A wail of a time

Statistics about TV viewing prove that Net TV is among the least watched and I don't understand why Nats watch very little Net while apparently being more faithful to the leftist One TV. This apathy and lack of loyalty is definitely unacceptable.

I may be an exception and watch lots of Net TV - which I find very enjoyable. I may smile when it tries to sadden me and vice versa, but some people are difficult. At least I compensate for this lack of cooperation by almost never letting an evening go by without a peep through Net - without which the dismal national success-story statistics would be reduced (downwardly adjusted - according to consultants with obese wallets) even further.

Moby Dick

The other day I was watching a very good programme - again on Net - and I enjoyed myself immeasurably. It was about the latest PN council which rested on three columns (NSO please confirm), namely the countryside, Nat King Cole and the great mammal - the whale. Austin Gatt indeed compared the PN to a whale and I don't think that this is good strategy as the whale contains a lot of blubber, produces tonnes of shemozzle and commits suicide by a self-inflicted virus in the brain which produces confusion, sending it crashing on beaches typical of Ramla l-Hamra and Hondoq ir-Rummien.

European dad

Dr Gatt also mentioned the glorious politicians in the PN's past and I fail to comprehend why he did not include Frank Portelli and his genuine interest in the Whistleblower's Act and transparent national budgeting of finances collected from the taxpayer's sweat - especially in medical health. I also don't know why Dr Gatt called Lawrence Gonzi the father of European Malta. Indeed, as a loyal member of the tiny viewers' club of Net TV, I had heard Nat journalists refer to former PM Eddie Fenech Adami as the father of European Malta. I remember very clearly Net journalists exclaiming, when Dr EFA's plane had touched down, "Missier Malta Ewropeja nizel fl-art" ("European Malta's father came down on earth" - which almost prompted me to solemnly respond "And he dwelt among us.") But, in any case, how many fathers can a progeniture have? Ah! Scientific progress!

Backdrop

The council hall was splendidly decorated with a backdrop of countryside view - a mongrel of local and foreign decor. For strategic purposes, I don't agree that in this decor one should have placed several cypress trees reminiscent of cemeteries - when the party is trying to look smart, alive and brand in spite of mouldly conservatism adhered to by prominent ideologues and spiritual advisers of the party. In this regard, speaker after speaker, turning round and saying something excited and euphoric about this backdrop, seemed slightly childish and every time I said: "How sweet, how happy he looks!"

Nat King Cole

I do not at all understand the use of Nat King Cole music during this festival. Unforgettable may after all be a teasing of Sliema & St Julians people and their ecological punishment. Nat - which is not the diminutive of Nationalist - has many songs which may ring a bell. Do I need to say what the following Nat titles remind one of: Smile, Pretend, Send For Me, Embraceable You, You Call It Madness, Get Your Kicks On, Too Marvellous For Words, A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet, Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen, The Frim Fram Sauce, The More I See You, I'm Lost, The Party's Over, Am I Blue and, finally, Say It Isn't So!

Party council election

Contrary to what the grassroots wished, this did not materialise. Many believe that Beppe Fenech Adami, who was interested in the post of PN secretary general, would have easily made it and contributed to the shoring up of dwindling finesse in party expression. But this was not to be and conveniently elections were unconvincingly postponed to post-apocalyptic times "due to the approaching general election". I do not understand at all why a party which never stops talking about renovation keeps for generations some people, on their executive committee, who have become increasingly boring while thinking they are exciting.

Welcome to my den

These last years, political parties in Malta have shown a certain maturity by inviting a representative from among their adversaries to their clubs or conferences. It is obvious that the host party looks after the security of the political adversary and does its best to show a sufficient basic courtesy - especially to prove that it is civilised. I have seen guests of the Labour Party being treated with maximum security and respect when invited to party HQ or clubs to observe what's being done by their hosts. This was not the case when Jason Micallef, secretary general of the MLP, was invited to the PN general council. He seems to have been placed on purpose where the cameras could focus on him and project his least movement on screen to be politely booed by some Neanderthals. This was particularly done when Joe Saliba - who had invited him - attacked him while the cameraman projected Mr Micallef's face on screen and when Mr Micallef had no right to defend himself. If Mr Saliba and his party are incapable of showing good manners when inviting people home, then they should not invite them at all. Childish cowardice in the face of guests is hardly courteous - and even less gentlemanly.

Faith healing

In all honesty I must say that only rarely do I find it difficult to understand articles by the Minister of Health. In a contribution on May 25 he states that "More and more people are looking up and believing". This is to me a reference to faith healing in Malta. In such circumstances, I don't see the reason for having Mater Dei Hospital - especially since the ex-President of the PN, Frank Portelli, is convinced that it should have cost much less (and saved us some super surcharges - as is my conviction). The article's title, Justified Euphoria, is perhaps more difficult to understand - following five local council and Euro Parliament elections, making the PN leader a serial loser. But strategy advises that forced euphoria may result in some real happiness.

Dr Licari teaches psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics and geolinguistics at the Department of French of the University of Malta.