Stories from Quick Reads and Bermuda
Bermuda's 99%
The economic gap appears to be widening in Bermuda and one blogger has been paying attention. A week ago, after the Bermuda Telephone Company announced that it was considering introducing new – and more expensive – residential high speed broadband internet products and a high-end restaurant launched a $1000 per...
Will Death of Cartoonist Prompt Introduction of Better Traffic Laws in Bermuda?
A beloved Bermudian political cartoonist dies after being struck by a motorist's car while on his way to deliver his latest drawing to the newspaper where he worked. The Beach Lime blog notes that “the Corporation of Hamilton speedily acted to move the pedestrian crossing away from the roundabout, in...
One Westerner's View of the “Global War on Terror”
As the United States-led international coalition forges ahead with its fight against ISIS, the Al Qaeda offshoot which has come to control large parts of Iraq and Syria using brutal and violent tactics, Bermudian blogger catch a fire shares his thoughts about this “new war”, which he believes will only...
Bermuda: Who's the Murderer?
Two Bermudian bloggers raise interesting questions about carnage on the nation's roads, even going so far as to call road fatalities “murder”.
Bermuda: Football, The British & Brazil
120 years ago, two Scots brought a football to Brazil and the rest is history, according to an article written by Breezeblog.
Bermuda to Get Public Access to Information Law
Premier Dunkley has announced that [the] Public Access to Information law will be operational by April, 2015. That’s 5 years after the law was passed, and 12 years after the topic was first introduced. Vexed Bermoothes thinks better late than never.
Bermuda: Kicking Off the World Cup
Breezeblog is thrilled that the World Cup is finally here – and makes a cheeky prediction: “Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, Argentina will beat Brazil in the final.”
Another “JetGate” Resignation in Bermuda
catch a fire blogs about the continuing political fallout over Bermuda's “JetGate” controversy.
Bermuda's Premier Hopes to Regain Public Trust
The Bajan Reporter, following the story of the Bermudian premier's resignation, is intrigued by the interim premier's prediction that the governing party will regain the electorate's trust.
Bermuda: 12-Step Politics
Breezeblog thinks that Bermuda's politicians, “being…self-important, self-serving, egotists”, could use some help – but he doesn't hold out much hope for any 12-step programme they could possibly come up with.
Bermuda: Go Fly a Kite!
In Bermuda, kites plays an important role in the island’s cultural heritage. Repeating Islands says that Bermudians are gearing up for the 2014 Kite Fest.
Bermuda: Discussing International Women's Day
International Women’s Day is important for helping us re-focus our attention to [the] feminist struggle, and it should serve to remind us of that and re-commit to it. catch a fire says it's important to “do more than simply pay lip-service to the idea of International Women’s Day.”
Bermuda: Political Shenanigans
Bermuda deserves better. Our country is in deep trouble, and you are fiddling away with self-absorption. Vexed Bermoothes has some advice for the country's politicians.
Bermuda: Gambling with Democracy?
catch a fire explains why he got involved in a petition for a referendum on casino gambling in Bermuda, then publishes a follow-up post asking: What does that say for our democracy when people are afraid to sign a petition that they support because they fear consequences from the Government...
Bermuda: Safety at the Risk of Privacy?
Vexed Bermoothes says that the public will tolerate a certain level of surveillance in the interest of safety, but is concerned that “Bermuda has no established regulations regarding the collection, storage, and use of such data. Nor do we have any privacy legislation worth talking about.”
Bermuda: A Milestone for Human Rights
‘It’s kind of absurd to me that we’re even having this discussion. The God I serve says we are to love one another.’ Breezeblog comments on Bermuda's “pass[ing] [of] the amendment to the Human Rights Act making it illegal to discriminate against someone because of their sexual orientation.”
Bermuda: Pension Tension
It’s our retirements! Vexed Bermoothes is amazed that people aren’t making more of a fuss about the state of pensions in Bermuda.
Bermuda: House & Senate Accountability
The Bermudian government has introduced a set of reform initiatives; Vexed Bermoothes puts forward one of his own – “mak[ing] MPs accountable for their vote.”
Bermuda: Bag Tax or Bad Tax?
Local charities are lobbying the Bermudian Government to institute a bag tax to encourage people to shop with reusable bags and reduce waste – but Vexed Bermoothes insists that “it’s nice to think that you can tax people into living or acting better; it rarely works out that way.”
Bermuda: Is Thatcherism the Living Dead?
The politics and economics of neoliberalism have been shown to…have failed. And yet neoliberalism continues, zombie-like. A living-dead socio-economic system. In one of the few Caribbean blog posts acknowledging the death of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, Catch-a-fire sympathizes with her loved ones, but maintains that Thatcher's politics were...
Bermuda: Elections & Social Media
Social media is providing lots of undercurrents to the 2012 Bermuda election. Vexed Bermoothes explains.
