text:
mardi, octobre 31, 2006
Standby for Inaction
Readers are advised to limit their unassisted thinking time to the minimum and to avoid forming opinions at all costs unless supervised by a conceited adult like myself. Should they be assailed by a sudden need to think, a warm bath followed by grissini dipped in nutella and a hot chocolate is recommended. Do not exceed the daily stated dose. Remember that Objects in the Rear View Mirror generally tend to be Behind You and that Steps can go both Up and Down at the same time. Just like your luck, your humour and in the case of male readers ... like your favourite football team's fortunes.
Enjoy the break. Coz it is a break.
samedi, octobre 28, 2006
I.M. Jack - ninth edition
The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause. Mark Twain.I.M. Jack - the news shortcut
1. Discount
Last minute October sales came for three teams - Lazio, Fiorentina and Juventus - all had their penalties reduced. As Serie A still struggles for an identity without its favourite team, AC Milan were the only team to have their penalty stay as it was.
2. Borat
The heat is on as the release date in Europe approaches. Controversy abounds including ridiculous accusations of fomenting anti-semitism. Does parody of anti-semitism cause anti-semitism? And did Hashet beget Japhet or did they just adopt him at a supermart?
3. Budget
Debate continued about Viagra and other machisms. Yesterday Governor Gonzi was busy explaining how the discount on the surcharge is another Good Thing brought to the World by the Nationalist Government. Like the Departure tax, the discounted surcharge was originally a PN measure. Sant is meanwhile still lost in viagristic vagaries.
4. Failure
The President of the US of A is still struggling to find a comfortable definition of Failure. His approach is basically to shift the goalposts by successive minimalist definitions of Success. He should learn some lessons from the PN spin masters. He should definitely steer away from Alfossa though. "Our mission in Irak has been like a Viagra to the people?" naah... definitely a no-go for the Mid-Terms.
5. Phosphorous
Israel admitted to using white phosphorous on troops - an action that is contrary to the Geneva Conventions. As we post there is still no mention of a US invasion to repristinate democracy and Human Rights in Tel Aviv.
6. Death
On a personal note we must excuse ourselves for the feeble blogging that might ensue in the next few days. Death always has this mind numbing existential effect on us.
7. Food
Kebabs have proven to be (as always) the valuable meal when all else is too time-consuming or expensive. Whether in Etain, Metz or Luxembourg always look out for a good Turk. And then they say that they should not join the EU.... Join? They practically feed us!
jeudi, octobre 26, 2006
In Vin a Veritas (TGIL)
Writers are made of the same fabric as we are. But they see things differently. That is why I enthusiastically await a Vinaver's version of reality. To see all through his eyes not yours or mine. But some may justly (rightly?) ask who he is. A Vinaver indeed. A Michel Vinaver. A contemporary French writer who has taken first France and, later, the world by storm. A creator of theatre who can only be described theatrically. A lecturer of la Sorbonne (Credit S101: la Sorbonne). His 1964 play Hôtel Iphigenie was turned into a TV film and one of the more recent plays by the same author include 11th September 2001 (actually the most recent play by Vinaver IS "11th September 2001" - and it premiered in LA in 2005).
Vinaver's life as an author leaves nothing to be desired. Also known as France's translator of Shakespeare and T.S. Eliot's Waste Land, his works have been translated, published, studied, applauded and criticised (one would add performed). His repute (as in ill repute?) nowadays is, beyond any doubt, an international one.
Especially appealing to Francophiles, this year I have taken the opportunity to delve deeper into the mystical French language as well as its psyche (The Mystique and Psyche of the French Language - I foresee a bestseller) through the Vinaver medium (is the fact that she delved deeper especially appealing to Francophiles?). When I told Richard Spiteri, a university lecturer, about my idea, (this comma is brought to you by Yellow Pages) I guess he thought I will never spend so many hours translating. However, I was more than pleased to show him he had highly underestimated my enthusiasm (do we ever?).
So, this year's work, which is a comedy, started off at the translation stage. A translation that included a transposition and adaptation of the environment from a French one to a Maltese one, to the point of including some Maltese (very) popular names on stage instead of the unfamiliar French ones. The humour, therefore, also starts off with the casting and the choice of characters' names. (Don't you just cringe at the thought? The creative pen of the Gramatically Challenged transforming a Jacques into a Zeppi and a Celine to an Eileen?)
The end-product is surprisingly Maltese. The actors will include Tony Ellul (main actor as well as director), Veronica Farrugia (main actress), Mariella Aquilina (Pamela, the mature journalist), Olivia-Anne Pace Marmara (Daphne, the not-so-less influential journalist), David Rizzo (the hamallu), Sarah Lee Zammit (the over-ambitious journalist trying to break through), Dorian Micallef (Magistrate Xuereb) and Joelene Penza (seemingly-idiotic-involuntarily-philosophic secretary). (There you go... the cheap jibe at Daphne... and for a minute I thought that Olivia-Ann and Sarah Lee were invented stage names!)
I don't know about you but I know where I am going to be on November 4th after 6. And that's definitely not watching Lorna Vassallo's Hamallisation of Vinaver's The Television Programme. Bet you she'll be expecting many a "Prosit tal-Programm" though!
mercredi, octobre 25, 2006
It was the shortest day of the year, which was convenient because it fitted neatly with the longest night.
...is why I like Pratchett. A sentence out of Wintersmith, the latest book by the Master.
Lawrence Wenngrodd
"Borat tricked me!" from Slate.com
"Behind the Schemes" from Newsweek
"Respek!" on Slate.com
Borat on Wikipedia
Official Borat Homepage
Borat on Myspace
Grow Up
How to be an adult
Don't be affronted Being affronted (or offended, or complaining about 'inappropriateness') is no response for a grown-up. Only children believe the world should conform to their own view of it: a sort of magical thinking that can only lead to warfare, terrorism, unmanageable short-term debt and the Blair/Bush alliance.
Mistrust anything catchy, whether it's the Axis of Evil, advertising slogans, or blatant branding ('New Labour'). Catchiness exists to prevent thought and to disguise motive. Grown-ups can think for themselves.
Ignore celebrities, except when they are doing what they are celebrated for doing: acting, playing football et cetera. Skill does not confer moral, political or intellectual discrimination. (Except in the case of writers. Writers know everything and can lecture you with impunity.) If a celebrity is not celebrated for doing anything but being a celebrity, smile politely but pay no notice.
We should not assume that market forces will decide wisely. The market is rigged by manipulation and infantilisation.
Consider our own motivations. We may rail about being treated like children, ordered about, kept from the truth, nannied and exploited… but are we complicit in it? Could the reward actually be infantilisation itself?
Autonomy is the primary marker of being grown up. Babies, children and adolescents don't have any. We don't want to be in their boat.
Suspect administration Its purpose is to free the organisation to do what it's meant to do: but the triumph of the administrators - the lawyers, the accountants, the professional managers - means that too many organisations now believe that what they are meant to do is administer themselves. This is a profoundly infantile attitude.
Do not love yourself unconditionally. Such love is for babies and comes from their mothers. Ignore fashion, particularly in clothes. You don't want to look like a teenager for ever.
Never do business with a company offering 'solutions' as in 'ergonomic furniture solutions which minimise the postural strain associated with sitting' (chairs) and 'Post Office mailing solutions' (brown paper). The word suggests we have a problem, but since we are grown-ups, that is for us to decide.
Denounce relativism at every turn. Shouting 'not fair' is childish. Demanding respect without earning it is childish. Don't fear seriousness. Babies aren't allowed to be serious.
Watch our language. Is there really much difference between a six-year-old in a fright-wig and his father's waders shouting 'I'm the Mighty Wurgle-Burgle-Urgley-Goo' and an ostensible grown-up demanding to be called 'Tony Blair's Respect Tsar'?
Hide Grown-ups are not required to be perpetually accountable, while the instincts of government and big business, both of which are, almost by their nature, great infantilisers, are to keep an eye on everyone all the time.
Eat it up There is nothing more babyish than having dietary requirements.
Never vote for, do business with or be pleasant to anyone who uses the words 'ordinary people'.
mardi, octobre 24, 2006
Who's everybody?
Everyone is expecting me to pronounce my verdict on the budget.
- Saviour Balzan, Malta Today.
Ermmm.... Not. Damn. Should have left sleeping Hogan's lie. But really, who's everyone?
The End of an Era
The Indy announces the news that a 100-year old tradition will end next year. It appears that in reply to questionnaires sent out by the College, parents of children attending St. Aloysius' College felt that the system of Wednesday-Off Saturday-School was disrupting family life. Parents who had no choice but leave their children alone at home on Wednesday were not happy about this arrangement.
Having been an Aloysian for over seven years I am not impressed by this pussy-footing attitude. First of all whatever happened to the strictness of the Jesuit formation? That strictness that is resented all through your formative years but that is slowly (very slowly) appreciated afterwards. And what's all this business of the poor mummies and daddies who cannot leave little baby Anaximander at home?
For heaven's sake, Wednesday at home is what makes us different. It's what allows you to learn how to cook. It's that day for those adventures into the tunnels of Manoel Island, into Sacred Heart Convent grounds with Prof Edward Mallia running after you like a deranged australopithecus. It's how you get used to poring over every single item in the Times in the morning (when the Social & Personal Column provides the exact amount of reading until the chips are well fried). It's the first cigarette, the first porn, the first everything practically. And what will they punish the students with now? "Come in next Saturday" does not have the same feel as "Detention on Wednesday", does it?
I never thought I would ever be speaking about the loss of the stiff fibre that society was made of in my childhood. I always thought that that kind of stuff was reserved to the Conservative grandads reminescing a younger age. Well humbug to that. I think changing this 100-year old tradition is the worst thing the Jesuits could have done since the Inquisition. I think they should round up all the parents who answered in such a pussy-like fashion in the big hall, make them look up at the Knight which adorns the ceiling and then force them to choose... either SAC with Wednesday off, Saturday on or just send their bloomin' wusses to another school that will be glad to grovel and pander to their kiddy widdies needs. Like St. Edward's for example.
Non Sequitur #62
Ascolti tv, un successo per Sky: domenica dalle ore 15 alle 17 ha fatto il 13,77% di share, 2.033.000 spettatori. E' stata la quarta televisione (picco di share alle 16.52 con il 15,6%) e ha ottenuto il miglior risultato stagionale. Questa la serie A, che col posticipo serale, Milan-Palermo, ha fatto intorno all'8%. Con la serie B, sabato pomeriggio, Sky ha raccolto uno share altissimo, 16,13%, seconda tv dietro a Canale 5. Picco di ascolto alle 17.06 con il 17,99%. Grazie Juventus...
from La Repubblica
lundi, octobre 23, 2006
We Aten't Dead (yet)
Barring some dyspesic hiccups over the time between some bloggers I think that the blogosphere is as smooth as ever. Factor in the fact that none of us blog for a living, multiply it by the incredible fact that it exists at all and then divide it by a minimum reality check and hey presto... all of a sudden you feel good about the Maltese blogosphere.
There's loads out there who blog more often. I cannot keep track of the various newbies who have sprouted but I get the feeling that many more are trying their luck. At what? For now it is still the same as when it begun... at surviving... at having some form of interaction. We do not have an international exposure and nationally we are not exactly your Times of Malta. But we are there. Life is breathed into the Maltese blogosphere every day. My bloglines list gets and average of six to seven new posts daily. Not bad for a corpse. Of course it is not your Olympic athlete either...
Seeing that Halloween is round the corner... how about a Festival of Corpses? Feel free to submit your post... I'll try to give the thing a semblance of a Carnival notwithstanding my limited coordinating capabilites. So just send in (or add in the comments) your link to your post - preferably with a corpsy theme... let your imagination wander.... Twanny... we're waiting for your new blog...
The midnight hour is close at hand
Creatures crawl in search of blood
To terrorize y'awl's neighborhood
And whosoever shall be found
Without the soul for getting down
Must stand and face the hounds of hell
And rot inside a corpse's shell
The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom
And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller
White Phosphorous (reprise)
Does anyone remember the controversy that flared on the Maltese blogosphere (and other places) regarding the use of White Phosphorous by Duh!merican troops in Irak. The MK77 saga ended with a US admission. Almost a year has passed and now another member of the Alliance of Selective Democracy has admitted the use of White Phosphorous. From the BBC:
Israel has for the first time admitted it used controversial phosphorus shells during fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon in July and August. (...) The Geneva Conventions ban the use of white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon
against civilian populations and in air attacks against military forces in civilian areas.
Meanwhile, in the Dark Continent, spare a thought for the UN envoy Mr Pronk who is being expelled from Sudan after comments on his blog:
"Morale in the government army in north Darfur has gone down," he wrote. "Some
generals have been sacked; soldiers have refused to fight."
and now for something completely different:
We note with interest that Schumi the Terrible did not win his last Championship. Insofar as hated rivals go we also note that Rigetta slipped away from the head of the Campionato while the indestructible Inter were also held to a draw allowing the glorious Mafia Army to catch up after a deserved victory in San Siro against the devils. Palermo, Catania and Fiorentina... teams really worth watching in this year's campionato until the return of the Greatest Team Ever. Back home Valletta march on as an old derby ended in a stalemate which means that Floriana will be savouring the bottom berths while the City enjoys this revival. They think it's all over?
dimanche, octobre 22, 2006
I.M. Jack - eighth edition
Welcome to a late Sunday night edition of i.m. jack. It was budget week and so in complete agreement with Daphne we will talk of better, more interesting things. Like blogs. Fausto is right. Daphne is wrong. There are no far-right bloggers. Our freakiness has not taken us that far. We blog... they forage. Anyways... here is the week in brief:
1. Admission
As the week came to a close we also got the first signs of admission that all is not well on the Iraq front. We even heard someone in the top brass of the Duh!merican Multinational Invasion Forces admit that Duh! States have been stupid and arrogant in their approach to Iraq. Meanwhile in his usual shifting the posts routin non-nobel prize winner Dubya Bush redefined the goals for Iraq for the millionth time. Next month he is expected to announce that the Duh!Merican invasion will be deemed to have succeeded if the Iraqi capital is Baghdad. Next month we will be hoping that the Duh!Merican nation starts to prove it is not so Duh!merican after all.
2. Revising Superlatives
Hats off, mourning and all regarding 9/11 and all that - do you remember how positively awed we were by the efficiency of the Duh!merican recovery? Do you recall how fast Ground Zero was cleared and how we had the announcements that something bigger was to be built in its stead? The duh1 culture of great, big and fast was in full swing. The first reaction would be to rebuild bigger and better. This culture is to be revised after the latest discovery of human remains at a building site on Ground Zero. The duh!nizens are waking up to the reality of imperfection. Of human flaws. There's nothing wrong in the mistake. There's nothing wrong in admitting that the crews that worked day and night might have missed something out. We know that. We live in Europe - the continent where the only superlatives relate to good food, good time and good living. The duh!mericans would do well to lift a page out of our book and get a bit of Normality Inc. in their lives.
3. Sino-Korean Relations
It seems that China will begin putting pressure on renegade leader Kim Bang Boom of Korea. The leader, formerly much loved in the Socialist Republic of Malta, is expected to bow down to pressure from Beijing failing any appearance by His Domness to placate him.
4. Red Barons
Schumacher, the second evil German with that name after Harald, will bow out of formula one tonight. I am hoping he will bow out losing. Could never stand the chap. i am also hoping that Massa will do well next year.. so you see... it has nothing to do with Ferrari.
5. Juventus
6th win on the trot. Breathing positive air. At this rate they'll be topping Serie A by Xmas.
6. Food
This short roundup ends with a pointer which might be a repetition but hell I am in hurry. Mousel Canteen in Luxembourg. Jarret de porc, feves and all... a divinity. Dedicated to Hubewt "Wasputin" Dalli who insisted on ordering Boffewding in the establishment.
samedi, octobre 21, 2006
Flights of Convenience
It does not take much to notice that the airports served by Air Malta (the public service carrier) leave a gaping hole in the middle of Europe. Just about in the middle of that hole lies the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, host to three of the European institutions and a community of 200 plus Maltese.
Thanks to the archaic electoral laws of our country these 200 plus workers will in all probability not be eligible to vote in the next general election. I am not sure that the latter is an inconvenience but insofar as inconveniences are concerned I would like to share a few statistics with readers.
These relate to the time it takes to get to the airports served by Air Malta (add three hours of flight and approximately three hours of waiting/check-in and airport connections to each) from Luxembourg.
It takes you three hours to get to Brussels Airport, four hours to get to Paris and four hours to get to Frankfurt. On a normal trip to Malta via Brussels one would have to leave Luxembourg train station at two in the afternoon to land in Malta International Airport at 11 p.m. (that's nine hours later).
I am glad to note that it is not my predisposition to be a dissatisfied (non)-voter that leads me to remark that the service lies between the unsatisfactory and the non-existent. A number of letters have already appeared in this newspaper lamenting the lack of direct flights provided by Air Malta. I would venture further.
Should any of the planners at the national airline deem the trip to be non-cost effective (which should not really be a consideration in these days of Public Service Carriage) I would suggest that the government issues a new call for LCCs to serve a Frankfurt-Hahn or Metz-Nancy (both one and a half hours away from Luxembourg) to Malta route.
That way we could all "spread our wings and fly".and here is one by Peter Xuereb on the same matter:
Given that "in a recent interview, MTA chairman Sam Mifsud said that he did not believe the drop in the number of visitors had anything to do with the Maltese product but rather with the fact that the number of flights to the island had gone down, taking away prospective tourists from large markets such as Germany" (Malta Well Liked By Winter Tourists, October 10), it is most surprising that no mention has yet been made of a Ryanair Malta - Frankfurt (Hahn) connection (Ryanair Wants More Routes, October 5). This route would provide prospective German tourists with a low cost/high volume alternative; the Maltese with access to another low-cost hub in Europe; and would directly cover the Luxembourg area, which is evidently underserved (Stranded In Luxembourg, October 2).
