Why FLOW Jamaica to increase Internet Packages come February 1st 2016

Somehow I knew it was just too good to be true. But I chose to believe FLOW Jamaica.

This as word now comes that suggests that FLOW Jamaica Customers Internet bills will receive a hike in February 2016 as reported in the article “Flow Internet Rates Going Up”, published Monday December 28, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

FLOW Customer Internet bills will increase anywhere in the range of JA$274 dollars to JA$599 dollars as reported in the article “Flow Internet rates to increase February”, published  Monday, December 28, 2015, The Jamaica Observer.

To break this down in simpler terms, the following FLOW Jamaica Internet packages will see the following increases by Monday February 1^st 2015:

1.      JA$3,599 for Rock/Essential, up from JA$3,099

2.      JA$3,599 for Mega Thunder, up from JA$$3,325

3.      JA$3,599 for Ignite up from JA$3,000

4.      JA$4,199 for Mega Lightning up from JA$3,600

Apparently it's to cover the upgrades to the FLOW Jamaica Network that resulted in FLOW gifting customer a speed increase as reported in my MICO Wars Blog article entitled “FLOW Jamaica Fiber Optic upgrade means FTTH, 4G LTE and Call Center by 2016”.

So what are these upgrades exactly?

FLOW Jamaica to increase Internet rates - Covering cost of FTTH, 4G LTE and Call Center

FLOW Jamaica also plans to roll out FTTH (Fiber to the Home) to counter their rival Digicel Play.

Digicel Play had launched earlier in November 2015 as reported in my blog article entitled “Digicel Play launches FTTH Network - How FLOW Jamaica and Liberty Global Empire Will Strike Back”.

Not only do the sport enthusiasts love Digicel Play but so too will the kids, especially as Kidoodle.TV will make them App Video stars as reported in my blog article entitled “How Kidoodle.TV makes Digicel Play the Talk on Children’s Playgrounds”.

FLOW Jamaica also has plans for 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) as well as a Call Center come December 2015 as reported in my blog article entitled “@LIMEJamaica's downpayment on High-Bandwidth AWS Spectrum - How FLOW rebranding and Jamaican Call Center means 4G LTE coming in December 2015”.

Already their re-hiring of former Ericsson Technicians (formerly from LIME Jamaica/C&W) indicates that their upgrade is more than just clearing up a rash of complaints as noted in my blog article entitled “Why Flow Jamaica re-hiring 150 Ericsson Techs hints at FTTH in 2016”.

As for their Call Center, GraceKennedy is currently setting that up at the Kingston CSO as explained in my blog article entitled “How to find work in Jamaica at Call Centers - GraceKennedy Call Center necessary for Product Customer Support”.

In effect, it wasn't free; FLOW Customers were just being given the option to try it out for free until Monday February 1^st, 2016.

How WhatsApp Video Calling in 2016 is Apple's FaceTime, Microsoft's Skype and Google Hangouts competition

 WhatsApp apparently has decided to give us their Christmas present in the Year of the Monkey. This by throwing a monkey wrench at the Video Calling world!

So says German site MacerKopf, which has leaked photos suggesting that WhatApp will be introducing Video Calling as reported in the article “WhatsApp is reportedly adding video calls soon”, published December 23 2015 by Napier Lopez, The Next Web. 

The leaked feature shown in German site MacerKopf screenshot is allegedly taken from version 2.12.16.2 as noted in “WhatsApp to launch new video calling feature”, published December 26, 2015 By News Desk, The Pakistan Tribune.

  It's slated to come to the popular IM (Instant Messaging) for the Apple iOS App as an update some time in January 2016. Sorry Android fans, but you'll have to wait a bit as they try out Video Calling on the Apple guinea pigs first.

Along with version 2.12.16.2 update will also come with a tabbed conversation feature that'll allow multiple user chats as noted in “New WhatsApp messenger to introduce video calling, tabbed chats”, published 26 December 2015, MaltaToday.

