Daphne, that’s debatable. Al Capone was imprisoned for tax evasion on illegal earnings.

[Daphne – Irrelevant and a non sequitur. The prime minister quite obviously can’t declare irregular or illegal income to parliament, unless he accompanies his declaration with a letter of resignation.]

Well yes, vanni, but they’re worn by academics, that most odious of species.

@ HP

Much better than The North Face:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Wolfskin

Anyway, if the Muscats are promoting The North Face, that brand’s status in Malta is history.

And in less than 10 days the Ukrainian president will be visiting Joseph Muscat, while in his country there are protests, violence and bloodshed.

This is not the time for the Ukrainian president to be outside of his country and the Maltese government ought to be clear on this situation.

But, my dear Alexander Ball, do you expect the Muscats to give a damn about Salvadorean women working like slaves and not being able to buy milk for their children?

The only children they care about are their own.

Gives new meaning to “Labour delivers”, doesn’t it?

If he’s NOT being paid, then I hope he understands that it’s even worse because that would mean he’s using his public office to benefit a personal friend.

Since Daphne has kindly posted my comment in toto, let me add one last recommendation.

I understand there are quite a few Marathon des Sables runners among the readers here. They will know that the last word in trail running/ultramarathon/marathon kit is Raidlight. They do everything from scorching desert to icy mountain, and everywhere between. Our PM can wear their jackets with a clear conscience, for they are made in Europe (France, to be exact) by a small, well-paid staff.

They are endorsed by Marco Olmo, from whom our PM can learn a lesson or two on real hard men.

Absolutely. And another thing: The North Face’s main strength is customer service. I’ve had problems with the HyVent lining (their version of Goretex) peeling off their breathable jackets. And they’re mostly made in Bangladesh or Vietnam. So they’re fine, as outdoors kit goes, but not to die for.

Their main strength is customer service. But that’s if you buy from a US retailer. Replacements are made directly by their US branch. Even the best retailer in Europe will charge you for postage and packing if you need to send an item back for replacement.

Since outdoor kit falls under the heading “menswear”, here’s my recommendations:

Tacgear (German, made in Germany, and built like a brick privy. You can get the civvy version of most of their kit)

Carinthia (Austrian. Tough as a mountain-goat’s nuts)

Berghaus (British. Used to be made in Britain but I haven’t checked recently. Endorsed by Ranulph Fiennes, Sir Ranulph, uncle of that useless heart-throb “Ralph”. Amputated his own frostbitten fingers at home, with a hacksaw, “because it’s cheaper that way.”)

Arktis (The dog’s Bs. British. Their jackets are still made in the UK. Again, you can get the civvy version)

Ferrino (Italian, made in Italy. Endorsed by Reinhold Messner and Børge Ousland, who can run two marathons in the time it takes to say “Malta Taghna Lkoll”)

Arc’teryx (American. Made in the US and very expensive. But up there with the best and if you’re built like a stick insect and love to hang off vertical walls, look no further.)

Norrøna (Norwegian, made in Norway. Keeps an incredibly low profile but we’re talking Arctic-proof here. The Danish Sirius Patrol blokes, possibly the nailsest men around, who line their tents with live polar bears, swear by them.)

There are others, but my memory fails me. The bottom line is that the market being what it is, and Maltese retailers being the greedy pigs they are, outdoors kit in Malta is way overpriced. You’re better off buying online or when you’re travelling.

Just ask anyone who tried to buy a Camelbak off that bloke in Mosta, who was selling them as “exclusive agent” from his nondescript maisonette, in the days before Amazon and ebay.