Tuesday, 10th June 2008
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
OK, so it was pretty predictable, my preciously predicating this edition of my erudite thoughts with that practically preordained headline.
I'll stop with "PR" cracks, incidentally, because they're getting as boring as they were when Sant obsessed about them.
I didn't watch Dr "call me Joseph" Muscat live. Just as an aside, I'll call you what I like, mate, don't you know it's condescending to ask people to call you by your Christian name: it demonstrates that you know you deserve a title and respect but are willing to let the little people think they're your bosom buddies.
I watched his triumphal entry into the Glass House courtesy of YouTube, that unblinking eye trained on all of us (all of us dumb enough to stand in front of a video camera, anyway) and I also watched Dr Muscat's first speech as MLP Leader that way, almost missing Italy's superb start to Euro2008. It was better than England's, of course, but horrendous for all that.
Listening to the commentators afterwards reminded me about the way all the little MLP elves went around blaming everyone and everything for their own recent little contretemps. And yes, the first goal was morally offside - suck it up, the result stands. Anyway, getting back to Muscat, should I give the guy a chance and write about something else?
I should, I suppose, say that I'm quite prepared to give him a honeymoon, so all the tolerant folks over in Labour elf-land can stop writing in and calling me names. One of them, Laviera by name, called me unethical, because I pointed out, as a comment to another piece, that I will not be bound by any Code of Ethics that the political parties concoct for their media. Being a Labour elf, Mr Laviera clearly has no grasp of the concept that opinions are not formed exclusively by the political parties and broadcast by their media. Nope, I don't think so, honeymoon over for Dr Muscat.
As he said to Gonzi, "we're back in business, big time". In fact, if memory serves, he was so impressed by his own grasp of the English language that he said it twice, if not thrice. Watching the video once was cringe-making enough, so I'm not about to rewind to check.
Whatever, the honeymoon is over and he's in the public eye, big time. Where to start? Well, there's the point at which Muscat's own story started, according to him, anyway. A scion of farming stock, he was brainy enough to go to University, a feat of daunting proportions, apparently only made possible because the Labour Party had done something. Arithmetic was never my strong suit, but since Muscat is 34, and however brainy he was, he couldn't have got into Uni before he was - what - 17 at best? - this means he missed the Labour Years at Tal-Qroqq. You know the ones I mean, all you old fogies out there. The years when the Police used to come along for a bit of riot-control practice, helped by their mates from the RITZ. The years when students had to have godfathers in order to be let into their preferred course. The years when the Medical School was turned from one of the best into one not even recognised outside our shores. Those years.
Yes, if it wasn't for Mintoff's "Educational Reforms" (excuse me while I have an ironic snigger here) Muscat wouldn't have been able to go to University. Of course, the explosion in University number only took place in the years following 1987 (which was when Mintoff and KMB's MLP was given the boot out of government) and unless he was even more of a child prodigy than the hagiographies are making him, Muscat went to Uni after 1987. And he was at secondary school during KMB's fun and games with the private schools, too, which must have been fun for him. But since when did the facts ever get in the way of a good anecdote? The next bit is guaranteed to get the elves all into a tizzy.
Hard luck, guys, Muscat put his wife and kids in the frame by trying to make himself look all warm and fuzzy for the matrons in the audience, telling us all about the difficult pregnancy his wife had. I'm glad everything turned out OK, of course, and there's no way I'm going to gainsay a man for being proud of his wife and children. I've never worried about showing that I am (and it's been used against me, too) but didn't the thought cross Muscat's mind that by putting his family into the public arena, he's risking them becoming fair game?
Is he relying on the media's inherent sense of decency and restraint? Isn't that a moderately risky strategy? Was it worth it, just to come across as a good family man - who had any doubts and who, for that matter, should care? Which all lets me point out another temporal flaw in Muscat's paean of praise for Labour and all its works. According to our young hero, if it wasn't for the efforts of the Labour Party in government, his wife's difficult pregnancy wouldn't have worked out OK and they wouldn't be blessed with twin girls.
