Hector was left more than puzzled by an item on the news on Monday night regarding a lucky pensioner who had won a shopping spree at a supermarket. The special "speeded up film" of the lucky gent's $1,400 three-minute grocery grab must have made fascinating television. But those listening to the radio news broadcast got nothing more than an extended bout of lively 1980s techno music. The three-minute interlude was just long enough for the producer to dash out and purchase a manual on "stories that just don't work on the radio," Hector would humbly suggest.

@EDITRULE:

Since Hector is already poking a jab at the other electronic media, it took the ZBM crew three takes to get a "live" recording of Bermuda Union of Teachers president reading a proclamation on behalf of CedarBridge's teachers on Friday.

Their recent strike obviously did not get them any new equipment back at their Prospect home.

And after waiting for the disgruntled teachers and union reps to come out of CedarBridge the media left their posts and missed it when the embittered crew actually opened the doors to leave.

Not to be discouraged, they were asked to come out again so that it could be captured on film, a request which they patiently accepted.

Ahh, there's nothing like a good staged entrance.

@EDITRULE:

Hector has noticed the PLP ratchet up its criticism of recently but mostly the public attacks seem to backfire in a fit of hyperbole as the critics of sensationalism resort to their own sensationalising. Hector has already reported on s rather desperate attempt to slate a front page story which he said wasn't given enough prominence. Then last week thewas at it, complaining about the coverage of Regiment squaddies arrested for drugs. Now, for as long as Hector can remember, stories have run about a few Regiment soldiers being caught with weed after an overseas camp. It always hits the front pages but apparently the latest story spoiled Alex Scott's nice little jaunt to Jamaica. Where was the story about the other 240, wailed Mr Scott. He went on: "Those who trekked up over the Blue Mountains with rifle and pack over three days going without showers and food and all." No food? Hector would be tempted to have a puff of the wacky-baccy himself if you asked him to give up his grub for 72 hours.

@EDITRULE:

Hector notes with some amusement the latest campaign to promote Bermuda is partly being shot in Detroit, that chilly industrial city in the northern American city which is virtually in Canada. At least the Global Hue are upfront about it unlike the debacle under previous advertising agency Arnold Worldwide who used a picture of a woman shot on a beach in Hawaii along with a lot of inappropriate fish. According to the Detroit Free Press Global Hue has gone for a slightly smutty angle in their Feel the Love campaign with one scene featuring a man eavesdropping on a woman telling her friend about her escapades in Bermuda. Just when the woman is about to reveal the juiciest part, sounds from an espresso machine drown her out.

In another scene a pair of women have a risqu? conversation about a Bermuda trip, only the best part of her tale being interrupted by background noise. Hector doesn't mind a bit of smut himself and isn't surprised by the latest tack. Recently Tourism Minister , speaking at the BIU conference, extolled the virtues of old-fashioned Bermudian hospitality which used to "charm the pants of visitors," he noted suggestively. Hector just hopes Bermuda's hospitality workers are up to the task expected of them. But if they gratify will they want a 15 percent gratuity?

@EDITRULE:

Turning to sports for a moment, Hector was relieved to see that the advertisers responsible for branding this year's squash Masters had had a bit of a rethink since 2005. Their 2006 effort ? 'The world's top 32 squash players... one glass court... Adrenaline in a box!' ? seems a perfectly acceptable, and perhaps even quite catchy, attempt to market what is the second biggest tournament in professional squash. Anything, however would have been an improvement on the bewildering slogan which accompanied the first edition of the Masters in Bermuda which read: 'What do you get when you cross a tiny British island in the middle of the Atlantic with 32 of the best squash players in the world? Civilisation run amok'. What? Last year's squash tournament was a lot of things, but there certainly wasn't a hint of any civilisations running amok ? nor even slightly astray. Now Hector doesn't mind the sport at all, but he could not help laughing when one of his more cynical colleagues came up with an alternative: 'What do you get when you cross an overpaid advertising agency with a sport nobody cares about? Absolute nonsense'.