To whom does that Ferrari belong?

Ferrari's way of hiding the identity of its owner

A few days ago, Daphne Caruana Galizia blogged on this cringifying 'Telepoplu' skit starring Joseph Muscat. It was produced by Zoo Media for Super One TV and aired last June.


Go to the 3 min. 22 sec. mark. There you will find a Ferrari bearing the licence plate SPI 360. I had a hunch and did a bit of checking. Guess who it belongs to?

Put Marvic's porn pix away for good

Marvic Camilleri on horseback

The Times reports that Marvic Camilleri has dropped the charges against his ex-boyfriend, Cyrus Engerer.

It appears that the police may nevertheless proceed against Engerer 'because of the nature of some of the charges'.

Clearly, the police have to do what they have to do. Their work should be guided solely by the words of the law, not those written in the media or uttered in cafes and workplaces. 

Having said that, I hope that a legal way is found for the charges to be dropped. Given that Marvic Camilleri - the only alleged injured party - is no longer interested in pursuing the case, no court time and public funds should be wasted.

Let this chapter be closed. Cyrus Engerer's behaviour should now be judged by voters, not a magistrate.

By George, he's got it

President George Abela

Yesterday, President George Abela gave a speech on the role of the Broadcasting Authority and its place in today's broadcasting scenario. I am reproducing it in full because it is worth reading the lines and - more interestingly - between them.

Diskors mill-E.T. L-President Dott. George Abela fl-Okkazjoni tal-Kxif ta’ Lapida f’Gheluq il-Hamsin Anniversarju mit-Twaqqif tal-Awtorita’ tax-Xandir

Gozo vs Libya

Sirte?

This is what The Times reported today: 

"The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said today that while the Maltese Government took 'extreme measures' to assist patients from Libya, the same political commitment was not shown to the Gozitan patients who needed chemotherapy and had to go to Boffa hospital for such treatment on a regular basis."

... Andrew is a better bet, Joseph

Let's START talking sense about journalism

Last Sunday, Andrew Azzopardi, a university lecturer and broadcaster, was a guest speaker at a Partit Laburista activity called START.

Here he is, to the left of Deborah Schembri.

Joseph, do you have to sink to Saviour's low?

Mama, mama we are all Saviour now

 Malta (Labour) Today is publishing the lies Lawrence Grech is uttering as if they were the gospel truth. And they don't have the basic - let alone journalistic - decency to reproduce my denials published on this blog and elsewhere.

It is obvious why. Saviour Balzan, Malta (Labour) Today's managing editor, prefers the lies which swell his boil pumped up with bitterness to the truth which bursts it. 

Malta (Labour) Today

Labour's Saviour?

NET TV and One TV are both heavy financial burdens on the political parties which own them. Had they been commercial enterprises they would have gone belly up a long, long time ago.

Yet curiously, One TV is now advertising its programmes on Malta (Labour) Today's site. 

I'm not coming to dinner with you, Gianni

Gianni de Michelis

Tomorrow, Gianni de Michelis will be giving the keynote speech at an AZAD event commemorating Guido de Marco.

What a terrible idea. Gianni de Michelis was a prominent member of the corrupt Italian Socialist Party of Bettino Craxi. The latter had so many corruption charges hanging over his head during Tangentopoli that in 1994 he fled to Tunisia to escape justice. He languished there till his death in 2000.

Thanks, Joe

Joe Brincat, former PL deputy leader

Dr Joe Brincat, the former deputy leader of the Partit Laburista, put up this comment under my last post on Lawrence Grech's lies.

 

"Reading between the lines, you are more hurt than you say. You start questioning yourself when to have faith in human nature. I am sorry for you. I know how it feels, so you are not alone. If you can learn a lesson from it, then see the positive side. 

The colours of freedom at Mater Dei

Yesterday evening we paid a working visit to Mater Dei's ITU, where the Libyan war casualties are being treated.

Coming face to face with these men was deeply humbling. One has most of his body paralysed for life while another is totally paralysed except for his neck. Yet another, from what I could gather, had a small bomb explode around his neck and is still mentally disoriented.

You are lying for the third time, Lawrence

Lawrence Grech

Lawrence Grech, the victim of sexual abuse at St Joseph Home, has lied for the third time. He claimed that I went behind his back and asked for money from the BBC in return for an interview with him. This amounts to a massacre of the truth. What really happened is this.

Michael follows up. Independently.

Michael Carabott, editor, The Malta Independent daily

Today, Michael Carabott, the editor of the Malta Independent, developed the argument I raised here about the need for both parties close down of their TV and radio stations. 

Here is his editorial: click - Inappropriate: Making a farce out of the media.

