#kfc shockwave

[hiphopraisedmetheblog]

EST GEE'S MANAGER SHOT & KILLED OUTSIDE HOMETOWN CONCERT IN LOUISVILLE

The tragic and senseless shooting of EST Gee’s manager, Devontae Beach, outside a hometown concert in Louisville has sent shockwaves through the hip-hop community. The 31-year-old was found dead in a vehicle near the KFC YUM! Centre after suffering multiple gunshot wounds, leaving fans and industry insiders in disbelief. EST GEE'S MANAGER SHOT & KILLED OUTSIDE HOMETOWN CONCERT IN LOUISVILLE…

[actionfigured]

KFC Transformers: Mugan Amputare a.k.a. Shockwave

(with Bandai Figure-riseEffect Aura Effect Yellow)

[bennyplasticworld-blog]

KFC Keith Fantasy Club Mugan Amputare

There is no such thing like to many Shockwave figures. 

[erimeows]

TFA Characters As Fast Food Restaurants

Optimus Prime: Wendy’s

Ratchet: Arby’s

Prowl: Panda Express

Bumblebee: McDonald’s

Bulkhead: Starbucks

Blurr: Jack In The Box

Arcee: Cinnabon

Rodimus Prime: Domino’s

Jazz: Long John Silver’s 

Sentinel Prime: A&W

Ultra Magnus: Chick-Fil-A

Megatron: Burger King

Starscream: Dairy Queen

Blitzwing: Subway

Lugnut: Jersey Mike’s

Shockwave: Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. 

Soundwave: Dunkin’ Donuts

Lockdown: Popeye’s

Swindle: KFC

Blackarachnia:  Golden Chick

Wasp: Cici’s Pizza

[psybertron]

TFP Megatron with a high human charge

Megatron had gotten into a really annoying habit of bridging you to the Nemesis everyday. Yeah, it was cool that you were on an alien warship, but the novelty of it wore off almost instantly when all the aliens were too busy fighting a war to spend time with you. So you’d planned ahead and gone to a dispensary to pick up some trees to smoke a joint when you got bored.

As per usual, you were bridged onto the warship, had a quick gossip with Knock Out and then headed out to the flight deck. You had to admit, it was a really good place to get high. Cool, fresh air and a perfect view of a starlit sky with your portable speaker playing your favourite songs. It was so nice you ended up packing the joint with more than you usually would have...

You ended up wandering around the ship, not even realising where your high adventure was leading you. Somehow you ended up in Megatron’s quarters where he was at his personal terminal reviewing a chemical formula Shockwave had sent to him. The large con hadn’t even realised you were in his quarters until you knocked on his pede.

“Hey, Megatron, can we order McDonald’s? I want a Big Meg!” 

You paused for a few seconds as you realised what you’d said and then began laughing hysterically. 

Megatron looked at you and slightly tilted his head in confusion. The only reason he wasn’t questioning why you were in his quarters was because you were acting downright odd.

“What on Cybertron are you talking about?”

“MegDonald’s, please!” you slurred as you wiped the tears from your eyes. Again you realised what you’d said and the laughter started up again, “I just want a burger, please Megan!”

He reached down and allowed you to climb into his clawed palm, wobbling as you did so. As soon as he began to stand back to full height you flopped in his hand and lay there; dazed, grinning and staring at the ceiling. 

“Why are your eyes red?”

You look him dead in the optics, open your mouth to explain, and then give up, slumping in his hand with a smile.

“You need to recharge, little one,” he huffed as he began walking in the direction of your own little quarters.

“You don’t want McDonald’s?”

“No.”

“KFC?”

“Excuse me?” He cocked an eyebrow and smirked.

“Look at all those chickenssssssss!”

Megatron rolled his optics as he continued walking, though there was a slight hint of a smile edging into his face. You reminded him of Soundwave when he decided to try circuit boosters back before the war... wait. 

He’d finally reached your room and intended to lay you in your bed and leave, but you had other plans. As he pulled his hand away, you grabbed onto one of his fingers. 

