Still on holiday. Thought I should tell you I am off to see the Championship winning celebrations of Barcelona tonight. It’sa pretty useless match against Osasuna but after that the blagrana should be parading their Championship and Copa del Rey trophies… and partying. J’accuse will be there….
J’accuse is on a holiday stint thanks to the Duke of Luxembourg and the Luxembourg national day. We got an extra long weekend off and that meant that the travel bug was reignited. Barcelona, home to Gaudi and Messi, has been selected thanks to its gaudicious combination of shopping, culture and beaches. If you are wondering why your favourite blogger/columnist has gone AWOL then the fiery Catalan city is your answer.
I had only just landed and got into the taxi when I was asked where I was from. Upon hearing the answer, the taxi driver launched into a series of sighs: Ah!Malta, futebol, twelve one.” Some myths never die, though I must say that I had to put up a patriotic fight against anobstinate taxi driver who seemed convinced that nations with a small populations should not participate on the next EU stage. It’s people like him too who will be voting come next MEP elections. Meanwhile, in the Barrio Gotic, the Indian who sold me the Barca polo shirt between a “my friend”,”good price” and a “look nice” had no idea that his home country had just voted the Congress Party back into government.
The weather is great, my credit card feels threatened and I just got confirmation that my flight for voting (referred to nicely as “cheap flight” in the press) is a.o.k. Here’s the current polls for J’accuse’s votes:
1. Alternattiva Demokratika- nothwithstanding the gaffes.The vote to AD still goes on the basis of the need for representation of Maltese interests in a third formation. Arnold seems unfortunately destined to go Harry’s way and play the polls wrongly. The recent “scientific poll” gaffe is inexcusable- either mention the poll or go the PLPN way. J’accuse number one for AD, unfortunately, still translates to an “insufficente” to the whole political system. And I am not gleeful about it.
2. Labour – surprising as it is and as absolutely unEuropean as they still sound as a whole this number 2 vote is also based on best interests for Malta. The reasoning is this: they will probably get three seats anyway-might as well try to get your say in who among the bunch of Damascean converts could least embarass you. That should be someone in the mould of Louis Grech. Proper button pushing is an option. The definitely not list includes – Sharon Ellul Bonici, Glenn Bedingfield, Christian Zammit (nice try though), and Claudette Abela Baldacchino. The don’t even consider list includes Joseph Cuschieri,John Attard Montaltoand Kyrill Micallef Stafrace. The WTF?list includes Maria Camilleri.Yep. It boils down to Louis Grechand Edward Scicluna… and as the saying goes… better the devil you know. So it’s Louis again.
3. Nationalist – They thoroughly deserve a drubbing for letting their political side goto the pits, for the deceptive propaganda and the ridiculous selection of non-candidates the same reasoning applies. Choose the candidate that can do least damage. SimonSays Busuttil still sticks out, though if you go by the polls he is a surefire bet anyway. Why not go for the second best in order to have your say in the possible second seat the Nats could get away with? Help rule out Vince Farrugia, David Casa, Roberta Metsola TT, Marthese and Frank Portelli et al. My personal choice would be Edward Demicoli. A good second bet if there was one.
There you are. “Era meglio morire da piccoli…” as the song by satirist Paolo Rossi goes,but if you really have to dive into this “schifo di merda” it’s “turiamoci il naso” time in the smallest democracy in the EUand here are the votesof the J’accuse jury:
1. Arnold Cassola (12 points)
2. Louis Grech (10 points)
3. Edward Demicoli (8 points)
How about a facebook group to promote the three-way representation vote?
“Cushion jobs” in Brussels (at least that’s what Flossie thinks) have their bad moments too. The main Commission building in Brussels was evacuated a couple of hours ago after a fire broke out in the basement. According to some press reports the fire broke out in the press rooms. La Stampa reports a strong smell of plastic in the air.
Funnily enough, at around the same time the fire is said to have broken out (13.05) I was having lunch at the ECJ restaurant when the fire alarm went off. After around 10 minutes of an irritating alarm noise that threatened to ruin my very enjoyable “salmon au sauce de sesame pour le travail coussin” we were informed that it was a false alarm.
Not for the Commission employees in Brussels though.
This article and accompanying Bertoon appeared in the 17th May 2009 edition of the Malta Independent on Sunday
It was Founder’s Day this Friday. Most people who have not been lucky enough to have spent at least part of their formative years in the hands of the Lasallian brothers (or Frères) the words Founder’s Day would have no meaning. To those who like myself spent the urchin part of their education in Gzira or Cottonera Founder’s Day meant the day we celebrated the life and works of Jean Baptist de la Salle – a geezer from Rheims whose riches to rags transformation created a wondrous world of vocation and teaching. In truth, to the child at school ,Founder’s Day meant two things: summer uniforms and shorter school days, yet in many ways Jean de la Salle was my first exposure to the ideas of faith and devotion.
I must confess (ironically) that the Augustinian brothers in Paceville did not exactly tickle my fancy in the belief department (must have been the obnoxious concept of duttrina). In fact, my next update on hagiography would involve the sterner images of Aloysius, Ignatius and Francis under the stonefaced guidance of the soldiers of Christ (S.J).) but I would always remain impressed by these manifestations of inspired faith long after being exposed to the more uncontrolled, frenzied and blind devotion present in everyday Mediterranean life and best seen on festa days.
A couple of days ago I was lucky enough to be present at a concert by the wonderful Italian musical genius who goes by the name of Vinicio Capossela. One of the songs from his new album is called “L’Uomo Vivo”. The live performance involves circus-themed human pinatas, men on stilts giants and magicians so I was thrown a little bit of track as to the real theme behind it. Yet, hidden in the melodic tunes, the loud chants and the almost frenzied fervour with which the maestro led the crowd to a collective ecstasy of dancing I couldn’t help feeling that there was something strangely familiar.
Charles Flores writing in today’s Independent, for more of the drivel click here:
Today, it is acknowledged by most well-meaning citizens of both the Right and the Left – as well as that important minority at the ill-defined centre of Maltese politics – that what did it for the party in government was the habitual influx, from across the water, of the blue brigade of expatriate Maltese. These people live overseas, particularly in Europe, and quickly grab the cheap, don’t-mind-if-we-don’t-make-a-profit Air Malta ticket on offer and take time off from their politically-sponsored, safe jobs on the Continent to take part in a confidence trick that so obviously works when the other party has, for some reason or other, not garnered enough support to activate to the desired degree an electoral swing.
It’s Labour… Daphne style. J’accuse feels personally involved, so here are a few comments from an expat member of the “blue brigade”:
1. Fairy Tales
Flores claims of stories abounding of people wanting to find a place on the subsidised flight who were first refused then allowed on to what turned out to be a half-empty flight. Is it possible these persons are nowhere to be seen or heard? Or is it like his colleague Gino Cauchi writing in yesterday’s Times claiming that he could not find someone to go to Court and bear witness against a member of his own family who had come to vote from abroad? Continues…
Following AC Milan’s surrender at Udine, Internazionale di Milano were crowned champions of Italy without kicking a ball. Not that they are not used to it. With this Scudetto Inter are now at minus ten scudetti from record holder Juventus – on paper. On the pitch, Juventus would be at quota 29 and Inter would have just won their 16th Scudetto. That would mean a real score of meno tredici.
