Reporting to Fairmont’s Regional Sales & Marketing Director, Ms. Lodge will be responsible for managing The Fairmont Southampton’s on line presence, and assisting the Group, Leisure, Food & Beverage, Golf, Spa, and Marketing Teams with identifying opportunities to grow the resort’s Internet presence.

“We are pleased to welcome Carlita Lodge to our Sales Team. With her educational background, diverse experience and her outstanding personality, we foresee Ms. Lodge taking our efforts to promote Bermuda and The Fairmont Southampton over the internet from strength to strength,” said Regional Director of Sales & Marketing Shelley Meszoly.

Carlita Lodge is a graduate of Brunel University with a Master of Science Degree in Media and Communications. Most recently, Ms. Lodge worked for The Chewstick Foundation coordinating their local events and social media. She has also worked for the Bermuda Department of Tourism, Bank of Butterfield and the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs.

Assistant Commissioner of Police David Mirfield said, “The Bermuda Police Service takes the role of informing next of kin that their loved one has died very seriously.”

“Confirming death and positively identifying the victim must take place before efforts are made to contact an immediate family member at the earliest possible opportunity. If the next of kin is located overseas, notification may take longer.”

“Our intention in this process is to provide accurate information to the victim’s next of kin in a sensitive and timely manner. Only when the police are satisfied that the next of kin have been informed, and the identity of the person confirmed, will the police make the name public.”

“However, the power of social media has made the solemn duty of informing next of kin increasingly difficult. Within an hour of the tragic murder of 18 year old Malcolm Outerbridge, a photo and name claiming to be that of the deceased was being circulated via mobile phone – but in that instance both were incorrect.”

“We continue to discourage the dissemination of unconfirmed information by the public or the media, as this can cause unnecessary distress.”

“Each situation is different and while our objective is not to take an inordinate amount of time to inform the next of kin, our emphasis has to be on accuracy and ensuring the appropriate resources are available to assist the victim’s grieving family.”

“To that end, the Bermuda Police Service has specially trained Family Liaison Officers (FLOs) who facilitate families during tragic circumstances.

“While there is no way to control the distribution of images and information through various technological means, even when it’s regarding a recently deceased individual, we urge those members of the public engaging in such activity to think of the family members who may learn of the death of a loved one via text, BBM or e-mail as a result.”

Minister of Business Development and Tourism Patrice Minors released the results of the fourth annual benchmarking survey, undertaken by the Department of E-Commerce, to assess the prevalence of Information Communications Technology [ICT] in Bermuda.

The survey was commissioned by the Department of E-Commerce and conducted by a local independent firm, Mindmaps. This initiative was designed to establish a benchmark against which to compare ICT progress, spot shortcomings and identify new trends.

The 2010 survey sampled 410 Bermuda households with respondent residents 18-years and older, as well as 200 business professionals aged 18 years and older, to gauge usage within both the residential and corporate sectors. Additional research surveyed 100 students in Bermuda aged 12-17.

Key findings of the 2010 survey include:

• The vast majority of Bermuda households own a computer (93% – any, 62% desktop, 78% laptop).
• 52% of residents own a wi-fi or internet ready device such as Apple devices (iPod, iPad), and gaming devices such as Nintendo devices (DS, DS and Wii) and Playstation (PS2, PS3).
• The vast majority of households access the internet (89%); while 92% of residents use the internet via their home, work, cellphone or smartphone device or at an internet café.
• Most households with internet access have a high speed connection (89%).
• Residents spent approximately 10.9 hours per week using a computer at home. 72% of residents use the internet over half the time they are using their computers at home.
• The most regularly used computer activities include emailing, using Government websites, using an internet search engine, using the internet to look for travel information, using word processing software, researching a product or service on the internet before buying it, searching the internet for information on a hobby or interest, using the internet to get news and online banking and bill paying.

Cell Phones and Mobile Devices:

• More than 9 in 10 (94%) of households own a cell phone. Residents owned a larger proportion of smartphone devices (76% vs. 55% in 2009).
• 23% of residents are likely to purchase a smartphone device in the next 6 months.
• The most frequently used cellphone and smartphone device activities include text messaging, emailing, taking pictures, accessing the internet, Blackberry Messenger, downloading ringtones, playing games, social networking and Peer-to-Peer messaging.
• Overall 41% of residents communicate via text messaging daily. Multiple daily usage is higher than average among younger residents (18-24 years – 70%; 25-34 years – 54%).

Attitudes and Technology Competence:

• Consistent with the last benchmarking series (2007-2009), residents believed that in order to compete in a global economy, Bermuda must continue to meet or exceed global technology standards.
• 92% believe that having a strong knowledge of technology is essential to getting ahead today.
• 69% of Bermuda residents have a moderate to high level of ICT competence.

Corporate Usage:

• The vast majority of businesses (87%) have a company website. 54% of businesses use .bm.
• Almost a third (32%) offered an online payment facility
• The vast majority of companies continue to report that they use technology for business to business (92%), business to consumer (79%), internal systems (78%), as well as business to government (77%) purposes.