“Wait, can you tell me a story?”

“Y/N, you’re not a sparkling,” the silver mech scoffed. 

“Please,” the puppy dog eyes come out, “Just one about when you were a gladiator or something.”

The warlord rolled his optics for the umpteenth time, “Very well, how about I tell you of how I met Soundwa- Y/N? Oh for spark’s sake.”

You were sound asleep.

[puppyluver256]

Djinrob (Jonquil)

A jovial and friendly man, Djinrob is basically a combination of the best dads and everyone’s favorite funny uncle. He’s humorous and jokey most of the time, but also very sensitive and willing to lend an ear to anyone who may need it. Though it may not seem like it given his general lighthearted demeanor, he is fiercely protective of those close to him and will do anything to defend them if the need arises. Ironically enough given his appearance (or maybe appropriately given the other aspect of his appearance), he’s a total grandpa when it comes to dealing with technology. Not that he’s forgetful about what tech knowledge he’s picked up, of course, just that it takes a bit longer for him to get the hang of it the first time.

Weapon - Long-Reach Warhammer A custom-designed hammer built to resonate with Djinrob’s Tone. Doesn’t look that long, you say? It extends, of course.

Tone Details When Rendered with Laila, Djinrob gains access to his Tone abilities. They take the form of crystals that can be formed from either a shockwave from his hammer or directly in his hand. The Full Drain version of this forms a massive wave of crystallization that shatters upon reaching a 5-10 foot radius.

-----

Mooore Gen revamps! I’m finding it hard to think of anything more to say about Djinrob because admittedly I’m watching a stream of that KFC dating sim and it’s very distracting. XD (I can’t believe that actually had EFFORT put into it omg)

Engelbaum, Gens, and related concepts © Lynne Triplett Djinrob Jonquil and artwork © PuppyLuver Studios

[coniiuratus]

Can we see your transformers figures?

Oooo boy Nonnie you’re in for a TREAT

Images are bad because lighting is bad BUT

 WFC/FOC Soundwave, Starscream, Thundercracker and Blaster with minis

WFC/FOC Optimus Prime, Magnus, Bumblebee, Megatron, Jazz, Grimlock and Nemesis Prime

Transformers Prime Knockout, Soundwave, Vehicon, TAKARA Vehicon, KFC Kit Vehicon, Breakdown no word of a like it cost me an arm and a leg, Megatron, Skyquake, Dreadwing + Upgrade Kit, Airachnid, First Edition Starscream

FOC/WFC Minis Thundercracker, Starscream, Ironhide, TFA Jazz, TFA Soundwave, NYCC Bumblebee, NYCC Arcee + Raf and Jack, First Edition Optimus Prime, First Edition Arcee and First Edition Cliffjumper

TFP Shockwave, Kup, Predaking, Bumblebee and TFP Beast Hunter Ultra Magnus

TFP Wheeljack, Ratchet, Bulkhead, Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Arcee, Cliffjumper First Edition Bumblebee and TFP Beast Hunters Smokescreen

Power of the Primes Optimus Prime, Revoltech Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Special Ed. Optimus, G1 Revoltech Megatron, Ultra Magnus, Optimus Prime, Starscream and Hot Rod, WFC/FOC Grimlock Also featuring Mass Effect Shepherd, Omniblade and Figma Ironman as well as the banner from my 18th birthday last August

But yea– I have a LOT of figures, a few of which weren’t even in these pics and don’t even get me started on my Funko pops and other figures.

[newstfionline]

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Huawei executive returning as China releases Canadians (AP) China’s government was eagerly anticipating the return of a top executive from global communications giant Huawei Technologies on Saturday following what amounted to a high-stakes prisoner swap with Canada and the U.S. Meng Wanzhou, 49, Huawei’s chief financial officer and the daughter of the company’s founder, reached an agreement with U.S. federal prosecutors that called for fraud charges against her to be dismissed next year. As part of the deal, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, she accepted responsibility for misrepresenting the company’s business dealings in Iran. The same day, two Canadian citizens held by Beijing were freed and flown back to Canada. Meng was expected to arrive late Saturday in the southern technology hub of Shenzhen, where Huawei is based.

