The beautiful view from Long Mountain. Have a lovely Monday.

Blues of the Spanish Court Hotel pool.

Stay tuned for this Youtube channel debut tomorrow, featuring Jessica.

Jamaican people are never lacking in passion- for their opinions, their politics, their culture. And passion for their leaders was in evidence last Sunday night, when Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller called an election for Feb. 25, 2016. It had been in the air for awhile now, looming as an unknown. It was evident that something was going to happen, however, there are always many signs. Including the funding announcements and photo ops and increased speechifying. In any case, tens of thousands of people turned out on Sunday night, bused in from all over the island. (This shot is taken over Half Way Tree, where the rally was held).

So Jamaicans will go to the polls in less than a month. I wonder if it will be the status quo or a new group of them. I do know that I could never imagine Canadians so devoted and passionate that they would travel across the country (granted Canada is thousands of times bigger than Jamaica) to attend the announcement of an election, a chance to engage their democratic rights. Only about two thirds of Canadians even bother to vote (with Trudeau’s election being a recent anomaly- let’s hope it lasts).

The other day I got a message from one of the young men who used to live in the gully in New Kingston. He thanked me for my help last year and told me he is now living in Denmark. He fled Jamaica because it was simply not safe for him, as a gay man. He had been attacked numerous times and could not access the services that most people take for granted. And I have just learned that another young man, transgender, is leaving in several weeks for another European country, for the same reasons. His apartment was vandalized and he has been attacked several times as well. It is a loss, not just for the nation, but for humanity in general, that our fears create such a hostile climate for our fellow human beings.

Check out this BBC documentary on two transgender people who came back to Jamaica to meet their friends and families with their correct identities.

Here is my next story from the Associated Press. It was a press conference held to mark the finale of CANSEC 2016, an international security conference. Being that it involved the Army, it was formal and adherent of protocol (including the careful placement of the Jamaican and American flags, as it included an American Naval Admiral. At first the flags were too tall, but they were whisked away and soon fit), although it started about a half hour late. Interestingly, a Chinese media outlet based in Cuba was there, and the Jamaican official handed the first question to the reporter after referring to him as our special guest.

I should also note that Jamaicans have now been called to the polls for February 25.

This is where I will be today, covering this conference for the Associated Press. So happy to use my brain again.

The Colour Pink Group, headed by Jessica Burton, is doing some impressive work here on behalf of men who identify as gay, bisexual, transgender or have sex with other men. They are providing career training, counseling, guidance and other services to this segment of the population who are homeless or sofa-surfing.

Today at their regular steering committee meeting, they were presented with a cheque from my friend Suzanna as a wedding present to me. What a gift. When I have sufficient time to devote to their activities, I will write a longer post, as they are doing amazing work for this vulnerable population, especially now that Jessica has more support from Ackeem and Kendra. In the meantime, congratulations to them and check out their Facebook page. They need support!

This Zika virus is no joke. U.S. President Barack Obama is now calling for urgent action. It is officially not yet present here in Jamaica, but how is that possible if it has hit most other Caribbean countries, including nearby Haiti?

“The president emphasised the need to accelerate research efforts to make available better diagnostic tests, to develop vaccines and therapeutics, and to ensure that all Americans have information about the Zika virus,” the White House said in a statement.

It seems the government here is doing a better job this time of raising public awareness. But there doesn’t seem to be much fogging going on, nor are clean-up efforts visible. And we are not getting regular updates.

This Youtube video is a public announcement from the Ministry of Health and local doctor Michael Abrahams. Check it out.

Some wise words from a fellow economist blogger on the state of the nation’s job market. We don’t get much insight from anywhere else, only sunny updates from the government and the IMF.

Check it out here.