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Thursday, April 30, 2015

Edward Seaga

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception


Edward Seaga's contributions to Independent Jamaica INCLUDE ....
1967, first Jamaican majority-owned commercial bank - Jamaica Citizens Bank (JCB)
1968, Jamaica Stock Exchange
1969, decimalization of the Jamaican currency
1969, nationalization of financial institutions - banks and insurance companies
1969, Introduction of merchant banking
1971, Jamaica Unit Trust
1972 Jamaica Mortgage Bank
1981 National Development Bank (NDB)
1981 Agricultural Credit Bank (ACB)
1982 Agro 21
1982, Divestment Programme, commencing with lease of government-owned hotels
1984, Self-Start Fund
1985, Comprehensive Tax Reforms including a flat income tax rate for all
1985, Solidarity Programme for micro-businesses
1986, Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank)
1986, De-regulation of economy, commencing with removal of import licencing; later price controls
1986, Privatization of financial institutions - NCB
1987, JAMPRO (formerly JNIP)
1988, Digiport - first satellite telecommunications data processing operation - Montego Bay

1988, One Million Trees Programme

Planning and development::
Rural and urban planning and the environment have been prime areas of development in Seaga's career. He has focused on waterfront development in the main coastal towns and cities, rural and urban township development programmes, and the development of parks and markets. They included the following:
1963, 5-Year Development Plan
1966, Redevelopment of Kingston Waterfront
1967, Comprehensively planned urban communities - redevelopment of 'Back-o-Wall' slum as Tivoli Garden, a modern, fully planned urban development; Hellshire Hills development; Portmore Town centre; Torrington Park
1967, Reclamation and development of Ocho Rios Waterfront (Turtle Beach)
1968 Urban Development Corporation
1969 Comprehensive development plan for infrastructure of many rural towns (later CRDTDP)
1971 20-Year Physical Development Plan
1983 National Conference Centre - headquarters of the International Seabed Authority
1983 National Committee for Drug Abuse
1985 MPM - Beautification and Public Cleansing
1988 Reclamation of Montego Bay Waterfront
1988 Negril development (Bloody Bay)
1988 Social Well-being Plan
Land Bank - purchase of 50,000 acres of prime properties for future development (Negril, Orange Bay, Auchindown, Mt. Edgecombe, Seville, Laughing Water, Belmont (Dunns River), Winifred Rest Home property, Caymanas, Hellshire Hills.
Development of several hotels - Kingston Waterfront, Ocho Rios, Negril.

Social programmes:
was the architect of a wide range of social programmes which expanded training in human resources, aided small enterprises and protected the poor and vulnerable:
1963 Construction of the National Arena
1963 Things Jamaican - craft development
1963 Launching of the Drug Abuse Committee (later Council)
1964 100 Village Community Development Programme
1965 Community sports development on a structured islandwide basis
1965 The Golden Age Movement
1965 The National Volunteers
1970 Student Revolving Loan Fund for Higher Education
1971 National School Feeding Programme
1972 Establishment of Jamaica Racing Commission and Jockey School
1974 Institute of Mass Communication; later renamed Caribbean Institute of Media & Communication (CARIMAC)
1982 H.E.A.R.T. (Human Employment & Resource Training)
1984 Food Stamp Programme for elderly poor and lactating mothers
1984 ARP - Administrative Reform Programme for fundamental Civil Service reforms
1985 Golden Age Home fr the elderly poor
1986 L.E.A.P. (Learning for Earning Activity Programme) for street children
1988 P.A.C.E. (Programme for Advancement of Early Childhood Education)
1988 Residential Halls for UWI, UTECH and Cultural Training Centre

Cultural programmes:

In independent Jamaica, he established institutions to build cultural awareness and national identity and to develop arts, crafts and national heritage.
1963 Jamaica Festival
1964 Promotion to launch Jamaican music (ska) abroad
1964 Return and interment of Marcus Garvey's body at Jamaica
1964 Order of National Heroes - Garvey first named hero
1964 National Heroes Park
1965–69 - development of several museums: Arawak, Port Royal
1967 Jamaica Journal publication (Institute of Jamaica)
1967 Research and recording of folk culture
1967 Devon House
1968 National Heritage Week
1971 Design of the Cultural Training Centre (Arts, Drama, Music, Painting & Sculpture)
1972 Jamaica Racing Commission and Jockey School
1986 Establishment of the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC)
1988 Planned development of heritage sites (Port Royal, Spanish Town, Seville)
1988 Media Divestment Programme, to establish several small private radio stations and church television

