Tag: robert abela
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The Picture that Launched a Thousand Pitchforks
While the whole Mario Mallia thing is happening, across the ocean we have had a Pope with ailing health who traveled to the ends of the Earth to reach out to the indigenous peoples of Canada to apologize for years of colonial interference, genocide, and cultural suppression. Meantime, back home, the chaplain of the town…
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The left hand know not what the right one doeth…
It is truly ironic when a statement against inclusivity comes from an entity that is pushing for its own dissenting voice to be included within the walls of parliament. Such is the lack of self-awareness exhibited by the so-called local rightist movement “Partit Popolari” following Mr. Mario Mallia’s dismissal allegedly over his perspective on inclusivity.…
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Care-less
As explained elsewhere, since I was a kid I quickly realised how toothless and ineffective the police force and the entire justice system is. Sure they have dismal work conditions and resources are in a sorry state, but not even trying to be helpful is too regular and has been going on for too long…
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“Children these days…”
Among the many silly platitudes you hear from the average Maltese Joe is the endless tirade against the “children these days” (“It-tfal tal-llum”). How spoilt they are, and how they know no suffering, and so on and so forth. I often wonder if the people spouting such nonsense are aware that children do not spout…
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“Quid pro quo.”
ABA, or applied behavioural analysis, is applied (indeed) behaviourist principles to the moulding of behaviour in individuals through the analysis of antecedent, behaviour and consequence and the reinforcement through reward or punishment as first outlined by F.B Skinner. In other words, shaping expected behaviour through, indeed, reward or punishment after having scrutinised the rationale behind…
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Of Martyrs and Pricks.
I did not like Daphne Caruana Galizia at all. I do appreciate her place in our history, mind you; especially since her death triggered a domino effect of having years-long corruption being unearthed and brought to justice. Never mind that so much corruption is entrenched in our society and given our blessing that it may…
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…with a Whimper.
I have said before that I hold no faith in the unions representing education locally. And people wonder why we are not taken seriously; I find these to be an overall embarrassment to whatever education is. Here we are, meaning to empower the educator to better perform what they do while indulging in a veritable…
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Spot the Difference
Yesterday I had an enlightening conversation with a friend of mine whose wife comes from Vietnam, a notoriously communist country. It is very evident that unlike capitalism, which is intrinsically exploitative and slips into neoliberalism no matter who is at the top manning the wheels, socialism and communism are political systems that are only as…
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Misery and Company
Sometimes people need reminding; we love pointing fingers at the symptom without figuring out the cause now don’t we? I applaud Ms Galea’s efforts in this venture; it sure highlights our mentality of besmirching the “other”, the unknown, the “not us.” If we keep pointing our fingers at the “other”, no matter how true certain…
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The Embryo Obsession
I must admit that I am rather…puzzled…by this motion. On the one hand, I know for a fact on a human level, especially given a few recent experiences, that I would not rest easy knowing that somewhere on this island – or wherever, I have no idea how this works – someone is poking around…
Typical Topical 