Social Networking and Websites:

• 87% of residents reported using social networking websites to communicate with friends, family members or relatives.
• 97% of students reported using social networking websites to communicate with friends, family members and relatives.
• 31% of companies use social networking to communicate with clients and other businesses.

Student Usage:

• Computer activities that were school-related included word processing (95%), using an internet search engine (88%) presentation software (86%) and spreadsheet software (74%).
• Social activities included watching videos online (92%) and instant messaging (88%).
• Almost a quarter reported that they play games, watch videos online, download music and use VOIP daily.

A statement released by Government said, “The annual benchmarking exercise is an important tool used by the Department of E-Commerce in the development of legislative, policy and program initiatives such as Apptitude – the mobile application development competition, TechWeek, promoting innovation and the supporting development of Bermuda’s digital economy, encouraging technology skills and careers in ICT.”

“The 2010 study contains much information that will be useful for business, the retail sector, the ICT industry, educational institutions and other organisations.”

The full 39-page report is below, click ‘Fullscreen’ for greater clarity:

The page is approximately 12 hours old as of this writing, and has grown to almost 500 members. The movement has achieved support from both sides of the political aisle, with the official PLP Facebook page linking the page on their stream, and OBA Senator Craig Cannonier offering people a ride.

It is unclear at this time who started the page, however support for the movement continues to grow. Scores of locals have offered to give others a ride via the page, and posters say they will be flying pink/blue ribbons in support of the grassroots movement to help provide transport while the the labour dispute continues.

The full police statement is below:

The Financial Crime Unit of the Bermuda Police Service reports a marked increase in the number of internet scams circulating Bermuda, the following being the most prevalent:

1. Be suspicious of job advertisements where no experience is required other than to accept and forward funds from your account. Fraudulent personal or travelers cheques are received, which is typically an overpayment of what was originally agreed. The overpayment is usually then asked to be returned before the foreign personal or travelers cheque has sufficient time to clear.

2. Exercise care when purchasing or advertising items from the internet. Fraudsters will often use local classified advertisements to seek high valued goods, requesting the ‘purchased’ items to be sent overseas where fraudulent personal or travelers cheques are again the preferred method of payment. A common theme is stating that too many of the purchased items have been sent or payment of customs release fees. Look for correspondence from free email address –if the item sounds too good to be true, then it usually is.

3. ‘Phishing’ describes the practice of sending emails purporting to be from legitimate companies such as banking institutions, in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information. Some of these emails may look authentic, in that they may have an official logo or inform the reader that their account will be closed unless they respond immediately. No reputable organization will solicit your banking information by email or by telephone and if there is any doubt, contact the bank directly.

4. Unsolicited official looking documentation from organizations informing of lottery wins, email draws or unclaimed prizes. These scams lure the victim with the promise of huge amounts of money after the appropriate ‘fees’ are paid. In almost all instances, these notifications request reply to a free email address.

5. Emails from persons you know who state they’ve been a victim of crime in a foreign country and request money to be sent to them as a matter of urgency. Typically, the victim’s email account has been compromised and their address book / contacts have been used in an effort to obtain funds.

6. Latest scams have evolved to include social networking sites, where an attractive member of the opposite sex proposes a relationship with the possibility of marriage. Although having never met before, the victim is then asked to accept funds into their personal account, invariably being the proceeds of successful scams. The promise of companionship is then used as an inducement for the stolen funds to be forwarded to the fraudster.

Any person wishing to report suspicious correspondence should contact the Bermuda Police Financial Crime Unit on 295 0011.

The 2011 Social Media Social Cruise is set to depart Baltimore for Bermuda in September 2011,with the promoters saying: “The inaugural 2011 Social Media Cruise will feature some of the most popular, most active online Social Media Marketers and Bloggers who will share with us what makes them the top online marketers in their field.Come join us on our cruise to Bermuda and hear all they have to share about Online Marketing, Social Media, Search Engine Optimization, Graphic Design and much, much more!

Started in 2010 by Mashable.com, Social Media Day will be marked by a series of worldwide virtual and “real” events on June 30th across the world.

This internationally recognized event celebrates the contribution of social media that enable people to connect with each other across the world.

Greg Bodenlos, Fairmont Southampton’s Manager, Internet Marketing said, “The impact of social media on communications, marketing, entertainment, finance, and human interaction has been immeasurable. ”

“Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has been active in social media from the start and in Bermuda we have taken this corporate commitment to social media seriously by continuing to steadily grow our engagement levels on social media’s most popular platforms.”

Mr. Bodenlos added, “On Thursday, June 30, 2011, the Fairmont Southampton is thanking all of friends in the social media-scape with an exclusive offer: a free lobster cocktail appetizer. ”

“From 4-8 pm, all of our Facebook fans, Twitter followers, and Everyone’s An Original™ brand evangelists will have the opportunity to drop by our Jasmine Lounge at the Fairmont Southampton and enjoy a tasty Lobster appetizer created especially for them. To take advantage, all fans will need to do is just stop in, spend $30 on food and drinks and mention “Go Social” to their server.”

