"Our country is known for its extremes. A place packed with originality and creative energy that continues to flourish despite the current socio-political state that has removed the personal pride of many. An island filled with beauty unsurpassed and ugliness that would make a rat puke."
- afflictedyard.com, Peter Dean Rickards
PETER DEAN Rickards - controversial, rebel, writer, photographer. Log on to www.afflictedyard.com, his creation, and take a look into the mind of someone many, particularly conservative types, would argue is walking a thin line between sanity and madness.
The site boasts thrashings of mainstream personalities like Carolyn Cooper, sports photos of scantily clad barely-over-the-age-of-consent-looking women brandishing rather large guns, displays images of dancehall heavyweights in sometimes amusing and other times daunting positions. The site also bears a contentious message board filled with patrons of Rickard's like mind, and is at its essence - whether intentionally or not - a whirlwind of social and political commentaries through both text and imagery.
Nonetheless, for Rickards his website is simply a business card. It's the medium he uses to have his work seen and appreciated by editors and business heads he may have otherwise had to go through hell and high water to even glimpse at his portfolio.
It doesn't mean though that the 34-year-old is oblivious to the power behind his hold of this aspect of technology. While interviewing him hints of his acute awareness is revealed when he speaks to the way website hosts like himself have barged into media territory. The site prides itself as 'media terrorists' - continually presenting a-typical views to those of recognised media houses in all regions. Arbitrary web-surfers are not the only visitors to the afflictedyard.com website, but it undoubtedly has a rooted fan base.
"Afflictedyard has a cult following mainly amongst Jamaicans living abroad and those here who are dot-commers (persons who are always on the internet)", Rickards told Flair.
EXCHANGE PROGRAMME
Rickards left Jamaica when he was 10 years old, to live in Toronto, Canada until eight years ago when he joined an exchange programme at a university there and made his way back to his birthplace to do a year at University of the West Indies, Mona. There he completed the final year of his first degree in History and Political Science. He then found his way to London, England with basically nothing, living what he calls "a dishevelled life". Six months later he came back to Jamaica to pursue a postgraduate degree. It was then he set up afflictedyard.com.
Six months before completing his second degree he says he became disillusioned and decided to put off finishing it. His next endeavour would be to begin working at a local studio doing photography. While there, he experimented with webcasting, and became one of the first persons in the country to webcast local events. Due to a fallout between himself and the studio owner, he ended up back to the place he would soon thank for a generous livelihood - his website.
It was four years ago Rickards materialised the afflictedyard vision. During the site's initial stages, he says he barely paid much attention to it. But, in the last six months he has focused all his efforts on the site and is doing exceptionally well - able to more than support himself and is getting recognition and exposure the world over.
What's next for Rickards?
He wants to start a photographic magazine to be sold on stands across the globe. Ultimately, he has his sight on moving towards books, which will lead him to his true passion - writing.
Oh, and look out for some photos he has done for Puma with a different take on some
top-of-the-line djs.
-Kinisha O'Neill
Stepping into the
telecommunications age
IT IS always refreshing to hear of a returning resident, especially when that returning resident is a 24-year-old who has had an amazing experience abroad and has excelled beyond expectations. Khary Robinson had been living in the United States for the past nine years and last summer decided to throw in the corporate towel to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities back home.
Up until last July, this young businessman had a challenging job, decent-sized Manhattan apartment (this is a major deal for most Manhattanites) and a social life that would make others green with envy.
From an early age, Khary Robinson was taught to work hard in pursuit of his goals. For those football fans out there, you may remember him from the days of Inter-Prep Football Competitions on the Mona Preparatory side. Or you might recall when he was a star on the Campion Pepsi, Colts and Manning Cup sides respectively. Through his love and dedication to the sport at the age of 16, Khary Robinson was presented with an opportunity that was a first for a Jamaican as he was granted a full football scholarship to attend the prestigious boarding school Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut, USA the alma mater of President John F. Kennedy
During the first year of his academic career at Choate, Robinson worked along with the Dean of Admissions to start a recruitment programme to encourage other young, smart Jamaicans to attend Prep schools all across New England. The following year 13 Jamaicans were placed in prominent Prep Schools such as Phillips Academy Andover, The Hotchkiss School and Lumis Chaffe.
HAND WORK
With impressive SAT scores in tow, Robinson's next sight was on college. Hard work paid off as Robinson earned his second football scholarship, this time to Georgetown University in Washington D.C. where he graduated Cum Laude with a B.Sc. in Finance.
In the first semester of his senior year, Robinson got an offer that he just could not refuse. The New York office of Bank of American Securities offered him a position as an Analyst in the General Industrial Group, which meant that he would work with corporate clients to provide strategic financing solutions with billion-dollar clients. Although he knew that the hours would be long and the work would be hard "it was an opportunity that I just could not turn down as I knew that the experience would pave the way for future endeavours," says Robinson.
According to Robinson "The hours that I used to work were insane. I would work sometimes from 8 a.m. straight until 5 the next morning, go home, sleep for three hours and then head back to work. It was exhausting but I kept the faith and never lost sight of my goals. The experience taught me how to push myself to the limit".
He noted here that most people who are employed for investment banks work for two years - only the lucky ones get their contracts renewed at the end of the second year.
At the end of his second year, Robinson was offered a contract renewal and although the money was alluring, he declined, as he was anxious to branch off on his own and invest in Jamaica.