What happens in Toronto, shouldn't stay in Toronto

Toronto, whose slogan is 'the good'

Edward Scicluna's visit to the Maltese community in Toronto reminded me of a key episode in my life in which he was a bit of a protagonist. 

As a radical left-wing student at the University of Toronto in the 1980s I had absolutely no interest in Maltese politics. Why bother about the little bit of violence on this little island when there was a global communist revoltion to plan? And obviously, the planning took place over sushi in the capitalist heartland.

Which past does he want us to forget?

AST and Joseph Muscat just back from Gaddafi's Libya

Joseph Muscat, the PL leader, made the following statement:

"... llum spiċċa ż-żmien għad-diskorsi partiġġjani mimlijin attakki dwar il-passat. Għal dawn id-diskorsi tal-passat, irridu nirreaġixxu bil-viżjoni tagħna għall-futur." 

I find this statement rather odd for three reasons. 

Lawrence has failed to tell the truth ... again

In today's Times, Lawrence Grech, one of the victims of sexual abuse at St Joseph Home, claimied that I did not let him and the other victims "take part in TV programmes that were not produced by Where's Everybody".

Lawrence, I have to set the record straight

Lawrence Grech

3 days ago I stepped down from my role as media advisor to the victims of sexual abuse at St Joseph Home, giving my reasons (click: I am stepping aside). 

Today, I was shocked to read that Lawrence Grech, one of the victims, claimed that I had objected to the victims meeting with Labour leader Joseph Muscat. This is a total lie. 

If only my memory was shorter

Edward Scicluna, from KMB's propagandist to the EP

In today's l-orizzont, Edward Scicluna MEP, wrote about a recent visit to Toronto where he made a presentation at the Malta Band Club on how the European Parliament works. 

In his words, the Maltese present "showed great interest ... particularly in the joint decision-making process with the Council of Ministers ... They also asked a lot of questions about voting in Strasbourg ... [and] there was substantial scepticism about the Eurozone's capacity to exit the financial crisis."

KMB was right

Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, former PL leader

This week Radio 101 will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. Having been its first chairman it is hard to believe that two decades have passed since Simon Busuttil, Gordon Pisani, David Agius and so many others were my journalists, Clyde Puli was the 1980s music DJ and Georg Sapiano kept people glued to their radios with his late night chat shows.

I am stepping aside

Yesterday I took a decision which I had been mulling over for some time. 

After 8 years helping the 10 victims of sexual abuse at St Joseph Home I am stepping aside. Below is an email I sent to their lawyer Dr Patrick Valentino and two of the victims, Lawrence Grech and Joseph Magro.

I am publishing it to avoid any misunderstandings or harm to their cause from this point onwards.

Where's the bully beef, Justyne?

Justyne Caruana

Today, the Partit Laburista has just issued a press release (below) on school bullying.

I dare you to spot what 'azzjoni fuq il-problema' is being recommended, what the concrete party policy on the matter is and what they think the government is doing wrong.

Free delivery ...

You might be interested in having BondiBlog posts delivered instantly to your doorstep, in a manner of speaking. 

There is a box to the right of this post labelled "We deliver (well, sort of)". Click on 'posts' and/or 'all comments', choose your favourite cyber courier and you're all set to have it delivered to your cyber doorstep. 

Should Norman Lowell run Mater Dei?

Maltese to the right, Libyans to the exit

How little it takes for this country's lurking racism to rise to the surface. 

For the last couple of summers, as the waves of illegal immigrants subsided somewhat, we have been spared the hysterical talk about an 'islamic invasion' and the sprouting up of 'Arab ghettos' around the island. 

Even Norman Lowell lost his small gaggle of ignorant acolytes. The last time I checked he was reduced to begging restaurant owners for free meals in exchange for delivering a half hour racist diatribe to 'entertain' their patrons. (How you can hold food down while hearing about rocketing white-skinned foetuses into space to protect the race is beyond me. But there you go.)

Was there an election, Paul?

Paul Pace (left) & Joe Cassar: Spot the minister?

Paul Pace who heads the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses has made the following declarations on the medical care being given at Mater Dei to Libyan casualties.

"The health sector in Malta is not in a position to support any influx of patients from any country to Mater Dei Hospital. Government has to keep in mind the nation’s welfare and should not resort to decisions just to please the international community. 

Dom Mintoff in, Eddie Fenech Adami out?

George Borg Olivier and Dom Mintoff when life was civilised

Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando posted this comment on facebook this morning:

"George Borg Olivier and Dom Mintoff were two of the giants in (sic) the local political scene in the post war years. They both left a profound impact on our nation."

Next to it he pasted the above picture, portraying the two politicians as if they were each other's confidante.

Maltatoday - The Movie

Is there anybody in there?