US police departments clamoring for de-escalation training (AP) Angry over being fired, a former employee slashed the tires of his boss’ vehicle and still held the knife when police officers arrived. Three officers positioned themselves at a safe distance as the man yelled and ranted. One officer had a stun gun, another a handgun. The third used the most important tool—a willingness to talk. Here in a school parking lot in Maine, the emergency was fake, but the strategies were very real. The officers were going through a training course offered by the Police Executive Research Forum that thousands of police officers around the country are receiving this year. Officers are taught: keep a safe distance, slow things down. Police officers are asked to do a lot. They’re asked to be roadside psychologists, family counselors, mental health workers—and even soldiers in an active-shooter event, said Saco Police Chief Jack Clements, whose agency hosted the event in New England. That’s why it’s important to rehearse.

Texas migrant camp empty (AP) No migrants are left at a Texas border encampment, about a week after nearly 15,000 people—most of them Haitians—huddled in makeshift shelters hoping for the chance to seek asylum. Some will get that chance, while the others will be expelled to their homeland. The Department of Homeland Security planned to continue flights to Haiti throughout the weekend, ignoring criticism from Democratic lawmakers and human rights groups who say Haitian migrants are being sent back to a troubled country that some left more than a decade ago. Meanwhile, Bruno Lozano, the mayor of Del Rio, Texas, where the camp was located, said officials would search the brush along the Rio Grande to ensure nobody was hiding and finish cleaning the site before reopening the international bridge. Lozano said there were no deaths during the time the camp was occupied and that 10 babies were born to migrant mothers, either at the camp or in Del Rio’s hospital.

In South America, the climate future has arrived (Washington Post) Sergio Koci’s sunflower farm in the lowlands of northern Argentina has survived decades of political upheaval, runaway inflation and the coronavirus outbreak. But as a series of historic droughts deadens vast expanses of South America, he fears a worsening water crisis could do what other calamities couldn’t: Bust his third-generation agribusiness. From the frigid peaks of Patagonia to the tropical wetlands of Brazil, worsening droughts this year are slamming farmers, shutting down ski slopes, upending transit and spiking prices for everything from coffee to electricity. So low are levels of the Paraná running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina that some ranchers are herding cattle across dried-up riverbeds typically lined with cargo-toting barges. Raging wildfires in Paraguay have brought acrid smoke to the limits of the capital. Earlier this year, the rushing cascades of Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian-Argentine frontier reduced to a relative drip. The droughts this year are extensions of multiyear water shortages, with causes that vary from country to country. Yet for much of the region, the droughts are moving up the calendar on climate change—offering a taste of the challenges ahead in securing an increasingly precious commodity: water.

UK scrambles for truckers amid supply woe (AP) British energy firms are rationing supplies of gasoline and closing some petrol pumps—the latest in a string of shortages that have seen McDonald’s take milkshakes off the menu, KFC run short of chicken and gaps appear on supermarket shelves. A big factor behind the problems is a lack of truck drivers. The U.K. is short tens of thousands of hauliers, as factors including Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic converge to create a supply-chain crunch. Officials urged motorists not to panic-buy petrol after BP and Esso shut a handful of stations because there were not enough trucks to get gas to the pumps. As concern over the disruption mounts, the haulage industry is pressing the government to loosen immigration rules and recruit more drivers from Europe to avert Christmas shortages. The government is resisting that move, and scrambling to lure more British people into truck driving, long viewed as an underpaid and underappreciated job.

Red hot lava spews from La Palma volcano as eruption intensifies (Reuters) Rivers of lava raced down the volcano and exploded high into the air overnight on the Spanish island of La Palma and the airport was closed as an eruption intensified and entered its most explosive phase so far. Since it began erupting on Sunday on the small island in the Atlantic, the Cumbre Vieja volcano has spewed out thousands of tons of lava, destroyed hundreds of houses and forced the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people. Experts said the volcano had entered a new explosive phase. Videos shared on social media showed a massive shockwave emanating from the eruption site on Friday.

