Football

I had to blog this one. Reigning champions Marsaxlokk have been trounced 7-0 by Valletta. The citizens seem to have shifted out of their early season lethargy and denied Marsaxlokk the opportunity of pulling one back on former president Victor Sciriha. Meanwhile, away from the city, Rahal managed to defeat early season pacesetters Floriana by the odd goal in five. I haven’t seen any matches but this season looks to be like an exciting one on the island. I wonder if there will be any league games played after the 17th December… might be worth a visit to Ta’ Qali.

In Italy, Milan and Juventus met again after two years and played out a stalemate. No matter what the media or Ranieri say I think that Juve will not win the league this season. We may not have lost against all the “big” teams like Inter, Fiorentina and Milan… but we did not win either. I can’t say that I would not be satisfied with second place and a direct place in the Champions league. Just put us back where we belong.

… but the man of the day is not Trezegol or Camoranesi (injured) but one Sebastian…. M-O-N-E-S-T-E-R-O-L-O.. (4 GOALS)

“ejjew halli tarawna fit-toroq ewlenin….

lil tal-Belt hadd ma jista’ ghalina…

lil tal-Belt ghajjurin ghalina…

ghax bil-brijju u bit-tizjin…

F’IDEJNA C-CONTORIN (sic)”

What Lies Beneath

Beneath the Firework

Only last Thursday the Times (of Malta) editorial expressed concern that not enough was being done to stem the flow of firework related dead. Even J’accuse is horrified that less than one week later we have another man “in danger” of dying thanks to explosive mixtures. Then you look at the statistics – over one hundred persons in a century – not a nice figure it’s true but from the statistician’s cold perspective it pales in comparison to at least two figures that immediately come to mind. I do not need the stats at hand I’ll just mention immigrants dying in the waters around our country and road victims (and that’s only because birds do not count as humans otherwise I’d have three sets of stats). Firework factory accidents infuriate us a little bit more because they are even more nonsensical. Beneath the firework death is the man who walked into an unsafe factory, “worked” with unsafe materials and all this within worrying distance of inhabited homes. That is not something to mourn about.

Beneath the Red Palm Weevil

Alternattiva Demokratika have their balls in a twist about something called the Red Palm Weevil. It must be the pest with the coolest name in history after the Tasmanian Devil. Apparently the Weevil has hitched a ride on some of the trees being planted in Malta for the afforestation programme. The AD press release is worrying to the common man. It is, in not so subtle political terms, a shit stirrer. Let’s see it in detail:

“ Alternattiva Demokratika cannot but put the blame on the government for the way it is handling afforestation and tree protection in the Maltese Islands, without any policy and without any strategy whatsoever. If one looks at government projects, one cannot but notice the great percentage of imported trees that are being planted. And imported trees carry the potential for disease and the introduction of new species to the Maltese Islands, as in the case of the Red Palm Weevil.”

The inevitability of the blame is not so evident once you see what the implied problem is. There is apparently a great percentage of the new trees that originate from yonder – as in not Maltese. The blip in the policy is that these trees CARRY POTENTIAL for disease and the introduction of new species to the Maltese Islands. So what got the proverbial balls in a twist is not a real problem… but a potential one because there is a suspicion that our government is not intelligent enough to ensure that the trees are not ill. Well it turns out that the Red Palm Weevil is alive and kicking in Melita. It also turns out that since it lives in Palm Trees this could not have happened because of the afforestation programme because … it does not include palm trees.

Like so many shit-stirring statements in politics this one was constructed on wrong assumptions. The conclusion that we reach is that AD were after the government’s environmental credentials and wanted to remove some of the afforestation programmes brownie points. Not a very good move. Especially when this government has so many other policies that are criticisable. The pity is that they do not include attention grabbing names such as that very evil Weevil.

