Deal(s) of the Day

Looking for an inexpensive flight to Bermuda? Do you live near Toronto or in the New York City metropolitan area? If so, keep reading because there are two major airfares sales happening right now from WestJet and American Airlines. First to Canada, where WestJet’s $72 for 72 hours promotion ends tomorrow (that’s right Canucks, you must book no later than tomorrow at 11:59pm). Valid for departures beginning May 3, nonstop flights to Bermuda from Toronto are $72 (CAN) each way based upon a roundtrip purchase, which means with taxes and fees it’ll cost you $254.27 (or $254.09 in U.S. dollars) to get to Bermuda’s sunny shores. The bargains are even better from New York’s JFK airport. American Airlines is offering fares to Bermuda for as low as $64 each way, which would make a roundtrip ticket with taxes and fees $222.50. You’ll have to book before April 11th for travel valid from Tuesday April 13th through Wednesday April 21st, but if your schedule is flexible, there’s no better time to visit Bermuda. The skies are blue, the sun is shining and your rum swizzle is waiting. Happy jetting!

To Casino or Not To Casino

There’s been plenty of debate about whether or not Bermuda should build a casino to attract more tourists. Some think it will increase visitation and make the island a more attractive destination for east coast travelers. Others think a casino will degrade society and bring with it social ills that have plagued places like Las Vegas. And while both sides have valid opinions I thought I’d offer a few of my own—because a little spirited discourse never hurt anyone, right? But first a quick story. Once upon a time there was a newly engaged man from New York City who was planning his bachelor party with his best friends and family. They drafted up all sorts of ideas for the big day: A baseball game in Queens followed by a boisterous steak dinner in Manhattan, a daylong fishing charter in Long Island, a weekend jaunt to Las Vegas. And then there was Atlantic City, New Jersey—a suggestion made not only for the gaming, but for its world-class restaurants, nearby golf courses, access to the beach and best of all, its proximity to New York. After all, Atlantic City was only a two-and-a-half hour drive from Manhattan. Most people could get there in less than three hours. Suddenly one of the groom-to-be’s friends spoke up. “But guys, what about Bermuda? It’s got better restaurants, better beaches, better golf courses and it’s closer! We could all be there in under two hours and at the blackjack tables just thirty minutes later.” And then the man woke up from his dream because there are no casinos in Bermuda, which is exactly my point. Look, I’m not saying a casino is a silver bullet for tourism. Nothing is. But it would provide an attractive option for folks looking for a little pizzazz during their next vacation. Just think of the potential: Nightlife, dancing, live music, the works. Yes, a casino may indeed attract nefarious people looking to capitalize on the perceived criminal elements involved in running such an endeavour, but I just can’t see how the cons outweigh the pros. There’ll be job creation, economic stimulus and an added source of tourism revenue. Haven’t you ever heard the phrase the house always wins? Build it in Dockyard where tourists can have a world-class gaming experience. Or even better, St. George's where a casino might help revitalize a town in need. As the saying goes, if you build it they will come. I say build it and turn that dream into reality.

Download This Now

It’s not every day you hear an artist with such raw talent that it moves you to start a record label with the sole purpose of disseminating his or her music—but that’s exactly what happened to Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey when he first heard Mishka. The Bermuda-born reggae singer was performing in a Jamaica bar in 1999, the same year McConaughey was vacationing on the island. The actor was so struck by Mishka’s laid-back brand of reggae that he started j.k. livin records and soon after produced “Above the Bones,” the singer’s first major album that quickly shot to the top of the Billboard reggae charts, eventually earning him “Best New Artist” honors on iTunes. Mishka has since made television appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “The Rachael Ray Show,” both of which garnered substantial attention—so much so that McConaughey co-produced Mishka’s latest album, “Talk About,” which was released last Tuesday. After listening to it all weekend long I can officially say that it’s my new favorite album. It's hard to pick a favorite song, but head on over to iTunes and have a listen to “Keep on Lovin,” “Give Them Love,” and “Bittersweet,” to get a sense of Mishka’s roots-reggae stylings. Want more Mishka? Check out the above video for a glance at the artist's laid-back lifestyle and the fortuitous discovery that started it all. Here's hoping he comes back to Bermuda soon.

Go Fly a Kite

There’s an often-repeated statistic that Bermuda has more churches per square mile than anywhere else in the world. I’m not wholly convinced that it’s true—after all, that’s a pretty hard fact to prove—but I do know that there are quite a few houses of worship here on the island. Literally, hundreds of churches in all denominations. That’s why today is a fairly big deal here in Bermuda. It’s Good Friday, a holiday observed by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. So what do believers in Bermuda do today? We fly a kite! Legend has it a local teacher was trying to demonstrate Christ’s ascension to heaven to her students, so she made a kite with a wooden frame in the shape of a cross and painted Jesus’ image on it. As it took off into the blue Bermuda sky, it symbolized his ascension—I’m sure a much easier concept for those young kids to grasp: Where did he go when he died? He went up. So from that day on, devout families island-wide started gathering at Horseshoe Bay Beach with kites of their own, flying them high to symbolize the sacrifice that Jesus made (so the story goes). As the Bermudian gentleman says about 2:51 through the above video, which was filmed at Horseshoe Beach on Good Friday in 2007, “Kite day is all about families in Bermuda. We all get together and have a good time on the beach and fly our kites and eat hot cross buns.” Sounds like a good time to me. I have a feeling I know where I’ll be today.

And You Thought Your Scooter Was Cool

It’s not every day you see someone driving a scooter with fifteen-foot flames shooting from the back—but that’s exactly what happened to me yesterday while driving along Middle Road in Paget Parish. All of the sudden this fellow just blasted by flames a-flyin’. Curiosity now peaked, I decided to catch up with Mr. Road Rager for a brief conversation at the red light between Middle and South roads. ME: "Dude, what’s up with your bike?” HIM: “It’s a lot of fun and firing the flames makes me feel like James Bond, even though I'm just a plumber.” ME: "Yeah, but isn't it dangerous?" HIM: "The flames are pretty big so you can definitely set fire to someone's car if you wanted to." ME: "Umm, right. So does it get hot?" HIM: "It can get rather hot if you're riding the moped and blast the flames when the wind is in the wrong direction." ME: “Ouch. But is it legal?” HIM: “I’ve been told that if I fire the flames while riding on the road it’s equivalent to using a firearm and I could be in a lot of trouble.” ME: “So basically you don’t care if you get caught?” HIM: “Well considering this whole cockamamie story is a made up to trick your readers on April Fools Day, well, no.” Gotcha. To read about where this bike really was go here, in the meantime, happy April first.