26 July 2008

It has been a while dear friends, and I promise to catch up with myself, but I have bee motivated tonight.

  This week I spend two days in Jamaica before commencing a quick trip to New York.  During my time in Jamaica I managed to get my credit card skimmed.  Thankfully I was alert enough and there was no ultimate cost to me, though a shed load of inconvenience.  On returning to Jamaica I discovered, not one but two, other friends had their credit cards skimmed the same week.  One had hers done twice, both times in the same shop.  new Best Friend suspects his was also done there and while I don't think mine was, it certainly casts a huge shadow over that particular shop.

Astrid Gilberto, the beloved of the young protegee, send a mail around a few friends, describing her misfortune and warning them away.  Unfortunately the mail went viral and before long, Mr Mega Loot,  the owner of the shop in question was immediately speaking to CEO of the company demanding an explanation.  He had tried the same tactic five minutes earlier with the young protegee only be be questioned uncomfortably why he was more concerned with the tone of an e-mail than trying to resolve endemic fraud within his organisation.

Mr Mega Loot is friendly with a few people in politics, and it was not long before (alledgedly) an ex-Prime minister and the wife of the current Prime Minister were on the blower demanding apologies.   Apologies for what exactly - A friend getting skimmed in their shop twice in the same week and warning her friends of the danger?  Its not as if the company in question is not unlinked with fraud - only last year the owner was caught defrauding the electricity supplier for years, and while scandal ensued, I cannot remember censure.  Political connections helped I'm sure.

Tonight I attended a function at a Golf Club in a very respectable part on Kingston.  Run by a bank, with an invitation only guest list, I still managed to get myself robbed.  True it was only a few phones which are easily replaced.  But it was the fact that it was a function attended by the Great and the Good of Norbrook, who were still not above rifling through another mans pockets.

Before I left I spoke to the management of the Golf Club, who could not have been less interested if they were asleep (though they almost were).

Tonight I'm disenchanted.  I have been pick-pocketed by a well to do Golf Club Member, and a Prime Minister of Jamaica has run to protect the reputation of a proven fraudster and suspected thief.

Corrupt as be damned  - there is no changing them and I've had enough.