This mimics the tabbed browsing feature that's in most modern browsers.

How WhatsApp Video Calling in 2016 - Apple's FaceTime, Microsoft's Skype and Google Hangouts competition

Looks very simple and plain, but it'll give IM Apple's FaceTime, Microsoft's Skype, Google Hangouts and other some serious competition as noted in the article “Massive WhatsApp Update Starts Google, Microsoft, Apple Attack”, published December 26 2015, by Gordon Kelly, Forbes.

This 900 million strong IM will also be a huge challenger to the Telecom Providers in Jamaica, who are already actively blockings WhatsApp as noted in my blog article entitled “Digicel and FLOW Block WhatsApp - How Jamaica makes money from IXP via VoIP Cloud Servers, SIP and MVNO”.

So expect University students such as those at MICO University to still keep using WhatsApp Voice Notes and Voice calling but on Wi-Fi as noted in my blog article entitled “@WhatApp Voice Calling comes to Version 2.12.1 - How Wi-Fi Calling by Proxy coming to Jamaica with Features to Boot”. 

That is, if they haven't blocked that as well as noted in my blog article entitled “Internet blockade at MICO - How to use VPN and Proxy to access blocked websites”. Hoping to see this soon on Google Android, as it means Video Calling Will go mainstream in the Year of the Monkey!

How St. Thomas Rabbit Farmer Dorette Abrahams can supply rabbits to Fast-Food Restaurants

“Lots of Rabbit, whole heap a people have whole heap a Rabbits, and no have no way fi sell it. And there are whole heap a other people out there”

Retiree and Rabbit farmer, Dorette Abrahams from Albion heights, St Thomas explaining her problems with Rabbit Farming

Rabbit rearing is slowly catching on in Jamaica. The only problem is that there is no ready market for Rabbit meat.

This is the lament of Dorette Abrahams, a retiree from Albion heights, St Thomas who is also a Rabbit Farmer as reported in the article “No Market For Rabbit Meat In The East”, Published Saturday March 7, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

 

Like all farmers, Dorette Abrahams and eight (8) of her fellow Rabbit farmers in Albion heights, St Thomas have also been affected by the drought, which seems set to continue on into 2016 as predicted in my blog article entitled  “How the Drought of 2015 means higher prices for Jamaican Christmas 2015 and Easter 2016”.

Currently Dorette Abrahams has some fifty (50) heads of Rabbits, including pregnant mothers that she's trying to sell. She'd been encourage to enter into Rabbit farming after a trip to Denbigh in 2013, where they told her Europeans tourists loved eating Rabbit meat.

However, she is having a great deal of difficulty selling her Rabbit meat, both locally as well as to the hotels. So what exactly are the challenges that Rabbit farmers in St. Thomas facing?

Jamaicans and Rabbits - Challenges with an animal many regard as a pet

St. Thomas Rabbit farmers continue to be affected by Rabbit market that doesn’t really exist in Jamaica as pointed out by Dorette Abrahams, quote: “Yuh start up, and then suddenly yuh find yuh have it and there is no market. There is none!”

Most Jamaicans still regard Rabbits as pet and may still do not realize that Rabbits are even grown in Jamaica. As farmer Dorette Abrahams points out, many Jamaicans find the idea of eating Rabbits offensive, quote: “People regard Rabbits as pets, and, as such, they don't eat pets," Abrahams explained. "And some tell yuh say it look like rat. And so, dem can't eat it”.

Rabbit rearing does have its challenges. It takes thirty eight (38) Rabbits to produce 100 pounds of meat.

Rabbits, who are of the family Leporidae, order Lagomorpha are delicate creatures, demanding much attention from the farmer. The Rabbit farmer has to make sure that their shelter is clean, what they eat won't give them worms and other illnesses.

They actually have to eat some of their own waste, as it contains essential gut bacteria and their mating has to be structured to breed Rabbits with the desired traits.

