What else would you expect from a child who came in to the world weighing 10 lbs, and being born in to a family with a strong ‘appreciation’ (or better yet appetite) for food.

My grandfather (God rest his soul) had a great but terrifying philosophy, which was, ‘If you’re hungry, then eat’… and I still recall the weekly dinners that would consist of three types of meats with gravy to go with each one, a variety of carbs including yams, potatoes, and rice, a few steamed and raw vegetables smothered in salad dressing and all the lemonade (sweetened to perfection) that one could consume. For those of you who don’t understand Jamaican cuisine, Jamaican gravy is made up of all the grease and seasoning that drizzled from the meat during preparation, with a few extra garnishes added.

Being skinny has a stigma attached to it in Jamaica, as it is seen as a sign of malnutrition or disease, much worse for people who were once oversized and all of a sudden you could see their cheekbones.

So what did I do?

Find ways to convince myself that being big is my own personal choice. You tell yourself things like “well I’m big boned” or “I don’t think I would look good if I was too skinny” just to circumvent the fact that you just had another handful of Planters peanuts and are now starring at the bottom of the tin.

You laugh and can relate to comedians, actors and artists who say “being big is beautiful” and “you should love yourself the way you are” right up until you see them on that Jenny Craig advertisement talking about how happy they feel now that they’ve lost all the weight – those sell outs!

So what’s the solution if all your life every single thing you did was a turn in the direction of the Big and the Bountiful l? Why is it even though you tell yourself “I don’t care about my weight” you find yourself changing the channel every time another work out ad comes on telling you how great their product is, and how much weight you’re going to lose?

The truth is there is no beauty or benefit in being big… physically, emotionally, medically or financially and there is no any ONE thing that is going to magically transform the way you look. The answer is not in a workout video, a new pill, a fad diet or funny tasting tea, the answer is a complete and thorough lifestyle change. Obviously this is something that will require a tremendous amount of discipline and dedication because you have to completely unlearn all the bad habits you’ve grown accustomed to, and re-train your body to love the things that it was genetically designed to love.

However, watching what you eat is a gargantuan task in modern society who is continuously asking if “you want butter with that” or “will you like to have that supersized”. The same goes for working out when you know you have everything else in the world to do right now, except… work out. But the sad truth is, by the time most people realize they should have been more disciplined, it’s usually too late and they now suffer with some disease or ailment.

I decided I had to take a stand, and reclaim what was rightfully mine… my body! I’m not going to tell you that all your meals should look like raw sewage, or that you all your meals have to taste like you are eating them with a balloon over your tongue. You don’t need crazy gym memberships, an entire session dedicated to working out, and you most definitely don’t need to be taking any pills. It all starts with obedience.

The major problem for most of us is impatience, because we want results and we want to see them now, but no change that happens quickly is ever a good thing. The most lasting impressions take time and dedication. Just like you train a muscle to get bigger, or your mind to remember things you have to train your body to like the things that are good for it, and hate the things that aren’t.

Start very small, and listen to what your body says. It will tell you things like ‘I like that… I can deal with that… you need to let me rest now… I’m ready to try that again”. And the more progress you make, the better you will feel physically and emotionally.

Think about how crappy you feel after a night of alcohol drinking, or the discomfort you feel after you’ve devoured a whole cow. Some of us have gotten to the point where we’ve trained our body’s so well, we don’t even listen to it anymore, and that’s where things become dangerous. Slow and steady wins the race. Give yourself little personal goals, and don’t forget to recognize and celebrate every achievement. I always find there is strength in numbers, so getting a friend to tag along is always great motivation. For tips and tricks to some of my favourite foods, works outs, exercises and practices stay tuned to future blogs, and lets make this trek together.

Laza, who almost completely snuck on to the local scene last summer with ‘One By One’ featuring the musical maestro himself Movado, compliments the vocals of Lady Tifa, as she chose to adopt  more of an R & B feel to her next track, but by no means sounding out of place. Tifa manages to abandon her regular ‘trace up’ format to embrace a slightly softer, sexy, yet still edgy side that works almost perfect for the message of the song.