Should competition with Air Malta be a major concern, it should be pointed out that, despite its name, Hahn is situated over 130 km (by road) to the west of the city of Frankfurt - which renders the routes in question significantly different.
I'm loving it.
I.M. Jack will not be appearing today since I have just returned from Metz and will be off to the cinema in a few minutes. It will be posted tomorrow.
vendredi, octobre 20, 2006
Public Service Carrier
"Air Malta is ready to compete against low-cost carriers as long as they compete on a level playing field." - Investment Industry and Information Technology Minister Austin Gatt.
The referee calls the shots. The referee sets out the rules. In this case the rule is that the LCCs have to play with a handicap. What we need to understand is how denying access to all routes for LCCs is considered a "level playing field". What we really need to know is why Air Malta benefits from the description of being a Public Service Carrier - supposedly at the service of the Maltese travelling public, serving routes where the Maltese want to travel - when 80% of the tickets sold in its last marketing campaign were sold abroad. That means that only one out of every five persons travelling on Air Malta is a Maltese Citizen using this Public Service. We will have to just sit and hope that by June 2007 - the date set by the magnanimous PN government for the cutback on the departure tax - these statistics will shift in favour of better use of the public service by the public it is deemed to serve. There are too many contradictions in the current policy.
Public Service Carrier: This concept encompasses the view that the carrier actually provides a service that would otherwise not be provided since it is not commercially viable. It allows a level of protectionism in favour of the carrier in order to allow it to minimise the damages of its operating in an otherwise unprofitable market.
Level Playing Field: A market condition that ensures that all participants are subject to the same rules.
Low Cost Carrier: Airline operating on low costs. This is generally thanks to a special modus operandi like out-sourcing of services, cutdowns on free inflight service and special ticketing systems (such as non-paper tickets).
Label the Nations Day
I thought of a game today. Picture those little warning labels or mini-instruction signs you see on products everywhere. Now think of one particular one and then link it to a country of your choice. Hey Presto... it's "Label the Nation". So J'accuse declares today a "Label the Nation" Day and readers are invited to submit their suggestions. I promise to make a post with all the ideas once we have a good number. Incidentally I am told that the Comments link does not always work in all browsers (Firefox for example - thanks Gary). While we are working on solving the problem I found a roundabout way of posting Comments. You basically link on the Post Title in the archives (Hot Off the Press) section - then you should be able to post comments. Also in a magnanimous move I will also start allowing anonymous comments again. Remember "Stupid is what stupid does".
So here are my ideas to set the ball rolling:
jeudi, octobre 19, 2006
Some Serious Nonsense
Luxembourg is hoping that the joint Benelux bid for the 2018 World Cup will put the Grand Duchy on the map. Some countries really have to strive to get some publicity. Others spend dollops of public money on branding and advertising campaigns on international networks like CNN then try to retract the campaign only to find that they cannot. Others decide that the best way to get everyone's attention is by developing a nuclear bomb and not keeping mum about it. Then there are those countries that just never go away no matter how much you wish they would vanish for a while...
One country that will probably be the star of November is Kazakhstan. It's still October and we are almost a month away from Borat's new movie but the Kazakh government is already in the news. First we had the great spelling mistake in the banknotes issued by the Kazakh central bank. More than spelling it was a typographical error as to the proper representation of the letter K. Apparently the one on the notes is reminescent of the USSR.
Then there is the reaction to Borat's guide to America (Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan). The Kazakh tob nobs did not cut too good a figure when they issued an official complaint. Now the Deputy Foreign Minister has done a little bit of backtracking and invited Sacha Baron Cohen over while going so far as saying: "We must have a sense of humour and respect the creative freedom of others." That's two points to Kazakhstan and nul points to the MLP machine that reacted to Tanti Burlesque's cartoons.
Unfortunately Otau - Kazakhstan's largest chain of cinemas - will not show the Borat movie. They consider the movie "offensive, a complete lie and nonsense". Mr Sultanov the distribution manager concluded his justification of the movie shutout with these words:
It's a shame that probably some Americans will probably believe what they see there.
Which makes me wonder. Who is the daftest? The insulted Kazakh or the gullible Duh!merican. They just won't vanish will they? And yet... hope springs eternal.
BBC on Kazakh Banknotes
BBC on Borat and Kazakhstan
#1 the Wet Toothbrush
A useful item never to be forgotten. The toothbrush is normally packed last since it HAS to be used before the 10 hour journey back home. The only problem is that it stays humid wrapped in its plastic bag till you unpack it to its designated place in your bathroom. In a way it reminds me of Air Malta. Notwithstanding all the criticisms aimed at travelling in and out of Malta, the national carrier remains the most economic way of getting to the island, even if this means leaving Luxembourg six hours before take off. I was pleasantly surprised by the new inflight movie. We got to see "Cheaper by the Dozen" - not normally my choice of flick but still kills off part of the three hour trip. For the price you pay you still get an inflight meal and free-flowing Kinnie. The efficiency of the staff, the quick check-in (Flypass helps) and the drink lead to what always turns out to be a positive flight experience. In my book all that Air Malta needs is to concentrate on what it can do well and free the space for all the rest that is unreachable due to a variety of considerations. Government backed protectivism should not be so tight and if it cannot reach areas like Central Europe (read Luxembourg) it should allow other airlines - like Ryanair - to fill the gap (read Frankfurt Hahn). Otherwise thumbs up for the carrier with the Maltese Cross.
#2 Alka Seltzer
Always in my suitcase. Always first out and back into the Medicine Box. The best remedy for a good night out. Which is what the Notte Bianca promised to be. I could not get there from the start since I had a wedding to go to before. When I did arrive in Valletta around one in in the morning I parked at MCP and walked into the City. There was an interesting buzz in the air. The psychedelically lit gate was ok, the terramaxka playing away under the gate was promising. Throngs of people walked all along Republic Street with no apparent direction. Something was definitely happening at the Opera House since some bloke on the tannoy kept warning people that there was too much crowding and pushing. That is all I saw. I only made it to McDonalds before I was assailed by a negroni aftershock. My fifth one had been too much and I was damned if I would walk any more. So my report has to rely on word of mouth. Such as my parent's account on the goings-on till around 11.30 pm. It seems that the shops that were closed at 1am were also closed earlier on. The long queue outside Castille was also a permanent fixture on the night. Restaurants failed to join the fun and stopped serving food quite early in the night. You get the impression that everyone was just out there to see if it would really happen. Yes people did go to Valletta. Yes people were willing to stay up all night. Only the commercial part of the deal fell through since the businessmen did not feel it necessary to take any risks. Which is a pity. Going to Valletta was like chasing the White Rabbit down some hole.... Better luck next time.
#3 Gluten Free Food
Always part of my suitcase in case I get stuck in some hell hole and some genius decides that everyone can eat sandwiches to make up for the delay. Food is always important and I was looking forward to taking Melanie to the Blue Elephant - supposedly a sans pareil of Thai Cuisine. It's a lovely restaurant. Hat's off to the decorator. You practically have to stop the friendly staff from giving you a free massage as soon as you enter, such is their eagerness to please. Their entrées are an undescribable feast of taste - from the satays to the dim sim to the prawns in rice crackers. Not your run of the mill entry stuff. The mains though? They're good. Just plain good. Nothing extraordinary. A prawn curry will get you six miserly prawns the size of your pinky (I asked and was told that the Chef's orders are a military six per portion). I will not even discuss the duck on a bed of seaweed. Or maybe I will. The duck was passable, the seaweed drowned in a common take-awayish sauce and the accompanying rice was pitiable. Blue Elephant indeed. It may be good to impress, but when I am eating my stomach tends to be more interested in the contents of my plate than in the flora and fauna of the immediate surroundings. Really, if the management at the Blue Elephant want to see what eating good Oriental is like then I would gladly host them to a night out in Luxembourg at the exquisite TAKOBO. Honest. And once we are on the subject of food - whoever thought that sushi is a good take away item should think again. Unless eaten fresh sushi is not sushi. It becomes a rubbery thingy that is only acceptable if drowned in copious amounts of Soy Sauce. Never, ever be tempted to buy those thingys packed in fridges at your supermarket... do you hear me Arkadia and Marks & Sparks?
That's all for now... unpacking is taking its toll on my work rate - maybe more later if I am in the mood.
mercredi, octobre 18, 2006
"Ahna m'ghandna l-ebda ideologija jew klassi. Il-bidu u tmiem ta' kull mizura taghna huwa l-bniedem." - Lawrence Gonzi, PM
Hey Man. It's budget time. Tuned in to Radio Malta 2. Just hearing the intro. Clichés and counter-clichés abound. Sounds like a cool song and dance though. Somewhere deep down there is a concern about the future... education, environment and economy. Well... it's time to listen... will criticise later. Will it be a budget deal?
The PM seems to be determined to outline a Sound Future (Gejjieni fis-Sod). Sound indeed... I wonder what tune it will have.
This is not poverty
from Station.lu
Poverty in Luxembourg: STATEC has just released figures on poverty in Luxembourg (today is World Day Against Poverty). In 2005, 13% of the Luxembourg population was affected by poverty; in 2004 only 12.3% were affected. The poverty threshold in Luxembourg is fixed at 1,423 Euros/month income for a single-person household.For the record €1423 is equivalent to Lm612.95. And just when you begin to justify the high threshold with cost of living you begin to think... Why are most essential items practically the same price in Luxembourg as in Malta? Why does petrol cost less than in Malta? Why does a night out in a restaurant in Malta cost practically more than the equivalent in Luxembourg? Why are the roads in Luxembourg so damn near-perfect while the poor Maltese is constantly taxed for the upkeep of potholes? Why does furnishing an apartment in Luxembourg not cost an eye and a tooth like in Malta? Free health service? - think Caisse Maladie.
Meanwhile it is expected that in today's budget the magnanimous government will compensate cost of living expenses with an additional Lm2.25. That solves the travelling problems then doesn't it?
from the suitcase #1:
Unpacking my thoughts from Malta I remember the news item on the radios last Monday. Some geezer at MZPN was angry that some other labour geezer had suggested that we are getting less tourists because our cigarettes were too expensive. Fair's fair I say. What really miffed me was the "Demand for an Apology" issued by the Mullahs at MZPN. What is that exactly? Apologise or have a blue-eyed fatwah issued by the towers of the blue party line? What ever happened to disagreeing? What happened to pointing out that what the other side said is a load of bollocks and that's that? Can someone please explain what they will get out of requesting an apology? From Islamic Cartoons to Tanti Burlesque to MZPNag... the comedy continues.
This is not J'Accuse
The Prime Minister has said that today's budget will not be an attempt to "buy" votes but rather the product of a government that has succeeded to boost the country's finances.
- The Times of Malta, Wednesday 18th October (Budget Day)
World's Greatest Ingredients?
Ingredients: Rice & Maize, Edible Vegetable Oil, Bacon Flavour, Whey Powder, Paprika
Now what on earth could that be? Gourmand sharpshooters should try their luck in the comment box. By the way, I'm back to cold (apparently) Luxembourg.
Coming soon: Why Air Malta could be better than what it is all painted out to be. Why the Sunday Times crossword should be online. Why Blue Elephants can turn out to be White. Why rainstorms are still something to speak about in the Maltese Islands. What White Nights and White Knights have in common. Why the culture of "demanding an apology" has found its own fanatical base of fools in Malta. Why shopping in Sliema is funky. Why Paceville parking remains the 21st century oxymoron par excellence notwithstanding the St. Julian's council efforts. Why building regulations are as effective as a Hunting Directive without enforcement. Why it's not a sushi if it's been in the fridge. And lots more tell me why.
*Picture: Model & Actress Amber Valletta or my idea of a Notte Bianca (nuit blanche)... and don't tell me I did not get your attention (N.B. All feminist comments will be arbitrarily deleted)
vendredi, octobre 13, 2006
Weekend Trip II
You have reached J'accuse - la verité si je mens - unofficially Malta's most popular blog and specialist in extreme sports like navel-gazing and cave painting. The author of this blog is temporarily absent.
Do not break glass. We would prefer that you read back issues of J'accuse by browsing through the handy column on the right.
J'accuse regrets to inform its esteemed readers that the Complaints Board will also be on holiday and that if they (the readers, not the board) have any complaints they should just grin and bear it. Why not try a little game over at www.rcade.com? We find the table tennis really groovy. If you really think you have a brain runnning between your ears then why not try this ultra cool logical game called Samorost? No links provided. Just search Samorost on google. Or should that just be "google samorost"?
Fool's Cap is back. Another one lamenting that he has slipped off various blogrolls after doing the vanishing trick for some months. As far as J'Accuse is concerned what counts for goosy faust counts for the gander fool... once proof of more regular blogging is seen it is added to the evergrowing blogroll on these pages - and I know you don't care but we love our delusions of grandeur. Vlad is still afflicted by a strong dose of logorrhea but hey, it's amusing. Also check out young politician Aaron Farrugia - an example of budding young idealist politicians who still work from within the establishment. Good luck to him too.
Is it just my impression or does the weather report REALLY announce lousy weather for the weekend in Malta? Bloody Effin Typical innit? Anyways, it will only mean that I will have to spend my spare time in the shelter of restaurants and bars drinking Kinnie and sampling the latest gastronomic developments on the island. Now... I wonder whether my spare tire is sufficiently inflated...
See you guys soon.
jeudi, octobre 12, 2006
Unmarried men from the class of '99 are a dying race. I like to think of myself as a breed on the verge of extinction. Hell... we will probably pass through the same rites of passage at some point. Until now I treat it like studying... better left delayed and panic when it actually arrives.
So from tomorrow I will be spending five quick days back home. Can't say I'm not looking forward but I never really liked short trips... they're as cruel as tasters.
This post is dedicated to Andrew Joseph Zammit, known in some circles as YSZ (read whyisit really fast).
Born 03.06.1975
Celibate until 14.10.2006
May his bachelor soul rest in peace in the Valhalla of
misplaced underwear, dirty linen and one-night stands.
Schembri Schembri
The first victory since 1982 (I was seven then, I am thirty now) and only the third since 1975 (the year I was born) in UEFA qualifications. I cannot believe it. I got home from Marouilles (provincia di Metz) half-dead and only switched on the computer with a faint flicker of hope that accompanies the viewing of every result of the national team. The UEFA website title did not help: "Hungary Win Ends Malta Famine" does not betray a perfect grasp of English... let alone give any clue about the final result.
But we bloody well won. I feel like we won the World Cup. Don't give me a draw with Croatia (although in some quarters tonight some would have loved at least a draw with the men from Zagreb). To hell with a draw with Bojinov's Bulgaria. No, no. I don't care if the Hungary side is a shadow of the once mighty Magyars of Puskas and Masopust. We beat them. Two goals to nil. Schembri scored, Mifsud shone and Gilbert Agius provided the assists.
Carcade anyone?
From the other pitches:
- My new pet hate Portugal had their come-uppance losing to that drab team called Poland. - the irony of it all? Both goals were scored by... wait for it.... EUZEBIUSZ SMOLAREK.
- David Trezeguet was voted the player that most Frenchies would not want on the national squad. He responded in his usual fashion - two goals against the Far Oer.
- Mighty Eng-er-land fell to Croatia, the team held to a draw recently by the valiant Maltese (yep, today they are valiant). The other team to draw recently in Malta (Bulgaria) came over to Luxembourg and meted out a narrow 1-0 defeat to this great footballing nation.
- The question remains. Come March... will we beat Moldova?
tradotta bin-nejk mill-istudenti kors tal-ligi (Ultras Universita' 1993-1999)
Forza Malta nghajtu lkoll
Force Malta we say all
B'vuci soda nghajtu gowl
With a strong voice we say goal
Meta nilghabu go Ta' Qali
When we play in "it falls me"
Progress kbir ghamel it-tim
Progress big it made the team
B'kowc barrani imhejjijin
With a foreign coach we're spleen
Issa zgur l'ghandna tim qawwi
Now for sure we have a rough team
Mel'ejjew ilkoll flimkien
So come on all you together
Issapportjaw 'il dan it-tim
Come support this very team
It-tim li huwa ta' kullhadd
The team that is of everyone
Id-dinja kollha taf illum
All the world knows today
Kullhadd tghallem il-ballun
Everyone Learns the ball
mercredi, octobre 11, 2006
Breaking News
From station.lu :
11-OCT-06 Ten killed in French train crash
At least 10 people have been killed and about 20 injured in a train collision in north-east France, emergency workers have said. A passenger train collided with a goods train in Zoufftgen, close to the border with Luxembourg, the state-owned rail company SNCF said. The crash happened shortly before noon local time, in the region of Moselle. The passenger train had been travelling from Luxembourg.
According to Le Monde, the passenger train was a TER that had left Luxembourg in the direction of Nancy via Metz. The time of the crash was around 11.30 as the passenger train collided with a goods train - apparently due to the fact that only one rail was in operation due to works and therefore the trains ended up in a head-to-head position.
More to follow.
*Acknowledgements: Gary Roberts for the email with the news.
** Image created using Zefrank's Scribbler
Forza Malta!
The Maltese women's national team was drawn with Slovakia, Luxembourg and Lithuania in Group 3 of the newly-introduced preliminary round of the UEFA Women's Championship 2009. The draw was held in Nyon on Monday. The four teams will be playing in a mini-tournament to be held in Luxembourg between November 18 and 23. The winners of the group will join the top 25 countries in the main group stage.
mardi, octobre 10, 2006
Cheap'N'Cheerful Slash?
The airport departure tax is to be slashed from Lm20 to Lm5 by August 2007, according to an internal budget document seen exclusively by maltastar.com. A Lm2 million increase in revenues from the same tax in 2006 will make it possible for government to reduce the tax substantially, sources at the Economic Policy Division at the Ministry of Finance told this e-newspaper.I know a good leak when I see one. The interesting part of this article is the one that states that the Fenech Adami government had increased the departure tax from Lm4 to Lm10 in 1998 and the Gonzi government had doubled this figure to Lm20 in 2005. And now what the PN takes the PN will give back... and we are all supposed to stand up and applaud. But it has been 8 years of more expensive flying... who's giving any of that back eh? Now which Minister should I ask, I wonder?
