Blogs
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Politician resigns on point of principle... how rare
I disagree with Arnold Cassola’s stance on the abortion debate, which appeared to be a call to stop all debate. But it has to be said, respect to the man. With his resignation, Cassola has essentially done something that no other politician in...
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The curious but sad case of the Maltese ‘buts’
The response emerges in nano seconds… BUT… When faced with our daily ration of widespread and now deeply ingrained corruption as pursued by Malta’s economic and political ‘elite’, the standard, knee-jerk response is BUT…THEY did it too. When the...
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Beware satanic bananas
I’m all in favour of naive, elderly grandpas. You know the kind, those who dip a toe into the murky waters of social media with trepidation and then, a couple of hours later, are littering your newsfeed with ‘if you don’t share this, a child will...
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Meat consumption and our future: the ‘no-brainer’
The main conclusions of recent research are clear - the ‘average world citizen’ needs to eat up to 75% less beef, 90% less pork and 50% less eggs. Correspondingly, we need to significantly increase consumption of vegetables and fruits, beans and...
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A thinking woman is a scary woman
The idea that a person can have an opinion that is not dictated by the agenda of a political party is unfathomable on this island. Whenever one states an opinion, everyone rushes to decipher the true colour – red or blue – of the opinion as they...
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Victim on trial
Family members of the young woman who is accusing her cousin of raping her when she was 10, on Wednesday gave their testimony in court. You can read all about here. In essence, this mostly consisted of describing the young woman as:• Too...
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Where are the pro-lifers in the migrants' plight?
The fuss plastered all over Facebook because we are experiencing some cold weather, which is after all a natural phenomenon, is nauseating. Dogs in beds, kittens in blankets, families in their pyjamas cuddled up together in front of fireplaces,...
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An arguably prude but indisputably candid agenda
What leaked through domestic walls and social media in recent days rubs salt in wounds inflicted by instances when the meaning and value of words is of little or no relevance, implication and consequence. The number of toxic and acrimonious...
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Who are we supposed to look up to?
It’s been a while since I did this, mostly because I have frankly given up hope of anything changing in this blessed country. But there comes a point when, not making your voice heard is a statement in itself. A tacit endorsement at worst, an...
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All are equal under the law, but some are more equal than others
The Delia/De Fremeaux drama was plastered all over local social media over Christmas time, with everyone pushing their own agenda. While I have my own opinions about the Opposition leader – who could potentially be Prime Minister – being accused...
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A 2019 wish list
As we look towards another year, two important lenses come to the fore. That of the years immediately before alongside that of our hopes (or fears) for the year ahead. Such hopes or fears are most often personal related to family, well-being and...
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Against the tide, I pledge more action in 2019
Christmas is a time to pause for reflection, a perfect time to look back at the year gone past and contemplate on the year ahead. It is a time to remember what saddened us, what inspired us and gave us hope as well as a time to ponder on what’s...
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Gozo: open to the world
‘Diversity will not prove to be a barrier but rather a reason for our future success’ – this was the key conclusion of competition winner, 16-year-old Chloe Cauchi when she addressed the motion ‘A diverse society is a sustainable society’. The...
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Not fully human
"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home -- so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. [...] Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without...
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Human Rights – a literacy ‘must
The Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas once wrote: ‘A good poem helps to change the shape and significance of the universe, helps to extend everyone’s knowledge of himself and the world around him’. The Czech lawyer and activist Milada Horáková wrote ‘Man...
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‘Jaqaw liswed li qeda mijew...
I only forged ahead with writing this blog post after consulting the ‘target’ in question – a colleague at Times of Malta who happens to be guilty of association simply because her partner is black. The journalist was guilty of reporting a study...
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Who elected NGOs?
Who needs NGOs or civil society organisations? And, in whose name do they speak? When government does its job well, responds effectively to citizens’ rights and needs, delivers quality services, a secure and sustainable environment and an economy...
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Signs from the after-life
When Daphne Caruana Galizia was still alive and giving us a near-daily commentary on the ills, scandals and horror stories of this blighted land, she wrote one blog-post which is still referred to by many of her various enemies as justification...
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Damned by numbers
Some consider numbers meaningful. So meaningful that they could be the language of God, the hidden code of the universe. Like everything else, all this could be a load of hogwash. But numbers in this little fish pond of ours, which many of us...
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Maltese cheerleading ugliness
I came to teach in Malta some 15 years ago, ended up staying and have now lived in Gozo for 10 years. I have been struck by just how many positive things the Maltese have going for them – the geography of the place, its location (in one of the...
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