Comments on: Read this and weep

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:44:54 +0000

@ Daphne

Dr. Gonzi’s letter –

“the traditionally excellent relations between our two countries will be further strengthened…”

And your comment on Dr. Muscat’s letter, with regard to the misuse of the word “excellent”-

“Besides, if relations are excellent already, they cannot be improved. Nothing lies beyond excellence.”

Isn’t the Prime Minister’s use of the word “excellent” just as incorrect as Dr. Muscat’s? Can you further strenghten was is already “excellent”?

[Daphne – I stand corrected – something does lie beyond excellence: perfection. But since that is patently ridiculous, I would not have used the word excellent in either case.]

By: Sindy

Sindy — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:02:59 +0000

Protocol and procedure are completely outside their experience, and they lack the imagination and the will to learn. Mao Tse-Tung persisted with his bloody-mindedness even as millions died, simply because he had no understanding of economic thinking or of individual human aspiration, and in the same manner, though not on that kind of epic scale, Mr Bot Prunzunjoni ‘I’m-only-750-votes-away from Lawrence’ blunders his way across the landscape of his imagination.

Remember that this is the party that makes up its own rules of democracy, like fining its members 15000Euros for saying what they think or ’suspending’ from the party a paid-up member and barring entry to party clubs for – let’s face it – agreeing with the party’s deputy leader when he said ‘ahna partit miftuh ghal kulhadd’.

By: Tino

Tino — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:30:21 +0000

Daphne,

Ok, the Grammar is crap… no doubt about it.

But.. you commented that ‘Only heads of state make reference to ‘my country’. In Malta, that means the president, not even the prime minister, who can only make reference to ‘my government’ or ‘the Maltese government’ or just plain old Malta, but certainly not ‘my country’’,… well that’s what the PM said in his letter – no comments from you about this.

And… at last…. (unless i got it all wrong) you said something positive about Alfred Sant (Sant knows about these things, and he also knows they matter). Isn’t that as historic as Obama’s election to presidency?

[Daphne – The prime minister can say it in that context. The leader of the opposition can’t. Saying that Sant knows about these things is not saying something positive about Sant. It is a factual observation. He does know about these things.]

By: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne Caruana Galizia — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:49:09 +0000

I missed this one earlier: “your election makes historical news”.

Historical news – isn’t that an oxymoron?

By: Sybil

Sybil — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:39:12 +0000

“Corinne Vella Thursday, 6 November 0052hrs
“those who share our belief”
You know, Barack and I, we’re buddies.”

or, many a “kirxa” have we shared together, Barack and moi.

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:33:32 +0000

That opening sentence takes the cake. Don’t these people proof read? I can just imagine him being chuffed about having compiled this useless bit of hogwash. Not only did he completely butcher the English language but he couldn’t even string together simple sentences.

I quickly Googled “run on sentences” and got this nice link:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/runons.htm
It is a good, simple lesson in proper sentence formation.

This comes from the “educated” party leader. I wonder what his other circus friends can come up with. JM is on a serious power trip and needs a big slap in the face. Go back to school!

[Daphne – You think the leader can’t write? Check out the deputy leader at http://www.anglufarrugia.com]

By: Corinne Vella

Corinne Vella — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:31:33 +0000

Here’s a website the Leader of the Opposition would find useful http://www.usaprotocol.com/
Amazon.com has used and new copies of the book on sale at US$24.95
Maybe the shadow cabinet could club together and buy one.

By: tony pace

tony pace — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:26:57 +0000

Imma Daphne jahassra, give up with this guy. He is an embarrassment to himself and sadly to all of us ''as a nation''. Because, like it or not, he IS the leader of the opposition and, unfortunately, he does represent about 190,000 of us. And I can just picture my friend Barack telling his Chief of Staff sometime in the near future, ''Eh, get me my friend Joey on the line. I need to consult him, ghax dak jifhem f'kollox !!!'' I had once suggested a psychometric test for Joey. Hey, don't bother. We know what the result would be.

By: Corinne Vella

Corinne Vella — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:52:17 +0000

“those who share our belief”
You know, Barack and I, we’re buddies.

By: Antoine Vella

Antoine Vella — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:46:32 +0000

I stand corrected – JM did at least say that he was writing on behalf of the MLP, though he felt he had to add that it was also on his own behalf (in case Obama needed reassuring).

This is the PM’s letter, by the way:
http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/press_releases/2008/11/pr1675.pdf

It looks like Muscat lifted the “excellent relations between our two countries” phrase from the PM’s letter.