If you thought his blaming his feats in the accumulation of degrees on the MLP was a bit weird, this is even stranger. The babies were born six months ago: the MLP ceased being responsible for our medical services more than twenty years ago. Actually, the MLP was responsible for the virtual destruction of our medical services almost thirty years ago, when Muscat himself was all of four years old (so you can hardly blame him for being ignorant of our history) so precisely why did Muscat feel he should say that it was thanks to the MLP that his family is what it is?
Actually, revisionism is a skill that seems to come naturally to many of the Left. Muscat can't be expected to know what the University and the health service were like in the late Seventies/ late Eighties at first hand, unlike the rest of us, because he was a mere babe in arms at the time. Others of his generation venerate people like Mintoff and KMB because it is a trait of the Left in Malta that its youth doesn't question the wisdom from the elders - Muscat's opening paragraphs (after the lugubrious "I love you all" bit) demonstrated this.
Even those who don't have the excuse of tender years have this tendency to forget what was going on around them as the years roll on. Lino Spiteri, for instance, who certainly is not of tender years, gave us the benefit of some interesting reminiscences some time ago, which were rendered even more interesting by what was forgotten by the author.
Oh well, as long as everyone loves everyone else, that's all that matters, after all. A guy thinks he can take a mike in hand, stroll around a stage, doing an imitation of a god-botherer (or, worse, Tony Blair) spinning yarns for the adoring masses and all will be well with the world. Who am I to say that the hippies were wrong?
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Comments
So you admitted having been a teacher. That presupposes that you possess the required qualifications to have followed a pedagogical course and graduated from a Teachers' Training College or the University. Judging by the standard of your literary excursions, this is rather doubtful.
I'm well aware that you haven't called me fat or short. In fact, were you able to understand what you wrote beforehand, you implied that I was calling you names when you stated that bloggers who draw your attention to your appalling standard of English instead of rebutting your arguments are simply calling you names.
I cannot understand what you meant by "we're being too influential here" I certainly don't consider myself as being an influential type. As for you..... ? I've noticed that you failed to respond to my political arguments after having stated that immature persons do so. Is that because you lack any valid counter arguments on the topic or because I've given proof of my maturity?
You really don't know that "I have been" does not mean "I am"?
Also, I wasn't trying to call you names. When I wrote "you're fat, you're short, you put a sentence in maltese in the middle of an english paragraph" I wasn't referring to you or to anyone else here. That was just an example.
Sigh!
I suggest we quit talking about grammer, we're being too influential here! ABC has blogged on grammer now (amidst spelling mistakes because he said he forgot to use his spell-checker) and practically all the comments there are on grammer! Even DCG's blog is becoming full of grammatical errors and their corrections, with people arguing whether "since the 1950's" includes the 1950's or not.
It's becoming boring. It's more interesting to read about elves, fairies, pixies and similar fiction. ;)
Part 2. ABC remarked that JM's twins delivered at Mater Dei following a difficult pregnancy were born when the MLP ceased being responsible for our medical services more than 20 years ago. So how can JM, in all honesty, claim to have succeeded in his tertiary studies and in obtaining a safe delivery thanks to MLP reforms in the educational and health sectors?
I propose you follow a History of Malta refresher course (apart from another in Basic English) to enable you to comment on Malta's political and social history. Malta's medical and educational systems have been functioning for ages. It was not the MLP or the NP to whom credit is due. Even during the colonial era, important reforms were implemented in these sectors. Various administrations contributed to reach today's standards. You stated that the systems "were implemented during JM's lifetime". Are you implying that JM is dead?
Beggars existed even during past MLP Administrations (1947-49, 1955-58) but I don't maintain, as you inversely do, that it was the MLP's fault. The causes were a low standard of living due to post-war hardships, a dense overpopulation ( post-war baby boom ) and lack of employment opportunities.
I can reply to your senseless arguments in a myriad of blogs, but first I necessarily have to understand what you're trying to say in English. I have neither intentional nor unintentional problems (whatever that means!) to rebut your arguments. You are calling me names while in the same breath you rightly state that arguments are not won by name calling. When you wrote "I mean I have been a teacher of English and any primary school student would have realised this" weren't you in fact admitting to being one, however qualified you may actually be?
