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“We’ve only just begun” Forahealthyme is a Canadian company which develops telehealth and tele-rehab solutions for healthcare professionals enabling them to diagnose, treat and manage patients without having to be in the same room, not even the same country. Nearly ten years ago when Forahealthyme was launched, its principals could not have imagined a global pandemic that would dramatically reduce face-to-face treatment and increase demand for remote options. Understandably, Forahealthyme has been regularly celebrated for its foresight and innovation in using digital technology to develop applications that lower costs and provide better outcomes and patient satisfaction. The company works across multiple treatment areas. These include musculoskeletal, neurology, spinal cord in...

Soft Power: Why it matters By Ricardo Allicock May 11, 2021 marked the 40th anniversary of the passing of reggae legend, Robert Nesta Marley, OM.  Superlatives describing his musical compositions and performances, his lyrics and philosophical theories, have filled content in print, film and electronic media these past four decades and he continues to rank as the 3rd highest earning, deceased musician behind Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. Ricardo Allicock [email protected] As a brand ambassador for his country, Bob Marley likely outshines all the aforementioned artistes. The name, image and music of Bob Marley immediately bring to mind, for those who encounter any of them, the word "Jamaica".    And yet, Marley is but one of many performers, ...

While preparing for the most exciting phase of his career as a neuro-scientist, Nikolas Francis unwinds by listening to dub, a derivative of Jamaica’s reggae music. Francis, 40, is a member of the University of Maryland Global Campus’ (UMGC) Brain and Behavior Institute. As an assistant professor, he will be conducting extensive research on how the brain engages with sound, this fall. It’s a challenge Francis looks forward to, but he will always find time to delve into his collection of dub records. A jazz drummer himself, Francis’ musical influences also include hip hop acts like A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def and The Roots. He remembers the first time he heard dub in Iowa about 20 years ago. “King Tubby, Randy’s All Stars, Yabby You…I like all kinds of dub. I like that era w...

The Times They are a’changin. Wrist watches made pocket watches obsolete in the 19th Century, now many are wondering whether smartphones could sound the death knell for the piece of art that people usually wear on their wrists. One thing for sure, the watch is no longer the indispensable time keeper we used to rely on. These days, time is displayed on the phone, on the car’s dashboard on the television set, on lap tops and computers. Meanwhile, watch technology has made huge leaps for a watch does not merely tell time, it is able to read one’s blood pressure, oxygen level, heart beat and define the quality of sleep. Besides, watches also have calendars, calculators and compasses and will notify the wearer of incoming phone calls and emails. One can even reply to messages usin...

By Ricardo Allicock A number of years ago, I returned from work one day to find our home in a bit of a tumult. It turned out that my son, then 9, was having a disagreement with his mom, and the world at large, over aspects of their research into Jamaica's history. Ricardo Allicock The project, which was for the establishment of a timeline of world events and eras, led to a deeper examination of the late 19th century - the Victorian period - during which the British Empire was at its apex. In acknowledgement of this fact and the trope, "the sun never sets on the British Empire", my wife assigned our children the task of taking a blank map of the world and shading, in red, countries which were under British rule in the late 1800s. As is customary, I was invited to look over the...

By Ricardo Allicock What is Diplomacy? Generally, when one is introduced as an architect, dentist, lawyer or accountant, it's pretty clear in the minds of those present that the person’s profession deals, respectively, with building design, teeth and gums, an aspect of the law or financial account analysis. However, when one is introduced as a diplomat, a certain degree of vagueness tends to hover in the air. Diplomacy -what is that, really?   Ricardo Allicock Further increasing the opacity surrounding the field of diplomacy is the reality that some persons harbour negative impressions of the profession. Consider how many times you have heard some person lauded as "a diplomat" after bestowing flattery or a compliment upon some undeserving soul. In these instances, ...

By John Myers Jr. Negro River in Jamaica? You better believe it. There are in fact two Negro Rivers in the network of about 100 rivers that flow across the Jamaican landscape. There is a Negro River in St. Ann and another in St. Thomas. Not much is known about the latter except that it is located in Danvers Pen and is part of the Yallahs River system.   McIntosh photo The Negro River sign is prominently displayed along the North Coast Highway near the entrance to the parish capital of St. Ann’s Bay. Many people wonder: how did this come about? Mayor of St. Ann’s Bay, Sydney Stewart, explains that the river was named in “honour” of slaves who once worked on the Richmond and Llandovery sugar plantations and who would gather by the river to rest.  “I have...