Institutional, Parliamentary, Political and Constitutional Reforms:

He recognized the  important political, parliamentary and constitutional reforms that would affect governance of the country ...
1961 Member of the Parliamentary Commission which drafted the Constitution for independent Jamaica
1979 Electoral reforms: structure of EAC
1986 Establishment of Contractor General proposed in 1979
1986 Media Commission
1992 Constitutional Reform: Advocate General (renamed Public Defender)
1993 Constitutional Reform: Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms
1994 Several Parliamentary reforms:
to strengthen the independence of Parliament
allow non-Parliamentarians to address Parliament on issues
1994 Money Bills tabled in Parliament to regulate money supply by law

International Programmes:
Jamaica initiated several far-reaching international programmes in the Caribbean region and world-wide because of his proposals to create new international agreements
1974 UNESCO International Fund for the Promotion of Culture (Culture Bank)
1982 Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI)
1986 UNDP - United Nations International Short Term Advisory Resources - UNISTAR (Manpower Bank)
1986 Caribbean Democrat Union (CDU)
1986 CARIBCAN (Canada)

Dahmer's Murderer Speaks

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Dahmer reportedly arranged his meals to resemble body parts. via Crime Feed
Jeffrey Dahmer's Murderer Breaks Silence, Explains Why He Killed The "Milwaukee Cannibal" here ...
The man who beat Jeffrey Dahmer to death explains what drove him to kill the infamous serial killer. Read the full story at Crime Feed.
CRIMEFEED.COM

This Dusty Old Thing

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception


Whether it's real or not is another question, but this find is definitely worth looking into!
DUSTYOLDTHING.COM

Preserving Auschwitz-Birkenau

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

The foundation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp raises money to maintain the site exactly as it was when the Nazis retreated before the Soviet Army arrived in January 1945 to liberate the camp, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day. Their guiding philosophy: “To preserve authenticity.” The idea is to keep the place intact, a harrowing and heartbreaking task performed out of a sense of responsibility.
Preserving the Ghastly Inventory of Auschwitz click here ...
The aim of the foundation maintaining the site of the concentration camp is “to preserve authenticity.” It is a moral stance with specific curatorial challenges.
NYTIMES.COM|BY RACHEL DONADIO

Kingston College

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception


This image captured the founding of Kingston College 90 years ago, specifically on April 16, 1925 and shows the first batch of students enrolled at the school. (The Jamaica Colonial Society)

Art discovered behind interior wall of old bus terminal

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Discovered behind an interior wall within the old Kingston bus terminal at Bath Road and Princess Street is a painting depicting an historic Mediterranean port scene. Originally commissioned for a restaurant that once stood at that location, the painting has been donated to the Master of Art Conservation Program at Queen’s University by the Springer family.
What was lost has been found click here ...
A six by 11 foot mural, hidden for many years, was discovered behind an interior wall within the old Kingston bus terminal at Bath Road and Princess Street. It depicts an historic Mediterranean port scene painted by Canadian artist Kenneth...
KINGSTONREGION.COM|BY KINGSTONREGIONDAILIES

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Never-before-seen Coco Chanel

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

A never-before-seen image of Coco Chanel hard at work in her design studio unearthed in a book titled Coco Chanel: Three Weeks/1962 by famed photographer, Douglas Kirkland continue


A never-before-seen image of Coco Chanel hard at work in her design studio has been unearthed in a book titled Coco Chanel: Three Weeks/1962 by famed photographer, Douglas Kirkland - and shows the master of design working on a piece from her mighty brand

Kim Richards

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception



Kim cheated on Brinson to date one Davis brother, and ended up marrying another - Gregg Davis .  Their 'elaborate and humongous' wedding was held on the Davis estate. They took their marriage vows under an enormous canopy. As a wedding gift, the groom's father gave the young marrieds a mansion of their own, the garage holding a couple of Ferraris and Mercedes-Benzes
After Brinson, Kim dated one Davis brother but ended up marrying another - Gregg Davis. As a wedding gift, the groom's father gave the young couple a mansion of their own with the garage holding a couple of Ferraris and Mercedes-Benzes ... read on here and here.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

cannabis factory in 18th-century country mansion

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

You're down the rabbit hole now: £750,000 cannabis factory uncovered in 18th-century country mansion in village where Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll was born