Since his return in last July, Robinson has been working non-stop to establish two companies. The first company is International Data Processors; a company that provides outsourcing solutions for U.S. based corporations. Currently International Data Processors is working on a project with CCBN (Corporate Communications Broadcast Network), which was listed by Fortune Magazine as the 24th fastest growing company in the U.S. with sales of over US$50 million USD.
Robinson is also the CEO of TropicalPhones. TropicalPhones in collaboration with AT&T and Vodafone provides cellular
service for travellers. It promises to remove all communication worries by providing inexpensive and convenient solutions for Jamaicans travelling abroad and foreigners visiting the island.
Robinson boasts, "There are no roaming charges on the Tropical Phones network and that is what makes Tropical Phones a practical choice". Beginning February 1, travellers will be able to reserve a cellular phone via the Internet (www.tropicalphones.com), through your travel agent or at the Norman Manley and the Donald Sangster International Airports in kiosks located in the departure lounge.
Right now Robinson, who also plays in the Super League for Boys' Town Football Club is focused on getting settled in Jamaica but says that his mind is always racing as he considers other ventures. Graduate school is definitely on the horizon, but "that's it for living away" he says. He encourages other young Jamaicans to "reap the opportunities abroad, but never forget the foundation and always give back".-Kaili McDonnough
Connecting people with wireless solutions
SO OFTEN, Americans fall in love with our beautiful island Jamaica, by vacationing on our shores or through embracing the unique infectious culture of the reggae land.
Yet of the many visitors who have touched our shores very few see an opportunity for investment and act upon it. One such exceptional individual is Darryl Wehmeyer who is getting Jamaica wired through wireless communication.
Wehmeyer who hails from Atlanta, Georgia, USA frequently visited the island in the late 1990s to assist friends with business projects. While staying at a couple of hotels in Kingston, he realised that there was limited access to the Internet, and that the convenience of doing so from anywhere within the hotels was only a dream. There and then, Wehmeyer got the brilliant idea of establishing a wireless land network company in Jamaica.
Four years ago Wehmeyer moved to Jamaica and founded Copia Wireless Communications Limited; a distributor, integrator and marketer of wireless networks and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) products. This, the 34-year-old entrepreneur says is the best decision he has made and intends to give Copia Caribbean recognition.
"Around the world at the various hot spots wireless programming is preferred. It is much more common now, once it was more of a novelty now it is a necessity," says Wehmeyer.
ELITE LIST OF CLIENTS
Wireless networking refers to technology that enables two or more computers to communicate using standard network protocols, with flexible connectivity without cabling hassle.
Thus, what Copia does is provide a unique solution for hotels. They install a wireless system in hotels for guests to access the Internet at their convenience from the pool, the beach, meeting rooms, restaurants and the guest rooms. Copia also markets and installs wireless point-to-point links for companies with multiple locations. For a one-time cost of equipment and installation, a company can link two locations together which are miles apart. While also, Copia will provide training for the staff of the companies being installed with wireless network and maintains their equipment.
Copia now boasts an elite clientele such as The Hilton Kingston Hotel, Ritz-Carlton, Rose Hall Hotel, Courtleigh Hotel and Suites, Knutsford Court Hotel, the Ministry of Local Government, the Mandeville Hospital, Grace, Kennedy, First Global Bank among others.
"I want to apply the business plan in other Caribbean countries, then Latin America. Developing countries have the best opportunities for technology, there is more room to grow," he says.
Wehmeyer who studied Management at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts decided to bring his expertise to Jamaica and establish his first company in the island, the largest English-speaking country in the Caribbean with lots of business potential, he says. "The telecommunications market was opening up and I thought it would be interesting to invest." Copia which started on March 26, 2001 in a townhouse in Norbrook, St. Andrew is now a six-room flat on the fifth floor of the Island Life Building on St. Lucia Avenue in New Kingston. With a staff complement of six persons, and two working in Montego Bay, St. James.
He states that the challenges being faced by telecommunications companies in Jamaica are similar to those being experienced in the United States. As with deregulation within countries, the experiences will be similar."Companies are forced to share its market force for clients," he says. Still, despite the challenges and competition that are attached to the wireless communications business, and the instability of the economy Wehmeyer is optimistic that Copia will survive.
He reveals that the only time he has been worried about Copia's immovability was during the aftermath of the 9/11 attack, as if there was a continued downfall in visitors to the country it would have affected the company, since he mostly works with hotels.
Copia is also the exclusive distributor in the Caribbean of Micronet products. Micronet, a Taiwan company which Copia has been in partnership with for the past three years, provides advanced technology and standard -based Wireless LAN (WLAN) products enabling computers to network wirelessly. Micronet is also a distributor of GPRS cards, which are facilitated through Copia.
Among his immediate business plans, Wehmeyer wants to increase the awareness of and accessibility to VoIP products in Jamaica. With VoIP persons can make calls from their computers through the Internet at a lower cost than when using a direct telephone line. With VoIP, it changes analog vocals (your voice) into digital data packets. These packets can then be sent over any internet protocol network. When it is received by a phone or computer they are reassembled back into analog signals.
Among these and other ideas that Wehmeyer has he says Copia is expected to achieve greatness.
"There is always new and improved mechanisms within the technological field. Always a need for wireless."
- Shelly-Ann Thompson
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