The Internet voting was part of the Miss Island Pageant, which is being hosted by the Barry University Caribbean Student Union.

The Miami university’s pageant included 12 contestants representing the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, the Turks & Caicos and the US Virgin Islands. Miss Dominican Republic, Stephanie Hernandez, won the overall event.

Ms Johnston didn’t just win the online voting portion of the pageant — she received hundreds more votes then most the other competitors combined.

With most the competitors from other islands getting under 50 “Likes” on their photo, Bermudian Facebookers came in strong and propelled Ms Johnston’s photo to almost 600 “Likes.”

The 19-year-old is attending Barry University in Miami studying nursing.

Ms Johnston entered the competition to try and help promote the island, saying: “Sharing these little pieces of Bermuda will make a difference to everyone in attendance learning in a fun way. Bermuda is deep within my heart it’s time to share them with the world.”

In making the announcement today, CADA Chairman, Mr. Anthony Santucci stated, “We are extremely pleased to launch our new alcohol awareness campaign as we gear up for the Christmas season. This campaign is different from previous campaigns in that it is all done through Facebook. We have created a series of interesting, thought-provoking and sometimes controversial questions. These questions will be posted daily on our Facebook page.”

Mr. Santucci added, “We want people to visit the page regularly to add their thoughts and comments about the question of the day. We anticipate some lively debates. In addition to the questions we will periodically add a Sobering Thought for the day which CADA Facebook Fans and guests can comment on. Our aim is to hear our on-line audiences’ views on alcohol related topics and to also provide them with interesting, and sometimes, surprising facts about alcohol and alcohol consumption and abuse that they may not have known or may have forgotten.”

“We see this campaign as an interesting way to remind people to consume alcohol responsibly. We want everyone to become a Fan of CADA on Facebook and to join the discussions. As an incentive we will be putting everyone who is a Fan by December 3 into a draw to win one of ten CADA sweat shirts.”

Mr. Santucci concluded, “The campaign starts on Monday, November 29 so go to facebook.com/CADABermuda and become a Fan. We look forward to reading the comments people leave on our page while raising awareness”

All entrants must be a fan of Elbow’s Facebook page, and must give permission for Elbow to post their names, photos, and all other content submitted to the Elbow Beach Facebook page. The winner will be announced on Facebook on January 2nd, 2011.

Elbow Beach’s “Win a Second Honeymoon at Elbow Beach” sweepstakes offers couples who married or celebrated their honeymoon at the property to chance to enter the sweepstakes to win a 3-night stay.

The prize includes three nights in a Premier Ocean View Room with welcome champagne and cake, as well as a daily breakfast. To enter, participants must submit a story and/or picture to Elbow Beach about their wedding or honeymoon experience at the resort. Stories and pictures must be sent via email to EBBDA-socialmedia@mohg.com with full contact details. Entries can be sent up to December 30, 2010, with the winner being drawn on January 1, 2011.

The trend of using online and social media marketing has sharply risen recently, with other local entities including the Fairmont Hamilton Hotel, Kymco Motors, Freisenbruch Meyer Insurance, Digicel Bermuda and the Department of Tourism all using online contests as part of their marketing in recent months.

Mr. Gibbons, who will be running in St. George’s West, continued on to say that having an online presence is “An opportunity to interact directly to the people and bring in new voters at the same time. It’s time to use the tools of the next generation. We need them to work alongside their parents and grandparents and take on more responsibility for their country.”

Less than a month after he was selected by the PLP as a candidate, Mr Gibbon’s website was up and running, complete with a short bio, blog and social media integration:

Launching both a Facebook page and profile, Mr Gibbons has attained hundreds of “friends” since his campaign’s recent Facebook debut:

Becoming the third local politician, or political hopeful, to actively use the micro-blogging network Twitter, Mr Gibbons joins fellow PLP’ers Minister Paula Cox and Terry Lister in reaching out to the public via the required 140 characters or less:

The 36-year-old political hopeful is the son of John and Christine Gibbons, and is often recalled for his student activist days, when as a 19-year-old he was briefly arrested and questioned in relation to the circulation of a pamphlet. No charges were ever laid, and Mr Gibbons continued to speak at seminars and events advocating for the youth.

Mr Gibbons will be running in Constituency #2 St. George’s West, which is presently held by UBP Leader Kim.Swan. One can expect the internet to play a significant role in the campaign for that seat, as Mr Swan is also active online and was one of the first local politicians to have his own website.

Candidates for the PLP Leadership position have all used social networks as part of their campaign in recent weeks. Minister Paula Cox is on Facebook and Twitter, as well as having a campaign website. Dale Butler is on Facebook, and was the only one to announce his intentions to seek the position of Premier on the social network. Terry Lister, whose campaign has shown itself to be the most e-savvy, was the first local politician on Twitter, and actively uses his Facebook page, even posting video endorsements.