For those persons who doubted that Tifa could escape the clutches of the dancehall arena and make it on the international scene, should not be surprised if this song is the first of many that will catapult her into the foreign circuit. An excellent step in my opinion as she slowly creeps in to a format that will no doubt be a new anthem accepted by all creeds and races. Way to go Tiffy Tif.

Those that are lucky enough to call themselves a celebrity have been blessed by the recognition of others who are not only able to relate to these experiences, but may even want to make a few of them their own.  At the risk of sounding extremely cliché I have to add that with this great power also comes great responsibility.

Over the course of time, music has covered a wide range of topics, but typically focuses on issues of love, poverty, wealth, sex, power and praise. More recently our own Jamaican artist have been tapping in to their creative centers and coming up with some extremely out-of-the box ideas, which adds a refreshing spin on the typically monotonous direction that music in the Caribbean was going. However, as much as I am in admiration for the bold way they have chosen to embrace these topics, they can’t lose sight of the fact that again, they are celebrities and people will attempt to in cooperate what they say into their own lives.

Now let me be clear; if a celebrity chooses to engulf their body in tattoos, have a million sex partners or smoke a truck load of weed a day, I strongly believe that is their own prerogative, and quite frankly none of our business. If we choose to do the same thing, we have chosen to embrace that reality ourselves. However, when an artist goes as far as to advocate this lifestyle, is where one must draw the line. Therefore, telling people that bleaching their skin to look whiter is an admirable practice, insisting that smoking weed is fun and inspirational and more recently, being in support of cheating and infidelity goes way beyond the realm of creative prowess and straight into the plains of irresponsibility.

Those that stand in defense of their favorite artist are quick to say “it’s a reality” and “they are only educating or bringing awareness to the public.” But they are missing the fundamental difference or important aspect about education and awareness, and that is recognizing the dangers of being misinformed and helping to empowering persons to liberate themselves from ignorance and malpractice.

Others may argue that like my earlier statement, whether one chooses to listen to an artist is their own decision and the responsibility should not be placed on the artist. But again I remind you that we are social beings, prone to persuasion. The founding years of our lives are structured by imitation and instruction, and we all thrive on social acceptance. One also has to accept that we also look for role models in life to help shape our own social constructs. If we are in adoration of someone, we will want to be like them, do what they do, accept their principles and embrace their beliefs. This is indeed bolstered when someone we admire openly states or promotes certain practices or beliefs, and this is the founding principle to which the advertising industry exists!

“I never asked for this responsibility” is no excuse. One needs to understand that with the price of popularity comes a unwritten clause that states, the people embrace both your public and private persona, and what you say may directly or inadvertently affect the lives of many. Therefore being a celebrity or personality, what you do, but more importantly what you say will shape the thoughts and actions of millions of people, even those we deem to be well-informed or capable or making their own choices!

Music can be used to heal or to break down, to inspire or de-motivate, to liberate or enslave, to empower or to encapsulate. When God created the world, the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy (Job 38:7). To deny that music does not hold great power, is to deny that power could exist in so simple yet so triumphant a form that it can be given to almost anyone who chooses to embrace it. But to those much is given, much is required. We need to learn to embrace our responsibilities and stop making excuses.

Like Sixth Sense and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I literally had no clue what I was walking in to, yet again the movie gods were kind as I was pleasantly entertained.

For those of you who haven’t read the book, the movie takes place in a somewhat futuristic yet almost alternate universe ruled by The Capital, to which smaller districts all pay homage with the price of blood. And how might they do this you ask? By borrowing one of TV’s newest forms of viewing pleasure… the reality game show.  The writer of the original novel Suzanne Collins took the concept of Real World/ The Challenge and turned it into a plot in which 24 adolescents are forced in to a ‘last man standing’ survival game show to the delight of a television audience. However the ‘safety net’ of the reality show is removed, as these teens are forced to kill each other in order to survive. As gruesome and barbaric as the plot may sound, Collins still finds away to tackle such issues as poverty, starvation, oppression and even love, much like in the movie V for Vendetta.