Your first letter was out of context to ABC's column comments. ABC stated that JM received his university education in the 90s when educational reforms introduced by the NP government had taken effect. All qualified candidates were accepted. They received stipends during their course. Hence students coming from poor families were enabled to continue their studies. They were not obliged to BEG for a sponsor to finance their university studies as happened during the Socialist era. That meant that only the rich and others boosted by extra bonus points awarded by a partial examining board managed to enter university.
I am not at all surprised that a foreigner with an English surname would enjoy the spectacle of locals making a sorry exhibition of themselves by silly postings in execrable English for his delectation.
Please don't emphasise the un/intentional problem you have to reply to an argument. That's the way immature people reply - one makes an argument and the other one instead of replying intelligently, starts shouting names like "you're fat, you're short, you put a sentence in maltese in the middle of an english paragraph"..... please!!!
@ Joseph Grech Attard
My last comment? Who is teaching you mathematics? I'm sure that you're still learning in kindergarten if you can't count up to 5?
About the english language per se, ABC thought it fit to omit my comment so far where I explained why I used certain abbreviations. Secondly, you who criticised ought to do a bit of revision since if you re-read my post with adult assistance you'd realise that no where did I state that I am a teacher of English!
Calling names will never get you anywhere. Bullying is for cowards. Whether you bother on one's English/typing errors, whether you call your fellows 'elves' or whether you attack them by hairstyle/face-shape/trouser-length. If you want to prove your argument, just reply using your brains and bring up a worthy counter-argument.
Please do not assimilate peasants with such big heads who think they know it all and can throw venom over anyone who is not blue. Peasants are the nicest people I have ever had the fortune to live with, their manners may be rough but their good heart is so wellmeaning .. please don't mix such people with these - peasants are respectable folk much more than these.
If you are of peasant extraction...how come you have a hyphenated surname? So are you from peasant stock too Bocc?
Please have nercy on we foreign observers of the Maltese political scene
by distinguishing red devils from the elves.
Could it be that the comments are more interesting than the originator?
From one martin to another, I take great umbrage at your classifying the red devils in the same category as the local elves.
The Red Devils rule (and will for a long time) - local elves don't. (and won't for a long time too) OK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We take you as seriously as we took Chelsky's chances of winning the cup .
Nasty little red devils/imps/elves rule ok
People pronouncing Don Quixote as “donkey shot” as the ear hears it in English are described as donkeys. That was your contribution.
Soon after you wrote that “you were not trying to impress with any superior knowledge of phonetics”.
That looked as an expression of regret for having been misunderstood or misinterpreted.
Now I thank you for you free English language lesson; so I correct myself: instead of writing
“Calling names persons you do not know is……..” (I used the plural) on your suggestion I ought to write
“Calling a person you do not know names is…..” (You are using the singular)
I am no expert in the English language, and might be under the influence of a different but clearer foreign language. I doubt however which of the two expressions sounds better?
By the way I am always open to learn and correct myself when writing English, so thank you again. And no hard feelings
Mark my words: I wrote "benefit", in the sense that they might (or might not) have attended a decent school and/or university, but they didn't get much out of it.
The really funny thing is, they all seem to think I take them as seriously as they obviously take me.
it is evident we need many more blogs to vent out our bent up frustration!!
ABC has run out of subjects
Fr.Joe is misunderstood or incomprehensible (don't really know)
Ira is too busy Fortune Telling
Jes and the students appeal mostly to their own sectors and rightly so
Tanya does not do controversy so she is unappealing to a savage bunch of peasants like us!!!
TO (since @sounds very rude to me) JOHN WILLIAMS
- " king and queen of puke"
LOL!! loved that, I guess that makes us all PUKE lovers..
..... now off to read the other blog!
@Andrew Borg Cardona - who are all these nasty little people?
Your latest blog addressed to me is incomprehensible. Are you absolving me from the need to express regret? If so I never saw the need to express any. Or are you absolving yourself from the need to do so? If so, I never expected that from you. And by the way the correct English phraseology is not "calling names persons...." but "calling a person names". I do neither.
ABC's was the usual witty, funny, ironic, self with the article.
But then DSG jumps in and...ruins everything! I actually love reading both ABC's and DCG's articles, but - DCG - please try to keep class/race/skin colour/educational background etc out of it please?