YouTube Sold
Google is buying video-sharing website YouTube for $1.65bn (£883m) in shares after a weekend of speculation that a deal was in the offing. The two companies will continue to operate independently, Google said as it announced the news on Monday. YouTube, launched in February 2005, has grown quickly into one of the most popular websites on the internet. It has 100 million videos viewed every day and an estimated 72 million individual visitors each month.End of a myth or beginning of an era? My bet is that Youtube will stay very much as it is with better integration with Google and probably with Blogger too.
A message from Chad and Steve - the YouTube founders.
lundi, octobre 09, 2006
When I was young, in the halcyon days of Sanga and Soldini, a trip to Tutto Sport in Strada Zekka Valletta would mean a stocking up in the 'latest' (read affordably latest) sporting gear on display. It was thus that in the days of the LA Olympics when branded advertising was beginning to really hook on into the footballing world that my parents bought me a new pair of runners cum football shoes that were not of the sanga-soldini variety. Unfortunately the various Adidas, Nike and Reebok were still far beyond the reach of the lower middle class family in Mintoff's Malta and so the "coolness" of the make was limited to its not being a Sanga. I remember my "3A Antonini" shoes with a certain affection. Ever the fan of the conspicuous and non-conformist, they were bright red - a novelty in those days when Marco Simone was still unheard of.
Anyways, I digress from the scope of this post. An article on today's Times (the English version) was the reason of this sudden flashback to those outings in Valletta for the purchase of the Red Devil kit, the 3A shoes and the football socks that could have been tights. Danny Baker's regular column "The Game" today features an item about World Subbuteo Champion Massimo Cremona (Maltese) who is apparently sponsored by TuttoSport Ltd. I do know that Mr Cremona plies his subbuteo skills with a Perugia team and is the first Maltese to be paid to flick dolls at balls with his finger. It would seem that TuttoSport provide the ERREA tracksuit for Cremona to play in. Cool. Here's the full Baker lowdown on the story:
By a tremendous turn of events two of my best friends are playing each other on the international stage this week. By this I mean that one of them is half Hungarian and one of them is fully Maltese and these two mighty nations will come face to face in a Euro 2008 group match on Wednesday. While nobody could sanely claim this pairing is The Tie Of The Round to hear Grollner (Hungary) and Micalef (Malta) jousting over the weekend you'd think that this obscure basement tussle in group C was some sort of Old Firm fixture. From all their chest-butting, though, one titbit of information has emerged and, in my book, given Micalef the edge. Did you know that the generally acknowledged Table Football King Of The World comes from Malta? Well he does, even if he has temporarily lost his official crown after a recent controversial Golden Goal match in Germany. His name is Massimo Cremona and, upon searching online, I see that this week it was announced that Tutto Sport Ltd have agreed to continue his kit sponsorship for another season.
I wonder what kind of deal that is? What is a table football kit like? Is it a full suit or do they just wash and iron the one top between tournaments? If so, then I now realise my mother was my "kit sponsor" when I was at school. I'm perfectly sure Massimo will be there when these two sleeping giants of the world scene do battle in midweek. Perhaps he will be secretly coaching his Maltese brethren about wild, continual overhead kicks and playing off the advertising hoardings. Let's hope he's in his working clothes so we can see just what Tutto Sport are getting for their money. Now then, Malta v Hungary . . . will that be Sky Sports 2 or BBC One?
*Photo: Massimo Cremona (right) and TuttoSport representative - the same guy who sold me the 3A shoes back in 1984.
** While researching 3A Antonini on Internet I discovered that the company went on to develop the world famous Lumberjack brand and I also discovered this 80's advert featuring Enrico Montesano which I do not remember seeing.
samedi, octobre 07, 2006
I.M. Jack - seventh edition
1. Bland
The week passed by without any great ground shaking moments being reported on j'accuse. Apart from some Ministerial breakthrough (Fausto is still labouring to deny any responsibility of that Rural Minister) with regarding to the use of wind and the government proving to be the usual whimp when faced with such graceful democratic lobbyists as the hunting confraternity there does not seem to be much to report from the j'accuse pages. Apologies for such blandness our mind was elsewhere and we are sure that there were more newsworthy items on show. But hey... we did not miss out on George's externation about animals and their rights. Vote George Get Orwell? Is that good Faust?
2. Bogroll
Fausto's return admittedly breathes some discursive life in an otherwise laid-back blogosphere. The neo-con blogger was not pleased to discover the omission of his blog from the j'accuse blogroll. We reassure readers that inclusion or otherwise from the new blogroll has nothing to do with any petty vendettas relating to arguments currently on the go. Not very lawyerlike that would be. Rather. Nope we have chosen to use the bogroll (not a typo medears - just a joke - I kid I kid in a burlesque fashion geddit) to pinpoint those blogs that we like to peruse for their content. And blogs will be added as soon as they show a little sign of life (that's like more than two posts a week in my book). Pierre J Mejlak and Xifer are exceptions. Coz they're my friends that's why. I don't know who Fausto is so he does not get that privilege.
3. EU Affairs
Yep. Those Units. When I commented that one of them should be told what's going on we never said which one. True there was a link to a random one - to give the general idea. But basically we did use the plural. Because we assume that every ministry has its unit... and someone somewhere must be in charge of telling some minister in the list Fausto was so kind to publish as an aide memoire that the hunters are going unpunished. So thank you for the Aide Memoire AND for the Prosy Points but I guess it was a tad bit too defensive reaction - and it still does not explain how the cowboys still have their way.
4. Cowboys
And as for Claire - I stand by what I said. She stood up to the authority. She does not write articles about protecting the poor and fighting barons with one pen and sign warrants of seizure in the name of the rich with the other. She stood up to him by calling a spade a spade and the mere fact that she charged him in court is a lot more than many others who build their career on a good network and not stepping on other's toes would do. See what I mean Fausto? Yep. In Malta even getting as far as being able to drop charges and be the one to decide when to stop can be a hard thing to do. Besides, Polidano apologised. Which is something that can be difficult to draw out of someone... ask the labour posse about Tanti Burlo for example.
5. Rush
No time to finish since I am due in Etain(France) in an hour or so. Got to go. Will be a superb nosh up with Mel's grandma cooking some of the best Alsatian choucroute to be found. Hope you enjoy today's show that is dedicated to Grumpy Fausto who we all love as our very own neocon on the blogosphere.
6. Where Links means Right
All links today lead you to Fausto. Just in case he was worrying that we had any qualms linking to a blog that tends to disagree with us. We love it. Seriously. Keep up the barrage. It reminds us that we are alive and not alone!
vendredi, octobre 06, 2006
The Morning News
I wonder whether the EU Affairs, Policy Development and Programme Implementation units in Malta are aware of the directive given to police not to charge hunters for now. I'm not sure that such units have much power since they prepare dossiers for ministers to be informed about their respective area's achievement within the EU acquis. Someone should be drawing somebody's attention here. What we have is a transposed EU Directive that is being neutered by the inactivity of the strong arm of the law.
What this boils down to is that Police can report an individual breaking the law but they will not arraign him until further notice. Why? Because the hunters are a-protesting and the Prime Minister is busy a-negotiating and the Police do not want to take them to court on some charge that might not exist in the near future. Which says much about the police's faith in the firmness of our government during negotations with a pastime lobby group. Whiuch says much about the optimism of the pastimers that their will be done (with apologies to Lorna). Which says much about the state of politics in our country - still pressure driven.
From the Wizards of Lobby to the Whirlwind of Xlendi. This bit of news about a man reportedly lifted by a whirlwind in Xlendi took me by surprise. Is the weather really that bad? Here we are having sunny bouts... I cannot believe it!
And finally I like Fantasy Football... where you dream that you are managing the greatest club on earth and buy and sell players at your whim. It's a great feeling to be able to imagine that you are doing something you could never have done otherwise. And when I read Vassallo's budget article I could not help reading that this was a Fantasy Budget. Such a pity that while someone so competent is limited to Fantasy Planning, those in charge of the real game do not seem to have much of a clue how to play it.... Which is how I felt about Capello's Juve in the Champions league when compared to my Trophy Machine in the Playstation.
jeudi, octobre 05, 2006
Will'r'Us (TGIL)
So today we will once again limit ourselves to quoting the offending sentence in full while hoping that she will return to more colourful topics in two weeks' time.
The last two articles in this series have focused upon politically irrelevant but determining factors in the way the single transferable vote system is implemented locally.Irrelevant but determining. Way to go Lorna. The will of the people is behind you. We will you to go on and on!
Premio Sandro Ciotti
The second Premio Sandro Ciotti is up for grabs. It is awarded to the best 'striscione' (slogan-carrying banner in a stadium) in Italy over the past year. Many anti-Moggi posters will be vying for the prize but my personal favourite comes from the south. I liked many of the Palermitan candidates for the prize but the one pictured above perfectly captures the collective surprise of a city with no great expectations finding itself perched on top of Serie A.
The banner translates: "Bloody Hell, We're First!"
Probably the best
dedicated to the neo-con Majistral
and remember... j'accuse... probably the best blog in the maltese blogosphere
mercredi, octobre 04, 2006
The Animal Right
From di-ve.com comes a quote for the day:
In a message to commemorate World Animals' Day celebrated on Wednesday, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment George Pullicino said that the well-being of animals is central to the government's work."Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer— except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs." - George Orwell, Animal Farm.
The answer my friend...
Maybe now you might even get some kind posters instead of the usual environmentalist trash eh? Who knows.... Vote George, Get Wind.
Hmmm... Maybe not after all.
mardi, octobre 03, 2006
At Her Majesty's Pleasure
In a rush of uncontrolled socialism, the Sunday rag is now berating the British High Commission for supporting the well to do who could very well pay their own way through a scholarship and ignoring the lower strata of society. The "circle of friends" argument is out again. That argument that is so often abused of to let off the steam generated by envy and the "I want to be rich too" part of the population.
Now let me be clear about one thing. I never benefited from the Chevening Scholarship. The only scholarship I ever got was the Bruges scholarship awarded by the government of the Republic. I also do not hail from a family that can be considered - in the minds of some - as part of some elite caste in Malta. But I still disagree with all this ruckus.
I do not disagree because I don't agree with the facts. Call a spade a spade. The list of awardees does look like a mini-sons of who's who in Malta list. I disagree because I do not expect otherwise. For heaven's sake it's the Brits we are talking about. It's our former colonisers who always got through their relations with the colonies by creating an elite of the favoured. That very same elite that can be counted on because of a sound upbringing.
Remember how Rhodes Scholar Dominic Mintoff repaid the Brits for his scholarship in a socialist branch of an English University? If you were the High Commissioner forking out the dosh to subsidise the stay in the UK of a Maltese Citizen (at her Majesty's Pleasure) who would you pick on hindsight? A Borg Olivier or a Mintoff? A Gonzi or a Sant?
My point is that the scholarship is a British scholarship. So even if behind the front of clear conditions for admission there lie a web of shennanigans based on connection and a favoured (if but perceived) elite, who are we to complain? It's their money. It's still got the Queen's Head on and so she can bloody well choose who she likes for her scholarship awards. Tough shit Elaine Bonello.
Now if this were a discussion about Maltese funded scholarships with Maltese funded money and if we had the same list being sent abroad... THEN trust me if I say that even J'accuse will have its penny's worth of arguments thrown in.
Otherwise... Quod Regina Placquit....
Back to School
The doors at Tal-Qroqq opened yesterday. Listening to the Bay Radio news I hear an interview with new KSU President David Ciliberti. It would seem that the most important item on his agenda for this new year at University is the visit of President Eddie Fenech Adami who will talk about yesterday's students and tomorrow's students.
Every year the atmosphere at our University looks more like a school and less like an alma mater that allows independent development of thought in a good environment. I cannot see the rebels of our generation - the leftist SDM, the commie Graffiti, the weird anthropologists and the surprisingly activist MKSU are all gone. Instead there is a campus full of apologetic arse-lickers that do not bode well for the future. Even Graffitti tend to sound like they are into radical change just for the fashionable aspect of having El Che wrapped around their neck rather than for the chain around Castille type protest.
I had attended a Graffiti inspired protest at the visit of Li Peng to Malta. I doubt whether any of the current generation would even begin to consider such a manifestation - and be bothered by the great police action we would get. The most hussle and tussle the new generation seems to like is the one at the bar fighting for a drink or head banging infront of some group.
We liked the drinks and the odd rock concert too. But we also had a common feeling that we wanted to change the world. We ran protests that never made the headlines but were effective. Like the spontaneous corner meeting in 1993 by the hundred or so law students against the inadequacies of the BA Legal & Humanistic course that had just opened. Like the ongoing efforts made by the few hundred active students to try to convince the rest that sitting back and accepting all that is thrown at them is not the best way to get a tertiary education.
The new University generations are being accused of being 'softer' all over Europe. Maybe they have been dulled up by their playstations, mp3 players and iPods. Maybe. Maybe it is the failure of our generation to really get things started. The failure of my generation to set a durable mind-set of not allowing intervention by the bigger parties into student politics. We managed to keep them out ourselves (notwithstanding the general perception of the greater public) - unfortunately once we left they crept back in ... finding new volunteers who were prepared to toe the line like those who had come before us.
One final word. Opening day at University carries many memories. I recall the great bonfire bonanza I had helped organize in 1994 with a budding Beangrowers act featuring on the list. It included all organisations (at the time I had to battle with the SDM executive to convince them that Student's Day would be for everyone - the wishy-washy communists at Graffiti included!). I remember the older generation who had still carried on the tradition of the 5th October Sangria-like concoction (I seem to remember Renzo preparing it). The one I remember most at the beginning of my early years at Uni is Julian Manduca - choppy.
My thoughts on Student's Day this year go out to Choppy. A model student activist if ever there was one.
* Student's Day in Malta is officially celebrated on 5th October. Among other things it commemorates the night when thugs attacked University. Don't expect EFA to forget this particular episode when talking about yesterday's students.
lundi, octobre 02, 2006
I.M. Jack - sixth edition
1. Timegames
The MLPN pre-electoral warm up meant the early drawing of the battlelines. PM Gonzi revelled in the possibility of re-equating New Labour to Old Methods after Jason Micallef's faux pas added onto earlier explosive statements by girl about Gozo Justyne Caruana. Labour's reply came in the form of maltastar's hypocritical indignation at an innocuous cartoon in the Times by Maurice Tanti Burlò. The stirring up of hornet's nests and accusations meant that once more the issue of real politics could be skirted. Labour leader Alfred "Alfossa" Sant hinted at some true money talk when he warned the public to beware false promises in the upcoming budget.
2. Rubentus?
The dirty trap that was laid for Italian football's Old Lady slowly came to the surface. Inter is now under accusation for having spied on the team and may end up charged with "slealtà sportiva". The race is now on for the next pretenders to the throne that the Old Lady fully deserved on the pitch. It is expected that the Rigetta team will soon be making itself heard with some excuses for the paper scudetto that will probably be doing the musical chairs round until it ends up on the shirts of some lowly team like Akragas.
3. Working Ladies
Archbishop Joseph seems to have suggested that women should be paid to stay at home. The notion of "career women" versus "housewife" is still top priority in the Maltese church which seems to be oblivious of the advent of both the 20th and 21st centuries. The battle is on for the "pros" and "cons" and feminists vs chauvinist pigs. Much to be enjoyed. Sadly it will all be useless because women are just as busy as men in the modern race to keep up with the joneses. And if that means that little Brooklyn, Joelene and Gerald-Adalbert have to be left with nannu and nanna until we can afford the new Dolby Surround Microwave Cooker then so be it. General Public 2 - Archbishop's Curia 0 (attendance: insignificant, weather: fair, women & children half price).
4. SmartCity
This promises to be the confusing issue for next election. The one that is mentioned by MLP as the biggest disgrace to hit Malta since Mater Dejn and that is mentioned by PN as the greatest gift from God since Karmni Grima saw Our Lady with the rosary beads (what a cliché apparition). Harry Vassallo will go on ranting that the smartest thing in Malta remains unelected and will probably raise the wager to Elect 100 AD members or nothing.
5. Journalism Awards
As the debate peters out on the Maltese blogosphere we have been regaled with an incongruent nomination. The disappearance of any semblance of debate (controversial or otherwise) on the blogosphere as well as the glaring absence of onlookers contradict the nomination of a Maltese blog as being the champion of e-journalism. The other nominees are also risible suggestions - vide Mona's Moans on the Net. Where oh where doth real journalism lie? And if not journalism - at least a provocative site worthy of one or two comments.
6. Most Popular
Meanwhile in the neverland of hyperimagination J'Accuse proclaimed itself (carlsberg style) probably the most popular blog on the Maltese blogosphere. The tag will soon be added as the official slogan for the coming season. Provocation? yes. But mainly a challenge to figure out how to hang the bloody sentence at the end of the title. Hark... dost thou here mine trumpet a-blowin'?
7. Food
Maastricht and Aachen. Top advice for the weekend is a tiny Japanese shop in Maastricht off Onze Lieve Vrouwen Plein. The name of the resto? Tai-i-Chi. Supreme sushi and heavenly Pad Thai. A must for all lovers of the food from the Land of the Rising Sun.