Situation becoming 'dire' at US airbase in Germany housing Afghan refugees (CNN) The task of accommodating 10,000 Afghan refugees, including approximately 2,000 pregnant women, is putting facilities at Ramstein airbase in Germany under tremendous strain as nighttime temperatures drop toward freezing and what was meant to be a 10-day temporary stay is stretching into weeks, with one US source familiar with the situation describing it as becoming "dire." Already 22 babies have been born to Afghan mothers at Ramstein, and that number will rise very soon with roughly two thirds of the 3,000 women being housed there pregnant, requiring the time and effort of medical personnel from Ramstein and other bases, two US sources familiar with the situation at the base told CNN. Even though it's one of the largest US bases in Europe, Ramstein was never designed to handle such a large transient population especially when there are better equipped and larger facilities in the US. One of the sources called the Afghans at Ramstein "the forgotten 10," as the focus has shifted away from the almost 10,000 who remain stuck in limbo in Germany towards some 53,000 Afghan evacuees already housed at eight military bases across the US.

Some in Hungary and Poland talk of EU pullout (AP) When Hungary and Poland joined the European Union in 2004, after decades of Communist domination, their citizens thirsted for Western democratic standards and prosperity. Yet 17 years later, as the EU ramps up efforts to rein in democratic backsliding in both countries, some of the governing right-wing populists in Hungary and Poland are comparing the bloc to their former Soviet oppressors—and flirting with the prospect of exiting the trade bloc. “Brussels sends us overlords who are supposed to bring Poland to order, on our knees,” a leading member of Poland’s governing Law and Justice party, Marek Suski, said this month, adding that Poland “will fight the Brussels occupier” as it fought past Nazi and Soviet occupiers. It’s unclear to what extent this kind of talk represents a real desire to leave the 27-member bloc or a negotiating tactic to counter arm-twisting from Brussels. The two countries are the largest net beneficiaries of EU money, and the vast majority of their citizens want to stay in the bloc.

Refugees in fear as sentiment turns against them in Turkey (AP) Fatima Alzahra Shon thinks neighbors attacked her and her son in their Istanbul apartment building because she is Syrian. The 32-year-old refugee from Aleppo was confronted on Sept. 1 by a Turkish woman who asked her what she was doing in “our” country. Shon replied, “Who are you to say that to me?” The situation quickly escalated. A man came out of the Turkish woman’s apartment half-dressed, threatening to cut Shon and her family “into pieces,” she recalled. Another neighbor, a woman, joined in, shouting and hitting Shon. The group then pushed her down a flight of stairs. Shon said that when her 10-year-old son, Amr, tried to intervene, he was beaten as well. Refugees fleeing the long conflict in Syria once were welcomed in neighboring Turkey with open arms, sympathy and compassion for fellow Muslims. But attitudes gradually hardened as the number of newcomers swelled over the past decade. Anti-immigrant sentiment is now nearing a boiling point, fueled by Turkey’s economic woes. With unemployment high and the prices of food and housing skyrocketing, many Turks have turned their frustration toward the country’s roughly 5 million foreign residents, particularly the 3.7 million who fled the civil war in Syria.

For India’s Military, a Juggling Act on Two Hostile Fronts (NYT) After the deadliest clashes in half a century with China, India’s military has taken emergency measures to reinforce a 500-mile stretch of the border high in the Himalayas. In the past year, it has tripled the number of troops in the contentious eastern Ladakh region to more than 50,000. It has raced to stock up on food and gear for freezing temperatures and 15,000-foot altitudes before the region is largely cut off for much of the winter. It has announced that an entire strike corps, an offensive force of tens of thousands more soldiers, would be reoriented to the increasingly contentious frontier with China from the long, volatile border with Pakistan. India’s military is now grappling with a reality that the country has feared for nearly two decades: It is stuck in a two-front conflict with hostile neighbors—and all three are nuclear armed.