The main character Katniss Everdeen is played by Jennifer Lawrence who is no longer sporting her blue scaly Mystique armor and is supported by Journey To The Center of The Earth’s Josh Hutcherson, and also features big names like Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks and yes.. Lenny Kravitz.

So what does two hours and twenty minutes of movie get you?

Well for starters, to the lay person, a very long and drawn out introduction which, if you had the chance, you might have changed the channel after the first 20 minutes. The plot takes an extremely long time to develop yet still does not give you an opportunity to learn much about any other characters besides the main ones. However once you’ve finally established the direction of the movie, the rest is smooth sailing.

The action scenes though riveting made you feel a bit dizzy, since they were shot in ‘Point Of View’ sequence. It adds to the excitement of the movie, but at times made you want to grab the screen and hold it still.

The images, sets, props and costumes were all noteworthy and well thought out giving you the feeling of another time and place not too far from now, without feeling detached from the surrounding. However the biggest drawback for me, had to be the extremely cliché and poorly handled love relationship between the two main characters…  you’ll get what I mean after you watch the movie!

For those of you who felt like you were robbed in the very end, bear in mind that this is still a trilogy, with Catching Fire and Mokingjay left to follow. Speaking with other persons who have read the books, I have received mixed reviews, but the overall consensus is the movie sticks as close to the book as Harry Potter did. In spite of the time, the movie surely does not feel lengthy as I guarantee you’ll be sucked in to Suzanne Collins world of excitement, survival and fantasy.

Inspired by Destra Garcia's 'Baddist'

Inspired by Machel Montano's Mr. Fete

I will start by saying that I sincerely believe that Rihanna is one of the greatest puppets to ever emerge from our generation. She takes direction better than a roller coaster regardless of the fact that it is already secured to a track. The only difference is I can see her getting derailed very shortly!

Let’s start with when Rihanna first emerged on the scene. Robyn was the cute little girl from Barbados who just happened to catch a break when she got the attention of the Def Jam Record executives. Many believe that she wowed them with her talent; I believe they saw the immensely powerful blank slate sitting before them, whom they could mould in to any shape they wanted.

Right about this time, Sean Paul, Elephant Man and Wayne Wonder had already began paving the way for this new dancehall movement that was taking place overseas, so the first album ‘Music of The Sun’ and her cute little island girl image was perfect for helping Rihanna get her feet wet, and some much needed exposure. Many of you will remember the Diwali Riddim and its ever increasing popularity, which just happened to sound very similar to the one used in ‘Pon De Replay’ . Add some good writing and catchy beats and you have an instant pop star. We embraced her, and we loved it!

Also, coming from a camp that put her at arm’s reach of another amazing pop icon, Beyonce, she had no choice but to push just as hard, putting out another album the following year ‘A Girl Like Me’, where she slowly gave fans exactly what they were looking for… a peak through the curtains of the girl next door. It was perfect because the cute little island girl suddenly had a little naughty side to her. With songs like S.O.S, We Ride and Unfaithful  it wasn’t long before people wanted to know just what was going on behind closed doors, which means there was a sudden interest. But this is where it all went down hill!

Hollywood wasn’t waiting for a silly publicity stunt or leaked porno tape to keep this girl on top. So when Britney Spears and Mary J told the Dream where to stick his ‘Umbrella’ song , Def Jam told Rihanna its time to cut your hair and get naked… we want you to be bad! They weren’t even subtle about the next direction they wanted her to go, because they put it right on the album cover… Good Girl Gone Bad.

There she was Breakin Dishes, telling guys to Shut Up and Drive and even checking herself in to Rehab. In fact I believe Rihanna played the role so well it was what landed her another break out performance where Def Jam would get exactly what they wanted to launch her new identity… The Victim. The Chris Brown saga stole the hearts of everyone around the world, who didn’t see the girl who was waving her Na Na at men and asking for trouble, but again the poor little island girl who was a victim of abuse.  Her team could do whatever they wanted at this point, because everyone feels sorry for a victim and everyone wanted to hear how Rihanna would respond to the situation.

