It's a New Day

The Reggae's 2006 "New Day Riddim" has a list of songs that I listen to almost every day. They are not the most popular songs on the radio today nor were they in 2006. The music is positive and caught my attention. I sat down and I searched on the internet for the songs on this riddim because there was one that I loved to hear and just could not figure out the name.

Once I realized that there was more than one song on the riddim, I looked for the song I knew "Royal Bless" by Ras Attitude. After searching on YouTube and then via Google and Yahoo, I was able to learn that the name of the riddim was the "New Day Riddim". It is a very soothing instrumental with guitar and drums being the central focus. This riddim makes me smile and inspires me with its mellow beat.

Other songs on this riddim include:

• "Always" by Niyorah

Lyrics include "It is you Jah has sent for the kingman, lovely girl, let's make love in the rain" and "I am the waterfall, you are the stream below, a blessing from the top so that your water flows".

• "Swept Away" by Abijah

"I see the youthdem starving, they're starving, on the fields where food should be farming they're fighting" and "Be swept away by the holy one" are some of the lyrics.

• "If Jah is For You" by Lutah Fyah

"If Jah is for you, then who can be against you" is the chorus.

• "Situations" by Princess Menen and Marlon Asher: "

"Situations getting rough, the life I life is rough" is part of the chorus.

• "Trodding On" by Midnite

"How many times man plant and never reap" and "The insulation of love must be fair" are some of the lyrics.

• "Human Heart" by Yami Bolo

"Everybody have a heart though it may be broken sometime" is the chorus.



I love keeping it mellow. Music is a big part of me. I enjoy and write about Reggae, R&B and Hip Hop and sometimes Gospel.

POEM: Words for Mom

It's another day in to Thank God and enjoy the life that is given to us. We are not sure if there will be a tomorrow so we must live today and do good. Mother's Day is every day and so is Father's Day. I am not a huge celebrater of these 'days' but since I am a poet and I have a diverse range of work I do have pieces that can work for these 'days'.


Words for Mom
Mom, when was the last time
I said that I loved you?
You are the one person
that I can speak openly to.

You are the one
who always lifts my spirits.
You are always telling me,
“Go for it! Go get it!”

Mom, I love you
more and more each day.
You’ve set a good example
in all you do and say.

You love God
our only foundation.
You’ve taught me to be
an inspiring mentor for this nation.

I can only wish
that I can be a parent like you
who loves her children
the way that you do.

© Linette Rabsatt

Simple Creole-Styled Tofu Recipe: A Fun & Easy Way to Prepare Tofu

Tofu is nutritious with many health benefits and can be prepared in many ways. This Simple Creole-Styled Tofu recipe is a fun and easy way to prepare tofu for a family.

Tofu is a healthy choice for both men women to add in their diet. The Leasa Industries, Inc. website states that tofu is made from soybeans that have been dried, soaked in water, crushed, and boiled. Calcium sulfate is added as a curdling agent to firm the tofu into the finished product.

Tofu Is Good for Your Health

Tofu is high in protein and low in fat and sodium. It is also is high in calcium, iron, selenium and copper. Tofu has been added to many diets to promote weight loss and to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Tofu Preparation

Tofu is used in many diets as a substitute for meat. It can be fried, baked, and used in desserts, among the many uses. It can be served in curry, creole or alfredo sauce. Tofu can be scrambled and also used to make burgers. Tofu is not difficult to prepare but creativity, seasoning and herbs and spices play an important role in making it delicious.

Simple Creole-Styled Tofu

Ingredients:

• 1 16oz. firm tofu - drained and cubed
• ½ tablespoon seasoning salt (low sodium, if preferred)
• ¼ large white onion
• ½ small sweet pepper or 2 small seasoning peppers
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 sprigs of parsley
• 1 sprig of thyme
• dash of dried Oregano
• 2 dried rosemary leaves
• 4 tablespoons of ketchup or tomato paste
• ½ plum tomato, deseeded
• less than ½ teaspoon of brown sugar
• ½ small lime
• olive oil
• water

 Directions:

1.  Add seasoning salt to the tofu in a bowl with a cover, shake and set aside.
2.  Cut the sweet/seasoning pepper, tomato and onion into ½ inch pieces. Chop the garlic and parsley into small pieces. Add to sweet pepper, tomato and onion along with thyme, oregano and rosemary and set aside.
3. Using a large frying pan or a wok, add olive oil enough to the cover the bottom of the pan and heat on low fire. As soon as the oil is hot enough, add tofu. Let the tofu brown and rotate so that each side is golden.
4. Add the sweet pepper, onion, thyme, rosemary, tomato, parsley and garlic and sauté until tender.
5. Squeeze the juice from the lime and add the sugar and stir for 1 minute.
6. Add water enough to cover ½ the height of the tofu and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
7. Add the ketchup or tomato sauce and add more water if needed so that a sauce remains in the pan. Stir and let the tofu simmer covered for 3 minutes and remove from heat.