The Maltatoday website lists the following as non-staff bloggers - Caroline Muscat, David Friggieri, Evarist Bartolo, Frank Portelli, Michael Briguglio, Michael Falzon and Toni Abela.

None of them, however, has blogged for the last month. Not a single word. Most have'nt for 2-3 months.

Apart from a single post by Carmen Sammut - which was just a puff piece of self-exultation and which attracted 0 comments - MaltaToday has no bloggers left except three staff members.

Nathan's walk on the wild side

Nathan Farrugia

18 Sept, Day Eight - Copenhagen, Denmark 

"Will enough protein in me to last a week, I write this blog at the end of another day on the “tour” of Europe. The mere fact of being 25km away from our next race in Malmo lifted our spirits".

Mary, don't ever kiss this guy

Saviour Balzan puckering up his lips

Like most people, you probably had a hard time watching the horrific footage of Shweyga Mullah recounting her ordeal as a nanny at the Gaddafi household.

Hearing her describe in soft tones how Alina Gaddafi repeatedly poured scalding water over her head simply for refusing to hit her (Gaddafi's) toddler defies logic. Let alone emotions. Alina Gaddafi posed for photographers in a black negligee. But it was not as black as her heart.

Will he be kept in the closet forever?

Muammar, d'you know of any good hiding places?

Alex Sciberras Trigona, the PL's international secretary, has been incommunicado since the Libyan revolution started in February. 

As far as I know, the only public sighting of the man was when the PL invited members of the Muslim community to celebrate iftar, the end of Ramadan. On that occasion he looked uncomfortable, struggling to hide his tall stature from the TV cameras.

The rape of a six-letter word

It might be age. I'm becoming increasingly irritated with the merciless abuse of virginal and virtuous words by verbally promiscuous management and IT types.

Take the word change, as in 'to alter'. It is a beautiful and perfectly good word coined in the early 13th century, parented by Old French (changier). 

Dan Rivers should start watching Super One

Dan Rivers, CNN ... not Super One

In the last hours CNN has been running the following report on Shweyga Mullah - click: Burned Gadhafi nanny arrives for treatment in Malta.

Dan Rivers, CNN's Senior International Correspondent, refers to Mater Dei as a "state of the art hospital" and that Ms Mullah "is arriving here in Malta to world class treatment".

Mr Chairman, is she pregnant or not?

Anthony Tabone, BA Chairman

A pattern is slowly emerging. From now till the election, the Partit Laburista is going to take advantage of the Broadcasting Authority's spinelessness and use it to browbeat whoever it wishes to destroy.

This is how it works. The PL first complains to the BA about some inane thing or other. The BA realises that the complaint is spurious, does not uphold it and gives no remedy.

Shweyga, you are very welcome here

The beast, Mrs Alina Gaddafi (left) and the beauty (Shweyga Mullah)

I am truly proud to be Maltese at this very moment.  

Shweyga Mullah, the nanny of two of Gaddafi's grandchildren, will be arriving in Malta in the next hours for treatment at Mater Dei.

Does god know about this?

A rather quirky phenomenon is taking root in Malta. Couples who cannot get married in church - because either or both had gone down the aisle with someone else before - are getting divorced abroad, then getting married civilly here and finally having their rings 'blessed' by a priest in a church or somewhere else. It is this third step which is confusing.

Well, maybe not the whole world

For the first time ever, a meeting was held between the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions, the Forum, and the General Workers Union.

That it took place is already a good thing. But if goodwill prevails it could lead to so much more - a welcome sea change in industrial relations with positive ripples in many public affairs.

The PL's ventriloquist's doll in white

Disneyland economics

Last November I did what I thought was a rather routine exercise. Trawling through what the Labour leader had recommended between 2008 - 2010, I costed each measure. 

The Partit Laburista went ballistic. They refused to come on the programme and then showed up at the last minute so that no PN representative would be present, they hauled me in front of the Broadcasting Authority, organised an edition of the Joe Grima show at the same time on the same topic, and accused me of an assortment of heinous crimes. 

I studied him for 16 years

Alfred Sant reading ...14th century Chinese poetry?

Shortly after Alfred Sant lost his third consecutive election and resigned I wrote this piece in The Times. 

As the man seems to be rearing his head again, I thought I'd invite you to revisit it.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 , by Lou Bondì

My two Sants worth

JPO: your agony aunt in parliament

Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando

Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando has put up this comment on facebook: 

"Did you know that the people that seem the strongest are usually the most sensitive?

Did you know that the people who exhibit the most kindness are usually the first to get mistreated?

Update: Did we say IVA to Gaddafi's money?

L-Ewropa hija Akbar?

" ... jidher li fondi Libjani gew investiti fil-kampanja enormi li saret f'Malta biex din tidhol membru tal-Unjoni Ewropeja".