The continued emergence of local politicians online seems a clear indication that Bermuda’s next general election will be the first in which the world wide web will be used as a major campaign ground. You can visit Mr Gibbon’s campaign Facebook page here, Twitter account here, and website here.

We apologize for this, it appears to be some form of error on Facebook’s end, and hopefully it a case of maintenance on their part. We have opened a ticket, and hopefully Facebook will resolve the problem shortly.

Update 2pm: Fixed!

Minutes ago Mr Butler posted on a few Facebook pages, including our editors, saying “Just thought I would let you know that on August 23rd I will announce where I will launch my campaign to be Party Leader and Premier of Bermuda on August 24th at 12.30 p.m. and of course there will be fishcakes.”

He joins Minister Paula Cox who announced yesterday, and Terry Lister, the first candidate to declare, to make this a three way race. The position of PLP Leader, and therefore Premier, will become available following Premier Dr Ewart Brown’s expected resignation this October.

A former teacher and principal, Mr Butler is an historian and one of Bermuda’s most prolific writers and publishers. First elected to Parliament in 1998, he was appointed Minister of Community Affairs and Sport when he was re-elected in 2003 and in 2006 he was appointed to the new Ministry of Social Rehabilitation, a post he resigned from in 2009 in protest over the well-known circumstances surrounding the Uighurs being brought to Bermuda. Mr Butler was educated at Central School, [now Victor Scott] the Berkeley Institute, and the Bermuda College. He earned a Masters in Education from Miami University, and a Masters in Science from Indiana University.

Mr Butler, often seen by the public as one of the more popular MPs, can be expected to gain wide support from a cross-section of the community, however whether this will translate to support from the delegates remains yet to be determined.

Mr Butler becomes the second candidate to indicate using online social media that he will seek the leadership, following Terry Lister who initially tweeted his intent. Minister Cox has stated she does not intend to use social media during her campaign.

Minister Cox said that if she were to incorporate social networking in her campaign, she feels she would have to fully commit to it, and says she she may not be able to spare the time needed, and doesn`t want to use it in a “gimmic“ fashion. She will however be launching a website, Paulacox.bm, which is presently under construction.

Fellow contender Terry Lister has taken his campaign to the web, launching with an active Twitter presence, moving on to utilize Facebook, where he recently posted his first online video. Mr Lister is believed to be the first local politician on Twitter, however quite a few other local politicians maintain a Facebook presence including Senator Michael Dunkley, Opposition Leader Kim.Swan, BDA Leader Craig Cannonier, and the Premier – who has the largest amount of “friends“ of any local politican on Facebook at over 4,000.

Both candidates are seeking to replace Premier Dr Ewart Brown, who is due to set down in October of this year.

Update Aug 8, 6:51pm: Thanks to a very informative comment left below, it came to our intention that Minister Cox did in fact launch a social media presence, with her Twitter account showing as having been started about 19 hours ago. We asked Minister Cox why she has had this change of plans and she explained that the aim was for the website referred to per the brochure to be set up, not a Facebook account but as there had been some delay in getting the website operative, there was some discussion amongst her team of a fallback to have as an interim measure. You can follow Minister Cox on Twitter @PaulaACox

His recent debut on Twitter, where communication is limited to 140 characters, was met with enthusiasm by the politically-inclined Bermudian Twitterverse and he is actively engaging and answering questions put to him.

Mr Lister is showing himself to be rather Twitter-savvy incorporating the more advanced aspects of tweeting such as @replies, retweets and even has a custom background (shown below) incorporating the PLP’s signature green of course.

We understand Mr Lister will be incorporating further online mediums in his campaign, with a website due to be revealed soon, and online video expected to also be part of his campaign.

With approximately three months until delegates select the new leader, Mr Lister promises to launch a campaign to both seek a mandate from the voting public to lead the country, as well as engage the delegates saying “at the end of the day, it will come down to the delegates . I will show them the respect they deserve and will engage them openly and honestly throughout this campaign.” You can read his full speech here, in which he announced his candidacy.

If you’re on Twitter, you can follow Mr Lister at @TerryListerMP, and tweets both to and from Mr Lister are shown below:

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In 1993, Mr Lister was appointed to the Senate where he served until becoming a MP in 1998, when he became Minister of Development, Opportunity and Government Services in the first PLP Government. He has represented constituency 33, Sandys South, since being elected to the House of Assembly in 1998.

Various entities ranging from supersite Yahoo, to various news outlets in Africa, Australia, Canada, Honduras, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, UK and the USA are reporting on escaped suspect Alvone Maybury posting on Facebook while on the run. The story went out on the AFP wire service and has been picked up by countless news outlets spanning the globe. A search for his name this morning (July 15) shows over 1,300 answers, a drastic uptake from yesterday, indicating that hundreds of news outlets have posted the story on their websites.

The news that Mr Maybury was posting on Facebook was first broken by Bernews at 9:30am yesterday, was picked up by other local media hours later, and then picked up by the international media late evening.