Rated R was exactly what they got as they watched the mind of a tormented little girl go through all the phases that a victim goes through, playing Russian Roulette, questioning her identity in Te Amo and even being confused because she still wanted a Rude Boy. Do you guys notice a trend here, or do you still think it’s all coincidence?

Suddenly Ms Long curly haired island girl, was a Rockstar completely shedding her Caribbean roots and fully embracing the Western image. Who the hell are you? At this point in time Rihanna has now catered to a cross section of people that would only exclude the Christians and Country Music Lovers, although I do believe that’s the direction she was going for with the song California King Bed on her follow up album ‘Loud’ which is still my favourite one to date. Now she was portraying some red haired bimbo who loved to flash her middle finger and apparently didn’t give a fuck, which came across loud and clear when she took a picture with little kids brandishing her FUCK necklace. Sometimes I do wonder if Rihanna thinks she’s the Only Girl in the World. I wonder what sort of issues shes battling with, and if she’s suffering from an identity crisis. If you play so many roles on a daily basis you tend to forget which one is actually you, and sooner or later you lose yourself completely.

I can’t understand if, like many before her, people are simply ignoring the character and enjoying the music. Heaven forbid, it’s what I have to do to make it through a Vybez Kartel song. But at the end of the day I also can’t help wonder if people still think that what you see on screen is really the person who is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. I can’t help wonder if her off stage antics of alcohol and drug abuse will be another cover story, and ‘shocker to the world’ when she is found in a similar predicament as Amy Winehouse.  And I definitely can’t help wonder if we’ve seen the last of these multiple personalities.

Some of you might argue, its been done before by people in the past, such as Madonna. But the difference is, with Madonna we saw a metamorphosis. Madonna slowly blossomed from a provocative little girl to the woman she is today. In the space of 6 years, Rihanna has already tried on 7 or 8 personas, which is fundamentally why I can’t appreciate the artist personally. I don’t feel sorry for her, I don’t think she’s a victim and I don’t even think she has any control of her career and where she wants it to go next.

Needless to say, she’s a marketing company’s dream, a record labels ideal artist and a tabloids best friend. We say “that video is too provocative” she makes 10 more even worse videos for the hype. Sensationalism and controversy only goes hand in hand with whatever gimmick it takes to sell another record. Am I surprised there are Chris Brown rumors now? Absolutely not. She needs something to distract us from the fact that not winning a 2012 Grammy, probably has her team pee-ing in their pants. “WE NEED ANOTHER GIMMICK”.

At the end of the day Rihanna will always make a hell of a lot more money than me, she will always reach far more people than this half dead article ever will and she might even be knighted one day, but the truth is, I wouldn’t ask for one minute of it, if at the end of the day I couldn’t be myself. I may never know fame like she does, but I will always know who I am, and that makes me sleep at night. Don’t expect that I plan to boycott a CD launch or burn a poster, because I still have a tremendous amount of respect for her delivery, her work ethic and her overall devotion to the roll. I could only hope that one day I sit with this girl and discover who she really is, and not who they keep telling her to be.

Maybe this article or others like it is the reason she has to be the way she is. Maybe she’s shielding her true identity, her own ideas because she’s afraid that the world will rip them to pieces… or maybe like she said in Love the Way You Lie (part 2) – ..”its sick that all these battles, are what keeps me satisfied”.

Since then we have seen a number of roles that have tested the Canadian’s prowess as a force to be reckoned with amongst the acting greats, but none came as close to when Reynold’s was asked to star alongside Oscar Award Winning and veteran actor Denzel Washington in the movie Safe House.

In Safe House, Reynolds plays a CIA trainee Matt Weston, itching for his chance to prove himself as a serious agent, when out of the blue he is forced in a sink or swim situation that elevates his status from door jam, to in the direct line of fire. An ex agent now turned CIA’s most  wanted, Tobin Frost played by Washington gives Weston a chance of a lifetime to make his name, whilst also sneaking a peek in to some of the CIA dirtiest secrets.

