my Spurs-Heat live game?!
They will show 48 regular season games and 8 playoff games each season. They also claim to include the highlights show ‘NBA Action’, NBA TV and select classic games. So what about the games they don’t select? Are they going to block them too like last night?
For a full broadcast schedule, we are to visit digicelsportsmax.com but up to last night they still only had last week’s schedule up. The FLOW guide is also useless. Today I see a schedule in the paper. I am not going to have the paper at home when I am ready to watch tv, nor feel like going through the hassle to look up a Sportsmax schedule online.
I am all for progress and admire the ambition of our local television networks and the fact that Digicel has made a significant step in evolution from a pure mobile generator to a total communications and entertainment provider, but they have crossed the line with this one. I admire it but I do not care and I don’t think half of the passionate basketball fans in Jamaica and the Caribbean care either. No money is going into our pockets. More is being taken out. President and Sportsmax CEO, Olly McIntosh stated that ‘For fans this is a real treat with Digicel Sportsmax bringing a true Caribbean feel to the programming and basketball fans closer to court side than ever before’. What treat?! Not showing all the games? I already felt close to court side before this. Why must customers pay for a cable service that is constantly being disrupted? Why must customers be subjected to this? What am I left with? When will it end? It is unfair. We are expected to pay extra for channels that some of us do not want to watch, to see only SOME of our usual programmes. They block the channel from showing the programme and they do not show the programme on the station that they forced us to subscribe to. In the case of TV shows, for instance with the new show, EMPIRE, local Tv waits a whole week to show a finale that has been aired. Are they serious? Who waits a whole two weeks for a finale? Did they do the maths there?
Thank goodness for NBA League Pass, but you have to pay for that as well. I personally prefer to watch the game on the big screen and not a computer or phone if I don’t stream to the tv or have All Share Cast. The NBA League Pass does not show ‘Inside the NBA’, which was also blocked, or Halftime shows.
If our cable providers or television networks plan to make such a huge step, being inconsiderate of fans that not only just watch the game but all the juicy, in-depth analysis that comes with it as well, be prepared to show the game in the first place and have quality feed too.
I already looked through the newspaper in the early am, so after an extremely long work day, like others, I would have loved to unwind in peace, watching the channels that I just finished working hard all day to pay for. I do not feel like watching the news or anything else, I had a timer set on my phone app to watch a specific game. My therapy. Others who have to work and to a larger extent kids to take care of etc. and needed this outlet, that small time for themselves, were robbed last night and sadly may be robbed even further by Digicel Sportsmax. If I was so irate last night, I don’t want to see myself during the Playoffs! Fix it Sportsmax! Fix it! Or jus do not bother to psychologically and emotionally mess with our daily lives and routines. It affects our health as well by raising our blood pressure. Fix it.
This is a cool Easter brunch idea. Use blueberries, kiwis, strawberries, apples and pineapples to make your Easter Bunny Fruit Platter. For all Jamaicans and relatives abroad who want to add a little healthy to their Easter with all that Easter bun and cheese, go right ahead with this one.
Taken from http://www.iheartnaptime.net/easter-brunch-ideas/
Taurus Court Restaurant is the Chinese restaurant that recently opened in Musgrave Commercial Centre across from CPJ Market in Courtyard 71.
Suga took take-out last Sunday and thought it was average. Wonton soup was well, Wonton soup ($350JMD). The Satay Shrimp ($2000JMD) was good, while there was nothing special about the Chicken with Black Mushroom ($1400JMD). Prices are similar to other Chinese restaurants around town and the ones quoted do not yet include G.C.T.
The decor was decent and service time was the usual 15 to 20 minutes. However, there was a language barrier. The lady who took the order could hardly speak English, but she was so sweet. Just ensure you point to your dish on the menu. Hopefully they have someone else to take orders over the phone.
Well, at least there is another option around town. Chez Maria is open as well and although their sign has Sunday opening hours, they won’t be open on Sundays until April 12th. Now hurry and open up Tea Tree Creperie. There seems to be a Sushi Bar that may open soon in the plaza too.
Taurus Court Restaurant:
Shop 4, Musgrave Commercial Centre, 80 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston 6, JA . Tel. #: 876-978-6818/6180; 876-283-6118 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Delivery Service available Monday to Sunday, 11am-8pm @ Tel. #: 876-374-9903; 876-419-3252; 876-355-7390-1 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat. @11am-10pm; Sun. @11:30am-9:30pm   Â
Australia bowled out New Zealand for 183 runs in 45 overs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last Saturday. They then moved on to win their 5th World Cup title by 7 wickets with 186/3 (33.1 overs) !
Australia certainly was never our favourite to win the tournament based on past rivalry with the West Indies but well done and Congratulations to them.
1 cup – Shredded mozzarella or any other melting cheese
1/2 cup – Salted butter, softened
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon – Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Prep time is 30 min, serves 6.
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DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºFf
2. Melt butter in microwave and then mix in with the garlic and parsley.
3. Cut the bread diagonally into 2cm/1inch diamonds but do not cut all the way through bread (about 3/4’s of the way through the bread).