Had Normal Lowell :( written anything like that, he'd have been arrested!!!
BTW - when I was 18-19 years old, I was fighting the soicialist oppression in this country in order to get my proper education. Well, it actually started a few years before that, when I, and thousands of other students, were prohibited from attending church and private schools by the MLP government to whom JM now feels so thankful. My vocabulary contained much more flowery words than f*** off, but never used them, instead I decided to use it (the better vocabulary, that is) to contribute with my writings. A very educated and ironic english lady once thought me that simply ignoring anyone who's trying to intimidate you is best practice. I have kept to those wise words, and found them very effective indeed. Please ask your junior to remember that should JM make an appearance at the UoM?
What's your originating stock Dr ABC?
Correct my interpretation if I'm wrong.. but am I to believe that born a peasant one has to remain a peasant and never dare aspire for greener pastures? If I go back 2 generations, all I can mention in my family tree are cleaners, cooks, and watchmen. I'm not ashamed of it, and if wasn't for the free for all church schools in the 70-80's revolution, my parents would have not afforded my education. I'm SO sorry if your offspring had to bear my peasant stink, but I'm glad some "obscure" MLP government took the time to level the playing field and create my opportunity.
You're not angry about nepotism in the 80's .. you're angry you did not benefit from it. Nepotisim still exists today! Care to deny it?
For a moment I thought I was reading a column by a Hindu caste fundamentalist.
Good to see somebody speak some sense. If only everybody could be as balanced and reasonable.
I must congratulate Joe Muscat on his appointment-though I would have preferred another.
From what I read in these pages I would gather that his best years are behind him.
Having commented bilingually and incoherently on one occasion to this blog, you should have refrained from revealing your profession by proclaiming yourself to be a teacher of English. Please keep in mind that the blog readers are not primary school students who would easily realise, according to you, that they're being addressed by their teacher!!
A self assesment.
So did no one find anything right with Joseph Muscat's first speeches? Dear me what a hopeless guy .. perhaps he could groom himself better, get two surnames in front and instead of speaking of love, the European dimension, start throwing mud at one and all ... that would be a real statesman! What do we care of the environment, of the co-operation on National Issues, of his idea of a code of ethics for Super 1 journalists, besides PN journalists, and bloggers are always full of ethics in their contributions, they need no ethics at all ...
Honestly what a bloody circus.
I read your many positive contributions praising Lino Spiteri, Alfred Sant (many times), Mintoff, Alfred Sant's daughter, Children who (as if it is their fault) happen to be the single offsping in a family, adopted children and adopting parents, Joseph Muscat .. were you by any chance near St Paul when he shrug off the serpent spilling his venom?
Never knew you were the daughter of a politician ... How many elections did he compete in and how many votes did he get?
That it is quite normal for a 19 year old to say f*** off at people (not physically harassing him as you say, because I was there), I agree but it is not permissible at all. And the state of society today in Malta and its debased morals may be partly due to mothers excusing their children for anything they do ..
@DGG
"The trouble with so many Maltese is the belief in their own intrinsic superiority, which is why we are legendary for our appalling manners"
Appalling manners and a belief in one's intrinsic superiority apparently transcend the class divide. At last, we have it from the arbiter of taste, blue ties and polite behaviour herself. If her past forays into linguistics are anything to go by the learned lady’s expertise lies in Manglish mostly and a devout adherence to all that’s exonormative. Do you prefer chips or mash?
At the very least, he seems like a more competent leader, when compared to Alfred Sant. I've listened to some of the interviews on Smash and PBS. If you listen to JM when he's speaking in interviews (answering questions), he's very positive, very confident in what he's talking about and most noticably he knows how to answer a question clearly. Now if you remember right, when ever Alfred Sant spoke, he'd answer a question with a question, always raising more questions rather then answering them otherwise giving us half an answer, or just diverting from the question completely. Sant always produced this negative attitude, which Joseph Muscat hasn't really re-produced we could say.
There may yet be hope to see a better opposition. It all depends on how competent and able Joseph Muscat is to firmly control the MLP Party, to be able to unite it , and to have a more positive outlook when seeing what the government proposes and provide constructive ideas with the government.