For the first time Reynolds sheds his comedic character and allows us to embrace his more serious side without loosing those elements that we have come to admire about him. It almost appears as if he and Washington switched roles with Mr. Smooth himself injecting a little sarcasm and wit in his usual Denzel style.

The story itself feels like one that has been done before, stealing elements of the Bourne Trilogy, Fugitive and Enemy of The State, however it does add it’s own spin on the whole conspiracy surrounding some of the unscrupulous techniques employed by government agencies, and a new perspective in to the life of someone who wears the badge.

The movie provides very little in surprises or turn of events as from the very beginning we understand the direction of the story line, but what the movie lacked in suspense, it made up for with drama and action, and I’m sure both young and older females can appreciate this hot duo gracing their screens.

All in all Safe House is another great ‘go see on the big screen’ that will most definitely not disappoint movie lovers.

I think we’ll take it from here

I’d like to pause and move away from the devastation of this event, to stop and recognize one of 2012’s all time douchiest Captains, Francesco Schettino, and all the reasons why he’s such an epic fail to humanity. This just goes to show you that between him and George Bush, even stupid people can (or can they) steer the ship!

8. He’s Italian. No offence, but between Jersey Shore and this guy hitting the Giglio shore, I’m starting to fear that meatball is more fitting as an adjective than a noun. I love everything from Italian food to Italian women, but honestly… some people should never see the light of day.

7. He deviated from the plan. Now look I’ve seen enough Star Trek to know that Captain Piccard does not change course unless there’s an emergency, and trust me, there was NO emergency. Sounds to me like he just wanted to take matters in to his own hands!

6. He was showboating??? It’ s on record that Schettino came close to Giglio to salute Mario Palombo, a legend among Costa Cruises’ commanders, and as a gesture to the only Giglio native on board, chief steward Antonello Tievoli. Umm okay, so I’ve heard of guys pulling up and a stoplight and revving their engines, but this is ridiculous!

5. This is my favorite. Captain abandons ship early. Not only did he pull an American Pie and get off early, his excuse was (get this) he tripped, fell and landed in the life boat! No REALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. He ordered the turn late. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but I understand that a ship must begin a regular stop at least 10 miles away from its destination and 3 miles for an emergency. It looks to me like he just didn’t get the “hand brake” up in time!

3. He was initially a safety officer? Yes that’s right Schettino joined Costa in 2002 as a safety officer, served as a staff captain, and was appointed captain in 2006, according to the cruise line. Seems more like In Living Color’s Fire Marshall Bill if you ask me. “Let me tell you something!!!!!!”

2. He never called the Italian Coast Guard. According to reports, the Italian Coast Guard, which would have been the first to respond, heard about the emergency last. That’s like deploying the air bag and jumping out of the moving vehicle before applying the brakes

1. AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON… He refused to get back on board. Now I get that he tucked and rolled and ended up in one of the life boats, but when the coast guard saw him and called him out, he damn near argued! (See conversation here). Are you kidding me??? WHAT A DOUCHE

My heart and well wishes goes out to the families and friends who lost a love one, or who still has someone missing as a result of this tragic accident. However I would like to send out my sincerest condolences to the people that ever had to come in contact, with this absolute waste of a human being!

I hadn’t nearly parked my car on the sidewalk and began to wind down the window to correct my horrible parallel parking job, when suddenly through the streets of Kingston, echoing from the Red Bones Blues Café, was a sweet melodic voice, soaring way above the smoke and terror of the streets. This couldn’t have been the one who I was here to see, this must have been coming from some nearby car stereo. I quickly made my way to the entrance, and low and behold through the corner of my eye, I could already see that Tara Harrison had the entire venue under her command.