Beneath the Detention Centres

Lies a great big stink. You might read in today’s paper that Brussels will once again be kicking up a fuss about Malta’s detention centres. You should also know that Malta has featured in the radio and TV in France over the past week and it was not thanks to a Tourism Authority advert. You see the news reports about the inhuman conditions in the detention centres made our country sound like the Yanks in Guantanamo or a revival of Idi Amin’s regime. If the situation of fellow humans in such ridiculous conditions does not make you cringe and do something about it… then at least some pride and worry about this negative vibe should get you moving.

And once we are on this matter I’d like to know what nerve the government spokesperson (I think it was a govt spokesperson) had when commenting about the Pakistani appointment to the Commonwealth in lieu of Michael Frendo. The sour grapes note had something to do with the democratic credentials and lack of respect for human rights. Well it’s true, the Pakistani government has not been very good at sweeping it’s problems under the carpet of late… but as long as the detention centres exist and as long as the current conditions subsist I think stones and glasshouses should spring to the mind of such person much faster… Beneath the image of the shiny calypso of the Mediterranean lie the desperate souls imprisoned in a camp… and yes… they’re your problem too.

Kindle

We want a Kindle… Now!

Gharb Rangers v.II

Angelo commented on the previous  entry regarding clubs and footballing names. He wonders how many people would recognise the Maltese teams. If I say Spartans you’d all say Hamrun…. but what about the following… (all MFA & GFA leagues allowed, multiple answers possible) – and enjoy the bonus question…

1. Corinthians 2. Knights 3. Swallows 4. Tigers 5. Athleta 6. Saint Andrew’s 7. Stars 8. Lightnings 9. Saint Peter’s 10. Athletic 11. Spurs 12. Rainbows 13. Youngsters 14. Lions (2) 15. Rovers 16. Rangers 17. Youths 18. Falcons 19. Wanderers 20. Calypsians (defunct) 21. Sirens

And now for the bonus question(s), both deal with Gozitan teams:

A. What is the current name for the Gozitan team that has changed names several times having used the following nicks in its name : United, SK, Wanderers?

B. A Gozitan team made a brief appearance in the early nineties playing two (or maybe three) seasons in the bottom division. Its colours were purple, black and white and the nick they chose was St. Pauli – the inside joke being that this was after the red light district in Hamburg and had nothing saintly about it. From which of Gozo’s villages did this team hail?

C. What is the name of the main stadium in Gozo?

(Additional ridiculous and inconsequential trivia: Registered as a GFA player with team A after a free transfer from Melita FC, your favourite blog author was transferred to Team B together with two other players for the royal sum of Lm70.)

Enjoy.

Roll down the rubber!

 

Last Sunday I read this letter from Mark Anthony Falzon to the Times criticising the “absitinence as prevention” approach in sexual education. Dr Falzon concluded that “In other words, the best research indicates that it does not make sense to promote abstinence as a means of protection from STDs. ” It might seem like another letter from the “liberal” core aimed at correcting the ultra-conservative theories with which our island is replete. A Bayer Health Care Yasminelle Poll seems to confirm Dr Falzon’s statement directly:

The Maltese are among the most careless Europeans when it comes to protecting themselves during sex, while on the other hand the island has a conservative attitude towards sexuality, according to the results of a new survey. When embarking on their first sexual venture, 62 per cent of local respondents, who were aged between 18 and 49, failed to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases or an unplanned pregnancy, preferring withdrawal or use no contraception at all. The Bayer Health Care Yasminelle Opinion Poll shows that the Maltese are burdened with the most serious thoughts and pangs of conscience – they have the strongest association of sex and marriage of all the 12 countries that took part in the survey. (Times of Malta)

While in the rest of Europe condoms are the first choice in a sexual encounter in Malta it would seem that just 40% would choose this method of contraception. On a positive note (?) only 21% of Maltese seem to be willing to have sex without being in love. Around 40% of the Maltese would like to be seduced with the words I love.

No (clean) sex please, we’re Maltese.