He talks the talk, now can he walk the walk is the big question on my mind.
I have never read your column and I doubt if I will again. Your writing is the most negative I've ever read and for no apparent reason. You can criticise but you must also be objective. I suggest that tomorrow morning you should look at yourself in the mirror and I'm sure you will not like yourself either. Perhaps your tone of writing will change for the better.
In spite of your attempts to whitewash the situation we all remember well the quality of the service at St Luke's in the Labour years. I don't know what reforms you are talking about, but if we call the waiting list "scandalous" now the whole hospital was scandalous then. My sister worked there in those times and the stories she told us of blatant nepotism, botched operations and total disorganisation (among other things) were frankly unbelievable. Is it possible that you can believe that we can ever forget?
Dear Andrew, I hope your next blog will be out soon cause this one has degenerated beyond recovery. Apparently some subjects should not be touched - too many raw nerves out there.
On the other hand, if one had to do that, why bother writing anything at all??
It is about time that some people got a sense of perspective and grew up. If you are so insulted by this blog, don't read it, or, better still, start one of your own!
Having gone through the elves contributions (sic) in this and other editions of your blog, allow me to offer you my sincere and heartfelt thanks. Long may you continue with it.
Believe me, nothing else provides me with better comic relief than seeing the elves falling over themselves trying to counter your 'anything MLP related' tongue in cheek barbs.
The prospect of another five years of slanging matches in this comments section is, to say the least, mouth watering.
As long as you treat the current European Champions with respect you're allright by me.
Oh and by the way, whoever pronounces Don Quixote as donkey shot, shots or whatever is a peasant whichever party he supports.
In your last comment you stated that you are a 'teacher of English'. Well then... may I suggest that you read the following and correct the English..
"Beggars bieb il-Belt, people not managing to work enough to get their minimum wage, foreigners coming and living here, rightly so since we're EU members now, yet asking why we don't allow them divorce and abortion same as they have right to in their own country...'
'you deem that you command'
'only once he said himself.Couldbe the misinterpretation '
Is your bad English due to the fact that the nationalists were in government when you were at university? Is it because we're now members of the EU?
Is this the 'English' that you are teaching at school?
No wonder a reception class was proposed.
For future reference, my failure to respond to each and every personal insult, each and every misrepresentation of my writing, each and every allegation about my being a pawn of the PN and each and every other comment that demonstrates lack of pereption or understanding on the part of the person making, not to mention crass vulgarity and over-endowment with bitterness, is not to be taken as ascuiescence to the sentiments contained in the unanswered comment.
It just means I couldn't be bothered to answer each pin-prick. It would be like having to swat every gnat or other flying vermin that comes my way on a humid summer evening.
In many instances, subsequent blogs or columns will be sufficient answer.
I subscribe to the dictum attributed to Voltaire that even though he disagreed with what was being said he would still defend to the death the right for it to be said. However a line should be drawn restricting vulgarity expresssed in barely comprehensible English by the smug self complacent beneficiaries of the MLP improvements in education. Or do I detect a hint of Macchiavellism in giving "elves" enough rope to hang themselves in public?
As for ABC and dear Daphne CG.,B.A.Archeology, I am giving her titles that she rightly deserves, and others, you ought to learn the lesson not to spite a person but if you have anything to criticise chose anything but the person:" Whoever calls his brother Raca deserves to be condemned by the council. And who calls him "Mad" deserves to be condemned to be burned in hell..." St.Math V.22-26
What you should have objected to was the unwitting attempt to reinforce patriarchy and the feminine with caring and supportive roles. Seeing you have an abysmal knowledge of how farming families operate/operated in certain progressive communities say Zebbug or Zurrieq , you would be surprised at how entrepreneurial matriarchal farming families can be. Pity you never tried an educational immersion in the culture as an anthropological assignment. Contrary to city dwellers, who rely more so on the patriarch to bring home the bacon,( Try keeping chickens and sheep in apartments?) farming matriarchs in villages always had their own income. They were happy to send the husband off to work in the firm belief that “b’hatba wahda ma ssajjarx” They did not have to wait for 1987 to get out on the labour market. Nonetheless, I am surprised by the terminology, the Maltese peasant became extinct about 21 years ago since 1987 to be precise. I thought the PN social and educational policies had obliterated class distinction .Do we have it from the horse/mare's mouth that a class divide needs perpetuation. The most endearing thing about that extinct peasant class was the ability to call a spade a spade.
