HAAAAAAATE cycle thieves (as if you didn't already know).
They're so callous they would swipe your bike right in your front yard.
Last time it was a public parking lot (and I'm still bitter at CoH, too). Now they've struck closer to home, literally.
But how brazen can you be to go into a condo area and steal a bike?
In Bermuda there's no active investigation into cycle thefts, it's more of them just patrolling the area and when they find it abandoned, they let us know. It's frustrating, but I don't see the police doing it differently (then again it's hard if you can't really do things like check for prints).
Haaaaaaaate.
2010-03-19
2010-03-18
Rearranging the side links
I'm kind of disgusted that it's been over 200 days since I last picked up a volleyball. sigh. I know Bermudians don't get it, but I'm still a bit upset. Not like I'm in any shape to be any good to anybody right now, of course. It's all about motivation, though.
Bowling though, probably a lost cause. Even though Warwick Lanes is a 5 minute drive away.
Rearranged my Online Community links somewhat slightly. Bringing back New Onion, which is a cleanly-designed site, with posts categorised neatly and the topics always of local interest. Finally got around to removing Prog Minds, which is effectively dead. At least they got rid of the spam posts.
I still think we'd be better served with at least a couple more local blogs run by females. Discounting Jewel, we only have two or three (Vexed Bermoothes I still don't know about, honest). Again, the proliferation of Facebook discussion areas (I can't call them forums or boards) may have shifted the scope of local opinion sharing away from traditional blogs or forums. So we may not see any new blogs in the near future, unfortunately.
Bowling though, probably a lost cause. Even though Warwick Lanes is a 5 minute drive away.
Rearranged my Online Community links somewhat slightly. Bringing back New Onion, which is a cleanly-designed site, with posts categorised neatly and the topics always of local interest. Finally got around to removing Prog Minds, which is effectively dead. At least they got rid of the spam posts.
I still think we'd be better served with at least a couple more local blogs run by females. Discounting Jewel, we only have two or three (Vexed Bermoothes I still don't know about, honest). Again, the proliferation of Facebook discussion areas (I can't call them forums or boards) may have shifted the scope of local opinion sharing away from traditional blogs or forums. So we may not see any new blogs in the near future, unfortunately.
Waiting rooms
You know things are bad when it's Standing Room Only at the doctor's.
Hopefully this is the last time we will ever have to go to Dr. Emery's office. An hour and a half of waiting for the scheduled appointment is just insane!
[Mobile]
Hopefully this is the last time we will ever have to go to Dr. Emery's office. An hour and a half of waiting for the scheduled appointment is just insane!
[Mobile]
2010-03-13
Zombieland: what happens when you have a sleepless baby
I gotta apologize to all the people I came across on Friday on the street, Portofino's and Lindo's. Chalk it up to sleep deprivation, I think. No-one said raising babies was easy, and it's a challenge so far handling the late night wakeups for food and diapers.
It'll get easier, I think, as the routine is formulated.
Until then, expect to see the zombie in town and elsewhere. You may have to holler louder to get my attention.
It'll get easier, I think, as the routine is formulated.
Until then, expect to see the zombie in town and elsewhere. You may have to holler louder to get my attention.
2010-03-08
Followup to the Report on 'Gaming'
The Gazette editorial that discussed aspects of the Green Paper on 'Gaming' covers a few of the issues I had with the content of the report.
Namely, the tie-in of 'gaming' with tourism as a whole. If the point of the discussion was solely on tourism, then there's absolutely no need for national lotteries to be investigated. No tourist, whether from the United States or elsewhere, is going to visit Bermuda in order to buy damn lottery tickets.
If they want to discuss lotteries, then it should be discussed not from a tourism aspect but a national revenue aspect, and the potential social issues, cut and dry. Like I've said ad nauseam over the years however, we already have at least one national lottery in place, it's just under a different name.
This aspect of the research was a complete waste of time and money if the goal was to evaluate the tourism benefit of 'gaming'.
Internet gambling as well. How is someone who plays online poker for example, with funds raised going to Bermudian business, suddenly considered in any form a contributor to tourism?
It's a situation that could have been prevented by making the research more about raising money for Bermuda and Bermudians alone instead of this tourism angle. Keep it about casinos (and perhaps looking into hosting international events like World Series of Poker tournaments) and this report makes a ton more sense.
Here's the kicker that many political pundits and commentators are probably looking into with regard to the casino in town, it's on Page 19 of the report (the pdf as viewed in Acrobat Reader, page 9 of the report as printed out):
I like that they covered what they call 'Ambient machines' in the report as well. These of course, are commonly known as the 'one arm bandits' that used to be available locally until they were banned in 2005. These are common features of certain kinds of casinos, and one would think that if they were allowed to exist in any new casino that the current crop of bars and restaurants that once had them would immediately call for the law to be repealed to avoid the perceived hypocrisy of the situation. The report itself suggests that these 'machines' aren't recommended, mind you.
My issues with the whole debate on the social issues surrounding 'gaming' (and really, I'm tired of quoting 'gaming', so I'll use the real term - gambling - going forward) is that Bermuda already has an abundance of real gambling avenues, and it's only antiquated laws that say that gambling of one form is perfectly fine while another is abhorrent and vile.