Carefully crafted in the land of black green and gold, but tempered in the United States, this songstress is no joke when it comes to exuberant vocal ability, indelible song writing skills and captivating stage presence. Tara sent us on a musical journey which included a few cover songs with the likes of Lauryn Hill (Lost One and There For Me) Mary J Blige, Toni Braxton and of course Alicia Keys where she payed homage to her current stomping ground New York. But believe it or not, it wasn’t her magnificent spin on the already established artist’s songs that caught my attention.

Tara’s vocal ability ranges from the soulful symphony of RnB to her rhythmic roots in reggae, but still hones the edginess of a rock star and even kicks it up a notch bumping away to the fist pumping sounds of House music. In fact, her new single Without You is guaranteed to have you as Jersey Shore Crazy as I was, as her music (yes I’ll blame it on that) now had me stage side and out of my seat. I just couldn’t get enough of the girl who finally understands what it means to entertain a crowd.

Tara is no stranger when it comes to music, growing up to the sounds of Glady  Knight and my all time favorite Jackson 5, but she still boasts a catalogue that includes Mariah Carey, Keith Haring and of course, let’s not forget the legendary Bob Marley. Her love for Jamaica could have been the inspiration for her upcoming album entitled Home Away From Home, set to be released in the coming summer… which will be a definite inclusion to my music library.

So what is it about the artist that had me in a daze? Well, some of the more memorable moments of the night included a personal section where she shared some of her songs about love and heart break, accentuated by the musical skills of Black Zebra’s Wayne McGregor and Omar Azan.  The seductive and sensational sulstress slithered her way into the hearts of the all too captivated crowd just before she kicked it up a notch again to have us all partying like rock stars. Even hours after I exited the venue I was still reminiscing about some of the tunes that were performed throughout the night. You better put out an album soon!

For those of you that couldn’t be there, you can look out for Tara Harrison performing for the second time at the 2012 Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival or be sure to check her out on her website www.taraharrison.com or add her on twitter @iamtaraharrison.

Having weighed my options giving actor Sam Worthington the respect he deserves for his roles in Avatar and the 2010 remake to Clash of the Titans, I figured the least I could wager was a box seat and a bucket of pop corn… and again, I was not disappointed.

A Man On A Ledge has a similar feel and style of Kevin Spacey and Sam Jackson’s The Negotiator, with a little bit of Clive Owen’s meandering plot to Inside Man. I would even go as far as to say despite the preconceived notion that a man standing on the ledge of a building could prove as painstaking as watching paint dry, the movie packed a punch that at many points had you on the edge of your seat, and in some instances on top of it (cue the excitement you felt the first time you saw Trinity pause in mid air to do that flying kick in The Matrix).

Nick Cassidy, played by Worthington, is an ex cop, who’s out to prove his innocence in a case that could land him in prison for life, forcing him to go through some desperate and often idiotic steps (ring any bells). The movie also calls on the talents of Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri Make a Porno) as the police psychologist called to help talk Cassidy out of jumping from the building. Banks, though accustomed to a more comedic delivery, fit the bill with her Saturday- morning-hung-over personality. There was also veteran actor Ed Harris (The Rock) who seems to be aging a lot faster than I can remember, Jack Dougherty and newcomer to the big screen Genesis Rodriguez, who could kick the panties off of Megan Fox on any hotness scale, without sacrificing actual acting skill.

For some patrons who came in almost half an hour in to the film, it was still simple enough for them to catch up quickly without the annoying “what happened already” questions, yet it was still intricate enough to keep you guessing how it was all going to turn out.

Some elements that were missing was a deeper snapshot in to officer Cassidy’s past, that would help us understand where his mastermind skills come from. Although being the focus of the movie, Cassidy plays more of a head coach role to a small team of person’s who aid him in proving his innocence, however no explanation is given in to how or where he would have acquired his Michael Scofield like prowess.  

There was also a host of misplaced actors, who’s talents I was hoping would have been utilized in stronger ways. The experience was still enough for me to recommend that you cast your bets and go see this one in the theater. Although there was not much in terms of high resolution visual effects, without the contribution of an in home theater, it could be easy to loose all the excitement the movie has to offer. Hold on the ledge… I mean the edge of your seats.