China says all crypto transactions illegal (AP) China’s central bank on Friday declared all transactions involving Bitcoin and other virtual currencies illegal, stepping up a campaign to block use of unofficial digital money. Friday’s notice complained Bitcoin, Ethereum and other digital currencies disrupt the financial system and are used in money-laundering and other crimes. The price of Bitcoin fell more than 9%, to $41,085, in the hours after the announcement, as did most other crypto tokens. Promoters of cryptocurrencies say they allow anonymity and flexibility, but Chinese regulators worry they might weaken the ruling Communist Party’s control over the financial system and say they might help to conceal criminal activity. The People’s Bank of China is developing an electronic version of the country’s yuan for cashless transactions that can be tracked and controlled by Beijing.

8 dead as al-Shabab claims blast in Somalia’s capital (AP) A vehicle laden with explosives rammed into cars and trucks at a checkpoint leading to the entrance of the Presidential Palace in Somalia, killing at least eight people, police said Saturday. The checkpoint is the one used by Somalia’s president and prime minister on their way to and from the airport in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. Nine other people were wounded in the bombing, police spokesman Abdifatah Adam Hassan said. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group has claimed responsibility.

[surveysonfleek]

434.

Have you ever painted a car? nope.

What’s the brand of your sneakers? i have nike, adidas and puma.

Are there any gnomes in your yard? no.

When was the last time you were somewhere that offered free Wi-Fi? work.

Do you ever have to write down a phone number to remember it, or not? well i’ve added it straight to my phone.

When was the last time you were stung by a bee? What kind was it? never.

If you have an itouch or iphone, what would you consider your favorite App? umm instagram.

What is one part on your body that hurts at this moment, if anything? my feet.

Are you gonna buy lottery tickets when you’re old enough? i’m old enough but i’ve never bought lottery tickets. i should try.

What’s the last thing your parents yelled at you about? my room.

Do you forget things easily? kinda. depends.

Have you ever been into a real cave? yes.

Does your local museum permit free entry to students? i don’t have a local museum.

When your picture is being taken, do you smile with/without teeth, or do you not smile at all? i do both.

Have you ever posted mean comments on youtube? no. what a waste of time.

What are you so sick of? work.

Doesn’t orange juice taste terrible after you brush your teeth? yes.

What’s your favorite type of seafood? (i.e. shrimp, lobster, etc.) scallops and salmon.

Have you ever been to Florida? yes.

What’s your favourite season? autumn.

Do you have a funny last name? Does anyone make fun of it? it’s different and it’s ben made fun of when i was in school.

What did you eat for dinner last night, if anything? Was it good or bad? kfc. tasted amazing but it’s obvs bad lol.

Have you ever told someone, besides family, that you love them and meant it? yes.

Has anyone ever called your personality dull? Do you agree with them? no.

Are the blankets that are on your bed now made by someone you know in life? no.

Would you ever have a child just to get someone to fall in love with you? hell no.

Who was the last person to call you? How long did you two talk? i forgot.

Can you tell when people are lying or telling the truth? if i know them well enough.

Ever have a drug overdose? What did you OD on exactly? no.

Do you treat others as you’d like to be treated? Have you always? at work, no. in real life, yes.

Do you ever look in the mirror and name all of your flaws for no reason? not always.

The most painful medical procedure you’ve ever had? i think i got stitches as a kid but i don’t remember experiencing it.

Have you ever personally witnessed a drug deal before? yes.

Have you ever been pulled over by the cops for speeding? yes.

Do you know how wide your hips are in exact inches, or not? no.

Have you ever met someone in person that you met online? yes.

Do you get sick of people who call themselves bipolar all the time? idk anyone who calls themselves that.

Ever have an ultra-sound performed on you? What was it for? yes, i had a lump on my wrist.

Where is somewhere you’re excited to go in the next few days? hooters for all you can eat ribs lmao.

What color is your digital camera, if you have one? black.

What time is it where you are currently? 3:20am.

Have you got any half or step siblings? no.