Cannabis factory worth £750k uncovered in Lewis Carrol's birth village
Police found 600 plants (pictured) during a raid on an outbuilding at Daresbury Hall (inset right) in the village of Daresbury, Cheshire, where Carroll (inset left) lived for 11 years of his life. The Grade II-listed property, which was a military hospital during World War Two and a residential home, is currently derelict. Cheshire Police said no arrests had been but that it was a 'significant find'. Carroll, whose real name was Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, lived in the small village for the first 11 years of his life, between 1832 and 1843. His father, also Reverend Charles Dodgson, was the much-loved vicar in the village for 16 years, from 1827 to 1843.

the real Mr Darcy?

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Is this the real Mr Darcy? Letters 'prove' that tall, dark and brooding aristocrat whose wife's adultery scandalised polite society was the inspiration for Jane Austen's hero

Dr Susan Law, from Warwickshire, spend five years researching the real-life inspiration behind Jane Austen's Mr Darcy, and believes it was John Parker, the 1st Earl of Morley.

widow of Marvin Gaye drops explosive memoir

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception


EXCLUSIVE: Farrah Fawcett's husband Ryan O'Neal sexually assaulted me in Hollywood restaurant while my husband Marvin Gaye watched, widow of soul legend claims in explosive new memoir

Jan Gate reveals Ryan O'Neal sexually assaulted her as Marvin Gaye watched
Jan Gaye writes in an autobiography to be published next month that Ryan O'Neal (right, with Farah Fawcett) rubbed himself on the back of her head with his groin during a lunch at a restaurant in Hollywood. He denies it the claim, which is revealed in her forthcoming memoir, 'After the Dance', to be published next month. It details her and the soul singer's drug-fueled and troubled relationship and marriage (left). They met when she was just 17 and he was 33 after he was booked for her 17th birthday party. He became sexually excited by the idea of her being unfaithful, she reveals.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

History's Worst Decisions

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception


HISTORY.HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM

Edward Seaga

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception



Edward Seaga was a music producer in Jamaica in the 1960s before  a keen interest in Jamaican politics took precedence. Byron Lee bought his music label in 1968.
Mr. Seaga quickly became noticed for his honest speech and vision for Jamaica’s development. On the verge of apparent political greatness, he married Elizabeth "Mitsy" Constantine, Miss Jamaica 1965 on August 22, 1965.
At 29, he became the youngest appointee to the Legislative Council in Jamaica - later renamed the Senate. His invitation to politics in 1959 by Sir Bustamante, founder of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), began Seaga’s significant contribution in the drive for Jamaica's Independence in 1962.

World War One's forgotten Anzacs: The Indigenous Army

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Robert and George Kirby
Robert and George Kirby fought in the war - but their efforts went unheralded
Anzac Day, 25 April, is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first campaign that led to major casualties for Australian and New Zealand forces during World War One, and commemorates all the conflicts that followed. read on ...

Roman London uncovered

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

An archaeological dig in the heart of the City "will transform our understanding" of Roman London, after an estimated 10,000 finds were discovered, including writing tablets and good luck charms. The area has been dubbed the "Pompeii of the north" due to the perfect preservation of organic artefacts such as leather and wood.
An archaeological dig in the heart of the City provides a unique insight into the first 400 years of London's Roman history, experts say.
BBC.COM

Jamaican Independence mahogany candlesticks

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

These mahogany candlesticks were gifted to the Most Hon. Hugh Lawson Shearer, the third Prime Minister of Jamaica by the Government of Trinidad & Tobago during an official visit to the twin-island republic in August 1968. In October 1970, the gift and an elaborate wooden case of various species of wood from Trinidad were presented to the Institute of Jamaica by the late Prime Minister. The candlesticks are detailed with the coat-of-arms of Trinidad & Tobago and representing each island, the Red Ibris for Trinidad and the Cocrico bird, Tobago.

Images of historic Jamaica ...