text:
Saturday, June 21, 2014
I want to scream & a freebie
Okay, so I have Windows XP which Microsoft Security no longer supports and I can't afford to update to Windows 8 (which I understand has problems anyway and is about to be replaced by newer version). I have been having problems for days now with things my PC is picking up like Wajam and FreeSoft. I search them out, remove them and as soon as I open a tab in google they pop up again with really weird options for downloading. No matter which you choose, it starts to install! Going crazy over this. Anyone else having this problem? Thought about calling my BIL who usually does my computer work but he's hard to get lately, tied up with other stuff and when all else fails, his answer is to delete everything and start over. The thought of all I'd lose is giving me a headache. On the other hand, maybe this is the universe's way of telling me I spend too much time on PC (I do) and that I could be making better use of my time. [Sigh] http://www.4shared.com/zip/ooUfVVbZba/ws_we_r_family_papers.html? And now to get to the email I've missed. Elements tomorrow
Labels: freebie, PC trouble
2 comments:
- Stacey said...
thanks for the wonderful freebie! I'm not too tech savy but I would try and get the free version of malware bytes and see if they can delete the problem. I had windows xp and my laptop was way to old too upgrade too. It was slow already so no way to upgrade. I had to save up to get a new (used laptop). We have several used stores selling laptops starting at about 100.00 - I wanted windows 7, but those were more expensive out of my budget, so I got Vista. Hope they don't discontinue that for awhile because I can't buy another for a loooong time.
- June 21, 2014 at 8:38 PM
- Linda said...
Did I miss the elements somewhere? If you could please post the link for me I would appreciate it.
Thank You
- July 5, 2014 at 11:32 AM
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subset: commoncrawl


