Comments on: It-terremot ta' Muscat

By: P Shaw

P Shaw — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:27:35 +0000

I am only interested in the US election campaigns rather than the elction itself.

Sarah Palin can be defined as a cyncial or strategic choice, depending on your point of view. She was selected to mobilize the conservative base (with whom McCain is not that popular)and attracting Clinton voters. he suceeded on the former but not the latter.

By: Gerald

Gerald — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:54:03 +0000

Thanks for the kudos Malcolm – and Town is very good I must admit although The Economic Update is better :)

By: Gerald

Gerald — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:52:11 +0000

The link isn’t online I’m afraid but the Econ update comes out with The Times so you may find a copy running around from yesterday. It’s more or less along those lines. Don’t tell me you support Sarah Palin

By: Mario Debono

Mario Debono — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:37:53 +0000

I will say something about the electricity rates that will shock, coming from me. I am a business owner and I represent other business owners that the Government likes thrashing with state curtailed profit margins, ta’ zmien Mintoff, and with Price Monitoring Committees and investigations. We have had to abide by new rules whereby we have to leave A/C’s on all day and all night, in order to keep our products below 25 Deg Celsius. All well and good, although the order came to do so with the threat of closure if we didn’t. Standards have to be kept. But when we insisted on having our rates cut, because we cannot up our profit margins and selling prices to take on the extra expenses, all hell broke loose, with some government officials of the “I Have a driver” variety screaming away that we want to profiteer. A minister even called us “hallelin”, and yes, he was and is a nationalist minister. Yes this happens in Malta, a proud member of the EU. But our name is not Decesare, or Zahra, or Fenech, Or SGS Thompson. The capping was unjust because the fattest benefited, whilst the leanest businesses did not. On this, Austin should hang his head in bloody shame.Capping is illegal and unjust. Everyone should pay his due. Or else, cap it for everybody.

By: Sybil

Sybil — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:48:02 +0000

[Daphne – These men are nuts to put up with it. There’s a lot of misogyny in Malta, and abuse of wives, but the flip-side is these women who ‘work’ their husbands and don’t let them use the things their wages have paid for.]

Your average aristokratiku tal-haddiema troglodyte working in the quarry or driving a forklifter or truck or digging up the roads would never dare say boo to goose, let alone argue with his average waspish wife adorned in full glory with a bright pink pin-up and arms-full of gold bracelets and earrings the size of hubcaps.He would meekly settle for a quick pee in the rusty barmil in the bitha and a hosedown rather then risk having his dixx tat-timpana thrown at his head for daring to leave finger prints on teh sink of the brand new Satariano bathroom.

By: P Shaw

P Shaw — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:35:05 +0000

@Gerald

Writing skills and ability to write a clear and objective article are two different matters.

Can you post the link of the article on US election? I am keen to read it, even though I can already perceive your mindset (old conservative, backward republicans vs modern, trendy, and moral democrats). The difference between both sides is much more blurred than that, and I find both candidates boring – Honourable but weak McCain vs mysterious, inexperienced, and effective orator Obama. There is no doubt that Obama will become the next president. The economy is in such a turmoil, that voters will flock to the opposition party

By: D Gill

D Gill — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:35:54 +0000

@ Corinne. Well that too of course, which is kind of why I didn’t ask, in confidence or otherwise.

By: Amanda Mallia

Amanda Mallia — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:47:01 +0000

It’s not just the kitchens and bathrooms. What about the “front doors” which are never used, since the occupants of the house go in and out through the garage door instead?

I know of one particular case where the wooden front door is shielded from the weather by a glass/aluminium door – a reversal of the ‘antiporta’ system – complete with lace curtains, statues, etc behind the glass. It has never, to my knowledge, been opened – except of course to be cleaned until it shines. The householders and their guests invariably use the garage-door. I have never understood the reasoning behind it; the garage door and the front door are only two feet apart.

By: cikki

cikki — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:35:28 +0000

It used to be the sitting room and main bedroom which were
kept for show and used only for the festa, births and
deaths. Both the sofa and the bed had one of those big
dolls wearing a lace dress and hat sitting in the middle of them propped up by fancy cushions. There’s a family
in Mosta whose whole house is a showhouse. They use the
garage as living room and kitchen.

By: Malcolm

Malcolm — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:42:46 +0000

I don’t know who Gerald is but from his comments he sounds like the kind of guy who’s not afraid to swim against the stream and on the whole, a good sport. Recently at least, he also seems to be the underdog so while I believe he needs to consider his comments a bit more before pressing that unforgiving ‘Add your comment’ button, if there was an ‘I think Gerald is generally okay’ club – I’d be in it.

Just as long as I wouldn’t be subjected to any business journalism. I think even Bill Bryson would have a hard time making it sound anything other than completely snore-worthy.

[Daphne – Get your copy of Town magazine, out with The Malta Independent this Sunday.]