The start of the AFP article is below, read the full version here on Yahoo.

A tiny island surrounded by miles of empty ocean might not seem like the ideal terrain for an escaped prisoner on the run. But 24-year-old Alvone Maybury has evaded police in Bermuda for more than 36 hours — and has still found time to update his Facebook page.

Mr Maybury escaped from prison officers in a dramatic daylight break outside of Magistrates Court. He was being brought out after facing firearm charges relating to a shooting last year, and just took off running at high speed up Parliament Street while still handcuffed and Prison Officers giving chase. The Police immediately set up a large scale manhunt, focusing initially on in the North Hamilton area.

A special task force has been established by Bermuda Police Service and Department of Corrections to continue the search. We sent a message to him via Facebook account, and have opened up a line of conversation, which concluded in him claiming he will turn himself in today. The Police have asked that if Mr Maybury is spotted, contact police immediately on 295-0011 to report clothing description, his location and his mode of transport if he is seen. They have reminded the public that harbouring a fugitive is a criminal offence for which a person can be sentenced to two years in prison.

Yesterday the escapee was being escorted from Court after facing three gun charges when he made a break for it, and ran off down Parliament Street while still handcuffed. Police confirmed with us at 10:15am this morning that he is still at large.

All the posts are being made by a cell phone. The last message on his account was posted literally 1 minute prior to the post (around 9:30am) and initially said: Is sayin, I’ma tv star now, and he then goes on to continue.

Five hours previously, the account posted: Is sayin, I’m just chillin playin p.s3. Lol.

The first post on the Facebook account appeared approximately 10 hours ago (about 11:30pm last night) and said: Is sayin, just let me be, f-vk jail n all the people who run it.

Most of those also posting seem in support of Mr. Maybury, with various anti Police slurs posted. He has been warned by a few posters to stay off the computer. Whether it is truly the escaped prisoner posting to the account or whether someone else has access to his password has yet to be determined. We are awaiting a Police statement on the matter now.

Update 10:42am: Another post was made about 3 minutes ago.

Update 11:25am: Profile is now coming up as unavailable at this time, the reason why (technical glitch, self-deleted, law enforcement etc) is unclear.

Update 11:43am: His page is back up

Update 11:50am: Another post appeared saying Can`t say much

Update 12:15: Yet another post appeared, making 13 total so far since the escape about 26 hours ago…

Update 1:20pm: Another post was made

Update 3:00pm: Another post was made

Update 4:20pm: We sent a message to the account on Facebook…and got two responses, the last one said: I ain’t trying to go back to dat hell hole. they act like all of us there are dogs or something. I told them the other day what happens to a dog that’s in a cage all day. When you let him out he ain,t gonna kno how to act. I’m sick of eattin dinner at 4, or being lock down all day. I hope some one pops me in my face b4 they catch me.

The link to Alvone Maybury`s page is here.(We advise you to look quickly, as presently the account is set to public viewing, and we have noticed often after we post a Facebook page link of a criminal suspect, the page is quickly set to private. Please note there is a lot of profanity on the page, so be warned)

Screenshots from Facebook (taken immediately prior to our post) below, click to enlarge:

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(One screenshot edited for profanity)

Anyone even mildly familar with Facebook knows of the ubiquitous ‘Like’ button, where one can indicate approval for a post. Generally the feature was only available on Facebook itself, but recently developers opened up the ability to all websites to be able to incorporate the ‘Like’ feature. On Bernews, the button is located at the bottom of all articles and it’s a simple one click, just like Facebook.

Should you ‘Like’ something, we would greatly appreciate the ‘click’ for a number of reasons, the main one being the feedback can help us continue to identify what exactly our readers like best. We are 99.99% sure all is working well, but if anyone should experience any issues with the feature, please contact us and let us know so we can address them.

The Freisenbruch-Meyer Group provides insurance agency, broking, underwriting and management services to the domestic and international Bermudian markets. The insurance company says “You can never be too prepared for a Hurricane. Make sure you have your supply of batteries, candles, water, canned food and maybe even a generator. Become our 130th Fan and recieve a $250 Phoenix gift certificate redeemable at any Phoenix store to help purchase your hurricane supplies.“

You can join their page here.

(Update 6:06pm: They have passed the 130 mark with Kim Clarke being the lucky winner, however will be offering the same prize again for their 230th fan)

The catch was – all prizes were instantly available, meaning ‘Tweeps’ [as people on Twitter are called] got to instantly take advantage of their prizes.

The grand prize winner was @rennah, pictured below, who lucked out and will be spending tonight in an Oceanview room, complete with complimentary dinner and breakfast for two.
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The event was mostly attended by females, and in a stroke of coincidence that had the female attendees somewhat both amused and disappointed, two males won both the spa gift certificates. Both gentlemen were good sports, and even allowed us to traipse into Willow Stream Spa and take photos of them mid-treatment.