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception


Palm Ave. Port Antonio, Jamaica mid 1800.
WILL-ROBSON.COM

Jamaican Independence silver box

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception



This silver case was a gift to the nation from the United States of America. The case was part of a silver desk set given by the Vice President of the U.S. and Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson. Inscribed are the words, 'God grant that not only the love of liberty but a thorough knowledge of the rights of man may persuade all the nations of the earth so that a philosopher may set his foot anywhere and say, "This is my country"' - Benjamin Franklin. This silver case is now part of the national collection at the Institute of Jamaica.


the tragedy of the shells in the First World War

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

The shortage of shells early on in the First World War was described by a newspaper at the time as 'the tragedy of the shells'. Read how this contributed to the creation of the Ministry of Munitions:
Image: estimate of shell output by type, 1915. Catalogue reference: WO 79/84

A Tunnel under the English Channel

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

The long history of plans for a tunnel under the English Channel, and how they were often stopped by 'the spectre of foreign dragoons galloping out of the grounds in Kent':
Image: plan for a submarine tunnel between France and England, 1875. Catalogue reference: FO 27/2217.

Collection of Caribbean Images

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

For Commonwealth Day, the UK National Archives'  project in a blog post :http://socsi.in/vcSjP
Take a look at more fascinating images on Flickr:http://socsi.in/gUM2y 

Image: Playtime at Trench Town, Jamaica. Catalogue reference: INF 10/147

National War Bonds, First World War

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

During the First World War, many members of the public helped fund the war effort through National War Bonds. The marketing for war bonds called on the public's sense of national duty, to help secure victory for Britain.
Some people, however, did not have the means to contribute money to the war effort, and offered what they could. An example of this is a letter, signed by 'A. Mother', who wrote: 'As I have no money, I am hoping you can turn this bracelet into a bullet'.
Read about the range of ways that individuals contributed towards the funding of the First World War: http://socsi.in/Vp9o3
Image: letter from ‘A. Mother’ offering a bracelet to aid the war effort (T 172/696).

Portillo’s State Secrets: mysteries

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Dr David Clarke blogs about UFOs, Jack the Ripper and a hoax about Lord Kitchener's coffin, unsolved mysteries that featured in an episode of Portillo's State Secrets on BBC.
The National Archives at Kew contain records of many unsolved mysteries from Britain’s past.
SOCSI.IN

Lincoln copy of Magna Carta

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

The Foreign Office file, with annotations by Winston Churchill, proposing that the Lincoln copy of Magna Carta be granted to the USA. 

The document will be on display as part of the British Library's Magna Carta exhibition (13 March - 1 September 2015)

http://socsi.in/CKTaR


The battle of Neuve Chapelle in the First World War

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Listen to a podcast about the importance of the battle of Neuve Chapelle in the First World War, and what it means for communities today. This podcast was recorded as part of the centenary commemorations of the battle at IWM North in Manchester. 

http://socsi.in/O9ufh

Antiseptics in the First World War

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

What are you more scared of – a bullet or bacteria? To a soldier on the Western Front his greatest enemy was arguably not the German soldier firing at him from the trenches opposite, but the threat of infection to his wounds. 

Read about the important advances in antiseptics during the First World War: http://socsi.in/aPLOQ

Image: First World War hospital in Birtley, County Durham, catalogue reference: MUN 5/157.

The Ministry of Munitions, First World War

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

In the First World War, it wasn't enough to out-fight your opponent - you had to out-produce them too. This meant that shell production in the early years of the war was crucial, and a new Ministry, the Ministry of Munitions, was created to meet this demand. 

http://socsi.in/nzbRj

Image: Belgian soldiers working at Birtley National Projectile Factory. Catalogue reference: MUN 5/157.

Portillo's State Secrets

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Discover the historic documents featured in the BBC Two series Portillo's State Secrets:

http://socsi.in/qBGih


Image: Telegram to Gwilym Lloyd-George, Home Secretary, from Frank Owen MP sent the day before the execution of Ruth Ellis, asking to show mercy and stop the hanging. Catalogue reference: HO 291/238

Augustus Henry FitzRoy

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception


The latest History of Government blog post examines the life of Augustus Henry FitzRoy:

http://socsi.in/U8MkD