The list of social issues in the report is: crime, burglary and related, loan sharks, crimes at casinos, prostitution, bankruptcy, suicide, family impact, child abuse, homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence and divorce. These already exist on the island, some in greater quantity than others. And if you wish to tie these to the people who already go to Seahorses or GameTime every day to place wagers on horse racing or European football pools, then shut them down.
What I hope for, in the end, is that the current laws relating to gambling be reviewed and restructured where applicable, and this is without the use of the Green Paper recommendations. There are some outdated, and in some cases, nonsensical, provisions in there. I hope that the powers that be address them along with their decisions on allowing casinos to set up shop.
Namely, the tie-in of 'gaming' with tourism as a whole. If the point of the discussion was solely on tourism, then there's absolutely no need for national lotteries to be investigated. No tourist, whether from the United States or elsewhere, is going to visit Bermuda in order to buy damn lottery tickets.
If they want to discuss lotteries, then it should be discussed not from a tourism aspect but a national revenue aspect, and the potential social issues, cut and dry. Like I've said ad nauseam over the years however, we already have at least one national lottery in place, it's just under a different name.
This aspect of the research was a complete waste of time and money if the goal was to evaluate the tourism benefit of 'gaming'.
Internet gambling as well. How is someone who plays online poker for example, with funds raised going to Bermudian business, suddenly considered in any form a contributor to tourism?
It's a situation that could have been prevented by making the research more about raising money for Bermuda and Bermudians alone instead of this tourism angle. Keep it about casinos (and perhaps looking into hosting international events like World Series of Poker tournaments) and this report makes a ton more sense.
Here's the kicker that many political pundits and commentators are probably looking into with regard to the casino in town, it's on Page 19 of the report (the pdf as viewed in Acrobat Reader, page 9 of the report as printed out):
Allow an independent casino to be developed to accommodate locals and tourists seeking a larger, more energetic gaming environment. This property would likely be larger and, not being in a hotel, would likely attract the majority of the local patronage. The property would also appeal to tourists seeking a gamingLet the rumours begin on where such a development could be situated in 'downtown Hamilton'. Two areas right off the bat, can be guessed at. Page 24 (page 14) gives you the added hints on location (shh, waterfront).
experience that are not staying at hotels offering casinos as well as hotel guests that may seek larger casinos that typically feature more energetic environments. We have identified this situation as a possible stand-alone casino in downtown Hamilton.
I like that they covered what they call 'Ambient machines' in the report as well. These of course, are commonly known as the 'one arm bandits' that used to be available locally until they were banned in 2005. These are common features of certain kinds of casinos, and one would think that if they were allowed to exist in any new casino that the current crop of bars and restaurants that once had them would immediately call for the law to be repealed to avoid the perceived hypocrisy of the situation. The report itself suggests that these 'machines' aren't recommended, mind you.
My issues with the whole debate on the social issues surrounding 'gaming' (and really, I'm tired of quoting 'gaming', so I'll use the real term - gambling - going forward) is that Bermuda already has an abundance of real gambling avenues, and it's only antiquated laws that say that gambling of one form is perfectly fine while another is abhorrent and vile.
The list of social issues in the report is: crime, burglary and related, loan sharks, crimes at casinos, prostitution, bankruptcy, suicide, family impact, child abuse, homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence and divorce. These already exist on the island, some in greater quantity than others. And if you wish to tie these to the people who already go to Seahorses or GameTime every day to place wagers on horse racing or European football pools, then shut them down.
What I hope for, in the end, is that the current laws relating to gambling be reviewed and restructured where applicable, and this is without the use of the Green Paper recommendations. There are some outdated, and in some cases, nonsensical, provisions in there. I hope that the powers that be address them along with their decisions on allowing casinos to set up shop.
2010-03-06
Shocking - 'Gaming' recommended
It's pretty convenient that Government consultants came up with a Green Paper that outlaid the Government leaders' wishes to a tee while offering significant olive branches to those who would ordinarily be against gambling as a whole in Bermuda.
Taking a look via the Gazette article:
It's as clever as you can get with regards to trying to win over PLP MPs who opposed the original plan to allow cruise ships to open on-board casinos while in port. By emphasizing the importance of casino gambling to tourism, the argument becomes more one of neccesity and less of morality.
Spending $300,000 on this pre-determined research however, just seems wasteful. Everyone on this rock knew what the 'findings' were going to be, but no matter. Consultants rule.
Taking a look via the Gazette article:
- a casino is recommended, especially in the (soon-to-be taken-over) City.
- the olive branch to church groups by recommending against a national lottery (even though Bermuda already has at least one - it's called 'Bermuda Bingo'.
- the other olive branch being the no Internet Gaming stance. The most 'Duh' moment of them all, one would think.
It's as clever as you can get with regards to trying to win over PLP MPs who opposed the original plan to allow cruise ships to open on-board casinos while in port. By emphasizing the importance of casino gambling to tourism, the argument becomes more one of neccesity and less of morality.
Spending $300,000 on this pre-determined research however, just seems wasteful. Everyone on this rock knew what the 'findings' were going to be, but no matter. Consultants rule.
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