Also, the setup costs are a bit daunting based on the experience of St Thomas Farmer, Mr. Irvince Reynolds as detailed in my blog article entitled “Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited to go into large-scale Rabbit Farming - Rabbit Farming is Viable as you just Ignore their Cuteness and slaughter the Bunnies”:

1.      JA$225,000 for Construction including building Material

2.      JA$$150,000 to buy Rabbits

3.      JA$700/lb for Rabbit Meat Wholesale

Despite this, the efficiency of these omnivores in converting what they eat into meat makes them more efficient and cheaper to rear than chickens. Once grown, they can fetch from JA$700 per pound up to JA$1,000 per pound.

So the price may be another reason why they are not yet on the Jamaica Table as regular Sunday Dinner fare, to quote Dorette Abrahams: “The average person can't buy Rabbit meat, the hotels themselves do not want to pay that”.

So how can Rabbit be made to go mainstream in Jamaica?

The Case of Jamaican and Pork - Pork going Mainstream in 2016 thanks to marketing

The best example that I can draw for is the struggle Jamaica has had with getting pork to go mainstream.

For years Jamaica has tried to get Jamaicans to eat more pork since 2013. However, since April 2015, signs have appeared that suggest that Jamaicans demand for Pork had increased to the point that there was now a shortage as reported in my blog article entitled “Jamaican now experiencing Pork Shortage – How Ready to Eat Pork causes Jamaicans to Love Pork as Processors want imports”. 

In fact, this Christmas 2015, a pork shortage has been evident with signs as early as since November 2015 as explained in my blog article entitled “Jamaican Pig Farmers say Pork Shortage over but Meat Processors worried – Why Possible Pork Price Profits for Pig Farmers this Christmas 2015”.

This may actually be due to a shortage of chicken as well as it may be due to the advent of easy to cook prepackaged pork.

Whatever the dominant factor, we've now reached the point where a Pork Patty is now going mainstream by 2016, thanks to Mother's patties and Pork producer Copperwood Pork as reported in my MICO Wars Blog article entitled “Why Mother’s Pork Patty a hit in 2016 as Pork is now Popular”. 

A similar thing can also happen for Rabbit meat.

Marketing Rabbit Meat - Rabbit meat for Fast Food Restaurants and Rabbit pelt for Bags

Currently the demand for Rabbit meat is mainly from the hotels.

However, due to their geographic location, the St. Thomas Rabbit farmers, who have no access to marketing from RADA, cannot get to sell their Rabbit Meat. Already research by Dorette Abrahams has turned up empty, as many of the hotels in Negril, Montego Bay and on the North Coast who could buy her Rabbit meats are already being supplied or importing!

Being in the east of Jamaica puts them at a geographical disadvantage when it comes to supplying potential clients in the west, a situation the Ministry of Agriculture could assist them with, to quote Dorette Abrahams: “I believe the role of the farmer is to farm, whether it's livestock or plants. In terms of the marketing, I believe it is vitally important that the Ministry of Agriculture needs to have a marketing arm. If that were happening things would be much better, you wouldn't have this glut, and shortage”.

Her view is that the Ministry of Agriculture is to assist them to market their Rabbit Meat and keeping track of the in a database for Rabbit farmers. This as the Ministry of Agriculture, via RADA, can act as a marketing agent for the Rabbit farmers and  introduce Rabbit meat to the Fast food restaurants, such as Tastee, Juici Beef, Mothers's and even KFC and Burger King.

Even more interesting, their pelt can be used to make belts, leather for shoes and even schoolbags as is being done by St. Thomas native Shanaye Monteith as detailed in my blog article entitled “How St. Thomas native Shanaye Monteith is Sewing School Bags to success in 2016”.

More needs to be done to introduce Rabbit Farming in schools as explained in my blog article entitled “Marcus Garvey Technical High School Rabbit Rearing Program - How the St. Ann School is teaching Teenagers and Millenials about Modern Farming Techniques” as Rabbit has the potential to replace Chicken in the future due to its meat conversion efficiency.