text: Radionuclides including 210Pb, 137Cs and 241Am are measured using low-background hyper-pure germanium gamma spectrometers capable of determining low-level radioactivity Combining data from these measurements enables an accurate chronology to be derived not only to provide dates but also to allow rates of sediment accumulation to be calculated. Our service includes provision of the primary data and an interpretative report including tables and graphs showing interpolated ages for samples within the dateable section of the sediment core. Other radiometric dating techniques such as radiocarbon dating, suitable for dating old sediments, are out-sourced.


text:
Miss the good old days? Organic sodas are made with natural flavors and sweeteners, sometimes in ways that the original soft drinks were once produced.
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Need a boost without the sugar rush or synthetic caffeine consumption? Some organic sodas contain natural energy lifting ingredients. Using berries, herbs, and extracts, these sodas add a bit of zing to a bubbly base, letting you fit energy drinks into your healthy lifestyle. Learn more about organic soda.
Health and Community info
A food forest contributes to a diet with more organic options.
Permaculture design embraces food forests which have horizontal layers such as the canopy and a vertical layer such as vines.
You might find the following plants in a Hawaii food forest. These are all routinely available through many garden suppliers.
In areas with an annual rainfall of between 12 and 100 inches, you might find the common barley, which is Introduced to HI.
Known as having a Medium drought tolerance, the common barley (Hordeum vulgare) is in the Grass family. It requires a minimum temperature of -43°F.
The fruit/seed period of the common barley runs from Spring to Summer. It si propogated by Seed and has a bloom period in Spring.
Not every plant species listed as a food forest candidate in Hawaii will thrive in your specific climate or area.
Take a weekend trip to your local garden supply store and learn more about which plants, shrubs and ground cover will be a great fit for your food forest.
We want to hear from you! Show us your awesome food forest by submitting a photo and we may feature your paradise!
The Laziest Vegans In The World: The Virgil's Cream Soda Laziest Vegans Taste Test! …
. . . a.k.a. Mo November 16, 2010 at 3:11 AM This takes me back to my youth. We were soda fiends in my family. Cheap, junky ones. Black cherry was my favorite. Cream was the one that nobody drank. Haha. I really want soda now. Reply Delete Add. . .
Review And Giveaway Of The Soda Stream Home Soda Maker.
. . . it, popped it in place and we were ready to go! She initially had no faith in my soda making abilities. That said, I was a wee bit overzealous. I wanted my bubblewater. I wanted it now. I made it too quickly. We tasted. We sipped. The verdict:. . .
Natural Stove Cleaners
. . . and figured out how to clean it naturally–this works like a charm! sprinkle baking soda over the top of the cooktop while it's cool. cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice from a half all over the top as well. use the lemon half (cut side down) . . .
Brita Kids Water Bottles: Tornado Guest Post. Carla Birnberg
. . . She drank more water because of it. I love BRITA . I know more kids are swapping soda for water because of them. Two thumbs up. I have three water bottles to give away (to three winners) and you can be entered to win for the low, low cost of . . .
Natural Deodorant: A Continuous Quest
. . . smells minty and lovely. Props to all the DIYers though, the coconut oil and baking soda method intrigues… Check it out here! http://soapwallakitchen.com/collections/all/products/deodorant-cream Von – April 30, 2014, 9:37AM I've tried the crystal sa. . .
Fresh Apple Cake Recipe
. . . comes out clean. Sauce: Put butter, whole cane sugar, buttermilk,vanilla and baking soda in a medium pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour butter mixture over hot cake. Let the. . .
The Winner Of The SODA STREAM: Carla Birnberg
Home Meet Carla Life Motherhood Fitness Videos Before/After The winner of the SODA STREAM: May 16, 2011 by Carla Alexandra Webster!! Email me (MizFit08 at yahoo dot com) and your FIZZZZZZZZZZY treat shall be on its way. Filed Under: Uncategorized . . .
A Year Of Slow Cooking: Another Compensated Post. Don't Get Mad.
. . . later. I don't want my daughter's class teaching healthy eating habits with a soda or sugar-sweetened juice machine sitting around the hallway corner. I'll hop off my soapbox now though. I love coke too. I'm quite fond of their Christmas . . .
Choosing Raw Vegan And Raw Recipes Soda Junkie? This One's For You: Solixir Sparkling …
. . . interesting to try! Reply Dorry says: March 3, 2011 at 9:27 pm I've never been a soda fan, either. We didn't drink them growing up, and I never chose to drink them on my own, even in college. I think it's great that there's a product like this on. . .
Rhubarb & Rosewater Syrup Recipe 101 Cookbooks
. . . is strong, and lovely, and a kiss of it is just what a bowl of yogurt, or glass of soda water needs. And it really couldn't be simpler to make. Chop a few stalks of rhubarb, toss with sugar, then let it sit around until everything settles into a . . .
101 Cookbooks Healthy Recipe Journal
. . . Every Day: Six Recipe Sampler Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies Oat Soda Bread Pumpkin and Feta Muffins Olive Biscuit Cookies Limoncello Macaroons Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Chocolate Loaf Cake Six-seed Soda Bread . . .
Strawberry Ice Cream Sodas Baked Bree
. . . It's free! Google+ Bree Hester Tagged with → homemade strawberry syrup • ice cream soda recipes • old fashioned strawberry ice cream soda recipe • strawberry soda recipe 13 Responses to Strawberry Ice Cream Sodas Kristen says: August 4, 2014 at 3:5. . .