.
Ara, mela you understand maltese .. and Maltese written by peasants!! How intelligent ... and you followed JM's speech eh to those 'hamalli' of Labour Party ...
Look look look, who came out .. the woman joining ABC's mission for character killing - shouting for manners .. perhaps we should get the clue from her son's shouting 'f*** off at University towards the reporters .. manners at their highest degree ... I was waiting for her to suggest that JM will get lessons from her father (Michael Vella) who led another party not so long ago .. again to fight Mintoff ... wonder of wonders how many votes he got ... her hate is now directed towards peasant classes because one of their sons managed to make it to stage - perhaps he got his bad manners when studying for his PhD, or at European Parliament, who knows .. Well .. if educated people enjoy character killing like you do, and enjoy distributing hate like you do in your articles ...well I's rather go back to the farm!
@Shirley Attard - Dear Shirley only morally goad and ethical parents of young people can understand the way they dress and behave. Thank God Dr. Muscat is what he is. All honourable gonziPN ladies and gentlemen asked for a change Now they have got it, whether for their good or for their bad.
In pointing out that the correct pronunciation of Don Quixote has no similarity with "donkey-shot" I was not trying to impress anyone with any superior knowledge of phonetic symbols hence my use of plain text. Neither was I intervening on ABC's behalf .He regularly demonstrates his skill at demolishing his critics without help from anybody else.
No.
ABC takes writing seriously and professionally. True he appears to misunderstand the topic, but I don't expect him to really analyse JM's speeches in depth given that JM is the new Labour leader. He watched it on youtube only once he said himself.Couldbe the misinterpretation is intentional, otherwise where would one be finding the topics to churn out negative (as opposed to constructive) criticism on a guy like JM? I fully understand and respect ABC's opinions though, he's just doing the job expected from him. Everyone knows ABC will never praise any labour leader, not even if DrGonzi crosses the room and becomes MLP leader...
DCG on the other hand, she's plain entertaining fiction perfect for my mid-afternoon chuckle.
Going through her blog, here are some of the reasons why JM isn't a good leader:
-he's got curly hair;
-wears a pink tie;
-wears a blue tie with red dots;
-wears a multi-coloured tie;
-puts hand on heart while singing national anthem;
-has got short legs; (really?)
-his face-shape resembles a clown;
-has trouser hems too long;
-his smile looks artificial (DCG must be confusing leaders at this point!)
-applies hair-styling gel
I always looked down on local lawyers, always thought it was the worst profession the University of Malta creates, those who are normally behind all the malais ... reading your contributions well ... makes me wonder .. how a paper who keeps trying to insist that it is independent gives you space! But belonging to one of the other professions myself makes me wonder how can a person spread so much hate against 50% of the local society run the Kamra tal-Avukati. When Norman Lowell propagated hatred against a much smaller section of our country he was given two years suspended sentence! You do need a lot of Love ....
I know this is your personal blog and you deem that you command, but for the sake of freedom of speech you can't just choose random comments of mine and post at whim because that way even you know that they appear grossly out of context! I don't think I should really be pointing this out? I mean I have been a teacher of English and any primary school student would have realised this.
Sadly, either this is the position here or the timesofmalta.com condones not to air differing views, and that leaves me no choice except to seek different resources?
@Joseph Sciberras - Doctors of 3rd world and communist countries are still present at the 'state-of-the-art-billion-Euro' Mater Dei, including some from those times, but now under gonziPN administration. They are present even in the private sector. Now even paramedicals are coming from 3rd world countries! And why not? We need them or else we do not function. The 'meddling' of politicians brought a much-needed change in those times which the PN could not manage to do in the 60's, although much needed. In fact no laws were changed when the PN took over in 1987 becasuse the 'dirty' work had been done by the MLP elves, including myself, and things continued to progress, except in these last few years when it has become 'scandalous.'
