Political Correctness, according to my Google search, is defined as the avoidance of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult certain groups of people. That’s a nice, safe, scholarly definition. However, according to urbanddictionary.com, political correctness is defined as organized Orwellian intolerance and stupidity, disguised as compassionate liberalism. I like Urban Dictionary’s definition much better.

In today’s celeb-obsessed, instant info society, the greats of reggae (as well as other genres) may die, but they’re never really allowed to rest. The grisly and macabre (damn near necrophiliac) procession of a dead body from the Marine Police post in Port Antonio yesterday just happened to coincide, roughly, with the 31st anniversary of Bob Marley’s passing, an anniversary understandably marked with considerably less fanfare than his birth.

How does one become a legend? The term has been applied to a select few over the centuries, but still carries some heft: after all, Usain Bolt has publicly declared his intention to be so named, and arguably he’s put in some good work so far toward that status, with more extraordinary feats expected of him this summer.

A few days ago, the Caricom Secretary General, Irwin LaRoque, revealed in Washington that Cariforum nations had begun a process which if unresolved, will lead to a full complaint at the World Trade Organisation, (WTO), against the US Government in relation to rum.

A de facto monopoly in Jamaica (it also operates a cinema in the Cayman Islands), Palace Amusement, the century old cinematic exhibitor fiercely guards its box office receipts from public scrutiny. In spite of this, the anecdotal view is that movies featuring Jamaicans or depicting Jamaica (whether positively or negatively) tend to score higher with Jamaican audiences than the Hollywood fare that still makes up over 90% of the company’s offerings.

When next you tip a can (or bottle, as some of us are still used to) of your favourite soda to your lips, note that you’re not merely “obeying your thirst” but you’re adding to a rivalry (conflict may as yet be inappropriate) between the two giant beverage brands that goes way back into the last century and is still being played out today.

Jamaica’s version of ‘Mas has undoubtedly grown, but full entrenchment is still a ways off. Firstly, I have a confession. I’m not the most conversant individual with the Jamaican iteration of Carnival. As a carefree late teen, I did participate in the famed Ring Road march at the UWI (immortalized by Fab 5) and as an adult I occasionally watched the big climactic Road March from the sidelines, or attended the Friday Fetes of the Bacchanal at the equally famed Mas Camp (now slated to be a commercial/hotel development).

He who pays the piper, calls the tune.  So goes the old adage, and when applied to the world of creative and artistic endeavours, contains a great measure of truth. From almost the very beginnings of civilization (and for you uninitiated, that’s in Africa), those in positions of power and privilege have used the resources at their disposal to further creative innovations and ventures. Whether driven by the desire to preserve their own likenesses and achievements for prosperity (as in the case of the Pyramids of Egypt), or merely out of recognition of the intellectual or other stimulation derived from these creations, their place in the overall scheme is beyond debate.

High crime rates in Latin America and the Caribbean not only take a terrible toll in terms of human lives and social problems, they also often constitute the main obstacle to these countries’ development.  Large numbers of crimes and criminals carry considerable costs for the countries that must fight them, but also for economic activities, due to the high costs of security and the lack of confidence they generate among potential investors.

Sir Dennis Byron’s recent lecture at the UWI Jamaica, cannot go unnoticed as he opined that the character of a judge is the prime ingredient, in the mix to evaluate the success of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), as the preeminent body of legal decision making in the English speaking Caribbean.  That quality is believed to embody the legal art of this international jurist, who now heads the fledgling Caribbean Court of Justice and is the chief proponent of selling its worth to the stoutly indifferent and doubting Thomas’s in the region.

A judge set Zimmerman's bail at $150,000 and his attorney said he could be free in several days. Authorities and attorneys need to work out arrangements to allow Zimmerman to live outside Florida as he awaits trial on a second-degree murder charge because of threats made against him and his family.

It was scarcely surprising to hear that when Caribbean Foreign Ministers met in January with their British counterpart the most divisive issue was the UK’s discriminatory tax on travel, Air Passenger Duty. According to those present, far more revealing was the extent to which Caribbean Foreign Ministers spoke in this context with knowledge and conviction about the central importance of tourism to regional growth and development.

Jazz legend Herbie Hancock turned 72 this week. Elsewhere, a trio of 20-something Canadians calling themselves BadBadNotGood, gained some notoriety (and about 200,000 views on You Tube, as well as the admiration of uber-DJ Gilles Peterson) with some fairly uncharitable remarks about jazz and the jazz canon.  You may well be asking “So What?” as you glance at the title of this piece in your search for relevance. While I revel in your momentary bemusement, let me offer this explanation:

Based on the history of frequency of hazard impacts and related social and economic losses, Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Understandably, then, the subject of disaster risk reduction is a key item on the agenda of the Sixth Summit of the Americas, which takes place this weekend in Cartagena, Colombia.

US President Barack Obama arrives Friday night in Colombia for the sixth Summit of the Americas where he is expected to hang tough on Washington's anti-narcotics and Cuba policies, positions ever-more unpopular in a region drifting away from US dominance.