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The Alyssa House will be "Going Gold" in September in honor of Childhood Cancer awareness month. Check out the website, www.TheAlyssaHouse.org, or visit the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thealyssahouse/ for updates throughout the month on ways you can get involved. We welcome your support!
The Alyssa House strives to continue meeting the needs of the families and children that stay with us as generously as possible. In true Alyssa fashion, nothing is more important than family.


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Western Warmth
A Blog about Home
Saturday, December 7, 2013
The Giving Lesson
Once I made a few I started thinking in posters. As I've studied the church lesson I'm giving today, the same thing happened. So I made some visual reminders of some of the topics we are addressing.
December 07, 2013
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gave a speech recently, apparently, trashing Bush up one side and down the other (no surprise there). I saw the video on O'Rielly in one of his "read the body language" segements with body language expert Tonya Reiman.
I used to like Rosie back in the VH1 Comedy Spotlight days. I thought she was actually a pretty funny comedian. But now that she thinks she's really important and speaking truth to power, I don't think I could even sit through one of her old comedy routines.
In this speech, after claiming that Bush would actually have to physically take a dump on the actual Constitution (the document) to get impeached, she went on to say:
"This speech coule be considered a threat to national security. I could be thrown in jail."Which is, of course, nonsense. But not in her head.
In her world, which is her stage, she is bravely speaking truth to power. She actually fantasizes that there is real danger. But I ask, of all that vile, slanderous, and often traitorous things that have been said and done by liberals since... well, the 2000 election, how many people have been arrested, much less put in jail, for uttering anything but a direct, physical threat?
The data does not support the theory here, rosie.
I sense a pattern here.
"First time in history fire has melted steel! Physically impossible!" - (O'Doughnut)
Of course, fire can and does melt steel. That's how it's made. Steel starts its life --melted. By fire. In the case of WTC building 7 which she was so
The steel didn't melt, but it had, in effect, "gone all wobbly" as the British would say. Not physically impossible at all. But of course, neither is fire melting steel. Granted, it takes a well tended fire to melt it. But it's not physically impossible.
When rosie got booted off the View, there were cries of "save free speech!" "Defend Rosie O'Donnell!" "ABC can't fire her! "
But free speech means the government can't arrest her, not that ABC or anyone else can't fire her. And contrary to her public preening display of "daring", nobody has even thought about throwing her in jail (satisfying as that might seem to some of us). She is free to blather on and we are free to say what we think about her blathering. If ABC thinks her blathering is reflecting badly on them, they have every right to say "buh-bye".
People don't seem to get that. Especially liberals. Their whole understanding of the world is a bit fuzzy.