This Simple Creole-Styled Tofu recipe can be served with any starch and vegetables and is tasty and heart-healthy. This simple recipe can serve a family of four and provides a good source of essential nutrients in keeping the body healthy. 

My 200th Blog Post

This is my 200th blog post. Even though some older posts may be about past events, I like to look back and see what was done.

This blog has been a good outlet for me to share my thoughts, to vent about issues, to share events and to share poems. As I build my resume as a writer, I find that it is important to write often. I do not have a journalism education but I have a business degree with concentrations in marketing and finance. Fifteen years ago I would not have seen myself today writing a blog or publishing poems or writing for Brown Eyez Magazine, Dish Magazine, Core Magazine and Suite 101.

I am happy for this opportunity to share my thoughts as Words of Ribbon. I hope that readers have and will continue to enjoy what I write.

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Ideas for Relieving Boredom

People always get bored but there are ways to keep active and focused. Try new authors, hobbies, volunteering or join an club to stay occupied and happy.

Boredom can have negative effects because of the way it takes away positive energy. People get bored for more than one reason and it gets worse as they remain in that drudgery. Lack of television or a partner or children are not reasons to be bored. Negative effects of boredom include overeating and a potential for laziness. Instead, good alternatives to boredom engage experimentation into trying new things. Explore the world of literature, music, cooking, games and gardening. Other ways to relieve boredom include joining groups and spending time with family and friends.

Explore & Enjoy Music

There are many genres of music such as classical, pop, indie, reggae, hip hop, jazz, soca and others. It is good to explore the different types of music in the world to develop an appreciation for the different cultural influences. Conduct research on Google.com and MySpace.com on the different types of music and visit YouTube to view artists and music videos from all over the world. Be sure to take time and dance also because dancing is good exercise and can surely lift the spirit.

Research and Read New Authors

Reading is always a good pastime. Conduct a search on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other book sites for new authors, their work and customer reviews. Visit the local library and lend the titles, purchase from a thrift shop at reduced cost or enter into a book exchange to save money.

Find New Recipes for Fun

While boredom can lead to overeating, anyone who is bored can explore new and healthy recipes that can be prepared in small servings or shared with family and friends to avoid overeating. The internet provides a wealth of recipes for all types of cooking, baking and for a variety of foods.

Make Contact with Family and Friends

It is important to maintain contain with family and friends. Visit the family, especially the elders. If family members are far away, call and text or save money by chatting via an instant messaging program. Setting aside special time to visit or interact with family and close friends can ease boredom.

Play More Fun Games

There are many games to choose from to ease boredom. At home, there are crosswords, Sudoku, word search, puzzles, board games and card games. As a weekend outing, visit a bingo game or a darts or domino tournament and participate. For persons who prefer more active games or who prefer to view than participate, there are always local youth and adult games of soccer, basketball, softball and other sports.

Gardening Relieves Boredom

Gardening provides either actual food or beautiful ornamentals. Whatever the choice, gardening is a very healthy hobby that can be started on a small scale with a container garden. The National Gardening Bureau in an article, "[Why Garden: The National Garden Bureau's Top Ten] (http://ngb.org/gardening/todays/article.cfm?ID=55)" provides its top reasons for gardening which include exercising, safe and healthy food production, earning money and especially meeting emotional needs and gaining spiritual connections. Gardening is good hobby to reduce boredom by occupying spare time in a healthy way.

Volunteering

One way to reduce drudgery while giving back to the community is to volunteer with non-profit organizations such as a Humane Society or Animal Shelter, Red Cross or a community mentoring

program for youth or senior citizens. Volunteering is also a way to hone interpersonal and team-building skills by interacting with others.

Join a Group

Check the local media for the different groups in the community. Regular congregation with persons of like origin, goals and interests helps to keep balance because the common factors keep the activities interesting. In the British Virgin Islands, there are many church groups, a poetry group and other non-profit organizations. Such groups often perform community service and this makes joining more worthwhile.

The activities not only relieve monotony but offer a good way to help others. Boredom can be alleviated once there are other interests that can be developed into hobbies or positive activities. It is important to keep the mind and body stimulated to maintain health and a positive mindset. Using the internet wisely, engaging in new activities and volunteering are just some of the ways that everyday boredom can be alleviated.

The Man Who Wanted Development vs The Man Who Wanted Wealth

Once upon a time, there was a man who lived in a little house on a big hill. He had very few neighbors and very few luxuries of life. He had two heads of cattle, five goats, five sheep and ten rabbits. He also had a vegetable garden and many fruit trees. He always preferred to have access to food rather than a big house. He felt that if he wanted to attract a good woman, he would impress her with his bountiful garden rather than a big empty house.