Below is @playful01 having a pedicure:
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And @Rekcutrev during his manicure, which was his first.
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Other prizes given out included a tote bag, beach towel, dinner for two and a golf prize. With an open bar, and free hors d’oeuvres on offer, the event was enjoyed by all. For a list of Bermudians on Twitter see here.

Click to enlarge images:

[Update as people have asked, you don't have to live in Bermuda, Bermudians worldwide are welcome, as are any expats living in Bermuda - anything Bermuda related we want on this list!]

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A & P Marine: @apmarinebda

Aardvark Advertising: @aardvarkbermuda

Alison Hicks: @alihicks

Bermuda Basketball: @BBA_BDA_Ballers

Bermuda Bookstore: @BdaBookstore

Bermuda Cancer & Health: @BdaCancerHealth

Bermuda.com: @BermudaDotCom

Bermuda Democratic Alliance: @abetterwaybda

Bermuda Environmental Alliance: @BermudaBEA

Bermuda International Film Festival: @BIFF_bda

Bermuda Linens: @BermudaLinens

Bermy Majesty: @BermyMajesty

Bermuda Motors: @BermudaMotors

Bermuda Rentals: @bermudarentals

Bermuda Road Safety Council: @bdaroadsafety

Bermuda Rugby: @bermudarugby

Bermuda Travels: @BermudaTravels

Bermuda Sun: @BDASun

Bill Davidson: @Adjustah

Business Bermuda: @BusinessBermuda

Chewstick: @chewsticks

ChicagoAddick: @ChicagoAddick

Chris Gibbons: @gobber

Christian Dunleavy: @cdunleavy

C’daynger: @cdaynger

Collie.Budz: @CollieBuddz

Common Ground Coffee Shop: @CommonGround_BM

City Hall: @CityhallCOH

Claire O’Conner: @Clare_OC

Dante Cooper: @dantecooper

David LaHuta: @DavidLaHuta

De’jon Simons: @flowbewankenobi

Denis Pitcher: @DenisPitcher

Deidra Lee: @clismatix

Digicel: @DigicelBermuda

Douglas Decouto: @decouto

Duane Jones: @Glitterati_D

Elbow Beach Cycles : @ElbowBchCycles

Elizabeth Tee: @ElizabethTee

Fairmont Hamilton Princess: @FairmontHam

Fairmont Southampton : @fairmontsouth

Feliza D: @BermudaDuchess

Freisenbruch-Meyer: @FMInsurance

Fuse Designs: @Fusedesigns

Gavin Djata Smith: @djatwitta

HWP Group: @HWPGroup

John Manderson: @JMandersonBM

John Gibbons: @devere1974

John Steele: @john_steele

Joshua Nesbitt: @soon_enough03

Kevin DeSilva: @Chingas

Kristen Sousa: @KristenSousa

Laurel Burns: @MizBurns

Lenky Gaza Movements: @LenkyGaza

Martin Kayes: @mkayes

Marcus Cooper: @fmwt

Meyer Franklin Travel: @MeyerFranklin

Miss Thang: @MissThangBDA

Nicole Butterworth: @colibm

Ninja Cutty: @NinjaCutty

Nothing to Do in Bermuda: @ntdiBermuda

Pastor Stefan Burton Schnüll: @islandpastor

Patrick Caton: @pdcaton

Phillips Wells: @PhillipWells

Port Royal Golf Club: @PortRoyalBDA

Power Girl Trina: @powergirltrina

Propa: @thisisPROPA

Raceday World: @Racedayworld

Rakai Augustus: @mr_augustus

Ralph Richardson: @ralphrichardson

Royal Gazette: @TheRoyalGazette

Sash & Trim: @sashandtrim

Shannon James: @Bermyguy

Shopoholic.bm: @bermudashops

St George Seventh Day Adventist Church: @stgeorgesda

Taylor Rankin: @TaylorRankinVio

Tom McQuinn: @TomMQuinn

Troncossi Public Relations: @troncossi

Twanee Butterfield: @MissTwanee

Tyler.Butterfield: @tyButterfield

UncleElvis: @UncleElvis

Vaonline: @vatv

Vernon Tucker: @Rekcutrev

Vibe103: @VIBE103

Zenji Ingham: @zenjisan1

21square: @21square

9 Beaches: @9beaches

The group, which stresses it is just for fun and not meant as a political bashing forum, says the “aim of this group is to see if a regular, normal St. David’s centipede can get more friends on Facebook than our Premier: Dr. The Hon. Ewart F. Brown, JP, MP.”

They continue on and say that “This group has no political affilliation and is open to everyone. It is not a PLP, UPB, or BDA bashing group so please go to one of the many other sites if you want to vent.”

Dr. Brown, one of the most popular Bermudians on Facebook, has 3,883 “friends” as of this writing. No stranger to Facebook fun himself, the Premier ran a guessing contest in April 2010, in which he donated $500 to a charity chosen by a person who correctly guessed his location.

Already a number of rather clever photoshops have been posted in this new group featuring the centipede on a motorbike, hammock, beach, sidewalk and car. Should you wish to join in the goal of having a St David’s centipede get more Facebook friends then our Premier, you can join the group here.

