I.M. Beck - quote unquote

Last Sunday's Malta Today contained an in-depth interview with Mr David Casa, erstwhile IVA Prime Mover, current PN MEP hopeful. As these things go, it was an interesting enough, if pretty vanilla, exercise in getting the candidate's face and psyche known to the punters, something that all the boys and girls are doing, especially in this particular race, which is a national run-off as opposed to a parochial contest.

The flavour changed sharply, albeit briefly, about six sevenths or so of the way into the interview, when Mr Casa let us know that there were some very influential journalists who had asked him to do them favours that were illegal during the EU referendum campaign, because of which they had some big problems in the IVA Movement.

This is a revelation of the greatest import, verily I say unto you, faithful readers. Lest you run away with the idea that I - your 'umble scribe - was one of these "very influential journalists", let me point out that in the first place, I am not a journalist, I am a columnist (there is a difference), in the second place I have never, to my knowledge, met Mr Casa (we move in different circles) and in the third place, I have never asked for favours that were illegal.

That having been stated, I believe it is fair to make a couple of points in respect of this announcement by Mr Casa.

I believe it would have behoved the dear fellow to give us a bit more information than he gave us. Who were these very influential journalists who believed that Mr Casa was the sort of man who would do them illegal favours? We need to know who they were, because by your interlocutors shall you be known and I can think of a number of so-called journalists who, by asking me to do them illegal favours, would actually confirm to me, by that very act, that they are miscreant low-lifes who deserve to be exposed, blinking myopically in the white light of righteousness.

Are these the sort of vermin who attempted to tempt Mr Casa into a life of iniquity? We should be told, and by him, as his reaction, no doubt a righteous one, to them would demonstrate his lack of susceptibility to such temptation.

And then simple human curiosity prompts me to ask in what these illegal favours consisted? Before the 1987 election, those of us with some vestiges of memory recall, there were those who actually did people illegal favours, such as getting them employed with the government-owned entities, such as the banks and the other commercial companies - were these the sort of favours Mr Casa was asked for? Or was he asked to participate in some Watergate-style cover-up of some sort - perhaps there was an embezzlement of oodles of dosh from some fund or other? Maybe there were more prurient aspects to the story: how should I know?

Of course, when you look at my list of illegalities, far-fetched as they are, you will appreciate how ludicrous it is to think that Mr Casa could have been involved in anything like that, so the illegalities he was asked for must have been of a different sort.

He should tell us and do it now, otherwise people will just speculate about him. And this sort of speculation will do him no good at all.

Let him have it

As I write these lines, I have Super One burbling on in the corner, with Dr Toni Abela bouncing about prompting the less than mainstream candidates for the MEP elections to say things about their campaign.

I haven't been watching the show from the beginning, as I have just come in from trying to coax my aging bones into something resembling fitness but I have had the very dubious pleasure of seeing the bitterly twisted scowl that Mr Normal Lowell seems to have adopted as his permanent image become even more bitter and twisted whenever the gentleman from Nigeria hove into view.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, people with views such as those espoused by Mr Lowell push my tolerance to its very limits, to the extent that I don't think that he should be allowed to abuse the benefits of democracy by spouting the drivel he spouts whenever he is given airspace by misguided media folk.

So I urge you to give it to him and I don't mean your vote, either: give him a large, spluttering raspberry, maybe he'll get the hint once and for all and slink off into the outer darkness, never to be heard from again.

In a nutshell, as Mr Iwueke pointed out with a great deal of dignity, this balderdash is nothing more or less than incitement and in civilised countries, it is illegal.

And Mr Lowell should be declared illegal, along with his arrogance, rudeness and intolerance.

A true gent

What a refreshing change: someone made a mistake and he actually stood up, raised his hand and took the blame for it, apologising for any offence that may have been caused.

I am referring to Mr Peppi Azzopardi, who on seeing that his company's coverage of the first baby to be born in a EU-Malta had been less than perfectly tasteful, wrote to the papers to admit that they had gone over the top and that an apology was due and given.

Take a bow, young man.

On the other hand

Far be it from me to get between two warring felines (apart from everything else, all the protagonists are friends of mine) but if I could just get a word in edgeways, I would politely and with all due respect ask Messrs Caruana Galizia, deMarco, Hyzler and whoever else got involved to back off each other, before someone gets really hurt.

The whole sorry saga is great fun for those of us on the outside looking in, giggling away at the flying fur and feathers, but come on, guys, enough already.

With somewhat less respect, I would ask people like His Grey Eminence, J. G. Vassallo, who seems to have inculcated in himself the notion that he is an authority on all things journalistic, not to stick his nose into fights like this. They're none of his business.

And with a bit more respect (not much) I would ask Mr Anthony Manduca to exercise a touch more common sense, next time.

All in all, this was not a very edifying episode in the annals of Maltese media life.

Fun to the north

Last weekend, I was in Gozo with 'Er Indoors, as she was showing some of her daubs along with seven other broads in an exhibition put on in aid of that pretty good cause, the Salesian Community in Sliema.

It's a good show (see, there is some talent in the family) and if you're up North, drop by the Banca Giuratale and have a look.

We stayed at the Mgarr Hotel, which I maintain has one of the better views in the world and which is comfortable and well run to the nth degree, so that was fun too.

Of course, going to Gozo means that you have to stuff your face - it's a rule, you see. And we did some stuffing, I have to say (which is why the Ta' Qali Gym saw me darkening its doors).

I am happy to report that the pizza from Maxoqq (if that's how it's spelt) is still good, even if not as superb as it used to me (such is the price of commercialisation) and certainly not as cheap. Very good, though, as Mona had (not) moaned.

Exquisite was the word to describe the meal we had at It-Tmun in Victoria on Saturday night, again just as Mona had reported she had.

This is getting worrying, I have agreed with the dear lady twice in one column but I'm not going to lie to you to protect my irascible image. This restaurant had us vowing that we will have to go to Gozo more often, because there's plenty left on the menu that we have to sample.

And just in case the whiners are worried that the increase in fares will put me off, let me assure them that the few miserable cents that have been added on to the tariff will not prevent me from infesting the sister island.