Bravo! that bus driverDecember 15, 2010Dear Sir,Regarding your story today on buses and drugs, I wish to commend the bus driver for his or her swift action to eradicate said “alleged” unlawful behaviour by persons (identities yet unknown) aboard the bus bound for school! Your swift, fearless and most appropriate stance bodes well for our society as a whole and even for those whom the authorities saw reason to arrest! I am curious to know the thoughts, feelings, intentions of the parents of those arrested; re: their kids' “alleged” unlawful conduct!DISTURBEDDevonshireFacts and title-tattleDecember 17, 2010Dear Sir,Last year we brought you the i-Rad, to report speeding vehicles.This year it is i-Slander, an app for cellphones, BlackBerrys and record-players, which provides you with an “always on” connection to Bermuda's own version of WikiLeaks. Here we accept not just verifiable facts, but also gossip, innuendo and tittle tattle.So make this Christmas a special one for friends and enemies alike.Yours with downloadable thumbs,ANDREW R. DOBLEHamilton ParishBean's post-win commentDecember 16, 2010Dear Sir,In an interview after he, Marc Bean, won Wednesday's Warwick South Central by-election, his response to a question posed by Bryan Darby, was: “I don't want no cabinet posts etc”.Would that eliminate him as a future Minister of Education?Just wondering.SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKSSouthamptonSlapped in the faceDecember 17, 2010Dear Sir,I would have thought that the taxpayers had been slapped in the face enough.Maybe David Burch had it right when he said that the honeymoon period with everyone welcoming Paula Cox as Premier would not last.Yes the honeymoon is over; the house servants of the Master of the Plantation are still there. Brown is giving orders and two of his most faithful house servants, DeSilva and Burgess, are defending another slap in the face for the poor suckers who voted them in.J. WAKEFIELDSmith'sTasting a grapeDecember 16, 2010Dear Sir,I went with my mother to the store on Tuesday. I found myself eating a grape from the fruit section to taste it. Just as I devoured the grape, I asked myself: “Why do stores condone people who eat grapes”. I thought to myself “they must lose a lot of money”. If you really think about it, the stores losing a lot of money from people “tasting” grapes! I advise stores to have some type of regulations on people who decide to take the “tasting” of grapes to the next level because they are losing a lot of revenue!ERON HILLBermuda InstituteAlternative waysDecember 15, 2010Dear Sir,There have been lots of debates recently via the electronic media, locally and internationally, in reference to the economy, and the consequent repercussions.Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for a profit; decisions regarding supply, demand, price, distribution, and private actors in the free market make investments; profit is distributed to owners who invest in businesses, and wages are paid to workers employed by businesses and companies.Capitalism, as a deliberate economic system, developed incrementally from the 16th century in Europe, although proto-capitalist organisations existed in the ancient world, and early aspects of merchant capitalism flourished during the Late Middle Ages. Capitalism became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. Capitalism gradually spread throughout Europe, and in the 19th and 20th centuries, it provided the main means of industrialisation throughout much of the world. Today the capitalist system is the world's most dominant economic model.Economists, political economists and historians have taken different perspectives on the analysis of capitalism. Economists usually emphasise the degree that government does not have control over markets (laissez-faire), and on property rights.Laissez-faire: In economics, describes an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from ‘state' intervention, including restrictive regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies.That said, the very system on which we thrive is also accountable and responsible for the attributes and defects / flaws that confront us today. In layman's terms, it comes down to personal /private greed. The world today revolves on credit or ‘paper' assets, of which, to me, have been over-valued far too long.Regarding economic stimulus, tax breaks and the like; one word comes to mind “Insanity”. One definition of insanity is: repeating the same mistakes over and over again, expecting different results.When does the madness stop! I, along with most others, have become accustomed to the ‘norm', accepting what is, unwilling to make sacrifices, regarding the over-valued material wealth (?), that we seem to place above all else, whilst putting up with the negative aspects of the same system. Has anyone considered another system? Perhaps so; yet those in position to make changes are reluctant to do so. Why? One word, no two words, greed and power!Therefore, everyone locally and internationally stop the ‘rhetoric'. It's only a ploy for “the powers that be” to maintain such. When we start debating ways to share the spoils evenly, then all the takeovers, bail-outs, stimulus packages (extending further credit), bankruptcies, redundancies, foreclosures, suicides etc. will cease.GLENN CHASEWarwickHelp for the unemployedDecember 19, 2010Dear Sir,Is there a central area for unemployed persons to get assistance? I see the growing number of food banks which is good but I need help to pay my phone bill so I have a contact number for potential employers to call me. I need help with my Belco bill so I can wash my clothes and myself to be presentable to future employers.Can your staff investigate if there is a central location contact for the unemployed who are now running out of their basic needs? With no phone or basic electricity the next step is to be homeless .ST GEORGE'S