If you are one of the few locals not on Facebook, don’t panic… the hotel will also be giving away 125 free drink tickets to the first 125 Happy Hour guests this Friday [April 16] in honour of the hotel’s 125th anniversary.

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The Happy Hour at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess starts April 16 and will run every Friday from 5pm – 9pm until October 1.

This year, Fairmont has partnered with 441 Productions to create a bigger, bolder entertainment line-up with the Kennel Boys kicking off the Friday night festivities. A different live band or deejay will be featured every week throughout the summer. Some names already lined up include Bermuda’s Mohawk Radio and DJ Smokey.

Outdoor dining options include hamburgers, hotdogs and chicken wings from the BBQ. Chicken curry will also be available. From 5pm to 6pm, special five-for-$25 drink tickets will be on sale and there will be special pricing on food as well. Bacardi and Burrows & Lightbourne serve as partners for the event. Each week, a different cocktail or beverage will be highlighted.

The Fairmont Hamilton Princess Happy Hour will be held on the hotel’s lawn in a spectacular setting overlooking Hamilton Harbour. The well-attended social event will be held “rain or shine.” In inclement weather, Happy Hour festivities will be held inside the hotel.

The talented singer has been performing publicly from the age of seven, and recently released the album ‘Where I’ve Been’ which is available for purchase at various local outlets including Music World, Music Box, Sound Stage, and Dub City.

Below is the first video blog. She briefly explains her reason for starting it, then goes into a very nice rendition of ‘Cry’ by Rihanna:

Some of her career highlights include:

• 2002: Won the Miss Hal Jackson Talented Teen Bermuda
• 2003: Opened for the Snoop Dogg Christmas concert held in Halifax, Nova Scotia
• 2004: Participated in the Music Festival held in Dockyard, performing alongside Seal, Isaac Hayes, Mike Phillips.
• 2005: Opened for Stephanie Mills, Faith Evans, Charlie Wilson, and Kirk Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, Freddie McGregor, Glen Washington, Tony Rebel, I-Wayne, and Warrior King.
• 2006: Opened for Keyshia Cole in a New Years Concert.
• 2007: Signed with a Philadelphia Management Company called Pham Entertainment
• 2008: Opened for Alicia Keys and Aaron Neville, and won the Bermuda Singing for Success competition
• 2009: Shared the stage with Fantasia Barrino of American Idol

You can view her Youtube channel here, and you can also follow her on Twitter @MissTwanee

The Vinyltech employee, who has only been in Bermuda for six months, has not been seen since late Wednesday March 17 evening.

As of this writing the Facebook page has 40 members [Update: close to 100 a few hours later]. Speculation has been posted by friends of his that Mr. Molinski went swimming that night alone. Bernews understands that the Police marine unit was searching the waters in the Admiralty House area today [March 19]. The police have not released any official notices about the previous statement, so it should not be taken as fact.

The Page says:

Please post any information here for my family since we are all so far apart and all over the world! This ca be a central location for good thoughts and information!

Mr. Molinski is described as a white male between 6ft – 6 ft 2″ tall of medium build, with a closely cropped haircut with a light moustache and beard.

He was last seen at his residence at #1 Long Lane Pembroke, between 8pm and 9pm on Wednesday March 17th, after being out with his friends. After Mr. Molinski did not show up for work on Thursday, his friends went to his residence to check on him, to discover he was not home.

Anyone with any information about his whereabouts is asked to contact Police Officers PC Bailey or PC Burrows on 295-0011.

Photo of Mr. Molinski via Facebook Group

The seminar cover various aspects of using social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn as well as blogging in the global corporate world.

The speakers are Mairi Mallon, managing director of specialist re/insurance public relations firm rein4ce Ltd, and Dan Gerber, a partner at Goldberg Segalla legal firm. Both have written and spoken extensively about social
media and the insurance market.

The seminar will take place from 8.15am to 9.30am on Monday March 15 at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute [BUEI]. The events is being kept short to allow executives to go to the World Insurance Forum, however Ms. Mallon and Mr. Gerber will stay on afterwards to answer additional questions.

Places are limited and cost $199. To register, please click here.

Mr. Gerber, whose full bio you can read here, said:

Whether it is networking on LinkedIn, corporate blogging or joining in the conversation on Twitter – more and more companies are learning how to use the new and powerful tools of social media

Ms. Mallon, a former Royal Gazette and Bermuda Sun journalist who blogs and Tweets as ‘Reinsurance girl‘ said:

Many companies know they need to develop the skills to use these new tools, but don’t know how to go about it. Many are riskaverse by nature and are struggling to work out how to use these tools sensibly. We are going to help people lose the fear and show them how to develop a workable strategy.