Introducing Rabbit meat as a Fast food option could trigger a boom market for Rabbit meat, especially if marketed as a healthier meat alternative.

Here’s the link:

Dorette Abrahams Rabbit Farm

Tel: 804-9303, 589-6988

Why Zika Virus in Martinique means 2016 the Year of Zika Virus in Jamaica

“In the last decade, the Caribbean has been wrestling with wave after wave of vector borne diseases. During the last two years the Region has seen unrelenting outbreaks of Chikungunya, and more recently Zika”

Dr. Joy St. John, Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control at CARPHA speaking at a Workshop to Develop a Regional Network on Surveillance and Diagnosis of Emerging Vector-borne Diseases in the Caribbean

I hope everybody enjoyed their Christmas Dinner as well as Boxing Day! I sure known I did....'cause I've got bad news for y'all!

It's now been reported by PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) to be in the Caribbean island of Martinique as reported in the article “Zika virus reported in Martinique”, published December 24, 2015 by Robert Herriman, Outbreak News Today.

 

More specifically, they're reporting autochthonous or local transmission, meaning that the Zika Virus is already in the country and is now being transmitted among the islander by the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito:

1.      11^th in the Americas to report Zika Virus in 2015

2.      12^th to report local transmission of the Zika Virus in 2015

Take a look at this map from the PAHO to get an idea of the spread of the Zika Virus and you'll realize that we're surrounded. It most likely came via Suriname as they had reported five (5) cases of the Zika Virus in November 2015 as noted in the article “Zika virus reported in Martinique”, published Sunday, December 27, 2015, The Jamaica Observer.

This now means that Martinique, which is a part of the Lesser Antilles, are part of an unenviable statistic of countries with local transmission as note in the article “Martinique Joins List Of Regional Countries With Zika Virus Infection”, published Sunday December 27, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner: 

1.      Brazil

2.      Chile

3.      Colombia

4.      El Salvador

5.      French Guyana

6.      Guatemala

7.      Honduras

8.      Martinique

9.      Mexico

10.  Panama

11.  Paraguay

12.  Suriname

13.  Venezuela

Good to note that with the Zika Virus in Martinique, it would seem that like the Chikungunya Virus, it also loves the French as noted in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Health gearing up for Chikungunya Virus Epidemic - Aedes aegypti Mosquito loves the French as it Island-Hops to Jamaica”.

So what is Jamaica doing in preparation for the Zika Virus?

Jamaica’s preparation for Zika Virus – Minister of Health Horace Dalley play Politics with Zika

Minister of Health Horace Dalley, in his Christmas Message on Friday December 25^th 2015, says it's only a matter of time before it comes to Jamaica as noted in the article “No Doubt ZIKV Will Enter Jamaica - Health Minister”, published Friday December 25, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

I've been saying that since May 2015 as noted in my blog article entitled “Zika Virus is coming to Jamaica – Zero MOH Preparedness for Chikungunya Part II but Mosquito Repellant and Vitamin C works”.

In fact, there is even the possibility that the Zika Virus is already in Jamaica as argued in my blog article entitled “12 Jamaicans infected with Zika Virus - Why Zika Virus is already Spreading in Jamaica due to Climate Change”.

 

Since Thursday December 3^rd 2015 he's gotten the Parish Councils to mobilize some 1000 Health volunteers to spread the word on eradicating the breeding grounds for the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito as noted in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Health's 1000 Health volunteers for Zika Virus as 1,200 babies in Brazil with microcephaly”. 

Something tell me this is politically motivated ploy to win over young voters, seeing as 72% of new additions to the Voter’s List are between the ages of 18 to 24 years old as noted in my blog article entitled “How Math, Sorrel Shortage of 2015, Dead Babies Scandal and Younger Voters stopped Jamaica's General Election 2015”.

So how bad can this Zika Virus be?