text: Product Description Product Reviews The good stuff. Iron helps support normal cognitive development. 2 of your baby's 5 a day. No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Low salt. Write a Review Write a Review × Heinz Heinz Mum's Own Spaghetti Bolognese 7m+ 200g Rating * Select Rating 1 star (worst) 2 stars 3 stars (average) 4 stars 5 stars (best) Name Email * Review Subject * Comments *


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FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS: Destiny Hubbard' funeral will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Knox Funeral Home followed by burial at the Bargo Cemetery in Bimble.
Visitation is from 6-9 p.m. today (Monday) at the funeral home chapel.
Michael Hubbard, of Bimble, woke from a sound sleep around 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. The 36-year-old man felt the need to check in on his 15-year-old daughter, Destiny Dawn Hubbard. When he saw his daughter having trouble breathing, he called an ambulance. Shortly thereafter at the Knox County Hospital, his daughter was pronounced dead.
Destiny's dad recounts his memories of his loving daughter.
Originally, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hubbard believed they were having a boy.
"We always called her Bubba, and it stuck," said Michael Hubbard. Destiny was a laid-back teenager. She liked being on FaceTime with her friends."
She was also a picture addict. She loved drawing, as well as taking pictures.
"Pictures, pictures, and more pictures," said her dad.
She left a lasting impression on her classmates, as well as her teachers. Her dad said even the principal called her a humble person.
"We were beyond close," he said. "She was my world. She was my life. She was the only thing I lived every day for."
But Destiny had her days. She could play rough when she wanted to. She would come up to give her dad a hug and about knock him down, unless he could find something to grab onto. Sometimes, he said, she'd have to hold both of them up.
Destiny loved to hang out with her friends, occasionally going out to a movie. She loved her movies, either running to Corbin to see one, watching one on NetFlicks or renting one to watch there at the house.
Destiny lived day to day. She lived in the moment.
"She basically lived from one ice cream cone to the next," said dad.
Destiny's favorite line was "Hey Daddy, Hey Daddy."
Her dad claimed she said that one line more in an hour than she would say everything else in a whole day.
"Boy it got so annoying at times," said her dad. "Now what I wouldn't give to hear it again."


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The "rules":
Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends (or let their two year old pick at random).
Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.
Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!
Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.
I'm with Cate as this is a very tough choice since there are so many fantastic scribblers out there. In true random fashion, I've let my two year old pick. So here are the superior scribblers 2009 (as chosen by Max):
1. Felicity Dowker - has taken the horror/weird fiction world by storm this last year. Her first chapbook (Phantasy Moste Grotesk) is due later this year from Corpulent Insanity Press.
2. Brent Tomlison - another from "down under", BT is about the busiest scribbler I know, balancing school, work, this writing thing and more.
3. Barry Napier - scribbles silly things about printer cartridges as a a freelance writer, and horrible tidbits as a, well, horror writer.
4. Bobbie Metevier - once shared a frustrating story of the post office blues on her blog. I've been there, Bobbie, too often. We shared an issue of Reflection's Edge a year ago this month.
5. K.C. Shaw - has written some very heartfelt and beautiful stories about people, er, animals...oh, were-things.
*If Max failed to pick your name, please feel free to consider yourself a superior scribbler anyway. Max is random like that.
Tomorrow: a peek inside the "man cave"
Later this week: I just might reflect on February. Maybe.


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Me: Hey honey, I'm going to make my mushroom, red pepper, scrambled egg breakfast burrito thing. Do you want some?
Scoob: Yes, please.
Scoob: Except I don't want it the way you make it. I just want scrambled eggs with leftover stew and rice.
Me: Okay. So, in other words you want something completely different from what I'm making, and your answer is really "No, but would you make this for me?"
Scoob: Exactly. Please. *grin*
It's a good thing I love him.
Just for that, I think I will make him go to the National Hollerin' Contest this weekend. Spivey's Corner (pop. 450, give or take) is about 2 hours southeast of here. And if you're wondering what all the hollerin' is about, here's a bit on the lost art of hollerin'.
We'll get to see an area we haven't been in yet, we'll definitely experience some local culture and flavor, and all proceeds go toward supporting the Spivey's Corner Volunteer Fire Department. Our little town will probably feel down right cosmopolitan after a day of hollerin'.


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The essay film has become one of the key focal the essay film festival is an and we curated a special series of events around german tv essays made. German expressionismedward scissorhands vs donnie darkoedward scissorhands and donnie darko are such good examples when talking about german expressionism both. Film-philosophy, 103 december 2006 guerin, francis (2006) review of german essays on film (2004) richard wmccormick and alison guenther-pal (eds). Siegfried kracauer (february 8, 1889 – november 26, 1966) was a german writer, journalist, sociologist, cultural critic, and film theorist he has sometimes been.
We need to talk about your german essaysdo they in a nacherzählung you summarize and recount a book, a film or the most expressive german essay phrases. Download and read german essays on film german library german essays on film german library excellent book is always being the best friend for spending little time in. German expressionism occurred during the attempt of a liberal democratic republic after the so called "march revolution" in 1848. Short german essay on my school (meine schule) updated in part 8 of my free german essays we look at how to describe free german essays on music tv film and. It has been argued that the german expressionist movement has had an influence on many later filmmakers and genres i agree with this argument and in this essay i. Free essay: analysis of german film run lola run run lola run, is a german film about a twenty-something woman (lola) who has 20 minutes to find.
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A video essay designed to give a brief overview of several key films from the german expressionist movement (spoilers) essay by nathan reynolds all.
This fascinating volume is for all serious students of european cinema as well as historians of germany in the 20th century german essays on film. This fascinating volume is for all serious students of european cinema as well as historians of germany in the 20th century german essays on film is divided. German essays on film has 4 ratings and 1 review andrew said: there's some really great opining going on in this book from directors to critics to polit. Columbia university press share pub date: essays on the essay film of sound matters: essays on the acoustics of modern german culture. Essay on my family, my name is ved prakash, , , translation, human translation, automatic translation. Free essay: metropolis: "breaking down the utopia" in january of1927 metropolis was released to the german public the film, which was directed by fritz. Download and read german essays on film german library german essays on film german library when there are many people who don't need to expect something more than.


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- source
- Kevin Winter/Getty
This week, Sam Smith collaborated with Timbaland on a new single, Canadian rapper Belly teamed with Pusha T on a track, and Kelela released her debut album.
Here are the 5 best songs from the past week that you can stream right now:
Sam Smith — "Pray"
English singer Sam Smith turns a minimalist Timbaland beat into a full-fledged, choir-accompanied gospel track on his latest single, "Pray," from his upcoming album, "The Thrill of It All."
Andrew Bird — "Lazuli Bunting"
Violinist and singer-songwriter Andrew Bird released an instrumental album this week. "Lazuli Bunting," an intricate highlight track, features his signature violin plucking and layering of strings.
Kelela — "Waitin"
Alt-R&B singer Kelela reflects on a turbulent fling on the immaculately produced "Waitin," a standout song from her debut studio album, "Take Me Apart."
Tash Sultana — "Mystik"
Australian singer-songwriter Tash Sultana delivers an idiosyncratic vocal performance and a saxophone solo on her hazy, guitar-led single "Mystik."
Belly — "Alcantara" (feat. Pusha T)
Canadian rapper Belly traces his come-up from his days of "buying champagne on a beer budget" on the murky, Pusha T-featuring track "Alcantara."