The seminar will:

• Take you through blogging, LinkedIn and Twitter and provide examples of use of social media in our markets

• Help you understand how it can be used to promote your company and executives as thought leaders

• Help you understand how useful a networking tool social media can be in the global market

• Show you how to develop a workable strategic plan for social media and understand the potential liabilities created by social networking – and how to mitigate the risks

• Give you a take away guide to social media aimed at insurance and reinsurance markets

For further information contact Mairi Mallon or Stephen Breen on +44(0)1698 813103 or mairi@rein4ce.co.uk or stephen@rein4ce.co.uk

Best known for her starring role in the CBS television series “Judging Amy”, Amy Brenneman has also appeared other series and movies including NYPD Blue, Frasier and Private Practice. From 1994 to 2002 she was nominated for eight Golden Globe and Emmy Awards, and won two TV Guide Awards.

Bermuda’s 2010 Winter Olympian Tucker Murphy competed in the 15km cross country skiing, apparently inspiring Ms. Brenneman to post a message on popular social networking website Twitter, as well as pen an entire article based on Mr. Murphy.

On February 13th she tweeted:

My new obsession is with the cross country skier from Bermuda. Dude was wearing red shorts to the opening ceremony

This is far from the first time Mr. Murphy has been “tweeted” about; during the Olympic Opening Ceremonies Twitter flooded with hundreds of messages about Mr. Murphy and his now infamous red Bermuda shorts.

Not content to simply Tweet, a week later the actress wrote an entire article at one point saying:

The sole athlete representing Bermuda — who I’m now totally invested in — is a cross-country skier. He walked out wearing snappy red Bermuda shorts and a navy blazer, looking like he was ready to serve gin-and-tonics to a visiting boatload of billionaires

And later goes on to say:

So then you have to wonder: At what point did this guy say to himself, “Cross-country skiing is the sport for me! No swimming, scuba diving, sailing! No way, that’s too easy. I’m going to commit to a sport that will completely uproot my life — and my family’s, too — and move to … Utah? New Hampshire? Gstaad? I’m going to train to be a cross-country skier in the Winter Olympics! And I am going to kick some serious ass!”

Click here to read her full column

Entitled ‘National Hoodie Day’, it wasn’t actually a literal event but an event listed on the popular social network Facebook.

Listed under ‘Causes/Protests’ their event description says:

In light of our Governments recent proposal to ban hoodies, we are going to protest by wearing them.

Clothes don’t make a man, nor do they make his decisions. The key to solving violence in Bermuda needs a deeper reform than getting rid of hoodies. What the Government really should be doing is reaching out to the family’s instead because it starts from home.

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A screenshot of the Facebook page is below:
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The popular social networking site Twitter was abuzz with e-talk of Mr. Murphy and his shorts, with literally hundreds of tweets pouring in from around the world.

Examples:

Pipatha from Australia saying:

The team from Bermuda deserve a medal for the bright red shorts alone.

Peacekeeper from California saying:

The best Olympic athlete entrance tonight… The lone athlete from Bermuda, IN SHORTS!

New Yorker “Maaangelaaa” saying:

‘Tucker Murphy who represents Bermuda is HOTTT!!!’

Adam from Utah saying

Tucker Murphy has great legs.

A Twitter member from Massachusetts wasn’t a fan of the shorts saying:

Mr. Bermuda: You are attractive, but shorts, red or otherwise, are inappropriate at a Winter Olympics

We complied dozens more Twitter comments into the slideshow below:

Mr. Murphy isn’t the first Bermudian Winter Olympian to make waves with Bermuda shorts, luger Patrick Singleton was the first Bermudian to wear the traditional shorts in the Winter Olympics. His shorts proved so popular that the IOC arranged for them to hang in the International Olympic Museum.

Sports Illustrated said:

YOU’VE GOT TO BE COLD IN THAT: These may be the Winter Olympics, but the small delegation from Bermuda isn’t going to refrain from wearing the island nation’s famous shorts.

Cross-country skier Tucker Murphy made sure his Argentine coach Martin Bianchi didn’t get out of it either.

Murphy, who became the first Bermudian to compete in an Olympic cross-country race when he finished 88th out of 95 starters in Monday’s 15-kilometer event, brought Bianchi along as his support staff in Vancouver. However, he said Bianchi had second thoughts when he realized he had to join Tucker in donning bright red Bermuda shorts at Friday’s opening ceremony.

“He was very embarrassed,” Tucker said. “He was worried that everyone back in Argentina would see him and laugh. … Then he realized that all the girls wanted to take pictures with him, so he got over it fairly quickly.”

The videos, which have been uploaded by fans all over the world, have been viewed over 10 million times on Youtube, with one Collie Buddz video alone being viewed almost six million times. Below we have his top 5:

#1- Mamacita

The promo video of ‘Mamacita’ is Collie’s top viewed video with a staggering 5 and half million views.

#2 – Come Around
The official music video from his debut single “Come Around” has received over 4 million views. It is not viewable to Bermudian audiences, so we have not included it.

#3 – Blind to You
Over 1.5 million views.

#4 – Kofi Kingston Theme
With over 1.3 million views, this song was used by wrestler Kofi Kingston as his entrance music.

#5 – My Everything
Almost 1 million views.