Thoughts and happenings from a life on Malta

This is getting to me now. Another madman in charge of  a car, drives dangerously and at speed on the wrong side of the road, kills one, seriously injures two others. Punishment? Licence suspended for only 1 year and a 2-year jail term but suspended for 2 years (http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110406/local/suspended-sentence-for-speeding-driver-who-killed-man-and-injured-woman-and-child)

The punishment is actually no punishment at all. The message it sends out to all arrogant drunks and speedsters is that the law is on their side, not the victim’s.

The courts are becoming accessories to the carnage on our roads.

The following contribution by Mr Joe Zammit appears in the comments section of The Times on-line edition.

It captures the crusading spirit of Maltese Catholicism to the last drop of spiritual blood. 

“There can never be a responsible divorce. Divorce of any kind is evil, condemned by God for our own good.

We do not want divorce, any divorce. The great majority of Maltese and Gozitans want no form of divorce; so the vast majority will say NO to divorce.

It is a devilish deceit to try to qualify divorce. Divorce is the dissolution of a validly contracted marriage by a human person. No human person has the power, let alone the right, to dissolve a valid marriage.

A big NO to divorce; YES to the indissolubility of marriage.

Join in the battle between God and the devil! Fight the good fight! The victory is ours, it’s already guaranteed!”

Image: http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/devil_vs_god.jpg

Waking up at 0500hrs has its advantages. Well, it has at least one advantage. At that time, the night becomes the midwife to the birthing day and it appears that a life can be lived in the many forthcoming hours. If these 24 hours were the 42 kilometres of a marathon course, I’d still be too close to the start to even catch a glimpse of the finish line.

1900hrs and, in running terminology, I hit the wall. Instead of heavy legs, its the eyelids that feel the weight of the day’s exertions. They have developed a symbiotic relationship with the earth’s gravitational forces, pulling downwards with a determination that depresses me sometimes. I mean, the shops are just closing, there are employees returning to their homes, restaurants and clubs have yet to open their doors. Meanwhile here I sit on the sofa, trying to exercise the mind with a book or newspaper, but aware that I’m losing the struggle.

That’s it. Whether I like it or not, the line has been crossed. 2100hrs and if even a movie like Black Death cannot keep me from nodding off, then I won’t delay my journey to the land of Nod any further. I snuggle under the quilt and snuff out my social life.