Ban the book?

October 2, 2005

Dear Sir,

?Time?, October 3, page 92, has a piece about the risks of being a grease monkey. Will the Bermuda College be banning all copies from its premises?

Thanks for the sympathy

October 3, 2005

Dear Sir,

On behalf of my fellow Americans ? and especially those who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina ? I would like to thank all of the people of Bermuda for their tremendous outpouring of sympathy and assistance to the victims of this devastating hurricane.

Upon my arrival in Bermuda on September 1, I was greeted by a letter of condolence from the Honourable Premier William Alexander Scott, JP, MP on behalf of Bermuda. Receiving that expression of sympathy meant so much to me as it exemplified the good will that this beautiful island holds towards the United States.

The many expressions of compassion from Bermudians for the victims of the hurricane have truly touched our hearts. For example:

Schoolchildren at CedarBridge collected three huge containers of goods for Katrina victims.

Whitney Institute students created 300 ?Love Boxes? of necessities and treats for Katrina impacted children.

Students from the Bermuda Institute traveled to Mississippi to provide hands-on relief.

Area schools raised thousands of dollars dedicated to those who suffered from Katrina.

Teenage grocery baggers donated their tips to help pets and other animal survivors of the flood.

The Bermuda Red Cross raised over $104,000 in an ongoing appeal for Katrina sufferers. The Salvation Army accepted more than $125,000 in donations and will send a team to Mississippi and Louisiana to offer pastoral care.

The foregoing list just provides a sampling of the efforts that Bermudians, renowned for their kindness, have exerted on behalf of their American friends. We are heartened. We are impressed. We are grateful. Thank you.

Again, on behalf of all Americans and especially those who were hit by the storm, let me extend a heartfelt thanks to all Bermudians for their kindness and sympathy.

With gratitude,

Like a leaf in a hurricane

September 29, 2005

Dear Sir,

I am delighted to see that the Association of Bermuda International Companies (ABIC) and the Association of Bermuda Insurers & Reinsurers (ABIR) are concerned about the impact on the Bermuda dollar if we become independent.

And well they and others should be. With an already overheated economy that is only added to by Government?s building plans and their ability to borrow and saddle every Bermudian with further debt, without us agreeing to what is being spent, not to mention the cost overruns at Berkley and other jobs, and their ongoing ability to award contracts without proper bidding procedures we will end up being a third world country even faster than I imagined.

The Bermuda dollar will be like a leaf in a hurricane. Blown to who knows where! Remember that I have seen this happen in Jamaica. I urge Bermudians to listen to what is being said by these organisations and 66.9 percent of the population. has it right! ?We split from UK at our peril?. And if you read the releases carefully you will understand that these organisations have told us that at the least sign of instability and complying with the rule of law that they will be ?Outta Here?.

Its reassuring to hear the Chairman of Wedco say that ?a crisis has been averted?. What crisis? That is yet to come as is the increase in the price of cement. Anyone who believes that a crisis has been averted and that the price of cement will not increase will believe that elephants will fly. Let?s just see what the New Year brings.

Our last walk

September 27, 2005

Dear Sir,

I read in today?s paper about the Police officer who nearly lost his foot in a collision with a bus on North Shore Road.

A chill went down my spine when I read: ?I am looking at her, she is looking at me and I said there is no way this bus is going to stop.? His only alternative was to leap off his bike and lucky for him he had the sense to do this and reacted quickly.

What was the driver trying to prove? That she was in the right? Well she could have been dead wrong. Perhaps she was having a bad day but come on! To look someone in the eye, see danger ahead and then to proceed nonetheless?

This reminds me of one occasion where I was walking with my infant son along South Shore towards Somerset. I was taught to walk towards oncoming traffic so that both you and the oncoming driver have equal vision of each other. Well on this occasion I was doing just that except that I was not on the side walk but on the road pushing a stroller. The side walk was overgrown with grass and was very sandy which made it impossible to push a stroller, so I ended up on the road as close to the side walk as you could get (the wheels were grazing the edge).

As I looked ahead a bus was speeding up hill toward me and I looked right at the driver, to acknowledge that he was aware of my presence. The driver however appeared to be staring me down as if this were a ?game of chicken? because he didn?t slow down! He was going too fast for me to react quickly enough as I could see that he was staying his course and despite there being no cars on the other side of the road, he was not going to even attempt to veer around me (which as close as I was to the side walk still wouldn?t have meant that he would have even entered the other lane). Anyway I couldn?t lift the pram up onto the side walk in time; the ridge was too high, the pram was too heavy. I know he could see this. I could do nothing but freeze where I stood. Thank goodness because had I moved even half an inch both my new baby and I would have been gone! It was truly horrifying.

Was he trying to teach me a lesson or did he think it may be fun to scare me? Whatever. I was left stunned and shaken only to unleash a mountain of swear words in the wake of his exhaust. Had he miscalculated the width of my pram by half an inch my parents would have undoubtedly lost their daughter and only grandchild.

That was the last walk my child, now a toddler, and I have taken along that stretch of road. Obviously no one is safe on the roads now a days and you must stroll and drive defensively unless you want to end up splattered on the pavement simply because another driver thinks it?s his/her right to prove you in the wrong. Only wrong, again could mean DEAD wrong. Come on people! The roads belong to everyone. Drive safely. Lives depend on it!

Premier?s Social Agenda

September 13, 2005

Dear Sir,

The character of the Government is indicated by the way it treats the least of its citizens.

The Minister of Housing, Mr. Ashfield DeVent, is like a man who has been boxing for 30 years and has become punch drunk and could be suffering from Alzheimer?s disease. He is now becoming known as the evictor of children and the oppressor of our senior citizens who should be enjoying a good environment without mentally and spiritually major distractions. Instead Minister Ashfield DeVent is causing a potential problem to their physical health and well being.

Minister DeVent does not understand that that which he does today is the the foundation of the future we will experience tomorrow. Whatever he does presently will become the unchangeable past that will place him in a certain position tomorrow and many years to come. We will remember Minister Ashfield Devent is Premier Alex Scott?s Social Agenda.

Warning for drivers

September 30, 2005

Dear Sir,

A $1,000 fine for driving without a seatbelt yet some people drive with a cell phone and they don?t have to pay a hefty fine like $1,500, since one of those crazy drivers can easily kill a regular pedestrian,an elderly person or a child? The other thing I noticed is that the ones who do this foolishness:

1. Don?t read the Letters To The Editor section whenever one of the letters like this one,show up because if they did, they?ll realise they?re one of the type of terrorists on the road.

2. Seem to only care about themselves when they drive and not about others.

3. Would only stop if they had to pay close to a $2,000 fine for the nonsense they get away with(Driving Without Due Care? The law better wake up and recognise the dangers on the road more). This way, they would say in the future: ?Let me find a nice spot to pull over to so, I can talk to my friend or mate?.

4. Are seen around Cox?s Hill, Hamilton and North Shore Road (that?s where I?ve seen them and I?m not even a Police officer so what do the Police see that they don?t seem to notice this?)

Also, regarding drunk drivers, they should have to go to A.A. while they?re off for 1 year and shouldn?t be allowed back on the road until they pass the tests (in other words it should be a daily visit to find out if they?re still on the bottle or not).

Regarding speeders, if they go 100 kph then off the road for 2 years and if they go more than that,ship them to Daytona (they?ll get a career with Nascar without a problem).