When was the last time you had wet hair? thursday.

Do you like kids’ movies? sometimes.

When was the last time you were sick and what illness did you have? two weeks ago, a virus/flu.

When did you last wash your hair? thursday.

Have you ever been kicked out of somewhere? no.

Who did you last speak aloud to and what did you say? marty, talking about work.

Do you have any homework to do? no.

Have you ever been to Manhattan? yes.

Did you get swine flu? no.

Do you know anyone from Alabama? no.

How bright is it in the room you’re in? dim, it’s night time.

What can you smell right now? my moisturiser.

Are there any teachers that simply hate you? i don’t go to school anymore.

Have you ever bought a game from a site like Big Fish Games or Shockwave? no.

What were you last at the doctor for? flu.

Have you seen all the Lord of the Rings movies? no.

What is the strangest food combination that you enjoyed as a young child? ummm. nutella on toast with chopped bananas. not that weird.

How often do you change your underwear? daily.

Have you ever had to call the cops on someone else before? no.

What kind of phone do you have? iphone.

How’s the weather? cool i guess.

Ever heard the song ‘Roses and Butterflies’ by Making April? no.

Do you fear growing up? kinda.

Do you dislike when you smile at someone and they give you an evil stare? sure.

Name a site that you visit everyday. my room lol.

Have you ever used the site ‘Project Playlist?’ no.

List all the things you had to eat/drink today: a scrambled egg sandwich and a pork chop.

Current mood: tired.

Does it frustrate you when someone brings up a bad past? no.

Best one: Alcohol overdose or jumping out of plane with no parachute? best? whaat.

Ever done one of those color by numbers? Which ones: yes.

Does it anger you when someone uses improper grammar? yes.

Don’t you hate when you’re talking to someone and another person starts? yes, idk who to turn my attention to.

Are you a fast walker, or do you take your time? fast.

Do you normally stop in the middle of the hallway with people behind you? no. i hate that.

Ever felt utterly ashamed of something or someone? yes.

Have you ever knocked on wood for good luck? yes.

Any fond memories of your first sleepover? yes.

Do you often run away from the truth? sometimes.

Ever met someone and immediately wished you hadn’t? no.

Which do you feel more often: Anxious, or discouraged? Explain. anxious.

How would you react to losing a close friend? depends what happened.

When someone offers you something, do you always say yes? no.

Do you find it difficult to sleep on your stomach? no, i always sleep on my stomach.

Have you ever drunk/eaten a substance in the science lab? no.

If you started on fire, do you tell someone or blow it out by yourself? depends how bad it is.

Have you ever led the prayer at dinnertime? If not, do you want to? no.

Do you believe in the army, it’s disgraceful to improperly salute? huh.

Ever been to a play/musical/etc. and fallen asleep? nope.

Would you rather play an instrument or be the singer? sing.

Do you always assume you’re right in an argument? no.

[wealthwatch]

Jamaica 55: My Thoughts on her future Pt 1

1800s - 1960s: Early beginnings and new hope

Jamaica’s historical background is one that this complex, deep and dynamic which has set the backdrop for the small but complicated country’s profile today. Beginning as an economy primarily focused on export-led agriculture and shipping, Jamaica was once one of the richest countries in the World. Over time the business activity from shipping and agriculture attracted wealthy traders and planters that didn’t want to leave the island when they came, leading to the gradual development of Jamaica’s tourism product and financial services sector. The eventual collapse of the plantation economic system formed a massive vacuum that caused large scale unemployment and misallocation of human capital that paved the way for major development hurdles that still exist today such as economic informality, brain drain, social unrest among other challenges.

These events created a shift toward subsistence farming, moderate export levels of sugar and bananas, bauxite mining, trading and commercial services from immigrant merchants and shipping. Under the guidance of the colonial government into early independence, infrastructural development and transportation progressed along with trusts owned by law firms, banks and insurance companies from Canada and the UK forming the early financial sector. In 1968 the Jamaican dollar replaced the British pound and shilling as a vote of confidence in the strength of Jamaica’s ability to chart it’s own course as an independent nation. The Jamaica Stock Exchange was established in 1968 and became active in 1969 in an effort to create a vehicle for the common man to share in the growth of the businesses that grew the country. The mission was to finally ‘Jamaicanize’ the ownership of economic capital which was largely owned by foreigners that sent profits made in Jamaica back to foreign regions.

