One of my staunchest readers (who says people don’t read social columns?) writes to ask: “Do you believe that Mr ‘X’, who used to be so radical has been so transformed that he is now presenting himself as a paragon of virtue? He is holding everyone to book over everything from campaign financing to energy!” My answer is yes. It happened to Saul, who became Paul on the road to Damascus. The thing is that Paul was not just showing himself as holier-than-thou! One has to be careful about those overnight conversions.

Giving away trade secrets

There is good reason why one doesn’t negotiate in public. That risks giving away trade secrets to competitors. People are saying that the OUR and EWI should ignore misguided calls to open their books to all and sundry. Those who are making such calls probably have a hidden agenda.

Warmington the attention-seeker

While his leader Mr Andrew Holness was saying that “Jamaica can be better than this”, Mr Everald Warmington was embarrassing him and his party by saying that people who don’t vote don’t count. One could be sick on election day; absent from the island; forced to work in essential services; be a Jehovah’s Witness; left off the voter’s list, etc. In other words, there are any number of legitimate reasons why one might not have voted. Plus, we still have the right to our consciences last time I checked our Constitution. Good for former JLP activist Dennis Meadows, who lashed him properly. There, Mr Warmonger…er… sorry, Mr Warmington, you got your attention!

Twin threat

The parents are increasingly suspicious of the identical male twins. Apparently, they are switching places and visiting their daughter who doesn’t seem to know the difference. Dad has been talking about DNA tests.

Question of the week

Is anybody checking the books of non-governmental organisations to see where they get their funding from?

pepperpot@jamaicaobserver.com