On the Dot...

Do we need to witness more accidents or another fatality for something to be done in President A. Buttigieg Road, Zejtun? This very busy road encourages drivers, no less those of heavy vehicles, to speed as they please, not to mention the noise and fumes pollution. "Slow" signs painted on the carriageway are simply not enough.

Real Work

How about the Gender Equality Commission doing some real work, apart from having its light moments about chocolate: such as by getting some equality in court wear. Why should men in summer be made to wear jacket and tie, while women, including lawyers, can go there in light wear, including flip flops? Or is it that it is only women's equality, not gender equality, that the commission strives for?

Downhill Drift

The general area at the back of the St Julians parish church, downhill towards the bridge and beyond it, has a very desultory air about it. Many people use the stepped entrance to the church, as well as the bridge and the street proper, as a parking area or on their way to the shops. The place needs to be cleaned up, and better lit, especially after sunset.

Action Station

The new health and safety measures being implemented at places of work and other buildings include surprise fire drills in order to ascertain that everyone knows how to get to the proper mustering points with each person's presence being accounted for. However, the exercise loses its purpose when the doors to the streets are already open before the siren sounds, with hindrances like huge pot plants and so on having been removed beforehand.

News Casting

Listening to the news bulletins on the two political radio stations, one would be forgiven for thinking that they are broadcasting from utterly different planets. When one considers the adage "comment is free, but facts are sacred" it is difficult to imagine how two sets of clips, utterly devoid of similarity between them, may both be considered to be the "truth".

Sheepish Sheep

Despite the annoying voice of Beqqina, the Star of the Show, the interactive CD aimed at children is indeed a labour of love. Issued as an addendum to the results of the Synod, it highlights the six values therein and contains didactic and topical material as well as games.

Shopping Trolley

Frozen meat and meat products from the grocer, herbs from the butcher and fish fillets from the greengrocer are available every day of the week, except, of course, Sundays. This makes the case for Sunday shopping almost redundant, unless, of course, one wants to purchase detergents from the stationer or newspapers from the delicatessen or the bar.

Paper Tigers

It is high time for candidates for any coming election to stop the practice of sending personal flyers through the post or by hand since a good number of them often end up in tatters on the streets. Besides, one would have thought that nothing was further from the minds of candidates than self-promotion.

Half Baked

Residents of Triq il-Karmnu, Zabbar heaved a sigh of relief on May 22 when tarmac started to be laid. However, the delight for some of them was short lived because only part of the road was surfaced. The council said it did not have enough money to complete the work, which costs some Lm900!

Party Politics

The Prime Minister, caught in a traffic jam near a particular roundabout on May 30, at about 5 p.m., cheerfully instructed his driver to waive his right of way. A member of the opposition, on the other hand, decided he was more equal than others and would have ridden roughshod, so to say, over some of the same group of motorists, some of whom are in his constituency.

Labour Part

Most people are shocked when they see images of burdened child labourers carrying heavy loads, trekking across barren countryside. Other images are even more harrowing. Yet people probably take for granted the sight of a 10-year-old wiping tables, serving drinks, mopping up after spills and doing other menial chores in so-called family businesses, with a view to the saving of an employed person's wage.

Home Thoughts

One notes with satisfaction the steps being taken to enact the year 2000 draft of the Domestic Violence Bill, meant to turn the present tide that has victims, rather than aggressors, getting the short straw through victimisation and often through losing their homes in order to protect themselves and their children. One hopes this particular piece of legislation is put on the fast track because, after all, a strong family unit is the basis of a strong nation.

Villa Dome

The remains of Roman villas are not exactly thick on the ground in Malta. Perhaps it would be a good idea to cover those in Rabat with a geodesic dome or other similar structure, at least on a trial basis for the coming summer months. This would no doubt mean that more people would take it in when they visit other local sites and, since the place would be covered, the venture would be able to include other fund-raising activities for whoever ultimately takes the responsibility for this heritage site.