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(Sorry, no picture...we are at a student home and don't have the camara with us...)
I tested this recipe on Mike tonight and he said it tasted good, so I'm going to try it on the kids sometime. I found it several weeks ago on the Food Network website when I was looking for healthy versions of recipes that kids might like. It isn't necessarily the best ever Macaroni and Cheese recipe but it's not too bad. (Is this the first time that you've ever eaten squash, Mike?)
I measured roughly, used the microwave and used cheeses that were already here. I think the idea to using the squash and not having the flavor come through is to use sharp cheese and the pepper and hot sauce.
1/2 lb (2 cups) macaroni noodles
1 package frozen pureed winter squash
1 cup milk
3/4 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
Several dashes of hot sauce
Preheat oven to 375. Cook macaroni al dente. Meanwhile, defrost squash in a greased casserole dish in the microwave, then add remaining ingredients and cook in microwave until cheeses are melted together. Drain macaroni and mix into cheese sauce. Add bread crumb topping if you like (2 Tbsp bread crumbs, 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp olive oil). Bake for 20 minutes and then broil for 3 minutes if you used the bread crumb topping. Makes about 6-8 servings.
The original recipe is here


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Microsoft Dynamics CRM – New naming conventions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM updates
There are naming convention changes happening now with the latest releases and updates to Microsoft Dynamics CRM for both Online and On-Premises. What does this all mean you might ask? Well if you are use to hearing lines like Update Rollups, Service Packs, Spring Release, Fall Release – then keep reading.
The Microsoft Dynamics Community and Customers have requested a description of what do all these terms mean (i.e. Update Rollups, Service Packs) and how do they differentiate between Online and On-Premise and the relating version numbers.
As of today, Microsoft has release an official blog post outlining the naming conventions for Dynamics CRM to clarify it all for you. If you are a Partner with Microsoft, I suggest you share this information with your customers so they are also clear about what version they have and the naming that relates to it.
Below is a snippet from the blog post. I suggest you head to the link below to read the details about the new naming conventions.
Greg Olsen


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Program Landing
Hebrews Part 4
Right Click & Save to Download MP3
Christ is superior over all things, including angels. In fact, twelve "better or superior gifts" are listed in this study. If you have all the better things, why go back to Jewish roots then? Jesus is superior in who He is and where He sits. Jesus has made those who receive him the New Israel.
Scripture: Hebrews 1:3-6
Pr. Ron Hodel


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Send me pics of your Boston Terrier and I'll post them.
If you have a short story or description of the picture you'd like to share, I'll include it too.
Submit to: firstname.lastname@example.com
This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from the Boston Terriers group pool. Make your own badge here.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
- boston terrier photo blog said ... (8:23 PM) :
- said ... (10:45 AM) :
I've never seen my Bostons do that, but maybe it's because they're boys so they only lift one leg to pee.
LoL my boston tucker is almost six months old and he still squats to pee. I think it's funny but my boyfriend's worried our child will be a pansy haha!! Then again, I'm from Ohio and he loves the snow...


text: The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (HPAI H5N1) virus is a deadly influenza strain found mostly in birds in Asia and Africa; it is not currently a flu strain seen often in humans. It is, however, a deadly flu virus that the CDC considers a high potential to become a future pandemic. This course discusses the H5N1 flu virus and what businesses and individuals can do in the event of a pandemic or flu outbreak.


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501 Chesapeake Pl is a $110,000, 3 bedroom, 2.0 bath home located in Fayetteville, NC.
3D tour Here: https://360.ht/unbranded/HFYJEAT. Come check out this lovely brick home. It is located on a Huge corner lot AND and cul-de-sac! Talk about location! Lets not forget the spacious fenced in backyard with shed, and plenty of trees for those hot summer days! Stepping inside we find gorgeous hardwood floors and a Master on-suite with a walk-in closet and a bathroom with a tiled tub / shower! Located near shopping, schools and 295, this home wont last so don't wait!
Interior - Smoke Alarm(s)
Washer/Dryer Hookups
|Interior Features
Includes - None
Dining - Formal
Floor - Hardwood
Floor - Tile
Floor - Vinyl
Interior - Ceiling Fan(s)
Interior - Blinds
Miscellaneous (Interior) - Storm Door(s)
Miscellaneous (Interior) - Walk-in-Closet(s)
|Fireplace Types
|Heating Types
|Parking Types
Single Carport
|Exterior Features
Electric - Public Works
Miscellaneous (Residential) - Outside Storage
Site - Corner Lot
Site - Rear Fencing
Site - Cul De Sac
|Construction Types
Condition - Average
Brick Veneer And Frame
|Land Type
Less Than 1 Acre
|Water Source
Water - Public Works
Sewer - Public Works
|Property Type
|Style Characteristics
SqFt Range - 1301 to 1400
|Architectural Style
|Year Built
|Elementary School
college lakes elementary
|Middle School
spring lake middle school
|High School
pine forest senior high
College Lakes
Based on information from the Fayetteville Regional Association of REALTORS MLS, last updated 07/19/2018 at 05:09pm MDT. Listing information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed by the MLS or this website.


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Gordon Brown has again hailed the New World Order, perhaps in an increasingly desperate attempt to keep his job. However, most likely his Bilderberg bosses feel the Labour pony has carried them as far as it will, and will be happy to let it collapse and expire in a stinking pool of sleaze, filth and failure. It is of no concern to the oligarchy, which has the faithful tories to carry the torch forward.
Monday, 26 January 2009
1 comment:
- 31 May 2009 at 13:34
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Seeing God in the day to day. I see God everywhere and I hope my writing helps you to see God in day to day also. He is everywhere and he wants to do life right by your side.
If you could only get one thing right as a parent, what would that be?
5 comments:
- Julie said...
That's what I want to get right, too. Thanks so much for sharing.
I used to take my laundry home when I was in college - and my mom would do it for me. I would say, "Mom, you don't have to do my laundry." And she always said, "I love doing your laundry." Now, as a parent, I understand.
- March 5, 2011 at 2:30 PM
- joboza said...
Wow did I need that today! My youngest daughter has recently come home from a two and a half month stay in Rehab..who is ever prepared for that!? especially at the age of 14!!I was on my knees long before she left,the whole time she was there and still praying.Not only did our amazing god answer prayer he took up residence again in my babys heart.She lead 3 other girls to jesus in rehab and is still witnessing every chance she gets. God is the most important thing we can give our childern..because no matter what life throws our way he is the constant lighthouse that leads us back to the road he wants us to follow.
This also reminded me to be content with ALL of her not just the good but the messy girl as well.Thank you Again,You inspire me!
- March 5, 2011 at 2:59 PM
- Life is short but God is sweet said...
thank you ladies for your wonderful comments. Julie, I laughed because I must have asked my son 5 times if I could do his laundry. Jo, I am continuing to pray for your family. what a wonderful heart she has for the Lord. you got it right momma, no matter what happens good or bad, she know God and she is sharing him with others. way to go.
- March 5, 2011 at 3:14 PM
- Tom said...
Thanks Kim! So true and so important! I do have a couple words of encouragement for all the moms who read this and are in the thick of the daily stuff- we pass Jesus on by knowing Him and what better way of knowing Him than in trusting Him with our greatest treasures? The other word of encouragemnt: grandchildren!!! Love you Kim!
- March 6, 2011 at 9:07 AM
- the mud, the blood, and the dust said...
Okay - I just cried like a baby. My boys have lots of time at home still, but the day you describe has always sat in my heart.
God in them is my biggest desire. His glory shining in their lives and strongly supporting them, is my desire everyday.
Time is too fast in passing- the rocking chair days are gone, my oldest is twelve and I already see time going faster. The sports, friends, family, homework, school, all stepping stones to adulthood, and opportunities to guide and teach. As a parent we work so hard to prepare them, but it is also preparing us to let them grow up and create their own wings of faith to fly.
Such a beautiful blessing God has entrusted every parent - not one day for granted or ungrateful.
Thanks Kim
- March 7, 2011 at 10:35 AM


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Hello! Let's find your Happy Place! Your REALTOR® 903-571-8033
Contact Lorri !
A little piece of heaven close to town. This beautiful 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath, 3 car garage home sits perfectly on a little over an acre near shopping and dining. Enjoy your pool in this summer heat or just spend time outside with family and friends. With plenty of room inside, this home offers you a spacious living area that leads right into the formal dining and kitchen with a separate door to the office and large pantry. Upstairs is a large living area/bedroom room with a full bath. Downstairs you will find the other spacious 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. You won't find another home like this in this price range. Pool, green house, 1.17 acres, over 4000 sqft of living and so much more can be yours today. Call today for a showing.
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text: So, you have made the decision that now is the time to start college. You probably have many questions running through your mind right now, which is totally normal. The following article is going to give you some tips to help ease the confusion you may feel about your upcoming college life. Preparing for college Begin preparing for college in your junior year. Most … [Read more...]


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Why not make phone keys/boards and display larger for Man hands or for people that struggle to see?
There are Apps available for Android such as "BIG Launcher" on the Google Play Store.
Great idea Linda! John's app suggestions will achieve exactly what you're looking for with any Android. Aside from that, the LG-A341 has keys that are relatively large and the Nokia Lumia 610 is a great choice as well: http://koo.do/WZTiLE.
Hello Ashley , I am familiar with the Nokia Lumia-However only phone I can get service with is CDMA:(
What area are you in that you only get CDMA?
Tbay...there is also HSPA ,Just not for Koodo without having to get ld phone#.
Awe, that's too bad Linda :(
Great idea I think I might dl this just for my husband!!
How about a phone with a large screen, apps will not help because it is the same size to the original keyboard
You can purchase any HSPA phone that has a large screen, unlocked and bring it over to Koodo ;). There is also the SIIX & the S3.
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