This man had a neighbor on the opposite hill who built a large home because he wanted a woman who would be attracted to his wealth. He wanted her to be able to fill his house with friends and children. If he could fill his five acres with just the house alone he would because a woman could fill the estate with people who could admire his wealth.

The two men could find women that suit their wishes - good woman who wants to build a family based on principles or a woman who is attracted to wealth. We can look at these two men as examples of the way our leaders envision the future in our country. Do we want leaders who will only want to attract wealthy investors but who do not seek to build a nation with proper infrastructure, environmental preservation and food security? Or do we want leaders who will think about the future?

Do you think that if a flood occurs in the valley, the neighbor will be able to survive if he has no food planted? What will he do if his water sources run out? Will the people he wanted to attract with his wealth be there to help him rebuild? What will the man with his little house do? Do you think he will manage?

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Why Supervisors and Employees Disagree

There are times when the managers and the staff will disagree. Salary, promotion and micro-management are some of the causes of the disagreements.

Managers and supervisors need to have healthy working relationships and clear communication with the employees so that work flows and on-the-job conflicts can be solved in a timely manner. However, despite how supervisors and staff may try, there will be times when they disagree. These parties disagree because of promotional opportunities, a breakdown in communication, salary, micromanagement and inappropriate behavior.

Promotion

Employees look forward to working in an organization that has room for growth and promotion.

According to Gregorio Billikopf, author of Labor Management in Agriculture from the College of Natural Resources of the University of California, Berkeley, "organizational movements, such as promotions, transfers, job rotations, demotions, and layoffs may alter workers' security, satisfaction and productivity". When an employee sees that others are pushed forward, while he is not promoted, he will be disheartened. The employee can get disgruntled and disagree not only with the supervisor but with the other employees. On the other hand, the manager can fall out with an employee who was promoted and is not delivering a high level of work as expected.

Performing the Duties of Others

Have you ever worked in an organization where the supervisor recognizes that you have special talents? If you have, you may have been stuck with tasks outside your job description. Sometimes the tasks are actually those of other employees who are somehow unable to perform. If the tasks are relevant to your position, then you can add same to your resume. However, employees can quickly get frustrated when other staff's work is set upon them just because they can excel at simple tasks like adding page numbers to a document or formatting a memo. When employees are singled out to perform tasks that others should be doing, it can lead to frustration.

Breakdown in Communication

 A breakdown in communication can be unclear communication or lack of communication. Unclear communication causes rifts between couples, with friends and certainly between employees and supervisors. According to the Jamaica Gleaner in a September 23, 2007 article, " Communication Likely to Affect Loyalty in the Workplace - JEF ", "a group of workers surveyed by the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) has identified communication at the workplace as the number one factor likely to influence their loyalty to their organizations". Communication breakdown can occur in the sharing of complaints and qualms, whether considered insignificant or major. It can also happen when tasks given out are vague. Both the employer and the employee have to ensure that communication is clear and definitive to avoid conflict.

Salary Issues

Salary, especially with the soaring oil and food prices, is very important to employees in all levels in an organization. Any action that affects an employee's take home pay, specifically a decrease, will be cause for disagreement with the supervisor. In some instances, an employee may have exceeded the allotted sick days or vacation leave for a year and has to take leave without pay. This instance may also fall under the unclear communication heading if the supervisor does not explain the company's policy and the country's labor laws.

Micro-management

There are some employees that need constant supervision. However, many staff members are capable of executing their tasks with little or no supervision. Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines micromanage as "to manage especially with excessive control or attention to details". Employees, especially those who are mid-level to senior staff members, may want to work independently on most projects. An example where micromanagement may lead to disagreement is where a senior worker is assigned a project and is implementing said task with a team of peers and subordinates. When the manager intercedes and gives new tasks or orders changes to the subordinates, then there is a strong chance that there will be a negative interaction between the project head and manager. Micromanagement in such a case also causes the subordinates to be confused and they may lose confidence in the project head.

Disrespectful or Inappropriate Behavior

There is no toleration for disrespectful or sexually suggestive behavior in the workplace. This is not only a cause for contention and can also bring litigation by the employee or the employer. Even if your supervisor swears, that is no indication that any employee should follow such behavior. Sexual advances are also not acceptable by either the management or the staff or across either level. 

There are several reasons why employees and supervisor disagree. While we hope to have a peaceful work environment, contention will occur. When disagreement becomes constant, then all sides need to meet on all issues, with a mediator if needed, to get the organization running optimally without

unnecessary disturbances.

Sources:

• Communication Likely to Affect Loyalty in the Workplace - JEF", Jamaica Gleaner, Published September 23, 2007 and accessed online May 3, 2011
• Miriam-Webster Dictionary, accessed online on May 3, 2011
• Billikopf, Gregorio. Labor Management in Agriculture (2nd Edition, 2003). College of Natural Resources of the University of California, Berkeley. Accessed online version on May 3, 2011.