4. Use your fingers or knife to pry open each crack and drizzle in a teaspoon of butter mix and stuff in a pinch of cheese.
5. Wrap with foil and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese has mostly melted.
6. Unwrap and bake for 5 minutes more just to make the bread nice and crusty.
7. Serve immediately.
Tip: To make ahead, after wrapping with foil also wrap with cling film as well. Store in fridge overnight or freeze to store for longer. To cook, thaw completely then follow recipe instructions to bake. Always use baked bread, not uncooked bread dough.
Recipe found with Cookpad (http://cookpad.com/en).
How did you all find 50 Shades of Grey? Suga finally got around to watching it and was very disappointed. A sequel is surely forthcoming with the juicier part of the plot, but 3/4 of the movie spent showing how Mr. Grey courts Anastasia? Yawn. Then not to mention the lack of erotic sex scenes. There were a few humorous points and I loved the intensity with regards to Mr. Grey’s interactions, but the movie definitely did not live up to the hype built.
Suga thinks they should have gone straight to the action and then show us the foreplay in the sequel, with how it all began. They had the excitement in reverse. So movie watchers, don’t give up on the sequel, it should be better, especially if you read the series and know what to expect.
The Paint Jamaica initiative started in 2014, with the concept of transforming Jamaica’s visual surroundings as a social intervention via art and uplifting messages.
For instance, Paint Jamaica has connected with residents of Parade Gardens to understand their aspirations. Their feedback has been translated into beautiful, insightful murals with a positive impact designed by talented artists from all over Kingston.
Paint Jamaica has now grown into a true community project, engaging volunteers from various backgrounds as well as residents of Parade Gardens.
Paint Jamaica plans to carry the movement islandwide. In recent news, I-Octane should have shot his new music video, ‘Don’t stop di vibe’ on Fleet Street last Sunday. A huge, abandoned warehouse used to be on 41 Fleet Street, which has been transformed into a new street art landmark.
Paint Jamaica can be contacted at [email protected] and feel free to keep up to date by liking their Facebook page, Paint Jamaica.
If you would like to make donations in order to contribute to uplifting inner-city communities through the arts, follow the link: http://tinyurl.com/kbg7rto.
The various murals created by Paint Jamaica have also been framed, Â printed on mugs etc. for sale in their new Paint Jamaica Store at http://tinyurl.com/p9y93cb with all proceeds going towards future Paint Jamaica Projects.
Last Friday night, the West Indies allowed New Zealand to make a whopping 393 runs.
Martin Guptill surpassed our very own, Chris Gayle’s record of 215 made earlier in the tournament, to hit the highest world cup score, a smashing 237 runs not out. Credit must be given to Guptill’s magnificent performance, hitting all of 137 runs off of his last 52 balls, whether balls were bowled short or long, but our bowling and fielding was poor. Guptill got time to settle into long partnerships and Marlon Samuels dropped a crucial catch to get rid of him. Those catches you do not miss. They stood up and watched many balls roll to the boundary. We often fail to get dirty and dive to stop balls like other teams, harming us in the long run. The result for New Zealand was 393/6 (50 overs).
West Indies ended their innings at 250 all out in just 30.3 overs. Gayle made an exciting but short-lived 61 runs, then wickets crumbled even faster. New Zealand won by 143 runs. On top of that, Jamaica is not the only one with a ‘Bolt’. New Zealand’s fast bowler, Trent Boult is at his peak, as he took 4 early wickets. Sadly, Gayle and to a small extent Jonathan Carter, were the only threats New Zealand faced and they knew it. So, what was our strategy? Clearly the wrong one. Great effort was shown by the West Indies where batting was concerned because the result could have been much worse or embarrassing, as we have witnessed before in those situations. However, I believe they were incorrectly guided.
With a massive target of 393 runs, the strategy should not be to go out there and instantly make as much 6s and 4s as possible. After all it is not 20/20 cricket. They should have attempted to bat out the entire innings, peaking at the right intervals, not wildly going after 99% of the balls bowled exposing the wickets or blocking them when it was too late resulting in LBWs.
Overall, the current West Indies team is not good. Well clearly we haven’t had a good one in a while. The sport has evolved and we cannot rely on raw talent anymore. Teams West Indies used to destroy in the past have moved way beyond us. Teams we used to rival in the past such as Australia and New Zealand, totally demolish us now at practically every meeting if not all. What are they doing differently? When Australia wanted to pull themselves away to make themselves better than us in our hay day, they started looking back at the tapes, at every angle. They took it to a technical level. It’s like what is happening now with the death of Brazilian or South American football compared to European football. Times are changing and so are techniques, styles and tactics. Therefore the way West Indies are currently and have been training need to change. In a situation with a an unfit Gayle who barely got cleared to play New Zealand, all should not rest on his shoulders.
As shocking as it may seem, some of us still rally around the West Indies and do not refer to them as the ‘Worst Indies’. There were a lot of men named, ‘Hopeton’ in the bar on Friday night. I am appealing for us to rebuild. At the end of the day, the players get blamed but from management right down is responsible.
