Shut up, BIU

Here we freaking go again. The union isn't happy about an employer's actions, so instead of going through the proper legal actions, which include giving notice to strike, they say, screw y'all, we're downing tools immediately.

Who suffers most? Joe Public, of course. And Government needs to step in and impose penalties on the union for their behaviour in this matter. Which means that it probably won't happen.

You see, the public will get over this in a week or less. The union and their political influence, appeasing them is more critical.

It's just irresponsible all around.

Would you believe that the missus called the Public Transport Board this morning to find out if buses would run today? The answer was "nope, not until further notice," and in the background you could hear people laughing and chattering away.

How can one have sympathy for a group that revels in their actions that inconvenience the public in such a manner? Selfish bastards, the lot of them.

They need to update the gov.bm Bus fees page

Here's the page.

Up to date as of 1994. Nineteen ninety four.

Seriously. Government employs 80% of the island's workforce (my exaggeration) yet they can't keep certain web pages up-to-date? WTF?

Who knows what else is outdated on that behemoth of a Goverment website?

PLP thrashes opposition in poll

Kind of fascinating... indeed.

68% of those polled are not happy with how things are going in the country.

63% think the economy is going in the wrong direction.

8% think the economic conditions here are 'good'.

However, 49% of those polled will vote for the incumbent leadership if a General Election happens tomorrow, compared to a combined 17% for the two opposition parties.

I suppose you could infer several things from the results of the polls (aside from the usual statistical questions):

• The opposition parties are just not viable enough or recognizable enough (the party leaders got 21 and 50% "not sure" favor-ability rating, compared to 7% for the PLP leader)
• The public believes that things like the economic conditions, are not the fault of the ruling party or that the ruling party is better equipped to deal with them than the others
• Allegiances to party remain strong as ever in this divided community

Personally, I'd like to meet the 20% of people who think things are great in Bermuda and the economy is moving in the right direction. Because unless they're auto repair folks, I'd like to know how they're faring.

My 2011 Wish List for Bermuda

A tumultuous year both for me personally, and Bermuda as a whole. As of now, if you were to gauge the overall "happiness" of people in Bermuda, I'd bet that the scale would tip substantially into the negative, and there are a number of factors at play, particularly as relating to the economy, jobs, personal safety, education of our young people, politics and sport.

Here's my quick 2011 Wish List:

1. [Me] Become less apathetic to the goings-on in this country, less resigned to Bermuda's "fate".
2. [Me] Get the website back on track, including the blog. 53 total posts is the lowest number since 2004, a bad trend.
3. [Me] Be a better husband, appreciate my wife more and be a better contributor overall.
4. [Me] Commit to bettering myself, physically and mentally.
   
   
5. [Bermuda] Take personal responsibility for education - mentor a young child if you can, ensure your child excels despite the pitfalls of the education system.
6. [Bermuda] Drive better, put your damn cell phones away, and ease up on the road rage.
7. [Bermuda] Be willing to stand up for what's right.
8. [Bermuda] Be wiser with your money and what you spend it on.
   
   
9. [Politicians] Engage the public, communicate one-to-one, and lay off the b.s.
10. [The UBP] Walk the walk.
11. [The PLP] Demonstrate that you're about *all* of Bermuda. Listen to your opponents, don't ridicule them.
    
12. [The BDA] Stop fighting for #2. Show Bermuda that you're capable of being the future Government.
13. [My fellow bloggers] Continue to offer opinions and insight, no matter your political (or other) leanings.
14. [Our athletes] Enjoy your sport, show a commitment to excellence, if you are representing Bermuda, give the best account that you can.
    
    
15. [Bermuda] Help each other. Be more gracious and understanding. Live the Golden Rule.
    

Here's to a more happy 2011 for everybody.

Media, don't give credibility to the gangs

New rule, mass media, how about not displaying all the symbols and graffiti done up by these local gangs? I know that the media is supposed to be committed to providing the truth and facts, but I dunno, it just seems that they're these groups a sense of pride or something, and they can further thrive in their notoriety.

Education standards in Bermuda

Politics.bm sums up the release of this year's secondary school 'graduates' information very well:

In reality, to graduate implies proficiency. You cannot graduate 99% of students if a mere 23% of them are proficient in math for example. The other 77% did not graduate, they were simply moved on from the education system.

This whole sugar-coating approach is terrible. We're declaring that these students have *graduated* high school but are poor at mathematics? No, that's plain wrong. School leavers, perhaps, but graduates, no. That term should be reserved for those who are at least somewhat prepared to enter the workforce - and to do that you need to have some proficiency in mathematics. Anyway, politics.bm covers this way better than I can, so read the article in full, especially the fifth paragraph.

Thinking about personal firearms in Bermuda

A few weeks ago, we visited some friends in Alberta, Canada. It was a true vacation, and it was the first time in quite a while that I didn't have work issues to contend with (mainly because, work had no way to get ahold of me, heh, and I didn't have the temptation to check in on work).

One of the 'firsts' that I got to experience was the holding and firing of a gun. I wouldn't have considered myself to be a shrinking violet or a worrywart about using a firearm, but on the way to the range, there was no mistaking the adrenaline rush and tension going on inside me.

It was very cold (by Bermuda standards; it was probably in the high 40s at the time, with cold rain as well), not the ideal situation to be handling and testing out guns, but my buddy gave me the overview, how to load the weapon, train the sights on the target, et al. We had a Glock 9mm and some kind of 22mm pistol. These guns, for one, are heavier than they seem, perhaps it was the ammo magazine, I dunno. And they're far louder than one would think.

One truth of the matter, is that those gangster types who hold their gun sideways when shooting, you probably stand a good chance of evading the bullet. You really have to aim with these things.

Finally, we pulled out an assault rifle, I cannot recall its type but it was a modified version of an AK-type rifle with a telescopic scope. All I can say after trying it out is that I have serious respect for those who shoot competitively, especially those who do biathlon. Holding the rifle steady and hitting the target, very tough to do, especially in cold conditions.

Anyway, what does this all mean with relation to the topic title? Besides making this one of the longest blog posts I've ever done, discussions with my friend and actually using guns on the range, made me think about aspects like the right to bear arms as it relates to the USA, and if banning their possession in Bermuda by individuals gives the new generation of criminals here a bigger carte blanche to do whatever they want when it comes to robbery and assault.

While personally I'm of the opinion that letting the average Bermudian own a gun is still a recipe for disaster (consider the amount of people who beat and cut up others over such trivial matters as a cell phone or an ex-boyfriend), I'm definitely not as hard-line as I would have been a year ago.

Sure, we can carry a bat in our car and at our bedside, but against a crook with a firearm, you're going to find it hard to protect yourself or your family. We can get burglar bars, security cameras, even dogs, but would these measures be enough? What if you're walking down the street and someone decides to mug you at knife-point or even gun-point? The law-abiding citizen has little means to defend themselves, but if they were adequately trained, licenced and made fully aware of the consequences of using a gun (or say a tazer or pepper spray, even) in an unlawful manner, would this help to make our country safer?