2,400 microcephaly as Brazil declares State of Emergency – Women advised not to get pregnant

Now some 2,400 babies showing signs of microcephaly that seems to correlate with their mothers’ having symptoms of the Zika Virus as noted in the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control) “Possible association between Zika virus and microcephaly” 

This correlation is being studied by ECDC (European Center for Disease Prevention and Control) as detained in “Microcephaly in Brazil potentially linked to the Zika virus epidemic”.

This has forced Brazil to declare a State of Emergency as microcephaly in babies has now taken on epidemic proportions as reported in the article “Brazil declares emergency after 2,400 babies are born with brain damage, possibly due to mosquito-borne virus”, published December 23 2015 By Ariana Eunjung Cha, The Washington Post.

To this end, women in Brazil who show symptoms of the Zika Virus are being warned not to get pregnant as reported in the article “Brazil warns against pregnancy due to spreading virus”, published December 24, 2015, By Shasta Darlington, CNN.

The symptoms of the Zika Virus manifest within three (3) to twelve (12) days after the first bite by an infected Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

 

Symptoms will be seen four (4) to seven (7) days after the initial infection. The symptoms last for up to four (4) weeks or longer:

1.      Conjunctivitis

2.      Fever

3.      Headache

4.      Joint and muscle pain

5.      Rash

6.      Swelling of the lower limbs

7.      Weakness

You have to have a diet that's consistently loaded with Vegetables and fruits that contain Vitamin C as well as taking supplement that contain the vitamin. microcephaly in babies suggests that babies in the womb are susceptible to the Zika Virus as they too have weak immune system i.e. babies, children suffering from an illness or elderly persons with other health problems.

Vitamin C is not a cure all for all diseases as having it as a regular part of your diet boost your immune system and make it able to withstand viral infections as explained in my blog article entitled “Vitamin C and the Chikungunya Virus - How to increase your Vitamin C Intake, Glutathione and Interferon by White Blood Cells”.

Start eating fruits and Vegetables as a regular part of your diet and take Vitamin C supplement to boost your immune system, as the Zika Virus is here! Good to note that reducing the breeding sites for the Aedes Aegypti Virus is key is preventing the spread of the Zika Virus.

 

Prevention is still key, as by reducing the breeding sites for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, you can reduce the spread of the Zika Virus as show above in the CARPHA Yard Poster.

You can also prevent yourself from getting bitten by disease carrying Aedes Aegypti mosquito by taking the following precautions:

1.      Wearing long-sleeved clothing or long pants

2.      Using DEET insect repellents

3.      Sleeping under mosquito nets

 So how are the parishes coping thus far!?

Preparation by WRHA and Clarendon – Why 2016 will be the year of Zika Virus

Back here in Jamaica, the WRHA (Western Regional Health Authority), which I rarely hear about, is also getting prepared as noted in the article “WRHA Heightens ZIKV Preparedness”, published December 23, 2015 by Sharon Earle, The Jamaica Information Service.

They've increase thier inventory of painkillers and make sure that their laboratory testing facilities are ready to take blood samples of persons coming in with symptoms of the Zika Virus. They've also made sure that their Zika Virus isolation wards have mosquito nets and insect repellent to reduce the rate of spread.

Preparations are also ongoing in earners here in Clarendon, where I live.

According to Medical Officer of Health at the Clarendon Health Department (CHD), Dr Kimberly Scarlett Campbell, the Minister of Health Horace Dalley has assigned same 100 of those Health volunteers to the parish as noted in the article “Clarendon On High Zika Virus Alert”, published Wednesday December 16, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

The Zika Virus did not come in 2015. But 2016, the Year of the Monkey, is most definitely set to be the Year of the Zika Virus in Jamaica!

Here's the link:

PAHO Map showing Zika Virus Spread

ECDC (European Center for Disease Prevention and Control) Microcephaly in Brazil potentially linked to the Zika virus epidemic

CDC's Possible association between Zika virus and microcephaly  

CARPHA Yard Poster