Dr. Saliba. The first time I heard the words Don Quixote (donkey shot to the ear) I was still attending primary classes. I admit I was still a donkey then (hmar in Maltese) It is only later that I became aware that it was a master piece of Cervantes and that in Spanish there is the “hota”.
Nobody could be expert in everything. In certain subjects I am still a donkey (hmar), in medicine for example I am a skarpan as we say, if my Maltese is correct
Finally how is it that ABC needs your intervention?
You're both wrong.
[/dɒnˈkihoʊte/]
Another point I wish to raise here: I read many contributions showing worry on the MLP’s future. I can’t understand why this worry, look at them first they elected a political AS (ass?) and now they have elected his mascot (muscat). So, happy them happy all.
P.S. Dr. ABC you may wish to correct my English, I am not so good at it. Being a septugenarian who never attended the university except to watch a pantomine.
Having said that, if you still can't swallow it down, you always can find some comfort in a bottle of a bitter lemon. I think that it will do the job for you, hanini.
Even if I'm an elf, I still can't separate you from Mrs. know-it-all aka DCG!
All you need is love, bocc, la la lalala....
That's why JM praised both current systems, You know that it hadn't been because the systems were implemented during JM's lifetime, they were implemented by the Labour Government before JM's lifetime. The PN left the poor people to fend on their own and to beg, and the rich to get richer. Now I dare you to censor this post like you did my 2 previous ones and prevent them from appearing to the general Maltese public so that they can justly evaluate them! Now we're getting back to square one. Beggars bieb il-Belt, people not managing to work enough to get their minimum wage, foreigners coming and living here, rightly so since we're EU members now, yet asking why we don't allow them divorce and abortion same as they have right to in their own country...
ABC.... wake up... it's a harsh reality... unfortunately for Malta...
Don Quixote is pronounced "Donkey shots" only by donkeys. Others pronounce it Don Kihoti.
Back to songs; `we say iether, you say neither` always confused me a little, but then the Americans have their own way of doing things, but you learn. Today I have learned another expression from a Canadian `cocky sure` and I always thought it was `cock-sure`, but as I said, you live and learn.
Charles Cassar - to each his own.
But "donkey shots" is to stand. I like to use metaphors and allegories, they stimulate the imagination. Platitudes makes you yawn
I am an eighty year old doctor, from a worker family and had no difficulty to obtain a diploma and two degrees from our old Royal University without being humiliated by having to beg for a sponsor and without the need for my qualification for entry to the University to be boosted by extra bonus points. It was my daughter who in Mintoff years had to finish her studies abroad at great expense that we could ill afford because the MLP had abolished the University course for which she was supremely qualified.
In my young days it was taken for granted that complicated multiple pregnancies would be successfully tackled in our hospitals by our local specialists without boasting about it in the lay press. It was only during the Mintoff years that there followed an abyssimal deterioration.
I hope that the new leader of the MLP comes down to earth very soon.
So, there you go, how can Dr. Muscat 'reform' the MLP with an earthquake of change when he himself is not much different than those he tries to reform?
How long will it take the general public to realize that he is quite often so cocky sure of himself, causing a nausiating impulse to gag?
Time will no doubt 'season' this gentleman into a more credible politician and we all wish him luck but the first item on his agenda should be to reform himself first before attempting to fix what ails the MLP.
But don't blame commentators for picking on him because, first of all, he did say "We're back in business" so I guess the (political) game has indeed begun, big time.
And secondly, I must admit I was also astounded that he thanked the MLP for his education & medical service. Of all things, why didn't he pick some other reasons which are not so easily shot down??
I'd put it down to inexperience and him not having time to prepare a proper speech.
Will there ever be enough time though?
Charles Cassar - thanks, that's actually a compliment.
Miguel de Cervantes, the name sounds Spanish, wrote something about “wind mills” that gave a lot to do to a heroic Don Quixote (pronounced “donkey shot” one can even add an s, “donkey shots” for the uninformed or even the informed).
Can anyone notice some similarity? Or coincidences?
The pen is mightier than the sword! But, against a windmill…?
Weren't you supposed to be the 'I'm PN but not blind, I also write English nice' voice of reason?