1970s: Disco Inferno

Up to 1971 the country experienced annual average growth north of 8% before being disrupted by an international oil crisis in 1974 and a series of economic policies after 1972 that restructured the economy. This oil crisis caused inflation to skyrocket as oil prices more than tripled in less than 3 years, causing a major foreign exchange shortage. While this occurred, the alien ideology of “democratic socialism” reasoned that the rich owed the poor and that it was time for the owners of economic capital to give over what was due to the lower class or to leave the country. Further, the government was seen as the parent of the country, providing jobs and opportunities that traditionally were embedded in the creation of trade and commerce by the private sector.

Tens of thousands of trained doctors, nurses, teachers, professional managers and business owners fearfully left in droves because of these two factors which resulted in brain drain and capital flight, which means that if Jamaica was a human being, this event would be the equivalent of losing a few vital organs after an accident. As a result, several businesses closed down and the country permanently lost some of it’s best talent. Thirdly, Cold War Politics, which was underscored the then global war between socialism and capitalism created political instability, sparking violent clashes and uncertainty in urban areas across Jamaica. This wave of social tension eventually culminated into a civil war during the 1980 election campaign, evidenced by several destroyed and abandoned buildings in downtown Kingston to this day. The IMF was approached for emergency funding, which also came with mandatory contractionary fiscal policy meaning intentionally shrinking the economy in an effort to create more stability, an approach which continues to fail globally in developing countries. Due to these factors, Jamaica’s new currency became weaker than the USD and the country was in national debt for the first time in history.

1980s: Foreign minded

The 1980s saw another major phase of restructuring which relied on a capitalist model that used foreign investment to stop the bleeding caused by the flight of many of Jamaica’s brightest, industrious and wealthiest people. This strategy was to make Jamaica more modern, competitive and in tune with foreign trends, seeing an emergence of new technology and international business investment from firms such as Goodyear, KFC, Fruit of the loom along with telecommunications and cable TV firms. Further fiscal squeezing by the IMF that came with emergency funding, sluggish increases in export earnings and external shocks such as Hurricane Gilbert resulted in further devaluation of the Jamaican dollar which increased the debt burden as it is based in US currency. The shockwaves from the 1970s, such as debt, increased unemployment and high inflation trailed well into the 1980s but gradually wore off as financial momentum improved. The economic policy changes in line with a modern, globalized, technology driven strategy resulted in modest growth rates above 5% by 1989 and a significant increase in foreign exchange earnings for the first time in roughly a decade.

Please see Wealth Watch JA next week for part 2 of the Jamaica 55 series.

[aisudbury]

Not Just Joking

by Phil Glaser (Staff at Arts & Ideas)

Sometimes, in School Meeting, we get into the weeds with joke rules. One frequently recurring prank that we deal with is the proposal to create a ‘No Breaking Rules’ rule. Usually the motion doesn’t receive a second, so we don’t get into discussing it, but sometimes it does. When this happens, the conversation goes around and around until its humor is outweighed by a general desire in the room to get on with the day, at which point someone interrupts the discussion with a motion to take a vote. The ‘No Breaking Rules’ rule has never passed, but that doesn’t mean we are without our joke rules on the books.

One such rule was discussed In School Meeting today. A motion to delete the ‘Shut Up’ rule provoked a sometimes earnest, sometimes in-jest, but always self-conscious discussion. The ‘Shut Up’ rule states that “Eating chicken in the chicken coop is prohibited.”

“I like this rule because it’s actually a good idea,” opined one School Meeting Member. “We wouldn’t want to allow people to eat chicken in the chicken coop -- it’s just ethically and morally disturbing.”

