Thank you for the welcome note Blackrum.  What a surprise!  Had a little problem logging on with the Logic spam catcher snagging all your authorization emails. All 5 of ?em!  But here I am.  Whether Bermuda sucks or not is a product of one?s attitude, doncha think?  Yeah, after I wrote my last comment on LiB, I started checking around on line to see if there were indeed any other Bda blogs out there.  You know, shoot first, ask questions later.  Honestly, being relatively new to the local blogs, I was not aware of this Forum until last week, or maybe I had forgotten about it.  I read quite a few of the threads and will look forward to contributing. I do love the blogs and have often commented on various articles at Alternet.org, the Leftie webzine.  Oops, now you know my politics.  I am essentially self-educated... 59 years of age... still young at heart and quite opinionated.  I have been married to a wonderful Bermudian for 39 years... have dual status, Bermudian / Canadian... and have been associated with the Island since I met my wife walking down Yorkville Ave (in bare feet) during the 60s.  We lived in Bda all during the 70s... raised two boys... moved to Vancouver for 10 years to give our kids a taste of the real world... then we all moved back here in 1990 where I went through major culture shock again!  My eldest son (who didn't like it here any more, nor did his wife) went back to Maple Ridge, just outside Vancouver, with his wife and blessed us with 4 grandchildren! I own a struggling new shore excursion business, catering to cruise ship passengers, which I operate during the Season with my youngest son & father-in-law. That's why I have time for the blogs now.  Seeya?ll on line....

Hello mysticman, and welcome.

I'm very happy you have joined the forum, we welcome your perspective.  You certainly have an interesting background, just from your introduction overview.  With your diverse background and long-time experience with Bermuda, I'm sure you will bring some ideas for us to consider; at least until your tourists start to return in the spring.

We are somewhat of an unknown blog/forum - we are snubbed by most of the mainstream sites so you don't see too many outside links here.  (Am I surprised Logic has now blacklisted our e-mail?)  We enjoy being notorious - even if the notoriety is really only because so many people get riled up by the domain name.  Most of our critics refuse to read what we actually say here.  I just can't imagine where they have developed that prejudicial attitude.  Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Again, welcome and enjoy.

Well said MM...hopefully others can get passed the site name like you have.  The more perspectives the better.

CC

Well said Mike - Rummy's "time out" has created a bit of a hole at the moment, but with the arrival of Mysticman and a few others the debates just keep on coming - not quite as colorful as rums but certainly all very interesting topics and discussions.

Mysticman, you wouldn't believe the number of times people have said that the name has got peoples backs up, but once they've followed the chat for a while they actually feel inspired to join in and chat along as well (I was one of them).? There were those that came on looking for a fight and have become regulars and they are indeedy very nice people to converse with.? The best thing of all, we all have opinions, we may not necessarily agree with them but here people are willing to debate rather than shout down the last man in order to gain points and 'win'.? That's what i love about this site.? plus there are a few laughs as well, and of course the odd curve ball which most people didn't see coming (the affair of Mike and Reality to top it all ) phew didn't see that one coming! i'm sure it had nothing to do with Reality's assets !!? (did it Mike)!!!!?

Huh...? I guess I missed that one.... 

Plus... I am getting sick and tired of continually logging on to Limey to see if there are any new posts.  The posts at LiB can be well thought out and the debate can get hot and interesting (most writers are way ahead of me)... yet it too often degrades into the now quite boring "race issue." I refuse to participate in that any more.  Phil apparently is so busy with his new family that he doesn't have much time for his the blog anymore... hence the long delay between posts.  But one surely gets an idea of how our so-called "intellectuals" feel about certain issues over there.  However, I feel Bermuda is getting to be just like the States... the Government really does not listen to the people and seems to have its own agenda.

As an aside, and nothing to do with Phil:  I always felt that one does not "have time"... but rather one "makes time"... even though time itself is an illusion. No scientist has proven that "time flows."  Time just IS.  All we have is right now... the moment.  As I often say, "the Holy fortress of the eternal moment."  The trick is to live in the moment... not in the past nor in the future.

Yeah, we ran the site together for a year before spilling the story that we are a couple.

Regarding LIB, we are really a different animal.  The forum format give us a lot of flexibility, and you a lot of freedom.  As a general rule, if the posts don't make any personal attacks on anyone but me, (I'm fair game, I picked the inflammatory domain name after all), they will stand as written.  I've always felt that Phil wants his site to reflect his idea of Bermuda - that's fair enough.  However, I want this site to reflect Bermuda as seen collectively by the members - "Bermudian or Ex-pat, black, white or green", as we say in the welcome text in the "News box".  Myself, I got tired of posting on LIB.  For whatever reason,    my posts would seem to always be edited and were seldom left with the message I was trying to convey.

Now that you have signed up as mysticman, nobody else gets to post with that name here.  You are free to create your online persona as you please - but you alone have control of your character here.  The karma system works well beyond giving other readers an idea of your status in the community - it creates a powerful incentive to be part of the community.  Blackrum is an amazing example of how a member went from trying to tell us what was wrong with us, (and suffering the karma consequences), to being a much respected participant and even joining the ranks as a forum moderator.  Now, that's not the same as the Karma system Realty was referring to, but that's another thread.  (As you've pointed out, I'm not very fussy about keeping the threads on track, I tend to wander around in topic a lot myself...)

Speaking of wandering around in topics, how about a new thread for time?

Hello Mysticman.  Nice to have you here again.   

Since you and I have done the Indy People's burying the hatchet and smoking the peace pipe together, it is time to put the past behind us and make a fresh start.

So once again, welcome and enjoy.

Valkum beck yah wufflas creechair........ Nah run off ann chark four krooz sheeps...gotta gat em vile yoo kan.....

Have a k and be nice nah....