This declaration was made by Alfred Sant yesterday, on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 (Torca).

Ándale, Ándale?

Arriva, Arriva

When Arriva's service was launched on 3 July the result was an utter mess. It looked like it was being run by Wile E. Coyote on Mexican magic mushrooms, not the heroic Speedy Gonzalez at the top of his game.

Rightly so, commuters went ballistic. They had not bid farewell to the coughing yellow clunkers to be saddled with purring shiny green ones which refused to show up. Air conditioning on board was nice but it wasn't enough to calm the nerves after an hour baking on a bus stop.

No, not this Manuel

Che?

Someone signing 'Manuel' sent a very interesting and beautifully written comment on another post on this blog. I think that the questions it raises are so crucial that it deserves to be looked at separately. 

Here is Manuel's comment:

Committing suicide? Call this woman

Marie Louise Coleiro Preca

If you ask the PL to tell you what its concrete policies on the economy, finances, social and foreign affairs, investment and employment - the bread and butter of politics - you will be very hard pressed to get an answer.

Joseph Muscat himself admitted on Xarabank that he will not tell us where he stands till the electoral campaign kicks.

Who's Moody, Lawrence or Joseph? (Part 2)

Joseph Muscat announced his take on Moody's report at a press conference this week.

The head table chairs were occupied by men who worked with all the party leaders since the 1950s: Karmenu Vella (Dom Mintoff, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici), Charles Mangion (Alfred Sant) and Edward Scicluna (Joseph Muscat).

Who's Moody, Lawrence or Joseph? (Part 1)

That Moody's Investors Services downgraded Malta's status from A1 to A2 and pinned the 'negative outlook' badge to our flag is not good news and it deserves to be given the weight.

Why was Malta downgraded? "The main driver underlying Malta's one-notch downgrade to A2 and negative outlook is Moody's view that the global recession of 2008-09 will leave the country with a legacy of slower medium-term economic growth," say Moody's. 

Now this should get the party going

We were at a party recently - no, not at Consuelo Scerri Herrera's house. After a few bottles a usual suspect embarked on his impersonation routine. 

The hit of the evening was when he took on the character of a young North Korean woman singing 'Ma taghmlu xejn mal-Perit Mintoff'. 

You are in - not at - a party, Deborah

IVA ghall-PL

That Joseph Muscat managed to get Deborah Schembri to run on his ticket is probably the best move he's made so far. The woman is smart, a good communicator and charming.

She did do things a tad too quickly. Like a scene from a John Wayne flick, she jumped from the divorce to the PL bandwagon while both were in fast motion. But that was a tactical mistake which will soon be forgotten.

As I was saying

Alfred Sant

On 13 July, I put up a blog post about Alfred Sant's approach to the Eurozone crisis and how it differs from Joseph Muscat's - click: I'm with Joseph on this one.

Sant's is not really a position. He was, is and will remain opposed in principle to Malta having the Euro as its currency. Typical of the man, once he takes a position absolutely nothing will change it. 

Do I hear rumblings of another boycott, Manwel?

You talking to me

Manwel Cuschieri, the ex-president of the PL is the local version of a radical Muslim mullah. For him, Malta is divided into two tribes - Labourites and Nationalists, believers and non-believers. If he had any say, he would probably require members of each to carry different passports and live in different parts of the country.

For years, when Alfred Sant was PL leader, is-Sur Manwel, as his listeners addressed him, preached his spiteful political religion on radio every day. It gave him a lot of power in the party and even the highest officials kowtowed to him.

Now its Carmen's turn

Carmen Sammut seeing red

A few posts back I mused on a possible link between the late onset of hot temperatures this summer and the silly season in the media. As the scorching heat arrived late, the silly season tiptoed behind it.

Now it is Carmen Sammut's turn to give the theory a bit more credence. 

She has just resigned from the Press Ethics Commission because Julia Farrugia, the editor of Illum, was found guilty of violating practically every rule in the journalist's handbook. I know for a fact that Sammut also took Farrugia's side during the Commission's proceedings.

President Obama, please send a better one

“Over my tenure, I found the men and women in the PL as well as the PN uniformly capable, intelligent and responsive.

... I would personally find it difficult to choose among the wealth of talent presented to you. You don’t need a former American Ambassador to tell you of your blessings in the leadership department, but trust me, you are."

An update on the green rexin sofa

Imagine this but in shiny rexin

In a previous post (click: Have you tried it on a rexin sofa, Jeffrey?) I reported on Eddie Fenech Adami's green rexin sofa and armchair suite still gracing the living room of his Bugibba home.

Apart from a typing error - I meant to write that it looked to me like it was made in the late 1960s not 1970s - I am now happy to pass on an update which puts matters in an even more telling perspective.