This reasoning appeared to create an invisible shockwave that propagated across the room and up the leg of a particular student, culminating in a massive eye roll, presumably to dampen the impact of such an absurd statement. The wave continued upward, forcing his hand to launch into the air, and bounced down and back up his body as he waited to be called on by the School Meeting Clerk. His squirming impatience was finally uncorked in its turn, unleashing a verbal torrent of the kind that only teenagers are capable of producing: “We’ve got other rules that cover this! The ‘Shut Up’ rule wouldn’t even prevent people from eating chicken right OUTSIDE the chicken coop. What if I stood inside the chicken coop with my head outside the door eating KFC! Would I be breaking the rule?! The rule doesn’t even cover the spirit of itself. It’s just pointless!...” The student then trailed off in a flustered string of self-interrupting beginnings of sentences, through which he managed to communicate his bewilderment. Despite his and his fellows’ apparent dismay, the defenders of the ‘Shut Up’ rule remained steadfast and, to the chagrin of the joke rule detractors, it was saved from deletion.

Throughout the debate, more-or-less uninvested onlookers chuckled at claims that if the ‘Shut Up’ rule was deleted, then it would throw the entire school - perhaps the entire nation - into chaos. There were prophetic proclamations that if it were deleted, people would spend all their time sitting in their chicken coops eating chickens (chickens who the eaters presumably knew less well than the coops’ residents bearing horrifying witness to the barbarity) and that this would continue straight through to the complete destruction of human society. An otherwise rational and calm populace would be transformed into a bloodthirsty mass whose only peace could be found in the consumption of chicken parts in chicken coops. Essentially, we’d all turn into zombies.

This conversation (like all joke rule conversations) was self-consciously ridiculous, a fact that amused some and bothered others. For the joke rule revelers the opportunity served as a powerful reminder of one’s own agency. Being part of an institution where anyone can talk about whatever they want with their hands on the levers of power is a liberatory state of being that most people don’t get to experience. Being able to see one’s own nonsense being taken seriously, along with the tiresome nature of such circular conversations, culminates in a tempering of the chaotic urge. Joke rules also establish their proponents as characters in the school community. This is apparent to most and, as a result, most joke rules are naked attempts to stamp a personal mark on the school. Having one’s name invoked explicitly (like bill sponsors in the US legislature) or implicitly is a sure way to enter the institutional memory of the school. The ‘Shut Up’ rule, though without a student’s name explicitly attached, is similarly a rule that provokes the telling of personal legends surrounding the student who was responsible for its introduction.

On the other, more earnest side of the ‘Shut Up’ rule debate is an exercise in patience and perspective. Such conversations about joke rules present themselves as ripe opportunities to put things right in a cosmic sense, however, here students find that things don’t always go the way of the rational. Guided by faith in the common sense of individuals, their desire (whether conscious or not) to strip down the rules to the bare necessities is subverted in a baffling way. They find that the decision-making ability of the peers that they choose to put stock in is not a product of unfettered logic. For these students, the seemingly senseless upset of their expectations is an opportunity to integrate the ridiculous into their understanding of what good-natured human beings are: creatively silly. Eventually, their boiling-over subsides into damp frustration, which, after some time, transforms ultimately into a level-headed tolerance for discomfort; a moment of zen.

Despite the ferocity of this particular debate, it should be noted that students are not simply on one side or the other of the joke rule conversation in general. Here, as in most places, context is king. After the ‘Shut Up’ rule’s place in the lawbook was secured once again and School Meeting was adjourned, some students stuck around in the room to continue the debate informally. Another student who hadn’t yet chimed in suggested to our aforementioned frustrated detractor that he should just try to delete another joke rule that people care less about. “What about, like, that underworld rule?” she offered.

“‘Ariel, Queen of the Sudbury Underworld’ is an iconic rule for the school! We can’t delete that one!”

[actionfigured]

Cloud 9 Quakeblast meets KFC Mugan Amputare

Meeting of the Shockwaves

[actionfigured]

The cold steel stare of...extermination.